The Sadducees' Question, Part I

LUKE 20:27-40
The Sadducees suddenly appear after Jesus has silenced the Sanhedrin. They ask Jesus what seems like a ridiculous question about a woman whose husband dies and is then married in turn to each of his seven brothers as they die one by one. Their question is who the woman will be married to in heaven. William Barclay points out that this question depends on two things. First, it depends on the Mosaic regulations about marriage and, second, it depends on what the Sadducees believe. Really the question only seems silly because we don't know where the Sadducees were coming from. Barclay outlines the differences between the Pharisees and Sadducees so we have a clear frame of reference.

(a) The Pharisees were entirely a religious body. They had no political ambitions and were content with any government which allowed them to carry out the ceremonial law. The Sadducees were few but very wealthy. The priests and the aristocrats were nearly all Sadducees. They were the governing class; and they were largely collaborationist with Rome, being unwilling to risk losing their wealth, their comfort and their place.

(b) the Pharisees accepted the scriptures plus all the thousand detailed regulations and rules of the oral and ceremonial law ... The Sadducees accepted only the written laws of the Old Testament; and in the Old Testament they stressed only the law of Moses and set no store on the prophetic books.

(c) The Pharisees believed in the resurrection from the dead and in angels and spirits. The Sadducees held that there was no resurrection from the dead and that there were no angels or spirits.

(d) the Pharisees believed in fate; and that a man's life was planned and ordered by God. The Sadducees believed in unrestricted free will.

(e) the Pharisees believed in and hoped for the coming of the Messiah; the Sadducees did not. For them the coming of the Messiah would have been a disturbance of their carefully ordered lives.

Two Great Chinese Cookbooks

When I was first out of college and had that heady experience of running the kitchen for myself, I'd never really had any Chinese food. My gourmet parents didn't cotton to all the chopping that they'd have to do for any sort of Asian cooking. All I needed was one time at a fairly authentic Chinese restaurant and I was hooked. Naturally, I turned to books...

THE KEY TO CHINESE COOKING by Irene Kuo
Irene Kuo has been called the Julia Child of Chinese cooking and she deserves the title. This is the cookbook I used to teach myself Chinese cooking and it has every technique I have ever seen mentioned in any other Asian cookbook. Kuo writes so clearly that there is not much need for illustration, although there are some when describing cutting techniques and ingredients. More importantly, she has a love for her craft that comes through clearly and makes you understand why various techniques even matter. There is a plethora of recipes, many of which are amazingly simple to yield such authentic results. She rightly points out that there is much more than stir-frying to Chinese food and proceeds to instruct in red-cooking, shallow frying, and much more that adds timing flexibility many may not expect from Chinese cooking. Many of the recipes are very simple but the flavor is authentic. If you've ever been interested in Chinese cooking this is the only cookbook you'll ever need.

EASY FAMILY RECIPES FROM A CHINESE-AMERICAN CHILDHOOD by Ken Hom
This is another favorite that shows how simple and easy Chinese cooking can be. Ken Hom gives some of the recipes that his working mother used to put together 4-course meals in an hour, night after night when he was growing up in Chicago's Chinatown. He worked in his uncle's restaurant and also gives us a lot of recipes for those long-time American favorites ... both the restaurant menu version (for Americans) and the "secret menu" version (for Chinese patrons). Hom has been teaching cooking for a long time and it shows. These are very accessible and will please everyone in your family. Believe me, if Hannah likes these meals, then anyone will!

The Entry of the King

LUKE 19:28-40
In the Gospel of John Bible Study I attended this summer, it was made very clear that Jesus often deliberately provoked confrontation with the Pharisees. Other than a few obvious examples such as driving the moneychangers from the Temple, I never really thought of Jesus in those terms. But time and again Jesus takes it to the Pharisees in ways that they simply cannot ignore.

Here is another such time. Jesus enters Jerusalem on a colt. We so often look at this scene for all the other significance familiar to us, but William Barclay points out just what message this had for the Jews of that time. It was an act of defiance that no one could fail to understand. Even in this moment, however, Jesus was telling everyone something more ... that the Messiah was a king of peace. He gave them chance after chance to get the point but they closed their eyes to it. We must hope that seeing all these examples leaves us with our eyes just a little wider open.

We have to note certain things about this entry into Jerusalem.

(i) It was carefully planned. It was no sudden, impulsive action. Jesus did not leave things until the last moment. He had his arrangement with the owners of the colt. The Lord needs it was a password chosen long ago.

(ii) It was an act of glorious defiance and of superlative courage. By this time there was a price on Jesus' head (John 11:57). It would have been natural that, if he must go into Jerusalem at all, he should have slipped in unseen and hidden away in some secret place in the back streets. But he entered in such a way as to focus the whole lime-light upon himself and to occupy the center of the stage.

(iii) It was a deliberate claim to be king, a deliberate fulfilling of the picture in Zechariah 9:9. But even in this Jesus underlined the kind of kingship which he claimed. The ass in Palestine was not the lowly beast that it is in this country. It was noble. Only in war did kings ride upon a horse; when they came in peace they came upon an ass. So Jesus by this action came as a king of love and peace, and not as the conquering military hero whom the mob expected and awaited.

Happy Birthday, Hannah!

And now we end our month-long celebration of Hannah's 16th birthday (trip to San Francisco, etc.) with the actual event itself. I know she'll appreciate the sidebar quote that was chosen specially for her. Happy birthday, Hannah!

Back to School ... for the Whole Family

Hannah and Rose sure are taking some interesting classes this year and we're hearing all about them. I'd forgotten that not only do we wind up discussing teachers and classmates but the actual subjects being studied. Quelle surprise! Well, my French is rusty but it won't be for long because Rose is coming home and practicing her one or two sentences with me after every class. We were treated to the story of one teacher's attempts to get his students to think for themselves and question the status quo (World History). This fell on unappreciative ears as Rose is schooled in that daily at home and didn't necessarily agree with the teacher's bent. However, she can look on it as an interesting sociology experiment happening in front of her eyes.

Hannah and I discussed an alternative theory for the disappearance of Roanoke colony this morning (AP American History). Last night, she gave Tom and I a short review of Socrates and his encounter with the Delphi Oracle. Socrates was then contrasted and compared to excerpts of a bestseller named Sophie's World which the teacher said was horribly written but accurately represented some philosophical ideas. Hannah approved neither of the writing nor whichever idea was being presented in the excerpt. Her Ancient Philosophy teacher is going to be pleased if Hannah's name gets drawn out of the hat to be one of the four students discussing the readings for the day.

There's certainly going to be a high level of conversation going on around here for a while!

Ingredient Alert

Don't you hate it when you read about some wonderful new food, try it, and then love it? You'd think that I'd quit trying these new, usually expensive treats but nooooooo, I fall for it every time ... and then I'm hooked. Here are the latest "must tries" I've found at the Central Market.

GREEK YOGURT DRIZZLED WITH HONEY
Fage is a brand of authentic Greek yogurt that comes in 0%, 2% and full fat. The Dallas Morning News food section highlighted Fage's packaging of yogurt with Greek honey that you can drizzle on top. Well, I was at least smart enough to buy the yogurt separately and drizzle it with my own honey. Fage's package has a very small amount of yogurt for the same price as their regular 7 ounce package ($1.99 - ouch!). I got the full fat yogurt (in for a penny, in for a pound) and what a treat it was. It is as thick as sour cream with a slight tang. Drizzled with honey it is luscious. I can't afford the price ... or the fat ... very often but, believe me, I'm gonna get this as often as I can. Next up is to try the lower fat versions.

SMART CHICKEN
All birds are raised on a 100% natural diet and cooled individually with purified, cold air. This process also preserves the quality of the meat. That's the technical mumbo jumbo. What I noticed was less fat, intense flavor, and firm texture that retained moistness. This is one great chicken. Naturally, you don't get this without a price but I used to pay a lot for organic chickens that didn't come up to these standards. I was sucked into trying it by a woman who practically forced it on me, swearing by the quality. Now I'm pushing it just like that woman at the store. It is habit forming. You have been warned!

Satan's Subtlety Versus Jesus' Liberation

Two Standards: A Prayerful Meditation clearly points out the two ways that Satan and Jesus use to enter our hearts.

Satan lures us so subtly that we don't realize what is happening to us, until we wake up one day, shocked at how far we have drifted from our noble starting point.

Not only that, Satan uses our success to create in us a gradual attraction to worldly recognition and honors.

...The strategy of Jesus is diametrically opposed to the strategy of Satan. Instead of leading us to attachments to worldly possessions, pleasures, and honors, Jesus seeks to liberate us from these attachments.

Moreover, he seeks to liberate us from them to the point that -- with the help of God's grace -- we are ready to choose or accept suffering and humiliations, rather than comfort and honor, providing they lead us closer to God and to greater service to God's Kingdom.

This simplicity of this two page meditation belies the importance of the message. It is just the sort of thing that I need to be reminded of over and over again. Via Catholicism, holiness and spirituality.

Can't Get It Out of My Head

BULLY by Sugarbomb

I never would have heard of this band except that Kelly and Jennifer, the bass player and his wife, are great friends of ours. Well, we're lucky on two counts because this is a great CD even without the friendship factor.

