tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36591112012-01-13T11:41:50.596-06:00Musings and reflections on all things great and small in light of the great Catholic literature (theology, philosophy, spirituality, poetry and fiction, etc.) of all time.Robert Gotchernoreply@blogger.comBlogger9361100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3659111.post-36344975243059665272012-01-13T11:41:00.001-06:002012-01-13T11:41:50.612-06:00

My posting on this blog is sporadic at best.  Right now I need to cut back on some things, so I am going to have an official hiatus until at least the end of May so I can concentrate on some essentials.  

Robert Gotchernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3659111.post-13831612905345510852011-12-30T09:59:00.000-06:002011-12-30T09:59:37.543-06:00

Starting next week I will be teaching two online courses for Homeschool Connectioins:  Logic   The emphasis on feelings and de-emphasis on proper, logical thinking has left many Americans prey to advertisers and demagogues. A training in logic can help a reader or listener see the truth and falsehood of statements made on the editorial page or on talk radio shows, so he can make proper

Robert Gotchernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3659111.post-4336004385474567862011-12-23T15:08:00.001-06:002011-12-23T15:08:07.213-06:00

Frank Beckwith says: "[T]he number three can never be the reddest letter in the alphabet."

Robert Gotchernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3659111.post-66938287979226309872011-12-22T17:32:00.000-06:002011-12-22T17:32:53.283-06:00

I just discovered that Marquette's library has a preview of my dissertation available online here. It is just the introduction.  If you want to read the whole thing you'll have to either purchase it (!) or go to Marquette's library or theology department.

Robert Gotchernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3659111.post-29069904080719291372011-12-09T15:41:00.001-06:002011-12-09T15:49:04.870-06:00

St. John of Damascus makes an interesting point that I have never thought much about in An Exposition of the Orthodox Faith, Book One, Chapter 1: God, however, did not leave us in absolute ignorance. For the knowledge of God's existence has been implanted by Him in all by nature. This creation, too, and its maintenance, and its government, proclaim the majesty of the Divine nature. Wisdom 13:5

Robert Gotchernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3659111.post-80602607119786999492011-12-09T15:35:00.001-06:002011-12-09T15:38:47.135-06:00

Advent is supposed to be a penitential season, yet I don't think of or do much  fasting or any of the things we usually associate, for instance, with Lent.  I know the eastern Churches fast during Advent (which, for them, starts on November 15). A question for you all: what makes Advent "penitential" for us besides going to the communal penance service and lighting the Advent wreath?  Watching "

Robert Gotchernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3659111.post-18415963601312480712011-12-06T07:01:00.001-06:002011-12-06T07:15:43.445-06:00

I was digging around for an audio version of the Latin Liturgia Horarum and came up with this nice resource.  It is a handsome web page that presents the entire text of the office in a "book" format.  It also has audio files of the psalms and canticles. I would do a screen dump for you, but I don't know how! I also found a web site that provides the Gregorian chant for the Sunday and Solemnity

Robert Gotchernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3659111.post-30957210749816608712011-11-18T15:32:00.001-06:002011-11-18T15:34:03.396-06:00

I just got three copies in the mail of the Nov. 2011 number of Homiletics and Pastoral Review.  On page 52 is an article I wrote with the above title. Unfortunately, it is not available online yet, although perhaps it will be when they go totally online in January. Meanwhile, check it out at your local theological library.

Robert Gotchernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3659111.post-59760281258697760452011-11-18T14:10:00.001-06:002011-11-18T14:45:15.252-06:00

Evangelium Vitae begins with a laundry list of the every increasing social manifestation of a culture of death.  I think most people, including myself, see this as a call to action--a list of evils to be overcome by prayer and social action.  I wonder, though, whether the primary significance of all these enumerated evils is a call to care for the souls of those who are immersed in the culture

Robert Gotchernoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3659111.post-2544900488371874652011-11-18T07:04:00.001-06:002011-11-18T07:41:14.204-06:00

Humanae vitae (10) speak of paternitas consia.  It is often translated "responsible parenthood." Janet Smith wrote an article explaining that a better, although not perfect translation would be "conscious parenthood," based on the roots of the idea in Karol Wojtyla's wonderful book Love and Responsibility. It is an excellent article the emphasizes the interiority of our "responsibility" based on

Robert Gotchernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3659111.post-27619830683002776972011-11-14T09:52:00.001-06:002011-11-14T10:13:28.054-06:00

"Back in the 1940s and '50s and '60s, men believed that the best friends that you could have were the ones who would openly criticize your work and lay bare to you the mistakes and errors that you made, so that you might learn from them and correct them. In today's world, if someone criticizes your work openly, it has become fashionable to hate them for it. That is extremely foolish. You cannot

Robert Gotchernoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3659111.post-72534321571038644892011-11-10T16:17:00.001-06:002011-11-10T16:18:53.188-06:00

This is not a current events blog, but I will say this.  You can apply it to whatever you want. It is simply not going to work for you if you put any temporal value, no matter how good, above your moral duties, especially as it regards protecting the weak. That includes success, reputation, or even friendship. Not only will you get into trouble, but the weak will be trampled on.

