This week I received the pure, unmerited grace of a trip to EWTN, the network that airs my television series with Scott Hahn. This time, though, I went to Alabama (sans banjo) to see my friend Johnnette Benkovic and appear on her talk show, “The Abundant Life.” We had a great time together, discussing my book Angels of God: The Bible, the Church and the Heavenly Hosts. I’m told that the show is scheduled to air during the Western Church’s week of angels — i.e., from September 29 (St. Michael) to October 2 (Guardian Angels).

Many great surprises awaited me at the cottage where I stayed. First: my old buddy Mark Shea, blogger and author of By What Authority? (a book we all should consider memorizing).

Then, by my bed, a beaten-up copy of Kenneth Howell’s recent translation of and commentary on the Ignatius of Antioch‘s corpus of letters. I read the whole thing during my downtime. It’s stunning — with helpful theological essays and notes throughout. I’m planning to buy a copy, so I can post a fuller review. It’s published by my friends at the Coming Home Network.