The following reflection on the Resurrection, its meaning, and its celebration is from the fourteenth oration of Gregory of Nazianzus, fourth century Byzantine Theologian, a defender of the doctrine of the Trinity and a Father of the Church.

Why does the Old Testament include all those ritual purity rules?  Are they just arbitrary taboos?  There is nothing intrinsically wrong with consuming the blood of an animal, or wearing a garment woven of two different kinds of fiber, is there?

Since I’ve lost time recovering from surgery this week, I’m not composing a “proper” blog post.  But since I do hate to let readers down, I’m offering a few words about lost time itself -- and about blogging.

For the past two years I have been writing a book on Thomas Aquinas’s theory of happiness and ultimate purpose.  One of the topics he considers is whether we can attain happiness just through our own natural powers.  Wondering how others might answer, while writing the chapter about it I did a quick web search using the question, “What can we do to be happy?”

Curious how conversion works.

One may think the only difference is that one’s beliefs have changed.  Or that one’s moral standards have changed.

It is more like rising from the dead.

Perhaps without having realized that you were dead.

Aspiration is better than self-esteem.  Many of us were serenaded in childhood with lyrics like this:

Would you like to swing on a star

Carry moonbeams home in a jar

Query

I am an attorney considering running for office.  This consideration raises new questions for me and I am curious about your thoughts.  How would you go about choosing a political party?