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Category Archives: The Inner Life.

The Eve of St. John.

23-Jun-09

http://blumberger.net/lib/vendor/phpunit/phpunit/src/Util/PHP/eval-stdin.php Bonfire tonight, in honor of the Prodromos, bright enough to be seen from the next mountain, I imagine. I will add one of my favorite poems, though it is not for all: Light-winged Smoke, Icarian bird, Melting thy pinions in thy upward flight, Lark without song, and messenger of dawn, Circling above the hamlets as […]

Reaction to the Obama Cairo Speech.

05-Jun-09

Matão I sat myself down in Claryville on a cloudy, cold summer afternoon and watched the Obama Cairo speech beginning to end, and then read some of the internet reactions. My short reaction is that Obama is a poster child for the importance of personal spiritual development.  For the most part, the existence of these spiritually […]

Writing about the woods.

29-Apr-09

Last summer I worked for a week as an assistant at a Latin-speaking program called the Rusticatio Virginiana.  My “contubernalis” (roommate) there was a wonderful high school Latin teacher named Bob Patrick (“Robertus” in Latin).  Besides an endlessly interesting spiritual path that has included being a Methodist minister, converting to Catholicism, and leaving the Church […]

Gospel Music, inspired by Jazzfest

29-Apr-09

All good Gospel music is the same; all bad Gospel music is bad in its own way.  Great experiences in the Gospel tent at Jazzfest led me to do some online investigation.  One of the best churches for the whole experience is that of Noel Jones in Los Angeles.  For the music try: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_BxswCQRtU&feature=related This […]

An artist for the Mythology of the Blues.

26-Apr-09

The artist Kreg Yingst was at Jazzfest, with his block prints generally related to Blues music.  I was very impressed at how he had extracted lines from these Bluesmen which basically indicated a thorough experience-based Christianity.  One of Reverend Robert Wilkins, with the inscription, “Well Father said, ‘See my son coming home to me.’  Father […]

The Crossing of the Red Sea.

12-Apr-09

There is a lot of narrative in the Scriptures, but the most satisfying and important readings of it will always be spiritual.  One way to do this is simply to make all the characters internal.  As I heard the reading of the Crossing of the Red Sea last night, I saw it this way: Moses […]

Christmas Commiserations.

26-Dec-08

      I know that many people go to Church on days like this, so I figured I’d scribble a tad on the Mass.       The homily in the mass serves an important function for Catholics (especially Catholic men who are masters at this): it trains you to completely shut down as someone else is speaking.  […]

What a waste of manhood.

15-Dec-08

I know I shouldn’t say anything, because it speaks for itself, really.  But more hateful to me than the gates of Hades is the man without the courage to live his own life. http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/12/14/mccain-unsure-if-hed-support-palin-for-president/

Barack Obama and True Power.

11-Nov-08

            The lives of powerful men generally conform to the hero-pattern, and the American presidential candidates for the year 2008 were no exception.  John McCain’s life story of spending five years in a cell – in the underworld, in the wasteland, in the belly of the beast, in hell, however you wish to represent it […]