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Father Mark Botzet's talked about changes in our diocese last week, let me have a copy of his text/transcript: and added footnotes, all of which I greatly appreciate. One of those footnotes included the URL of an overview page that includes a video from Bishop Neary, links to a "guiding change document", and — well, here's that link: All Things New — Diocese of Saint Cloud The Pastoral Planning Process Honoring the Past, Inspiring the Future Diocese of St. Cloud Apart from adding headings, I've kept Fr. Botzet's homily text/transcript as I received it: including punctuation and capitalization. I figure that helps retain the sound and feel of what we heard at Our Lady of the Angels last Sunday. Forgetting What Lies Behind — Working Toward What Lies Ahead Something New Engaging the Laity Called Forward to Embrace the Future Prudent Stewardship Embrace the Upward Calling of God I'll wrap up this week's post with why I don't think nos...

The Grand Canyon, Petrified Forest, and Meteor Crater aren't on the obvious and shortest route from San Francisco to the Upper Midwest. But in 1979, with no reason for staying in San Francisco — that's another topic, for another time — and good reasons for returning to Minnesota, going out of my way to see them seemed like a good idea.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America . (Two Thai tourists at the Grand Canyon. A military jet in the Petrified Forest. Two popes, two poems, and the civilization of love: a very long-haul project.)

All is not right with the world. But all is not wrong, either. Take Sunday night's air disaster that didn't happen, for example. Alaska Air 2059 Underground (Literally) Schools in Ukraine Hey, Everybody! See What We're Doing! — Improv by Hamas Meanwhile, Back in the States Civilian Homes, a Little Extra Shielding — Tomayto, Tomahto. Loving Neighbors: Not Easy, But I Must Bogeymen, Assumptions, and Attitudes: Past and Present Politics, Religion, and Not Missing 'the Good Old Days' "The Protocols of the Elders of Zion" — Article 32 and "Protocols" — "Several Experts" and the Reptilians Spears, Pruning Hooks, and Making Sense in the Meantime Double Effect: It's Complicated "This is Not Us" "Yeh Hum Naheen" Academic Freedom and Responsibility A Civilization of Love: Something to Work Towards A "...Competent and Sufficiently Powerful Authority...." Poetry, Future Generations,...

"...the glory that was Greece, And the grandeur that was Rome...." (" To Helen ," Edgar Allen Poe (1845) via Wikipedia) I don't yearn for 'the good old days' of my youth, or for more remote golden ages. My memory's too good, and I've studied history. On the other hand, some bygone eras really were comparatively good times. The best of the lot, arguably, was the Pax Romana. That's what I'll be talking about today. Two Centuries of Good times The Roman Republic, Julius Caesar and Defenders of the Status Quo Comparative Peace and Prosperity: Not Perfect, But Not Bad Sic Transit Pax Romana Living Among The Ruins of a Better Age More at A Catholic Citizen in America . (The Pax Romana, two centuries of good times, were not perfect. I look at why, two millennia later, they are still remembered.)

Light and dark, green and brown. Crescent moon, textured memories. Past is done, a quiet present. What was, will be. Their now Is yet to come. (On A Catholic Citizen in America (January 30, 2019))