"No one takes my life; I lay it down freely."

As promised, here is my favorite picture from Hamburg, the site of a recent three-week excursion. The German words can be translated as, "Forty thousand sons of the city gave their lives for you."

I passed this monument every morning on the way to my temporary work assignment. Leaving aside the question of the morality of war -- especially World War I, which comprises the reference dates at the bottom of the monument -- I found this reminder especially poignant.

The German word liessen, translated above as "gave," comes from the verb lassen. Lassen means literally "to let." Forty thousand sons of the city let their lives [be sacrificed] for you.

Begone, "Left Behind"!

I’ve just listened to two terrific MP3s on the End Times – from a Catholic perspective.

Begone Left Behind series! The traditional priest from Audio Sancto does a wonderful job of debunking common Protestant myths like the Rapture, the Millennial Reign of Christ, etc.

Focusing on the work of a Doctor of the Church, St. Robert Bellarmine, he gives an excellent overview of what Catholics can know about the End Times – and what we must not speculate about.

I hope to revisit this series later in this blog, but for now, please go here and here, and listen to this amazing priest deliver an antidote to the anti-Christ craze.

KCM Returns

After a three-week hiatus, I've returned from a trip to Hamburg. Pictures and comments will follow shortly!