The Pleasure of Aphorisms
As most of the little book’s exegetes remark, the story [of Rasselas]–to term it so–is a thread upon which an extraordinary number of powerful adagio are precariously arranged in series. Johnson once remarked that he…
Category: Wisdom Traditions
Why We Need the Saints
We don’t escape mimesis, we can only observe it—and in observing it, loosen the grip that envy has on us. And while we may be doomed to mimesis, we have, at least, a choice between…
Inviting the Fury of the Devils
Brother Angelo was much afraid of evil spirits and asked Francis to let a brother sleep in his cell and keep him company at night. Francis said to him: Why fear weak and feeble foes…
Today’s One-Liner (#264)
We need to be vigilantly alert for any signs of being more focused on the ground we have covered than the path ahead and must regularly renew our fervor for the learning and growth that…
The “D” Word
When you get right down to it, every death is disaster. Death is a total, utter negation of everything that leads up to it. Many nonbelievers, in their more honest moments, admit the unmentionable: death…
Today’s One-Liner (#263)
People are often unreasonable, illogical, self-centered, and some even murderous; forgive them anyway. –Prayer of St. Teresa of Calcutta, Adapted
The Basics
A strong pro-life apologist, [Charlie] Kirk spoke with numerous college students who had been thoroughly versed in the notion of being “pro-choice.” He stripped the argument down to its basics. “Why should you have the…
Selective Appreciation
We usually like prophets when they say what we want to hear. They are especially welcome if they heap indictments on our enemies. When they get close to home, it is a different matter. –John…
All
Dear Mother, when meditating upon these words of Jesus, I understood how imperfect was my love for my Sisters. I saw I didn’t love them as God loves them. Ah! I understand now that charity…
Job’s Friends
The friends cannot be expected to recognize their own injustice. As with all those who create scapegoats, they consider their victim to be guilty. Therefore, for them, there is no scapegoat….In Job’s eyes, the three…