Saint Patrick's Cathedral, Karachi

St. Patrick's Cathedral, Karachi

This was Wikipedia's photo of the day recently. It reminded us of the painted churches of Texas. There are many of them, but here are a couple that I featured.

Journey to Reality: Sacramental Life in a Secular Age

As modern people, we also need to come to two realizations. We need to understand the ancient, sacramental perspective, but we can't do that without simultaneously understanding on how our own modern, secular perspective influences our thinking.

... In order to understand to understand sacramental Christianity, we have to encounter the sacraments on their own terms. We have to enter into that life and become a part of it; nothing can substitute for that experience. But in order to do this well, in order to hear what the sacraments are trying to tell us, we must take seriously the possibility that we are more secular than we realize—and understand clearly what that means.

This is a really wonderful book that helps us separate the secular thinking we swim in from the sacramental Christian thinking which helps us understand God and reality. Of course, this deepens our relationship with God. It also gives us the tools to be able to share this with others. Understanding what the ancient Christians' perspective not only changes how we think, it also will help completely secular people have a better understanding of Christianity and God.

Zachary Porcu does this wonderfully with simple examples that are woven throughout the book so that we are building on the meaning and context he puts before us. My mind was blown by the concept of the Arché and ultimate reality. As a devout Catholic, I'm a sacramental Christian so many of the concepts Porcu introduced were familiar. But he put a different spin on my understanding which deepened everything.

Highly recommended and this will be on my Best of 2026 list.

Solemnity of the Assumption of Mary (with some modern science commentary)

It's a Holy Day of Obligation! Check local Mass times!

Adam and Eve with the Virgin Mary (detail), Correggio, Assumption of the Virgin
via Khan Academy

The Assumption is the oldest feast day of Our Lady, but we don't know how it first came to be celebrated. ...

On November 1, 1950, Pius XII defined the dogma of the Assumption. Thus he solemnly proclaimed that the belief whereby the Blessed Virgin Mary, at the close of her earthly life, was taken up, body and soul, into the glory of heaven, definitively forms part of the deposit of faith, received from the Apostles. To avoid all that is uncertain the Pope did not state either the manner or the circumstances of time and place in which the Assumption took place — only the fact of the Assumption of Mary, body and soul, into the glory of heaven, is the matter of the definition.

Catholic Culture, where there is a lot more info

Each year on the Assumption of Mary I like to revisit this from The Anchoress. Because it blows my mind. And the Assumption is a good time for mind-blowing. This was originally posted this at Patheos where the original post link no longer works:

When studying Anatomy and Physiology in college, the lesson that briefly discussed fetomaternal microchimerism, became instructive to me on a different level. Learning that every child leaves within his mother a microscopic bit of himself — and that it remains within her forever — the dogma of the Immaculate Conception instantly became both crystal clear and brilliant to me.

Mary, then, was indeed a tabernacle within which the Divinity did reside — not for a limited time, but for all of her life. Understanding this (and considering how the churches seemed to get it ‘way before microscopes told us anything) the Immaculate Conception made and makes perfect sense: God, who is All-Good is also completely Pure; the vessel in which He resides, then, must be pure, too, or it would not be able to sustain all of that “light in which we see light itself.”

Microchimerism also relates to the dogma of the Assumption of Mary, as well. In the psalms we read “you will not suffer your beloved to undergo corruption.” Christ’s divine body did not undergo corruption. It follows that his mother’s body, which contained a cellular component of the Divinity — and a particle of God is God, entire — would not be allowed to become corrupt, either.

I believed it anyway, but that made sense on several levels. Incredible.

Assumption of the Virgin, Correggio
where the above detail is included
Click through to the link to look at it enlarged.

Memorial of St. Maximilian Mary Kolbe, priest and martyr

I could only thank him with my eyes. I was stunned and could hardly grasp what was going on. The immensity of it: I, the condemned, am to live and someone else willingly and voluntarily offers his life for me - a stranger. Is this some dream?

