Orthodixie

Family … I have an announcement to make. Beginning January 1st I am no longer going to be so critical,” I half-seriously boasted. “That’s right, from now on I will think before I speak and refrain from criticism.”

My wife basically paid me no mind. Honestly, I’d given the resolution no thought and was merely blathering just to hear myself talk. As I soon learned, and you shall see, my oldest daughter, a pre-teen, drank up every lost drop of this pronouncement.

I made that declaration around Christmas. On December 29th, my wife and I were merging with all the Houston speed racers on Highway 59 going into town. That night, not unlike any other night, there were a goodly number of idiots on the road. I was grumbling, muttering under my breath, etc, when my wife came to my rescue. She said, “You’ve still got two more days.” We laughed. Heh heh. Old age.

Now, back to the pre-teen. Y’all, I swear I cannot say a word — a WORD, I say — without her smiling face yelling “New Year’s!” Like most things obnoxious, it was funny the first 50 times … and regained its humour after about the 1000th.

Next year, maybe I’ll give up exaggeration.

Speaking of obnoxious, I now yell “New Year’s” at my oldest and my wife. My wife is always quick, and correct, to point out that she never said that was her resolution.

Anyway. The four year old daughter doesn’t have a clue why we keep yelling “New Year’s!” So she joins in with, “Merry Christmas! Happy New Year!” or “Happy Birthday! Happy Anniversary!” Which only causes us to laugh more.

(Incidentally, my middle’s a boy; he’s in another world entirely.)

But, to be honest, if being critical means you have to go through all that — no matter how cute — it does give one pause.

On that note —

Wait. What are you thinking?

Happy New Year’s!

Dick Duerrstein’s Grinch image (above) taken from HERE.

First, the Lord Jesus is Bread without price offered freely, the Bread that truly does satisfy, for He is “the Bread of life [and] he who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.” (Jn. 6:35). Source

The Son of God Himself entered the flow of history “when the fullness of the time had come” (vs. 4), where He remains to this day – God’s amazing and singular gift to mankind. We have reasons for being abundantly thankful: for our creation, our preservation in life, and for the multitude of blessings which He daily bestows upon us. Yet, nothing can compare with the Gift Himself, the Lord Jesus Christ – the Gift of Great Wonder, the ineffable, Personal, Self-giving God come from Above, “the Orient on High.” Given and received, Christ, the Gift Who changes each person who embraces Him as God and King. The change He makes is glorious, illuminating, perfecting, elevating, and life-giving in every respect. What more can be said? Let us be joyful and praise Him in His glory! Source

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Glorious name, gracious name, name of love and of power! Through you sins are forgiven, through you enemies are vanquished, through you the sick are freed from their illness, through you those suffering in trials are made strong and cheerful. You bring honor to those who believe, you teach those who preach, you give strength to the toiler, you sustain the weary.

— St Bernardine of Siena, d. 1444

That last, thanks to FWD from RC pal, Tim.

This is not an endorsement; I just bumped into this while poking around. Curious.

JANUARY

What would Beezlebub blog?

Who would Jesus bomb?

Oh, it’s probably just the End Of Time.

FEBRUARY

Though I no longer eat mayonnaise, and can’t remember the last time I had steak, here’s: My One, My Only … MEME.

Oh well, true to form, some of the links are now missing in the post about My Uncle Monkey.

Ain’t no such thing as a Bishop Gene.

More Uncle Monkey.

MARCH

In memory of Darwin Kirby.

Before the Pope made his comments about Islam, there were these from Pat Robertson and Winston Churchill.

APRIL

The Gospel of Judas and Britney Spears?

St Judas the Wonderwinker survives … though some links only wink.

MAY

Reading Umberto Eco is like reading a dictionary with more words.

Just for fun, once again: ALASKA.

Eastern Orthodox Oat Bran anyone?

We’re on the road to nowhere.

On that whole Crunchy Convert Thingy.

On Myrrhbearers & Martians.

Let’s do The Time Warp again … Rocky Horror Da Vinci Code.

Though Symeon eventually saw it; I passed on free passes.

I had a little book published in May.

My interview with Dick Petranek and the Western Rite is currently in the January issue of The WORD.

Mary, Merry, and Married. Ha!

Sugar, Spice, and everything Nicea.

JUNE

Now THIS was funny!

Seriously … What ever happened to Church unity?

Another one that wound up in The WORD … It’s Simple.

Are they still making Episcopalians these days?

