The Whole World Listened

But when the fairy sang the whole world listened to him. Stephen felt clouds pause in their passing; he felt sleeping hills shift and murmur; he felt cold mists dance. He understood for the first time that the world is not dumb at all, but merely waiting for someone to speak to it in a language it understands. In the fairy’s song the earth recognized the names by which it called itself.

Susanna Clarke, Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell

This is so beautifully written and says so much to readers about the nature of fairy magic (as opposed to English magic). But mostly I love it for how it took hold of my imagination.

Sin and Trampling on People

I've done many things that I thought I would never dare do because they were sins. But I didn't realize then that the consequence of sin is that you have to trample on other people.

Sigrid Undset, Kristin Lavransdatter

Kristin Lavransdatter was an incredibly rich read during Lent. This quote shows you a little bit of why that is.

The first job in the morning

It comes the very moment you wake up each morning. All your wishes and hopes for the day rush at you like wild animals. And the first job each morning consists simply in shoving them all back; in listening to that other voice, taking that other point of view, letting that other larger, stronger, quieter life come flowing in. And so on, all day. Standing back from all your natural fussings and frettings; coming in out of the wind.

C.S. Lewis

This is especially appropriate for me since I've been reading Romano Guardini's book about prayer which is talking about "recollectedness." And recollectedness is that "coming in out of the wind" that Lewis mentions, during which we may hear that other voice and let that other life come flowing in.

Challenging orthodoxy

At any given moment there is an orthodoxy, a body of ideas of which it is assumed that all right-thinking people will accept without question. It is not exactly forbidden to say this, that or the other, but it is "not done" to say it ... Anyone who challenges the prevailing orthodoxy finds himself silenced with surprising effectiveness. A genuinely unfashionalb eopinion is almost never given a fair hearing, eithe rin the popular press or in the high-brow periodicals

George Orwell

As we all know, "the more things change, the more they stay the same."

Blessings and Afflictions

Let's all keep this in mind as we race to meet the deadline for income taxes!

"I dreamed I was getting a guided tour of heaven?" Emmylou says. "I was wearing a jumpsuit and a hard hat and my tour guide, he was the same as I was, and we were in this giant building, kind of an industrial shed like in those boring old movies they used to show us in high school, how they make paper or ice cream. And there was this big huge machine in it, whirring and clanking away, and there was a conveyor belt coming out of one end of it, and on the conveyor belt were rows of golden bricks, but softer: they looked like giant Twinkies, row after row of them, and when they got to the end of the conveyor belt they fell off of it. I looked to see where they were falling to and I saw that there was a big hole in the floor there and through it I could see clouds and blue sky and the earth far below. I asked the guide what the Twinkie things were, and he said they were blessings, and I remember thinking, in the dream, how marvelous is the Lord showering all these blessings down on us. Then we moved on, across an alley and into another big huge shed with the same kind of machine cranking away, the same conveyor belt, the same giant Twinkies falling down, and I said to the guide, 'Oh, these are more blessings,' and he said, 'No, those are afflictions,' and I said, 'Oh, but they look just the same as the blessings,' and he said, 'They are the same!'"

Valley of Bones by Michael Gruber

This is why St. Paul tells us "In all circumstances give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus" (1 Thessalonians 5:18). Jesus' point of view is all encompassing and he sees far beyond our current moment to the good we might experience from our afflictions. I have experienced this myself. Never gonna love those afflictions but with the vantage point of time and trust we can see the blessings that come from them.

I see that I never officially reviews the book. A partial review is here. Super thought provoking and gets tons of things right, just as you can see above.

The Bible in Couplets

I'm a sucker for this kind of thing. I shared it here before way back in '05 and once more since then. High time to read it again!

Read aloud for full impact.

The Bible in Couplets
by Christopher Howse

God makes the heavens and the earth
And finds them very nice.

When Adam eats forbidden fruit
He forfeits Paradise.

Mankind grows worse, but Noah's ark
Keeps eight souls in the dry.

There's much begetting; Abraham
Is chosen by and by.

His progeny are Egypt's slaves
Till Moses leads them out;

The Ten Commandments tell them what
Morality's about.

The Israelites gain Canaan, and
Surrounding peoples smite.

King David takes Bathsheba from
Uriah the Hittite,

He then repents, writes psalms, but sins
By numbering Israel,

Repents again, is told by God
His house shall never fail.

A golden temple of the Lord
Is built by Solomon.

The exiled Israelites hang harps
In fluvial Babylon.

Lions don't eat Daniel; Job gets boils;
The prophets prophesy;

Jonah meets fish; the Preacher says
That all is vanity.

Jesus is born in Bethlehem
And is baptised by John

In Jordan, and the Spirit dove
Then him descends upon.

He heals the sick, walks on the sea
And multiplies the bread,

Shares supper with apostles, then
Is crucified, and dead.

He rises from the dead, is seen
By many, then ascends

To heaven, from which he'll return
It says, when this world ends.

