People are constantly stating their opinion on everything, everywhere, all at once regarding the life, the universe, and all that happens in it. It’s hard to keep up. But if you browse through Twitter or Facebook long enough you will probably find something you feel like chiming in on. How will the world not know your approval or disapproval on a given topic, event or person if you don’t weigh in.

Unfortunately social media leans towards highly negative opinions then it does towards unitive happy thoughts about our culture, church or neighbor. Your two cents will possibly add to the deposit of anger and outrage of the latest item in the news cycle.

In terms of contributing to the latest trend of high cyber emotions here is some

Sound Advice.

Twitter can be great for finding bits of short wisdom like this.

Fr. Casey, OFM@caseyofm: Just a random thought that has nothing to do with any particular issue or recently defrocked priest…

You don’t have to have a public opinion about everything.

You don’t need to correct every bit of misinformation or argue with every stan account.

Don’t feed the drama machine.

Some thoughts about the latest outrage on social media.

Mike Lewis@mfjlewis: It isn’t something to be celebrated. It would have been better had he listened to his bishop and stayed out of such overt political partisanship. But the Church can only tolerate so much of this.

Mark “The Catholic Bard”@fom4life: A particular priest is not disciplined because of his pro life views. He might be disciplined because of his particular expression. Obedience to superiors and behavior towards others matters. Folks are so glued to certain specific particular issues that this priest in good standing cause he’s pro life and this priest should not be cause he’s expressed pro LGBT + sentiments. Never mind about bishop obedience and delivery of message as real factors to actually consider. I also don’t think it’s a good spiritual place for Catholics left or right to start saying, “what about this priest, bishop or layperson I disagree with on such and such, they should be gone next”.

Fr. Stephen Vrazel@KeytarCatholic: It’s tribalism. “Our” guy got laicized why not “their” guy (whoever “they” are)?

Fr. Peter Totleben, O.P.@FrTotleben: We’ve been seeing cases where some clerics are disciplined or “cancelled” or “silenced” and others aren’t, and some people seem to not understand why. But the answer is simple: we are a church of laws: once you know the facts and the law in a case, the mystery usually disappears.

And, to repeat, when “your guy” either does or does not get punished, it’s not usually because the people punishing him are being ideological or political themselves; it is usually because they are applying the law, and they know the law and the facts better.

Rather than assuming that “your guy” was persecuted for ideological or political reasons, a more rational take is, “There’s a priest shortage. How bad did this guy actually have to behave to get himself cancelled during a priest shortage?”

(((Simcha Fisher)))@SimchaFisher: I wonder if it feels weird to be Fr. Jim Martin and know that, no matter what any priest anywhere does, it’s somehow going to end up being about Fr. Jim Martin?

Thoughts on Left and Right Ideological Opposition

Fr. Alex@AlexOlszewski (Dec 7, 2022): Are some of us praying for evil? Have you noticed that when someone is accused of some evil act in the news, many are hoping that the worst is actually true? In that moment, we’re actually rooting for evil. It’s like an anti-prayer.

Rene Albert ☕️✟@coffeencrucifix: (Dec 16, 2022) I just had a thought about a torment in Purgatory where you’re forced to be in the same room as someone you are in ideological opposition with….. and you’re forced to come to terms with everything you are both wrong about and have to hug it out afterwards.

Scott Smith@hf_222222 (Dec 10, 2022) The way the ideological left & right mirror each others’ pathologies, with zero self-reflection, is kinda amazing to me.

I mean, when the Pope spoke of peripheries, outcasts & sinners, who did you think he meant? Everyone but those *you* think are sinners & should be cast out?

Fr. Peter Totleben, O.P.@FrTotleben: That’s also something that Catholics on the left and the right should take to heart: if there is going to be sound reform in the church, it is going to be through truth, justice, and the rule of law — not through outrage and passions at people we don’t like.

Carl E. Olson@carleolson (Dec 11, 2022)
When@Pontifex meets with those who disagree with him, it’s a sign of his open-minded mercy.

When meeting with likeminded people, he’s just doing his job.

When @BishopBarron meets with either, he is demonized by the “merciful” lefties and pilloried by the “traditional” righties.

Ways to Not Feed the Drama Machine

Don’t Get Worked Up About Everything

Medieval Fireman@AspiringTemplar: Alright Trad Cath mutuals, does saying a Rosary while driving count as your daily Rosary?

Seems like the Trad community is kinda split on this

Charles A. Coulombe@RCCoulombe (Dec 15, 2022)Working oneself up into a constant lather about the evils we face to-day does nothing to combat those evils, despite the wonderful adrenaline rush. But it does open the way to hatred and despair, with which Satan hopes to ensnare us.

BeginnerCatholic@beginnercathol1 (Dec 15, 2022)Being constantly worked up about everything wrong in the Church and in the world is simply exhausting. It’s far better to have a good laugh and remember that all of this is ultimately temporary and will come to an end.

