My father recently admitted something I’ll not soon forget.

There’s a scene in the 1943, four-time Academy Award-winning film (nah, our culture hasn’t dropped off the edge of a table) “The Song of Bernadette” when the father of the Marian seer Bernadette Soubirous greets his eldest daughter one morning.

“Good morning, Bernadette”, says father Francois.  But not before he starts, hesitates, and then stops in making the sign of the cross.  Good thing, too, as Bernadette would not be canonized for another 75 years.  A couple of years back, I spoke with my dad about the film he so eagerly promoted to me in my youth.  Recalling the scene when the elder Soubirous lifts his hand to his forehead (in the name of the Father…) I saw tears well up in my father’s eyes.

What a powerful thing to witness.  What a thing, to realize just how fortunate I am to have been raised in the Catholic faith.  And all of this, from a man (my father) who was raised faith-less.  What an incredible gift I’ve been given.  I wish I appreciated it more.

February 11th, 1858.  The day the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to a young, poor, French girl.  In the cove near a garbage dump. (And why not?  After all, Our Lord was born in a shelter for animals, laid to rest in a feeding trough.)

Today marks the anniversary of one of the greatest gifts bestowed on humanity.  And it is a crying shame that it is not worldly recognized.  (And why not?  After all, is this not the story of the infant church, laid to struggle amongst a pagan people.)

Yeah.  I could lay down a YouTube video, providing a poignant segment from that blockbuster film from year’s gone by.

But that’s not how I roll.  The 2015 Grammys went down not a couple of nights ago, with all of its pomp and paganism.  I figured “hey, let’s reclaim a bit of the culture with this blast from 1986”.

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you a performance from Jennifer Warnes (she attended Immaculate Heart College in California, dontcha know!) off  her album “Famous Blue Raincoat”; The Song of Bernadette.

Said Warnes of the tune, inspired while on a trip through Lourdes:
“I was given the name Bernadette at birth. But my siblings preferred the name “Jennifer” so my name was changed one week later. In 1979, on tour in the south of France with Leonard Cohen, I began writing a series of letters between the “Bernadette” I almost was, and “Jennifer”–two energies within me. One innocent, and the other who had fallen for the world…. So the song arose in a bus nearby Lourdes. I was…thinking about the great Saint who held her ground so well, and was not swayed from what she knew to be true. But the song is also about me longing to return to a place that was more pure, honest and true. I still long for this, and I think others do too.”

St. Bernadette, ora pro nobis.

What. More ComicBookerIsm*?
This is getting tired, ain’t it?

Between memes of folk super-imposing the face of Cardinal Burke on Green Lantern or Aquaman (or some such nonsense), and others calling in cartoon-esque Facebook voice “WEE NEEEED TO RIIIIIZZZE UP FOR ANOTHUUURR CRUUUUSAAAAADE!!! AAAAARGH!!!! (or, Wonder Twins Power, Activate!! or some such nonsense), it’s all becoming more than a bit too much, eh?

I mean… when did men stop behaving like men and more like Saturday-morning-in-front-of-the-television, animation fanboyz, munching on their Cap’n Crunch, while fingering their cereal box toy on the floor?

Grow. Up.

There will be no “Crusade”. Only bloody war. And the only way to stop it is to stop the childish antics, and start being a role model for this culture. In prayer. AND in deed.

“Let The Crusade Begin”. Huh. What a flippin’ joke. First snub your nose at the government with a straight-up refusal to pay your taxes, and then get back to me with your poetic Crusade bit.

What an insult to the TRUE Crusaders who would have certainly sacrificed their 2nd car or four-bedroom, 2000 sq ft. home. They left it all… on… the… table. And were rewarded with Eternal Happiness.

We have a long, long, long way to go, my friends.

* “ComicBookerIsm” added to “ProLifeIsm” in a growing list of monikers describing this filthy age in which we live.

… yeah, right after I ask my wife for permission.

Damn.

There be some hoops assassins assembling Saturday night in Brooklyn at the NBA All-Star festivities.