Robert Gotchernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3659111.post-38193637581583990382011-10-27T07:37:00.000-05:002011-10-27T07:41:32.614-05:00

According to Bradley J. Birzer are "enthusiasm, wisdom and knowledge regarding their subject, and moral imagination." In this essay called "Liberal Education and Christian Humanism," Birzer quotes Dawson, Chesterton, Tolkien, and Kirk. I think this is the kind of "conservatism" I can most get behind.  I am so tired of the tedious influence of Ayn Rand on much American conservatism.  Both the Tea

Robert Gotchernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3659111.post-64208929654196584872011-10-17T11:12:00.000-05:002011-10-17T11:12:13.993-05:00

From the same web site, The Spirit of the Liturgy, by Romano Guardini!

Robert Gotchernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3659111.post-42578292103231275922011-10-17T11:05:00.003-05:002011-10-17T11:05:48.365-05:00

At the Federation of Diocesan Liturgical Commissioners web page.  It includes: What Is Liturgy of the Hours? The Daily Structure of the Hours The Structure of Each of the Hours Editions of the Liturgy of the Hours Organization & Contents of Editions The Liturgical Calendar & LOH Roles in the Celebration of LOH

Robert Gotchernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3659111.post-49149623335299580802011-10-04T14:50:00.000-05:002011-10-04T14:58:09.194-05:00

...There is this Slate article noting the trend to debunk Evil in the name of neuroscience. HT Magis Center of Reason and Faith.

Robert Gotchernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3659111.post-1985128558470474262011-10-03T14:26:00.002-05:002011-10-03T14:27:30.710-05:00

This may be an indication of real cutlural progress, especially if one keeps some of the caveats mentioned in the article in mind, such as the usefulness of the category in court. I don't think, however, that one can so absolutely rule out Satanic influence in violent pyschopathic behavior. If you do you exclude a possible avenue for conversion for the person. One "caveat," however, is useless:

Robert Gotchernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3659111.post-906962735083506822011-09-30T11:24:00.002-05:002011-09-30T11:24:39.884-05:00

One of the cool things about quoting others is you don't have to compose witty things yourself. "What Europe suffered two hundred years ago was an attack on God. What we face today is an attack on man." --Ryan N.S. Topping, in First Things.

Robert Gotchernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3659111.post-40977879536863902952011-09-30T11:08:00.002-05:002011-09-30T11:09:09.548-05:00

But, sadly, I think it is shaping up to be the quote of the century: "In general, modern people chafe against revealed authority because they expect the outer life of institutions to be rendered serviceable to the psychological inner life of individuals." --Jennifer Ferrara, former Lutheran Minister, Catholic convert, in a 2004 Zenit interview.

Robert Gotchernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3659111.post-90757760817346012452011-09-23T11:07:00.000-05:002011-09-23T11:07:10.859-05:00

Mark Shea points out this neato blog on the Divine Office (Liturgy of the Hours). Although I don't usually do just link posts, as a strong promoter of the LotH, I'm inclined to publicize anyone who publicizes it. If this woman is lazy, what does that make me. I shudder to think.

Robert Gotchernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3659111.post-91500902569884177692011-09-19T12:57:00.000-05:002011-09-19T12:57:27.323-05:00

Some sage advice from Fr. Tim Finigan at The Hermeneutics of Continuity. It is not a good idea to shield children from difficult words. Better that they know them and are fascinated by them and then learn more about them as they grow older. He applies it to liturgy, but I think it is a good general principle for talking and especially reading to kids.

Robert Gotchernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3659111.post-92011071764307308532011-09-15T08:21:00.000-05:002011-09-15T08:22:01.735-05:00

From today's liturgy: Responsorium breve R/. Per te salútem hauriámus, Virgo María. V/. Ex vulnéribus Christi, Virgo María. Glória Patri, ... R/. Through you we drink from the wellsprings of salvation, O Blessed Virgin Mary. V/. From the sacred wounds of Christ, O Blessed Virgin Mary. Glory to the Father....

Robert Gotchernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3659111.post-12490459346015933302011-09-05T20:25:00.000-05:002011-09-05T20:26:00.211-05:00

Courtesy Archdiocese of Boston. HT a friend on Facebook.  I don't know what the protocol is on HTing a Facebook friend, but I'll keep'm anonymous unless otherwise advised. It also has a lot of useful links.

Robert Gotchernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3659111.post-53312358724891638302011-09-05T08:18:00.000-05:002011-09-05T12:33:44.170-05:00

Update to correct factual errors: When I teach seminarians about SSA, I emphasize that the love between two men who engage in same sex activity may in fact be quite genuine. The problem is that the same sex activity undermines the love. Two men are able to love each other deeply and genuinely and with great emotion.  This is a good thing established by God.  It is a great thing to recover this.

