A day early this week...

Dear Friends,

We're a day early with the e-Digest this week as Amanda and myself are off to Brisbane for the weekend for a wedding and we're taking a short break. Our normal publishing schedule will resume on Tuesday.

For those with the ability to laugh at ourselves the extract from Robert Blair Kaiser's novel today will bring much pleasure. For those who believe the church and its leaders are beyond criticism, and above petty politics, if they could be bothered to read it, they'd be reduced to rage. The Vatican is playing politics behind the back of Cardinal Mahony but the "new image Cardinal Mahony" is one step ahead of their scheming.
<Link to today's excerpt from Kaiser's novel, "Cardinal Mahony">
<www.catholica.com.au/gc3/rbk/011_rbk_311009.php>

Thank you for the orders that have now started to flow through our new Spiritual Marketplace. We (me together with the people at John Garratt Publishing in Melbourne) still have a few things to do to correctly link all the titles to their database and I'll complete that as soon as I return from Brisbane. Also from next week I'll be uploading further products on a daily basis and so increasing the range of what's available from both John Garratt and Willow.
<The Marketplace>
<www.catholica.com.au/marketplace/>

"The Kingdom of God is among you" (Lk 17:21) To round-out his series of Puzzling Passages commentaries linking into the writing of St Luke, Dr Ian Elmer today explores what Jesus meant when he said "the Kingdom of God is among you" (Luke 17:21). How does this gel with the idea of a Kingdom to come or some "heaven" in the future? <more>

The Psychology of Priesthood #18 The thrust of Tom McMahon's commentary can be summed up in this line: "Where do we find today the humble preacher from Nazareth, teaching the crowds the value of the beatitudes? Who teaches morals today?" <more>

23.4: Wrapping up the controversy surrounding Pelagius? Judging by the comments one reads on modern internet discussion boards it might be claimed that the controversy surrounding Original Sin and the doubts of Pelagius have never finally been resolved. Continuing on from his commentary of the previous two weeks, Tom Lee concludes the discussion on the conflict between Augustine and Pelagius where all this started in today's extract from his manuscript. The chapter then ends with a look at the contemporary events in the Roman Empire and the "silliness" that erupted amongst some ascetics in the 5th Century. <more>

In search of Self #19… The human psyche is complex and with all the knowledge humankind has acquired down through the millenia we still know little about what makes any of us "tick". The commentary last week and this from Francis relate this own, lifetime personal search to understand self. Indeed, his entire book might be labelled with that theme. Ultimately though, he argues, we need to let go of our mind and take on the Divine mind. As his own journey reflects that is often easier said than done. <more>

Best wishes for a great day wherever you happen to be ... in life or in our world.

Brian Coyne
Editor and Publisher