The World Loves Its Own

Wow, what a load of closed-minded right-wing chris...

2012-05-24T04:16:58.629-07:00

Wow, what a load of closed-minded right-wing christian drivel...

Leave everyone to their own.

The woman in the image you used is more beautiful for an expression of self which you seek to condemn....

I'm glad you don't have any readers!

Great complementary comment Bob. It is a book wil...

2012-04-22T13:26:52.339-07:00

Great complementary comment Bob. It is a book will be read centuries from now because it is timeless in plot and theme and Waugh was a great stylist. Like you, I believe that the ending was so well written. I read some comments on other boards that thought the ending was the weakest part of the novel. Hogwash! I would wager that most of these negative comments are by people not immersed in Catholic thought. People do not realize that Charles and Julia were doomed if they married and in the process of ending their relationship, she saved his soul. Classic but much over the head of non-believers. How is your schedule this week? I may have Tuesday early evening open?

No better novel ever written than Brideshead Revis...

2012-04-22T12:14:30.749-07:00

No better novel ever written than Brideshead Revisited. I keep a copy of the audiobook as read by Jeremy Irons on my iPod. Could listen to it daily, and would never tire of Waugh's genius. His insight that Vatican 2 would be bad for the Catholic Church was very prophetic. Especially by diminishing the sanctity of the Mass by suddenly jettisoning the Latin Mass for the vernacular.

Waugh would be glad to see that Benedict XVI now permits priests to return to saying the Tridentine Mass without needing the approval of their local bishop. Too many liberal American bishops denied the faithful the right to celebrate Mass in the proper and traditional way for far too long. How fitting Waugh died unexpectedly on an Easter
Sunday morning, shortly after arranging for a private Latin mass at a local chapel.

Waugh's conclusion of the novel is masterful: "Something quite remote from anything the builders intended has come out of their work, and out of the fierce little human tragedy in which I played; something none of us thought about at the time: a small red flame – a beaten-copper lamp of deplorable design, relit before the beaten-copper doors of a tabernacle; the flame which the old knights saw from their tombs, which they saw put out; that flame burns again for other soldiers, far from home, farther, in heart, than Acre or Jerusalem. It could not have been lit but for the builders and the tragedians, and there I found it this morning, burning anew among the old stones."

Waugh was the finest English novelist of the 20th century and a prophet who predicted the moral decay of the modern era and the culture of death with uncanny foresight. Thanks to great converts and champions of orthodoxy like Evelyn Waugh, small red flames will continue to burn around the world despite the nefarious efforts of people like Barack Obama, who are dedicated to extinguishing the red flames, and everything good and moral that the red flame represents

Bob...we both share the same experiences. Thanks ...

2012-04-11T17:15:12.651-07:00

Bob...we both share the same experiences. Thanks to your advice I also knelt at St. Thomas More's tomb and I also saw the late great pope at Yankee Stadium in 1979 on his first visit to the USA. The roar from the crowd was unbelievable when he came into the stadium in a special vehicle. We will not see his like again for many centuries. His life is a testimony to the work of the Holy Spirit in history. That is why he said we should never give up hope and "not to be afraid". If God is for us, who can be against us? I'll give you a call...I should be in Michigan in the next two weeks...God bless, Patrick

Great post on JP 2, Patrick! Only times in my lif...

2012-04-10T13:56:54.067-07:00

Great post on JP 2, Patrick!

Only times in my life that I felt more spiritually overwhelmed than kneeling at St. Thomas More's tomb were the times I saw Pope John Paul II in person. I saw him once in the Vatican the year before he was shot, when he came to Detroit in 1987, and we took our kids to see him in Toronto for World Youth Day. The sense that you were in proximity to a holy man was palpable.

Still planning to get to Michigan soon? Keep me posted!

Dear Unknown: I am commenting about using slave l...

2012-03-31T17:44:51.356-07:00

Dear Unknown:

I am commenting about using slave labor to build their Apples's products. “ Hon Hai has a workforce of over one million and as human beings are also animals, to manage one million animals gives me a headache,” said Terry Gou, chairman of Taiwan’s Hon Hai, the parent company of Foxconn. Foxconn has been under scrutiny for the past two years after a series of suicides. Human rights organisations have criticised the company for their poor work practices, employee safety and alleged management negligence.