Robert Gotchernoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3659111.post-44892040529285339782011-08-30T09:29:00.002-05:002011-08-30T09:46:34.798-05:00

A friend on Facebook pointed to an essay by David Brooks on the Yiddish concept haimish. Exactly! I have always lived and tried to live on the "haimish" side of things. This means, of course, that things aren't as "nice" as they would be if we tried to live the suburban dream. The things that worry so many of our friends, relatives and neighbors, such as the lawn, just don't bother us that

Robert Gotchernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3659111.post-11564858793286991492011-08-29T15:28:00.004-05:002011-08-29T15:51:10.090-05:00

At least five very influential men in the 20th century loss their mothers at an early age, having a profound effect on them. J.R.R. Tolkien's mother died when he was 12. He was subsequently raised by Fr. Francis Xavier Morgan of the Birmingham Oratory, in the shadow, so to speak, of the great Bl. John Henry Cardinal Newman. C.S. Lewis's mother died when he was 10. His unusual relationship with

Robert Gotchernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3659111.post-43437215720735947502011-08-24T07:15:00.002-05:002011-08-24T07:18:53.623-05:00

The young set has a new social network/blog site called Virtuouspla.net. It gives us oldsters a look into the mind of the up and coming millenial faithful Catholic. I should also point out that my son, Nathaniel, is a contributor. See his August 22 post on chivalry, for instance.

Robert Gotchernoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3659111.post-13849336760313644642011-08-22T13:35:00.003-05:002011-08-22T13:50:50.162-05:00

The College of St. Mary Magdalen (formerly known as Magdalen College) has moved to join forces with the recently established Erasmus Institute of Liberal Arts, which was co-founded by Peter Sampo, who, many years ago founded Magdalen, then went on the found the other small Catholic liberal arts college (SCLAC, as my kids call them) in New Hampshire, The Thomas More College of the Liberal Arts.

Robert Gotchernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3659111.post-60735346456968578612011-08-22T05:26:00.005-05:002011-08-22T06:45:36.477-05:00

Yesterday my children and I were having a discussion about what superpowers we would want. I said, "The superpowers I want are emotional equilibrium and stamina." Stamina is self-explanatory. I am always in great admiration of those people, especially men, who have such energy for the tasks they are about that they never seem to fatigue, like I do so easily. I'm sure I'd get a lot more done,

Robert Gotchernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3659111.post-61128150507877207602011-08-17T21:56:00.003-05:002011-08-17T22:04:51.321-05:00

I just found out about the Center for the Study of the Great Ideas, founded by Mortimer Adler and Max Weismann. Their mission:The CENTER has two primary missions: One, to help awaken citizens from their moral and intellectual slumbers and to help them understand why philosophy is everybody's business: the possibility of finding sound and practical answers to questions about the good life and

Robert Gotchernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3659111.post-51135725675938975562011-08-17T21:54:00.002-05:002011-08-17T21:56:13.804-05:00

I delete commercial "comments," even ones from non-profits, even ones from organizations I am sympathetic with. If you want me to mention something, contact me privately.

Robert Gotchernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3659111.post-84851383979648285772011-08-17T11:37:00.004-05:002011-08-17T11:53:35.040-05:00

Through a convoluted series of links that began on Mark Shea's blog, although I can't figure out where, I came across this 1958 recording of a Mike Wallace interview with Mortimer Adler, the co-founder of the Great Books program at the University of Chicago and long-time editor of the Encyclopedia Britannica and The Great Books of Western Civilization. In it he discusses the necessity of

Robert Gotchernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3659111.post-15320265228142213372011-08-15T11:39:00.002-05:002011-08-15T11:46:13.498-05:00

William Michael, of the Classical Liberal Arts Academy has the following to about writing: Writing is really nothing more than setting down on paper what we would otherwise speak with our mouths. It would be impossible for a man to be a great speaker and a poor writer because all he needs to do is write down that which he would speak. His main point is that knowledge of grammar, logic, and

Robert Gotchernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3659111.post-68493840776463408662011-08-11T16:58:00.004-05:002011-08-11T17:16:21.938-05:00

When the Brewers play the Cards this season, there is a lot of tension to say the least. In the last series there was a well-publicized exchange of "inside pitching" involving Albert Pujolz and Ryan Braun. From what I heard, the Pujolz "inside" pitch wasn't intentional because the Brewers didn't want him on base at the time. On the other hand, Ryan Braun was hit squarely in the back, which

Robert Gotchernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3659111.post-16312124956687795272011-08-11T14:56:00.003-05:002011-08-11T15:42:55.950-05:00

One of the things that always irritated me was theologians who repeat the saying that, "the sacraments are not magic." They especially apply this to the Eucharist, emphasizing that the Consecration is not just a magic spell spoken by a magician to turn on substance into another with magical "powers," a talisman. The point seems to be that the presence of the Body and Blood of Christ is not

Robert Gotchernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3659111.post-71545235096438050902011-08-10T09:08:00.002-05:002011-08-10T09:13:54.012-05:00

I noticed that a troll from The Alpha Course posted in my comments box. Alpha is a non-denominational basic Christianity course from the Evangelical Anglican tradition with charismatic leanings. It has a Catholic "version." The purpose of the trolling was to gain participation in this "Catholic" version. I'm not in favor of using my comments box as a source of advertisement. Whatever the

Robert Gotchernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3659111.post-69394356531162776042011-08-09T16:46:00.003-05:002011-08-09T16:51:11.202-05:00

Our friend Matt Alderman has drawn the illustrations for an edition of the Revised Roman Missal published by Liturgical Training Publications. To see examples of his work, you can click here, then click on the pen and ink illustration of the Nativity to see a slide show of some of his work. Since I know he uses live models, I couldn't help but try to recognize some of the faces. Nope.

