Happy 13th Birthday, Max! I remember on my 13th birthday, I got to pick a PG-13 movie to watch with my best friend at the time, and I picked The Mummy, starring Brendan Fraser (I’m 38 now, but The Mummy was recently released on VHS at the main video rental store in town at the time).
So, JD, I encourage you to celebrate Max’s birthday by treating him to a PG-13 movie that he’d enjoy, and maybe invite a close friend of his over to enjoy it with Max. 🙂
Also, I will pray that Jesus will infuse your heart and the whole of the Flynn household with the joy of Christmas and that Christmas this year will be filled with special graces for all of you.
Phillip, you literally made me laugh out loud with your comment! Thank you for bringing joy and laughter to my life. I’m a very cerebral man and people like you keep me from taking myself too seriously. I’m grateful for you, brother.
Hey JD, praying for you and your fellow retreatants, and for Max as well. Thanks for letting people know of Kevin Knight's work at New Advent. That page has been my homepage for years, a great Catholic news aggregator as well as a Catholic reference source.
You asked for prayers at the end of the post. Might I suggest you repeat your substack post to subscribers from back in September of 2023? You asked us to post prayer requests so that we could pray for one another. That might be a nice, monthly post to make. You certainly have lots of holy men and women supporting The Pillar financially and with prayer.
I have been subscribed to New Advent from what seems like forever. I keep a page open in my browser (and one, sometimes 2) for The Pillar. And a few other web sites, but those are the 2 Catholic sites. Happy birthday and thank you so much, Kevin. You have done an awesome job for a long time and I really appreciate it.
JD, I forgot to mention that I can also relate to feeling glum this year in the lead up to Christmas. My paternal grandmother and one of my uncles both died a year ago around this time, less than 30 days apart from each other. I was closest to my paternal grandmother out of all my grandparents, and this is the time of year that I miss her most.
Michael, I lost my maternal grandmother (the last of my grandparents and the one I was closest to) a year ago Sunday, and yesterday would have been her birthday. My mom and I are feeling a little glum too. All love & blessings to you and your family.
Thanks! I’ll say a prayer for you and your family. I’m making one of my grandmother’s Christmas treats next week to bring to my family’s Christmas Eve and Christmas Day festivities. I did that last year and that helped a lot. Do you have any of your grandmother’s Christmas treat recipes? If so, maybe you and your mother could choose one you both love and make it together to honor your grandmother! Hang in there!
Grandma was generally an awful cook. However, she did a good cranberry-orange relish. I was going to make it for Christmas but then learned that my in-laws were going to have ham not turkey for Christmas.
But you've inspired me. Maybe I'll just make it anyway and eat it with a spoon :)
Her "lemon cheese" (aka lemon curd) was delicious too, but time-intensive.
My mom and I have some dishes (serving bowls, plates, etc.) that belonged to my grandma and we often use them for holidays, birthdays, etc. It's a flexible way to remember her at our gatherings, no matter what food is being served :-)
Nice! I inherited two candlesticks from my grandmother with Northern Cardinals on them in snowy winter scenes that I keep out from December through the end of March each year. 🙂
Happy Birthday Max! You are a gift from God to your family and everyone you meet. My husband and I have an a special guy too. He has autism and is living with us. He will turn 26 on January 27th. He has changed our lives and brought us closer to Jesus. We are so blessed to be his parents.
Let’s be clear. The Belgian push for including a layperson in the Eucharistic Prayer and the German push for lay inclusion in Synodality arise because the Church has failed to properly address the role of the layperson in its governance and leadership.
The Church’s reluctance to establish a clear, substantive role for the laity has led to these collateral efforts—attempts to give laypeople standing by incorporating them into spaces traditionally reserved for clergy. While it is important to acknowledge that such measures blur the lines of the Church’s theology of orders and risk creating quasi-clerical roles for the laity, stopping the discussion there and not addressing the need for actual inclusion masks the core issue. This underlying problem needs to be confronted. By addressing it, the Church can unlock the full potential of lay participation in its mission and governance, avoiding the need for these improvised attempts at inclusion.
