O Come, O Come, Emmanuel

Performed by the Urbana 2000 Worship Team.

The Exodus International blog...

...has an entry by Randy Thomas about the suicides.

I don't know if I like or dislike Exodus. They're not the evil that many homo-activists make them out to be, but Exodus does seem, like many evangelicals, to view chaste homosexuals as something of a menace. I like Randy, however, and don't believe he views chaste homosexuals that way.

UPDATE: The Sheepcat left me a comment on Facebook linking to this article! We must read the same sites! (His full comment added to my original post on this issue here.)

A Prayer for Terrorists.

From EWTN.

H/t: Esther/A Catholic Mom in Hawaii

I've been wanting to say something about the recent spate of gay teens committing suicide...

...especially regarding the reactions and what should be the reactions of those identifying themselves as Evangelicals. As usually happens with me, I found someone who said it better than I ever could have.

When Teen Suicide is a Mainstream Medium

H/t: ...as were some of you...


UPDATE: I also posted this on Facebook where the Ever-vigilant Sheepcat comments:


Woodrow, I like the italicized paragraph, which I imagine is what you agree with.

However, with respect, I think Marin (whose book attempts to justify gay sex) is setting himself up pretty disingenuously as a middle ground. I find his reading of Mohler tendentious. I don't see passing of the buck on Mohler's part. "Even long before [the Tylers and Ashers] may hear or respond to the gospel, they need to know that they are loved and cherished for who they are. They need to know that we stand between them and those who would harm them." That seems to me a pretty good statement.

And I thought Randy Thomas did well here too.http://blog.exodusinternational.org/2010/10/06/follow-up-reactions-to-tyler-clementi-and-the-september-suicides/

My thanks to Alan for the caution about Marin! My reply:

Alan, thanks for the info. on Marin. I placed too much trust in crosswalk.com, and didn't scrutinize him. However, I distrust Mohler and conservative Evangelicals generally to really speak against unjust discrimination against persons with SSA. I am reminded of the time when a few years ago the Southern Baptist Convention absolutely refused to speak out against the bullying of homosexuals*, presumably because they were afraid it would legitimize a sexually immoral lifestyle. Yeah, *now* Mohler is speaking out about the issue. What was he saying two, five, ten years ago? Nothing, as far as I can tell.

*The SBC would not say that gay-bashing was wrong, only that bashing anyone is wrong. I cannot document this because it was told me in a private conversation by a person who was a delegate to the SBC National Convention that year. (If anyone is interested, I will try to put you in contact with him in order to verify the accuracy of this claim.)

One of my great loves is world music.

Not that I have much time to put into it.

Indeed, I have only just discovered, quite by accident, that there is an official 2010 FIFA song. I also like techno/dance/electronic music, so, for your listening and viewing pleasure, I present to you Shakira's official 2010 FIFA video and a re-make that's more dance-y (you should watch them both in the highest definition):

If you are a woman in the Atlanta area who is looking for a Courage group...

...check out the Atlanta Women of Courage web site!

Information on Courage is here, and contact info for the Atlanta Women's group is here.

Courage is a Catholic apostolate (evangelicals would use the word "ministry"), but it is open to non-Catholics who are striving to live chaste lives while dealing with same-sex attractions.

It has been a great help to me and to some of my friends (the Catholic SSA ones, of course).

Living with SSA.

It can be quite a challenge! I find myself in a back and forth between despair and hope. That is sometimes I despair that I'll never learn how to be chaste, that my sexual desires will rule me my entire life, that I'll always put myself in temptation's way, that I'll always use the fact that our entire culture is over-sexualized as an excuse to not take responsibility for my behaviors. Other times I have an exceeding great hope in God's infinite mercy, in His trustworthiness to give me every grace I need to overcome my unchastity, in the helps He gives me through Courage and Courage Online and similar support groups, and in the great priests, family, and friends He's blessed my life with.

