Kathryn Jean Lopez and snow in New York City during lent

Kathryn Jean Lopez writes at National Review an article concerning a tender message found in the midst of the recent snow in NY city.

She describes two encounters she has (one with Cardinal Dolan's homily, the other with a beggar on the streets of Manhattan) and ties the two together.  She concludes:

How would it all be different if we took a step away from the noise and spent more time with those who might otherwise be forgotten and cast aside? What if we didn’t get sucked into frustrating political news stories and celebrity and saw our own power more? What if we made a choice for hearts as pure as the freshly fallen snow?

She writes a self reflective piece addressing her encounters and how they, in this season of Lent affected her.  You ought to read her article.

Bishop Robert Barron and "Total Recall"

The catch phrase from the movie Total Recall is Arnold Schwarzenegger saying "Who the hell am I?"

And many see this as the fundamental question involved in most literature.   A variation of this question is posed by Christ to his disciples at Caesarea-Philippi.  "Who do you say that I am?"

Bishop Robert Barron discusses a shift in questioning away from this one and its' implications for preaching, teaching, and evangelizing Christianity in an article posted at Word on Fire.

He begins by referencing a recent book  by Thomas Joseph White, and references Church Councils, and ancient theologians.  Then he discusses a dramatic shift in emphasis a couple of centuries ago which was still being taught when he was in seminary which he refers to as “consciousness Christology."

He discusses the implication of the change in emphasis and how it fundamentally alters our perspective.  He writes:

It is easy enough to see that the transition from an ontological Christology to a consciousness Christology has conduced toward all manner of relativism, subjectivism, indifferentism, and the attenuation of evangelical zeal.

It is an excellent article and you should read it in its' entirety.