According to Vatican II, the laity's role is to evangelize the world. The clergy's role is to support and enable the laity to fulfill theirs. There are some parishes where the staff work to enable the laity to fulfill their role (I recently left one), but for the most part the Church seems to be at the laity should pray, pay, and obey stage.
> the Church has failed to properly address the role of the layperson
I wonder if it is "failed to properly address the role of the lay *person*," or if it is "failed to properly address the ambition of the lay *woman*."
What I gather from other articles, at least, is that the Church has failed to address the role of the lay accountant / financial professional in governance (I do not say that they should be leading a diocese or parish, but that there is a role where they are needed and without which there seem to be lapses in just governance.)
Happy Birthday Max! I upped my sub. At first I thought the gap between tiers was too big of a stretch. However, I am attempting to finally and forever give up my stupid Starbucks addiction, so I figure the savings in my "personal spending" budget can go to a much worthier cause.
I really love the Pillar and I want you guys to stick around. Starbucks can go jump in a lake.
"And when theft happens, dioceses are often reluctant to push for criminal prosecution or incarceration. [...] Sometimes, dioceses discuss thieves — in court or with the media — as people who are unwell, in need of treatment, not sanction."
None of us can read hearts, but the actions of these thieves are wrong. Holding them accountable may be painful and unpleasant, but doing so *is an act of charity*.
As more of these sorts of thefts come to light, the lay faithful will become increasingly reluctant to give money to the church.
Happy 13th Birthday, Max! I remember on my 13th birthday, I got to pick a PG-13 movie to watch with my best friend at the time, and I picked The Mummy, starring Brendan Fraser (I’m 38 now, but The Mummy was recently released on VHS at the main video rental store in town at the time).
So, JD, I encourage you to celebrate Max’s birthday by treating him to a PG-13 movie that he’d enjoy, and maybe invite a close friend of his over to enjoy it with Max. 🙂
Also, I will pray that Jesus will infuse your heart and the whole of the Flynn household with the joy of Christmas and that Christmas this year will be filled with special graces for all of you.
No doubt the Pillar put forth its best effort to get Stefani on the line.
“If God wanted us to fly, he would’ve given us wings” “Maybe so, but he did give us the next best thing: Americans”
"I got the official word yesterday that an interview isn’t going to happen...It seems someone on Gwen’s team must have suggested she Don’t Speak."
-I know just what you're sayin', so please stop explainin'. Don't tell me 'cause it hurts.
Did they fail to stress just how big of a fan Ed is? I'm sure that would've had her scrambling to the interview room.
Phillip, you literally made me laugh out loud with your comment! Thank you for bringing joy and laughter to my life. I’m a very cerebral man and people like you keep me from taking myself too seriously. I’m grateful for you, brother.
Hey JD, praying for you and your fellow retreatants, and for Max as well. Thanks for letting people know of Kevin Knight's work at New Advent. That page has been my homepage for years, a great Catholic news aggregator as well as a Catholic reference source.
You asked for prayers at the end of the post. Might I suggest you repeat your substack post to subscribers from back in September of 2023? You asked us to post prayer requests so that we could pray for one another. That might be a nice, monthly post to make. You certainly have lots of holy men and women supporting The Pillar financially and with prayer.
I think that’s a fantastic suggestion, Father!
I have been subscribed to New Advent from what seems like forever. I keep a page open in my browser (and one, sometimes 2) for The Pillar. And a few other web sites, but those are the 2 Catholic sites. Happy birthday and thank you so much, Kevin. You have done an awesome job for a long time and I really appreciate it.
Good suggestions, Sue. Catholicculture.org is the 3rd site I always keep open.
GO MAX! GO GOD!
13 is a milestone! CONGRATULATIONS 🎉!
Us Denverites prayed hard for your recovery along with many many more!
JD, I forgot to mention that I can also relate to feeling glum this year in the lead up to Christmas. My paternal grandmother and one of my uncles both died a year ago around this time, less than 30 days apart from each other. I was closest to my paternal grandmother out of all my grandparents, and this is the time of year that I miss her most.
Michael, I lost my maternal grandmother (the last of my grandparents and the one I was closest to) a year ago Sunday, and yesterday would have been her birthday. My mom and I are feeling a little glum too. All love & blessings to you and your family.