For much of this year I've been away from the sacraments and Mass (and have kept up the appearance of it, even to the point of lying to inquirers), but have returned to them in the last month. I can see how much ground I've lost in my battles by not making use of the sacraments: lust is a habit, masturbation is now a more severe compulsion, telling the truth about my attitudes and behaviors is a more difficult thing to do. I know I have grieved the Holy Spirit. My spirit is grieved, too.

I have been to Confession four times in the last month, and I'm grateful for it. I went today. It makes a difference. I'm looking forward to the aggregate of sacramental grace I will receive from it and from the Mass through my frequent reception of them both. Today I also received the added graces of the Anointing of the Sick because, in addition to the spiritual sickness and weakness I experience, I have some physical problems, too: dystonia of the wrist, restless leg syndrome, a prostrate infection, and HPV. Part of the rite consists of praying for those who are sick in nursing homes, hospitals, and other care centers, and also for their caregivers. One thing that made that part particularly meaningful for me is that, because of my work, I was able to picture specific patients and nurses to pray for.

May God, in His infinite mercy and kindness grant me healing, especially healing of the spirit, and grant it to all who are in need of it!

The Anchoress has a great post about Confession.

Read the entire thing here.


If you were to ask me my favorite sacrament, it would be a tie between Confession and the Eucharist!


Quoting the Anchoress's quote of David Mill's Inside Catholic article:


. . . we need to recover the use of the word “confession,” while quietly dropping “the sacrament of reconciliation.” We need to hear the blunt word, because, before everything else, we want to say, “I did this and I’m really sorry.” That’s the appeal of confession, the chance to get it all out in the open. To emphasize the result is a bit like renaming the emergency room the “healing center.” It’s true, but not as helpful or as encouraging as you’d think, particularly when you really have an emergency.

Christopher Hitchens discusses prayer in a recent article.

Update, 9/5/10:
A great article about this situation (much better than mine which is just random thoughts that occurred to me during my reading of "Unanswerable Prayers") from Wesley J. Smith at First Things's Secondhand Smoke blog. I completely agree with this: "But I also think that to force prayers on an atheist is to not support the person as he or she is, but to be prideful, by using the ill person’s illness to make oneself feel virtuous. If one wishes to pray for such a person, by all means do, but in the closet. If God is there, he will hear the prayer."


Continuing my post:
Perhaps it would be better to say that he discusses people who are praying for him and their reasons for doing so. [Article here.]

I'm one of those people, although I'm not one of the many who have written or e-mailed him to inform him of that fact. So many people have such odd ideas about prayer. Despite the fact that I've been a Christian for 32 years now ("Saved at the age of four!" as the Baptists would say), I certainly don't think I know everything there is to know about prayer. It is a mystery. I hope I know enough to keep from making some of the mistakes reflected by people in Hitchens's article.

Not technically a prayer (posted on a presumably Christian web site:

"Who else feels Christopher Hitchens getting terminal throat cancer [sic] was God’s revenge for him using his voice to blaspheme him?"

Well, I don't. And I'm ashamed of you for doing so!

The post continues:

"Atheists like to ignore FACTS. They like to act like everything is a “coincidence”. Really? It’s just a “coincidence” [that] out of any part of his body, Christopher Hitchens got cancer in the one part of his body he used for blasphemy? Yea, keep believing that Atheists. He’s going to writhe in agony and pain and wither away to nothing and then die a horrible agonizing death, and THEN comes the real fun, when he’s sent to HELLFIRE forever to be tortured and set afire."

What is wrong with this idiot? Rejoicing in someone's (potential) eternal damnation? Somehow I missed that in the Gospels. Let us pray for that particular poster to have a change of heart, lest he/she "likewise perish".

Hitchens asks, "… would this anonymous author want his views to be read by my unoffending children, who are also being given a hard time in their way, and by the same god?"

Unfortunately, I can think of several people, all of whom, interestingly, are Fundamentalist Christians, who would indeed want his children to read that post because it might warn them of their presumable fate. I used to be one of them. Thankfully,  because of God's grace, I know better now. Let us pray that Christians who hold this or similar views will repent, lest they "all likewise perish".