Robert Gotchernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3659111.post-38953504537267099322011-08-09T16:18:00.009-05:002011-08-09T16:40:12.705-05:00

Here is Clifford Geertz's definition of religion in Religion as a Cultural System, which I have just started to read:(1) a system of symbols which acts to (2) establish powerful, pervasive, and long-lasting moods and motivations in men by (3) formulating conceptions of a general order of existence and (4) clothing these conceptions with such an aura of factuality that (5) the moods and

Robert Gotchernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3659111.post-75415177544688638852011-08-08T05:34:00.002-05:002011-08-08T05:51:16.609-05:00

When I was a kid we went to Mass on Sunday morning. We also liked to watch Davey and Goliath as we got ready for Mass. Before that, however, was a program called Gospel Singing Jubilee which featured a lineup of southern gospel quartets and other singing groups (including, for instance, the Oakridge Boys!). The sound of those voices singing that theme song has lived on in my memory. I haven't

Robert Gotchernoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3659111.post-5548902523446278042011-08-08T05:30:00.002-05:002011-08-08T05:33:47.885-05:00

...whose feast is today, I bring you the Astronomy Picture of the Day, which shows us evidence for seasonal water flows on Mars.

Robert Gotchernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3659111.post-36665434945472013112011-08-05T19:31:00.005-05:002011-08-05T19:39:47.904-05:00

The University Faculty for Life, an organization dedicated to the scholarly exploration of life issues in support of the Culture of Life, has appointed me editor of their quarterly newsletter. The first issue comes out in October. Here's a post about it on our blog, which you might want to consider reading to keep up on issues in pro-life scholarship. There a posts on a variety of

Robert Gotchernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3659111.post-856033484481924962011-08-05T07:46:00.002-05:002011-08-05T07:48:09.052-05:00

"For though the fig tree blossom not nor fruit be on the vines, Though the yield of the olive fail and the terraces produce no nourishment, Though the flocks disappear from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, Yet will I rejoice in the LORD and exult in my saving God. GOD, my Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet swift as those of hinds and enables me to go upon the heights" (Hab. 3:17-

Robert Gotchernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3659111.post-31208619370444398752011-08-04T15:54:00.004-05:002011-08-04T16:04:58.837-05:00

Leah Darrow is a former New York Model and current chastity speaker. Here is a National Catholic Register article about her by Jim Graves. Some nice quotes:“Modesty is more than just the length of a hemline,” she explained. “It’s about our conversations, how we treat people, and how we love others. Modesty protects our purity and the mystery of a person. In our society, it gets a bad rap. It’s

Robert Gotchernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3659111.post-37447634250432612732011-08-04T13:31:00.003-05:002011-08-04T13:54:55.435-05:00

I was looking for a book by Evelyn Waugh in the library and ran across a sequel to Charles Webb's The Graduate called Home School. Naturally, I was interested, since it was about home schooling. I also saw The Graduate when I was in college.After having read a couple of reviews of the book and read about Webb's very strange biography, I can affirm something we all know anyway. The home schooling

Robert Gotchernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3659111.post-70230818897093313032011-08-03T17:07:00.003-05:002011-08-03T17:09:47.618-05:00

In case you've ever wondered, here is the distinction between direct and indirect abortion, according to the U.S. bishops. Direct abortion is not a human option under any circumstances.

Robert Gotchernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3659111.post-57490609837321600652011-08-01T06:09:00.002-05:002011-08-01T06:14:32.691-05:00

I just noticed that someone considers me a scientific expert on "dehumanization." See the list to the right here. I'm not sure that this is a good thing. :)

Robert Gotchernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3659111.post-64783371965550959172011-07-21T14:39:00.001-05:002011-07-21T14:41:39.960-05:00

Here is a nice video from EWTN feature our good friend Nathan Schmiedicke. He talks about how to study scripture at home in the tradition of the Fathers.

Robert Gotchernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3659111.post-76771221054353849862011-07-20T10:13:00.002-05:002011-07-20T10:21:17.639-05:00

I've sometimes heard it said that prior to the Council there was a "me and Jesus" mentality when one went to Mass. I have no doubt that that is true since catechists back then were as likely to teach just some of the riches of the Catholic faith as we are now. On the other hand, most people had an English translation of the Mass in their hands when they "assisted" (not "watched") at Mass. What

Robert Gotchernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3659111.post-26374019798165593472011-07-18T19:46:00.003-05:002011-07-18T19:50:32.850-05:00

Like Dominican Matthew Bernard Mulcahy in his dissertation, "Not Everything is Grace: Aquinas's Notion of "Pure Nature" and the Christian Integralism of Henri de Lubac and of Radical Orthodoxy."