Have A Good Laugh

Patrick Neve �@catholicpat (Dec 2, 2022)

I just read all the documents of Vatican II in a high-pitched mocking voice.

Now I understand why the trads hate it so much

Fr. Peter Totleben, O.P.@FrTotleben (Dec 2, 2022) From a friend:

“whenever I picture the Vatican’s IT department in my mind, I picture a lone 94-year-old Poor Clare nun with a manual typewriter.”

Owl! at the Library ��‍♀️@SketchesbyBoze (Dec 15, 2022)I’m not saying the Grinch’s methods were justified but if I had a brass band following me around singing “you have all the tender sweetness of a seasick crocodile” my revenge would be swift

Elizabeth Herreid �️��@eliz_herreid (Dec 15, 2022)If I had teleportation, I would teleport myself some tacos. If I had a replicator, I would make myself some tacos. Perhaps in an alternate timeline, I went out and got tacos for lunch while I had a break. But here I am in a real Star Trek-less world/era, and I have no tacos.

Patrick Neve �@catholicpat: According to the old Roman calendar, Mary Did You Know Discourse did not take place until after Pink/Rose Discourse ended.

Of course, the votive Discourse of “Is Die Hard a Christmas Movie” could be celebrated at any time.

John Snakeman@CC_1738 (Dec 7, 2022) I literally had someone get upset with me last night because I mentioned a pyramid and I was supposed to innately know they got assaulted at a pyramid shaped bar.

Be Inspired

Dexy@ChristianDexy (Dec 17, 2022) I am going to Church for the first time in my life tomorrow morning. I am scared, and excited.
All my Christian friends, I ask that you pray the Holy Spirit speaks to me. I know there’s a good chance it won’t happen the first time. But I will never stop seeking the Lord.

SW Prayer@SwPrayer (Dec 14, 2022)
Let’s offer one Hail Mary for our souls to become a worthy abode for Infant Jesus.
Please comment Amen as a response. #OneHailMarycampaign

Nicholas@nickycantaloupe (Dec 10, 2022) Guy at the Anglo-Catholic church I play at just casually has a pipe organ in his house, so he hired me to play at his Christmas party this evening. Oh, the interesting places that playing the organ will get you.

Fr. Ryan Hilderbrand@FrHilderbrand (Dec 10, 2022) i tell ya, there are many joys to priestly life, and one of them is “homemade fudge for Christmas”

Dawn Eden Goldstein @[email protected] ��@DawnofMercy: (Dec 14, 2022) “A person who follows the example of Mary and opens his or her heart to God becomes more sensitive to spiritual things and more sensitive to the things of God – including loving the people that God loves. Rather than selfishly withdrawing into oneself, the person who has fallen in love with God and shares in His life is able to share in God’s love for the children of God and for all creation.”- Apostolic Nuncio Abp. Christophe Pierre, Homily, 12/8/22 http://nuntiususa.org/2022.shtml

Ryan@anotherryan00: Last night, I met a young man with Down’s Syndrome at a special night Mass. He told me how much he loved the pictures of the stations of the Cross because “I believe all of it.” It was better than any homily I’ve heard. He was staring at the pictures.

Daniel Burke@burkedaniel (Dec 2, 2022) God is apart from the confines of time and space, and watches all of human history simultaneously. He is right now interacting with His creation at different points within the entire structure of time. He’s there at the beginning and there at the end, right now.

Learn a Different Perspective

Owl! at the Library ��‍♀️@SketchesbyBoze (Dec 10, 2022)
when we see a list of great books or films we’ve never heard of, our response shouldn’t be “why would anyone ever watch that” but “I’m about to go on such an adventure!” there are so many good things in this life for us to see and explore.

Derek Radney@derekradney: I think it’s more than likely that there will be talking animals in the new creation, and that many of these talking animals will be the same animals that Christians had as companions in this life.

Mark Brumley@mabrumley (Dec 4, 2022) A Traditionalist friend who is a self-described “radicalized Traditionalist” prays for a full restoration of the old Mass but also prays that if that’s not God’s will then for a more widespread devout celebration of the Novus Ordo. Good job, my friend. Charity.

Fr. Casey, OFM@caseyofm (Dec 8, 2022)I ’d like to make the argument that “Happy Holidays” isn’t just “politically correct,” it’s Catholic as well.

Christmas is more than just one day/feast.

There is a whole octave of “holy days” including Stephen, Holy Family, and Mary Mother of God.

Also IC and Guadalupe.

Enough Twitter For The Day

Steven D. Greydanus@DecentFilms (Dec 14, 2022) just happened across the (new to me) information that it seems a debate exists in some Christian circles between people who think that (checks notes) winsomeness is a positive trait and people who apparently identify as “anti-winsome,” and I think that’s enough Twitter for today