Dante to Dead Man Walking: My Final Reading List

Dante to Dead Man Walking: One Reader's Journey Through the Christian Classics
by Raymond A. Schroth, S.J.

I am definitely looking at a lifetime of good reading here ... many year's worth at the very least. What could be better?

Below the list of books suggested by the author with numerous revisions. Books with red titles are not gonna be read by this reader. I am putting what I am substituting instead.

Thanks so much to everyone who took the time and trouble to comment or email me. The only thing as good as reading books is talking about them and this has been one big gabfest! I also got many good books to add in general to my reading list and that is always appreciated as well.

By the way, considering how many books we are discussing, this site may be of interest:

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I'll be updating the list with reviews and links as I work my way through the books. The link will be in the sidebar with what I'm reading currently.

1. The Book of Genesis: I did a Bible study of this that was a real eye opener. I never knew there was so much depth to Genesis. What a great book!
   


2. The Book of Job: *sigh* ok but I am dreading it. The sadness, the complaining, the moaning ... I'm only going through with reading this one because it's in the Bible. Otherwise, it would be off this list so fast!
   


3. The David Story: A Translation with Commentary of 1 and 2 Samuel by Robert Alter: ok, why not?
   


4. The Gospel of Luke: studied this several times.
   


5. The Gospel of John: studied this several times.
   


6. The Confession by St. Augustine: I have taken three runs at this and always gotten bogged down by the self-pitying chapters about being beaten by tutors and other various problems of growing up. However, I see that Librivox has this coming out soon. That might be the help I need to push me over that hump.
   


7. Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri: I read the John Ciardi translation. Hell and Purgatory gave me much food for thought but I found Heaven deadly dull. Steven Riddle comments likewise.
   


8. Butler's Lives of the Saints by Michael Walsh: I planned on reading this and then realized that my relative lack of enthusiasm is because I have read four or five good books about lots of saints already, some of them quite large and comprehensive (though I know this is the most comprehensive). However, I am more interested at this point in holiness demonstrated through people I haven't heard about a dozen times already ... so I am going to substitute African Saints: Saints, Martyrs, and Holy People From the Continent of Africa by Frederick Quinn. And, wonder of wonders, our library actually has this book!
   UPDATE: after picking up African saints and looking through it, I sent it back to the library. The author, an Episcopal priest, had chosen the people that he felt should be saints. Which is all fine in its own way but when it came to seeing St. Augustine, his unknown consort, and their son all as saints together, I drew the line. I have read quite a few good saint books and don't really need to read more as I'll continue picking them up as I come across them. Therefore, I declare this section closed!
   


9. The Imitation of Christ by Thomas a Kempis: several versions of this are available on mp3, one is at Maria Lectrix. No problemo.
   


10. The Idea of a University by Ven. John Henry Newman ... at the risk of sounding like Homer Simpson, "Booooring!" Instead I am reading Apologia pro Vita Sua (Penguin Classics)">Apologia as many people suggested. JM commented, "Newman is never a breezy read, but he can be very rewarding. If you are going to read only one thing, read the Apologia. He wrote it to defend himself (specifically) and the Catholic Church (generally) against the charge of having little regard for the truth, and in doing so, revealed the how and the why he converted. Amazingly, it worked."
    


11. Walden by Henry David Thoreau: *sigh* ok, but I'm not looking forward to it. I think that someone advised reading it without looking into any introductions or notes so that I get the basic Thoreau unfiltered ... that is an excellent idea which I will follow for more than this particular book.
    


12. The Second Inaugural Address by Abraham Lincoln: Lincoln's my hero; can't wait!


13. The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoyevsky: a classic I've been meaning to read for a long time; can't wait!


14. The Story of a Soul by St. Therese of Lisieux: it didn't grab me but, again, everyone can't love every single saint
    


15. Mont-Saint-Michel and Chartres by Henry Adams: can't wait!
    


16. Orthodoxy by G.K. Chesterton: another one that I've tried to read several times. Chesterton is just too smart for me. It was suggested that Chesterton's fiction might be an easier way to go but I really can't stand the Father Brown books (for one thing if I can figure out a mystery practically as soon as it begins then it never was much of a mystery in the first place) and I've never been interested in any of his other fiction. However, I just remembered that Everlasting Man was suggested as a substitute and I've always been interested in reading that so I'm going to go that route. If I can get through Everlasting Man then I'll take another shot at Orthodoxy ... perhaps I'll be used to Chesterton's style and able to progress further then.
    


17. Dubliners by James Joyce: I don't like the whole idea of reading James Joyce but ... what the heck. Ok James, surprise me!
    


18. Kristin Lavransdatter by Sigrid Undset: never heard of it before now so why not. Cautions have been given that some translations are much better than others so if one seems awkward to read, stop and get another.
    


19. Therese by Francois Mauriac: Based on Steven Riddle's comments, I will go with Tangle of Vipers by the same author instead of Therese.
    


20. Death Comes for the Archbishop: this book has been recommended to me many times by people I trust; can't wait!
    


21. Mr. Blue by Myles Connolly: my review is here
    


22. Out of My Life and Thought: An Autobiography by Albert Schweitzer: can't wait!


23. The Diary of a Country Priest by Georges Bernanos: can't wait!


24. The Power and the Glory by Graham Greene: an alcoholic priest in Mexico; gee there's so much to love about this story. No wonder I've avoided it like the plague all these years. Look's like it's time to pay the piper; I'll give it a shot
    


25. Black Lamb and Grey Falcon: A Journey through Yugoslavia by Rebecca West: never heard of it before now so why not.
    


26. Brideshead Revisisted by Evelyn Waugh: aaargh! I'll finally be forced to read this book. All I can say is I hope it isn't another Helena (which I detested and yes I know it's a classic, etc.).
    


27. Cry, the Beloved Country by Alex Paton: never heard of it before now; sounds interesting so ok
    


28. The Seven Storey Mountain by Thomas Merton: Tried twice, hated it. Yes, you heard me. Hated it. Based on Steven Riddle's comments I am going to substitute Waters of Siloe which I've never heard of ... which in itself adds a certain amount of interest.
    


29. Letters and Papers from Prison by Dietrich Bonhoeffer: I had no strong feelings one way or the other but JM's thoughtful comments changed my mind to a different work by Bonhoeffer. "In my opinion, what B. wrote that the world and modern Christians most need to hear is in The Cost of Discipleship. In it he takes apart “cheap grace” and sent me, for one, looking for the real thing."
    
    On the other hand, Steven Riddle warns: ... while the message is valuable, you'll have to insulate yourself against a large amount of anti-clericalism and anti-Catholic diatribe that permeates the beginning of the book. I never made it through that...


30. The Long Loneliness by Dorothy Day: can't wait!
    


31. The Family of Man by Edward Steichen: photographs, interesting idea. Why not?
    


32. Divine Milieu by Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, S.J.: originally I was looking forward to this but continuous negative commentary coupled with a few things that came up in scripture study from obvious Chardin supporters made me change my mind. There is no connection at all but I am going to substitute Rumer Godden's Five for Sorrow, Ten for Joy. Godden is every bit as difficult to read as Flannery O'Connor in that she looked unflinchingly at the unpleasant truth of human actions. However, her style is so much more attractive to me at the same time that I can take it more easily from Godden. This is one of hers that I haven't read yet.
    


33. A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter M. Miller Jr.: a sci-fi classic that I can't remember if I've ever read ... can't wait! UPDATE: I am very disappointed in myself but I just could not get into that book for love or money. I left it unfinished. UPDATED AGAIN: I now find out that there was a long-ish short story by Miller and that the book was finished off by someone else. Aha! The story ended just where I wanted it to ... with the little monk presenting the drawings and then planning to go back to where the bandits were. A much more Christian take than what I read in the novel.
    


34. Morte D'Urban by J. F. Powers: never heard of it before now so why not.
    


35. The Other America by Michael Harrington: the poor in America ... I've only read about this issue until I'm practically blind. I don't think so. Again, with no particular connection in this substitution, it was suggested that I read The Long Walk: The True Story of a Trek to Freedom. Reading the summary it looks as if the "true" part of the story is not actually true but it sounds as if the story itself is still quite worth reading.
    


36. The Four Loves by C.S. Lewis: LOVE C.S. Lewis; can't wait!
    


37. The Historic Reality of Christian Culture: A Way to the Renewal of Human Life by Christopher Dawson: no strong feelings one way or the other so why not.


38. The Edge of Sadness by Edwin O'Connor: sure, why not.
    


39. Letter from Birmingham Jail by Martin Luther King, Jr.: I originally wasn't going to read this but the comments were so overwhelmingly positive that I am putting it back on the list. I'm trusting y'all on this one!
    


40. Everything That Rises Must Converge, "Revelation" by Flannery O'Connor: dreading it, afraid of O'Connor, but also looking forward to what I might learn ... in a weird way.
    