Seriously, dudes.  This will be worth your while.  (And I’m not a huge advocate of these mid-season ‘timeouts’.)  I’m thinking this just might be the deepest three-point shooting competition EVAH!

My bet?  While Korver is likely the odds-on fave, I’m going with Klay Thompson.

I am like seriously going to tune in ONLY for this feature event.  (Right after the Leafs win their second game in a row after…. don’t laugh.)

“I’m not a “truther” about President Obama being a Muslim, but this is an odd choice of words. I can only hope he meant to say: “We are summoned to push back against those who would distort our religions for their nihilistic ends.””

– Taylor Marshall, “Obama compares Catholic Crusades to Islamic ISIS”

Or maybe, Dr. Taylor Marshall?, it ain’t all that “odd”.

Glad that Doc took up the “pen” in bringing this to light. Might as well, seeing as the sword is seemingly fast-approaching.

That said, I’m always a little suspect when discussion of the Crusades is prefaced with the whole “sure, Catholics perpetrated evil deeds.” I mean… what in the heck did that ever have to do with the “mandate” of the Crusades?

Nothing. Abso-freakin-lutely nothing, with the mandate to stunt Islamic barbarism.

Makes one almost revel in the fact that Christ HIMSELF chose Judas Iscariot.

Don’t it?

“It’s just one more indication [pause] of the viciousness and [pause] barbarity of this organization. [pause] Aaand it, I think, will redouble [pause] the vigilance aaand determination on the part of our global coalition to, uh, make sure that they are degraded and ultimately defeated. Ummmm. [Adopting a whimsical look] It also just indicates the degree to which whatever ideology they’re operating off of, it’s bankrupt. [Suppressing a smirk, pivoting to a much more important subject.] We’re here to talk about how to make people healthier and make their lives better.”

– US President Barack Hussein Obama, as transcribed by the New York Post’s Kyle Smith.

Watch the video.
Watch the video.
Watch the video.

I did. And couldn’t help but ask myself “what is going through the sordid mind of Valerie Jarrett?”  And, “what is going through the mind of Joe American as they see their “president” barely feign seriousness on a gravely serious matter?”

Folks, some terrible, terrible stuff is coming down the pike. And we’re being treated as laughingstocks.

For the life of me, I just can’t shake the feelings that,
– there is no GOP,
– there will be no 2016 election,
– ISIS, under whatever guise it is, will continue to march,
– and that the world is finally “coming together”, but certainly not in a fashion that is congruent with faith in God.

Kyle Smith says ISIS is “more serious” than we are.

I think Kyle Smith hasn’t even scratched the surface.

Get serious about your faith.  It truly is the only thing of real value.

The only thing.

Did Pete Carroll really botch the Super Bowl?

Really?

“”I made the decision,” Carroll said in exonerating Wilson and Bevell. “I said, ‘Throw the ball,’ and we went with the play that we thought would give us a chance to get in the end zone. We had great matchups for the call that we made, and it didn’t work out. They made a better play than we did.”

As much as Carroll did the honorable thing in assuming full responsibility, he also claimed he made the right call. The Seattle coach said he sent out three wide receivers for that fateful play, noticed New England was stacking the box for Lynch and decided to throw on second down, then run it on third and fourth down, if needed.

“We were going to win the game,” Carroll said.”

———————

I wake up this morning more fully convinced that the difference was not a botched play, as the world sees it, but a near miraculous, HUGE PLAY from rookie Marcus Butler that capped off an incredible Super Bowl.

Was I expecting the ball to be in Lynch’s hands on the first of three tries in from the one? Sure. But do I have any idea what kind of decision making process has to happen in a matter of moments in the waning moments of the final and most important game of the entire season?

No.  Not one iota.

Sometimes “coulda, woulda, shoulda” should just quiet the hell down.

Sometimes football fan needs to be told “know your role”, which does not include berating an accomplished head coach who knows exactly how to win the big game.

He just didn’t, this time.

And ain’t that life?

I swear, it says not “William Whittle” on his birth certificate.

My hunch? Bill’s parents recognized shortly after leaving the hospital that “Compelling Argument” would make him a laughingstock in grade two.
(Er, second grade. Apologies to my American friends.)