I understand the deep attachment of Apple consumers to the company and its products......however to pretend that its high margins, cash reserves and high stock price are not the result of the use of inhumane labor practices is to be morally blind or to be an extreme libertarian who believes that 'the market' is the final judge.

BTW, I am not jumping on a bandwagon. I have been posting about offshore practices for over three years since I started the blog.

Those such as you didn't raise a peep when Del...

2012-03-30T20:32:53.617-07:00

Those such as you didn't raise a peep when Dell, Compaq and so on perfected and enlarged the slave labour system of China, making any other type of electronics manufacturing uncompetitive...while Apple was building it's computers in the US and Ireland.
But now you hold Apple on the hook and congratulate yourself on your new found moral superiority. Now you can side with the media and other followers...now it's convenient and approved!
You're a hypocrite and a bandwagon jumper is all that you've proved. Remove the mote from your own eye first.

Bob: We are doomed by the two party system that p...

2012-03-22T21:37:13.292-07:00

Bob: We are doomed by the two party system that presents us with false choices every four years. I have no faith that a Romney presidency will do anything substantial to turn around the country but he would do less damage than another four more years of Obama. In California, Obama Country...at least on the coast....the government workers and illegals will turn out in force to vote for the reelection of the worst president in US history. As Cicero said, O Tempora, O Mores!

Great analysis, Patrick. You can't state thing...

2012-03-21T18:28:50.119-07:00

Great analysis, Patrick. You can't state things any more logically as to why Romney is the wring guy to take on Obama!

Dear Judge Bartley: Thank you for your very kind ...

2012-03-11T18:37:33.955-07:00

Dear Judge Bartley:

Thank you for your very kind comments on the Chronicles website. I read them a few days ago but was traveling for work and unable to respond. We obviously share many mutual interests and I look forward to a mutually beneficial dialog. I will also be contributing to your excellent blog also. You can follow this blog if you look at the bottom of the page on the right side. God bless....Patrick

How does one become a follower of this terrific bl...

2012-03-11T13:12:58.546-07:00

How does one become a follower of this terrific blog?

Judge Bartley

I read your excellent comment on The American Cons...

2012-03-11T13:07:07.160-07:00

I read your excellent comment on The American Conservative (the book review of How to Read the Constitution. Your site is terrific. How does one become a follower?

Judge Bartley

A Romney presidency will not bring the real change...

2012-03-10T20:23:47.011-08:00

A Romney presidency will not bring the real change envisioned by our type of traditional conservatism but only a technocratic approach to solving the enormous problems facing the country. The core problems in this country are spiritually based and cutting the deficit, balancing the budget, etc. are good things but only address the symptoms but not the sources of decay. Sen. Santorum is the only candidate and to a certain extent Gingrich as well, who see the issues on a metaphysical plane. Ron Paul is a true libertarian but a majority of the country - GOP included - are too entitlement bound. The GOP establishment is behind Romney since at his core he is a Northeast RINO.......like them. I still think his only hope to win in November, assuming he wins the nomination, is with a strong conservative as VP. Santorum is a fighter and believer and would hopefully interject some fire into stiff Mitt.

I hope to see you in a few weeks Bob...

2012-03-10T07:02:33.538-08:00

This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

Nice analysis Patrick. Though the odds are against...

2012-03-10T07:01:46.878-08:00

Nice analysis Patrick. Though the odds are against it, I would rather see a ticket with Santorum on top. Romney is a chameleon on the critical issues, especially on mandatory health care and abortion, as the following post from Renew America nicely outlines:

http://www.renewamerica.com/columns/contrada/120308

It was great to have the opportunity to be in the front row at a recent Santorum rally in Michigan. He speaks from the heart, and has a very positive vision for the future of our country. He is in a much better position to go head to head with Obama on the key issues. How can Romney even enter the dialog on health care when he stuffed mandatory health care that funded abortions down the throats of Massachusetts citizens?

Thank you very much for stopping by and leaving a ...

2012-03-05T22:20:31.977-08:00

Thank you very much for stopping by and leaving a comment. God bless, Patrick

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2012-03-05T21:22:13.171-08:00

Thanks for great information you write it very clean. I am very lucky to get this tips from you

Plastic Surgery Glasgow

Bob....very good quote and how applicable and as y...

