Heavenly Eye Candy: The latest images from the Hubble Telescope

These are simply ineffable. Whenever I see this kind picture of the heavenly bodies, I think of the biblical exclamation of awe and wonder:


“O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is thy name in all the earth! Thou whose glory above the heavens is chanted by the mouth of babes and infants, thou hast founded a bulwark because of thy foes,
to still the enemy and the avenger. When I look at thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars which thou hast established; what is man that thou art mindful of him, and the son of man that thou dost care for him? Yet thou hast made him little less than God, and dost crown him with glory and honor. Thou hast given him dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet.”


(click here for more images, or click the stardust above)

Happy Thanksgiving! (and a bit of wise advice)

For all your TSA humor needs: new bumper stickers

Inspiring New Advent Meditations That Will Help You "Prepare The Way of the Lord"

This is really impressive, friends. Please check this out.
We can expand and nourish our minds through the power of words inspired by the Word, such as the meditations contained in Belmont Abbey College theology professor Dr. Ron Thomas’ new booklet and companion CD, Prepare the Way: Daily Meditations for Advent. It’s being offered, along with the companion CD of the meditations read by Dr. Thomas.
Please click here to sample the powerful words and beautiful images that await you when you receive your booklet.
Last year, Dr. Ron Thomas wrote a booklet and recorded a companion CD entitled Meditations on the Stations of the Cross, which was ordered by thousands of people all across America to enrich their Lent. In fact, EWTN found Dr. Thomas’ recorded Meditations on the Stations of the Cross to be so powerful and inspiring, they played his meditations on their worldwide radio network every day during Holy Week of 2010.
Imagine beginning each day during Advent by taking some quiet time and meditating on words that will bring you “the peace that surpasses all understanding,” and help you prepare your heart and mind like never before for the coming of Christ. That’s how powerful this new Advent meditation booklet is. (And with your new companion CD, you could also do this in your car, helping you maintain peace and calm, even in the midst of rush-hour traffic.)
To sample the audio of one of the daily meditations, CLICK HERE. (File will open in QuickTime.)
To get all the info on this excellent new book of Advent meditations, please click here or click the image above. You’re all in my prayers in a very special way for a peaceful and blessed Advent.

"How I Solved the Catholic Problem" — Confessions of a Protestant missionary to Guatemala

A look at the unraveling of the "seamless garment" faction of U.S. bishops

The Catholic World Report has a good piece on what writer George Neumayr calls “Cardinal O’Conner’s Revenge.” It thoughtfully explores the underlying reasons why the liberal candidate for president of the USCCB, Bishop Gerald Kikanis, lost yesterday’s election to New York Archbishop Timothy Dolan. It’s a brief but good read. Here’s the best line: “The irony of Bishop Kicanas’ defeat is that the fingerprints of dissenters are on the weapon that felled him . . .” 

I Would Like to Show You More Than This

A few thoughts are in order here:


1) The 80s gave us some truly excellent music and some truly lame music videos.
2) Bryan Ferry is a talented singer-songwriter.
3) The other members of Roxy Music, who are also talented, were (literally) overshadowed in this video.
4) That single note you hear when you see the saxophone player blow when he leans back for his “solo” is actually played on the synthesizer, not the saxophone.
5) Roxy Music’s “Avalon” is also a very cool song.
6) Men do not look good when wearing eye-liner and sporting pointy sideburns.
7) Feel free to add any additional thoughts you think are apropos of this.

Battle Toad

“A new toad species with striking red eyes, discovered in the cloud forests of Chocó, Colombia.” Photo credit: Robin Moore/iLCP

Quantitative Easing: So simple even kids can understand it

Courtesy of The Anchoress (And please excuse the couple of bad words spoken herein.)

What's wrong with this picture? A Catholic nun is frisked by a TSA worker

This is the main photo-story at the Drudge Report right now, accompanied by the headline: THE TERRORISTS HAVE WON.


I don’t know about that, but I do know that there’s something very disconcerting, indeed quite outrageous, to see a Catholic nun in her religious habit being ignominiously groped by an airport TSA worker. Note that the picture shows what appears to be a hijab (head scarf) being worn by the TSA worker. Think about the irony of that juxtaposition. How many Catholic nuns do you know of who have committed acts of terrorism against an airliner and its passengers & crew? Hmm . . . I can’t think of any. Can you? Of course, it’s quite possible that it is not a hijab that the worker is wearing. But the picture gives that impression. In itself, it’s an insignificant detail, but given the circumstances we’re living in these days, it’s certainly… remarkable, to say the least.

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