My blog is seven months old today. The photograph accompanying this post is what I initially posted on July 28, 2025. The full text of that initial post is repeated below:
As noted in my author bio, I am interested in genealogy (mainly my families), architecture, history, and religion. So, I may use this blog to comment on those topics. I will also use the blog to comment on my books (e.g., errors noted, new information, alternative wording, comments on reviews). Time will tell; if you have...
When I got to the end of my then nine-part series, I realized that I needed two more parts, to finish off my funeral planning. The first part was way up front in “Part 3” where I tried to explain some of the decisions that I made as regards my funeral service. The other part – this one – was required to finish things off. I couldn’t just end at lunch.
What’s the Meaning of Life?
I suspect that most people, from time to time, question the meaning of life. Dionne Warwick asked the question in the...
My favorite time at most funerals is the luncheon. The inherent tension and accumulated grief have started to subside – it is a time to kick back a bit and start smiling again.
The St. Wenceslaus Guild provides a great buffet lunch, featuring fried chicken and baked ham during most of the year, and herb baked tilapia and vegetable lasagna during Lent. Both lunches include several salads, fruit trays, roll baskets, and desserts: along with coffee and lemonade to wash it all down.
My kudos to the...
The Homily Continues – The Second Reading
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Use this introduction only if the funeral is NOT during the Easter season.
In the first volume of his “A Catholic Prays Scripture” series, Robert wrote a chapter entitled “A Prayer for Revelation.” In that chapter he wrote about apocalyptic literature in general, and some of the many scholarly interpretations of “The Revelation to John.”
In his book, Robert suggested that John, the author of “The Revelation to John,” had bobbed and weaved...
The Homily Continues
From the 47 biblical passages listed in the funeral guide, Robert selected the three passages that were read earlier, because they spoke of Catholic thoughts, doctrines, and dogmas that he considered important.
The First Reading(s)
Use below only if the funeral is during the Easter season.
The first reading was a very short reading from “The Revelation to John,” which is often referred to as just “Revelation.” The passage, just one verse of 37 words, was so short that I will...
In the funeral guide, I noted the following: “The Presider may or may not know the deceased very well. It is always welcomed to have input as to what would be important to be shared at the funeral.” I also noted that there was an inch or so of space on the “Funeral Worksheet” for “Homily Ideas,” with an instruction to “attach another sheet if needed.”
I decided to take advantage of this opportunity and have written out a complete funeral homily (starting below). I realize that this is just my...
A “Responsorial Psalm” is read or sung between the first (usually Old Testament) and second (always New Testament) readings. The funeral guide provided ten options. I almost went with the first option, Psalm 23 (The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want) but after some more reflection, I selected the third option (P-3) from Psalm 27, as I believe it describes God’s loving care for his people.
The seven verses from Psalm 27 (1, 4, 7-9, 13-14) that make up this responsorial psalm...
My funeral guide listed 47 biblical passages that could be read during the funeral – nine from the Old Testament (first reading), nineteen from the four gospels, and nineteen from the rest of the New Testament (second reading). In response to my question, Brian said that I could pursue other passages – but the guide’s selection proved sufficient.
The funeral guide listed one caveat – during the “Easter Season,” the first reading must be from either the Acts of the Apostles or the Book of...
Years ago, I was a fan of a television show called “Dragnet,” in which Los Angeles police detective Joe Friday often pleaded with the crime scene witnesses for “just the facts.” That line became kind of a running joke with the comedians of the day, “Just the facts, Mamm, just the facts.” Anyway, that is what I desire for my obituary “just the facts” – no need to get overly flowery and gushy. In the remainder of this post, I offer my suggestions.
Photograph: Let’s start with the obituary’s...
In the last part of this series I wrote that “for a variety of reasons, I have decided to be cremated and have a memorial service (without a Mass).” I intended to leave it at that and moved on to my obituary. When I was pretty much finished with my (then) nine-part series, I decided I needed to add another part to explain (to myself and possibly others) “why” I decided on a cremation with no vigil, and a memorial service with no Mass.
Cremation Pros
This is the easy part. Cremation eliminates...
The St. Wenceslaus funeral guide began with an introductory note from my pastor, Father Mike Eckley. In that note he reminded me that a Christian funeral “… is a statement of hope in the resurrection of the dead.”