Hitchens writes: "Almost all men get cancer of the prostate if they live long enough: it’s an undignified thing but quite evenly distributed among saints and sinners, believers and unbelievers. If you maintain that god awards the appropriate cancers, you must also account for the numbers of infants who contract leukemia. Devout persons have died young and in pain. Bertrand Russell and Voltaire, by contrast, remained spry until the end, as many psychopathic criminals and tyrants have also done. These visitations, then, seem awfully random."

Indeed, who can know the mind of God? I wish some Christians would stop behaving as though they do. God allows good and bad things to happen to everyone. Let us pray for the grace to accept and endure the hardships that we either are experiencing or that we will experience.

"As with many of the Catholics who essentially pray for me to see the light as much as to get better, they were very honest. Salvation was the main point. 'We are, to be sure, concerned for your health, too, but that is a very secondary consideration. "For what shall it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his own soul?" [Matthew 16:26.]' That was Larry Taunton. Pastor Wilson responded that when he heard the news he prayed for three things: that I would fight off the disease, that I would make myself right with eternity, and that the process would bring the two of us back into contact. He couldn’t resist adding rather puckishly that the third prayer had already been answered…"

Let us indeed pray for the healing and conversion of Christopher Hitchens, but let us not make the mistake of thinking "If Hitchens becomes a Christian, just think of all the atheists who will have to reexamine their beliefs and become Christians, too!" Very often, God does great works for the hidden sanctification of individual souls. We tend to think that a grand, public witness does great good for God's kingdom, but I think many of our attempts do great harm (televangelism, for example). The early Christians were known for their charity and their chastity. In America, Christians are known for being against abortion and against "gay rights". Perhaps the primary reason we're "losing the culture war" is that we are no longer known for our charity? How often do we talk about "loving the sinner and hating the sin" while demonstrating hate for the sin and no compassion for the sinner? I'm just as guilty. Let us pray that we all may grow in the virtues, lest we "all likewise perish."

This blog is becoming a repository of prayers, I think.

Here are some more of them which I've been using quite often, of late. These are great prayers, and I'm glad I found them because I am a grievous sinner who needs God's grace every moment. When I was still an Evangelical, I was good at extemporaneous prayer, but no longer am. These prayers, however, are teaching me to pray again. I hope other people find them beneficial, too.

A Prayer for Others

Traditional Old English

Extend from on high, O Lord, the saving strength of Thy right hand to all Thy faithful people, to Bishops, Abbots, Canons, Monks, Kings, and Rulers ; to my kindred, and to all who have commended themselves to my prayers, or who have assisted me. By Thy help may they seek after Thee with all their strength, and obtain what they worthily desire. Through Jesus Christ our Lord, Thy Son, who livest and reignest with Thee and the Holy Spirit, One God, forever and ever. Amen.

A Prayer Against Evil Thoughts

Traditional Old English

O Almighty and most loving God, mercifully regard my prayer and free my heart from the temptation of evil thoughts, so that I may become the worthy dwelling-place of Thy Holy Spirit. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, who livest and reignest with Thee and the Holy Spirit, One God, forever and ever. Amen.

A Prayer to Saint Joseph the Worker

Pope Saint Pius X

Glorious Saint Joseph, model of all who are devoted to labor, obtain for me the grace to work in the spirit of penance in expiation of my many sins; to work conscientiously by placing love of duty above my inclinations; to gratefully and joyously deem it an honor to employ and to develop by labor the gifts I have received from God; to work methodically, peacefully, and in moderation and patience, without ever shrinking from it through weariness or difficulty to work; above all, with purity of intention and unselfishness, having unceasingly before my eyes death and the account I have to render to God of time lost, talents unused, good not done, and vain complacency in success, so baneful to the work of God. All for Jesus, all for Mary, all to imitate thee, O patriarch Saint Joseph! This shall be my motto for life and eternity.

