Occasional reflections on religion, culture, politics, and anything else that comes into my mind...
2021 PUSHED US TO
BE MORE ACCEPTING
I have to admit that my Christmas post was somewhat less merry than befits the season. But I can’t let 2021 pass without noting some of the social progress we’ve made, during this second year of pandemic.
Indeed, even while socially distancing, we’ve continued on our trek toward the enlightened goal of inclusiveness — gathering us all in, as it were, fully vaxed and unified in the oneness of cultural, ethnic and sexual acceptance.
DISAGREE WITH THE LEFT
AND YOU’RE A TERRORIST
In a tragically absurd miscarriage of justice — one you may not have heard about — a 21-year-old Michigan college student is under house arrest facing a possible 20 years in prison for posting a photo of a rifle on Snapchat.
Such cases always seem to be filled with irony, so let me point out that Lucas Gerhardt is the son of a Marine Corps colonel, he’s an Eagle Scout, he’s a Criminal Justice major at Lake Superior State University, and he’s the legal owner of the weapon in question, an AR-15.
Gerhardt is charged with making a terrorist threat. Prosecution of this apparently admirable young man was instigated by a student who took offense at the conservative views Gerhardt expressed on campus. The allegation was insanely pursued by his college administration.
AMERICANS’ SENSE OF HUMOR
HASN’T FAILED US YET
I’ve been woefully deficient in keeping up this blog lately.
Most of my recent activities have focused on building a library of recorded interviews, in anticipation of my radio show going weekly. And I can say there’s some good stuff on the horizon.
Nevertheless, I beg your forgiveness and implore your patience.
Despite my distraction, history goes on. And it’s interesting to observe how attitudes have congealed around the Biden Administration and our march toward national destruction.
Polls taken in the immediate aftermath of the 2020 election suggested that most Republicans, and as much as a third of Democrats, suspected that cheating had taken place. By now, with hard evidence emerging from the Maricopa County, Arizona audit and other investigations ongoing around the country, confidence in the integrity of the vote count is slipping rapidly.
Add to that our other accumulating woes — Chinese threats, renewed violence in the Middle East, accelerating inflation, growing unemployment, endless COVID lockdowns, the border crisis, etc. — and you can feel gloom pressing hard on daily life.
But Americans are nothing if not resilient. The tendency toward finding humor (so visible a feature of our national character) has been on display in a steady stream of memes and graphics circulating online. The not-too-subtle Batman homage at the top of this column is one example. Here are a few others to brighten your day…
MY NOVEL ABOUT JESUS’ FAMILY
RECOGNIZED BY INDIE BOOK AWARDS
I’m honored to receive the medal shown at left for MY BROTHER’S KEEPER.
It indicates that my novel about the family of Jesus was listed as a finalist in the Religious Fiction competition held by the Next Generation Indie Book Awards, the largest not-for-profit awards program for independent authors and publishers.
Please let me express my sincerest thanks to the judges — many of whom are distinguished figures in the publishing industry — for their acknowledgment of my book’s unconventional retelling of the Christian story.
GET GREAT LENTEN READING
AND MEET THE AUTHORS
Good Shepherd Catholic Radio, an AM/FM station covering south-central Michigan, will host a group of distinguished Catholic authors — among whom is moi — at a mini book fair to be held at Queen of the Miraculous Medal Parish, 606 South Wisner Street, in Jackson, Michigan.
Titled Catholic Authors of Michigan, the event will be held Saturday, March 30, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. It is open to the general public, and refreshments will be available.
Guest authors expected to participate are…
JESUS’ FOSTER FATHER AS
A TIMELESS ROLE MODEL
The earthy father of Jesus receives official honor twice during the liturgical year.
March 19 has been his feast day since, as they say, “time immemorial.” And in 1955 Pope Pius XII designated May 1 as the special feast of “St. Joseph the Worker,” highlighting Joseph’s worldly vocation as a carpenter or builder (tekton in Greek).
The pope’s intention was to provide a Christian alternative to May Day labor celebrations being promoted worldwide by the Soviet Union and the Communist Internationale. His idea caught on, and that feast is now celebrated by workers throughout the Catholic world.
