At Padre’s is coming up on its 5th anniversary this January 9th, and I am so very thankful for this community. Here are some thoughts as I move into the New Year, which I thought best to share with you. I recently reread the “About” section of Padre’s, and I still think it is as relevant as when I first wrote it in 2021: https://atpadres.beta.locals.com/feed?mode=about_community
Dear Coffee Talkers, beginning in 2026, I will be less present at our morning coffee talks. I’ve been there pretty much every day—with the exception of Lent—since 2021, even before the days of Zoom and Teams. I’m sure I’ll still drop in more often than not, but there are other things I’d like to do in the morning.
I try not to monitor our chats except to ensure the quieter people have a chance to speak if they’d like to. I am not a fan of overtalking others, and I try to monitor my own talking as much as I can. I know I’m not 100% successful, but I try—and I appreciate all who do the same. Thank you to all who contribute so much to our community. I love our sense of humor, especially the memes (humorous ones, thoughtful ones, and even the puns). I enjoy our random discussions on a multitude of topics and the posts we share in the community. I have always considered Padre’s a haven for sanity and renewal rather than a smaller version of other social media. Life is so interesting, and it all passes much too quickly. While I appreciate being informed about politics, scandals, and the ever-worsening conditions of our world—and sadly, our nation—I can’t make it the greater part of my focus. It is hard to strive to be informed and balanced without becoming consumed. I begin my day with prayer; if I didn’t, I don’t know how I would keep my perspective when ingesting so much disheartening news about human corruption and evil. I know how desperately humanity needs God and His grace.
Please know of my prayers and appreciation for all of you and I am thankful for this little hole in the wall where we can gather. My vibe from the beginning has been “always invited, never expected.” I am confident that the same thoughtfulness and courtesy I’ve tried to maintain as host over these years at Coffee Talk will continue even when I’m not present. See you around Padre’s and at coffee talk—just not every day. Peace, Tom.
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.”