Robert Gotchernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3659111.post-45237063362980900202011-07-18T16:25:00.004-05:002011-07-18T16:28:52.388-05:00

I just found out that the Catholic Servant, the independent Catholic newspaper from the Archdiocese of St. Paul/Minneapolis, is available online. It is a great source of adult catechesis and apologetics, no matter where you live. I used to contribute to it on occasion. Dale Ahlquist, the Chesterton guy, writes for it regularly. As does Mary Ann Kuraski.

Robert Gotchernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3659111.post-77234935987725236242011-07-11T14:58:00.002-05:002011-07-11T15:01:54.614-05:00

Peter Colosi, of St. Charles Borromeo Seminary, just launched a new web page. It features a lot of articles and video. The quality is very high. Not just blogger rants (like here).

Robert Gotchernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3659111.post-3981020977235190722011-07-09T17:07:00.002-05:002011-07-09T17:28:55.719-05:00

I always tell my students that it is very helpful to read a bible passage in a number of different translations. If you can read it in a foreign language, that is even better. Of course, reading it in the original languages is best, but not many of us can do that. The other day I noticed a neat thing in the Latin Vulgate. In II Sam. 12, when Nathan confronts David about his sin with Bathsheba,

Robert Gotchernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3659111.post-22826411561484622472011-07-07T08:06:00.002-05:002011-07-07T08:11:40.589-05:00

Some sage words from St. Francis de Sales for those who complain they don't get anything out of Mass (Introduction to the Devout Life, Bk 2, Ch. 9). He's speaking of meditation, but it certainly also applied to Mass in spades:But if, after all this, you are still unrelieved, do not be disturbed at your dryness, however great it be, but continue striving after a devout attitude in God’s Sight.

Robert Gotchernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3659111.post-62365255095107964572011-07-06T14:19:00.001-05:002011-07-06T14:21:34.441-05:00

I think we tend to draw stark contrasts when they aren't there. Some scholars give the impresseion that women were just "cattle" in Judaism. This is belied throughout the OT, such as in the stories of Ruth, Judith, Esther, Rahab, Hannah, etc. Women play a prominent role in the Old Testament, and not just as servants of men. There is no doubt that sometimes men in the OT treat women

Robert Gotchernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3659111.post-63977236732649894752011-07-05T11:02:00.002-05:002011-07-05T11:05:26.419-05:00

In my mind, we Catholics are overly defensive about our supposed deficiency in knowledge of scripture. Granted, we don't know chapter and verse very well (and that we should know it better), we have to keep two things in mind: 1) The dogmatic structure of Catholicism is biblical. It was developed by the Church Fathers and the magisterium as a systematic intellectual support for and

Robert Gotchernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3659111.post-14703896876858771952011-06-19T21:04:00.002-05:002011-06-19T21:11:00.154-05:00

I've tried over the years not to comment to much on current ecclesiastical events. First of all, focusing on certain aspects of the Church as it really is can be somewhat depressing. So, given this weekend's revelation (which I won't detail because it would give publicity where it doesn't need to be), the only thing I want to share comes from someone else; Fr. Longenecker at Standing on My Head

Robert Gotchernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3659111.post-32450235308194907872011-06-15T06:51:00.003-05:002011-06-15T07:04:40.717-05:00

I believe I've commented before on my preference for small churches, but a visit to Notre Dame this weekend reinforced my preference for me. I went to Mass four times while on campus. The first two were in the dorm chapel in Alumni Hall. It is a very well appointed chapel with a classic "feel." It has pews, for instance, which is by no means a universal feature of dorm chapels, where students

Robert Gotchernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3659111.post-67083795736768951452011-06-08T07:51:00.003-05:002011-06-08T07:55:42.911-05:00

My son started a new blog of social commentary, the American Commoner, here. This is distinct from his blog of spiritual reflection, the Third Order, here.

Robert Gotchernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3659111.post-81416546395662067712011-05-30T08:30:00.004-05:002011-05-30T08:43:15.637-05:00

An enemy is someone who in fact offends you or seeks in some way to do you harm. Sometimes an enemy considers himself justified in doing what he does. We are to love that enemy. What does that mean?Recently I read a couple of Admonitions by St. Francis of Assisi that give what I have found to be a very liberating perspective on love of enemy.11. That no one should be corrupted by the wickedness

Robert Gotchernoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3659111.post-74068141278791343532011-05-27T07:25:00.006-05:002011-05-27T11:03:49.759-05:00

One of the hymns used in morning prayer during the Easter Season is Chorus Novae Jerusalem, also known as the Golden Sequence. This hymn depicts the triumphant, risen Christ leading a victory procession of the just dead from the underworld to the heavenly homeland. It was written by Fulbert, bishop of Chartres around the year 1000 (Early Christian Hymns: Series II, ed. Daniel Joseph Donahoe).

