On Prayer

“No real definition of prayer can be given, for it is a mysterious life with God, a participation in the center of his being and in his divine, triune love. Certainly those forms which are furthest from the center are, in their isolation, also the most clearly delineated; thus they are to some extent amenable to description and definition. In order to understand the real nature of prayer, however, one must begin with that prayer in which man is most perfectly joined to God, i.e., full contemplation, wherein he is completely conformed to the will of God by God himself, wherein God places man in the state which he desires for him, wherein man has become an untarnished mirror of the divine will, a clear response to divine revelation. At this point the word of God has become so powerful that it requires no other words for its expression. God reveals, and man no longer needs to translate what has been revealed into alien images; he is absorbed in being part of what belongs to God. Just as a child at play, completely caught up in what he is doing, must first build a bridge from his world to the outside world if he has to explain his game to the uninitiated, so it is with the person who has been perfected in prayer when he is called upon to explain to others what he does.” – Adrienn von Speyr

Same-Sex Marriage?

First of all, I realize that I haven't posted in a while. For that, I apologize. But schooling, as you know, comes first, and--as of late-- it's been taking all of my energies to simply be a good student.

That said, I found this video and thought it was well-worth sharing. One of the most common rejoinders from advocates of same-sex marriage against advocates of traditional marriage has been something like: "If marriage is so fundamental and sacred an institution, and is so concerned with the welfare of the child, why is divorce allowed/so easy?" I have always agreed with the frustration and pain expressed in this very question--and it's a good point. If advocates of traditional marriage are consistent, no-fault divorce ought to be one of their primary opponents, if not the primary opponent.

Despite the plague of typos and misspellings in the video, this presentation by Dr. Jennifer Roback Morse (a former Yale professor) is a good watch.

Same Sex Marriage: Why Not? from Carson Weber on Vimeo.

Hmm...

Terrifying? Yes. A surprise? Not really.

*Le sigh*

What Teachers Make

Awesome.

Update: Stolen Relic of the True Cross Found

In my post about relics--just over a month ago--I focused on the tragic story of a relic of the True Cross stolen from Holy Cross church in the Archdiocese of Boston.


As a marvelous answer to the faithful's prayers, the relic was recovered by the Vermont State Police on August 9th. (And returned to Holy Cross church on August 15th, the feast of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary.)

Thanks be to God!

Scott Pilgrim Rocks

I just got back from seeing "Scott Pilgrim VS the World" and had to at least try to briefly articulate why I still feel so happy.

I'll first admit that I was already looking forward to the movie. The trailers piqued my interest, and I had a cursory acquaintance with the graphic novels on which the movie was based. But trailers are meant to "over-hype" their respective movies, and we all know that--besides some notable exceptions--book-to-film adaptations have a tendency to be rather disappointing. Despite those trends, this movie was awesome.

For a video game appreciating, indie band loving, Torontophile like myself, "Pilgrim" offered absolutely everything my greedy inner geek desired. Countless explicit and implicit video game references, well-choreographed over-the-top fight sequences, excellent dialogue, well-developed major (and minor!) characters and on-site scenes from all around Toronto kept me hooked the entire time. Every scene served a purpose and advanced the plot, allowing the film to dive deeper into the incredible array of characters while avoiding the two possible extremes of a narrative long-windedness or a sense of being rushed. The casting and subsequent performance by the actors both delivered exactly what the story called for. The "shiny" action sequences, complete with their anime-like effects, were as polished and well-crafted as the entire movie.

A perfect movie? No. But I definitely left satisfied and smiling.

1,000,000 points!

A Beautiful Little Piece

I just found this beautiful video for the Topsy Foundation, an organization founded to take an integrated approach to combating HIV/AIDS and its effects in society. The video itself is remarkably simple and beautifully filmed. Paired with a piece of music that is also notable for its elegant simplicity, the entire work exudes hope: hope that this terrible disease can be cured once and for all. Pray for those suffering from AIDS, for the scientists doing research, and for people like those in the Topsy Foundation who minister to AIDS patients and their families!