A Prayer for Grace

Traditional Old English

In Thy loving kindness incline Thine ears to our supplications, we pray Thee, O Lord. Do Thou, who art mindful of the prayers of those who seek Thee in secret, hear us in Thy mercy, so that by Thy help we may attain to eternal life. Amen.

A Prayer of Thanksgiving

Traditional Old English

To Thee, my merciful God, do I offer my praise and thanks, who hast deigned to bring me to a knowledge of Thyself, and to admit me by the cleansing waters of holy baptism into the ranks of Thy adopted sons.

To Thee do I offer my praise and my thanks, who, in the inexhaustible patience of Thy mercy, hast waited from the earliest years of my youth unto this very hour, that I, who have swerved from Thy paths by my many vices, may amend my life.

I praise Thee and glorify Thee for that Thou hast oftentimes shielded me from calamity and misery by the right hand of Thy power, and hast saved me from eternal punishment and from the pains of this mortal body.

I praise and glorify Thee because Thou hast often helped me in much tribulation, in frequent dangers of death, and in deserved trouble.

I praise and glorify Thee because Thou hast deigned to bestow on me health of body, peace of life, with the love, affection, and charity of Thy faithful servants, and because whatsoever there be in me is the gift of Thy loving kindness. Amen.

*I added the phrase "to God" at this point.

A New Testament saint whom I've just learned more about.

Saint Photini.

Prayer to Saint Photini:

Illuminated by the Holy Spirit, All-Glorious One,
from Christ the Saviour you drank the water of salvation.
With open hand you give it to those who thirst.
Great-Martyr Photini, Equal-to-the-Apostles,
pray to Christ for the salvation of our souls.

One of my favorite bloggers is back!

Disputed Mutability is back with a powerful post, sharing her experiences of being bullied because of her sexual orientation.

Her blog is great because what she writes often causes me to re-think some of my attitudes and opinions. Before reading this post and the comments, I did not support the Day of Silence. I did not support the Day of Truth, either,* but liked the idea of the the Golden Rule Pledge. Indeed, in the future I will instruct my nieces and nephews to observe the Day of Silence in solidarity with those trying to end the bullying of those with homosexual orientations and to give out the Golden Rule Pledge card.

Now, having said all that, my experiences in school were different in that, while I was bullied, it wasn't because of sexual orientation, but just because the one bully at my elementary school was simply a little thug! He was mostly a problem in the 4th and 5th grades. I went to a new school in 6th grade, and yet another when that school closed down after I graduated 10th grade. The first two schools were Fundamental Baptist schools, while the third was an evangelical school with a fundamentalist twist. I was never bullied because I would never admit to my sexual orientation. This was because homosexuality was always presented to my churchmates, classmates, and me as the most disgusting sin ever! According to the teaching on homosexuality I received, I was gay because I chose to be gay! Although I could not ever remember making this choice, I believed it was true because the people whom I trusted to teach me God's truth were teaching this view of homosexuality to me as God's truth. Since I loved God and yet had a homosexual orientation, I decided not to admit my same-sex attractions to myself. I buried them as best I could, and "bullied" myself in that I loathed myself and felt worthless. I'm learning how to accept myself, but it's rough going! I enjoy reading Disputed Mutability, Dreadnought, Eve Tushnet, and Adventures of a Christian Collegian because they seem to have done quite well at accepting themselves. I learn much from them. Check out their blogs.

Here's my testimony as I gave it to the priests and seminarians of the Diocese of Lansing (I'm working on updating it):

The Realities of Same-Sex Attraction Conference.

Here's the "official" prayer of Courage (corrected for spelling and punctuation) as found on the Courage web site.

Heavenly Father, You sent us Your Son, Jesus. He died for our sins and rose from the dead demonstrating Your immense love for us. You also gave us Your mother Mary to be our mother. Thank You Father for Your love.

Lord, convince us of Your deep love for us, and help us to see the ways that we distance ourselves from You. Guide us towards making amends for these actions. Help us to love You more.

