Today I’m very pleased to announce the launch of my latest podcast, “The Eagle and Child”.
If you live in San Diego, California, you may know that I’m part of a C.S. Lewis reading group called “The Eagle and Child”, named after the pub in which Lewis and “The Inklings” would regularly meet.
When I started the group, I had lots of messages from friends outside of San Diego asking how they could be part of this group. This podcast is, in part, my response to that.
Each week, my friend Matt and I will be working our way through a chapter of a C.S. Lewis book, beginning with “Mere Christianity”. So, if you’ve ever wanted to read this classic book, please pick up a copy from Amazon and join us in cyberspace for a thoughtful discussion and a beer!
The relationship between “The Simpsons” and religion has always been a rather interesting one. There was a bit of a hoopla in the press and blogsophere recently when an article in the Vatican newsletter, L’Osservatore Romano, had the headline “Homer and Bart are Catholics”. It was a silly piece which caused, in my opinion, a lot of fuss about nothing.
Having said that, the article was in reference to an analysis done by a certain Fr. Francesco Occhetta which concerned one of my favourite Simpsons episodes: “The Father, the Son, and the Holy Guest Star”, where Homer and Bart come into contact with the Catholic Church. So, for this week’s “Friday Fivolity”, here are some of my favourite quotations from that episode…
Marge: “All of that standing, sitting and kneeling…It’s like ‘Simon Says’ without a winner!”
Marge:“Catholics can be a peculiar bunch. No birth control, no meat on Friday…”
Homer:“No MEAT?! What do they eat, light bulbs?!”
Homer:“Face it, Marge. Catholics rule! We got Boston, South America, the good part of Ireland, and we’re makin’ serious inroads in Mozambique, baby!”
Marge:“Homer, you’ve been gone all night—and you look like you accepted someone as your personal something. Were you at that Catholic Church?” Homer:“Look, I know I was supposed to yell at that priest, but he’s so cool! He plays drums in a band with a bunch of other priests!” Marge:“I knew they’d try to convert you! That’s what they do! Well, I’m not having another twelve kids.” Homer:“Marge, no one’s saying twelve. Nine, ten, tops!” (Gets out a pamphlet entitled ‘Plop ’til You Drop’)
Bart:“This is a Catholic church. Chicks got no authority here”
Bart:“Don’t you get it? It’s all Christianity, people! The little, stupid differences are nothing next to the big stupid similarities!”
Homer: (after finishing confession) “Woo-hoo, I’m clean! In your face, Lord!“ Fr. Sean:“Not yet, Mr. Simpson. I can only absolve you if you’re a Catholic” Homer:“Uh-huh. And how do I join? Do I whale on some Unitarians?” Fr. Sean:“Well, it’s a little harder than that. It starts with looking deep inside yourself…” (Homer groans) “But it ends with bread and wine” Homer:“Woo-hoo!”
A slight “oopsie” when they had Ned, an Evangelical, praying before the statue of a Saint…
I hope you enjoy. Now, since it’s Friday, I’m off to go and eat some light bulbs… [wave]
Despite living in America for over two years, until recently I had never registered with a doctor. Well, a couple of months ago I finally got around to it and I went for a check-up.
Fortunately, everything was fine. However, prior to the check-up, I was weighed by a nurse. I was utterly horrified by the number which appeared on the scales: 175lbs. I knew I hadn’t been exercising much and I knew that I had been comfort eating, but I didn’t think it was that bad!
The following week I returned back to Boot Camp, determined to lose the weight. In fact, I set myself the goal to return to the weight I was when I first came to America, 155 lbs. I’ve been going to the 6am class every weekday and cutting down on my food portion sizes.
Well, today I had my first weigh-in since I’ve tried losing the weight: 167 lbs. That’s 8lbs in a month and a half. You have my permission to be impressed.
The Readings this week start to wrap up our Easter Season prior to the Feasts of Ascension and Pentecost.
In the First Reading we read about that great moment in Church History when the first Gentiles received baptism and entered the Church. In our Second Reading, we conclude our study of St. John’s First Epistle by hearing about the love of God. Finally, in the Gospel, Jesus unpacks His teaching concerning His metaphor of “the vine and the branches” which we heard last week.
As we come to the Eucharistic table this week let us come with thankful hearts. God’s love is so great that He came to redeem us, call us His friends, pour His Spirit into our hearts and make us members of His family.
For the last few weeks I have not been pleased with the quality of the Lectionary Notes I’ve produced. They have seemed terse and inadequate and, even to produce notes of this mediocre quality, have consumed a substantial amount of time during my week.
As you may have noticed, no notes were posted this week…
The Present
Recently I have been trying to cut down on activities in an attempt to get a little bit more balance in my life. I haven’t felt that I’ve been doing justice to all my different responsibilities by spreading myself so thinly.
The Future
I’ve therefore decided to no longer produce Lectionary Notes each week (Don’t worry though, I won’t be Vandapooling!). However, despite this news, I am not planning to give up these notes either completely or permanently…
I originally began producing the notes for whomever was leading Bible study at the JP2 Group. Since most members of this Young Adult group have now led Bible study several times, I will now only produce my notes if the person leading that week is leading for the first time. For those more experienced leaders, I will simply point them to my Lectionary Resources post.
Over the lifetime of this blog I have produced commentary for forty-two different Sundays which, if one includes the vigils and feast days, is approximately 18% of the Lectionary. It would be great to reach 100% coverage, writing a complete commentary for the entire Lectionary. If the Lord grants me the years and the opportunity, I would love to pick it up regularly once again and complete it…
Earlier in the year, Matt interviewed Douglas Gresham about life with his stepfather, C.S. Lewis. Today Douglas returns to talk about his life in the post-Lewis years.
S4E13: – “After Hours” with Douglas Gresham” (Download)
Today I’m very pleased to announce the launch of my latest podcast, “The Eagle and Child”.