41. The Autobiography of Malcolm X by Alex Haley: I'm kind of interested in Malcolm X after listening to Rose talk about him when studying him in American history. Also I really enjoyed reading Roots by Haley so I'm looking forward to a well told story.
    


42. Silence by Shusaku Endo*****--: no way. If only Schroth hadn't said it was the most depressing book he'd ever read. I don't think so. I'm open to suggestions for substitutions, preferably fiction. This is how much I trust Steven Riddle. I will give it a shot based on his comments and strong recommendation. UPDATE-MY REVIEW: Christianity in a nutshell. An amazing book that provides so much food for thought. The tale of a 17th century Jesuit priest as he is smuggled into Japan to serve the Christians under persecution, is discovered, and undergoes the ultimate test of faith. Endo, writing for the Japanese, is examining the questions of how Christianity must adapt to be truly meaningful to the Japanese and also the question of what Christian faith truly consists of. He leaves these questions open enough that there was a considerable amount of debate at our book club and almost everyone had a insight that was fascinating. The author's considerable talent holds us far enough away from the details of persecution to allow this to become an intellectual consideration while still being a personal experience. An extraordinary book that I am glad I read.


43. A Theology of Liberation: History, Politics, and Salvation by Gustavo Gutierrez: just as I am profoundly disinterested in movements like Opus Dei because I ... well, I just don't care ... I feel the same way about liberation theology. Erik suggested the Don Camilio books by Giovanni Guareschi. I never heard of him but found that these are children's books ... which luckily our library has in English translations. I figure that several of them will equal or exceed the amount I actually would have read of anything about liberation theology.
    


44. The Fate of the Earth by Jonathan Schell: right, because I've never read anything about how we might blow up the earth before now. I don't think so. March Hare says, "Instead of "The Fate of the Earth" try "Earth Abides" by George R. Stewart. It's a novel and a classic (IMHO). I think his scenario of how civilization will end is much more plausible than anything I've read lately--and Stewart wrote this book in the 1940's, I believe!" And so I will.
    


45. The Love of Jesus and the Love of Neighbor by Karl Rahner, S.J.: I don't like a single thing that I'm hearing beginning with accessibility and going on from there. Therefore, I will take a suggestion from the strongest anti-Rahner voice in the crowd ... which would be Georgette ... and reading The Hidden Power of Kindness -- by Father Lawrence Lovasik. She says, "This is the clearest and most practical and simply-written spirituality for lay folks ever written! If you have trouble with the spiritual classics written BY nuns and monks in cloister, FOR nuns and monks in cloister (mostly), like The Seven Story Mountain, by Merton (he got weird towards the end of his life but this book is excellent, though hard for most lay folks to engage), or The Dark Night of the Soul, by St John of the Cross (also WONDERFUL but obscure), or St Teresa of Avila's Interior Castle (which I am sorta getting into now, but still very sublime)----then The Hidden Power of Kindness is definitely for you. I think it should be required reading for all Catholics! It is basically the Gospel put into practical step by step 'how to' terms! Brilliant!
    


46. In Memory of Her: A Feminist Theological Reconstruction of Christian Origins by Elisabeth Schussler Fiorenza: Oh, hell no! (stolen from Tom at Disputations) Per Erik's suggestion, I'll be reading Bread and Wine by Ignazio Silone.
    


47. Black Robe by Brian Moore: if Schroth wanted me to read this he shouldn't have mentioned the extensive mutilation and torture spread throughout the book. No thanks. I'll go with Steven Riddle's suggestion of The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne by Moore instead.
    


48. Dead Man Walking: An Eyewitness Account of the Death Penalty in the United States by Helen Prejean: I was ready to read this until comments by Erik and Tom of Disputation's comment rang true here for me ... I already am not on board with the death penalty. Also I've been getting these quite detailed emails about how that book is all wrong anyway ... either way I am off it. I was thinking about Walker Percy but a lot of confusion in that area leaves me bookless again. I am going to veer in a completely new direction ... let's see how this flies. Belief in God in an Age of Science by John Polkinghorne.
    


49. The Life of Thomas More by Peter Ackroyd: Peter Ackroyd's a great author; can't wait!
    


50. All Saints: Daily Reflections on Saints, Prophets, and Witnesses for Our Time by Robert Ellsberg: one of the first books I bought after becoming Catholic. It took me a while to notice that the saints Ellsberg includes aren't all canonized or even Christian but it's a good book anyway.
    

Schroth's Extras:

1. The First Jesuits by John W. O'Malley, S.J. ... this one's been on my "to read" list for a while


2. History of Christianity by Paul Johnson ... this one's been on my bookshelf for a year; this is just the thing I need to make me pick it up and read it.

In the Wings:

These are suggestions that I want to hang onto in case I just can't make progress on one of the above books ... ready made substitutes in an easy to find place! Some ideas found their way onto my regular "to read" list before I decided to keep extras here ... rest assured none have been lost.

1. Dietrich von Hildebrand-- Georgette says: "He is a genius theologian and very reliably orthodox. His wife, Alice von Hildebrand, is also a genius in her own right. I have read many articles and excerpts from their works, but not any one book in particular in its entirety--yet. It takes concentration to read them (as with any philosophical or theological work--for me at least!), but worth the pay off. "
   
   Jeff Miller recommends, " 'Transformation in Christ' I can't heap as much praise on this book as I would want. I think it will be one day fully recognized as a spiritual classic. His wife wrote an biography of him that is truly fascinating called Soul of a Lion. His conversion is detailed in there since he is a convert who grew up in a family of agnostic artists. Pretty much all of his brothers and sisters ended up converting to the Catholic Church. His time where he was working against Hitler is also quite interesting and he was even listed by Hitler as one of his greatest enemies. The story of his narrow escape from the Nazi's is also pretty exciting.


2. Abandonment to Divine Providence by Father Pierre de Caussade: Georgette says ... "is another spiritual classic which is sublime but VERY simplistic in its approach-- it is a wonderful spirituality. This one is a bit more mature spiritual nourishment, but when you are ready for it, it is outstanding. This book, I should add, contains the basis for the spirituality of the newest doctor of the Church, St Therese of Lisieux (aka "The Little Flower")."


3. Erik suggests the Book of the New Sun which, rather confusingly, seems to be found in two pieces, each consisting of two books: Shadow & Claw: The First Half of 'The Book of the New Sun', Sword & Citadel: The Second Half of 'The Book of the New Sun'.


4. War and Peace by Tolstoy


5. Alicia suggests: "I would actually recommend Madeleine L'Engle's paraphrasing and fictionalization of parts of Genesis -
   
   • And It Was Good: Reflections on Beginnings, 1983
   • A Stone for a Pillow: Journeys with Jacob, 1986
   • Sold Into Egypt: Joseph’s Journey into Human Being, 1989"
   I can't believe I forgot Madeleine L'Engle ... not Catholic but some very fine Christian writing coming from her in both fiction and nonfiction.


6. Steven Riddle recommends: Zaccheus Press has produced a very nice volume, Our Lady and the Church by Hugo Rahner. Tom, at Disputations, posted a review some time ago. I have read the book and didn't get as much out of it as he did, but I have to confess lingering protestant problems with Our Lady. However, seems appropriate to suggest it as your choice on this feast day.
   
   Jeff adds: "I would second Our Lady and the Church by Hugo Rahner. I really enjoyed it. I haven't read any of his brother Karl's books since I heard some parts of them were problematic. Though some good orthodox Catholics recommend some of what he writes."


7. Julie at Adoro te Devote says, "Alice von Hildenbrand...read her "The Privilege of being a Woman". Fascinating, not very long...and you will literally ABSORB it."


8. Rick Lugari: I know we've talked about Dr. Warren Carroll's History of Christendom series before. It's an excellent and I would count it as mandatory reading for any Catholic


9. My own recommendations for others would include:
   
   • Uncle Tom's Cabin
   • Who Moved the Stone
   • In This House of Brede: one of the most perfectly written books ever. I always was fascinated by Catholic characters and this shows them probably the best of any I've ever seen. The very real and imperfect people (Dame Veronica anyone?) in this religious community come up against struggles even in their cloistered environment ... which is set against a wonderful overall story.
   • Catholic Christianity which is the book that made me into a fully devout Catholic. Despite its size I was so fascinated when I began reading that I finished it in four days. Kreeft explained all the logic behind controversial Church teachings so well that I understood all I needed to in order to support the Magisterium.

Tags: Catholicism, Christianity

Waterfall Rib Socks

Knitted from the Six Stitch Sock in Sensational Knitted Socks using Bunny Hop yarn. Yep, I finished 'em. I loved knitting with that yarn but between it and the ribbing they did tend to be rather bulky for everyday wear. However, they have been just perfect to keep my cold feet warm at night. And I'm sure Tom appreciates having that lacy goodness for his view alone ... right?

