I’d like to thank a brother deacon, Dc. Scott Dodge from Salt Lake City, Utah, for a thoughtful post (http://scottdodge.blogspot.com) on vocation “with a diaconal twist.” He reflects on something all of us married deacons live each and every day, that is, being both deacon and husband/father. Another brother deacon from St. Paul/Minneapolis, Dc. Joe Michalak, once led the local diaconate community in a day of reflection that included this topic. Dc. Michalak spoke of the need to “integrate” the two vocations; Dc. Dodge uses the word, “supervening” to describe the relationship of diaconate with marriage. In case any of my readers think this is just theology talking, I would assure you it is much more. It is a lived reality that we seek to conceptualize in a way that brings about life in its fullness.
Topic two… I find myself increasingly impatient with what I call “muddy thinking.” I see it all over the place, be it in politics, in clinical practice, in ethics, in business and economics, etc. etc. Where has critical thinking gone? Does anyone take the time to truly sit down, whatever your field of expertise, and consider how other areas of human knowledge inform us? In other words what does what we know in philosophy, biology, social science, theology, psychology and history have to say about whatever it is we are pondering? I see this a lot in clinical practice; a rejection of broad areas of human knowledge with a narrow focus on one’s particular area of study. I wonder sometimes if the ability to think broadly, and thus humanly and liberally, is in serious decline.
Topic three: Happy Father’s Day and day late to all dads out there! Hope yesterday was peaceful and rewarding.
Topic four: I haven’t posted on current events in the Church recently….. you know, the uproar over the meetings between the umbrella group of women religious and the Vatican, and the tensions between the schismatic Society of St. Pius X and Pope Benedict’s effort to reconcile them to the Church. Seems to me reconciliation is pretty difficult unless those who have strayed sincerely ask for reconciliation. Let us pray for it, nonetheless.
Topic five: I am looking forward to a more “normal” week this week. The two weeks prior were unusual ones for reasons I will not detail. God works in unusual ways.
God bless all of you!
