The only thing we have to fear is fear itself

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Franklin D. Roosevelt in his first inaugural address, at the heart of the great depression: I am certain that my fellow Americans expect that on my induction into the Presidency I will address them with a candor and a decision which the present situation of our people impel. This is preeminently the time to speak the truth, the whole truth, frankly and boldly. Nor need we shrink from honestly facing conditions in our country today. This great Nation will endure … Continue reading →

He that is good with a hammer tends to think everything is a nail.

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The famous psychologist Abraham Maslow once said, “He that is good with a hammer tends to think everything is a nail”. Thus, our legislatures and regulatory bodies, because they only have the ability to write laws, seem to think that laws can solve every problem. Too often, they overlook another physician’s mandate, “First do no harm.” Too often, in their desire to help they end up causing harm. I was meditating on this fact during this past week as I … Continue reading →

He does not lend at usury or take excessive interest

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The psalm this past Sunday, Ps 15:2-3, 3-4, 4-5 is a reflection on Ezekial 18:5-9, a description of a man of virtue. This one line from that reading hit me, simply because I have credit card debts that are years old, that I’ve been trying to pay “forever”. In California, the legal rate of interest is 10% for consumers; the general usury limit for non-consumers is anything over 5% greater than the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco’s rate, yet … Continue reading →

Catholic Analysis and Charismatic Spirituality

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I stumbled across this blog today; Happy Catholic and it pointed me to another blog; At Catholic Analysis Oswald Sobrino is running quite an excellent series about Catholic charismatic spirituality. I’ve been involved, in some manner or other, in that Charismatic Renewal for over thirty years, so I have a slight, positive bias. 🙂 Check out Charismatic Spirituality Part I, Part II, his summary, Pope John Paul II’s Pentecost Vigil Address, and Pope Benedict XVI’s Pentecost Vigil Address (both with … Continue reading →

Marriage: The separation of the Sacred and the Profane

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You’ve all seen crying and hand-wringing by those who believe that Same Sex Marriages [samesexmarriage.ca] somehow violate the sanctity of marriage. (See: Bush vows to defend ‘sanctity of marriage’ [washtimes.com].) My position is simple. By mixing the secular or profane recognition of legal and financial contracts, known as marriages, with the theological or sacred unions of a man and a woman, also known as marriages, the churches have opened themselves up to this problem. The major theme behind the drive … Continue reading →