With a view to less bulkiness in mind, I have begun a pair of socks from Nancy Bush's Knitting Vintage Socks for Tom using Knit Picks' cocoa Gloss on size 0 needles that feel as if a strong wind would break them in two. And, yet, I'm enjoying it. Such is the power of an addiction.

Tags: Catholicism, Christianity

Yet Another "Dante to Dead Man Walking" List

Melanie Bettinelli has her own reading list with comments. I am finishing up my list and now just have to find the time to post it.

Tags: Catholicism, Christianity

Advent is Here and Christmas is Coming

Something for Advent:
All about the Advent Wreath courtesy of Georgette.

Something for Christmas:
Remember that great Christmas lights video? It's baaaaaack!


Snopes has the scoop on this which is very interesting.

Tags: Catholicism, Christianity

The Same Old Thing

As always, keep in mind that this was written during World War II as a series of letters being written by a senior demon advising his nephew on how best to gain souls. Therefore the perspective is topsy-turvy. For example, "The Enemy" is God and "Our Father" is the devil.

The horror of the Same Old Thing is one of the most valuable passions we have produced in the human heart -- an endless source of heresies in religion, folly in counsel, infidelity in marriage, and inconstancy in friendship. The humans live in time, and experience reality successively. To experience much of it, therefore, they must experience many different things; in other words, they must experience change. And since they need change, the Enemy (being a hedonist at heart) has made change pleasurable to them, just as He has made eating pleasurable. But since He does not wish them to make change, any more than eating, as an end in itself, He has balanced the love of change in them by a love of permanence. He has contrived to gratify both tastes together in the very world He has made, by that union of change and permanence which we call Rhythm. He gives them the seasons, each season different yet every year the same, so that spring is always felt as a novelty yet always as the recurrence of an immemorial theme. He gives them in His Church a spiritual year; they change from a fast to a feast, but it is the same feast as before.

Now just as we pick out and exaggerate the pleasure of eating to produce gluttony, so we pick out this natural pleasantness of change and twist it into a demand for absolute novelty. This demand is entirely our workmanship. If we neglect our duty, men will be not only contented but transported by the mixed novelty and familiarity of snowdrops this January, sunrise this morning, plum pudding this Christmas. Children, until we have taught them better, will be perfectly happy with a seasonal round of games in which conkers succeed hopscotch as regularly as autumn follows summer. Only by our incessant efforts is the demand for the infinite, or unrhythmical, change is kept up.

This demand is valuable in various ways. In the first place it diminishes pleasure while increasing desire. The pleasure of novelty is by its very nature more subject than any other to the law of diminishing returns. And continued novelty costs money, so that the desire for it spells avarice or unhappiness or both. And again, the more rapacious this desire, the sooner it must eat up all the innocent sources of pleasure and pass on to those the Enemy forbids ...

The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis

I love the balance of change with permanence ... it just makes so much sense. Now the challenge is to keep the desire for change from outweighing that sensible balance.

Tags: Catholicism, Christianity

St. Justina? Never Heard of Her.

Although that doesn't really matter because obviously she has heard of me and has chosen to be my Patron Saint of 2007. I have to say that I think this is the first time I've been tagged by a martyr.

Date unknown. During an invasion of the Huns, Saint Aureus, bishop of Mainz, Germany, was driven from his see and was followed by his sister, Justina, as well as others. On their return, while the bishop was celebrating Mass, he and the others were murdered in the church (Benedictines). Saint Aureus is pictured as a bishop murdered by the Huns at the altar, while celebrating Mass. Sometimes he is shown with his sister Justina murdered beside him (Roeder).

Source

Tags: Catholicism, Christianity

Your Christmas is Most Like ...

Your Christmas is Most Like: A Charlie Brown Christmas

Each year, you really get into the spirit of Christmas. Which is much more important to you than nifty presents.

What Movie Is Your Christmas Most Like?

Via Quoth the Maven.

Tags: Catholicism, Christianity

Treating Christianity as a Means

As always, keep in mind that this was written during World War II as a series of letters being written by a senior demon advising his nephew on how best to gain souls. Therefore the perspective is topsy-turvy. For example, "The Enemy" is God and "Our Father" is the devil.

... About the general connection between Christianity and politics, our position is more delicate. Certainly we do not want men to allow their Christianity to flow over into their political life, for the establishment of anything like a really just society would be a major disaster. On the other hand we do want, and want very much, to make men treat Christianity as a means; preferably, of course, as a means to their own advancement, but, failing that, as a means to anything -- even to social justice. The thing to do is to get a man at first to value social justice as a thing which the Enemy demands, and then work him on to the stage at which he values Christianity because it may produce social justice. For the Enemy will not be used as a convenience. Men or nations who think they can revive the Faith in order to make a good society might just as well think they can use the stairs of Heaven as a short cut to the nearest chemist's shop. Fortunately it is quite easy to coax humans round this little corner. Only today I have found a passage in a Christian writer where he recommends his own version of Christianity on the ground that "only such a faith can outlast the death of old cultures and the birth of new civilizations." You see the little rift? "Believe this, not because it is true, but for some other reason." That's the game.

The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis

I wish it wasn't so easy to look around and see real-to-life examples to plug into the above excerpt.

Tags: Catholicism, Christianity

An Advent-Eve Story

From Brandywine Books comes this true story ... just a little something to remind us of why we are standing at that window, waiting for the light.

When Marvin was a young teenager (around the 1930s or early ‘40s, I imagine), he asked his father if he could go with the other kids to some entertainment event (he didn’t say what kind). His father said it wouldn’t be appropriate and told him no. Marvin said he was going anyway, and headed out.

“If you go out without my approval,” his father told him as he reached the door, “this house will be locked when you get home, and you’ll have to sleep somewhere else.”

Marvin refused to back down. He left. He enjoyed the event.

That, he said, was the short part of the night.

When he got home he found the house dark, the doors locked. Even that window in the basement that the kids could sometimes work loose was locked tight.

Marvin stood in the dark, thinking about his options. It wasn’t winter, but it was fall and the night was getting cold.

He remembered a sort of loft in the chicken coop which his brother and he had appropriated as a “secret place.” It had a sort of a mattress and a ratty quilt.

He went into the chicken coop and climbed up. The “mattress” was there, but the quilt was gone.

Lacking other options, he lay down on the mattress and curled up in a fetal position. The cold wind blew in through the cracks. The coop stank of chicken droppings. There was no way to sleep. He lay there in the darkness hugging himself, shivering. The hours passed slowly. He wondered if he could make it through the night.

Then, at last, he heard a door open. He heard a creaking sound as someone climbed the board ladder to the loft. Someone put a pillow under his head, lay down and held him close, and pulled a quilt over both of them.

In the darkness, he heard his father say, “Marvin, when I said that if you disobeyed me you’d have to find another place to sleep tonight, I didn’t say that I would sleep inside.”

And so that pastor taught his son the true meaning of the Incarnation.

Wish I’d had a dad like that.

Wait. I do.

Tags: Catholicism, Christianity

Dante to Dead Man Walking ... a couple more lists

I am continuing to work over my Christian classics reading list based on all the intelligent comments, a wonderful email I received, and the lists done at Flos Carmeli and Disputations.

My revised list will be posted later on, as well as the additions to my "To Read" list for the books that just wouldn't fit into the list.

Tags: Catholicism, Christianity

Remember the Saint of the Year Devotion? It's Back!

What is the Saint for the Year Devotion?

I want to tell you about the practice of picking a saint at random to be your “holy protector” for the year. Actually, the saint is the one who chooses us though. The tradition of letting a saint “pick you,” is not a new one. St. Faustina wrote about it in her diary, Divine Mercy in My Soul.

I don't draw the saints. I will merely pass on your name or screen name to her so that she will draw a saint for you. Also, I will pass on the name of any of your family or friends that would like to participate. This isn't superstition. St. Faustina did the same thing! Last year dozens of people received saints to be their special patron, and there were miraculous connections. It was truly amazing. We pray that this year the Holy Spirit will again work so that all participants receive a saint that they will be able to pray to for aid throughout the entire year.

Moneybags is offering once more, along with his partner in saint-selection, the chance to have a special saint for the year. St. Vitus and I are drawing to the end of our special year together. I can't say that I experienced anything miraculous (at least that was obvious enough for me to recognize) but there were definitely times when remembering him, this patron saint of good humor and comedy, that helped me be light hearted in situations when I easily could have been quite dour and mean. So ... that is miraculous enough for me!

I'm going to get over there and put in my request and I encourage you to do the same!

Tags: Catholicism, Christianity

Personal Advent Reading

Watch For The Light: Readings For Advent And Christmas

I just wanted to mention that I took Jean's suggestion for my own personal Advent devotional reading. Since Advent timing can move around a bit, the book begins on November 24 and I began reading it then. So far it has provided a good variety of Christian writing that is wholly in line with an Advent message.

