Gashwin Gomes is going off the air. The beginning of his seminary formation means the end of his blogging. I know that’s a net gain, but I’m going to miss reading him (though I hope to visit him next month). Please drop by and wish him well.
Category: Site News
History Repeats Itself
There’s a new (very affordable) paperback English translation of Eusebius: The Church History. The translator has tried to make the ancient work accessible to a wider modern audience. You’ll find a review here.
Check These Out
* The Knights of Columbus have launched a new parenting site called Fathers for Good. It’s rumored that some Aquilina-authored material will soon appear there.
* Tom Craughwell at Antique Holy Cards is offering my visitors a special 2-for 1 offer. Buy any package of Christmas cards (6 pack or 12 pack) and get another package FREE! This offer is available until August 25. Tom will also be reproducing some newly discovered antique cards, too, so keep an eye on his website.
* Maureen is proposing patristic material that’s ready-made for modern tee-shirts.
Question Authority
Some years back, my son contributed to a book project called No Question Left Behind, edited by Maureen Wittmann. The book got spiked just before press, for economic reasons. But now Maureen’s posting its contents, absolutely free, on a blog titled No Question Left Behind. Photos of the contributing authors make the page very appealing. Junior is wearing a red shirt and baseball cap, both of which he probably still wears. The braces, however, are long gone.
Cardinal Sins?
Roger Pearse has gone after Newman (and, by association, Pusey) with the vehemence and venom he usually reserves for the British Library. Oh my.
Three Days
The New York Times’ most-emailed story today is about the “Vision of Gabriel,” which we discussed here.
Send Him Your Lottery Tickets
Roger Pearse asks: How much would it cost to translate all of Migne’s Patrologia Graeca? “I was imagining myself a billionaire again last night …”
In any event, he’s doing what he can.
Oh, and One More Thing
Do This for Your Summer Vacation
Gosh, one of my books is a finalist for the Catholic Summer Reading program at Aquinas and More. From sixty-four books, the list is down to ten — and there I am with my old friends G.K. Chesterton, Pope Benedict XVI, George Bernanos, J.R.R. Tolkien, Evelyn Waugh … You get the idea.
Runners-up include some great titles on the early Church, like We Look for a Kingdom by Carl Sommer.
A&M is also inviting people to join online discussions of their featured books, and there’s a website dedicated to those conversations. Says marketing manager Mike Davis: “The whole point of the program is to get Catholics reading during the summer, the off-season, to be more engaged with their faith during this time. We’re encouraging, once again, the formation of summer reading groups in parishes and we will be providing free downloadable book discussion guides.”
Sounds like a great way to spend a summer. I’m honored to be on the list!
Recovery
Well, I’m apologizing again. I’ve neglected this little patch of land for a couple of weeks now. After battling a viral thing (mostly by sleeping), I traveled northward to visit Mom for a few days. Then I spent a few in the TV studio taping a new 13-week series with my friend Scott Hahn. (It’s called “Reasons to Believe,” based on Scott’s book by that name.)
In the next day or so, I’ll try to post the backlog I’ve accumulated. There’s lots of fun stuff.
Meantime, start here, with Maureen’s translation of distiches by Pope St. Leo the Great (“in the man’s pre-papal days”).
Gratian Formula
Today’s the emperor Gratian’s birthday. He was a key player in the removal of the pagan Altar of Victory from Christian Rome. The eventual victory belonged to St. Ambrose. The story’s told here.
Fool’s Gold
My other brother Darrell (Dr. Platypus) exposed me as a Fool this morning. Not only did I believe his April Fool’s Day post about a new job, but I commented on it, posted a link to it, and then sent an email to the company’s CEO congratulating him on an excellent hire. Luckily, the CEO has long known me to be a Fool, and far beyond April.
Be it known, though, that no Te Deum is wasted.
Two Years Down the Blog Road
Today’s the two-year anniversary of the launch of this blog — no kidding! (Yes, I chose April Fool’s Day intentionally, because I consider it my feast day.) There have been around 1,370 posts since the first. The friends I’ve made through the blog I count among my greatest blessings.
I’m always pleased to see which books sell through the Amazon links. It genuinely thrills me to know that so many people are reading so many books by and about the Fathers! Here are the top ten non-Aquilina titles:
Jesus of Nazareth, by Pope Benedict XVI
A Father Who Keeps His Promises: God’s Covenant Love in Scripture, by Scott Hahn
Four Witnesses: The Early Church in Her Own Words, by Rod Bennett
Through Their Own Eyes: Liturgy as the Byzantines Saw It, by Robert Taft, S.J.
Fathers Of The Church: A Comprehensive Introduction, by Hubertus Drobner
The How-To Book of the Mass: Everything You Need to Know but No One Ever Taught You, by Michael Dubruiel
The Spirit of Early Christian Thought: Seeking the Face of God, by Robert Louis Wilken
A Patristic Greek Reader, by Rodney Whitacre
The Christian Catacombs of Rome: History, Decoration, Inscriptions, by Various Artists
Reading the Bible As God’s Own Story: A Catholic Approach for Bringing Scripture to Life, by William Kurz, S.J.
Here are the top-five Aquilina titles:
The Fathers of the Church, Expanded Edition
The Mass of the Early Christians
Living the Mysteries: A Guide for Unfinished Christians
The Grail Code: Quest for the Real Presence
The Way of the Fathers: Praying With the Early Christians
Two titles, Love in the Little Things: Tales of Family Life and The Resilient Church: The Glory, the Shame, & the Hope for Tomorrow, just narrowly missed the top five — even though they’ve been out less than a year.
I thank you all — for reading the blog, for reading the books, for linking here, for your encouraging (and corrective) emails, for your prayers, and for your friendship. Let’s keep the conversation going.
Special thanks to Junior for making me do all this in the first place. I should’ve listened to him years before!
Christ Is Risen! Alleluia!
Gifts and Blessings
I keep the visitors to this blog, like the readers of my books, in my regular rounds of prayer. May God’s blessings abound for you this Easter season.
In your kindness, please consider making an Easter gift to the St. Paul Center, the apostolate very near to my heart. (You get a free CD!)