Genesis 19:1-29 on My Mind
November 13, 2008 by Patrick Madrid
Filed under Patrick's Blog
I grew up in Mission Viejo, a great town in sunny Southern California. My younger sister Mary still lives there with her husband Joe and their three kiddos. This morning, she sent our family members this video, which provides a glimpse of the seething rage among many of the foes of Proposition 8.
Mary wrote, “I am sure you are all aware that California had Prop. 8 on the ballot during this past election. ‘Yes’ on 8 meant a ban on same-sex marriage. This was an ugly battle this year, and we saw many demonstrations for and against Prop. 8. Personally, Joe and I had two ‘Yes on 8’ signs stolen from our front yard. Thank God it passed but, unfortunately, over a week later there are still many violent and destructive protests occurring. This news video is not uncommon to what we have seen out here in the past few weeks. These are scary times.”
And then go check out Genesis 19:1-29.
The Blog Software Refuses to Allow Comments — How Come?
November 12, 2008 by Patrick Madrid
Filed under Patrick's Blog
Does anyone have any good ideas as to how I can force Blogger to allow comments on my posts? I’ve tried everything, followed their directions, have set and reset the comments permissions, and still . . . nothing.
I want you to be able to leave comments, but the software won’t let me. I’ve tried researching this through their help section, but there’s no way to reach a live tech person who can fix the problem. This is a real frustration for me.
Any suggestions? Please send to: patrick [at] patrickmadrid [dot] com.
Do You Have the Heart of an Apostle?
November 12, 2008 by Patrick Madrid
Filed under Patrick's Blog
I wrote this article awhile back, but I reference it now because of the new challenges we face after the election. Now more than ever, I believe our mission as Catholics to evangelize and recatechize our culture will be all the more difficult and perhaps even perilous. As I point out in this article, if we want to make converts, we must begin by converting our own hearts. The former always follows the latter, not vice versa.
I hope you find it helpful.
This Should Give Us Even More Pause
November 12, 2008 by Patrick Madrid
Filed under Patrick's Blog
Of course, we all know that things seem to be sliding in the direction of a “New World Order” in which a global leader could arise and exert control (Hmm. I seem to have read something about that in Scripture somewhere.), but I have never seen anything like this. Not even John F. Kennedy received international adulation on this level. He was popular in some places, for sure, but he didn’t stir emotions or cause people to swoon with desire to follow him the way our new Lider Maximo does.
I’ve been asking myself why he does. I don’t understand it. But this strange phenomenon is real, and who can tell where it will lead.
I Saw Them Standing There
November 12, 2008 by Patrick Madrid
Filed under Patrick's Blog
A little over a week ago, Nancy and I treated our children Jonathon (oldest son) and Kelly (dear daughter-in-law) to a “Rain” concert at the Palace Theater in Columbus. It was MAGNIFICENT.
Did I mention that their concert was MAGNIFICENT?
Rain is a very tight, very spot-on Beatles tribute band. And I know from Beatles tribute bands. Over the years, I’ve seen live a few different Beatlemania casts (that’s going back awile, as the first Beatlemania concert I saw was in 1979), as well as another cool tribute band called “1964” (very well done), and a few others, and most recently, Rain.
The Rain show was impressive in several ways. First, the musicians, especially Joey Curatolo, who plays Paul quite convincingly, really nail the personae of Ringo, George, Paul, and John, even if none of the cast are dead ringers for the Beatles they portray. That actually makes their performance all the more interesting.
Second (and this is coming from a kid who [I kid you not] spent countless hours with a bass guitar, mini-amp, and a phonograph in his suburban Southerm California bedroom, discerning and then memorizing, note-for-note, all of Paul McCartney’s bass lines), the cast of Rain can, forgive the blasphemy, but it’s true, play the Beatles’ music as well as the Beatles ever did, note-for-note perfectly, with absolute fidelity to the original studio quality of the arrangememts, as well as the band members’ personal mannerisms. The musical sets ranged from the main early hits (“She Loves You,” “Tiwst and Shout,” “Help”), all the way to the group’s swan-song masterpieces, like “Hey Jude” and “Get Back.” All delivered in note-for-note precision, just as you remember them.
And third, the Rain show blended an historically relevant montage of video clips from the 1960s, as well as many faux shots especially fabricated to meld the cast into the historical spectacle, so that, sitting in the theater, it wasn’t difficult at all to suspend one’s awareness of “reality” and pretend being really at a real Beatle’s concert.
Although my son Jon (and his siblings) grew up listening to the Beatles music, it was a great experience for him to actually see what it would have been like to witness the Beatles in concert. And it was a joy for me to see him see that.
If Rain comes to your town, do yourself a favor (don’t let me down), and go see them.
Jeff Mirus Reviews the Recent Envoy Magazine Article: “How Could She Do That?”
November 11, 2008 by Patrick Madrid
Filed under Patrick's Blog
“The Women Who Have Abortions, and the Love They Need.”
Good Times in Greenville
November 9, 2008 by Patrick Madrid
Filed under Patrick's Blog
A few years ago, I had the privilege of being invited to conduct a weekend parish seminar on apologetics at the beautiful and bustling St. Mary’s Parish in Greenville, SC. It was a wonderful experience to see, close-up, the vibrant dynamism of a Catholic parish just a hop, skip, and a jump from Bob Junes University (a totally different planet, that place). I also got the chance to get to know the pastor there, Father Jay Scott Newman, an illustrious thinker, writer, man of the Church, and overall impressive example of a dedicated pastor.
Father John Zhulsdorf’s “What Does the Prayer Really Say?” weblog has mention of Father Newman and some nice pictures of a recent Mass celebrated ad orientem. I thought you might enjoy them.
By the Time I Get to Phoenix . . .
November 9, 2008 by Patrick Madrid
Filed under Patrick's Blog
I never know anymore when it’s useful to use song title puns, as so many folks nowadays (i.e., my kids ages — the oldest is 27) simply haven’t heard some of the old AM-radio standards that Nancy and I grew up on. So, the above is a shot in the dark.
Anyway, I’m checking a few last-minute e-mails before I head to the airport for a trip to Phoenix, where I’ll be visiting and working for a few days with my friend Father Bud (on what I am not yet at liberty to tell you, but it does not have anything to do with collaborating on more song title puns). Lots of good things will come of it, I hope and pray. Hey, if any of you who read this would be willing to pray for a special intention of mine, it would be: May what I’m working on with Father Bud will succeed and accomplish what we hope to do. All for the greater glory of God. Thanks.
Jon and Kelly and Crew
November 8, 2008 by Patrick Madrid
Filed under Patrick's Blog
Since, as you have probably guessed, I’m in “grandchild mode” at the moment, take a look at these four beautiful kiddos — Audrey (5), Monica (3), Blaise (2), and Max (6 months) — the sons and daughters of our oldest son, Jonathon, and his wonderful wife, Kelly. They live about half an hour away from us, so we are very blessed to be able to see all of them frequently.
An Update From the Little House on the Prairie
November 8, 2008 by Patrick Madrid
Filed under Patrick's Blog
Our lovely daughter Bridget and her husband, Al, who live on a cattle ranch in beautiful western South Dakota, recently informed us that they are expecting their second baby, due in mid-May. Their firstborn son, the righteous dude Patrick Alexander Trask, is growing and bulking up pretty fast, and so when the new baby comes along, he’ll probably seem like the Hulk by comparison. This one on the way is the sixth grandchild for Nancy and me — one of what we hope will be a “great cloud of witnesses” who will surround us in the contentment of our old age.
