Author: Mark J. Chmiel

Conscience Thunders

King summoned the bold protest of ancient sources—“Today we particularly need the Hebrew prophets”—whose words had goaded the movement past fear and silence. “They did not believe that conscience is a still, small voice,” he…

Today’s One-Liner (#216)

“I’m not interested in criticizing Sheriff Clark, I’m interested in converting Sheriff Clark!” –Hosea Williams, quoted in Taylor Branch, At Canaan’s Edge: America in the King Years, 1965-1968

Appreciation Is the Sacrament

 Now the preaching of St. Francis was on this wise: “My sisters the birds, much are ye beholden unto God your creator, and alway and in every place ought ye to praise Him, because He…

Today’s One-Liner (#215)

Be praised, my Lord, through Sister Moon and the stars;  in the heavens you have made them, precious and beautiful.  –Saint Francis of Assisi, Canticle of the Sun, translated by Bill Barrett from the Umbrian…

Re-readable

Sometimes, it is sobering to reflect the entire corpus of the New Testament covers a mere 243 pages in the English Revised Standard Edition. Those of us who are fortunate enough to be literate do…

Today’s One-Liner (#214)

We might suggest this rich young man was one of Christ’s conspicuous failures along with, say, Judas, one of the thieves, the scribes, Pontius Pilate, Herod, and some of His home-town relatives. –James V. Schall,…

Going Further

One day St John of the Cross confided to a friend that there was still something which prevented his complete detachment from earthly affections. Fetching a bundle of papers he threw them into the fire…

Today’s One-Liner (#213)

(Luis de Leon, returning to his university after five years’ imprisonment by the Inquisition, resumed his lectures with the words:) As we were saying yesterday. –Stephen Clissold, The Wisdom of the Spanish Mystics

More of Simone’s Loves

I love the saints through their writings and what is told of their lives … I love the six or seven Catholics of genuine spirituality whom chance has led me to meet in the course…