A Convert’s Christmas
Posted by Tom Hoopes
Tuesday, December 30, 2008 10:09 AM
News blogging will be light during the 12 days of Christmas, but we’re reviewing recent Christmas classics. Dr. Erasmo Leiva-Merikakis once taught a class called “20th Century Catholic Literary Revival” that covered everyone from Chesterton to Flannery O’Connor. He included German writer Gertrude von Le Fort (1876-1971).
Her haunting Hymns to the Church records the mix of terror and joy she felt... READ MORE
Filed under christmas classics, weekend commentary
Kristin’s Christmas Changes
Posted by Tom Hoopes
Monday, December 29, 2008 3:08 PM
Norway reveres Sigrid Undset.
During the 12 days of Christmas, news blogging will be light, but we’re posting 20th century Catholic classics. Sigrid Undset’s trilogy about Kristin Lavransdatter covers many Christmases. Here’s a Christmas at which Kristin is a somber child, and Brother Edvin cheers her up:
“Do you know who was the first one to realize that our Lord had allowed Himself to be born? It was the rooster. He saw... READ MORE
Filed under christmas classics, weekend commentary
Christmas Ghost Story
Posted by Tom Hoopes
Sunday, December 28, 2008 2:55 PM
This “Christmas Ghost Story” was published in a Welsh paper last year, reporting a homemade mystery. Here’s the nub:
“It was the build-up to Christmas 1947 and I can remember a few falling snowflakes, not realising that they heralded continuous blizzards and the misery of frozen water pipes in the bungalow where my mother and I lived. All movement had ceased – no school, no transport, little... READ MORE
Filed under christmas classics, weekend commentary
The Christ Child’s Hair
Posted by Tom Hoopes
Saturday, December 27, 2008 12:49 PM
News blogging here will be light during the Christmas holiday. On Thursday, we linked a G.K. Chesterton essay on Christmas. Here’s a poem of his, one of many Christmas poem’s at the University of Dayton’s excellent Marian Center:
The Christ-child lay on Mary’s lap,
His hair was like a light.
(O weary, weary were the world,
But here is all aright.)
The Christ-child lay on Mary’s breast
His hair... READ MORE
Filed under christmas classics
Sebastian Flyte on Christmas
Posted by Tom Hoopes
Friday, December 26, 2008 1:14 PM
During the 12 days of Christmas, we will quote the 20th century Catholic literary classics on Christmas. Here’s Evelyn Waugh’s Brideshead Revisited. Sebastian Flyte is one type of believer. It wouldn’t work if all were like that ...
“But, my dear Sebastian, you can’t seriously believe it all.”
“Can’t I?”
“I mean about Christmas and the star and the three kings
and the ox and the ass.”
“Oh yes, I... READ MORE
Filed under christmas classics
On Christmas Thursday
Posted by Tom Hoopes
Thursday, December 25, 2008 11:30 AM
“There is no more dangerous or disgusting habit than that of celebrating Christmas before it comes, as I am doing in this article,” begins G.K. Chesterton in an essay linked here.”
So we waited to post it. It delightfully begins with a reference to Thursday ... “It is the very essence of a festival that it breaks upon one brilliantly and abruptly, that at one moment the great day is not and the... READ MORE
Filed under christmas classics, weekend commentary
Christmas Eating Tips
Posted by Tom Hoopes
Wednesday, December 24, 2008 7:39 AM
Merry Christmas! News blogging will be light during the 12 days of Christmas, but come back for daily Catholic Christmas classics, and each of the “12 Ways of Christmas” elucidated.
For tonight, here are Irene Lagan’s Christmas eating tips Highlights:
“Avoid carrot sticks.”
“Drink as much eggnog as you can. And quickly.”
“If something comes with gravy, use it.”
“Mashed potatoes made with skim... READ MORE
Filed under christmas classics, weekend commentary
Page 1 of 1 pages
.
