ethics
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The gold digger
One day, his only desire, he fulfilled it effortlessly each day. He would get up and mentally count the time it took him to do it. He counted the time as if he controlled it even as it slipped away. He knew his age, but he stubbornly refused to be caught off guard by its effects. He sought his Continue reading
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An outline on authority, or a definition of the progressive.
Following the article, "Why this hatred of authority?", I received numerous reactions. The first was to confuse, or ask me not to confuse, power and authority. Here, we can observe one thing: many people on social media still accept this distinction. It even marks, for them, Continue reading
stupidity , Catholicism , counter-revolution , Ernst Jünger , ethics , history , progressivism , religion -
Exile, migrants and the Holy Father (2)
Reflections on the Holy Father's various statements concerning migrants: The migrants arriving in Europe today are not all fleeing a catastrophic situation. They often arrive with broad smiles. They do not all appear destitute. They show no nostalgia for their homeland and arrive in large numbers to find a new life. Continue reading
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Prayer of the craftsman
12th-Century Monastic Prayer: Teach me, Lord, to make good use of the time You give me for work… Teach me to unite haste and slowness, serenity and fervor, zeal and peace. Help me at the beginning of my work. Help me in the heart of my labor… And above all, fill in the gaps in my work Yourself. Continue reading
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Antigone, defiant and intimate (7/7. Love)
Part 7 and final part: Love. Antigone's desire is familial; she does not want to leave her brother unburied. Creon, on the other hand, desires to assert himself as king and demonstrate his power. Antigone prioritizes family ties, which embody love and reveal a person. Creon consolidates his power by signing a law that must... Continue reading
Antigone , stupidity , counter-revolution , ethics , history , intimacy , forgiveness , political correctness , religion , totalitarianism , tradition -
Identify
Identity is divided, on the one hand, into a foundation that is within us, without which we can derive any particular merit—our nature and the education (culture) we have received—and, on the other hand, a constitutive movement of life that discovers elements not listed by our nature or our education, but which must continue reading
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Antigone, defiant and intimate (6/7. The vocation)
So many stories about identity! The word appears neither in Greek epic nor in tragedy. Identity in Antigone's time was rooted in lineage and belonging to a city-state. Identity was imbued with rootedness. Family and city-state gathered under a virtual banner everything that the other needed to know about oneself. Continue reading
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Antigone, defiant and intimate (3/7. Destiny)
Part 3: Destiny. Man descends from the tree. Man, like the tree, is defined as much by his roots as by his fruit. Man, like the tree, depends on external and internal elements to reach maturity. Man resembles this trunk sculpted by trials, leaning on its roots and bearing fruit of varying quality. Continue reading
Antigone , counter-revolution , ethics , history , intimacy , forgiveness , religion , revolution , totalitarianism , vulgarity -
Antigone, defiant and intimate (2/7. The funeral)
Part 2: The Funeral — “My dearest Ismene. I came this morning to tell you that I've taken care of everything. I used the same funeral home for both our brothers. I couldn't choose, and since our brothers didn't leave any last wishes, I took matters into my own hands to continue reading
Antigone , counter-revolution , ethics , history , intimacy , death , forgiveness , priest , religion , revolution -
Antigone, defiant and intimate (1/7. The family)
Part 1: The Family From the very first reading of Antigone, an ambiguity arises in the reader's mind. Does Antigone embody action or reaction? What drives Antigone? Reaction never exists on its own, whereas action needs no one; it is legitimized by the act itself. Action always inaugurates something. Unlike what is often Continue reading
Antigone , Charles Maurras , counter-revolution , ethics , history , intimacy , forgiveness , priest , religion , revolution -
To which saints should we pray?
The Marcial Maciel case forces us to confront the question of evil. Our era avoids engaging with it. What do we know of the devil's work, and what can we do to protect ourselves from it? After attempting to conceal the good in life, should we be surprised that evil is now revealed? The works of the devil are... Continue reading
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News about humility
The human vision of humility is like the human vision of love: limited. Humility must exert its influence at all times and in all places. Humility does not allow for a choice about whether or not to practice it. Humility thus demands infinite availability and infinite vigilance. It demands—a term that has almost disappeared from our vocabulary—a word that has almost disappeared from our vocabulary. Continue reading
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Letter to my friend Alvaro Mutis
One day in the 1990s, we were walking down the street, having just left the Hôtel des Saints-Pères, and Alvaro Mutis stopped abruptly. We were almost at the corner of Rue de Grenelle, and he said to me, "Emmanuel, I have the feeling we walked like this together a long time ago on a street in Cádiz." And we... Continue reading
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Christian Testimony – 2
When I started this blog, the idea of writing about the liturgy came to me very quickly. Not to claim the status of an expert, but to share my experience of what represents the heart of a Christian's life. So there were two paths that had to converge: I had to describe the Mass (and Continue reading