Y’all come! Orthodox Tent Revival. Oh, and here’s the proper way of Snake Handling.

Good heavens! Must have been a Trick Play.

JULY

FWIW, books I liked. And, books I’d forgotten I’d read.

Come to think of it: What is Grace?

Lots of comments on the cute priest.

Nothing cute about Pat Buchanan. In fact, some folks still aren’t speaking to me after this post.

AUGUST

Dumbest idea ever.

Remembering Mary Stolzenbach.

Eco Again! (Or is that redundant?)

Then there was Superchristological and Homoousiosis!

A funny thing happened on the Way to Phronema.

Anglicans may soon look like THIS?

Eat, Drink & See Mary.

SEPTEMBER

Oh, and, by the way: HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Heh heh. Forgive me. Hair-ology.

Some might call this hair-brained: Choir Eye for Retired Guys.

The ups and downs of Elevator-ology.

Though the pic is now gone, the Pope’s words are still shocking!

Mike Royko would be shocked to know I included him in a sermon.

Fr Thomas Hopko really stirred the pot with this one.

OCTOBER

ROCOR priest refuses the collar (etc).

Me and Max Lucado … almost.

The Nativity Story … SCRIPT.

The Beverly Hillbillies speaking in tongues!

Conrad follows Stolzi.

Ladies and Gentlemen … Name That Tune!

Rounding out October … Old Calendar Halloweeners?

NOVEMBER

Elmer P. Floodbottom needs your vote.

How ’bout a little Fun, Frolic & Fahrvergnügen?

Goodbye [sanity of] Elton John.

In memory of Sheila-Mary.

Some old meds, good for what ails ya: God is Young and Suffering Primary School.

Get real! Confession.

The rest of the mission priest: POEM.

DECEMBER

Christmas in LA … a long, long time ago.

Santa … Real or Memorex?

Getting a handel on it … as in GF’s.

Forgive me. More on the book.

Honour yours.

As Bishop Brother John Charles taught me: “My age is the right age … and it increases annually.“

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

To the readers of ORTHODIXIE …

May God grant you all a properous life — peace, health, mercy, salvation, and the furtherance of all good things — and MANY YEARS!

Thanks for reading.

— Fr Joseph

Remember when Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad addressed the United Nations and announced the coming of the Antichrist? It was around the same time that Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez called President George Bush the devil; so, the story might have gotten lost in the, uh, details.

EDITOR’S NOTE: I realize I have entered the Nut Zone. That is, any time you bring up something like the Boogeyman (Antichrist, Hitler, for some – even W) you lose credibility. But, if you’re still here, bear with me. One must, at times (sundry and with courage), venture into the NZ to zone in on the Ns.

Here’s what Ahmadinejad said:

“I emphatically declare that today’s world, more than ever before, longs for just and righteous people with love for all humanity; and above all longs for the perfect righteous human being and the real savior who has been promised to all peoples and who will establish justice, peace and brotherhood on the planet,” he said, referring to a Shiite doctrine about a coming apocalypse.

“O, Almighty God, all men and women are your creatures and you have ordained their guidance and salvation. Bestow upon humanity that thirsts for justice, the perfect human being promised to all by you, and make us among his followers and among those who strive for his return and his cause.”

At the time I wanted to write about it, say something. Why? Because after Ahmadinejad hailed the coming of the Antichrist, those gathered at the United Nations … CLAPPED.

Astounding!

Terry Mattingly has finally done what I didn’t. Read it here.

A couple excerpts …

President George W. Bush is addressing the United Nations amid global tensions about nuclear weapons. He closes with evangelical language that expresses his yearning for the triumphant second coming of Jesus Christ and prays that this apocalyptic event will unify the world — sooner rather than later.

Yet, Ahmadinejad, in his twisted megalomaniacal way, said the equivalent. What exactly was he saying?

“Ahmadinejad is calling upon God to bring about the coming of the 12th Imam who heralds the Apocalypse,” noted pundit Andrew Sullivan. “He is also saying that he will ‘strive for his return.’ It is the most terrifying statement any president of any nation has made to the U.N. We have a dictator on the brink of nukes, striving to accelerate the Apocalypse. … Paradise beckons.”

Folks …

When you have a group of Muslims heralding the age of the “coming one” and another group, overly-zealous and misguided Christians, encouraging the age of the “coming one” and, hence, the Rapture … mix in omnipresent media and, oh … say, a few nukes …

This guy couldn’t have written a better script.

Lord have mercy.