Good Morning Digital Neighbors! Happy Monday ADD Irregulars, Wanderers of the WSN and all those beautiful souls that stumble into or across Padre's in the exploration of Locals.
WISDOM
There are three ways for wisdom or prudence to abound in you: if you confess your sins, if you give thanks and praise, and if your speech is edifying. - St. Bernard
Two out of three ain't bad is it? Didn't Meatloaf sing about it? I know my sins, far too well, and acknowledge them daily as the day closes in an examination of conscience. It is not beat-up session before I shut my eyes, but rather a honest assessment of how the day has gone since my feet hit the ground. I ask mercy for my sins and desire to make the morrow a better day, I call to mind my blessings and joys throughout the day and thank the Master for them and finally I surrender the day and its comings and going to Him.
I strive to make days filled with thanks & praise. I have that one nailed down fairly well, but never presume that it is a permanent possession but rather a gift form the Mysterium to help me know my place as a lowly creature and a Beloved child. There are so many little things in life to be thankful for when I do a humble reflection on my riches. As Constance @ghostrock said over at Phetasy, it really does boil down to all the little things and I have them aplenty.
Edifying speech - I'm screwed. Substitute to the stronger word if you like, it is my preferred impact swear word when crap or shit just doesn't express the moment. I am a big fan of the F-bomb, the F-word or whatever you wanna call it, but I do try to exercise tact when I am swearing. I want to be aware of my audience and try not to intentionally scandalize anyone. I can express the intention with a little finesse as a sign of respect for the listener. I am not a pious Joe as my Mom would say. I do admire piety and people who never swear challenge me to be more mindful of my language. But I am Tom, and I cannot sugarcoat reality when my mind has already beat me to expressions that are less than edifying. I am ever mindful of my audience as it were and try to exercise tact faster than my mouth. Happy Monday my friends!
Today marks the three hundred and thirtieth birthday of the Frenchman François-Marie Arouet, better known by his nom de plume, Voltaire (1694-1778).
Born into a bourgeois family during the reign of Louis XIV, the “Sun King” (r. 1643-1715), Voltaire suffered tragedy at a young age when his mother died. Never close with his father or brother, Voltaire exhibited a rebellious attitude toward authority from his youth. His brilliant mind was fostered in the care of the Society of Jesus, who introduced him to the joys of literature and theater. Despite his later criticisms against the Church, Voltaire, throughout his life, fondly recalled his dedicated Jesuit teachers.
Although he spent time as a civil servant in the French embassy to the Hague, Voltaire’s main love was writing—an endeavor where he excelled in various genres, including poetry, which led to his appointment as the royal court poet for King Louis XV. Widely recognized as one of the greatest French writers, and even hyperbolically referred to by ...
Padre - Tom Miller invites you to a Coffee Talk, Speakeasies, Schmoozes, Tea Times, Afterhours and other gatherings.
https://teams.live.com/meet/93792382189049?p=DiBHsYfuECPgDrG7vO
2026 Coffee Talk with the ADD Irregulars
Thursday, January 1, 2026
6:00 AM - 8:00 AM (CST)
Occurs every day starting 1/1 until 12/31/2027
Coffee Talk - Daily beginning at 6:00 AM Central Time Zone - USA
White Pilled Wednesday - A break from the heaviness of news and current events to focus upon things more personal & positive for the first hour of Coffee Talk.
Afternoon Chats - Most Tuesday, Friday & Sundays 2:00 PM Central
Other chats as posted in the community.
Happy Friday, Digital Neighbors!! Slept in a little this morning. Woke up at my ordinary time, hit the hour timer, and wandered back into short, incoherent dreamland. It was a good hour to try and get a little more rest after a long day yesterday. We had a good staff team-building day with personal prayer and then looking at the DISC tool as a way to appreciate our gifts as we work together for the good of our parish family.
Had a meeting in the evening to explore using our auditorium for an Emergency Overnight Shelter in the winter for the homeless and unhoused in our local area. Lots of potential, lots of work if that is to come to fruition. As I mentioned last night, this is where the rubber hits the road on personal charity. People feel comfortable giving money to support charities, but the possibility of hosting and staffing one is way out of the comfort zone for most. Prayer and time will tell.
Off to some “ifferisms” for your Friday cup of Joe.
If you get gloomy, just take an ...
The Beautiful
Said the Disciple to the Lover, “Sir, before I left the world I heard certain men who were held in high esteem and thought to know the will of the Beloved say that those who loved the Beautiful did not love the Beloved but loved idols, yet in the Garden of the Beloved we are ever striving to create beauty for the pleasure of the Beloved. Were they then speaking the truth?”
The Lover answered, “Those who said this had never glimpsed the form of the Beloved nor ever truly sought Him, for all beauty is but the reflection of the beauty of the Beloved, although seen very dimly as in a dark and faulty mirror, even as all goodness is a dim reflection of the goodness of the Beloved. So it is that those who love beauty and goodness recognize dimly in them the form of the Beloved and though often in ignorance those who are seeking the Beautiful and the Good are seeking after the Beloved.”
