Pete's Prayer

In honor of the National Day of Prayer, I'm posting one of Pete's favorite prayers in his memory.

The Road Ahead, by Thomas Merton, is a prayer that Pete held close to him. He kept a batch of copies in a white folder that usually traveled with him. The copy appearing to the right is from that folder. In his volunteer work, Pete counseled many troubled people, and he often gave copies of this prayer to them.

In the four years since Pete died, I've learned this prayer by heart as I've tried to live by its philosophy. My own "road ahead" seems more peaceful now, not so frightening as it once was. You were right, Pete. Prayer works.

Amen.

Evil Ignored Grows Stronger

At NRO's "The Corner" today, Mark Steyn, in a piece aptly entitled "Crying Lone Wolf," has some interesting musings regarding the Times Square bomber:

Whenever something goofy happens — bomb in Times Square, mass shootings at a US military base, etc. — there seem to be two kinds of reactions:

a) Some people go, "Hmm. I wonder if this involves some guy with a name like Mohammed who has e-mails from Yemen."

b) Other people go, "Don't worry, there's no connection to terrorism, and anyway, even if there is, it's all very amateurish, and besides he's most likely an isolated extremist or lone wolf."

Unfortunately, everyone in category (b) seems to work for the government.

How sad but true for Americans.

Since Barack Obama became president, there has been an alarming uptick in Islamo-radical terrorist attacks on the U.S.A. The failed Times Square bomb plot this past week is one more example of the U.S. dodging a terrorist bullet, so to speak. Add that Islamo-radical terrorist attempt to the September 2009 failed New York City subway bomb plot, the November 2009 Fort Hood massacre, the December 2009 failed Christmas bombing of Northwest Flight 253, and we have quite a disturbing trend developing under President Hope-and-Change.

Our law enforcement is doing an outstanding job of foiling Islamic terrorist plots to kill Americans, but I doubt we'll be so fortunate every time. As September 11, 2001 proved--our enemies--or, these "isolated extremists," in Obamaspeak--only need to be lucky once to bring disaster to our country. It would be somewhat reassuring if our president at least pretended to take these determined killers a bit more seriously.

About the Border

Mark Steyn gives the Arizona illegal immigration uproar his incomparably stylish and lucid attention in this piece from The Washington Times. Steyn's common sense makes this reader wish that logic was more prevalent than emotion in this debate.

Uneasy Words

When Peggy Noonan hits the bull's eye, her work is suitable for framing. Here is a link to her Wall Street Journal piece, "The Big Alienation," which is an exceptionally astute summation of why so many Americans are so completely fed up with government--and why the numbers of dissatisfied citizens is growing.

Noonan also hints at why, if not addressed, this expansive unrest will lead to more change than even our current president bargained for.

In Honor of St. Catherine's Day

Everything comes from love, all is ordained for the salvation of man, God does nothing without this goal in mind.

~ Saint Catherine of Siena (1347-1380)

"Therefore, You, moved by that same fire of love with which You created him, willingly gave man a means of reconciliation, so that after the great rebellion into which he had fallen, there should come a great peace; and so You gave him the only-begotten Word, Your Son, to be the Mediator between us and You. He was our Justice, for He took on Himself all our offenses and injustices, and performed Your obedience, Eternal Father, which You imposed on Him, when You clothed Him with our humanity, our human nature and likeness...We are Your image, and You have become ours, by this union which You have accomplished with man, veiling the Eternal Deity with the cloud of woe, and the corrupted clay of Adam. For what reason?--Love. Wherefore, You, O God, have become man, and man has become God. By this ineffable love of Yours, therefore, I constrain You, and implore You that You do mercy to Your creatures."

~ from The Dialogue of Saint Catherine of Siena

Doctor of the Church, 1970

Feast Day, April 29

Pensive Over Pensions

Fred Barnes of The Weekly Standard has some sobering facts on the gathering pension tsunami. Considering the fact that Baby Boomers have been marching down the track toward retirment for many years now, you'd hope that this crisis would have been addressed before now.

Of course, we've all learned where "hope" gets us these days.

Happy Birthday to the Bard

...We are such stuff
As dreams are made on; and our little life
Is rounded with a sleep.
~ The Tempest, Act IV, Scene I

William Shakespeare is, in my opinion, the greatest writer in the English language. He is quite possibly the greatest writer ever, in any language. But, as the Bard himself admonished us, "the play's the thing" (Hamlet II:ii). In other words, don't spend time worrying about whether or not he really wrote the plays--just enjoy them.

One of the myriad interesting facts about Shakespeare is that he was baptized on April 26, 1564, and died on April 23 fifty-two years later, in 1616. A custom of the time was to baptize babies within a few days of their birth. Quite possibly, William Shakespeare died on the actual anniversary of this birth, a fact which would make his lifetime truly "rounded with a sleep."

Although it didn't quite work out for him in life, Shakespeare has enjoyed an unending run after his death. As he might have described his durable popularity into our modern age, "a light heart lives long." Happy 466th Birthday to the Bard.

Remember Iraq?

It's fascinating that the Iraq and Afghanistan wars have all but evaporated from the headlines. The fact that the war efforts are now being directed by Barack Obama rather than George W. Bush now makes them, quite magically, acceptable to MSM and the now-silent war protestors.

Victor Davis Hanson shares some thoughts on this hypocritical approach to the facts of the war and on the reality that the bottom line on Bush's strategy is that it's working.

Fitting to a Tea

The Tea Party flag is revealing

Of what everyday people are feeling.

With Government growing gigantic,

The voters have turned a bit frantic;

Come Election Day, Dems will be squealing.

Facts on Benedict

Here's a link to some background facts on Pope Benedict XVI and the sex abuse scandal within the Catholic Church.

You certainly won't find this recounting in the NY Times.