Coffee Clicks, the reboot

Hey, it’s been a while since I did one of these! Dropping by with your list of assigned reading for the weekend, the best of what’s around the internet from the week we’re closing out, plus some lighter fare to lead you into leisure time:

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First up, this rare gem from Cardinal Sarah responding to Jesuit Fr. James Martin. Not rare because of it’s content, for the man is a holy genius, and if you haven’t partaken of “God Alone” or “The Power of Silence,” get thee to Barnes and Noble, but because he keeps a notoriously low profile and op-eds aren’t his jam. But this one is worth reading and reading carefully and prayerfully.

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Next up, this fascinating and brief biography of a female Catholic novelist from the 20th century whose work I’d never heard of, and whose books don’t show up at all in my library system. Could she be the next big thing? (Well, posthumously, anyhow.)

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You’ve probably seen something on the news about the Southern Poverty Law Center’s “hate map” (thanks, CNN) purporting to identify extremist hate groups in an effort to build a more civil and just society shout down people they disagree with and have them branded as bigots (and thus rendered anathema in polite company.) Love those dirty political machinations. Worth a good, careful read.

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Have you read the recently released “Nashville Statement” of collectively held beliefs signed by dozens of well known Evangelical leaders and theologians? It is “largely consonant with Catholic thought” according to at least one Catholic ethicist, and I tend to agree, with a few reservations. Namely, that the failure to identify contraception as a major piece of the puzzle of what has radically reshaped human sexuality in the 21st century seems foolish at best and willfully ignorant at worst. Still, the statement contains echoes of JPII’s Theology of the Body and while it doesn’t go far enough, I pray it becomes a good jumping off point for further study and examination.

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I’ll hit the 5 month mark shortly on my breakup with technology. Well, sort of. In case you missed it, here’s my recap of life with a dumber phone and the ways I’m still struggling to moderate social media usage and manage my constant hunger for connectivity and entertainment.

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Porn is lame:

Moore (the Kansas City Royal’s GM) expressed hope that team formation program might focus on the development of players beyond the early years of their careers, into the “next part of their journey – what type of husbands [and] what types of fathers [the players may become].”

He also linked pornography to the damage it has on family life and other relationships, saying that it can lead to the domestic “abuse of women.”

How ’bout dat?

Have a wonderful weekend!