I very much remember the constant tiredness one feels in those first few weeks of fatherhood (we had our firstborn a year and some ago). I can’t comment on how kids do eventually, but I can tell you it does get better sleep wise with every passing month - partly because it takes a while to get used to the tiredness and the sleep interruptions and getting up at all sorts of crazy hours of the night, partly because the baby slowly but surely gets closer to sleeping through the night.
I also remember somebody saying babies are laymen’s way of participating in the liturgy of the hours throughout the night, and our way to selflessly sanctify ourselves for the sake of our children. I can’t say I was very good at accepting the “selflessly” part, but I guess such is the call to holiness parents experience.
Your family (and JD’s of course) is in our prayers!
God bless you both and especially Ed Condon and wife's new addition. I found your parsing the distinction of proselytizing and evangelizing interesting. I grew up Catholic in Brooklyn, NY, where proselytizing was what the Protestants did to lure Catholics away from the Church. Guess that was poetic liberty by our lathered up priests. (No longer present.)
I like your podcasts and listen once in a while. I am an active Catholic and a catechist for +30 years in my parish's RCIA program. A great blessing. What I have learned is that by and large priests don't see it is their parish role to teach about the faith. That is pretty much my experience since around 1975 or so. Bishop Barron has accomplished great things. His observation is accurate, the learned fathers of VII decided the rank and file are too stupid to engage in the intellectual wealth of the Church. They discarded it. They offered dumbed down content until anything else sounded wiser and more appealing. He is right that people by nature want to know the truth and will seek answers. Pablum remains pablum. Barron has demonstrated that too often comic books are the deepest reference offered to young adults as teaching aids in the faith.
If I have a Jew, an Episcopalian, an un-Churched person and a Catholic seeking Confirmation, in a class. I am sure of one thing. The person in the group who knows the least about God, Jesus Christ, Scripture and the Sacramental life is the Catholic. That is a prevailing and dreadful accomplishment by our hierarchy. Sour grapes, I know. Keep up the good work. This brood of bishops and cardinals are passing away. There remains hope in spite of insipid homilies and millions of hours of lost opportunities.
Ed,
I very much remember the constant tiredness one feels in those first few weeks of fatherhood (we had our firstborn a year and some ago). I can’t comment on how kids do eventually, but I can tell you it does get better sleep wise with every passing month - partly because it takes a while to get used to the tiredness and the sleep interruptions and getting up at all sorts of crazy hours of the night, partly because the baby slowly but surely gets closer to sleeping through the night.
I also remember somebody saying babies are laymen’s way of participating in the liturgy of the hours throughout the night, and our way to selflessly sanctify ourselves for the sake of our children. I can’t say I was very good at accepting the “selflessly” part, but I guess such is the call to holiness parents experience.
Your family (and JD’s of course) is in our prayers!
God bless you both and especially Ed Condon and wife's new addition. I found your parsing the distinction of proselytizing and evangelizing interesting. I grew up Catholic in Brooklyn, NY, where proselytizing was what the Protestants did to lure Catholics away from the Church. Guess that was poetic liberty by our lathered up priests. (No longer present.)
I like your podcasts and listen once in a while. I am an active Catholic and a catechist for +30 years in my parish's RCIA program. A great blessing. What I have learned is that by and large priests don't see it is their parish role to teach about the faith. That is pretty much my experience since around 1975 or so. Bishop Barron has accomplished great things. His observation is accurate, the learned fathers of VII decided the rank and file are too stupid to engage in the intellectual wealth of the Church. They discarded it. They offered dumbed down content until anything else sounded wiser and more appealing. He is right that people by nature want to know the truth and will seek answers. Pablum remains pablum. Barron has demonstrated that too often comic books are the deepest reference offered to young adults as teaching aids in the faith.
If I have a Jew, an Episcopalian, an un-Churched person and a Catholic seeking Confirmation, in a class. I am sure of one thing. The person in the group who knows the least about God, Jesus Christ, Scripture and the Sacramental life is the Catholic. That is a prevailing and dreadful accomplishment by our hierarchy. Sour grapes, I know. Keep up the good work. This brood of bishops and cardinals are passing away. There remains hope in spite of insipid homilies and millions of hours of lost opportunities.