Robert Gotchernoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3659111.post-33708121484934705972011-05-26T09:50:00.003-05:002011-05-26T09:52:22.990-05:00

Here is the press release. He is a great priest, whom we've known since we moved to Milwaukee in 1995. He did wonderful things at Our Lady of Good Hope. I wonder if he is still going to be Rector of the seminary?

Robert Gotchernoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3659111.post-9847206393293781952011-05-22T07:04:00.004-05:002011-05-22T07:17:59.368-05:00

My son just informed me that GIA has the revised Grail psalter in its entirety online. I've been perusing it. Some parts are changed significantly, others are word-for-word what we've been praying since the 1970s, when the Liturgy of the Hours was revised. I especially like the fact that the language is traditional at many points where it might well have been changed. For instance, Psalm 1: "

Robert Gotchernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3659111.post-77970974619175905342011-04-28T20:49:00.002-05:002011-04-28T20:55:40.697-05:00

Institute for Catholic Liberal Education Presents:Truth and Joy in the Catholic SchoolThe 2011 Academic Retreat for Catholic EducatorsIMAGINE a week of uninterrupted time to:Revitalize your joy in learningExplore the foundations of Catholic education withcolleagues from around the countryDiscover Truth in the Trivium, Mathematics, Science,Literature, Music, and TheologyRead Newman, Dawson, Sayers

Robert Gotchernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3659111.post-30478917413006224722011-04-27T06:09:00.003-05:002011-04-27T06:22:29.680-05:00

For many years I have had a vague notion of what the Roman Breviary was like, but have never looked at one. Now I find that there is a site for the Roman Breviary, run by The Confraternity of Ss. Peter and Paul, who, judging from their "abhorrence" of the liturgical reforms of Pius XII, etc., are somehow affiliated with the SSPX. You have to sign up as a member to see the Breviary itself, but

Robert Gotchernoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3659111.post-30533182776712504422011-02-09T12:49:00.000-06:002011-02-09T12:50:21.970-06:00

"You all know in what way the community of believers has been wounded in recent times by the attacks of evil, by the penetration of sin in the interior, in fact in the heart of the Church. Do not take this as a pretext to flee from God's presence; you yourselves are the Body of Christ, the Church! Carry intact the fire of your love in this Church every time that men have obscured her face. "Never

Robert Gotchernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3659111.post-15233037673413441862011-02-02T21:32:00.001-06:002011-02-02T21:34:17.285-06:00

Aquinas Connections: Love according to John Paul II(click on the title to register)Class dates: Thursdays, February 10 through March 31, 2011Total classes: 8Start time: 8:30 p.m. ETDuration: 1 hour 15 minutesFee: $80Intructor: Robert Gotcher, Ph. D.Prerequisite: NoneAudience: AdultDescription: Even before the Second Vatican Council Karol Wojtyla, the future John Paul II, was reflecting on the

Robert Gotchernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3659111.post-8861456729984527082011-01-25T07:20:00.003-06:002011-01-25T07:32:26.940-06:00

There are some really cool things that happen in Latin that don't come through in English. For instance, note what happens here in Latin.Responsorium breveR/. Tu es vas electiónis, * Sancte Paule apóstole. Tu es.V/. Prædicátor veritátis in univérso mundo. * Sancte Paule apóstole. Glória Patri. Tu es.Ad Benedictus, ant. Celebrémus conversiónem sancti Pauli apóstoli, quia ex persecutóre efféctus

Robert Gotchernoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3659111.post-56260217550820026382011-01-25T07:05:00.004-06:002011-01-25T07:16:16.983-06:00

People think Paul's conversion was sudden because he was "knocked off his horse." I suppose such a dramatic last straw was necessary to push him over the top, but he himself says that God's grace was active in him from before he was born: "Cum autem plácuit Deo, qui me segregávit de útero matris meæ et vocávit per grátiam suam, ut reveláret Fílium suum in me...." ["But when he who had set me

Robert Gotchernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3659111.post-7787368067062389632011-01-17T22:53:00.002-06:002011-01-17T22:56:01.625-06:00

I've been wanting an audio of the daily Liturgy of the Hours for years. Now, I finally run across one. This is great!DivineOffice.org.

Robert Gotchernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3659111.post-76432096113959083412011-01-17T12:49:00.001-06:002011-01-17T17:26:07.491-06:00

This is a nice picture that I think relates the most important of Catholic reading. I'm not saying The Way in particular is most important, but that good spiritual reading is.

