Saint Dominic
contemplating the Scriptures
Comments by subscription provide a text-only page formatted for printing on a single sheet of paper, such as might be appropriate for inclusion in a Sunday service bulletin. Please read the following information carefully before requesting a subscription.
- Background Information for Subscribers
- Donations for Comments
- A note for non-Canadian Subscribers
- How to subscribe
Background Information for Subscribers
Some things you should about subscribing- Comments, Introductions, Clippings and Study Notes are provided for personal computers; Comments Combo is provided for Palm and Handspring handhelds.
- Comments is designed to fit on a single 8½ x 11 inch page, printed landscape in two columns. This makes it ideal for distribution as a bulletin insert. The space limitation also helps to keep Comments brief and manageable for the reader, and for the author.
- The content of Comments, Introductions and Clippings as available to subscribers is exactly the same as on the website. In addition, subscribers receive Study Notes, which is Comments and Clippings reformatted for use in Bible study groups.
- As a subscriber, you will receive an email each week giving you a link which you can click on. This takes you to a page from which you can download any of the documents in your choice of formats. This email is sent at least two weeks in advance, giving lots of time for sermon preparation, individual preparation for the Sunday service, etc. Occasionally they may not be available (due to sickness, foreign travel, etc.) but since the debut in December 1995, this is yet to happen.
- For personal computers, the documents are available in four formats:
- for DOS: WordPerfect 5.1
- for Windows: WordPerfect 6 to 2002 and Microsoft Word 97
- for various platforms: Abode Acrobat PDF
- Comments Combo, a Palm DOC file, includes Comments, Introductions, Clippings, and the readings.
- Because I like to know my audience at least a little, when you email requesting a subscription, I will email back a questionnaire asking where you are in the world, your preferred format, a short profile of your parish and a short autobiography. I also ask that you tell me how you intend to use Comments and whether you intend to contribute financially to the Comments ministry. Believing that money should never be a barrier to understanding the good news, I consider myself privileged to make Comments a gift to those who are financially challenged. I also look forward to hearing of your successes (and failures) in using Comments.
- I hold a Ph.D. in Engineering, and (time spent on Comments permitting!) I consult independently in financial, computer and telecommunications engineering. I returned to university part-time to study theology in 1989, and have studied at the graduate level.
- I always try to present the theological issues involved in the readings as clearly and completely as I can in Comments in non-technical (common sense) language. Where a number of interpretations seem equally valid, I present the one which is easier for those without a theological background to understand. Other valid interpretations are presented in Clippings. A Glossary of Terms used in Clippings is available on this website.
And now for the monetary side of Comments
- I am an independent consultant. This means I am paid by the hour, for the hours I have time to work. Writing and editing Comments takes about eight hours each week; administration of Comments consumes another few hours. Comments, along with parish and diocesan duties, takes a chunk out of each week. This is time I happily spend, but it does not put bread on the family dining table!
- Keeping up the standards of Comments requires access to new commentaries by experts. (All Comments are prepared using at least three commentaries, and sometimes more.) Commentaries, and other theological books, are expensive.
- I therefore welcome donations, of any amount, to my Book Fund. Your subscription is my gift to you for the first three months. I will then email you to ask whether you are finding the distributed material useful, and if you are and are financially able, whether you are willing to make a regular contribution to the ministry. If you are financially challenged, I hope that you will continue to accept my gift. In any event, the material remains freely available on this website at all times.
- If Comments is to be included in your Sunday bulletin and your Sunday attendance is 100 or so, I suggest your quarterly contribution be $25. If you draw more on a Sunday, more would be appropriate. If you use Comments for personal study, a lesser amount would suit.
A Note to non-Canadian Subscribers
- The Comments are in Canadian English. If you wish to americanize (or anglicize) the spelling, feel free to do so.
- The $25 suggested above is in Canadian funds. A rough equivalent is $20 U.S.