A Timely Program and Other Notes

EWTN is running a show tomorrow night that looks to be rather timely. Here's their summary:

THE CROSS AND THE CRESCENT (30:00)

This video provides a detailed history and explanation of how Christianity has survived in the Middle East - which witnessed the birth of Jesus and where he called forth his disciples - and yet has become overwhelmingly Muslim. The suffering endured by present-day Catholics (and other Christians) under Muslim domination is clearly addressed.

Tuesday September 26, 2006 3 AM & 6:30 PM

Other programs of interest (especially for certain bloggers who wish EWTN would have more guests who are hip) include this one:

Thursday September 28, 2006 at 8:00PM ET

Life on the Rock with guest Dion DiMucci - Legendary Rocker Dion visits the Rockhouse (more)

And, finally, if you want an update on Mother Angelica, you can go here for it.

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Explanation of icon:

"Out of the deserts of the Middle East comes an ancient Christian tradition. Although it has been overshadowed by the Greek and Latin traditions, it is their equal in dignity and theological importance. It is a Semetic tradition, belonging to those churches that use Syriac as their liturgical language. Syriac is a dialect of Aramaic, the language spoken by Christ himself.
This icon celebrates the richness of Syriac Christianity. The inscriptions in the upper corners read "Jesus Christ," and at the bottom, "Christ of the Desert." The Syriac language has ties to the earth that are deep and rich. It is more inclusive than most European languages. The theological experience of Syriac Christians is different because they have encountered the Gospel in such a language. Theirs is an unhellenized expression -- one that is neither Europeanized nor Westernized.

Semitic as it is, the Syriac tradition knows no dichotomy between the mind and heart. The heart is the center of the human person -– center of intellect as well as feelings. The body and all of creation longs to be reunited with God.

A constant theme in Syriac literature is homesickness for Paradise, a desire to restore Paradise on earth. Christians pray facing east because Paradise was in the east. This longing was expressed in monastic terms in ancient times, but its implications today reach far beyond monastery walls. With earthy roots, this longing for Paradise involves concrete responses in the realms of politics, ecology, and economics. "

[icon and explanation found here]