TGIF: Girl Dancing With Hula Hoops

Thank G-d it's Friday, and here it is, your moment of whimsy ...

With the Labor Day weekend coming, those of us in the States mark the official unofficial end of the summer. Coral Jade is a street performer who can take on thirty hula hoops at the same time. Some people have the moves for this, and some (like yours truly) don't. Whatever moves you decide to make, enjoy your weekend.

And stay in touch.
 

That Was The Week That Was

... was the name of a comedy show on British television in the 1960s, a tongue-in-cheek review of world events lampooning the establishment and political figures. There was also an American "copycat" version around the same time with the same name. But, that's another story.

As you can see, we're pretty excited around here at The Black Hat Corral.

This week saw the largest audience in one day in the twelve-year history of his venue. On Monday, we commemorated the seventh anniversary of the motu proprio Summorum Pontificum with a link to our most popular work ever from September of 2012: “The Latin Mass: Why You (Still) Can’t Have It.” We received 1522 visits on that day. But it didn't stop there. The next day was even bigger, as in the wake of that reprise, there was published a recent event of yours truly, “My ‘Almost An Emcee For The Pope’ Moment.” (Yeah, I broke down and wrote something original rather than relive past glories. Go figure.) On that day we got an all-time daily record of 1865 visits! As this is written, we are at over 5000 visits for this month so far, making it already our second biggest month -- EVAH!

Now, for a guy who a) is not on the Patheos Catholic Channel, b) does not have a gut-wrenching conversion story parlayed into a book deal and earning Catholic celebrity status, c) has to keep his day job, d) is not a priest, and e) is not Mark Shea ... that's not too shabby.

This writer's thanks go out to the many people who wrote very thoughtful comments at these entries, and a number of priests (and one bishop, by the way) who gave kudos to the Latin Mass piece. Thanks also to Kevin Knight at New Advent for giving us a bit of double-header of a boost this past week.

Because occasionally, we have something to say, as opposed to having to say something, don't you think?

Or don't you?
 

Random Thoughts Beneath Calvary

The weather has heralded the coming of spring in this part of North America, but tomorrowtonight the temperature dips near freezing. For most of the Triduum, the high temperature will be in the 50s (or low- to mid-teens Celsius). Meanwhile, here at Chez Alexandre, there are a few stories in the works. Our analysis of a certain catechism class gone wild in Charlotte, North Carolina, is in preparation, and we'd just as soon tell you right now, the one single, solitary point that everyone else is missing. There are other stories in the works as well, stories that need to be told. They sit there, waiting for that final polish, but ...

To be honest, this writer has better things to do.

We tell ourselves that this is not our world, of how, in the words of C S Lewis: “This world that seems to us so substantial is no more than the shadowlands. Real life has not begun yet.” We say we believe that, but do we?

When I was a sacristan at a parish in Georgetown, there were preparations to be made before the Easter Vigil, just like every other parish in the world. Early that evening, people would show up at the door asking why the 5:30 Mass wasn't starting as usual. How could I tell them that there was nothing “usual” about that night? They had the presence of mind to fulfill their Sunday obligation. But that was all it was, an obligation, one more thing to cross off the list before going on to something else.

I take the days off on Holy Thursday and Good Friday every year, not because I'm better than anyone else, but precisely because I'm not. I need to stop and pay attention. I don't pay enough as it is.

Walk with me, dear reader. God is still in charge of His heaven. There are steps to walk on this earth, before the Son rises again.
 

Big Pulpit(s) Revisited

We here at man with black hat want to welcome those who found us via Big Pulpit. Effective today, their link went from this ...

http://thepulp.it

... to this:

http://bigpulpit.com

They feature the best and the brightest in the Catholic blogosphere. Occasionally that includes ...

And speaking of me, one has to admit that this blog isn't one of "the usual suspects" in the Catholic blogosphere, but we have managed to cultivate a small yet dedicated following over the last decade by, among other things, publishing that which (in all humility) you won't find anywhere else in the aforementioned Catholic blogosphere ... like, for example, this.

Meanwhile, our Friday piece entitled "Nihil" generated over two hundred visitors on a Saturday. Around here, that's a lot for a weekday, never mind the weekend.

Not that we're complaining.

In fact, my son wrote back about it, and we're preparing for a lively, no-holds-barred, last-man-standing, take-no-damn-prisoners debate on free will versus determinism, when I go to visit him in Seattle next month. It's gonna be a barnbuster, and the highlights (and low blows) will be featured in this venue, during our daily journal of the trip.

Y'all come back now, ya hear?