Bully is a great, hard-driving pop album with intelligent, tongue-in-cheek lyrics (that quality put me strongly in mind of Astro Lounge by Smash Mouth). You can pick out bits that sound like other bands (most notably the Beatles and Queen) but they are woven together to make Sugarbomb's own unique, infinitely listenable sound. The songs have great hooks and won't leave your head for days ... which must be why I have been listening to it at work, in the car, and, well, everywhere.

Sugarbomb never made another CD because the album release, which was poised to make them the darlings of the rock world including MTV features, was set for the day which we all know now as September 11. Needless to say, that threw a crimp in the works, and the band members went on to other projects.

As Rose said, "I'm glad that it didn't work out for the band because otherwise we wouldn't know Kelly and Jennifer but on the other hand ... I really wish they'd made another CD." Precisely.

A Familiar View of Divorce

LUKE 16:14-18
Jesus tells the Pharisees about the unchangeable nature of the law, "it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one dot of the law to become invalid." As an example, he then tells them that anyone who divorces their spouse and marries another is committing adultery. The historical perspective on this is especially interesting because I never realized that divorce back then was so easy ... at least for the man ... and that it was endangering family life altogether. Sound familiar? William Barclay explains.

As an illustration of law that would never pass away Jesus took the law of chastity. This very definite statement of Jesus must be read against the contemporary background of Jewish life. The Jew glorified fidelity and chastity ... A Jew must surrender his life rather than commit idolatry, murder or adultery.

But the tragedy was that at this time the marriage bond was on the way to being destroyed. In the eyes of Jewish law a woman was a thing. She could divorce her husband only if he became a leper or an apostate or if he ravished a virgin ...

The matter turned on the interpretation of the phrase some indecency [the qualifier in Mosaic law that allowed a man to divorce his wife] in the Mosaic regulation. The school of Shammai said that meant adultery and adultery alone. The school of Hillel said it could mean "if she spoiled a dish of food; if she spun in the street; if she talked to a strange man"... Human nature being what it is, it was the school of Hillel which prevailed, so that, in the time of Jesus things were so bad that women were refusing to marry at all and family life was in danger.

What Can Stop Six Lanes of Traffic on Northwest Highway?

A dignified mother duck waddling across with her 10 tiny balls of fluff in a straight line behind her, that's what. Adorable and heartwarming. It brightened my whole day so much that I didn't even mind when I discovered the screw stuck in my back tire (thanks to the nice mother behind me in the car park line who pointed it out).

Stepping Into a Fantasy World

THE SECRET COUNTRY TRILOGY by Pamela Dean
The Secret Country
The Hidden Land
The Whim of the Dragon

For the past nine years, cousins Patrick, Ruth, Ellen, Ted, and Laura have played at "The Secret" -- a game full of witches, unicorns, a magic ring and court intrigue. In The Secret, they can imagine anything into reality, and shape destiny. Then the unbelievable happens: by trick or by chance, they find themselves in the Secret Country, their made-up identities now real. They have arrived at the start of their game, with the Country on the edge of war. What was once exciting and wonderful now looms threateningly before them, and no one is sure how to stop it . . . or if they will ever get back home.

This reprinted trilogy is one of the best fantasies ever written. Not only is the story believably written, but Pamela Dean assumes the reader is intelligent enough to handle a complex plot and varied literary allusions. You are kept on your toes along with the main characters who are just barely keeping up as events and people keep changing in ways they never acted out in their "secret."

I have read these time and again and they never fail to please. These may be found in the science fiction/fantasy section although I see they are classified in the "Young Adult" category. Believe me, they are not simple and I really think these were written for adults. The three volumes are really just one long story, with cliffhanger endings, so be sure to read them in order. I was really happy to see they recently have been reprinted. This is my chance to replace my yellowed, brittle copies.

Getting in Touch with the Vatican

ALL THE POPE'S MEN: The Inside Story of How the Vatican Really Thinks by John L. Allen Jr.

Thus when I cover the Vatican, I do not start with the assumption that Church officials are guilty until proven innocent and that the Vatican's motives for any given decision can be assumed to revolve around power and self-interest unless it is shown otherwise. To tell the truth, my experience is that most of the time Vatican officials are trying to make the best calls they can for the common good of the church, based on the information available to them and the political and theological convictions they hold. Once can debate the wisdom of those judgment calls, and I hope this book will provide the tools to do that, but the debate will suffer from fatal confusion unless the challengers appreciate the values Vatican officials are seeking to defend and the logic that led them to particular decisions.

This book is exactly what it says it is, an even-handed attempt to explain how the Vatican's culture: how it thinks, why it reacts as it does, and what typical patterns of behavior can be expected. This is the result of John Allen being on the Vatican beat for years and watching Americans and the Vatican misunderstand each other time and again. Each judges the other from their own cultural vantage point and then jumps to the worst possible conclusion. Allen opens up Vatican thinking by first explaining how the Vatican is set up and then takes us through their psychology, sociology, theology, and the top five myths about the Vatican. He also has special chapters dealing with the Vatican-American misunderstandings over the sexual abuse crisis and the war in Iraq. I skipped all except the summaries for these chapters as by that time I had a good enough understanding that I didn't need to go through everything blow-by-blow.

This may sound dry and boring but Allen provides ample anecdotes and examples to flesh out the details understandably. I found it fascinating and fairly easy to read. If we keep in mind what is explained here about Vatican thinking, there is a much better chance of real communication and understanding ... which will help us all.

The Prodigal Son

LUKE 15:11-32
The parable of the Prodigal Son is probably one of the best known stories in the world. It is easy to see why. Every time I read it I get some new insight, usually about myself. In one short story we get the point of view of the repentant sinner, the self righteous man who scorns the sinner and, most of all to my mind, the loving father who understands each all too well and loves them anyway ... God, the Father. Here are some of William Barclay's insights that enriched the meaning further for me.

THE YOUNGER SON
He came home; and, according to the best Greek text, his father never gave him the chance to ask to be a servant. He broke in before that. The robe stands for honor; the ring for authority, for if a man gave to another his signet ring it was the same as giving him the power of attorney; the shoes for a son as opposed to a slave, for children of the family were shod and slaves were not.

THE FATHER
This is not from Barclay as far as I know but from something I read and for which I can't remember the source. No man of dignity ever ran anywhere, certainly not an important man like the father in this parable. This father, however, not only was watching and waiting for his son but actually ran to him, abandoning all dignity in his joy. To me this is one of the greatest moments in the Gospels, picturing God's overwhelming eagerness to bring us home again.

THE OLDER SON
He stands for the self-righteous Pharisees who would rather see a sinner destroyed than saved. Certain things stand out about him.

(i)His attitude shows that his years of obedience to his father had been years of grim duty and not of loving service.

(ii)His attitude is one of utter lack of sympathy. He refers to the prodigal, not as my brother but as your son. ...

(iii)He had a peculiarly nasty mind. There is no mention of harlots until he mentions them. He, no doubt, suspected his brother of the sins he himself would have liked to commit.

Julia and Me

When I heard that Julia Child had died I only had a mild interest. True, I love to cook (and eat!) and the only cookbook of hers that I own, The Way to Cook, is fabulous. However, she's not one of the personalities in which I ever took any interest, she was able to enjoy her life to a grand age, and she died in her sleep. So, good on her, but none of it really mattered to me.

Thinking about it later, though, I realized that I owe more than I knew to Julia. She had tremendous influence over my parents. They were gourmet cooks who delighted in experimenting with new recipes and eagerly read all that was written by Julia Child, James Beard, Craig Claiborne, and other food mavens of the time. In fact, they threw themselves into the gourmet movement with such gusto that we never ate such "common" things as Meat Loaf, Macaroni and Cheese, or Tuna Noodle Casserole. For that, we had to go to my grandparents' house. At home we consumed exotica such as curry, squid or Mexican food. It was a given that my brother would request Chiles Rellenos for his birthday. This was not your typical Kansas kitchen of the 1960s. I grew up with a respect for authentic ingredients and food of all sorts that was engendered by pioneers like Julia Child.

Although my siblings and I all have found our own definite cooking styles, we all share a love for good food and are not afraid of the exotic. My brother can throw together Dolmas with the practiced speed of a Greek housewife. My sister thinks nothing of throwing a party for over a hundred of her husband's co-workers and makes everything by hand. I, myself, have raised children that routinely request Pesto Pizza (with home made crust and pesto) for birthday parties. They then carry on the legacy by pushing it on their friends who will ask if we're having "green pizza" when they come over.

Of course, we are a bit more ecumenical than my parents. Basic American standards like Macaroni and Cheese or Tuna Noodle Casserole do appear in our households. When I think about it, I realize that this too is true to Julia's legacy. When she came to Dallas, one of her favorite restaurants served Tex-Mex and basic Texan food. She told the owner that she always got taken to fancy places when really she enjoyed every kind of food. As long as it was delicious, she never shunned any sort of food ... even Meat Loaf.

More than that, she enjoyed living life to the fullest and she didn't sweat the small stuff, as in the famous incident during the live TV show when she dropped the chicken on the floor, picked it up, and kept on going ... and that is the most important legacy of all. It is one I hope to pass on to my children. So, thank you, Julia. I pray that you are enjoying a heavenly feast now that puts all your earthly ones to shame.