Robert Gotchernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3659111.post-18200760112183113652010-12-21T06:34:00.004-06:002010-12-21T06:41:41.905-06:00

"The Lord is magnified, not because the human voice can add anything to God but because he is magnified within us. Christ is the image of God, and if the soul does what is right and holy, it magnifies that image of God, in whose likeness it was created and, in magnifying the image of God, the soul has a share in its greatness and is exalted."I've been praying the Magnificat for decades, but have

Robert Gotchernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3659111.post-50824710410799644682010-11-19T07:07:00.002-06:002010-11-19T07:09:44.438-06:00

From the morning office:"Deus, qui tenebras ignorantiae Verbi tui luce depellis, auge in cordibus nostris virtutem fidei quam dedisti, ut ignis, quem gratia tua fecit accendi, nullis tentationibus extinguatur. Per Dominum...."

Robert Gotchernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3659111.post-54022051225985995712010-11-08T06:47:00.001-06:002010-11-08T06:50:46.207-06:00

Happy Franciscan feast, all!I wonder what he is patron saint of. Subtlety?

Robert Gotchernoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3659111.post-28921333162862947042010-11-04T15:11:00.005-05:002010-11-04T15:16:24.158-05:00

A friend is developing an apostolate of prayer and reflection on some land in southern Indiana. Here is a promotional video of it:Here is their web page.

Robert Gotchernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3659111.post-29073288973505290622010-10-30T07:07:00.002-05:002010-10-30T07:09:51.268-05:00

I know Frank Beckwith already published this, but I find it so spot on and funny that I can't help but repeat it.Enjoy!

Robert Gotchernoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3659111.post-34205911087200320512010-10-26T15:51:00.001-05:002010-10-26T15:52:44.096-05:00

If you have ever wondered what the 613 Mitzvots in the Torah are, here is the list.

Robert Gotchernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3659111.post-9109146182519082102010-10-23T12:54:00.002-05:002010-10-23T12:56:14.882-05:00

The entirety of Fr. James V. Schall's Student Guide to Liberal Learning is now available for free on the ISI web page.

Robert Gotchernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3659111.post-29264310790017446852010-10-22T22:35:00.002-05:002010-10-22T22:38:28.810-05:00

This six-part BBC dramatization of the last days of Pompeii is very well done. I was glued to the computer.

Robert Gotchernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3659111.post-44292476653275594572010-10-05T06:59:00.001-05:002010-10-05T07:00:54.272-05:00

I added a new widget at the bottom of my blog page that contains the entire text of the Liturgy of the Hours for the day(!)

Robert Gotchernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3659111.post-84875547682764233222010-10-04T22:07:00.001-05:002010-10-04T22:10:07.952-05:00

A good meditation on the relationship between beauty and God.

Robert Gotchernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3659111.post-69914341019266632992010-10-01T06:29:00.000-05:002010-10-01T06:29:03.181-05:00

Reason #6: I teach online courses through Homeschool Connections!

Robert Gotchernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3659111.post-55997060090587380572010-09-30T22:23:00.000-05:002010-09-30T22:25:52.415-05:00

...in the enthusiasm with which I am anticipating and longing for the new translation.Look at this!

Robert Gotchernoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3659111.post-33367791746350502502010-09-24T15:19:00.001-05:002010-09-24T15:19:39.098-05:00

I think Kevin Miller will be happy to read this one.

Robert Gotchernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3659111.post-12083093448464914452010-09-24T11:18:00.005-05:002010-09-24T11:57:12.470-05:00

Kevin Miller sent me a link to the USCCB's statement on the book The Sexual Person: Toward a Renewed Catholic Anthropology, by Todd A. Salszman and Michael G. Lawler. The statement is very rich. Here are a couple of quotes that I especially like:"Whether or not the scriptural writers, along with the rest of society until the twentieth century, were indeed ignorant of the fact that some people

Robert Gotchernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3659111.post-17692430867649924612010-09-19T15:33:00.002-05:002010-09-19T15:34:40.492-05:00

Oh, and before I forget, Bl. John Henri Newman, pray for us!

Robert Gotchernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3659111.post-32030189958089281672010-09-19T15:29:00.002-05:002010-09-19T15:31:02.659-05:00

Without having looked at the content in detail, I note this web site looks like it might be a good resource for those who want to explore aspects of the faith. HT a friend.

Robert Gotchernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3659111.post-81815006859228462262010-09-18T10:35:00.003-05:002010-09-19T15:47:10.497-05:00

"Happily I can eat, pray and love to my heart’s content — all within the confines of my home with the people whose very lives bless and fulfill me and a God who has blessed me beyond anything I deserve. I need not seek Him in out of the way places but rather find Him here every day in my home; and a mile away where His real presence resides in my church and in the face of those I meet all

Robert Gotchernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3659111.post-92020837309410579722010-09-14T05:46:00.003-05:002010-09-14T06:06:53.189-05:00

I share with Fr. Zuhlsdorf at What Does the Prayer Really Say? an enthusiasm for the upcoming revised translation of the Roman Missal. The language is much more theologically robust, poetic, and scriptural. He has done a lot to help the faithful get past the obscurities of the current ICEL translation to see the depth and beauty of the Latin text. I wonder, though, whether "lame duck" is the

Robert Gotchernoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3659111.post-59422995947460686632010-09-13T12:14:00.002-05:002010-09-13T12:16:50.305-05:00

From the Catechism.8. Periods of renewal in the Church are also intense moments of catechesis. In the great era of the Fathers of the Church, saintly bishops devoted an important part of their ministry to catechesis. St. Cyril of Jerusalem and St. John Chrysostom, St. Ambrose and St. Augustine, and many other Fathers wrote catechetical works that remain models for us.

