I’ve decided today to delay the popular version of the thesis on Genesis 3:15 and the Immaculate Conception so as to finish off another project, much shorter: “The Dog-Woman” commentary.
You’ll remember the Syro-Phoenician-Canaanite-Greek lady in the Gospels of Matthew and Mark, the one with the severely possessed infant daughter way up in present day Lebanon. I’ll extract what I’ve done so far from the book on the women in the Gospels and make it a stand-alone. I’ve been preaching and writing on the “Dog-Woman” for decades.
What I’d like to do is turn that commentary into something which is addressed to what is bound to be one of the main topics of the upcoming Synod of Bishops on the formation of young people for their vocational discernment whether that concerns life as married, as single, as religious or as priests.
I’m thinking that there just might be a lot of psychological smoke-screens making one lose sight of the Holy Spirit, making one forget about the one thing necessary, listening to Jesus and those who are with him. There will be plenty of talk about the evils of rigidity without much of a clue about how to rid oneself or anyone else of such a dreadful suffocation of the Holy Spirit.
So, why not? The “Dog-Woman” is perfect for the occasion, with the two accounts of her forming the perfect paradigm for the formation of young people, that is, on how to rid them of rigidity. That is, after all, the non-stop theme of late by Pope Francis, at least for those discerning a priestly vocation, but the theme applies to everyone. I can’t think of a better way to provide a holy and wholesome remote preparation for such a synod on the formation of young people’s vocational discernment on psychological and emotional (human), spiritual, intellectual and pastoral levels.
With a title, sub-title, and sub-sub-title like the ones on the cover as envisioned, I realize that many will wonder what deep end of dark existential peripheries it is which I’ve obviously stepped off of, losing all sense of balance to be drowned in my own idiocy.
And yes, yes, I know. People must already be saying that the final document of the 2018 Synod may well have already been written a long time ago, decades ago. Even if that is true, I still have hope, hopelessly naive that I am, of having a say in this upcoming Synod.
Just as I started to work on this, a sign appeared, that being a package delivered to the door. Perfect timing. There were two 25 oz. bags of doggie-bacon strips. It’s a lot of work to eat them, so a big yawn and a nap is in order just below the desk where I’m writing about the “Dog-Woman” (the blue-light is the glow from the computer screens):
The doggie-bacon strips were sent in from the State Department’s recently retired foreign service diplomat from Indianapolis, C.D., a good friend of Father Gordon MacRae, actually. There was no note, just two gargantuan bags of doggie-bacon strips and… and… nothing for me. But don’t get me wrong, I was very happy for Laudie. She obviously knows she rates as the princess of the rectory, with me being but her bacon-slave. I had to laugh. She is very content. Hey, anyone who saves my unworthy life multiple times deserves to be pampered. I’m happy the State Department agrees, at least someone recently retired therefrom.
Anyway, back to the “Dog-Woman.” I have someone promising to translate it into street-jive Buenos Aires dialect just as soon as I send it to him. ;-)
ARISE! LET US BE GOING! 
Ha! Now you get to have her scraps.
This is CD, aka, Charlene Duline. I am the culprit who sent the two bags of treats. I am a bit perplexed that the good Father George would conclude, “Nothing for me.”
What makes him think both bags of treats were for Laudie-Dog?
Merry Christmas to all,
Charlene (TSW Assistant)
Thanks, Charlene. 😀
Perhaps rather than dog “bacon” treats, you Father George, need chocolate covered bacon!? Just let me know.
The best invention in the world!
I had chocolate covered bacon at Orthodox Christmas a few years ago. It was wonderful.
Does Laudie dog have a blanket in the bottom of her bin?
Thick carpet sample….
A little off topic but very good news. Just read on the Breibart news website that Officer Tullier is awake and giving non verbal responses. Don’t know how to send links via my cellphone. It does show prayers for him are being answered!
Good; I wouldn’t want her to be in a cold plastic bin without something on the bottom of it!
I look forward to reading what you would have to say about the Syro-Phonecian woman since I have always felt so much like her with so much rejection that often the only healthy attitude to take is to refuse to despair that Jesus loves me but insist that even little dogs like me eat the scraps that fall from the children’s table..
You will be pleasantly stunned by Jesus and the “Dog-Woman”. ….. 🤓
Very good, I would not miss it for anything, except if you don’t write it. You have announced a variety of books, on the former blog you had a big delightful list of ones you aspired to author.
If you need some kind of work with this or another book such as someone to put it into a print-on-demand publishable format I have done that before. I have too much time on my hands that I waste and per my spiritual director I am supposed to get more volunteer work.
We shall see!
I feel badly saying that, it’s just that I think these books of yours have much value and interest to the world.
you can do it, and it will be ferocious :-)
Thanks elizdelphi!