Thanks! I’ll say a prayer for you and your family. I’m making one of my grandmother’s Christmas treats next week to bring to my family’s Christmas Eve and Christmas Day festivities. I did that last year and that helped a lot. Do you have any of your grandmother’s Christmas treat recipes? If so, maybe you and your mother could choose one you both love and make it together to honor your grandmother! Hang in there!
Grandma was generally an awful cook. However, she did a good cranberry-orange relish. I was going to make it for Christmas but then learned that my in-laws were going to have ham not turkey for Christmas.
But you've inspired me. Maybe I'll just make it anyway and eat it with a spoon :)
Her "lemon cheese" (aka lemon curd) was delicious too, but time-intensive.
That sounds like it would be delicious with chicken, too! Maybe for a special treat for Epiphany or the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God?
Good idea :)
What do you plan to prepare in honor of your Grandmother?
Her cranberry orange bread that she would bake and bring to our Christmas Eve festivities each year. 🙂
My mom and I have some dishes (serving bowls, plates, etc.) that belonged to my grandma and we often use them for holidays, birthdays, etc. It's a flexible way to remember her at our gatherings, no matter what food is being served :-)
Nice! I inherited two candlesticks from my grandmother with Northern Cardinals on them in snowy winter scenes that I keep out from December through the end of March each year. 🙂
Happy Birthday Max, I hope you have the best day ever today! God Bless you always 🙏❤️🙏❤️
Praying for Max and his family, that He who began a good work in you will carry it through to completion until the day of Christ Jesus, Amen.
Happy Birthday Max! You are a gift from God to your family and everyone you meet. My husband and I have an a special guy too. He has autism and is living with us. He will turn 26 on January 27th. He has changed our lives and brought us closer to Jesus. We are so blessed to be his parents.
Happy Birthday, Max!
Kevin Knight is indeed unsung. Very nice of you to mention him!
God bless you, Max, on your 13th Birthday. Have a wonderful day!
Let’s be clear. The Belgian push for including a layperson in the Eucharistic Prayer and the German push for lay inclusion in Synodality arise because the Church has failed to properly address the role of the layperson in its governance and leadership.
The Church’s reluctance to establish a clear, substantive role for the laity has led to these collateral efforts—attempts to give laypeople standing by incorporating them into spaces traditionally reserved for clergy. While it is important to acknowledge that such measures blur the lines of the Church’s theology of orders and risk creating quasi-clerical roles for the laity, stopping the discussion there and not addressing the need for actual inclusion masks the core issue. This underlying problem needs to be confronted. By addressing it, the Church can unlock the full potential of lay participation in its mission and governance, avoiding the need for these improvised attempts at inclusion.
According to Vatican II, the laity's role is to evangelize the world. The clergy's role is to support and enable the laity to fulfill theirs. There are some parishes where the staff work to enable the laity to fulfill their role (I recently left one), but for the most part the Church seems to be at the laity should pray, pay, and obey stage.
> the Church has failed to properly address the role of the layperson
I wonder if it is "failed to properly address the role of the lay *person*," or if it is "failed to properly address the ambition of the lay *woman*."
What I gather from other articles, at least, is that the Church has failed to address the role of the lay accountant / financial professional in governance (I do not say that they should be leading a diocese or parish, but that there is a role where they are needed and without which there seem to be lapses in just governance.)
Happy Birthday Max! I upped my sub. At first I thought the gap between tiers was too big of a stretch. However, I am attempting to finally and forever give up my stupid Starbucks addiction, so I figure the savings in my "personal spending" budget can go to a much worthier cause.
I really love the Pillar and I want you guys to stick around. Starbucks can go jump in a lake.
"And when theft happens, dioceses are often reluctant to push for criminal prosecution or incarceration. [...] Sometimes, dioceses discuss thieves — in court or with the media — as people who are unwell, in need of treatment, not sanction."
None of us can read hearts, but the actions of these thieves are wrong. Holding them accountable may be painful and unpleasant, but doing so *is an act of charity*.
As more of these sorts of thefts come to light, the lay faithful will become increasingly reluctant to give money to the church.
God bless you and your family. EVERY person is a treasure and gift from God 💞