2012-02-12T20:35:48.357-08:00

Bob....very good quote and how applicable and as you said prophetic. We have reached the century where the atheistic and fascistic state has decided to take off the mask. The pro-death forces of the NWO have not changed since the French Revolution. I believe that we will be entering a new age of martyrs. Obamacare's mandate is just the tip of the iceberg and Catholics will be in the first wave of casualties. The Roman Empire was converted due to the heroics of the martyrs perhaps Our Lord is asking the same of our current generations once again.

Check out Fathet Z's blog on February 11, 201...

2012-02-12T20:00:16.140-08:00

Check out Fathet Z's blog on February 11, 2012 for another great quote from Leo XIII!

http://wdtprs.com/blog/

"Here is precisely the ground on which, political dissensions aside, upright men should unite as one to combat, by all lawful and honest means, these progressive abuses of legislation. The respect due to constituted power cannot prohibit this; unlimited respect and obedience cannot be yielded to all legislative measures, of no matter what kind, enacted by this same power. Let it not be forgotten that law is a precept ordained according to reason and promulgated for the good of the community by those who, for this end, have been entrusted with power. Accordingly, such points in legislation as are hostile to religion and to God should never be approved; to the contrary, it is a duty to disapprove them.”

Pope Leo XIII in Au Milieu des Sollicitudes 24 (1892)

It seems this great pope had the vision to forseee the outright assault launched against the Faith by that spawn of Satan, Barack Obama.

Hi Pat, Reunion? Why not. I don't know how man...

2012-02-10T18:03:49.613-08:00

Hi Pat,
Reunion? Why not. I don't know how many I would remember. I'm sorry I don't remember you, but we had to be there the same time.
I read something very disturbing regarding Fr. Randolph. Perhaps you know. Keep in touch, please.

Sal V

Hi Sal: Those days seem long ago especially the w...

2012-02-09T19:26:57.083-08:00

Hi Sal:

Those days seem long ago especially the way life has evolved (not for the better) in the past 50 years. The Capuchin fathers were very good men who taught us and they tried to guide us on the right path. They knew that most of us were not destined for the priesthood but they gave us a great education and a Franciscan view of the world that have stayed with us ever since. If you have a chance drop me a line on my gmail (Pjmulvey). We are trying to arrange a reunion in the NY area. We are scattered around but most are still in the Northeast. I am in San Diego. All the best, Pat

Pat, I attended Glenclyffe/St Mary's from 1960...

2012-02-09T17:21:58.211-08:00

Pat,
I attended Glenclyffe/St Mary's from 1960 to 1963.
Frs. Venard, Randolph, Darius, McBride and good ole Roche will always be remembered.
There are pictures of the abandoned school on FLICKR.....very eerie.

Regards
Sal Valenza

Spot on about Obama and to our sorrow the Catholic...

2012-01-25T07:21:44.083-08:00

Spot on about Obama and to our sorrow the Catholic bishops who have helped create the
mess we are in. Good analysis

PatO.....sorry you took offense but none was inten...

2012-01-24T16:01:12.207-08:00

PatO.....sorry you took offense but none was intended. Jive means deceptive, exaggerated, or meaningless talk. I think this is the essence of Obama......and many other politicians black or white. He gives good campaign speeches but that is about it. I used the phrase many times growing up in NYC. I could have called him a deceiver or liar but decided to be nicer even though he is the chief enabler of abortion in this country. Many people voted for him last time because he said he would close Guantanamo and end the war in Afghanistan. I was even tempted on those issues but refrained because I knew he was promising everything to everybody.

As far as your second comment, it frankly makes no sense to connect the two issues. The attack upon religious liberty is not aimed at Catholic bishops but rather the Catholic community as a whole including myself whom I assure you is not a pedophile. If you haven't observed but you appear to have a closed mind on the issue of the Catholic Church, the Church does many good works for society all of which are in jeopardy due to the ideological secularism and political correctness of Obama in refusing the respect religious conscience.

p.s if your read my post I was also critical of the bishops.

Jives and slaps his foes? Sort of an offensive wa...

2012-01-24T13:22:48.660-08:00

Jives and slaps his foes? Sort of an offensive way of saying it.

How about "Obama respects the wishes of Catholic bishops as much as he respects the wishes of pedophile protectors"