Father, we implore you to bless the Courage Apostolate. Grant them Your protection and guidance. Help them in their ministry to bring Your love, fellowship and direction to those experiencing same-sex attractions.

Please increase the numbers of those willing to bring this important message to those in need, and give them the courage and graces necessary to do so. Lord, so much work has yet to be done in this area. I commit to (express your commitment) for this intention.

Amen.



*I was unaware that it's toned down as of this year. That's good to see!

I bought a book about saints, back in December.

It was on the clearance rack at Barnes and Noble. Occassionally, I'll pick it up and thumb through it. One day I might read through it, but not yet.

I was thumbing through it today, and came across what might be one of the reasons it was consigned to the clearance rack. In a section on the stigmata, it lists Blessed Lucy of Narnia as a stigmatist! I think the author meant Blessed Lucia of Narni. How funny!

If you're interested in the book, you can buy it at Amazon:

The Illustrated World Encyclopedia of Saints.

Blessed Lucia of Narni, pray for us!

A Prayer for Trinity Sunday

Collect for Trinity Sunday from the Anglican Use Book of Hours.


Almighty and everlasting God, who hast given unto us Thy servants grace, by the confession of a true faith, to acknowledge the glory of the eternal Trinity, and in the power of Thy Divine Majesty to worship the Unity: We beseech Thee that Thou wouldst keep us steadfast in this faith and worship, and bring us at last to see Thee in Thy one and eternal glory, O Father; who with the Son and the Holy Spirit livest and reignest, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

A Prayer for Pentecost

Send Your Spirit
Father of light,
from whom every good gift comes,
send Your Spirit into our lives with the power of a mighty wind,
and by the flame of Your wisdom
open the horizons of our minds.
Loosen our tongues to sing Your praise
in words beyond the power of speech,
for without Your Spirit
man could never raise his voice in words of peace
or announce the truth that Jesus is Lord,
who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.

Some prayers to pray before reading the Holy Scriptures

From our Orthodox brethren:

Illumine our hearts, O Master who lovest mankind, with the pure light of Thy divine knowledge. Open the eyes of our mind to the understanding of Thy gospel teachings. Implant also in us the fear of Thy blessed commandments, that trampling down all carnal desires, we may enter upon a spiritual manner of living, both thinking and doing such things as are well-pleasing unto Thee. For Thou art the illumination of our souls and bodies, O Christ our God, and unto Thee we ascribe glory, together with Thy Father, who is from everlasting, and Thine all-holy, good, and life-creating Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.

From The Catechism, or Christian Doctrine, by Way of Question and Answer

O Lord, through Thy great mercy, teach me all that is necessary for knowing Thee, for loving Thee, and for doing Thy holy will. Amen.

The collect for the Second Sunday of Advent from the 1662 Book of Common Prayer

Blessed Lord, who hast caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning; Grant that we may in such wise hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, that by patience and comfort of Thy holy Word, we may embrace, and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life, which Thou hast given us in our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

Long Live Pope Benedict XVI!

On April 11th, the Knights of Columbus began a novena for Pope Benedict XVI* in honor of the fifth anniversary of his election. While the novena officially ended on April 19th, I'd like to suggest that we take it up again and make it a perpetual novena.

Novena for Pope Benedict XVI

Lord, Source of eternal life and truth,

give to Your shepherd, Benedict,

a spirit of courage and right judgment,

a spirit of knowledge and love.

By governing with fidelity those entrusted to his care,

may he, as successor to the Apostle Peter and Vicar of Christ,

build Your Church into a sacrament of unity, love, and peace for all the world.

Amen.

V. Let us pray for Benedict, the Pope.

R. May the Lord preserve him, give him a long life, make him blessed upon the earth, and not hand him over to the power of his enemies.

V. May Your hand be upon Your holy servant,

R. and upon Your son, whom You have anointed.

Our Father...

Hail, Mary...

Glory Be...






*PDF warning.

The Feast of St. Joseph the Worker

I like this picture of Joseph: he doesn't look cherubic!

