Tag Archives: history

Veterans Day, Armistice Day, Remembrance Day

On this day in 1918, World War I finally ended. Officially. The Armistice of 11 November 1918 wasn’t, apparently, a “surrender.” But it did say that the killing would stop at 11:00 a.m. Paris time on November 11, 1918. It … Continue reading

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Climate, Neighbors, Bogeymen and Responsibility

Last weekend I started re-reading “Laudato si’, on care for our common home,” AKA the “environmental encyclical” and the “Green Encyclical,” by Pope Francis. Calling the 2015 encyclical “green” and “environmental” isn’t mere marketing. But there’s more to “Laudato si’” … Continue reading

Posted in Being a Citizen, Being Catholic, Discursive Detours | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Pax Romana: Augustus to Nero

The Pax Romana had been in progress for eight decades on July 19, A.D. 64. A fire started in a retail district near Rome’s Circus Maximus. It was a windy night. The fire spread. Fast. The Great Fire of Rome … Continue reading

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The Mars Mission That Hasn’t Happened Yet: 1954

From 1952 to 1954, Collier’s published “Man Will Conquer Space Soon!” — a series of articles describing a step-by-step plan for landing on Mars. The first step was building an Earth-orbiting space station. Then we would build ships to reach … Continue reading

Posted in Back to the Moon, Onward to Mars, Discursive Detours, Series | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Just Who is This Jesus Person, and Who Does He Think He is?

Right now, liturgically speaking, we’re in Ordinary Time between Easter and Advent: with Cycle C’s Sunday Masses and Cycle II’s weekday Masses. Liturgy is important. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1135-1206) And, although I’d recognize a Catholic Mass anywhere — … Continue reading

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