Easter in Ordinary

Thanks, as always, for reading this post. I am grateful to those readers who find my weekly reading suggestions interesting or even helpful. I also appreciate your feedback. If you want to include a comment below about the article that most strikes you or how it touches you, I would find that helpful.  Weekly, I post four articles that I found significant and a poem accompanied by some comments about what we can learn from them. Our lives are enriched by seeing better. Each week, one article comes from the world of photography, a discipline that is about seeing. Another article comes from the world of technology, hence seeing something of the future. Another article takes up an aspect of our life together, seeing more clearly the other. Another article refers to faith, seeing the unseen. Finally, the weekly post concludes with a poem, because poetry is about seeing words whose arrangement allows us to see anew. This week, we look to the space program, book suggestions, a ...

Recently, I picked up the novel behind a treasured film, Il Postino . Written by Chilean Antonio Skármeta , it had been my intention for years to read the work. The immensely charming film tells a fictional story in which the real life Chilean poet Pablo Neruda forms a relationship with Mario, a simple postman who learns to love poetry. In the film, Mario is played by Massimo Troisi , who died tragically, aged 41, the day after the filming of Il Postino was completed. Whereas the film is set on an Italian island in the 1950s, the novel was set in Chile, with Neruda living in his home at Isla Negra around 1970.The novel hugs more closely to a history that I know and a place, the home at Isla Negra, that I love. There are a few differences that emerge in the plot as well, but I will not spoil the experience for those who have not seen the film or read the book . The book is just a short 109 pages.

As an undergraduate, a wise Jesuit told us, "Whenever you hear it said by the church, 'As the Church has always taught,' hold on to your wallet." This wise priest was suggesting that, whenever the institutional Church, feels the need to reassert the continuity with doctrine, something new is emerging. I am not at all uncomfortable with that. Looking over Church history and the many councils, they have always introduced something new. If they were not, there would be no need to say anything. It is to bring a new understanding into our present moment. The development of doctrine , as articulated by Blessed John Henry Newman and others, helps us to understand theologically this movement. To be honest, I do not intend to offer a protracted  theological analysis of the synod at this point. I have not read as closely as I would like the important documents. I have not heard from important participants. I am just writing about what I hear happening a continent away. ...

Weekly, I post four articles that I found significant and a poem accompanied by some comments about what we can learn from them. Our lives are enriched by seeing better. Each week, one article comes from the world of photography, a discipline that is about seeing. Another article comes from the world of technology, hence seeing something of the future. Another article takes up an aspect of our life together, seeing more clearly the other. Another article refers to faith, seeing the unseen. Finally, the weekly post concludes with a poem, because poetry is about seeing words whose arrangement allows us to see anew. Today, we will review the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals, take another look at school shootings, see how ten photographers view inequality, hear from an archbishop at the Synod, and remember Rosa Parks in poetry. Have a great Saturday! How can the development goals be achieved? Last month, the United Nations approved a new set of goals to replace the...

Weekly, I post four articles that I found significant and a poem accompanied by some comments about what we can learn from them. Our lives are enriched by seeing better. Each week, one article comes from the world of photography, a discipline that is about seeing. Another article comes from the world of technology, hence seeing something of the future. Another article takes up an aspect of our life together, seeing more clearly the other. Another article refers to faith, seeing the unseen. Finally, the weekly post concludes with a poem, because poetry is about seeing words whose arrangement allows us to see anew. Among many notable events and articles this week, I have culled four, as usual: a short biography piece on Jake Olson, a favorite photographer from Nebraska, an interview with Angus Deaton, a reflection on our food choices, an article that speaks about how Pope Francis envisions cities in bringing about change. Jake Olson's Dramatic Recovery . Jake Olson, a Nebraskan...

Weekly, I post four articles that I found significant and a poem accompanied by some comments about what we can learn from them. Our lives are enriched by seeing better. Each week, one article comes from the world of photography, a discipline that is about seeing. Another article comes from the world of technology, hence seeing something of the future. Another article takes up an aspect of our life together, seeing more clearly the other. Another article refers to faith, seeing the unseen. Finally, the weekly post concludes with a poem, because poetry is about seeing words whose arrangement allows us to see anew. This week, we will look up inside of churches, we will hear from a physicist on inequality, we will consider remedies to gun violence, before walking across the prairies with Uncle Walt (a.k.a. Walt Whitman). Vertical Churches . Richard Silver has gathered an extraordinary collection of churches. His images uniquely look at architecture, building composite photo...

Weekly, I post four articles that I found significant and a poem accompanied by some comments about what we can learn from them. Our lives are enriched by seeing better. Each week, one article comes from the world of photography, a discipline that is about seeing. Another article comes from the world of technology, hence seeing something of the future. Another article takes up an aspect of our life together, seeing more clearly the other. Another article refers to faith, seeing the unseen. Finally, the weekly post concludes with a poem, because poetry is about seeing words whose arrangement allows us to see anew. This week, in technology, we will look at a new metric for relationship compatibility: the credit rating. In our life together, we shall look at a graphic detailing shifts in immigration to the U.S. In faith, given the shooting in Oregon, we'll revisit some words of the Holy Father regarding arms. In photography, David duChemin offers some lovely images and reflection ...