Random Thoughts for Today
Working in academia is interesting, rewarding, discouraging, and mind-bending. I find different ways to cope during the day, especially when dealing with, shall we say, personalities.
Today I visited EWTN's website and looked at the Mass Readings for today. It seemed to help. If you've never visited this site, it's located at www.ewtn.com and it might give you a boost to your day as well.
"And I will pour upon you clean water, and you shall be cleansed from all your filthiness, and I will cleanse you from all your idols. And I will give you a new heart, and put a new spirit within you: and I will take away the strong heart out of your flesh, and will give you a heart of flesh." Ezechiel xxxvi. 25, 26
What inspires you?
More Random Thoughts
Today we talked about one of my favorite stories of all time, "A Good Man Is Hard to Find" by Flannery O'Connor. The main theme of this story is that all folks are given the option of accepting grace or rejecting it. When grace is rejected, it is very often because of a person's pride. Usually, I talk a lot about the foreshadowing that occurs in the story, and a little bit about how violent the story turns out to be. I probably have to say here that I usually reject violent stories, but hers have such meaning to the violence that I can't turn away from them. (I'm a person that had to be challenged to watch Mel Gibson's Passion, and even then I watched it in two parts, with an afghan my mom made thrown over my head.) The violence in her stories reflects on the death of Christ, if one thinks about it closely.
Pride is an ever invasive element of our culture. Why? Why are we all so proud of ourselves? The other day I read a disturbing news story about two young women who started a modeling agency. Not unusual, but this one was. The ladies decided that people would rather see "beautiful" people at special events. One of the founder's comments was something about how she went to a party and everything was "beautiful" except for the serving staff. This ruined the party for her. She thought those servers needed to be models to make the experience more satsfying. This is why she started her modeling agency. Whew...I wonder if she ever thought about her pride in her own physical beauty, which, by the way, God gave her. Interesting.
I have to remember that it's okay to be proud sometimes, but don't take it to extremes. For example, I am proud when my children accomplish something. I'm proud when my students do well. Does this get in the way of my grace? No, I think it makes me more aware of it.
I'll have to write more about dear Flannery O'Connor another time.
I wish you grace.
Today I visited EWTN's website and looked at the Mass Readings for today. It seemed to help. If you've never visited this site, it's located at www.ewtn.com and it might give you a boost to your day as well.
"And I will pour upon you clean water, and you shall be cleansed from all your filthiness, and I will cleanse you from all your idols. And I will give you a new heart, and put a new spirit within you: and I will take away the strong heart out of your flesh, and will give you a heart of flesh." Ezechiel xxxvi. 25, 26
What inspires you?
More Random Thoughts
Today we talked about one of my favorite stories of all time, "A Good Man Is Hard to Find" by Flannery O'Connor. The main theme of this story is that all folks are given the option of accepting grace or rejecting it. When grace is rejected, it is very often because of a person's pride. Usually, I talk a lot about the foreshadowing that occurs in the story, and a little bit about how violent the story turns out to be. I probably have to say here that I usually reject violent stories, but hers have such meaning to the violence that I can't turn away from them. (I'm a person that had to be challenged to watch Mel Gibson's Passion, and even then I watched it in two parts, with an afghan my mom made thrown over my head.) The violence in her stories reflects on the death of Christ, if one thinks about it closely.
Pride is an ever invasive element of our culture. Why? Why are we all so proud of ourselves? The other day I read a disturbing news story about two young women who started a modeling agency. Not unusual, but this one was. The ladies decided that people would rather see "beautiful" people at special events. One of the founder's comments was something about how she went to a party and everything was "beautiful" except for the serving staff. This ruined the party for her. She thought those servers needed to be models to make the experience more satsfying. This is why she started her modeling agency. Whew...I wonder if she ever thought about her pride in her own physical beauty, which, by the way, God gave her. Interesting.
I have to remember that it's okay to be proud sometimes, but don't take it to extremes. For example, I am proud when my children accomplish something. I'm proud when my students do well. Does this get in the way of my grace? No, I think it makes me more aware of it.
I'll have to write more about dear Flannery O'Connor another time.
I wish you grace.
posted by Reading Reader | 5:54 PM
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