Away from the court...

Roger Federer, whom sports analysts and even former tennis players consider the greatest tennis player of all time, sets his sights on other important things. The 31-year-old has a Foundation.






Roger Federer Foundation

Window-washing superheroes plus some more

For a bit of light reading, here's a mix of news and features, starting with an interesting idea that was carried out somewhere in the United States and which made quite a number of kids gleeful. It's not fresh news (it took place in October last year), but a retweet led to its resurfacing.


Superhero window washers at children's hospital

Mexican artists turns guns into musical instruments

More Beyonce, less Sasha Fierce

Ash Wednesday kicks off 40 Days for Life in record-breaking 261 locations around the world

Beyond the call of duty
 

Basketball pros to become Catholic campus missionaries

The world's top 10 bike rides

Unexpected news from the Eternal City

The internet is abuzz with the announcement of Pope Benedict XVI's stepping down. He will be the Catholic Church's Supreme Servant till February 28 at 8:00 pm (Vatican time), he said.

In the hours following his official announcement, much has been said, reported, and speculated, so to help you stay the course as regards accurate information and sound analysis, here are a few links you may want to visit. First, the Pope's official announcement from Vatican Radio.

Here's an interesting take on the development from Patheos, titled Benedict XVI the Precedent Setting Pope -- it's short and concise, and it does help you think of what's going on from a different perspective.

This one is a statement from Timothy Cardinal Dolan, New York Archbishop and head of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), while this piece from First Things, titled An Evangelical Looks at Pope Benedict XVI, is bound to be an eye-opener for many.

And below is part of a status message of a Facebook friend, which I find reassuring; it's a much-needed reminder.

Dear Pope,

Thank you so much for taking care of us as the “Christ on earth.” Continue to pray for us as we pray for the College of Cardinals to be docile to the Holy Spirit. When the time [comes], you may not be governing us but you will continue sanctifying us. We know that the Church is “indefectible” - it will not fail in its mission, and so it will last until the end of time.

* Photo from Catholic News Agency

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I'm adding a link to another piece, titled Reacting to The Resignation, that I think is worth reading. An excerpt:

There are hundreds (perhaps even thousands) of conflicting thoughts rushing through my mind at the moment, many of them barely formulated. But as I scanned the reactions of my friends and acquaintances this morning, Steven Greydanus’ thought captured my sentiments perfectly:

For Catholics who love our Holy Father, Lent started two days early this year.

Love and self-worth, 'in the flesh'

Here's an excerpt:

The clothes I wear do not make me who I am, but ultimately reflect my beliefs. Immodest dress reveals that I do not see my worth. If I knew my worth, I wouldn’t be tempting guys. I wouldn’t be using my body as an object.

Here's the graphic:

And here's the piece that puts things in perspective as regards self-worth, love, and a "little black dress".

(I so admire writers who can express so much -- clearly -- in so few words)

Hands to work...

I distinctly remember having a new appreciation for the work produced by one's hands when I spent a great deal of time making baked treats for Christmas. For no reason other than just because I thought I'd try it, I decided to bake brownies, cookies and lemon squares and sell them (and give some to friends and family as gifts). All that measuring, stirring, mixing, kneading and cleaning up helped me find a new respect for the fruits of one's labor in the kitchen. That I had no electric mixer and simply relied on manual mixing to produce orders that eventually poured in gave me more reason to appreciate the hard work involved in manual labor. Hence, the finished product seemed to me a work of love -- one that entailed sacrifice, dedication and careful fashioning.

So when I came across some videos showing how shoes and bags are made, I watched them with interest. Machines are employed for part of the process in the whole manufacturing business, but the care with which each product is crafted using the artisan's hands cannot be missed.

I wish local brands produced videos like these, too, for their wares.