Saul (later Paul) falls off his horse,
Turns Christian, hits the trail,

Writes letters to the churches and
Ends life locked up in jail.

Four horsemen, beasts and trumpets fill
The Book of Revelation,

Whose meaning has been subject to
Much vexed interpretation.

My little children in Christ, my joy and my crown

Masaccio. Baptism of the Neophytes

I speak to you who have just been reborn in baptism, my little children in Christ, you who are the new offspring of the Church, gift of the Father, proof of Mother Church's fruitfulness. All of you who stand fast in the Lord are a holy seed, a new colony of bees, the very flower of our ministry and fruit of our toil, my joy and my crown. ...

St. Augustine, Sermo 8

I love how tenderly this is expressed.

Remember, Easter continues until Pentecost, which is May 24 this year. Keep the celebration going!

C.S. Lewis on writing The Screwtape Letters

If Screwtape was written with complete sincerity, the actual task of writing it proved to be remarkably unpleasant. "Though I had never written anything more easily," Lewis recalled, "I never wrote with less enjoyment. Though it was easy to twist one's mind into the diabolical attitude, it was not fun or not for long. The strain produced a sort of spiritual cramp. The world into which I had to project myself while I spoke through Screwtape was all dust, grit, thirst, and itch. It almost smothered me before I was done.

Humphrey Carpenter, The Inklings

Our Catholic women's book club is going to be discussing the Screwtape Letters tonight. This gives it extra focus. Lewis was truly chanelling something diabolical.

Easter Friday: Here are the beginnings of creatures newly formed

Icon of the Resurrection

Here, then, is the grace conferred by these heavenly mysteries, the gift which Easter brings, the most longed for feast of the year; here are the beginnings of creatures newly formed: children born from the life giving font of holy Church, born anew with the simplicity of little ones, and crying out with the evidence of a clean conscience. Chaste fathers and inviolate mothers accompany this new family, countless in number, born to new life through faith. As they emerge from the grace giving womb of the font, a blaze of candles burns brightly beneath the tree of faith. The Easter festival brings the grace of holiness from heaven to men. Through the repeated celebration of the sacred mysteries they receive the spiritual nourishment of the sacraments. ...

Easter homily by an ancient author,
via the Liturgy of the Hours

I loved this because it took me back to when I, too, was newly formed and coming into my new life in the Church.

Our hearts are divided

Continued from Monday's quote ...

There is no one, Kristin, who does not love and fear God. But it’s because our hearts are divided between love for God and fear of the Devil, and love for this world and this flesh, that we are miserable in life and death. For if a man knew no yearning for God and God’s being, then he would thrive in Hell, and we alone would not understand that he had found his heart’s desire. Then the fire would not burn him if he did not long for coolness, and he would not feel the pain of the serpent’s bite if he did not long for peace.

Kristin looked up into his face; she understood nothing of what he said.

Brother Edvin continued, “It was because of God’s mercy toward us that He saw how our hearts were split, and He came down to live among us, in order to taste, in fleshly form, the temptations of the Devil when he entices us with power and glory, and the menace of the world when it offers us blows and contempt and the wounds of sharp nails in our hands and feet. In this manner He showed us the way and allowed us to see His love.”

Sigrid Undset, Kristin Lavransdatter

Definitely worth our contemplation during Lent

The dragon is awfully small

“It seems to me that the dragon is awfully small,” said Kristin, looking at the image of the saint who was her namesake. “It doesn’t look as if it could swallow up the maiden.”

“And it couldn’t, either,” said Brother Edvin. “It was no bigger than that. Dragons and all other creatures that serve the Devil only seem big as long as we harbor fear within ourselves. But if a person seeks God with such earnestness and desire that he enters into His power, then the power of the Devil at once suffers such a great defeat that his instruments become small and impotent. Dragons and evil spirits shrink until they are no bigger than goblins and cats and crows. As you can see, the whole mountain that Saint Sunniva was trapped inside is so small that it will fit on the skirt of her cloak.”

“But weren’t they inside the caves?” asked Kristin. “Saint Sunniva and the Selje men? Isn’t that true?”

The monk squinted at her and smiled again.

“It’s both true and not true. It seemed to be true for the people who found the holy bodies. And it seemed true to Sunniva and the Selje men, because they were humble and believed that the world is stronger than all sinful people. They did not imagine that they might be stronger than the world because they did not love it. But if they had only known, they could have taken all the mountains and flung them out into the sea like tiny pebbles. No one and nothing can harm us, child, except what we fear and love.”
Sigrid Undset, Kristin Lavransdatter

I'll continue this on Wednesday. You can see why this is perfect Lenten reading. These sorts of conversations are the backdrop for how we see Kristin's life go and the decisions she makes.

Laugh—or else beware the cart

A man is sufficiently condemned if it can only be shown that either in politics or religion he does not belong to some new school established within the last score of years. He may then regard himself as rubbish and expect to be carted away. A man is nothing now unless he has within him a full appreciation of the new era, an era in which it would seem that neither honesty nor truth is very desirable, but in which success is the only touchstone of merit. We must laugh at everything that is established. Let the joke be ever so bad, ever so untrue to the real principles of joking; nevertheless we must laugh—or else beware the cart.

