The Prince-Poet-Cat of Gatineau, Quebec

September 6, 2022.Reading time 1 minute.

In an ice-cream summer in the long ago / I met a marvelous cat in Gatineau / Pushkin by name, a fastidious Russian / His shiny fur coat never needed brushin’…

Faithful Friday: Gregory the Great

September 2, 2022.Reading time 3 minutes.

Gregory the Great (Gregory I), pope and saint, was born dur the 500s AD (the exact date is unknown). He came from a very prestigious family, being the great-great-grandson of Pope Felix the Third (who lived before celibacy was required of clergy) and the son of a senator.

Poetry in the Desert

September 1, 2022.Reading time 5 minutes.

A story told about Field Marshal Wavell is that while throwing some things into a bag for a field tour of soldiers defending India from invasion by the Japanese, he asked if anyone had seen his Browning. When someone pointed out that he was wearing it – his Browning 9mm – he said that he was looking for his copy of the poems of Robert Browning. In all his campaigns, Wavell always carried poetry with him.

Light Raindrops Upon the Withered World

August 29, 2022.Reading time 5 minutes.

After months of dreary drought and heat / Light raindrops fall upon the withered world

Starship Troopers: Book Review

August 27, 2022.Reading time 4 minutes.

There are few novels that I have reread as many times as Robert Heinlein’s Starship Troopers. It is a masterpiece of science fiction and is as intellectually stimulating as it is imaginatively engaging. Each time I have revisited the Terran Federation, its advanced power-armored soldiers, and their fantastically alien enemies, I have come away with a new appreciation for this classic work.

Faithful Friday: St. Monica

August 26, 2022.Reading time 3 minutes.

Perhaps one of the most significant mothers in the history of the church, besides Mary herself, St. Monica is remembered as the mother of one of the greatest theologians in Western Christianity: Augustine of Hippo.
Monica was a very pious and charitable woman who lived in the North African town of Tagaste.

Her Majesty the Queen and her Good and Faithful Bear

August 25, 2022.Reading time 4 minutes.

Last week I took my few gas cans to the station to fill them up after the first round of summertime mowing. The pump stopped at $100.01. The pump’s computer program is set for $100 for each purchase; I suppose the extra cent was a “so there” at my expense.

Like Candles When They Quietly Go Out

August 22, 2022.Reading time 6 minutes.

When we were young / A friend once showed me a passage in a book / In which the monks of a certain cloistered order / Were often blessed with wonderfully peaceful deaths / Like candles when they quietly go out

There’s an atmospheric pressure

August 20, 2022.Reading time less than 1 minute.

There’s an atmospheric pressure / That’s in more than just the air / It’s a sluggish, heavy parasite / That hides behind the glare

Faithful Friday: Alexander Henderson

August 19, 2022.Reading time 3 minutes.

Alexander Henderson was born in Creich, County Fife, Scotland in 1583. After graduating with honors from St. Andrew’s College, he went right to work as a churchman, at first staunchly on the side of the Episcopate. At that time, the Church of Scotland was debating the form of church governance they wanted: the Anglican model where the church was governed by bishops, or the Presbyterian model where the church would be governed by members of the congregation. This was more than just a debate within the church; to defy the episcopate was also to defy the King.

Hurricane Disaster Relief Kits

August 18, 2022.Reading time 6 minutes.

This summer the Bishop of Beaumont is promoting a good idea and the organizational skills to make it so throughout the diocese: small, easily transportable plastic bags of needful items for anyone displaced by hurricanes, fires, tornadoes, or other disasters.

A Violation of the First Law of Thermodynamics

August 16, 2022.Reading time 6 minutes.

A day so hot that ordinary tasks / Exhaust the body and the soul; to grasp / The handle of a water tap wearies the mind / To grasp a simple thought eludes one’s will /

Autumn 2022 Photo Contest

August 13, 2022.Reading time less than 1 minute.

We are holding a contest for the best picture that encapsulates Autumn. The winning entry will be put on the Table of Contents page of our Autumn issue. Other entries may be displayed on another page.

The Grail’s Call

August 11, 2022.Reading time 2 minutes.

I was the song of Patrick’s heart,
and what made Arthur’s quest start.
When the music of Taliesin ceased to flow,
I saw the invaders come and go.

Beowulf and the Danish Passport Officer

August 9, 2022.Reading time 3 minutes.

The clapped-out Boeing / wheezed to the gate // The ground crew jumped / name-tags rattling // And swiftly moored / the shining ocean-bird

Submissions Information Autumn 2022: Virtues – Gratitude

August 6, 2022.Reading time 1 minute.

The theme for the Autumn 2022 issue is Gratitude. In addition to gratitude, we will be looking at thanksgiving, and humility. We want to know how you see these in your own life and the lives of those around you!

Summer 2022: The Virtue of Prudence

August 6, 2022.Reading time 3 minutes.

Join us as we explore Prudence, along with corresponding virtues Diligence, Discretion and Wisdom. In these pages you will find poetry, the first installment of a serial story, a discussion of boundaries, an interview with Phil Lollar of Adventures in Odyssey, and plenty more. We are also continuing our seasonal picture contest… check it out!

Faithful Friday: George Abbot

August 4, 2022.Reading time 3 minutes.

George Abbot, historically known as Archbishop of Canterbury, was born in 1562 in the humble town of Guildford, England. Abbot studied at Oxford, where he demonstrated academic excellence in intense theological study…