Brother Burke

If you want to buy the best Catholic books, I recommend Ignatius Press.  Click the link below to view their website:

If you cannot find what you are looking for there, please see this specialty Catholic online store powered by Amazon.com.

http://astore.amazon.com/dominusdeus-20/

There is a new Catholic search engine, a new way to find all of the official documents of the Catholic Church and Bible passages:

See http://dominusdeus.com

Do a little Soul Searching

I have been doing some research for a writing project, and I have found a very interesting and comprehensive webiste on the economic theory of Distributism.  Specifically, I really enjoyed the videos that you can watch on this page:

http://distributist.blogspot.com/2008/05/story-of-stuff-englishspanish-version.html

I could go into detail about what distributism is, but this website has a wealth of information for you to read and mediate upon.  If you have a couple of hours to expand your mind and to think more differently than you have in a while about economics and human existence then you will not want to miss this site.

The Archdiocese of Mobile, AL just installed a new Archbishop, Thomas J. Rodi.  To hear or download his homily from the installation Mass go here:

http://www.archangelradio.com/2008/06/10/archbishop-thomas-j-rodis-homily/

It has been really cool getting back in touch with old friends via the Internet. I have moved around so much that I make a lot of close friends and then I split for some reason or another.  Now that I once again live in a sparsely populated area as one of the younger citizens (at age 38) I value good memories of friends and experiences of my youth.

David Wilcox seems to be in a lot of those good memories.  His music really inspired me to  try to do the same.  When I lived in North Carolina we used to go to Black Mountain to hear him play at a small club named McDibb’s and also at the Black Mountain Music Festival.

This record, “How Did You Find Me Here,” is a great collection of fancy open-tuning guitar work combined with some of the sweetest and funniest lyrics man has ever written.  You should treat yourself to it.

Here’s a pic of me playing at McDibb’s circa 1990.

On this date, May 31, in 1970 I was baptized at St. Stephen Church on Napoleon Ave. in New Orleans. It is also my wife, Melanie’s, birthday. And most importantly on this day, the Feast of the Visitation of the Virgin Mary is celebrated by the Catholic Church.

It is the day that we remember how Mary went to visit her cousin Elizabeth who was pregnant with John the Baptist at the same time. It is a day to remember the sanctity of the family and the hope we place in generations to come. We are mysteriously connected to our parents and our children in the same way that Mary was mysteriously connected to Jesus.

Below is a video of a talk by Dr. Mark Miravalle on Mary and the reality of Mary’s motherly and spiritual mediation. Dr. Miravalle was one of my professors at Franciscan University. He is a prayerful and highly intellectual man who, if you notice, always speaks with a Rosary bundled up in his right hand. I admire him very much, and I hope you watch the video.

It’s nice to know I share the same day of baptism with St. John the Baptist.

I would also like to recommend this book to learn more on how the early Christian Church, those who were closest to the source, historically speaking, perceived the role of Mary in Christianity.

Mary and the Fathers of the ChurchFather Luigi Gambero, internationally-known expert on early Christianity, presents a comprehensive survey of the development of Marian doctrine and devotion during the first eight centuries. Focusing on the lives and works of over thirty of the most famous Church Fathers and early Christian writers, Fr. Gambero has produced a clear and readable summary of the richness of the patristic age’s theological and devotional approach to the Mother of God. The book contains numerous citations from the works of those men who developed the defining Christological and Mariological positions that have constituted the foundational doctrinal teaching of the Church. Each chapter concludes with an extended reading from the works of the patristic authors. A number of these texts have never before been published in English. The thought of the Fathers and early Christian writers continues to fascinate readers today. Their theological acuity and spiritual depth led them faithfully into the mysteries of Sacred Scripture. Their vast experience made them reliable and trustworthy witnesses to the faith of the people of God. “A marvelous window onto Marian doctrine and devotion in the East and the West during that formative period for Church teaching. The text is equally accessible to scholar and first-time student, greatly aided by the fine translation. Highly recommended for all.” - Fr. Peter Stravinskas “Solid and majestic scholarship such as this lets the Fathers speak to our own age when Mary’s glory is neglected by skeptics and pantomimed by the superstitious.” - Fr. George Rutler “A well-known patristics scholar presents a work of much-needed information on post-biblical developments in Marian devotion.” - Fr. Johan Roten, S.M.

When I drive to work each morning I listen to the news on public radio, and it all seems like bad news.  One might understand why a privately held radio station might be looking for shock value, but even public radio really only has bad news - war, gas prices, slowing economy, etc.  There seems to be something missing - some greater reason for hope.

What is forgotten is that all of these seemingly problematic issues in the world can be used by God to make the world better.  ”God draws straight with crooked lines.” When economics are in a slowdown, it gives us the opportunity to focus on meta-economic issues such as love of neighbor and self-control.  Those people who take the time to develop these non-economic elements of their life will be at an advantage, both now and if the economy in America starts to get better.

After 911 the then Mayor of New York Rudy Gulliani made the comment that what Americans could do to help was to go to NYC to buy things. I know what he was getting at, but it was short-sighted.  America is more than just an economy, and when we forget that we are at the disposal of the conditions of our economy.

Be a fool for God.  Keep a fresh heart.  We cannot know what life has in store for us, but we can be hopeful and happy regardless of the price of gasoline.  It might just mean we have to stay at home one extra day a week to be with our families.

When I think of maritime songs, I think of Stan Rogers, the Canadian.  This song “Northwest Passage,” has some of the richest male harmonies and mind-expanding lyrics of any song you have ever heard.  It is all human. That is its beauty.

The Northwest Passage was a legendary arctic route from one side of the globe to the other. Many explorers sought it out and died in the attempt. 

This song, “Northwest Passage,” is the opening theme music for the documentary on Stan Rogers titled “One Warm Line.”  He seems to have been very important to the fishermen of Nova Scotia and farmers of central Canada. Watch the 45 min. video below - it is worth it to watch the whole thing.

via videosift.com

This is the sort of thing that sheds a mindful light on a musical tradition, and traditions in general.

You can buy the MP3 of “Northwest Passage” below:

You can buy this video and albums at the Stan Rogers Store.