Robert Gotchernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3659111.post-49309530443940856702010-09-11T10:24:00.004-05:002010-09-11T10:40:52.708-05:00

I have noticed a tendency among Americans (including myself) to be Cartesian in our prayer life. We don't pay too much attention to the body or the senses. We pray with our bodies any old way. Whatever is comfortable. The theology of the body implies that our bodies, as expressions of our spirit, ought to be an active component in our prayer life. We should be intentional about it. It is like

Robert Gotchernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3659111.post-46840033307477208582010-09-06T06:59:00.003-05:002010-09-06T07:19:54.476-05:00

I'm one of those who likes to complain about the deterioration of language. English seems different even from when I was a kid. And, of course, there are intentional changes, especially in these politically correct days. The fact is, language is and always has been very fluid. It is constantly changing. I have become more aware of this recently while reading World Histories and Mysteries, by

Robert Gotchernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3659111.post-71742211290691971562010-09-06T06:47:00.003-05:002010-09-06T06:55:16.567-05:00

William Smillie, philosophy professor at Carroll College in Montana, has posted all the Rosary prayers in Latin, including the names of the mysteries. He has two different closing prayers, neither of which are the one we use:Oremus. Omnipotens, sempiterne Deus, qui gloriosae Virginis Matris Mariae corpus et animam, ut dignum Filii tui habitaculum effici mereretur, Spiritu Sancto cooperante,

Robert Gotchernoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3659111.post-29205118979869649722010-09-03T12:02:00.002-05:002010-09-03T12:12:00.724-05:00

I keep discovering excellent blogs. Here is one from Wyoming Catholic College.

Robert Gotchernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3659111.post-26964576361765904132010-09-03T10:30:00.003-05:002010-09-03T10:34:01.635-05:00

I note with satisfaction that the new translation of the Roman Missal has replaced "anxiety" in the embolism with "distress." Now priests don't have to say "and protect us from all needless anxiety." I've never figured out what needful anxiety is, but I'm not sure why we wouldn't want to include it. Of course, they might now say "needless distress."[sigh!]

Robert Gotchernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3659111.post-86032022640407354892010-09-03T09:24:00.002-05:002010-09-03T09:37:52.828-05:00

Fr. Spitzer may have left Gonzaga, but he didn't retire by a long shot. Now he is running the Magis Institute, a combination think tank and spiritual renewal center. Magis entails three major facets: (1) exploring new frontiers of the mind, particularly in science, philosophy, and theology; (2) pursuing new endeavors of the heart and spirit; and (3) providing resources for others to do

Robert Gotchernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3659111.post-55533012035934863122010-09-02T11:43:00.000-05:002010-09-02T11:43:13.966-05:00

[updated] We think of May as the month of Mary and October as the month of the Rosary. It occurred to me the other day, however, that the most Marian month on the Roman calendar is the period between August 14th and September 15th. This includes:August 14: Optional memorial of Maximilian Mary Kolbe, priest and martyr. Vigil of the Solemnity of The Assumption.15: Solemnity of The Assumption of

Robert Gotchernoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3659111.post-41173817999336042052010-09-01T16:19:00.002-05:002010-09-01T16:26:11.962-05:00

It is unfortunate that I found out about the new Ethics and Culture weblog because of David Solomon's post about Bill Kirk's firing, but there you have it. This is just too sad.

Robert Gotchernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3659111.post-18497726467698999562010-09-01T10:13:00.002-05:002010-09-01T10:15:58.198-05:00

Here is a very nice online source for the ordinary of the Missal of 1962, with both Latin and English side by side.

Robert Gotchernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3659111.post-40696084608808007982010-08-27T16:18:00.004-05:002010-08-27T16:25:48.148-05:00

Either Hillaire Belloc has a delightfully ironic mind, or he was a most sadistic man. Did he really intend the Cautionary Tales for Children to teach a moral lesson to children by terrorizing them? Maybe it was really meant for older children who can get the irony and exaggeration. It reminds me, though, of the original Pinnochio by Carlo Colloti, which is so full of violence and cruelty that

Robert Gotchernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3659111.post-44010518766017479962010-08-20T10:40:00.002-05:002010-08-20T10:52:11.329-05:00

I'm going to be teaching two online high school courses this fall through Homeschool Connections: Trinity and Introduction to the Old Testament. Homeschool Connections has a full line-up of online high school and junior high courses this fall. Here are the high school classes:History: Church History I: Examination of Trinitarian TheologyTheology: Ecclesiology I (The Study of the Church, Part 1)

Robert Gotchernoreply@blogger.com0