And On The Eighth Day She Rested

We've done a final count and since last Saturday, Rose has churned out 18 ... count 'em -- 18 ... kinds of cookies! That's got to be several hundred cookies I have in my freezer. As the weekend approaches I'm going to do my best to redirect all that creative energy into something that I can use ... main dishes. Tomorrow we're making Brunswick Stew. Some for us and plenty for the freezer.

Truth? What Does That Have To Do With It?

The stem cell debate illustrates just how political, ideological, and religious science has become says William Saletan in an article for Slate. The article shows just how scientists are willing to shade the truth to get funding. In this case the DNC is only too willing to play along because it gives them a big emotional pull especially when it is linked with Alzheimer's as they have been doing repeatedly.

The trouble is, the Alzheimer's hype isn't true. On June 10, the Post's Rick Weiss reported that "given the lack of any serious suggestion that stem cells themselves have practical potential to treat Alzheimer's, the Reagan-inspired tidal wave of enthusiasm [for stem cell research] stands as an example of how easily a modest line of scientific inquiry can grow in the public mind to mythological proportions. It is a distortion that some admit is not being aggressively corrected by scientists." Why don't scientists dispel the myth? "People need a fairy tale," NIH researcher Ronald McKay told Weiss. "Maybe that's unfair, but they need a story line that's relatively simple to understand."

Via Catholic Analysis.

The Little Team That Could

MIRACLE
This movie was a universal favorite when it was released and I can see why. Chronicling the 1980 US Olympic hockey team's road to their surprise gold medal win, it captures both the feel of those times and the best of a sports movie. We never get to know any of the players well as individuals which is just as it should be. The coach insists that they will meet success only by functioning as a team so that is how we are shown them.

Kurt Russell is excellent as the tough coach who feels deeply but doesn't let his emotions out. Another touch that I really liked was the use of the actual sports casters' original coverage during the hockey games. It helped me connect with the fact that this really was how it happened. I remember watching these hockey games and the excitement our whole family felt when the US won. That no doubt added to my particular enjoyment but the whole family liked it even without those memories.

Living History

In the last week I have gradually come to realize that Tom and I are at the age where we have lived the history that our kids are learning. I suppose this is only to be expected at our ages (either at that half-century mark or close to it). We have long been used to the wonder that Hannah and Rose expressed in their younger years at finding we didn't grow up with at least one computer at home, VCRs, or (horror of horrors) color TV. *flashback* I remember when every time our family walked my dad to his gate for one of his frequent business trips, he would stop at every TV along the concourse. It was football season. "We've got to get one of those!"

What we're running into now goes way past being able to remember what we were doing when Kennedy was shot or the space shuttle blew up. Those also are fairly stock memories in our house now. This is stuff like watching "Miracle" and having to explain that if the Soviet Union (no, not Russia) had boycotted the Olympic Games in Lake Placid, then none of the Eastern Bloc would have come either (Eastern what?). Listening to Rose explain that flawed blood filtering techniques wound up infecting people with AIDS reminded Tom of when people would stockpile their own blood or refuse to get transfusions. A discussion of graphite led to an explanation of Chernobyl, which Rose had never heard of. (Listen, that's just the kind of household this is. Tom has a subscription to Invention & Technology and reads it cover to cover. We were being treated to a short lesson on the history of the wooden pencil. Yes, pity our children. Their friends often are amazed at our dinner conversation, although we try to tone it down for the sake of not being the geekiest family they know. On the up-side, Hannah never had to study much for her World History class.)

Being a living history book doesn't make me feel old or bother me. Actually I find it interesting to be jolted back to a different mindset by these memories ... remembering when we operated under a whole different set of assumptions about how the world works.

Of course, I can see this overlapping generations. I look at our children and think of the fact that our family remembers what year September 11 happened because that was the summer we went to Europe. Hannah and Rose will tell their children stories of a time when you could meet arrivals right at the airline gate, when no one dreamed of worrying about terrorists on United States' soil, and when movies featured two buildings on the New York skyline that are gone now ... when we operated under a whole different set of assumptions about how the world works.

The Lost Coin

LUKE 15:8-10
Jesus follows up the parable about the lost sheep with one comparing God's joy at recovering a lost sinner to that of a woman who has recovered a lost silver coin. William Barclay describes the environment and urgency of the woman's search.

The coin in question in this parable was a silver drachma ... It would not be difficult to lose a coin in a Palestinian peasant's house and it might take a long search to find it. The window was not much more than about 18 inches across. The floor was beaten earth covered with dried reeds and rushes; and to look for a coin on a floor like that was very much like looking for a needle in a haystack ...

There are two reasons why the woman may have been eager to find the coin.

(i) It may have been a matter of sheer necessity. It was more than a whole day's wage for a working man in Palestine. These people lived always on the edge of things and very little stood between them and real hunger. This woman may well have searched with intensity because, if she did not find, the family would not eat.

(ii)there may have been a much more romantic reason. The mark of a married woman was a head-dress made of ten silver coins linked together by a silver chain. For years maybe a girl would scrape and save to amass her ten coins, for the headdress was almost the equivalent of her wedding ring. When she had it, it was so inalienably hers that it could not even be taken from her for debt. It may well be that it was one of these coins that the woman had lost, and so she searched for it as any woman would search if she lost her marriage ring.

This parable illustrates the sinner lost through no fault of his own such as those who are unknowingly led astray by others. When we are lost and innocent of blame, we are still lost nonetheless. The road to God can be a hard and long one no matter what the reason. I love the fact that He is anxiously urging us toward him just as the woman is frantically searching for her coin. We never make that journey alone. In fact, in such circumstances, we are just like the silver coin ... not knowing that we even are lost until He picks us up.

The Clues that Lead Us Home

FINDING HEAVEN: Stories of Coming Home by Christopher de Vinck
When his son asked for proof of heaven, Christopher de Vinck began looking around him for the clues that God leaves in everyday life. The result was this book of 30 reflections about those clues and how de Vinck became aware of them. I like to read this book when the world is too hard and I need reminders of how simple faith really is. It is simply written but that does not make it any less true. Highly recommended.

I have come to my faith in a simpler way. I came to my own faith long before I could read, long before I attended Catholic school or Mass. I believe in the existence of heaven and in God because my mother told me it was true. It was as simple as that.

My mother would not lie to me. When I was a child, she pointed out the moon to me. She held kittens in her hands and had me listen to the extraordinary sound of hearts beating. She was right about those things, so I believed her when she told me about Jesus. Jesus promised us that there was a heaven, and my mother told me about that promise. So I believed.

But when that early certitude of faith began to wane, I trusted in companions and signs to bring me back. I'm like Hansel and Gretel, who dropped stones along the way into the forest so they could find the way home. I'm like an old sailor, looking to the stars for guidance across the great seas. God places little stones for us to follow through the dark woods of life. God places certain stars in our hearts so that we can take a measured reading and determine where we are when we feel lost.

A Really Good Prayer

Here is a prayer that never fails. It is excellent for those times when someone is crunching popcorn in your ear while you are watching "The Passion", when the choir won't stop practicing even though they did not reserve the room that you need to use, or when you find yourself in the situation I did yesterday ... talking to a very angry man who treats you contemptuously as a simple fool. In other words, it is perfect for helping deal with the irritations and stress of daily life.

Lord, have mercy on me and bless them.

This simple prayer is proof that you do not have to "feel" the prayer. You simply must be willing to say it, however grudgingly. Considering the circumstances that lead up to it, I always am upset and irritated whenever I say it. Do I actually want those annoying people to be blessed? Hmph, I should say not! (At least I don't feel as if I do, although I am going to the effort of saying the prayer...) In fact, yesterday I was shaking with anger when I suddenly realized that prayer was running over and over in my head. But it is the classic case of "ask and you shall receive." Whenever I say it, I never fail to be reminded of my many imperfections, my pride, and that we are all sinners together. Often that is just what I need to calm down and let my anger go.

In fact, yesterday I was given much more than that. I actually was able to walk away without getting sucked into further argument. I let him "win." So he thinks I'm an idiot? OK, fine. Believe me, that's not my way. No matter how hard I have fought with myself, I never have been able to do that before. It was all grace, an amazing triumph over my worst instincts, an answer to prayer for which I am very grateful.

I realized that angry man actually was the answer to a prayer for humility. That's another prayer that usually is fairly grudging. I know I need it. I know its good for me. But I know it hurts. Why is it that those prayers always are answered so quickly? Maybe its because that is the path that takes us closest to where we should be ... death to self, doing everything for the glory of God.

I was left with peace in my heart, an ability to pray for the man to truly be blessed, and an appreciation of humility (again). This morning's prayer for humility was much more sincere. What a great ending to that encounter. Thanks be to God for that simple prayer and for His quick answers.

It Ain't Shogun, But It Ain't Bad

THE LAST SAMURAI
I can see why some people called this "Dances with Samurai" but let's be fair. "The Last Samurai" is so much more than that movie was and, certainly, Tom Cruise is head and shoulders above Kevin Costner as an actor. Basically this is the story of a Civil war era soldier drinking to escape his demons (too many flashbacks of killing Indian children, by the way) while training the Japanese army to use modern arms and tactics against a samurai warlord. He's captured by the samurai, learns to respect their ancient ways, fight their fight, blah, blah, blah ... yeah, its just a touch predictable.