I was put back into my place without having had time to say anything to Maximilian Kolbe. I was saved. And I owe to him the fact that I could tell you all this. The news quickly spread all round the camp. It was the first and the last time that such an incident happened in the whole history of Auschwitz.

For a long time I felt remorse when I thought of Maximilian. By allowing myself to be saved, I had signed his death warrant. But now, on reflection, I understood that a man like him could not have done otherwise. Perhaps he thought that as a priest his place was beside the condemned men to help them keep hope. In fact he was with them to the last.

Testimony of Franciszek Gajowniczek,

for whom Maximilian Kolbe offered himself at Auschwitz

I have long admired Maximilian Kolbe for a lot of reasons. The most famous story about him is that of his martyrdom, when he stepped forward to offer himself in place of a married man with children.

Before World War II, Kolbe traveled to Asia and throughout Europe teaching and preaching the Gospel. He used the latest technology with the most modern printing and radio techniques. He planned to begin a motion picture studio. And then he was imprisoned in 1941 by the Nazis. He was known for walking among the bunks at night, quietly saying, "I am a Catholic priest. Can I do anything for you?"

When a prisoner escaped, Franciszek Gajowniczek was one of the ten men chosen for death in retaliation. He sobbed, "My poor wife! My poor children! What will they do?

Maximilian Kolbe stepped forward before the commandant and said, "I am a Catholic priest. Let me take his place. I am old. He has a wife and children."

It took the prisoners over two weeks to die, imprisoned with no food or water, but the sounds of hymns and prayers came from the room until only Father Kolbe was left. The room was needed for more prisoners so he was killed by injection and his body was burned in the crematorium. I often think of what a blessing his presence was and what a difference he made in helping those men in their ordeal.

Maximilian Kolbe was canonized in 1982 by Pope John Paul II and declared a martyr of charity. He is the patron against drug addiction and for drug addicts, families, prisoners, journalists, and the pro-life movement. He was declared "The Patron Saint of Our Difficult Century" by Saint Pope John Paul II.

I think of the problems we face in our culture, the technology we have available to use in spreading the good news, the choices we sometimes are faced with ... and Maximilian Kolbe is modern enough to be a shining example of how to show God's love and truth.

Truly Saint Maximilian Kolbe is a saint for our time.

More indepth reading:

• Eye witness testimony from Auschwitz
• Maximilian Kolbe: Catholic Subversive by The Anchoress. A good overview of Kolbe's life.
• Catholic Culture has tons of wonderful resources: articles, prayers, recipes, activities and links. 

Schönschreibmeister Sample

Schönschreibmeister Sample
via BibliOdyssey

I'm a sucker for typography and calligraphy. This is like the best of both. Do go over to BibliOdyssey to see all the samples. They are exquisite.

Literature Versus Fantasy Literature

Oftentimes fantasy literature is criticized exactly for being escapist; that it tries to create in people a feeling of another world they can go to and that distracts them from the important things they are supposed to be doing in this present world. I think there is a distinct and unpleasant whiff of the most repellent elements of Marxism and Leninism in that criticism of escape. ... It subordinates literature and it makes it a kind of propaganda, rather than a kind of art.

Michael C. Drout; Rings, Swords, and Monsters course

We don't need explanation about why I shared this do we? Preaching to the Choir, yep that's what we do here.

Ornamental Typography

Via BibliOdyssey

I truly love ornamental typography. Click through on the link to see many of the other letters in this alphabet.

Jezebel's Real Sin

This highlights again what happens when our eyes are opened by experience and context and we then turn them upon something old and familiar only to see it in entirely new light. It is from Agatha Christie's memoir of trips to Syria with her archaeologist husband shortly before World War II, Come Tell Me How You Live. It's one of my favorite books.

An immense dinner materializes in next to no time, and after it, tired and comfortable, with special delicacies in honor of holiday and Mac's arrival (Turkish Delight, preserved aubergines, bars of chocolate and cigars), we sit and talk, for once of subjects other than archaeology.