In this week's scripture study our priest reminded us that Advent is not "the great penitence of Lent when one is focused on me, me, me ... on what I do wrong." He told us that we are like watchers at a window, looking out and waiting for the dawn, for the light to come to us. Advent, he told us, is about waiting for Christ to come, not only the historical Jesus, not only the Christ who will come at the end of time, though it is about all those things. Ultimately Advent is about waiting for Christ to come every day in our lives to complete us ... because we are broken and incomplete until he is here. So it is a gentler time of reflection and of a lesser penitence because our focus is on that window, waiting for the light to come to us.

Looking ahead through the book, I saw that, as Jean had mentioned, Martin Luther is the featured writer for December 24. I read it ahead of time to see what was selected since often I have read bits of Luther that have been perfectly straight forward and unexceptional. This, however, was not the case as it became clear that this piece was quite pointed toward a works versus faith argument ... which even if I was in the mood for such a thing on Christmas Eve, is quite out of place in such a setting. So I advise skipping that reading should you pick up the book. However, overall I recommend the book.

Tags: Catholicism, Christianity

Giving Us a Reason to Watch Friday Night Television

Question: I thought Justice had promise. Is it gone forever?
Madeline Bereuter

Answer: On the contrary. Justice has been switched to Friday nights at 7 central, 8 eastern, beginning on Dec. 1. New episodes so far are scheduled for that night and for Dec. 8 and 15. I thought Justice was the strongest of Fox's new fall series, but this already will be its third different night. Expectations are low on Fridays, though, so maybe Justice finally will prevail.

Ask Uncle Barky

Keeping in mind that we don't have cable so we don't see Battlestar Galactica or whatever else is on Friday night television.

We were totally bummed when it seemed that Justice was canceled. The couple of times that Tom has been tricked into watching even he got caught up in the plot, wondering what the real answer was and guessing before we saw the real ending shown at the end of the episodes. It is a real treat to watch Victor Garber thoroughly relish his show-boating role. If you have time in your television schedule, give it a try.

Tags: Catholicism, Christianity

Showing God's Glory Through Life Itself

Continuing to read through Katherine Valentine's series of books (first reviewed here) I find another difference between Valentine and Jan Karon, author of the much loved Mitford series. Although Valentine's books have a more loopy quality to their view of small town life, she is not afraid to tackle the big, difficult questions of our day. I was knocked out by the section where an expectant mother, whose pregnancy is truly a miracle to begin with, must contend with the fact that testing has shown her baby will have a very serious birth defect that will ensure a difficult life and early death. Naturally enough she is tortured by this and even though she has always been against abortion she begins wondering if it wouldn't be more humane than letting her innocent baby suffer. This is a lengthy excerpt but, as I say, I was impressed to find it in what I would normally categorize as a "fluff" book.

Where was God in all of this? What was His purpose? Why would He allow her innocent baby to suffer? If only she could understand, she might come to terms with her child's infirmity, find the courage to go on...

She knew she had no right to ask God to explain. he needn't be accountable to her, but she could not stop asking in the hope that He would give her the glimmer of insight she needed in order to find her way through this dark valley of fear and dread.

She removed a missalette from the back of the pew and turned to the day's reading. It was the story of a blind man whom Jesus healed and His disciples' response. His followers had sought to understand the reason behind the man's infirmity.

"Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents that he was born blind?"

Neither this man nor his parents sinned," Jesus said, "but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life."

She closed the book and looked across the sanctuary, lost in thought. It gave her courage to think that even the apostles had asked Jesus to explain why some are born to suffer.

She read the text again.

Jesus stated that the man's blindness was to showcase God's glory. Without the infirmity, there was no reason for the miracle, a miracle that would give people hope and belief in God's infinite compassion down through the millennium.

Slowly her doubts and fears began to give way to insight.

What if God planned someday to use her baby's handicap to bring others to a stronger place of faith? Was there a more precious gift anyone could give this world? ...

Was it possible that through her child's infirmities, others would receive similar hope? Did this mean that God someday might wish to heal her son by way of an instantaneous healing or through a medical discovery that would restore him to health? Anything was possible with God, wasn't it?

Suddenly she was reminded of a sermon Father Keene once had preached. He said that all adversity contained seeds of greatness and that every trial, every heartache, every disappointment or loss, when planted in the fertile soil of God's love, possessed the ability to grow into mountain-moving faith. And through the witness of that faith, others received hope.

Father Keene had said, "We are all born to do our Father's work here on earth, which is to share our faith in Jesus Christ. We do this through the witness of our faith and its power to overcome the world.

"So, when you experience any of life's trials, don't run from them," Father Keene had admonished. "Instead, stand firm and face it squarely, asking 'How have you come to enrich me?'"

Lori pondered these things in her heart, and slowly a spiritual shift began to take place in her soul. Her child was not a victim, a helpless cripple. He was an instrument of God's grace.

A new confidence began to grow. A conviction that somehow God would use this child to enrich His world.

Grace Will Lead Me Home: A Novel by Katherine Valentine

That is a work of fiction but here are some real life testimonies to the truth and power of Valentine's words.

• An excellent book that addresses the issue of quality of life is The Power of the Powerless: A Brother's Legacy of Love by Christopher De Vinck. This book together with the prominence of the Terri Shiavo case are what have had the greatest influence on my opinions about our utter lack of ability to really judge the quality of life for another person.
• The Imperfect are in the Image of God: Adoro te Devote's story of what she learned from working with the mentally and physically disabled.
• I'm not a saint, just a parent: also mentioned in an earlier post, this continues to impress as a father's matter-of-fact story about his family and their five year old son who has Down's Syndrome.
  

Tags: Catholicism, Christianity

Poetry Thursday

A bit more Kipling for us this week. This is one I'd never seen before but it deserves to be known better.

L'Envoi
by Rudyard Kipling

When Earth's last picture is painted and the tubes are twisted and dried,
When the oldest colours have faded, and the youngest critic has died,
We shall rest, and, faith, we shall need it -- lie down for an aeon or two,
Till the Master of All Good Workmen shall put us to work anew!

And those that were good shall be happy: they shall sit in a golden chair;
They shall splash at a ten-league canvas with brushes of comets' hair;
They shall find real saints to draw from -- Magdalene, Peter, and Paul;
They shall work for an age at a sitting and never be tired at all!

And only the Master shall praise us, and only the Master shall blame;
And no one shall work for money, and no one shall work for fame,
But each for the joy of the working, and each, in his separate star,
Shall draw the Thing as he sees It for the God of Things as They Are!

Tags: Catholicism, Christianity

Fantastic Classic Christian Reading Suggestions...

... are to be found in the comments of the Dante to Dead Man Walking Project post. If you have any interest in filling in the gaps in your reading, this is a good place to check out for some excellent advice.

Tags: Catholicism, Christianity

The Dante to Dead Man Walking Project

Dante to Dead Man Walking: One Reader's Journey Through the Christian Classics
by Raymond A. Schroth, S.J.

Here's the list of books suggested by the author. Books with red titles are not gonna be read by this reader. In some cases I need suggestions, in other cases I have substitutes all lines up.

1. The Book of Genesis: I did a Bible study of this that was a real eye opener. I never knew there was so much depth to Genesis. What a great book!
   


2. The Book of Job: *sigh* ok but I am dreading it. The sadness, the complaining, the moaning ... I'm only going through with reading this one because it's in the Bible. Otherwise, it would be off this list so fast!
   


3. The David Story: A Translation with Commentary of 1 and 2 Samuel by Robert Alter: ok, why not?
   


4. The Gospel of Luke: studied this several times.
   


5. The Gospel of John: studied this several times.
   


6. The Confession by St. Augustine: I have taken three runs at this and always gotten bogged down by the self-pitying chapters about being beaten by tutors and other various problems of growing up. However, I see that Librivox has this coming out soon. That might be the help I need to push me over that hump.
   


7. Inferno by Dante Alighieri: can't wait!
   


8. Butler's Lives of the Saints by Michael Walsh: can't wait!


9. The Imitation of Christ by Thomas a Kempis: several versions of this are available on mp3, one is at Maria Lectrix. No problemo.
   


10. The Idea of a University by Ven. John Henry Newman ... at the risk of sounding like Homer Simpson, "Booooring!" C'mon with ideas if you've got some ...
    


11. Walden by Henry David Thoreau: *sigh* ok, but I'm not looking forward to it
    


12. The Second Inaugural Address by Abraham Lincoln: Lincoln's my hero; can't wait!


13. The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoyevsky: a classic I've been meaning to read for a long time; can't wait!