St. Joseph plays a prominent role in my novel about the family of Jesus, MY BROTHER’S KEEPER. And on the first Father’s Day after the book’s publication Nancy Hastings of the Gatehouse Media Group did a brief feature article highlighting the unique challenges faced by St. Joseph, as I sketched them in my novel.
It’s only right St. Joseph is honored as a model of the fatherly virtues.
Those virtues are under stress these days. Much of the crime, violence, extremism and sexual perversion we see around us can be attributed to the collapse of fatherhood that’s evident throughout large portions of our society (and those of other nations as well).
Appealing to St. Joseph as an intercessor in this difficult period would be most appropriate. And if you don’t accept the Catholic notion of saints interceding on our behalf, then merely try invoking the name of Joseph in the prayers you address directly to God. Either way, I believe Joseph is a powerful helper standing by — and an example for all men with children to raise, young lives to mold.
So to mark the Feast of St. Joseph — and even though it’s not Father’s Day — here’s Nancy’s article…
CATHOLIC MINI BOOK FAIR TO
FEATURE MICHIGAN AUTHORS
Are you within driving distance of Jackson, Michigan?
If so, plan on attending Catholic Authors of Michigan, a mini book fair sponsored by Good Shepherd Catholic Radio, on Saturday, February 10, from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
EWTN personality Teresa Tomeo will headline a group of four Michigan-based Catholic authors (among whom, I humbly submit, is moi, Bill Kassel, yours truly).
Also participating are Catholic apologist Gary Michuta, and Islam expert Dr. Brian Bradford.
We’ll all be on hand to discuss and sign our books — which will be on sale at the event and make perfect selections for deepening your faith understanding this Lent.
CATHOLIC WRITERS GUILD
ENDORSES MY NOVEL
We’re all familiar with seals of approval that certify standards of excellence in various fields.
Whether it’s the Good Housekeeping seal for product quality, the J.D. Power certification of customer satisfaction, or any number of other such designations, we take these endorsements as evidence that a particular item has been evaluated and shown to meet some expectation of suitability and value.
Well, I’m pleased to announce that my novel about the family of Jesus, MY BROTHER’S KEEPER, has been awarded the Seal of Approval from the Catholic Writers Guild.
READ THE PROLOGUE AND
1ST CHAPTER OF MY BOOK
Christmas is on the horizon, and you may be seeking the perfect gift for someone who likes to read. Or maybe you want a good book to curl up with yourself during those winter nights ahead.
Here’s your chance to sample my novel about the family of Jesus, MY BROTHER’S KEEPER, for free.
I’ve posted the Prologue and Chapter One, which you can read by clicking HERE.
Give it a look.
MY BROTHER’S KEEPER is available in both print and eBook editions from online book vendors, as well as through your local Catholic bookstore.
Here’s a brief synopsis of the novel…
SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL
CATHOLIC BOOKSTORE
My novel about the family of Jesus — MY BROTHER’S KEEPER — was just premiered at the annual trade show of the Catholic Marketing Network.
Held in Schaumburg, Illinois, one of the fabled western suburbs of Chicago, this event is where retailers gather to check out the latest titles from Catholic publishers plus new products from manufacturers of religious objects and Catholic-themed items.
It’s a trade show much like any other, complete with eye-catching displays, free giveaways, and tireless networking. Yet, it’s unlike other business expositions in certain distinctive ways.
For instance, you aren’t likely to find Mass and confession offered during a plumbing supply expo. And how often do you run into a Eucharistic procession snaking its way through a convention center hallway?
REVIEWERS AGREE THAT
MBK IS A PAGE-TURNER
A couple of posts ago I shared a review of my novel about the family of Jesus — MY BROTHER’S KEEPER — from Catholic author Deanna Klingel, who described it as…
“a story well-told, well-researched, easy to read, with fresh imagination, and beautifully written …. Here’s a book you’ll be glad you’ve read; a book of substance, a book that will leave you wanting more.”
Now Virginia Lieto and Kelly Thatcher, two Catholic writers / bloggers with their own wide followings, express the conviction that this is a book that compels you to keep reading.