Hannah and Rose recently watched Shogun, which we like so much we have it on video. By contrast, this movie seemed really Americanized in the way the Japanese acted and lived. It seemed all right as far as it went but it just didn't go far enough. I mean, what self-respecting Japanese woman is going to bath under a trickling waterfall when you know any real Japanese village wouldn't be without a proper bath house for a good hot soak? Although I have to say the samurais' armor was first rate ... very fierce and macho. I guess the real thing already was so good it didn't have to be "fixed up".

That said, we enjoyed this movie. The first half was slow and predictable (with many opportunities for mocking the "Hollywood" Japanese ways) but then the action took off and was very satisfying. It was worth watching just to see the samurai's response when Tom Cruise answered his question about Thermopylae. Critics didn't like the ending but I didn't have a problem with it. For one thing, I like happy endings and I see no reason why this soldier who'd suffered so much shouldn't finally have some peace and happiness.

The Shepherd's Joy

LUKE 15:1-7
In response to Pharisees who are whispering about him eating with sinners, Jesus tells the famous parable about leaving 99 sheep to hunt for one lost sheep and the joy over finding that sheep. He then underlines the point for them by directly saying that the joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents will be much more than over the 99 just people who do not need repentance. This seems pretty straight forward until William Barclay tells why this story would have a special sting for the Pharisees.

We will understand these parables more fully if we remember that the strict Jews said ... "There will be joy in heaven over one sinner who is obliterated before God." They looked sadistically forward not to the saving but to the destruction of the sinner.

Barclay also points out just how important the shepherd was and the extreme joy of the entire village when a sheep was found ... kind of humbling to think of heaven showing that level of joy over one of us, isn't it?

The shepherd in Judaea had a hard and dangerous task. Pasturage was scarce. The narrow central plateau was only a few miles wide, and then it plunged down to the wild cliffs and the terrible devastation of the desert. There were no restraining walls and the sheep would wander ...

The shepherd was personally responsible for the sheep. If a sheep was lost the shepherd must at least bring home the fleece to show how it had died. These shepherds were experts at tracking and could follow the straying sheep's footprints for miles across the hills. There was not a shepherd for whom it was not all in the day's work to risk his life for his sheep.

Many of the flocks were communal flocks, belonging, not to individuals, but to villages. There would be two or three shepherds in charge. Those whose flocks were safe would arrive home on time and bring news that one shepherd was still out on the mountain side searching for a sheep which was lost. The whole village would be upon the watch, and when, in the distance, they saw the shepherd striding home with the lost sheep across his shoulders, there would rise from the whole community a shout of joy and thanksgiving.

This is the first of three parables in a row where Jesus illustrates sinners gone astray and recovered by God. This one shows the sinner who was lost because he didn't think. How many of us would avoid sin if we just stopped to think first?

A Glorious Summer Evening

Last night it was too hot to take a walk, even by 8:30. So we did something radical ... all four of us wound up in the living room, playing with the dogs and talking! It almost was like our own little cocktail party as conversations between the four of us wound together and split off depending on the subjects. Sometimes, we'd have to stop just to laugh at the dogs' antics playing with Tom and Hannah. All this was after a rousing game of Clue in which Rose trumped us all with an educated guess, based on Tom's wrong accusation.

Yes, we're still facing the dreariness of preparing for the school year ... skirts wait to be hemmed, supplies must be bought, that last missing school book must be found ... and there is fun planned for the future (Hannah's actual birthday party ... taking carloads of friends to see "Noises Off" in a couple of weeks). However, this was about the "here and now." It reminds us of why summer vacation is so long. Sometimes it takes months to relax and be able to enjoy the moment.

What Will We Do in Heaven? Part II

Peter Kreeft has an interesting answer to yesterday's question. It is one of intertwined goals. Not only does it make sense, but he even makes it sound like something I'd look forward to; like a giant house party where everyone is having the most fascinating conversations. This is heavily edited to make a readable length for the blog but I highly recommend reading the whole thing for yourself in Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Heaven, but Never Dreamed of Asking.

... First we review our past life with divine understanding and appreciation of our past life with divine understanding and appreciation of every single experience, good and evil: we milk all our meaning dry. Then we do the same to others' lives from within. We know them more intimately and completely than we could ever know our most intimate friend on earth because we share God's knowledge of each one. When these two preliminary lessons are complete - when we know, love, understand, and appreciate completely by inner experience everything we and everyone else have ever experienced - only then we are spiritually mature enough to begin the endless and endlessly fascinating task of exploring, learning, and loving the facets of infinity, the inexhaustible nature of God.

The idea is not new, for it corresponds to three traditional doctrines: Purgatory, the Communion of Saints, and the Beatific Vision. But each is given new life by being related to the others in this sequence. Purgatory turns out be part of Heaven rather than a distinct place, and consists of moral reeducation rather than mere punishment, rehabilitation rather than retribution. The communion of Saints is rescued from a vague, philanthropic goodwill and made as interesting as human love and communion on earth; getting to know people is in one way or another the only thing we find inexhaustible here as well as there. Finally, the contemplation of God is not boring because it is done with souls matured by the first two tasks. The difference this maturing makes is as great as the difference between a dying saint and a newborn baby...

What Will We Do in Heaven? Part I

Here's a common question. First of all, why do we care? Isn't it supposed to be perfect? Secondly, there's never a really satisfying sounding answer. Peter Kreeft tackles this in Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Heaven, but Never Dreamed of Asking.

Nevertheless, though the question "What do you do?" is not primary, it is important: first, because what we do flows from and reveals what we are; second, because what we do also flows into what we are, helps construct our selves. Third, creative work is a primary human need, and our conventional pictures of heaven are boring partly because they do not fulfill that need. Playing harps and polishing halos is an obviously bad answer to a good question. A second answer, the more philosophical alternative of an eternity of abstract contemplation of changeless truth, moves only philosophers (and even among them only the minority). The third, biblical answer, the enjoyment of God (Psalm 27:4), is true but must be fleshed out by the imagination. The mere words "the enjoyment of God" make sense only to those who already enjoy God; the vast majority of us seem to enjoy the vast majority of things vastly more than we enjoy God. (In fact, it is only God in these things that we enjoy, but we do not recognize that.)

We may even fear Heaven, consciously or unconsciously, because we fear boredom. Then death is truly terrible, for it offers only the two hellish alternatives of boredom or agony. Earth seems much more interesting than Heaven because there seems to be nothing to do in Heaven. What work needs to be done in a world of eternal perfection? Yet how can we be happy without creative work?

The answer to what we'll do coming in Part II.

Bounty Hunting Was Never So Fun

THE STEPHANIE PLUM SERIES by Janet Evanovich
Stephanie Plum, a laid-off lingerie buyer in Trenton, becomes a bounty hunter for her cousin Vinny. She always is in the wrong place at the right time. This makes her one of the luckiest and funniest characters to come along in a long time. Evanovich has a definite formula for these books, a mixture of serious crime fighting and 30's screwball comedy, but somehow she keeps each book fresh and funny. These books have enough suspense to keep me reading past bedtime while making me actually laugh out loud.

You know that each book will have Stephanie stubbornly pursuing a very serious criminal while filling in time tracking down a host of quirky small-time criminals. She'll be stopping by her long-suffering parents' house at least once a week for Sunday dinner ("They're hiring at the button factory, Stephanie") and taking Grandma Mazur to a viewing at Stiva's Funeral Home. Lula, an errant file clerk, has become her gun-toting side kick as the series has developed. Watching them try to take down a criminal is something like watching Abbott and Costello. One of the main suspenseful elements is watching Stephanie trying to decide between Italian cop, Joe Morelli, and exotic bounty hunter, Ranger. I have been somewhat tired by Stephanie's indecision recently. However, Evanovich seems to have put some of that to rest in the latest installment, Ten Big Ones.

If you haven't read these, you are in for a treat. Pick up One for the Money and get ready for a wild and hilarious ride.

Slavery and Abortion: Two Sides of the Same Coin

We're starting to see the comparison of abortion to slavery become more common. It makes sense. Slavery is another moral issue that only Christians cared about at first, divided families and friends, was legal until enough people put their feet down, and destroyed people in the name of "ownership." Recently I have seen it specifically mentioned in two places.

Patrick Madrid at Envoy magazine's blog, Envoy Encore briefly discusses Biblical principles against abortion and opens the article with this reminder.

NOT SINCE THE CIVIL WAR crisis over slavery has a controversial moral issue so divided Americans and roiled society as has abortion. The deliberate killing of an unborn child through an abortion, though currently enjoying the "legitimacy" of legality in this country (just as slavery was once also legal), is, nonetheless, a grave evil that must be opposed.

The Mighty Barrister dissects a recent interview of John Kerry by Peter Jennings with his usual style and pointedly makes us aware of the parallels.

There was a period of time in the life of this country when another group of human beings were not considered persons. See, for example, Dred Scott v. Sandford, 60 U.S. 393 U.S., 1856, where the Supreme Court announced that slaves were not "men" as defined in the Declaration of Independence, and were not "people" as declared in the Constitution, stating, "When the Constitution was adopted, they (blacks) were not regarded in any of the States as members of the community which constituted the State, and were not numbered among its 'people or citizens.' Consequently, the special rights and immunities guarantied to citizens do not apply to them."

