"Dragging my Mother through the mud...!"

I didn't see it, but I kinda think an early morning inteview with Dan Brown might've stuck in the priest's craw today.

The sermon started conventionally enough.

As you know, the first readings during this season focus on the earliest days of the Church...and the earliest days were fraught with controversy. Father spoke about this, nicely linking the passage from Acts to the Gospel.

And then he...well, he narrowed his eyes and seemed to leave his prepared remarks.

"This man, this Dan Brown, said this morning that the Church has survived many things. And indeed She has. And She will certainly survive this...this thing that he has created.

"But I will tell you one thing. I would not — ever — spend even five minutes reading or watching something that drags my Mother, and your Mother, through the mud! Not five minutes! Not one minute!

"This — ah, he calls it `fiction' and indeed it is `fiction,' yes — but it is abominable `fiction.' Ah, yes, he says `this is just a story,' hah!

"I tell you: I will not spend even a minute of my life participating in this `story' that drags my Mother through the mud!"

The chapel was silent. The priest seemed to try to compose himself for a moment, but then laughed, as if composure was a silly thing.

The congegation laughed with him...because, I think, composure is often a silly thing to try to attain. Especially when somebody "drags your Mother through the mud." Or tries to.

For today's sermon, I give Padre two thumbs up.