A few final things and I'm outta here for Lent

First off, many, many thanks to all the wonderful people who make this blog the jumpin' joint it is. There's a reason I find this so interesting. I love the fascinating conversation and the input y'all give which keeps me on my toes. My profound gratitude to God first, for making homo sapiens so clever as to invent a cool technology like this, and to all my fellow homo sapiens for your wonderful contributions to the ongoing conversation. Please pray for me that I have a fruitful and spiritually successful Lent in which I draw closer to God, become more like Christ and, in a word, get rid of my sins and participate more fully in the divine nature. Pray particularly that I make good confession and really make the most of the grace of Reconciliation, of Eucharist, and most especially, of Confirmation. Please pray also that I get the work I must do well and truly underway. In a similar vein, I ask pardon of all those whom I have hurt either through deliberate sin or through cloddish inconsideration, here on this blog and I pray God's mercy and peace on any and all who have sinned against me. May we all meet one day merrily in the presence of Christ.

Second, here's a final smorgasbord of links so that you guys can go for the gold and fill the comment box with a world historical record number of comments while I'm gone:

Fr. Glenn Sudano on the Passion of the Christ

My fellow parishioner (and another sign of hope in the rising generation) John Lindblom interviews Br. Anthony Garcia, one of the many wonderful young Dominicans in the Western Province seminary. Read it and feel a thrill of optimism for the future.

Cardinal Pell wants all senior students to see the Passion.

I forgot Fr. Ronald Tacelli is another great Jesuit.

Yet another sign of hope in the Rising Generation!

"They said the U.S. government's policy of preferring abstinence-only education would only increase those rates." Why do I get the feeling that this is a Big Lie? It's like saying that quitting smoking will only increase lung cancer rates.

Marymount Manhattan College in New York hosted the V-Monologues play Feb. 14-15. Now their president adds insult to injury by informing us that the gospels are "early Christian slander". On the bright side, this is not a Jesuit school.

Rod Dreher's review of The Passion of the Christ.

Come fly with me and Fr. Rob Johansen on a pilgrimage to France! And to get you in the mood for talking theology with me, sign up for my class "Power in the Blood: The Life Changing Power of the Eucharist" at HMSU!

And finally, if this blog has been of benefit to you, if you find yourself filled with pangs of longing for my return, if you are saying, "CAEI consistently fills me with both a crazy itch to hoot like a siamang and with a sense of serenity beyond human ken, not to mention making me laugh and think about stuff!", then please, feel free at any time during Lent to give alms to my Paypal button or, if you prefer, to buy my books and tapes or just email me, get my snailmail address, and send me a check. My dentist and children will appreciate your support deeply, as do my wife and I. God bless you all this Lent, through Jesus Christ our Lord.