Ad te beate, Ioseph

by Pope Saint Leo XIII

To thee, O blessed Joseph, do we have recourse in our tribulation, and having implored the help of thy thrice holy Spouse, we confidently invoke thy patronage also. By that charity wherewith thou wast united to the Immaculate Virgin Mother of God, and by that fatherly affection with which thou didst embrace the Child Jesus, we beseech thee and we humbly pray, that thou wouldst look graciously upon the inheritance which Jesus Christ hath purchased by His Blood, and assist us in our needs by thy power and strength.

Most watchful Guardian of the Holy Family, protect the chosen people of Jesus Christ; keep far from us, most loving father, all blight of error and corruption: mercifully assist us from heaven, most mighty defender, in this our conflict with the powers of darkness; and, even as of old thou didst rescue the Child Jesus from the supreme peril of his life, so now defend God's Holy Church from the snares of the enemy and from all adversity; keep us one and all under thy continual protection, that we may be supported by thine example and thine assistance, may be enabled to lead a holy life, die a happy death and come at last to the possession of everlasting blessedness in heaven. Amen.

The Collect from the Mass of Saint Joseph the Worker

God our Father,

Creator and Ruler of the universe,

in every age You call man

to develop and use his gifts for the good of others.

With Saint Joseph as our example and guide,

help us to do the work You have asked

and come to the rewards you have promised.

We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,

who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit,

one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

A Prayer to Saint Joseph by Pope Pius IX

Glorious Saint Joseph, model of all who are devoted to labor, obtain for me the grace to work in the spirit of penance in expiation of my many sins; to work conscientiously by placing love of duty above my inclinations; to gratefully and joyously deem it an honor to employ and to develop by labor the gifts I have received from God; to work methodically, peacefully, and in moderation and patience, without ever shrinking from it through weariness or difficulty to work; above all, with purity of intention and unselfishness, having unceasingly before my eyes death and the account I have to render of time lost, talents unused, good not done, and vain complacency in success, so baneful to the work of God. All for Jesus, all for Mary, all to imitate thee, O patriarch Saint Joseph! This shall be my motto for life and eternity.

After a long hiatus...

...a new blog posting.

A quote I found years ago (in June of '97, to be exact).

"The goal of the Christian is not to please himself but to please his Lord. He does not wish to settle for that which is least harmful, but to reach for that which is highest and best. He is not seeking to avoid punishment but to bring joy to his Heavenly Father. He is not testing himself to see how much darkness he can stand, but striving to see how near he can get to the light.

"His is not a negative obedience demanded of him, but a positive eagerness to please God in every possible way."

Robertson McQuilken, An Introduction to Biblical Ethics, pg. 499

(I believe this is from the first edition of the book.)

I hardly ever post anymore...

...and when I finally do so again, it's another book meme!

1) What author do you own the most books by?

Agatha Christie

2) What book do you own the most copies of?

In addition to the 12 versions of the Bible and one copy each of a Haitian Creole New Testament and and English/Arabic New Testament I own, the following 5 books are tied at two copies each: 1) Catholic Catechism on Consecrated Life, 2) The Brown Scapular of Carmel, 3) If by Amy Carmichael, 4) The Intellectual Life: Its Spirit, Conditions, Methods, and 5) Breaking Free: 12 Steps to Sexual Purity for Men.

3) Did it bother you that both those questions ended with prepositions?

Not in the slightest.

4) What fictional character are you secretly in love with?

Edmund Bertram in Mansfield Park and Dicken in The Secret Garden.

5) What book have you read the most times in your life?

Individual book of the Bible: Genesis, which I've read at least 12 times; non-biblical book: The Mysterious Affair at Styles which I've read at least 8 times.

6) What was your favorite book when you were ten years old?

I don't know which individual book it was, but I loved the Happy Hollisters series.

7) What is the worst book you’ve read in the past year?

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds 10. It's a collection of short stories. Some were good.

8)What is the best book you’ve read in the past year?

The Habit of Being: The Letters of Flannery O'Connor. I will probably read this book once a year, every year.

