"had" a great Christmas?
Still enjoying it. 
Merry Christmas to you and your family, Mark!! 
"Fear is like a drug. Sometimes it's good for you, but too much will kill you."
Fear/bad news are what drive ratings, etc. for the media.
Mark,
The Protoevangelium of James is where we get many of our traditions (Big and/or Little T) as far as the names of the Blessed Virgin Mary's parents Sts. Joachim and Anne, the Presentation of the BVM, the story of the flowering rod that showed that St. Joseph was the one that she should marry (check your paintings, he's usually shown holding a budding rod) etc...
This is also where the tradition that St. Joseph was an elderly widower, hence the "brothers and sisters" of the Lord who were St. Joseph's children from a previous marriage.
And, for the record, the version I read has no mention of how many Holy Innocents were murdered.
http://www.newadvent.org/fathers...athers/
0847.htm
Re: The Culture of Fear
I heard some writer speaking to a group on C-SPAN2 about the fear that grips this nation. He noted that Americans are (for gosh sake) upset by second-hand smoke!
Don't think for a minute, he said, that the enemy is not aware of that.
My message to those of us who are willing to give up their freedoms for an illusionary security: Grow a set!
Re: Inside Catholic
A Star Trek reference, followed shortly by a Calvin & Hobbes word... If that doesn't define excellent prose, I don't know what does!
Your name and something you said is being bandied about here in this Internet Monk post.
It might be worth a response. Spencer is a fellow who has been exploring Catholicism mostly, I discern, because of family members who are interested. I thought you might be interested in what he says. I've also long thought you should enter the fray at the Boarshead Tavern, the group blog Spencer runs. I'm fairly sure they let Catholics in (I think David Alexander used to post there), and there are no reader comments, so there's that much less work. I read it regularly and have often thought that I would love to see you interact with these guys.
Here.
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