Dan Valenti's Mercy Journal

Tabernacles and Tumblers

When you're locked out of the house, it can be quite a problem. But when you have an A-List Celebrity-x-1000 living there, then what do you do? Find out as we crack The Case of the Unlocked Door. Then, meet 'Marian Helper,' a 'lass' one presidential campaign has pegged as a major donor. There's also an explanation for the odd energy burst felt yesterday afternoon on Eden Hill, as well as a tale that explains why extending mercy is the right thing to do. Read and enjoy, my dear friends.

Come to the Quiet

The theme of quiet still echoes noisily inside, so come to the Quiet and take up this latest attempt to "read" the silence. The inspiration surfaced after listening to records - those black, vinyl UFOs you find only in tag sales and second-hand shops.

'To Teach is to Learn Twice' - A Special Exchange

Whether it's in the classroom or in spiritual life, great teaching has a common denominator - good teachers. Welcome to the fine art of "learning," where master is pupil and student is teacher. The exchange is twice blessed. Then learn about how the Church reversed itself, admitting it goofed, and had the confidence to correct the mistake. That can only come from a Church that is relevant, responsive, and alive. We end today with life itself, literally spilling into Eden Hill from the perimeters of nature. What a day!

Knock, and the Door is (Sometimes) Opened

The most sacred moment of the Mass had just occurred. The bread and wine had been turned into the body and blood. People left their chairs to receive Holy Communion. The priest genuflected before the Tabernacle, then went to retrieve the consecrated Hosts. Only the door wouldn't open. What to do? That dilemma and more on the mysterious ways of God coming right up, my dear friends.

A Smoky, Incense-Drenched Obliteration

You think the saints had it easy? No way. Saints are people like you and me, except, driven by a calling that won't quit, they realize heaven and earth produce opposites that can only be reconciled by counterintuitive methods, something the rest of us "sane" people wouldn't dare consider. Today, we meet St. Anthony of Padua, followed by a short visit from three future saints, if things go according to plan. I'm not kidding. They visited me, today, in my office! In youth and advanced age, they represent the spectrum of life as it encounters our merciful God.

The Overlay of Silence

Today, we get under the covers of silence again, this time spurred by something a film director said. There may be no more important topic. Study upon study confirms that noise injures our health, harms our happiness, and (by extrapolation) destroys our spirituality. What do you do? Turn off your iPod, then read on to find out.

Body and Blood: A Mystery that Forces 'The Moment'

If you dabble in religion, be aware. Spirituality is not for the feint of heart. You just might come to that point where the dabbling stops, and you realize that you've really found Him. Or worse, maybe you come to understand that (ulp!) He has found you! That's the Fail Safe point. There's no turning back. Corpus Christi can not only lead us into that terrifying moment, but it can give us the grace and growth to not just deal with, but to actually come to love it.

To All Ye of 'Flagging' Faith

Want to wave the flag? Go right ahead, it's Flag Day. But get your priorities straight. It's God before country, otherwise we can end up using God for our own devious purposes. We call that blasphemy nationalism. Also today, both Fr. Joe and the Church Mouse send e-mails to yours truly, leading to some interesting speculations and the solving of a baffling Case of a Missing Person. So get your magnifying glasses ready as we track down clues in another blog.

Lord, He's a Travelin' Man

Father Joe Roesch, MIC, recently squeezed in a brief trip to Ireland. We dispatched him, post facto, as Foreign Correspondent for Dan Valenti's Mercy Blog (hey, this is a big-league operation). Father Joe didn't disappoint, as we present this annotated account of his trip. When you read how it began, you'll be agape with wonder that he even made his flight there. So flap your wings and prepare to take off, my dear friends.

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