14. The Story of a Soul by St. Therese of Lisieux: it didn't grab me but, again, everyone can't love every single saint
    


15. Mont-Saint-Michel and Chartres by Henry Adams: can't wait!
    


16. Orthodoxy by G.K. Chesterton: another one that I've tried to read several times. Chesterton is just too smart for me. However, I think that Librivox is working on this one also so listening to it may be the easier route.
    


17. Dubliners by James Joyce: I don't like the whole idea of reading James Joyce but ... what the heck. Ok James, surprise me!
    


18. Kristin Lavransdatter by Sigrid Undset: never heard of it before now so why not.
    


19. Therese by Francois Mauriac: Based on Steven Riddle's comments, I will go with Tangle of Vipers by the same author instead of Therese.
    


20. Death Comes for the Archbishop: this book has been recommended to me many times by people I trust; can't wait!
    


21. Mr. Blue by Myles Connolly: my review is here
    


22. Out of My Life and Thought: An Autobiography by Albert Schweitzer: can't wait!


23. The Diary of a Country Priest by Georges Bernanos: can't wait!


24. The Power and the Glory by Graham Greene: an alcoholic priest in Mexico; gee there's so much to love about this story. No wonder I've avoided it like the plague all these years. Look's like it's time to pay the piper; I'll give it a shot
    


25. Black Lamb and Grey Falcon: A Journey through Yugoslavia by Rebecca West: never heard of it before now so why not
    


26. Brideshead Revisisted by Evelyn Waugh: aaargh! I'll finally be forced to read this book. All I can say is I hope it isn't another Helena (which I detested and yes I know it's a classic, etc.).
    


27. Cry, the Beloved Country by Alex Paton: never heard of it before now; sounds interesting so ok
    


28. The Seven Storey Mountain by Thomas Merton: Tried twice, hated it. Yes, you heard me. Hated it. However, I will substitute No Man is an Island by Merton which I think I might like better.
    


29. Letters and Papers from Prison by Dietrich Bonhoeffer: no strong feelings one way or the other so why not.
    


30. The Long Loneliness by Dorothy Day: can't wait!
    


31. The Family of Man by Edward Steichen: photographs, interesting idea. Why not?
    


32. Divine Milieu by Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, S.J.: can't wait!
    


33. A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter M. Miller Jr.: a sci-fi classic that I can't remember if I've ever read ... can't wait!
    


34. Morte D'Urban by J. F. Powers: never heard of it before now so why not
    


35. The Other America by Michael Harrington: the poor in America ... I've only read about this issue until I'm practically blind. I don't think so. I'm open to suggestions for substitutions, preferably fiction.


36. The Four Loves by C.S. Lewis: LOVE C.S. Lewis; can't wait!
    


37. The Historic Reality of Christian Culture: A Way to the Renewal of Human Life by Christopher Dawson: no strong feelings one way or the other so why not.


38. The Edge of Sadness by Edwin O'Connor: sure, why not.
    


39. Letter from Birmingham Jail by Martin Luther King, Jr.: I've got nothing against King but I just don't care after reading the description. Suggestions? Preferably fiction.
    


40. Everything That Rises Must Converge, "Revelation" by Flannery O'Connor: dreading it, afraid of O'Connor, but also looking forward to what I might learn ... in a weird way.
    


41. The Autobiography of Malcolm X by Alex Haley: I'm kind of interested in Malcolm X after listening to Rose talk about him when studying him in American history.
    


42. Silence by Shusaku Endo: no way. If only Schroth hadn't said it was the most depressing book he'd ever read. I don't think so. I'm open to suggestions for substitutions, preferably fiction. This is how much I trust Steven Riddle. I will give it a shot based on his comments and strong recommendation.
    


43. A Theology of Liberation: History, Politics, and Salvation by Gustavo Gutierrez: just as I am profoundly disinterested in movements like Opus Dei because I ... well, I just don't care ... I feel the same way about liberation theology. Suggestions for substitutes?


44. The Fate of the Earth by Jonathan Schell: right, because I've never read anything about how we might blow up the earth before now. I don't think so. I'm open to suggestions for substitutions, preferably fiction.
    


45. The Love of Jesus and the Love of Neighbor by Karl Rahner, S.J.: ok, why not.
    


46. In Memory of Her: A Feminist Tehological Reconstruction of Chrsitian Origins by Elisabeth Schussler Fiorenza: the title alone gives me the creeps, much less after reading the description - I don't think so. I'm open to suggestions for substitutions, preferably fiction.


47. Black Robe by Brian Moore: if Schroth wanted me to read this he shouldn't have mentioned the extensive mutilation and torture spread throughout the book. No thanks. Substitution ideas, preferably fiction? Again, this is how much I trust Steven Riddle. He says it ain't so bad ... so I'll give it a try.
    


48. Dead Man Walking: An Eyewitness Account of the Death Penalty in the United States by Helen Prejean: oddly enough, probably because of my own internal struggle with this issue, I'm rather interested to see what this book is like.
    


49. The Life of Thomas More by Peter Ackroyd: Peter Ackroyd's a great author; can't wait!
    


50. All Saints: Daily Reflections on Saints, Prophets, and Witnesses for Our Time by Robert Ellsberg: one of the first books I bought after becoming Catholic. It took me a while to notice that the saints Ellsberg includes aren't all canonized or even Christian but it's a good book anyway.
    

Schroth's Extras:

1. The First Jesuits by John W. O'Malley, S.J. ... this one's been on my "to read" list for a while


2. History of Christianity by Paul Johnson ... this one's been on my bookshelf for a year; this is just the thing I need to make me pick it up and read it.

Tags: Catholicism, Christianity

Advent Reading

After looking at all the great ideas, our Perpetua & Felicity Book Club went with a dark horse ... a book that was talked about in glowing tones by member Laura H. So we will be reading the first four castles of Interior Castle by Teresa of Avila (translated by Allison Peers).

We won't be meeting until January after all so this will go through Advent, into Christmas and out the other side. Laura says that the beginning especially lends itself towards examination of conscience so that appealed to everyone, as well as the aspect of sinking our teeth into a Doctor of the Church.

Tags: Catholicism, Christianity

Pope Benedict XVI in Turkey

Of course, right now the big Catholic news is Pope Benedict's trip to Turkey and all the reactions for and against.

Spero News has a special spot set up with a slew of great stories and commentary on this if you want a perspective that is not one of the major network or newspaper takes on it.

Tags: Catholicism, Christianity

Gorgeous Hand-Carved Crucifixes

Every crucifix we carry is carved by hand from linden wood. We have a large selection of sizes and styles: small modern pieces with simplified forms and shapes, as well as large chapel crucifixes with a powerful anatomical structure and a natural portrayal of the dying Christ's corporeality.

The body of each work is made with intricate detail. Every piece is unique and some of them feature a crown of thorns that is fashioned from real thorns. Start a family tradition - give your loved ones a crucifix, because it's the most powerful symbol of Christianity today!

Check out the work at 4crucifix.com. It is truly stunning. They have everything from traditional to modern styles. I showed part of a detail shot above so you can get an idea of how detailed the work is but their photos are much better so go take a look.

Tags: Catholicism, Christianity

Don't Mess With My Time

As always, keep in mind that this was written during World War II as a series of letters being written by a senior demon advising his nephew on how best to gain souls. Therefore the perspective is topsy-turvy. For example, "The Enemy" is God and "Our Father" is the devil.

Men are not angered by mere misfortune but by misfortune conceived as injury. And the sense of injury depends on the feeling that a legitimate claim has been denied. The more claims on life, therefore, that your patient can be induced to make, the more often he will feel injured and, as a result, ill-tempered. Now you will have noticed that nothing throws him into a passion so easily as to find a tract of time which he reckoned on having at his own disposal unexpectedly taken from him. It is the unexpected visitor (when he looked forward to a quiet evening), or the friend's talkative wife (turning up when he looked forward to a tete-a-tete with the friend), that throw out him out of gear. Now he is not yet so uncharitable or slothful that these small demands on his courtesy are in themselves too much for it. They anger him because he regards his time as his own and feels that it is being stolen. You must therefore zealously guard in his mind the curious assumption "My time is my own." Let him have the feeling that he starts each day as the lawful possessor of twenty-four hours. Let him feel as a grievous tax that portion of this property which he has to make over to his employers, and as a generous donation that further portion which he allows to religious duties. But what he must never be permitted to doubt is that the total from which these deductions have been made was, in some mysterious sense, his own personal birthright.

The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis

Ouch! Guilty as charged and it is odd to me that I never thought about how silly this attitude is until reading about it here. This has been a very good reminder in the past couple of weeks when I've been about to get righteous about interruptions to my plans.

Tags: Catholicism, Christianity

Christian Classics, Finding the Truth, and ... Why I Am Afraid of Flannery O'Connor

Dante to Dead Man Walking: One Reader's Journey Through the Christian Classics
by Raymond A. Schroth, S.J.