You can't ignore the obvious parallels between the way the unborn are treated today, and the way Americans of African lineage were treated 150 years ago. And you can't ignore the fact that John Kerry uses practically the same language to describe the unborn as white racists used to describe blacks -- they're not "people."

This may be the startling idea that is needed to shock sense back into pro-abortion people. The same sorts of arguments were used to support slavery as to support abortion. If nothing else, these comparisons should give renewed energy to pro-life supporters. Slavery was big business and entrenched in Western civilization at one time. It was only by tenacity and sticking to what they knew was true in the face of any other arguments that Christians got the ball rolling for stopping slavery. We can do the same.

An excellent resource for finding out about the role of Christians in ending slavery (and other positive impacts of Christianity on our society) is Christianity on Trial: Arguments Against Anti-Religious Bigotry by Vincent Carroll and David Shiflett.

UPDATE: I can't believe I missed this as I am a dedicated Catholic Analysis fan but Oswald Sobrino wrote a fabulous article about this just yesterday. He points out all the parallels between the struggles faced by Abraham Lincoln and George Bush. Thanks to Jeff Miller for pointing this out.

Feasts and Banquets, Part II

LUKE 14:15-24
The common way that people were invited to banquets in Jesus' time would be hard to handle today. It required the person to hold themselves in constant readiness on the day of the party. That in itself is an interesting commentary on how we are expected to hold ourselves ready for God.

In Palestine, when a man made a feast, the day was announced long beforehand and the invitations were sent out and accepted; but the hour was not announced; and when the day came and all things were ready, servants were sent out to summon the already invited guests. To accept the invitation beforehand and then to refuse it when the day came was a grave insult.

Something that never occurred to me is the type of excuse that the invited guests are offering for skipping the party. They can be viewed as broad categories and then it is easy to see that they are exactly the sort of reasons we give today for not leaving any time for God. In fact, one is a totally legitimate excuse but still not good enough. Nothing must get in the way of God. We have to keep the proper perspective and not let the things of the world crowd God from our lives.

The first man said that he had bought a field and was going to see it. He allowed the claims of business to usurp the claims of God. It is still possible for a man to be so immersed in this world that he has no time to worship, and even no time to pray.

The second man said that he had bought five yoke of oxen and that he was going to try them out. He let the claims of novelty usurp the claims of Christ. It often happens that when people enter into new possessions they become so taken up with them that the claims of worship and of God get crowded out ...

The third man said, with even more finality than the others, "I have married a wife and I cannot come." One of the wonderful merciful laws of the Old Testament laid it down, "when a man is newly married, he shall not go out with the army o be charged with any business; he shall be free at home one year, to be happy with his wife whom he has taken." No doubt that very law was in this man's mind. It is one of the tragedies of life when good things crowd out the claims of God. There is no lovelier thing than a home and yet a home was never meant to be used selfishly.

Ingredient Alert

Let me just say that if anyone has a chance to try a Flavor Burst Pluot they should grab it. They are well named ... the closest thing to a Sweet Tart in a crisp, fruit form that I've ever had. Ours came from the Central Market but I'd bet they can be found at places like Whole Foods also.

UPDATE: I just remembered these actually are called Flavor Grenade Pluots ... all the more reason to try one, eh?

I, Robot

The book and the movie have three things in common: robots, the three laws of robotics, and their quality ... not great but pretty good. (I speak as a long-time Asimov reader. I am not talking about the two "robot" mysteries he wrote ... just the "I, Robot" book of short stories.) It was a typical big-budget, action movie with the plot twist at the end, albeit with robots instead of monsters or men as enemies. Will Smith and his female costar (name?) were both effective. Sonny was a viable third character and not a bad action hero either, all things considered. The girls and I really enjoyed Will's love for his pie-baking GG and the way he saved that cat when the house was being demolished all around him. Hey, what do you want me to say ... we're a bunch of girlie-girls here!

Freed Italian Hostages Credit Padre Pio

Padre Pio is one of my favorite saints and I see that I'm in good company. John Allen reports that Italian devotion to Padre Pio is reflected by three Italian hostages who were freed by U.S. Special Forces in Iraq on June 8.

On June 23, all three men, accompanied by their families, made a pilgrimage to San Giovanni Rotondo, the chief national shrine to Padre Pio, in order to give thanks to the Capuchin saint ... The three told reporters they had prayed to Padre Pio during their captivity and promised to make this pilgrimage if they survived.

"I'm very devoted to Padre Pio and I prayed often during our imprisonment," Cupertino said. "They too," pointing to Agliana and Stefio, "were united with me in prayer because they know Padre Pio."

In another twist, Cupertino's 10-year-old cousin Carmelina, after going with her parents to San Giovanni Rotondo on May 31, apparently returned home and wrote "freed" on a calendar hanging above the family telephone on the date of June 8 - exactly the day the Italians were liberated. She says the date came to her in a dream.

Feasts and Banquets, Part I

LUKE 14:15-24
Jesus tells the parable about the man who invited a lot of people to a banquet only to find that they all had lame excuses for not attending when his servants showed up to fetch them. The man then told the servants to go out and invite every downtrodden person they found. Obviously this is a parable about the nation of Israel declining God's invitation to Heaven. Therefore, God opens everything up to sinners, outcasts, and gentiles.

Why Jesus tells this parable is not obvious until we have a greater understanding of mindset of the Jews in Jesus' time. The parable is prompted by a statement made by another guest.

One of his fellow guests on hearing this said to him, "Blessed is the one who will dine in the kingdom of God."

William Barclay tells why this comment made Jesus start talking about the kingdom of Heaven.

The Jews had a series of ever-recurring conventional pictures of what would happen when God broke into history and when the golden days of the new age arrived. One of these was the picture of the Messianic banquet. On that day God would give a great feast to his own people ... It is of this banquet that the man who spoke to Jesus was thinking. When he spoke of the happiness of those who would be guests at that banquet he was thinking of Jews, and of Jews only, for the average, orthodox Jew would never have dreamed that gentiles and sinners would find a place at the feast of God. That is why Jesus spoke this parable.

Poor Man's Lord of the Rings

KING ARTHUR
It wasn't a bad movie but it wasn't one of the greats either. Realizing that no one really knows the legend of King Arthur, the movie makers lifted a few names, put their story in England and named it "King Arthur." The "R" rating saved me from having to take Rose to see "Troy" and if there was any consistency in the rating system, this would have been "R" too, if only for Arthur and Guinivere's little triste. I thought the one redeeming thing it had was some pretty good looking guys ... until I watched Tom Cruise in the Last Samurai and realized I was settling for way too little in that department. Clive Owen, eat your heart out.

These excerpts from King Arthur in 15 Minutes (registration with livejournal.com required) take care of my review (which says a lot right there).

Historical? No.

VERY SERIOUS TEXT: Recent historical evidence suggests that Arthur was actually some Roman guy named Arturius. This, therefore, is a completely historically accurate movie, because God knows you can count on a Bruckheimer flick for your history lessons.

Predictable? Yes.

LANCELOT: Whatever. Clearly I'm going to die in battle, and I'm really hoping it's not going to be this one, but when I die, don't bury me on this stinking island. Burn me and cast my ashes to the wind.

ARTHUR: Awww, dude! Look what you went and did!

LANCELOT: What?

ARTHUR: Now you're totally going to have to die, so we can dispose of your body in that precise manner. It's like, a rule.

"PG-13?" No way. Try "R".

GUINEVEIRA: *pulls up her skirt and pushes Arthur's hand under*

ARTHUR: Baby, I'm Clive Owen. I think I know where it is.

MOTHERS IN THE AUDIENCE: OMG this movie is so not PG-13!

DAUGHTERS IN THE AUDIENCE: SHUT UP, THIS IS THE GOOD PART.

SOMEONE IN THE MUSIC DEPARTMENT: *actually digs up a Celtic porno sax*

Thanks to Cleolinda Jones, genius writer of the 15 Minute Movies, for making this review so easy. 'Nuff said. Next movie!

That Special Bond

There is something so special about the bond between a father and daughter. Not only is it important on a personal level but how will tomorrow's women know what a good man is unless they spend time with one? Like any hard-working father, Tom has to make a significant effort to squeeze in the time so that he really knows the girls. For some time now, he has been driving Hannah to school every morning just to get some of that one-on-one time. When he runs errands on the weekends, he makes sure Rose is invited as she just loves riding in the car and that becomes "their" time.

Tom and Hannah are in San Francisco right now for a special father-daughter celebration of her 16th birthday. We had a lot of AAdvantage miles so she got to pick anywhere in the continental U.S. Wise girl, she chose San Francisco.

They have been scouring the DK Eyewitness book for the perfect activities ... our St. Francine (aka Hannah) is hoping to see sea lions on Fisherman's Wharf, as a long time lover of all things Asian she wants to scour Chinatown's alleys for the really authentic shops, Tom has planned a drive to Bodega Bay and along High 1, reservations have been made to tour Alcatraz.

It touches my heart to think of the special memories they are making, memories that I hope last a lifetime ... which is the real perfect activity of this trip.

Groovin' to the Oldies

Tom was in Houston this weekend so the girls and I took the opportunity to have our own Numb-Butt-A-Thon (a la Ain't It Cool). Hey, its Texas in late July ... we're gonna stay inside anyway. Surprisingly, everything we chose to try was old. I'm assuming most everyone knows the premise for all these; if not, check the link for a basic description.