9) If you could force everyone you know to read one book, what would it be?

Hmmm. There are so many good ones to choose from (not including the Bible): Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis, Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie, the above-mentioned The Habit of Being, Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, Eternity in Their Hearts by Don Richardson, Phantastes by George MacDonald, An Introduction to the Devout Life by Saint Frances de Sales, Amy Tan's The Hundred Secret Senses, A Student's Guide to Liberal Learning by Father James V. Schall, and many more. I wouldn't know how to choose!

10) Who deserves to win the next Nobel Prize for Literature?

Haven't the foggiest.

11) What book would you most like to see made into a movie?

Asimov's Foundation series. It would have to be a TV series, though, because it's too big to be a movie.

12) What book would you least like to see made into a movie?

Everybody Poops.

13) Describe your weirdest dream involving a writer, book, or literary character.

Don't know that I've had one.

14) What is the most lowbrow book you’ve read as an adult?

Green Eggs and Ham and James Howe's Bunnicula series.

15) What is the most difficult book you’ve ever read?

Difficult as in hard to understand would be Epiphany: A Theological Introduction to Catholicism. It uses words my 1900 page dictionary cannot define. I have set it aside until I get either a better education or a better dictionary (preferably both).

Difficult as in emotional is Mysterious Skin.

16) What is the most obscure Shakespeare play you’ve seen?

Alas! I've never seen one! The closest I've come is Dickens A Christmas Carol put on at the Bonstelle at Wayne State.

17) Do you prefer the French or the Russians?

Haven't read the Russians at all, and the only French I've gotten to is Madame Bovary.

18) Roth or Updike?

Haven't read either.

19) David Sedaris or Dave Eggers?

Haven't read Eggers, but love Sedaris!

20) Shakespeare, Milton, or Chaucer?

Once more, haven't read them. I just started working on the classics.

21) Austen or Eliot?

Austen!

22) What is the biggest or most embarrassing gap in your reading?

I haven’t read a lot of the classics.

23) What is your favorite novel?

Pride and Prejudice.

24) Play?

Don't have one.

25) Poem?

Either Poe's "The Raven" or Carroll's "Jabberwocky".

26) Essay?

"Christians and Conspiracy Theories: A Call to Repentance."

27) Short story?

Don't have one.

28) Work of nonfiction?

A Student's Guide to Liberal Learning by Father James V. Schall.

29) Who is your favorite writer?

How about favorite authors? C.S. Lewis, Amy Tan, Agatha Christie, Jane Austen, Isaac Asimov, Flannery O'Connor, P.G. Wodehouse, and more.

30) Who is the most overrated writer alive today?

Don't know.

31) What is your desert island book?

How to Survive on a Desert Island while You're Working on Your Escape from Said Island.

32) And… what are you reading right now?

1) The Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2) Mariannehill and Its Apostolate, 3) Memorize the Faith (and Almost Everything Else) by Kevin Vost, 4) the Gospel of Matthew, 5) the book Daniel (the biblical prophet), 6) The Divine Office for Dodos: A Step-by-Step Guide to Praying the Liturgy of the Hours by Madeline Pecora Nugent, 7) The Orthodox Church by Kallistos Ware, 8) the book of Psalms, 9) The Problem of Pain by C.S. Lewis, 10) The Complete Rosary by William G. Storey, 11) The Cricket in Times Square by George Selden, 12) the book of Proverbs, 13) David Copperfield, 14) The Path to Rome by Hilaire Belloc, 15) the book of Sirach, 16) Why Catholic Bibles are Bigger: The Untold Story of the Lost Books of the Protestant Bible by Gary G. Michuta, 17) The Search for Christian America by Mark A. Noll, Nathan O. Hatch, and George M. Marsden, 18) The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible by A.J. Jacobs, 19) The Question of God: C.S. Lewis and Sigmund Freud Debate God, Love, Sex, and the Meaning of Life by Armand Nicholi, Jr., and 20) Tom Brown's Body by Gladys Mitchell.