Beginnings. This is a beginning for me in a different forum. I have been blogging for some years--DjinnfromtheBronxChapterThree.blogspot and I will continue to do that. But something about this time in our mutual histories, the world wide quarantine because of the Coronavirus, just tweaked my longstanding interest in establishing a podcast on a subject that occupies much of my world, and sharing it with others for whom that is also true, my Catholic Faith. It won't be anything fancy. I am no Teresa of Avila, though we might be talking about her down the road. You can call me Jinn for the purposes of this. . .what I hope to be a weekly gathering. I hope you'll let me know how it's going.
A long ago question becomes relevant today, and the answer is. . . .Stay.
We are exhorted to "pray unceasingly". But how readily do I, or you, pray in times of distress, let alone in times when things are going well. Today, a tip of the iceberg exploration of the tides and eddies of prayer.
Revisiting Flannery's first published short story, The Geranium, and juxtaposing her exposition on the working of Grace to a few entries in her prayer journal, both written around the same period 1946-1948. We all struggle in the face of the disorder created by the ill exercise of Free Will by Adam and Eve and we have an opportunity to return to God's embrace.
Further considerations on Flannery O'Connors work, this time, "A Good Man is Hard to Find" as it might in part bear on the hard times our society is finding itself in after the George Floyd death during an arrest in Minneapolis. Meanness is evil. We ought not have pleasure in it.
It's been a tough few months, but our Churches are open again, and not a minute to soon for us!
In every age people think they see signs of the end times. Well, this age is no different and these last months, whew! Sure seems like the signs are there. I will tell you how I am coping, or not, and how I think about it. How about you?
We are called to proclaim (Kerygma) the Good News of Christ's life, death and resurrection. But it doesn't come easy. Then what does when we follow the Royal Road of the Cross?
Catholic laity are demanding of Catholic clerical leaders that they do something about the burgeoning attacks first on statues and then on the faithful themselves. What is the proper response? Ultimately, despite our protestations, we have to look to Jesus and Grace without which we can do nothing. We have to keep our eye on the God-Man who walked the road to Calvary and do what He did, remain faithful to the Word of the Father.
Thinking about Facebook in which I too much participate made me think of the Tower of Babel. And so follows this musing.