GODSPELL
Watching "groovy Jesus" in The Gospel of John, made me think of "Godspell", the original groovy Jesus movie. I saw part of this musical based on the Gospel of Matthew when I was in high school on late night TV and figured it probably didn't age well with the "flower children" disciples and music dating it beyond belief. Then the girls discovered that Jesus was portrayed by Victor Garber, the much admired "coolest old guy on TV" as Jack Bristow in Alias. Now we had to see it. I figured that it only would take half an hour before they gave up were laughing hysterically and quit watching. Not so. We watched it twice because we all liked it so much.

It is dated, but when you get past that to the basic show, "Godspell" is a wonderful entertainment. First, and most often mentioned by everyone, is the amazing location photography. You have to see it to appreciate it. Next is the music which is really good, a little 70's musical style but that's no big deal. Best of all was the joyfulness and exuberance which gets lost in way too many religious movies. Young Victor Garber showed that he was a great actor even 30 years ago. The second viewing made it easier to get "Jack Bristow" out of our heads, although Rose delighted in pointing out the same sensitive expressions she's seen on Alias ("Sydney, I'm sorry about involving you in Project Christmas. I was trying to protect you..."). This was the surprise movie favorite of the weekend.

EDWARD SCISSORHANDS
I like Tim Burton's movies but never was interested in seeing this one. I really had a hard time watching it because I was filled with such pity for Edward the entire time. Not only was he stuck with those scissorhands but it was all too clear where the story was going. The story was really one dimensional with a sad ending that did nothing to redeem it ... and no one really learned much. Oh, Edward and Kim both learned what it is to love and lose but it was handled so superficially that there seemed to be no point to it. Rose liked it better than I did but agreed it seemed unredeemably sad.

It was interesting to watch as an early Tim Burton movie, though. I could see elements that he used in Beetlejuice, The Nightmare Before Christmas, and Big Fish. Any of those movies were better and more complete than this one, though. Johnny Depp was excellent, as were the rest of the cast, but that wasn't any surprise. Certainly it was not worth the agony that it was for me to sit through this movie.

LA FEMME NIKITA
I always heard this was a great series but we don't have cable (yes, our house is in the Stone Ages). We rented the first two DVD's from the first season and set out to see if Nikita can hold a candle to Alias' Sydney Bristow. Pffft! Of course not!

However, "La Femme Nikita" does have a charm of its own. It is much more of a "typical" TV show with each plot ending within each show however it shows a little more reality than Alias. I liked the fact that Nikita had a run in her stocking halfway through her first shootout ... that her hand shook so much on her first few times to try to kill someone ... that her across the hall neighbor is astute enough to notice that Nikita has to take off each time she answers the phone. Also, the level of angst is handled a little more quietly, with Nikita having wet eyes rather than being as dramatic as Sydney over her problems. I was relieved to see that, although it was created for cable, there wasn't an extreme level or sex or violence. In fact, it was tamer than many regular network thrillers. We also kept reminding each other that this series is from 1997 and probably influenced Alias creator J.J. Abrams. We liked it enough to watch 6 in a row (numb butts for sure!) and definitely will keep renting and watching Nikita's adventures.

THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN
Actually, we watched "The Magnificent Seven" a couple of weeks ago so we rented "The Seven Samurai" to see how close the two movies were to each other. Unfortunately, the DVD was so scratched that we didn't get very far into it before it would freeze up. So we will watch it another weekend when Tom can see it with us. However, just a word about "The Magnificent Seven". I had forgotten what a really great, classic movie this is. Westerns just don't get much better than this. How can you not love watching something that has the Magnificent Four in it? Of course, I'm talking about Yul Brynner, Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson, and James Coburn. Oh, right, there were other magnificent actors but that's not the kind of magnificence I'm talking about ...

Nothing New Under the Sun

LUKE 13:31-35
In this section of Luke, Jesus is warned by some Pharisees of Herod's plan to kill him. Until going through Luke bit by bit I never noticed this part. It is surprising to see that not all the Pharisees hated Jesus. Except for Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea we always get a very one dimensional picture of the Pharisees. There were both good and bad among the Pharisees in Jesus' time ... and the people knew it well. William Barclay tells us more.

The Jews themselves knew very well that there were good and bad Pharisees. They divided them into seven different classes.

The Shoulder Pharisees. These wore their good deeds on their shoulder and performed them to be seen of men.

The Wait-a-little Pharisees. They could always find a good excuse for putting off a good deed until tomorrow.

The Bruised or Bleeding Pharisees. No Jewish rabbi could be seen talking to any woman on the street, not even his wife or mother or sister. But certain of the Pharisees went further. They would not even look at a woman on the street; they even shut their eyes to avoid seeing a woman; they, therefore, knocked into walls and houses and bruised themselves; and then exhibited their bruises as special badges of extraordinary piety.

The Pestle-and-Mortar or Hump-backed Pharisees. They were ever reckoning up their good deeds and, as it were, striking a balance-sheet of profit and loss with God.

The Timid or Fearing Pharisees. They went ever in fear of the wrath of God. They were ... not helped but haunted by their religion.

The God-loving Pharisees. They were copies of Abraham and lived in faith and charity.

There may have been six bad Pharisees for every good one; but this passage shows that even amongst the Pharisees there were those who admired and respected Jesus.

Once again I am reminded that people are much the same no matter what day and age they live in. There always are the nitpickers, the hypocrites, the judgmental, the bad ... the people who drive us crazy. In most cases, they're not fooling anyone but themselves. We can see what's going on just like the people who came up with those great nicknames for the types of Pharisees. That just makes me all the more grateful when I see the many priests who are God-loving and good.

Its the Simple Things In Life That Matter

Simple things like pie crust. Yes, you heard me ... pie crust. Its always a touchy subject among cooks and I can't blame anyone for using the pre-made ones in the red box (Pillsbury?). I have to admit they really are the best commercial alternative to homemade.

However, (you knew there had to be a "however", right?), in response to the comments for Apple Pie last week I had to post this recipe, which is the easiest and most foolproof I've ever found. When Rose was making it, she accidentally added an extra 1/4 cup of water and wound up with something like a thick batter. We improvised by sprinkling extra flour in until it looked right and ... voila! A delicious, flaky pie crust with no problem. Now that's hard to beat.

It is from The Man Who Ate Everything by Jeffry Steingarten. Marion Cunningham, baker extraordinaire, made about a zillion pie crusts while detailing every step along the way so Steingarten could get it just right. The beauty of it is that this makes a lot more dough than you need so you don't have to worry about scrimping to get the crust just perfect when rolling it out.

I have posted it here. It looks intimidating but that's because it details every step needed. Rose was a first time pie maker and had no problem. I also put a bonus recipe in the same spot for a Sour Cream Pound Cake. Enjoy!

Are There Animals in Heaven?

More to the point, "Will my cat, Puff, be there?"

This question is one that comes up time and again, especially with teenage animal-lovers around. This answer from Peter Kreeft's Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Heaven makes sense to me. He doesn't look at it from the "immortal soul" angle that usually is raised, but from the promise of a "new earth" that is made in the book of Revelation.

The simplest answer is: Why not? ... Much more reasonable is C.S. Lewis' speculation that we will be "between the angels who are our elder brothers and the beasts who are our jesters, servants, and playfellows" (That Hideous Strength). Scripture seems to confirm this: "thy judgments are like the great deep; man and beast thou savest, O Lord" (Psalm 36:6). Animals belong in the "new earth" (Revelation 21:1) as much as trees.

C.S. Lewis supposes that animals are saved "in" their masters, as part of their extended family (The Problem of Pain). Only tamed animals would be saved in this way. It would seem more likely that wild animals are in Heaven too, since wildness, otherness, not-mine-ness, is a proper pleasure for us. The very fact that the seagull takes no notice of me when it utters its remote, lonely call is part of its glory.

Would the same animals be in Heaven as on earth? "Is my dead cat in Heaven?" Again, why not? ... Though the blessed have better things to do than play with pets, the better does not exclude the lesser. We were meant from the beginning to have stewardship over the animals (Genesis 1:28); we have not fulfilled that divine plan yet on earth; therefore it seems likely that the right relationship with animals will be part of Heaven: proper "petship". And what better place to begin than with already petted pets?

UPDATE: There is a discussion going on over this at Catholic and Enjoying It where, interestingly enough, Mark Shea posed exactly the same question. Its worth taking a look at if you're interested in the subject.

Catholic? I Thought You Were Christian...

Protestant Elliot Bougis writes a thought provoking article, Praying with the Enemy? Anti-Catholicism in the United States.

Anna Antonio hardly stands out. She is no political radical. She is no class clown. A friendly and diligent math major at the University of Florida, Anna is also a devout Christian. As she enters her junior year, Anna is just starting to fit in, to find her niche. Unfortunately, though, one of the craggiest niches for Anna to occupy is among her Christian friends.

No matter how quiet or friendly Anna is, she eventually faces a chilling question from her Christian peers. To an outsider, the question seems as harmless as a hand-grenade looks to a two-year-old. But to Anna, it rolls into a conversation with as much destructive power as a live grenade tossed into a barracks.

"So, Anna, what's your faith background?"

"Oh, I'm Catholic."

