sniffle

I think I have the cold. I'm all stuffed up. Kinda hard to breathe.

any coverage of the march for life?

hmm... was there any coverage of the march for life on January 22, 2009 (and here) by the major TV networks? Any coverage in any newspaper?

paper house

paper house via Gizmodo

Dominican Retreat

January 23–25, 2009

registration due January 14, 2009

The retreat begins
Friday at 5 p.m. and ends
Sunday at 11 a.m.
San Antonio, TX

click for more information

Carmelite discernment half day

All women ages 14 to 30 who are open to the possibility of a religious vocation are invited to spend the afternoon with the Discalced Carmelite Nuns.

Saturday, January 31, 2009, 10am-1pm

A small community of contemplative women, The Discalced Carmelites live in a wooded area 30 miles north of Houston in New Caney, Texas.

You will have the opportunity to join the Carmelites for questions and answers, experience midday prayer with them in their chapel, followed by lunch and conversation.

RSVP: For details about this event and to RSVP, please contact Sr. Pauline in the Office of Vocations at (713) 652-8239 or

Ptroncale at archgh.org

Important: Parental permission required for those under 18.

job opening

Enjoy the beach? Good with communications? Check it out.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090113/od_afp/lifestyleaustraliatourismoffbeat_20090113032028

a little theology

aye. Theology can be difficult for me to grasp.
What does Jesus's dying on the cross have to do with our salvation?
What is our relationship to "the Law" -- what is the law to us? (I get this one!)
What is the sacrifice of the Eucharist?

question and answer session recording here (starts at 26:00, but there is a nice story about a kitten at 18:27)

See if your answer matches Dr. Scott Hahn's.

I'm still trying to wrap my mind around it.

best commercial (Honey Baked Ham Christmas)

wanted: action figures

We saw the movie "The Day the Earth Stood Still" on Saturday. Wow. I gotta have the action figure of the new Gort when they come out with it. Man, that is one gooood lookin' Gort. He'd make a great action figure.

I want the Iron Man action figure too. (You see I'm not very fast at acquiring these things.) Someday...

a lull

Not a low. I don't want to call it a low. I'm at a lull in my church life. I'm still trying to get used to our new pastors. I don't miss my former pastor in the sense of heartache, but I do miss his presence and HOMILIES. I, who am very talented at snoozing and can sleep soundly in busy airports, bus stops and doctor's waiting rooms, can also snooze during mass. It's become the norm to attend my parish mass and be bored. Gumby visited the parish a few times over the holidays and I have to say, "Yeah, that's about how it is (boring)."

No, we don't come to mass to be entertained. But in the words of Fr. John Corapi, the priest is supposed to be on fire, and the people come to watch him burn. Our bishop, too is a big believer in priests who are supposed to know how to preach. But he inherited the diocese and he can't quite fix it ... there are other matters to pursue.

It won't discourage me from attending mass, it just keeps me expectant that I will be bored. I still do my two volunteer gigs. One I'm reasonably competent with, and therefore comfortable. The other, not so comfortable and I still feel like a fifth wheel and wonder sometimes if I'm not a liability. There isn't much oomph in my "church presence" -- I'm at a lull.

two easy lessons in chocolate

1. Don't ever leave chocolate in the car if there is even the slightest chance of it being a warm day.
2. Don't attempt to eat a melted Hershey's Kisses. You may can navigate the wrapper, but you won't be able to navigate the embedded strip of paper.

Now excuse me while I go change shirts so that I may run the errand I was too embarassed to run with the chocolate-enhanced shirt. I suppose it'd be normal for a toddler or for one taking care of a toddler to walk around with such a shirt, but not for me.

more bulletin bloopers

more bloopers found at link:
http://kevinbussey.com/2008/04/08/new-church-bulletin-bloopers/

The peacemaking meeting scheduled for today has been
canceled due to a conflict.

The ladies of the church have cast off clothing of every kind. They may be seen in the basement on Friday afternoon.

This evening at 7 p.m. there will be a hymn singing in the park across from the church. Bring a blanket and come prepared to sin.