Fr. Jim Tucker at Dappled Things has posted his own take on my thoughts about the subjunctive. I am inclined to agree with him, with the proviso that the subjunctive holds temptations that require special vigilance. It is very easy to go from "What if" in a sense of wonder and humility to "if only..." in a sense of resentment. And the line isn't always clear, at least to me.

After all, how can I know if it is my cross to bear, to witness a problem or to solve it?