Stunned silence. Suspicious stares. Words are unnecessary. Their faces say enough: "Catholic? I thought you were a Christian. Don't you love God enough to...?"

I haven't experienced this personally although there is ample evidence in the media of general anti-Catholicism. Its surprising how many jokes or comments are routinely reported without comment that would cause an outraged outcry if made about any other group. I have long wanted to read The New Anti-Catholicism: The Last Acceptable Prejudice by Philip Jenkins. This article may be the impetus I need to finally spend that money at Amazon.

In addition to his own site, Elliot Bougis is the guest blogger at Catholic and Enjoying It which is where I saw this.

Apple Pie

I have been on a cooking moratorium for about a year now ... just doing what I must to get by. That's not what my family is accustomed to because I always have cooked a lot, stocked the freezer, etc. I think that my Christ Renews His Parish involvement took the extra energy and interest that I used to put into spaghetti sauce, homemade rolls, and salad dressings, to name just a few things.

Anyway, Rose made apple pie yesterday. She loves it and loves cooking so I found the recipes for her and she launched in. Other than a little faux pas with the pie crust ... which we recovered from gracefully ... it all went smoothly. She did everything but I hung around for instruction and tips. Tom has never been interested in cooking so I have gotten used to it as a solitary affair, although my parents liked to cook together when I was young. We rediscover this every so often, Rose and I, that cooking together is fun. So we're doing it again tonight ... making Spicy Dan Dan noodles.

The pie was great by the way. Oh, the apples weren't quite cooked in the middle and it was really runny. But it tasted good and the crust was better than anything you can buy. We ate it a la mode and talked about how we would adjust the recipe next time. Right after we make a peach pie ...

Why Are They Still Together?

We'll never know. And I don't really care because Things My Girlfriend And I Have Argued About is just too funny.

That's not to say that she's a bad driver. She's a better driver than I am, certainly. But a better driver in, um, well, by the "male" definition of better, let's say. If we were in a rally, Margret would leave me in the dust. She is never more alive than when reversing into a tight space. Gears matter to her. However, I've only had one crash, and that was indisputably not my fault (someone drove through a red light into the side of me). Margret has hit countless things. Hit them in England. Hit them in Germany. (I was in a car with Margret in Germany once, when she'd been back and forth between there and England quite frequently. She's racing along the centre of a country road. A car appears heading straight for us, and Margret shouts at me, 'Which side should I be on!?' A nice moment. If I'd been out to score points I'd have remarked that, if you're asking that question, then perhaps slowing down at all might be a thing to do also. I didn't say anything, however, as at that point I was busy finding religion.)

Via Short Attention Span Theater.

Ask and You Will Receive

LUKE 11:5-13, THE PARABLE OF THE PERSISTENT HOUSEHOLDER
In this parable Jesus presents us with the householder who has had a late guest show up. They are out of bread and have to go to great lengths to wake up a neighbor for bread. Jesus then points out that we do not have to go to these extreme lengths to get what we need. God is our generous, loving father who will not make us beg. What is not clear to the modern mind is just what extremes of "shameless persistence" Jesus was presenting to Jews of that time. I was amazed at the degree of trouble that these few sentences represent. William Barclay tells us exactly what the hapless householder had to go through to borrow that bread.

Travelers often journeyed late in the evening to avoid the heat of the midday sun. In Jesus' story just such a traveler had arrived towards midnight at his friend's house. In the east hospitality is a sacred duty; it was not enough to set before a man a bare sufficiency; the guest had to be confronted with an ample abundance. In the villages bread was baked at home. Only enough for the day's needs was baked because, if it was kept and became stale, no one would wish to eat it.

The late arrival of the traveler confronted the householder with an embarrassing situation, because his larder was empty and he could not fulfill the sacred obligations of hospitality. Late as it was, he went out to borrow from a friend. The friend's door was shut. In the east no one would knock on the shut door of a house unless the need was imperative. In the morning the door was opened and remained open all day, for there was little privacy; but if the door was shut, that was a definite sign that the householder did not wish to be disturbed. But the seeking householder was not deterred. He knocked, and kept on knocking.

The poorer Palestinian house consisted of one room with only one little window. The floor was simply of beaten earth covered with dried reeds and rushes. The room was divided into two parts, not by a partition but by a low platform. Two-thirds of it were on ground level. The other third was slightly raised. On the raised part the charcoal stove burned all night, and round it the whole family slept, not on raised beds but on sleeping mats. Families were large and they slept close together for warmth. For one to rise was inevitably to disturb the whole family. Further, in the villages it was the custom to bring the livestock, the hens and the cocks and the goats, into the house at night.

Is there any wonder that the man who was in bed did not want to rise. But the determined borrower knocked on with shameless persistence - that is what the Greek word means - until at last the householder, knowing that by this time the whole family was disturbed, arose and gave him what he needed.

Spider-Man 2

This movie was so satisfying on so many levels. It has all the action, color and outrageousness expected from a comic book/super hero movie. Spider-Man is even more like a spider in this movie than the first right down to the various "resting" poses as he perches above people. The characters are properly fleshed out. Doc Ock isn't given just a couple of throw away lines so that we know he begins as a decent human being. He has several scenes to establish him as a likeable, caring humanitarian. All this and more has been written about by reviewers much more competent than I. The Decent Films review is probably my favorite of the ones I've read.

However, I don't think that Decent Films takes it far enough in the struggle that Peter Parker faces. This movie also is about the next step to becoming great, the day-to-day reality of being a super hero. The first movie showed Peter learning the reality of his uncle's favorite phrase, "With great power comes great responsibility." This movie is about just what must be sacrificed to achieve greatness. It is not just about the sacrifices (even of our hopes and dreams) that we must make when taking up great responsibility. It also is about the process of discerning our path and that the sacrifice must be whole hearted.

Peter Parker is miserable because being Spider-Man is forcing him to be less than whole hearted at the other things that he loves in his life. We learn later that he has taken up this responsibility because he felt it as a debt to his uncle; these were his uncle's ideals he was living out. It is only when Spider-Man faces the sacrifice squarely in the face and then still wholeheartedly embraces the responsibility, that he can truly be great. Some think that the fact that he still gains his heart's desire in the end is a cop out but I don't agree. Often it is just when we have made the effort necessary to embrace what we think is a sacrifice that we find our greatest rewards. This is a Catholic concept and I think this movie shows it perfectly.

Heavy stuff for a comic book movie? Yeah, but its handled well in an action packed, lighthearted package, full of eye candy, so go anyway.

Marching Home - One Battle at a Time

MARCH UPCOUNTRY BY DAVID WEBER & JOHN RINGO
"Travel to distant lands, meet strange and exotic native peoples, and kill them."

That's military science fiction for you, although in this case it also is the slogan of the Bronze Battalion of the Empress' Own Regiment.

After terrorist sabotage, Prince Roger MacClintock and the Bronze Battalion space marines are stranded in the wilderness of the planet Marduk, noted for high mountains, high temperatures, low technology and the short tempers of its nine-foot, four-armed, slime-covered natives. They must march halfway around the planet to get to the nearest spaceport. Along the way, they must make allies and battle barbarian tribes who are out to destroy everything in their path. All this turns the prince from a spoiled brat into a valuable member of the company and a true leader.

Great storytelling and plot, deceptively deep characterization, and a sneaky sense of humor all contribute to make this a thoroughly enjoyable read. Unlike most military science fiction and indeed, other works by the two authors separately, these books don't get too bogged down in technical details or battle descriptions. In fact, the battles scenes are handled so skillfully that I actually read all of them instead of skipping them as I might in other books. History buffs might recognize this as a takeoff on the story of Xenophon.

This is the first of a series continued in March to the Sea and March to the Stars. Fans are awaiting the next installment to see where Prince Roger will march to next.

Attitude is Everything

This time of year I am reminded why Tom and I love Bishop Lynch High School. I remember before Hannah's freshman year we went to a parent-hosted party that was jammed full of gung-ho parents who all "loved" Bishop Lynch. Oh, sure. These parents had to be the top 10% who never look below the surface, right? What school, Catholic or not, could merit that kind of praise?

Well, they were right. Sure there have been a few bad teachers, a few less than ideal situations. That is unavoidable. Those situations are training in making things work out ... lessons in people skills for the future. What makes this school so great? The academics are top notch but that can be found at a lot of schools. The difference is that Bishop Lynch (BL) has the most Catholic attitude I've ever seen ... and they make the kids live it.

It shows first of all in their acceptance policy. They'll pass up a straight A student with a bad discipline record for a well behaved one with a C average. If you have school aged kids, I don't have to tell you how unusual that is, especially for a college prep school that regularly turns away half the applicants for lack of space. They can have their pick and they pick character.

The first pep rally Hannah ever attended had one of those goofy contests to see which class could cheer the loudest. The freshman class cheered and then the senior class booed them as a joke. Guess what? That's not the BL way. The seniors stayed behind for a huge lecture, the class president read a letter of apology on "BL Live" (the school morning news show) the next morning, and for the next two weeks every freshman was talked to and hugged by seniors making amends for not being welcoming. That made a huge impact on the freshman class ... and on us because most people would take a little good natured booing in stride as a joke.