But the twenty-first century mind needs Dante's Divine Comedy, specifically its first volume, the Inferno, because Dante's moral vision often contradicts ours and makes us rethink the way we view the world. The Library of Congress lists 2,878 books on Dante, the ninth-largest number on any one person. Critics choosing the books of the millennium for the Times Literary Supplement say that the Inferno is the "greatest of cathedrals, with better gargoyles, and its towers are taller than the world." It "sheds light on every other work of literature written in the West, before and after."

Raymond Schroth makes a compelling case not only for reading Dante but for reading a wide assortment of Christian classic literature from ancient to modern times. Selecting fifty books that raise a moral or religious issue in unforgettable ways, Schroth wrote essays about each to give a sense of both the contents and the reason for inclusion.

I believe I have mentioned before that Rose is working her way through the list of books contained in The Well-Educated Mind: A Guide to the Classical Education You Never Had. (Except for nonfiction books, she always hastens to add.) This has led to many things. Because of her enthusiasm about Uncle Tom's Cabin I wound up reading it, which I certainly had never planned on. Not only that, it has become one of my favorites among the Christian classics. That opened the door to giving other classics a chance that I certainly never would have before such as Mr. Blue and Catholics. However, I haven't found myself interested in pursuing the classics for their own sake. There had to be some other purpose as well. Therefore, I was primed to be open to Schroth's Christian classics reading list with supporting essays.

As is the case with most lists, this one does show Schroth's particular interested. In this case, Schroth is a priest in the Society of Jesus, a.k.a. a Jesuit. Therefore, no regular readers will be surprised to learn that his particular penchant is nonfictional social justice books which I find to be an unimaginative and boring aspect of his list. I was quite disappointed that he didn't have better candidates to offer us for the topics of nuclear war, the death penalty, and so forth.

The Iliad is only great because all life is a battle, the Odyssey because all life is a journey, the Book of Job because all life is a riddle.

G.K. Chesterton

Steven Riddle has written of his surprise at encountering people who find nonfiction so worthwhile as conveyors of truth that they rarely break into fiction at all. He then writes compellingly of the truth that is communicated on many levels by fiction in a way that often is not possible in nonfiction. (Please do go read, I'll wait ...)

I agree completely. Fiction in the right hands can cut deeper than a sword , right to the bone of truth that is too easily obscured in these days of skewed facts and targeted audiences that we find in much of nonfiction. In fact, that searing truth is one of the reasons I am afraid of Flannery O'Connor. Oh, not of her letters, which I definitely plan to read someday. But her fiction is terrifying to many. In fact, when writing to a pal who is all about literature and not at all interested in Christianity, her response was the O'Connor was "too rough, too gruesome" which we see echoed in the excerpt below. And, yet, O'Connor is all too Christian. (Don't stop at the excerpt, do go read the whole thing.)

Still, something's odd about selling Flannery to Christians. Even when people know about her superior technique and Christian frames, they still usually choke after a story or two. Too rough. Too troubling. They're not hard to read, they'll admit, but still, there's all that weirdness and death.

None of her stories, though, turns out to be as gruesome as common PG-13 fare. She places most of the ugliness off screen. Her stories do not fit in horror categories at all. Her use of the grotesque and ugly doesn't delight in power or shock value. All her stories focus on grace, grace, grace. That's what they're about. Every one of them. Real people wrestling with bodily grace.

And that's what disturbs many readers. They don't want their grace black. It feels like an alien faith to them, and they resist it. O'Connor herself heard this complaint. In her essay "The Catholic Novelist in the Protestant South," she argued against that pietism typical of Christian readers: "The reader wants his grace warm and binding, not dark and disruptive."

Here's the rub: her stories might be more palatable to modern Christians if she were just writing shock-jock horror stories. Frank Peretti sells, after all. That sort of writing goes down easier because we don't really believe it. It feels like someone else's world. It's alien enough that we're not truly threatened. But O'Connor's world is too close. And if her picture of dark grace is right, then our typical take on life fails.

Who's Afraid of Flannery O'Connor? (via Summa Mamas)

In considering the ability of fiction versus nonfiction to tell us the truth, it would seem that I have gone far astray from a mere book review. And, yet, I believe that Raymond Schroth would be pleased with that result. Without his book and my disagreement with some of his choices, I never would have pondered that larger picture. Therefore, it already has begun to do what he intended, which is to open our minds to a larger world. For that, and for his suggestions, many of which I welcome, I am quite grateful. In fact, I am going to begin working my way through most of his list, with suitable substitutions for those I don't agree with. That list and my comments will be posted tomorrow. Substitution suggestions will be welcomed.

Needless to say, this book is highly recommended.

Tags: Catholicism, Christianity

Getting Back to the Bond Essentials

There's no doubt about it, James Bond is back to being a spy instead of a cartoon. This is the James Bond I remember reading about in the Ian Fleming books so long ago. Unsentimental, edgy, stopping at nothing to get the job done.

And yet ... they managed to still keep the movie feeling like the "Bond movie" we expect to see. The opening credits were a brilliant take on the time honored graphics. The opening sequence leading to the credits ... I won't give it away but it was perfectly done. The chase sequence in the beginning was spot-on but nary a space station or huge satellite dish built by a super villain or such thing in sight. In fact, this movie didn't have Q, the quirky inventor of deadly devices, because he wasn't needed. The most that this James Bond needed was a revolver and his quick takes on nearby materials to use. Oh, and maybe the spare defibrillator...

Wait, I take that back. He also needed cell phones. Lots and lots of cell phones. His cell phones. Friends' cell phones. Enemies' cell phones. I never saw so much information gleaned from so many cell phones. But that's ok. How would you get so much product placement in without all those cell phones and computers and automobiles on which to prominently display logos? In fact, the product placement is so shameless that at one point a person says, "That's a nice watch. Rolodex?" "Omega," responds Bond with not so much as a deprecating smile.

However, this Bond movie is worth watching even with all that. This is Bond at the best he has been in a very long time. Welcome back, Mr. Bond.

HC rating: Nine thumbs up.

Persistence in Prayer

If God seems at times to be slow in responding, it is because He is preparing a better gift. he will not deny us. We well know that the long-awaited gift is all the more precious for the delay in its being granted ... Ask, seek, insist. Through this asking and seeking you will be better prepared to receive God's gift when it comes. God withholds what you are not yet ready for. He wants you to have a lively desire for his greatest gifts. All of which is to say, pray always and do not lose heart.

St. Augustine, Sermon 61, 6-7
In Conversation with God,
Vol. Five: Ordinary Time, Weeks 24-34

I think what is difficult to remember from all this, in addition to our innate impatience, is that oftentimes what God is preparing is our own hearts so that what we want is in tune with what He wants. Which definitely makes it worth the wait.

Tags: Catholicism, Christianity

What Have We Learned From History?

Not too much, evidently. Be sure to watch to the end. Ripped off from The Crescat.

Know Thyself ... From the Inside Out

YOU: THE OWNER'S MANUAL:
An Insider's Guide to the Body That Will Make You Healthier and Younger by Michael Roizen, M.D., and Mehmet Oz, M.D.

... we want you to think of your body as a home - as your home ... Your bones are the two-by-fours that support and protect the inner structure of your home; your eyes are the windows; your lungs are the ventilation ducts; your brain is the fuse box; your intestines are the plumbing system; your mouth is the food processor; your heart is the water main; your hair is the lawn (some of us have more grass than others); and your fat is all the unnecessary junk you've stored in the attic that your spouse has been nagging you to get rid of. If you can get past the fact that your forehead doesn't have a street number and that a two-story brick Colonial doesn't look all that good in a bathing suit, the similarities are remarkable - so remarkable, in fact, that we believe you can learn about how your body works by thinking about how your house does...

... we want you to take the same approach to basic body maintenance and repairs as you do in your home. You don't call the plumber if you have a little backup in your pipes. You try a plunger, lift the back off the toilet and fiddle with the floating ball, and try to remedy the problem yourself. You don't call the exterminator when you spot a fly in the kitchen. You don't call the electrician if a light bulb burns out. You rely on yourself for maintaining control over how your house ages - because you know that it's less expensive to prevent problems and treat minor ones than let everything deteriorate to the point where your house needs a major overhaul to continue functioning properly.

Ultimately, we want you to get comfortable enough with your own body so that you'll feel confident with basic body maintenance, so that you'll avoid the things that cause the most wear and tear and do the things that best maintain the long-term value of your body...

I wasn't interested in being either healthier or younger when I requested this book from the library. However, I'd heard it was a very easy to understand "how it works" book. No kidding!

I found this book both riveting in the use of simple explanations as well as inspirational in terms of why we should eat a healthier diet and incorporate exercise into daily routine. Using simple analogies, the authors cover every part of the body and explain not only how it works but what it needs for good health. As they mention Each section dispels myths (a good number of which I thought were true) has good illustrations to supplement the written info, and has a "Live Younger Action Plan." The whole "live younger" concept is to get your body's "real age" as good as it can get with moderate exercise, preventive living and a healthy diet. The idea is to make you healthy overall which is what they mean by "live younger." Let's face it, it is a rare American these days whose physical "age" is equal to or less than their birthday. Being overweight or sedentary takes an amazing toll.