We come to the question of religions generally--a very vexed question in this particular part of the world, for Syria is full of fiercely fanatical sects of all kinds, all willing to cut each other's throats for the good cause! From there we fall to discussing the story of the Good Samaritan. All the Bible and New Testament stories take on a particular reality and interest out here. They are couched in the language and ideology which we hear daily all around us, and I am often struck by the way the emphasis sometimes shifts from what one has commonly accepted. As a small instance, it came to me quite suddenly that in the story of Jezebel, it is the painting of her face the or tiring of her hair that emphasizes in puritanical Protestant surroundings what exactly a "Jezebel" stands for. But out here it is not the painting and tiring--for all virtuous women paint their faces (or tattoo them), and apply henna to their hair--it is the fact that Jezebel looked out of the window--a definitely immodest act!

Landscape Alphabet

Early 20th century, L.E.M. Jones.

I love alphabets and the creative ways that artists find to display letters. When I first saw these I fell in love. It was really hard to choose which to include here to try to lure you into looking at all of them.

I love the C for the creative use of the ocean. I love the Y for the cows. I love the cottage and cottager hidden mid-Z, as well as the little pond at the bottom of the hill.

These can be found at the British Museum. Just click on a letter to see it up close. Their description is brief: "Series of 26 landscape scenes shaped as letters of the alphabet; rebound in a 20th-century binding."

Julie has an idea for a solid dance number but Scott is still recovering from jumping through that brick wall.

 We discuss Singin' in the Rain starring Gene Kelly, Donald O'Connor, and Debbie Reynolds. It's episode 385 of A Good Story is Hard to Find! Join us!

Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose

John Singer Sargent (1856–1925); Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose
via Wikipedia

I've run this a few times before but I love it so much that we're getting it again today.

Just Plain Fun Reading — Dungeon Crawler Carl

The apocalypse will be televised!

You know what’s worse than breaking up with your girlfriend? Being stuck with her prize-winning show cat. And you know what’s worse than that? An alien invasion, the destruction of all man-made structures on Earth, and the systematic exploitation of all the survivors for a sadistic intergalactic game show. That’s what.

Join Coast Guard vet Carl and his ex-girlfriend’s cat, Princess Donut, as they try to survive the end of the world—or just get to the next level—in a video game–like, trap-filled fantasy dungeon. A dungeon that’s actually the set of a reality television show with countless viewers across the galaxy. Exploding goblins. Magical potions. Deadly, drug-dealing llamas. This ain’t your ordinary game show.

Welcome, Crawler. Welcome to the Dungeon. Survival is optional. Keeping the viewers entertained is not.

Definitely silly, enjoyable fluff, especially since I love role playing computer games (Pillars of Eternity, Baldur's Gate 3, Divinity Original Sin 2, etc.). This book series is up to 8 volumes at this point. I read the first few on the Kindle and then turned to the excellent audio as the books got increasingly complicated. It's insanity, but inspired insanity and I was really surprised to find myself tearing up at the end of the seventh book.

This is a self publishing success, with the first book coming out in 2020 and Dinniman continuing to put out a book every year until eventually it was picked up by a traditional publisher. The series has sold almost 14 million copies. A tv show is in the works though I'm darned if I can see how they'll pull it off. I love the story of this author's success!

I also understand why people ask Dinniman to autograph their feet. Read the first book and all will be come clear.

A Marked Stop Brings Right Perception

Taking into account where he was, the interest that had first brought him there when he had been free to keep away, and the gentle presence that was equally inseparable from the walls and bars about him and from the impalpable remembrances of his later life which no walls nor bars could imprison, it was not remarkable that everything his memory turned upon should bring him round again to Little Dorrit. Yet it was remarkable to him; not because of the fact itself; but because of the reminder it brought with it, how much the dear little creature had influenced his better resolutions.

None of us clearly know to whom or to what we are indebted in this wise, until some marked stop in the whirling wheel of life brings the right perception with it. It comes with sickness, it comes with sorrow, it comes with the loss of the dearly loved, it is one of the most frequent uses of adversity.

Charles Dickens, Little Dorrit

I read this to Tom and he said, "That is just simply true." Yes. It is. Little Dorrit ... what a book.

The Valkyrie

The Valkyrie via Brandywine Books