Anthony Trollope, Barchester Towers

This shows a little of Trollope's genius and how enjoyable his books are. We're still living in those days — progress forward of be condemned as rubbish.

The Great Flood, Universal Story

The history of the earth (or so geologists tell us) has been punctuated by great castastrophes which apparently wiped out entire life forms. But onlyone echoes down in the words and stories of a dozen different races. ... The historian cannot ignore the Great Flood; it is the closes thing to a universal story that the human race possesses.

Susan Wise Bauer, History of the Ancient World

I love that the geologists are not really scientific enough for the historians. Talk about a high level of proof needed — please write your notes for future generations.

Marriage: building a third personality

He lay and thought of the way in which two people, each with their own definite personality, could build up a third personality, a greater and more exciting one, to shre between them. Without Frances, however definite his own personality might be, he was incomplete.

Helen MacInnes, Above Suspicion

Nothing could be truer than this quote. It's funny that when this was read at a recent book club, someone pointed out that this quote is the perfect summary of JPII's Theology of the Body. I love that!

Embracing Obedience and Finding the Cross

We should not be surprised if, when we embrace obedience, we find the Cross. Obedience demands, for love of God, the renunciation of our self, of ourmost intimate will. However, Jesus helps and makes the way easier if we are humble. St. Teresa tells us: Once the Lord told me that I was not obeying, unless I was determined to suffer. I must fix my eyes on all that he had suffered and I should find everything easy.

Francis Fernandez, In Conversation with God, vol. 1

(St. Teresa of Avila, Life)

I've said it before and I'll say it again. I keep having to rediscover this truth, usually when I'm most annoyed by the personal cost of obedience. This is good medicine and helps set me straight.

God's not "all business"

I'm sure God would have created the world very differently if he wanted us to be all business. Instead he generously sprinkles opportunities to laugh and play and adore and savor.

Shemiah Gonzalez's friend Starlene,

Undaunted Joy

We like to be efficient a lot of the time. God's just not that way.

Joy does not nullify suffering.

Joy does not nullify suffering. On the contrary it transforms suffering. Joy shines bright, takes the power away from evil, and laughs in the face of deception and turmoil. "You will not take me!" joy says, shaking its fist. Because joy comes from outside oneself. It does not come from ourselves but from an act of surrender. Joy comes from surrendering oneself to God.

Shemaiah Gonzalez, Undaunted Joy

This was my second favorite book of last year. This quote shows you why. Truth in joyfulness.

Help becomes honorable, because it may become mutual.

Help is humiliating when it appeals to men from below, taking heed only of their material wants. It humiliates when there is no reciprocity. When you give the poor man nothing but bread or clothes, there is no likelihood of his ever giving you in return.

But help honors when it appeals to him from above. It respects him when it deals with his soul, with his religious, moral and political education, and with all that emancipates him from his passions. Help honors when, to the bread that nourishes, it adds the visit that consoles, advice that enlightens, the friendly handshake that lifts up flagging courage. It esteems the poor man when it treats him with respect, not only as an equal but a superior, since he is capable of suffering what we perhaps are incapable of suffering. After all, he is the messenger of God to us, sent to prove our justice and our charity and to save us by our works.

Help then becomes honorable, because it may become mutual. Every man who gives a kind word, good advice, a consolation today, may tomorrow need a kind word, advice or consolation The hand that you clasp, clasps yours in return That indigent family whom you love, loves you in return and will have largely acquitted them­selves toward you when they shall have prayed for you.

Frederic Ozanam, 1848, "De l'Aumône" (On Almsgiving)

published in the newspaper L’Ère Nouvelle.

Quoted in Voices of the Saints by Bert Ghezzi

This is the heart of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. It can't be better expressed how we are benefitted by our neighbors while they are being helped by us. Truly, this is something of the Lord. It is also the heart of our founder, Frederic Ozanam. The more I read about him, the more I admire him.

Why was John the Baptist killed?

I need add no commentary to this.

Why was John the Baptist eventually killed?

It wasn't because he preached about God.

It wasn't because he said a Messiah was coming.

It was because he told people to reform their lives.

It was because he told Herod he shouldn't have married his half-brother's wife.

John was preaching a touch message of personal and moral reform.

No one will kill me or get angry with me because I say, "I believe in God." But if I start talking about how the teachings of Jesus should change the world, or how the teachings of Jesus should change the way we live—for this people could get mad at me.

Little Blue Book, Advent 2025

Why let worry spoil right now?

If you know that whatever you're worried about would be resolved tomorrow, would you still let it spoil today? If not, then why let it spoil right now?

Father Mike Schmitz

This is the thought that makes it possible for me to go back to sleep in the middle of the night when I wake up with something on my mind. I'll let Jesus handle it. And face it tomorrow morning. (To be fair, it calms me in the middle of the day also.)