They include an easy to remember cheat sheet for both daily exercise and eating guidelines. I, for one, have not been this inspired about physical health since the two day class that I took with Tom after he became diabetic. In fact, for my stretching sessions, Rose is going to begin teaching me yoga ... she is taking a year-long class in school and has the basics down now. That should not only help fulfill my body's need for stretching but also my brain's necessity to learn new things that I wouldn't normally. Oh, and I predict a lot of laughing and time with Rose. Three for the price of one ... not a bad deal at all. Highly recommended.

Here's a sample of one of the self tests that are scattered throughout the book.

Myth or Fact?
You can work out your brain with weights.

Try this self-test: Stand on one leg and close your eyes. The longer you can stand without falling, the younger your brain (fifteen seconds is very good if you are forty-five or older). That balancing act is just one sign of your brain strength. To develop better balance, you should use free weights -- that is, dumbbells and barbells -- because exercising with them works your proprioception (your ability to balance). Weight machines don't have the same effect because the weights re attached to a fixed surface, so you don't develop your balancing abilities as you lift them.

Rose and Tom had fifteen seconds each. I had thirteen seconds.

Tags: Catholicism, Christianity

The Golden Coin of Marriage

He [St. Josemaria Escriva] spoke often of the joys of married life. Nevertheless, he insisted that "marriage isn't just satisfaction for the heart and senses. It's also suffering; it has two sides, like a coin."

On the one hand, there is the joy of knowing that one is loved, the desire and enthusiasm involved in starting a family and taking care of it, the love of husband and wife, the happiness of seeing the children grow up. On the other hand, there are also sorrows and difficulties -- the passing of time that consumes the obdy and threatens the character with the temptation to bitterness, the seemingly monotonous succession of days that are apparently always the same.

We would have a poor idea of marriage and of human affection if we were to think that love and joy come to an end when faced with such difficulties. It is precisely then that our true sentiments come to the surface. Then the tenderness of a person's gift of himself takes root and shows itself in a true and profound affection that is stronger than death.

As he knew from his own childhood, suffering is sometimes unavoidable. The failure of a business, the death of loved ones -- such events are impossible to predict and prepare for. No less wearisome is the daily grind of an underemployed man, working far below his station in life, for far less money than he needs. Still, these are the circumstances of countless ordinary families. To paraphrase the bumper sticker: suffering happens. What we do with that suffering, however, is what makes us either saints or very wretched people. It's our choice, but it's not a solitary matter. When we live in families -- or in any kind of household -- our choice affects all the people around us. We either parlay our suffering into happiness for others or multiply the misery in our own homes. On trying days, the greatest sacrifice might be to smile when we don't feel like smiling. "I've often said," noted St. Josemaria, "that the hardest mortification can be to smile. Well, then, smile!"

Ordinary Work, Extraordinary Grace by Scott Hahn

Wow. Truer words were never spoken.

Tags: Catholicism, Christianity

From Taye Diggs to Jayne's Hat ... a Photo Essay

Last night Rose and I watched the pilot of Day Break which I taped earlier in the week. Against all my expectations it was pretty good. If I didn't expect it to be too good, why did I tape it? Look at Taye Diggs' photo again ...



I was being driven crazy by the fact that I couldn't place the actor playing the scummy, sleazy cop, Chad. Thank heavens for IMDB ... Adam Baldwin!

No wonder he looked familiar ... and no wonder I couldn't place him. Somehow Chad and Jayne from Firefly just don't equate. Yeah, Jayne also was scummy and sleazy but you expected it and he was upfront about it in a refreshing way.

Rose was equally astounded and then told me, "Anna has found a pattern for Jayne's hat. That's why she wants to learn how to knit."




Not this hat ...



... but this hat which was so incredibly goofy but which bad-a** Jayne wore through an entire episode because his mother made it and mailed it to him. All you have to do is say "Jayne's hat" to Firefly fans and they know exactly what you mean.

Word is that Jayne's hat also was in Serenity if you are looking at the right time. I missed it ... guess I'll have to watch it again to see (tough duty, but someone's gotta do it...)


Turns out that there is more than one pattern out there for this hat and you'll also find photos of Serenity/Firefly fans wearing Jayne's hat to various conventions. You know, for a show that only aired 9 episodes it sure developed a hard core cult following.

Here's the pattern, which I will be printing out and keeping ... though from examining the photos I am fairly sure that Jayne's hat has orange ear flaps. I'm going to have to watch the episode again to check this out (again, someone's gotta do this tough duty and for my knitting I count it worthwhile...)

Tags: Catholicism, Christianity

Not Your Father's Bond

You know Casino Royale wants to be a different breed of Bond movie when Daniel Craig's 007 indulges his famous thirst for a martini. "Shaken or stirred?" asks the barkeep. "Do I look like I give a damn?" snarls the special agent. And there you have it. This isn't your father's Bond, and he's not shy about letting you know.

More grit and less cartoon? Yeah, I think I can handle it. Looks like our Thanksgiving weekend movie has been chosen ...

Tags: Catholicism, Christianity

Serving Others as an Offering to God

A love for the world enables laypeople to live and work with "naturalness" in any circumstance, without a distinctive dress or manner. All that should set them apart is their rectitude and their charity. If we must be set apart in some other way, let it be in the excellence of the work we do -- in the service of others, as an offering to God. Secularity means behaving in a way that is consistent with our place in life, which is the very place where God has called us.

It would be unnatural for us to draw attention to ourselves with public displays of piety, just as it would be unnatural for my wife and me to draw attention to ourselves with excessive public displays of affection. My affective reserve -- whether in piety or in kissing -- does not mean I am ashamed of my status as a Christian or as a man married to Kimberly. Nor does it mean I am observing any kind of excessive secrecy. It is merely the reserve that's proper for the world -- or at least for the particular corner of the world where I live.

In a similar way, our homes need not be decorated like medieval churches in order to be sanctified. They should be identifiably Christian, of course, but they should also be distinctively homes and not cathedrals.

Nevertheless, secularity, like any good thing, can be overdone. In our zeal to laicize our piety, we shouldn't leave people guessing whether we're Christians...

"Live as the others around you live," St. Josemaria said, "with naturalness, but 'supernauralizing' every moment of your day."

Ordinary Work, Extraordinary Grace by Scott Hahn

We had a newly ordained priest assisting our pastor many years ago. In his zeal, he couldn't talk to anyone about anything, even something as simple as the weather, without telling a "real life" story that would link the conversation to Jesus. It was painful to watch him talk to children especially. They would come up to him and try to talk to him and his tone would grow patronizing and he would answer questions like, "Did you play baseball when you were little?" with something like, "Yes, I did and God likes to see us growing strong ... as long as we play it like good Christians."

He left our parish after a short time ... our pastor had even less taste for such platitudes than our family did. However, I never forgot the sterling example he provided of what not to do, and which we are reminded of so well in the excerpt above.

Tags: Catholicism, Christianity

I've Never Been Into Pinup Calendars ...

... but I would make an exception for this one! Via American Papist.

Tags: Catholicism, Christianity

The 2006 Weblog Awards - Nominations Open

This has to be the most comprehensive blog awards ever ... just take a look at those categories. I found several very good blogs through the nominees' and winners' links last year so I'll let y'all know when they've sorted through everything and have the voting open.

I seem to remember that last year The Anchoress was nominated and also Flos Carmeli. And if not, well, they should have been!

Tags: Catholicism, Christianity

My Signal Graces Today

I can't remember where I read about "signal graces" and now that I have gone looking around the internet I can't find a definition. As I understand it signal graces are sent by God to help us to make the right decisions in life. And my understanding is that they often appear in threes. I often think of them as those little markers to help keep us on the right path ... and I need three just to get my attention!

I've been so busy lately making hay while the sun shines on our little graphics farm that I haven't had the brain power to read anything but fluff. Now, I do try to make it good fluff, which is why I'm in the middle of Grace Will Lead Me Home, which is the third in Katherine Valentine's series of the Mitford gone Catholic books.

[Signal the first] This morning I was struck by one of the characters who began to pray about someone's car trouble, saying that there was no detail of life that God doesn't care about. Of course, I know this, but knowing and living something can be very different. I took it to heart, thinking of how tired and stressed I felt ... knowing that I can't be perfect but not wanting to take it out on those around me ... trying to live in the here-and-now instead of worrying about not making the deadline after Thanksgiving, about possibly having to work on Thanksgiving weekend when Hannah will be home for the first time since going to college ... and all that jazz.

