Leo Wong

I can’t walk and eat the Body of Christ at the same time.

Dear Priests, A holy instinct tells us to sing “Agnus Dei” before Communion. The same instinct tells us to sing “Sanctus” before the Consecration.

After Einstein had gone into exile, a hundred Nazi professors published a book condemning his theory of relativity. Einstein was unconcerned. “If I were wrong,” he said, “one professor would have been enough.” (The Little, Brown Book of Anecdotes, ed. Clifton Fadiman)

"A Thessalian brought an exceptionally beautiful horse, named Bucephalus, to the Macedonian court, offering to sell it to King Philip. However, when the royal grooms tried to test its paces it proved wild and unmanageable. The young Alexander asked his father for permission to try his skill. Philip reluctantly agreed, saying that if the prince failed to ride Bucephalus he was to pay his father a forfeit equal to its price. Alexander walked quickly to the horse’s head and turned it to face into the sun, for he had noticed that the horse’s own shadow was upsetting it. He calmed it, then mounted it, and... waisberg.micro.blog

During William Morris’s last visit to Paris, he spent much of his time in the restaurant of the Eiffel Tower, either eating or writing. When a friend observed that he must be very impressed by the tower to spend so much time there, Morris snorted, “Impressed! I remain here because it’s the only place in Paris where I can avoid seeing the damn thing.” (The Little, Brown Book of Anecdotes, ed. Clifton Fadiman)

Censuring Stalin at a public meeting, Khrushchev was interrupted by a voice from the audience. “You were one of Stalin’s colleagues,” shouted the heckler. “Why didn’t you stop him?”

“Who said that?” roared Khrushchev. There was an agonizing silence in the room. Nobody dared to move a muscle. Then, in a quiet voice, Khrushchev said, “Now you know why.” (The Little, Brown Book of Anecdotes, ed. Clifton Fadiman)

A technical term or definition is not always preferable to a common term or definition; usually it is less preferable.

Downy woodpeckers are regular visitors. Today we were visited by hairy woodpeckers.

This, too, will pass.

Although it is late, I hope it will turn out to be Clematis John Paul II.

Might be nice out today.

There is no reason to pity the damned.

If by chance some party, some administration gives [the agitator] one hundred per cent of what he demands, let him acknowledge it handsomely; but he need not thank them. They did it because they had to, or because their conscience compelled them. In neither case was it done for him. —John Jay Chapman, Practical Agitation, 1900, 1909, 2020, p. 40.

We who believe in hell are not surprised that men and women do damnable things. (Well, I’m still surprised about women.)

Good find:

I love this: Fred Sanders finds an often-cited obviously-bogus quotation by St. Augustine and shows that … um … it’s actually not bogus at all. Totally authentic.

It is easy for us to acknowledge that Jesus died for our sins, harder to acknowledge that we chose Barabbas.

Jesus Christ, Son of Man. Jesus Barabbas, Son of the Father.

Wikipedia, Barabbas.

Hudson Avenue Community Garden

We think: God. We think: Eternity.

Not all fears are phobias; nor need one fear to be against.

Consider that some people go to hell, and the world becomes more rational. Consider that other people go to heaven, and the world becomes more lovable.