The second section of the guide was entitled “Preparing the Vigil,” the vigil being a service that is usually held the evening before the funeral. The vigil has some of the same elements as a funeral (e.g., music, readings, homily). It also includes a “litany” of pre-written prayers...
Well, I finally got around to it. In my December 19, 2025 “Happy Holidays” post, I noted my plan to publish a series of essays in mid-January, regarding my planned funeral. I then hemmed and hawed as I attempted to write out those plans – going instead with a few book reviews to kill some time as I got my act together. So, here we are, in mid-February.
This is the first of a (planned) eleven-part story on my upcoming (date unknown) funeral. Note that this series is “Draft One.” The plans may...
A “Scholarly” CoPilot Review of “The Polesworth Circle”
As you may recall from my previous post, after reviewing my book The Polesworth Circle, CoPilot, Microsoft’s AI-powered assistant, offered to provide “a more academic version” of the initial review. I accepted CoPilot’s offer, and below is what I almost immediately received. If you care, you can compare the tone of the two AI-generated reviews. I loved them both and found them both insightful – RIGHT ON! I was, however, forced to look up...
In my previous post, I printed a review that I (a human) previously wrote concerning The Polesworth Circle, a book/play that I (a human) wrote. In this post, I am presenting a review that CoPilot, Microsoft’s AI-powered assistant, wrote in response to the instruction posed below.
“Write a 1000-word review of The Polesworth Circle by Robert Burdett.”
CoPilot’s review is published below – verbatim; not one word was changed. After the review, I will come back with a few comments on this “non-human...
When I first wrote my play “The Polesworth Circle,” as an appendix to my book BS3: Etcetera, I also wrote a review of the play (pages 69-70 in BS3). That review – of an imaginative performance of the play – is presented below. As far as I know, no other “humans” have reviewed the play or the book.
In my next post, I will print a “non-human” review of the book, that was written by CoPilot, Microsoft’s AI-powered assistant. I think that you will find the similarities (few) and differences...
Well, this is kind of weird. I am writing a review of a book after reading a review of a book – that book being From Calvinist to Catholic, an autobiography by Peter Kreeft (copyright 2025).
The review, Enjoyably Evangelical, was written by Kevin DeYoung, the senior pastor at Christ Covenant Church in Matthews, North Carolina. I ran across DeYoung’s review in the October 2025 issue of First Things. Let me begin with a few quotes from DeYoung’s review that enticed me to read (and review)...
During my recent Florida vacation, I read two books. The second was The Gales of November: The Untold Story of the Edmund Fitzgerald by John U. Bacon (copyright 2025). In this review, [brackets] are used to denote the pages from his book where the various quotes were obtained.
I previously described my fascination with the Great Lakes, the big freighters that ply them, and the Edmund Fitzgerald in particular, in my previous blog entries – A Michigan Vacation (October 10, 2025) and The “Edmund...
John William Carson (John to his friends, Johnny to his audiences) died 21 years ago on this date, at age 79. He was, for 30 years (1962-1992), the king of late-night television, a title that died with him. I hesitate to use his name today – in the same sentence – with the likes of Jimmy and Steven.
Over the past year, I have read three biographies on Johnny, the last being Love Johnny Carson: One Obsessive Fan’s Journey to Find the Genius Behind the Legend (2025, by Mark Malkoff with David...
During my recent Florida vacation, I read two books. The first was Unfettered, an autobiography by United States Senator John Fetterman (copyright 2025). I found it to be both interesting and easy to read. In this review, [brackets] are used to denote the page or pages where the various quotes were observed.
I first became aware of Fetterman in the lead up to his senatorial election in 2022, when he was the Democrat nominee for the U.S. senate from Pennsylvania, running against the Republican...
Back in October I wrote a travel essay on my 2025 vacation in Michigan. In that essay, I noted that I had been in Michigan only once before – when I changed planes in Detroit. This travel essay is a bit different in that regard. Per my count, I have visited Florida 23 times over the past twenty or so years. Per my calculations, I have spent roughly one half year of my life in Florida.
Twelve of those visits, like my last, were over the Christmas and New Year’s Day holidays, when my wife and I...