Thinking back now, it strikes me that on the way to drop off Rose and the carpool gang at school I asked my guardian angel to give me some tips, give me a lift ... help me through the day.

As always, after they were dropped off, I turned on today's episode from pray-as-you-go. My mind kept drifting and I had to keep turning it back so I'd actually focus on the prayer instead of the long list of things that kept popping to the fore. I'm certainly glad I made the effort because [Signal the second] the final words told me to talk to Jesus, to tell Him whatever was on my mind, whatever was making me happy or worried. I suddenly thought of what I had read earlier and thought of all that work, stress, worry. So I told Him all those little details ... and asked for grace to live in the moment more. And then I moved on with my day.

Suddenly, my day was going better. An extra person had a lull and was able to help with some of the catching up ... I am not so tired now and the stress is gone ... not a small part of which I attribute to anybody who has seen my mention in the prayer request list and offered a prayer (which I so appreciate).

So I had a few minutes at lunch and was crusing a few blogs (man cannot live by work alone you know!) and [Signal the third] saw what Owen wrote.

... I can't tell you about the nature of it but know this, if you are needing a reminder that God cares for you in the smallest of details, please, let this be that reminder.

Eureka! That was the tap on the head that pulled it all together for me ... and I could see in my mind's eye the humorous smile that God was giving me with this one.

Once again I am so thankful for a God who cares about the smallest details and will go to such lengths just to get me to come to Him with my needs. Not to mention my guardian angel who is always with me and always looking upon God ... here to help us along.

Now ... I'm back to that hay field. This big project should be over in a couple more weeks ... I have numerous commentaries about books, tv, movies, etc. but they'll have to wait ...

Tags: Catholicism, Christianity

Poetry Thursday

We pause in the weekly presentation of Rose's poetry to present one of her very favorite poems by another author.

The Female of the Species
By Rudyard Kipling

WHEN the Himalayan peasant meets the he-bear in his pride,
He shouts to scare the monster, who will often turn aside.
But the she-bear thus accosted rends the peasant tooth and nail.
For the female of the species is more deadly than the male.

When Nag the basking cobra hears the careless foot of man,
He will sometimes wriggle sideways and avoid it if he can.
But his mate makes no such motion where she camps beside the trail.
For the female of the species is more deadly than the male.

When the early Jesuit fathers preached to Hurons and Choctaws,
They prayed to be delivered from the vengeance of the squaws.
'Twas the women, not the warriors, turned those stark enthusiasts pale.
For the female of the species is more deadly than the male.

Man's timid heart is bursting with the things he must not say,
For the Woman that God gave him isn't his to give away;
But when hunter meets with husbands, each confirms the other's tale—
The female of the species is more deadly than the male.

Man, a bear in most relations—worm and savage otherwise,—
Man propounds negotiations, Man accepts the compromise.
Very rarely will he squarely push the logic of a fact
To its ultimate conclusion in unmitigated act.

Fear, or foolishness, impels him, ere he lay the wicked low,
To concede some form of trial even to his fiercest foe.
Mirth obscene diverts his anger—Doubt and Pity oft perplex
Him in dealing with an issue—to the scandal of The Sex!

But the Woman that God gave him, every fibre of her frame
Proves her launched for one sole issue, armed and engined for the same;
And to serve that single issue, lest the generations fail,
The female of the species must be deadlier than the male.

She who faces Death by torture for each life beneath her breast
May not deal in doubt or pity—must not swerve for fact or jest.
These be purely male diversions—not in these her honour dwells—
She the Other Law we live by, is that Law and nothing else.

She can bring no more to living than the powers that make her great
As the Mother of the Infant and the Mistress of the Mate.
And when Babe and Man are lacking and she strides unclaimed to claim
Her right as femme (and baron), her equipment is the same.

She is wedded to convictions—in default of grosser ties;
Her contentions are her children, Heaven help him who denies!—
He will meet no suave discussion, but the instant, white-hot, wild,
Wakened female of the species warring as for spouse and child.

Unprovoked and awful charges—even so the she-bear fights,
Speech that drips, corrodes, and poisons—even so the cobra bites,
Scientific vivisection of one nerve till it is raw
And the victim writhes in anguish—like the Jesuit with the squaw!

So it comes that Man, the coward, when he gathers to confer
With his fellow-braves in council, dare not leave a place for her
Where, at war with Life and Conscience, he uplifts his erring hands
To some God of Abstract Justice—which no woman understands.

And Man knows it! Knows, moreover, that the Woman that God gave him
Must command but may not govern—shall enthral but not enslave him.
And She knows, because She warns him, and Her instincts never fail,
That the Female of Her Species is more deadly than the Male.

Tags: Catholicism, Christianity

Infinite Greatness Through Small Things

The smallest tasks can take on infinite value when we offer them to God, when we carry them out as works of God. Holy ambition strives for greatness even in little things, but it is content with the earthly results that God wills or permits.

Thus, we can live with holy ambition even if our professional prospects are few. In holy ambition, there is none of the anxiety, disappointment, and dissatisfaction that cling to men and women as they strive to climb the corporate or social ladder. Holy ambition hopes for great things, but contents itself with whatever God wills. St. Josemaria urged Christians: "Do not lose that holy ambition of yours to lead the whole world to God, but ... remember that you too have to be obedient and work away at that obscure job, which does not seem at all brilliant, for as long as God asks nothing else of you. He has His own times and paths."

Ordinary Work, Extraordinary Grace by Scott Hahn

The Bible is full of examples of this very thing, culminating in the Holy Family's example. God uses holy garbagemen, store clerks, toll road workers, etc. just as much as He ever did a carpenter and housewife from an obscure town. The question is, as I suppose it always is, can we be holy in our places through the small things as were Mary, Joseph and Jesus?

Tags: Catholicism, Christianity

Jeremiah, tell me 'bout the fire ...

... come stir up these coals in my soul, in my soul
till it burns out of control

More info is in the comments box.

Tags: Catholicism, Christianity

A Sweet Story of Love for Christmas

CHRISTMAS TURTLES by Sara Ann Denson

This is a charming book about a grandmother's love for her grandchildren told from the children's point of view. The children experience the annual magic of having "Christmas turtles," (the candy) show up in the freezer. Is it made by elves? By Santa? As it turns out, the candy is made by Grandmother and as the children watch how it is made they come to realize how much she loves them. The book comes with a recipe and a wooden spoon so you can get to work on your own holiday turtle tradition after reading it.

I happen to know that if we had this book when the girls were younger we'd have been making Christmas turtles every year. As it is, a certain young lady of my acquaintance will be receiving this book for Christmas (get that apron on, Little John!).

Highly recommended.

Tags: Catholicism, Christianity

Let's Get Real

It's the little things that count, even for God. For in our attention to little things, we imitate Him most perfectly. Our God is the master of the universe, whose mind and power are evident in the formation of the Himalayas, but also in the movement of subatomic particles. And He doesn't move mountains without moving a whole lot of electrons in the process!

Thus, there is a hidden grandeur in the most ordinary things. St. Josemaria saw this, and he had little patience for those would-be saints with romantic inclinations who saw ordinary life as merely an obstacle to true greatness. He called this attitude "mystical wishful thinking." We should not sit around whining: "If only I hadn't married; if only I had a different job or qualification; if only I were in better health; if only I were younger; if only I were older." Instead, St. Josemaria said, we should "Turn to the most material and immediate reality" -- and get to work.

Ordinary Work, Extraordinary Grace by Scott Hahn

The desire to wish "if only" is one that is so easy to fall prey to. If you have as active an imagination as I do it can slow you down to doing nothing. I think that some of the best advice I ever read (and followed) was to rein in my imagination and focus on the here and now instead of indulging my imagination thinking about possible bad things that could happen or wishing my life away on things that were highly unlikely to occur.

Tags: Catholicism, Christianity

Advent Reading Suggestions?

Yes, it's a bit early to be thinking of this. However, I am trying to think of something for our Catholic women's book club to read during December. I have some ideas but am specifically looking for something:

• Short enough to be read in a month.
• Widely available so everyone can pick it up from a major bookstore ... or something that we can access online.
• Suitable for Advent reading

We may wind up simply beginning a larger work that will be discussed over a few months but I thought I'd see what ideas anyone out there has.

By the way, if any local readers are interested in coming to this book club, they are welcome. Just email me for the information (julie [at] glyphnet [dot] com).

Tags: Catholicism, Christianity

Kent Brockman here ...

... with the best one line election summary yet. Via Dom.

Tags: Catholicism, Christianity

Poetry Thursday

Parents

Walking contradictions
Never making sense
"Because I said so"
In their defense
The statement spreads all over
Appearing like a cancer
Weren't they ever told?
"Because" isn't an answer!

Rose Davis

I read this and looked at Rose who hastened to say, "You never used that answer ..."

Dang right we never did ... for that very reason.

Tags: Catholicism, Christianity