What brought all this to mind was the letter we received from the school yesterday. The Dean of Students was writing to compliment Hannah on her perfect conduct record for the second year running. She's a good kid but it isn't unusual to get a detention when they can be given out for unbuttoning one too many shirt buttons or wearing the wrong shoes. What is unusual is for the school to take the time to find these kids and specifically write to compliment their behavior.

These all are the sorts of things we looked for in vain at the girls' Catholic grade school. We finally decided that it was too idealistic to expect them. In this day and age, who holds to such standards of character? What a pleasure to be proven wrong.

Setting the Scene

LUKE 10:25-37, THE GOOD SAMARITAN
There isn't anyone in Western culture who doesn't know the classic story of the good Samaritan rescuing the half-dead traveler. It adds a whole new depth of understanding and nuance to know the importance of the scene in which Jesus placed this story. As always, William Barclay is of great assistance in this.

... The road from Jerusalem to Jericho was a notoriously dangerous road. Jerusalem is 2,300 feet above sea-level; the Dead Sea, near which Jericho stood, is 1,300 feet below sea-level. So then, in somewhat less than 20 miles, this road dropped 3,600 feet. It was a road of narrow, rocky defiles, and of sudden turnings which made it the happy hunting-ground of brigands. In the fifth century Jerome tells us that it was still called "The Red, or Bloody Way." In the 19th century it was still necessary to pay safety money to the local Sheiks before one could travel on it. As late as the early 1930s H.V. Morton tells us that he was warned to get home before dark, if he intended to use the road, because a certain Abu Jildah was an adept at holding up cars and robbing travelers and tourists, and escaping to the hills before the police could arrive.

What becomes more obvious is that the traveler not only is badly injured but is that way because of his own reckless behavior. The lesson is more pointed when we realize that it does not matter if the person needs help because of their own deliberately foolish actions. They still need help and we are the ones called upon to give it should we happen across them. Translated into the types of situations I come across in my own life that means no self righteousness allowed. Ouch!

Thank You, St. Anthony

I know St. Jude is the guy who really appreciates public acknowledgement but no harm in giving credit where credit is due, right? So, thank you, St. Anthony, for putting my address book right on top of everything in the bag that I already had searched three times. It had every important phone number and was going to be a real pain to reproduce.

When Mother Teresa Carpet Bombed Washington

I vaguely remember that Mother Teresa spoke to the National Prayer Breakfast. What I didn't realize was what she said and how she said it. Peggy Noonan's eye witness account Still, Small Voice made me think of one of God's prophets appearing. Mother Teresa didn't follow the standard speech giving "rules." No hand shaking or chatting or sitting on the dias with the powerful. No jokes or putting everyone at ease. Just saying what everyone needed to hear and not necessarily the way everyone wanted to hear it. Also surprising in that account is the reaction of those who didn't agree with her.

It was something, the silence and surprise with which her words were received. Perhaps she didn't know that we don't talk about birth control in speeches in America. Perhaps she didn't know, or care, that her words were, as they say, not "healing" but “divisive," dividing not only Protestant from Catholic but Catholic from Catholic. It was all so unhappily unadorned, explicit, impolitic. And it was wonderful, like a big fresh drink of water, bracing in its directness and its uncompromising tone.

And of course it was startling, too, as if someone had spoken in favor of the Volsted Act (ed. note: Prohibition). And indeed the Clintons and Gores looked, by the end, as if they’d heard someone promise to outlaw Merlot.

And Mother Teresa seemed neither to notice nor to care. She finished her speech to a standing ovation and left as she had entered, silently, through a parted curtain, in a flash of blue and white.

Read the entire speech for yourself. Both it and Noonan's article are classics. Via Being or Nothingness.

The Story of the Weeping Camel

This is one of the most satisfying movies I have ever seen, possibly because it is true to life. In the southern Gobi Desert families of nomads raise camels. A camel has a long and painful delivery and refuses to let her baby near her. It will die unless she can be persuaded to take it back. That will happen after she weeps when listening to a traditional song played on the violin. This is a simple story but one that is much more cheerful that the subject would sound. In the process we see how the family lives and, when the two boys are sent to town to fetch a musician, we see how modernization is creeping in. It fascinates the younger boy who loves to watch television but, interestingly to me, the older boy does not seem tempted by it. As painful as it was to watch the baby camel cry for his mother and run to catch her, it was equally joyful when the music worked its charms and she relented. Watching the "reunited" pair was really unbelievable and it is undeniable that the music is what did the trick.

I discovered when reading Roger Ebert's review that this was not strictly filmed as it happened but that makes it a no less valid look at these people and their way of life.

The movie has been made in the same way that Robert Flaherty made such documentaries as "Nanook of the North," "Men of Aran" and "Louisiana Story." It uses real people in real places and essentially has them play themselves in a story inspired by their lives. That makes it a "narrative documentary," according to the filmmakers. A great many documentaries are closer to this model than their makers will admit; even "cinema verite" must pick and choose from the available footage and reflect a point of view.

What Isaac Shows Us

The story of God ordering Abraham to sacrifice Isaac usually is used to point out Abraham's total obedience and trust in God. Those of us who are parents can't imagine just saying, "Sure thing, Lord." and picking up the knife. That kind of thing usually leads to lengthy insanity hearings later. However, there is another side that I've never heard mentioned ... Isaac's role.

I was blown away the first time I realized that Isaac knew exactly what was going on. After all he grew up watching his father make animal sacrifices. True, he asks where the sacrifice will come from but that still leaves him lying on that altar watching his father brandish the knife over him without any recorded protest. How's that for obedience and trust? What I didn't realize until reading it yesterday was that Isaac's significance goes far beyond underscoring trust. He is a "type," a forerunner of Christ, as In Conversation with God points out. Very cool.

Origen points out that the sacrifice of Isaac makes us more clearly understand the mystery of the Redemption. "The fact that Isaac was compelled to carry the wood for the holocaust is a figure of Christ who was made to carry his cross on his shoulders. But at the same time, carrying the wood for the holocaust is the task of a priest. So Isaac was both victim and priest... Christ is at one and the same time Victim and High Priest. Indeed, according to the spirit, He offers the victim to his Father; according to the flesh, He himself is offered on the altar of the Cross. In Conversation with God, Vol. 4 (Origen, Homilies on the Book of Genesis, 8, 6, 9)]

The Gospel of John

THE GOSPEL AND THE MOVIE
Our learned Deacon Ken is doing a Bible study of the Gospel of John that features watching part of the movie after we discuss the chapters. DK knows his stuff and its all very illuminating. Of course, its not really fair to judge a movie that you watch in pieces but it seems like a typical "Bible" movie to me ... in other words, not the best "movie" I've ever seen although an interesting accompaniment to studying the gospel.

It does have a lot of great stuff though. So far my favorite is John the Baptist. Now this guy really looks like he's been living on locusts and honey in the desert, dressed in a skin ... the stuff crazy prophets are made of. When the Pharisees asked why he was baptizing, he jumped up and started waving his arms around and wailing about being the voice in the wilderness. You could just see the Pharisees edging away, not daring to turn their backs on this nut in case he jumped them. Perfect.

As for the other actors, they all are about what you'd expect. Except Mary. She looks like a dowager duchess who is slumming without her diamond necklace and formal gown. I could handle an old Mary who looks like she might have ever set foot in the Middle East but what were they thinking to cast this woman? She looks as if she's about to call Jeeves over to discuss the wine list. I can't wait to see how she handles the crucifixion scene.

Jesus is ok although I understood what Tom meant when he said that Jesus was a little too "groovy" for him. Well, Jim Caviezel set that bar pretty high in "The Passion of the Christ" so I can live with a "groovy" Jesus even if he does have the obligatory English accent. As Hannah says, doesn't everyone know that Jesus spoke with an American accent?

Waiting Around

THE TERMINAL
The girls and I saw The Terminal yesterday. It was funny but fell short of being a great comedy. Just like Victor Naborsky, stranded in the terminal, I kept waiting for the character development that would have taken this movie past the "ok for rental" point but unfortunately its not there. We saw very little of anyone's motivation and none of the characters really learned anything.

All the characters were treated much the same as the villain, who was merely a villain. We never knew why he was so awful. He repeatedly was given examples and specifically told how he needed to change but never made any attempt. It would have moved him past being such a two-dimensional character if we had been told what made him unable to change. Of course, minor characters don't need this but in this movie it was if all of the characters were minor in that sense. Wonderful acting from the great cast can't save a movie in that case.

It would be far more satisfying to rent Moscow on the Hudson which deals humorously and well with similar themes of a foreigner stranded in this country learning our culture. Too bad I seem to remember some "R" rated material or I'd get that to show the girls.

Smash Mouth

Astro Lounge
Smash Mouth
Get the Picture
How do you describe Smash Mouth? They're listed under alternative rock but that tends to send out a foreboding image, at least to someone like me, that just can't describe how much fun it is listening to them. They have songs about little green men, how wonderful life on Earth is, and then take on social and personal problems that would drag you down forever ... if they weren't just so darn happy and irreverent about it all at the same time. In other words, they're unpredictable. Just take "All Star", the song most people have heard because it was featured in Shrek. In the midst of all that bouncy "only shooting stars break the mold" there's a little message about global warming. The music is all over the place, 60's and 70's sounds, reggae, punk, psychedelic, surfer rock ... and a drummer that works overtime even on the slow songs. They're the summer music of choice at our house ... and just plain fun.