Category Archives: Words

O Christmas Troy, O Christmas Troy

Posted on December 31, 2016 by Bill Schmitt

The Schmitts were once again in Troy, NY, to be part of a traditional big-family Christmas celebration with my wife Eileen’s siblings and the extended family. St. Augustine Parish has been a spiritual home to Eileen’s family for generations, and … Continue reading →

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Phrases on Stun: Honoring Star Trek’s 50th with Words

Posted on September 4, 2016 by Bill Schmitt

Let’s boldly go into a brief blog post honoring this week’s 50th anniversary of the “Star Trek” universe. Calling it a brand or franchise is correct but inadequate. Like the actual universe, “Star Trek” seems to keep on growing, spawning … Continue reading →

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Tonight, Stephen welcomes…the Philippians!

Posted on August 30, 2016 by Bill Schmitt

If you haven’t completed your daily Scripture reading yet, you’re in luck. I can provide four profound Bible quotes, all from Paul’s Letter to the Philippians, pre-packaged in an entertaining video format. We can thank three slightly surprising sources–a politician, … Continue reading →

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Now for a word from South Africa, via Popes John Paul and Francis

Posted on December 10, 2013 by Bill Schmitt

Thanks to Rocco Palmo and his “Whispers in the Loggia” blog for teaching me the word Ubuntu. Wikipedia defines Ubuntu as a South African word meaning human kindness. In tribute to South Africa’s Nelson Mandela, Palmo posted on Dec. 5 … Continue reading →

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This Whovian — or Whoosier? — Learned from the Doctors: The Present Isn’t Enough

Posted on December 2, 2013 by Bill Schmitt

The recent blockbuster episode of the brilliant BBC series “Doctor Who” got me thinking again about the danger of “presentism” in today’s world. Did you see the episode entitled “Day of the Doctor,” in which three different reincarnations of that … Continue reading →

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This Just In … EWTN News Nightly

Posted on September 4, 2013 by Bill Schmitt

The biggest news in Catholic news right now is the debut of “EWTN News Nightly.” Thanks to Deacon Greg Kandra’s blog, you can see the Sept. 3 premiere and enjoy intelligent commentary about the telecast. Thanks to Lisa Hendey’s blog, … Continue reading →

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Poetweets on a Notre Dame Theme

Posted on August 4, 2013 by Bill Schmitt

Have you heard of poetweets? They’re short bursts of verse that use 140 characters–the length of a tweet.  Similar to haiku being limited to 17 syllables. Thanks to the author of this Prezi description of poetweets.  This relatively new art … Continue reading →

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Gateway Episodes: This Concept Opens Up Some Possibilities

Posted on June 28, 2013 by Bill Schmitt

Thank you, Abby Ohlheiser, whose post in the June 25 Slate introduced me to the concept of “gateway episodes.” Abby mused on how a TV series, perhaps a now-cancelled series that one always wanted to sample  and still can catch … Continue reading →

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Why This Blog is Called “Word”

Posted on March 15, 2013 by Bill Schmitt

Since the exciting election of Pope Francis, lots of people have been quoting the guidance attributed to St. Francis: Preach always, when necessary use words. By saying this, St. Francis would not have been deeming words unimportant. To the contrary, … Continue reading →

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