Church Mice

There's an online comic strip I really enjoy called "Church Mice", by Rev. Karl Zorowski. The cartoonist is a Protestant minister, and I don't always agree with everything he says, but this particular strip is one of his best, in my opinion.

Father "Meow"

Yes, this is a bit silly, but I sometimes think of EWTN's Fr. Mark Mary as "Fr. Meow." Of course, my cat, Winky, has something to do with it. Did I say "something"? Make that everything! You see, every now and then, Winky has meowed at Fr. Mark. What's really funny is that Fr. Mark is the only priest Winky meows at!
The first time was while I was watching "The Roamin' Catholic". It happened to be the episode about Vocations. Well, all of a sudden, there was Fr. Mark! Winky, who was on the couch with
me, looked at the tv and gave a surprised "Meow?"
From time to time since then, Winky has meowed at Fr. Mark during the Mass! One morning,  however,  Winky did more that just meow.
It was the Feast of St. Mark, and  Fr. Mark, in his homily, mentioned the word "chicken."
Winky jumped off the couch, went over to the tv, stood on his hind legs, put his front paws
on the tv, and said, "Meow!"
Then he went to his dish, which was on the windowsill, and ate some of his canned food, which
just happened to be.... you guessed it!
CHICKEN!

Sunday Snippets--A Catholic Carnival

Join me and other Catholic bloggers at Sunday Snippets. Thanks to RAnn for hosting!

EWTN

Semper Gaudete!: Four Year Anniversary

Semper Gaudete!: Fr. Anthony Mary's All Saints Day Homily


PRAYER
Semper Gaudete!: For The Souls In Purgatory

SUNDAY

Semper Gaudete!: Sunday Reading
Semper Gaudete!: Secular Amusements on Sunday


BOOKS AND READING

Semper Gaudete!: Not A Pleasant Read

Semper Gaudete!: "Larger-Than-Life LARA"

Semper Gaudete!: Delicious Dilemma

Semper Gaudete!: Books Read in the Past Week

MISC.
Semper Gaudete!: Turning Back The Clock

Books Read in the Past Week

Books read for the first time are marked with a#

"Third Year at Malory Towers"
"Upper Fourth at Malory Towers"
"In the Fifth at Malory Towers"
"Last Term at Malory Towers"
by Enid Blyton
(children's fiction)


"The Home Has A Heart"
by Thyra Ferre Bjorn
(non-fiction, Christian [Protestant] themes,
anecdotes, recipes)
{November chapter only}

"Larger-Than-Life LARA"#
by Dandi Daley Mackall
(children's fiction)

Turning Back The Clock

Tonight is the night we turn back the clock, and return to Standard Time. I'm going to turn back the clock right now.
kcolc eht

Delicious Dilemma

Sometimes, when I finish a book, I am faced with the delicious dilemma of what to read next. Shall it be a book written for children? Teens? Adults?
Do I want to read, for perhaps the dozenth-or more time, a familiar favorite,
or do I want to read something new, at least, new to me?
Do I want to read the next book in a series I'm following, start on yet another
series, or read a stand-alone book?
Do I want to read Christian fiction? Judaica? A secular story? Perhaps a biography or an autobiography?
Am I in the mood for a mystery? (I actually re-read mysteries, if the surrounding details are interesting and entertaining.
Perhaps something historical? Maybe a humorous book? A family story?
I could go on listing genres, and sometimes the genres can overlap.
Many historical novels are also family stories; Carol Ryrie Brink's "Caddie
Woodlawn" and Laura Ingalls Wilder's "Little House" books come to mind.
Ray Bradbury's "Dandelion Wine" is science fiction, but it is also a family
story, as are Madeleine L'Engle's books about the Murrys.
Then again, I might decide to read a play. Shakespeare, perhaps? Something
more contemporary? Comedy? Tragedy?
And in which format shall I read the book? Physical book? E-Book?
Decisions, decisions.
Of course, there is one day each year when I know what I do not have to decide what to read. On December 24th, I always read "A Christmas Carol", by Charles Dickens.

"Larger-Than-Life LARA"

I've just read Dandi Daley Mackall's "Larger-Than-Life LARA",
and this time, I will actually say something about the book, as well as giving my reaction.
Briefly: The story is told in the first person by fourth-grader Laney Grafton. As she
narrates the events, she also talks about what her teacher has taught the class about writing.
Dandi Daley Mackall has not only written a work of fiction; she has also shared a few rules for writing a story... AND shown us that there are times when those rules won't work.
(The following is from the inside of the dust jacket)
"But Lara doesn't act the way a fat kid should. She's confident. She's happy. And nothing, it seems, can change her positive attitude. Until one day, when Laney's classmates do the unthinkable."
Laney's classmates. Not Laney, herself. She didn't know about the trick until it was over.
"I wanted it to be over. I wanted it not to have happened."
This book is from a mainstream, rather than a Christian, publisher, and is not overtly religious, although praying is VERY briefly mentioned.
Not overtly religious. But what Lara does for her classmates after that cruel prank
can best be described as Christ-like. And they, too, now wish that the trick hadn't happened.
And perhaps it is a good thing, in a way, that this is NOT an overtly religious book. More people are likely to read a book from a mainstream publisher than from a religious one.
Yes, what Lara does can definitely be called Christ-like. Or, to put it in Jewish terms,
she behaves like a real mensch. But then, to be Christ-like is to be a real
mensch.
My reaction? I was open-mouthed and gasping when I finished this book, and I needed to wipe my eyes.