God Bestows Silence for Lent Although We May Not Always Recognize It as a Blessing

What a weekend.

First came the notice that not enough people have signed up for either of our CRHP retreats to make them viable. The March retreats are being postponed until October. We were asked to pray and to ask God to guide us in the future of the retreat at the parish. The decision was given with regret and only after much deliberation, but it prompted many emails in support of action, immediate action. That is a very understandable response as we are, of course, Americans which means that immediate action fixes many ills and is the first thing we think of. Sometimes, though, there is no helpful action to take. We must practice patience, prayer, and obedience. Ouch! The triple threat, but such a needed reminder, especially during Lent.

There was a young woman in the pew next to me on Sunday who quietly wept during a good portion of Mass. She had been whispering about the retreat to her friends before it began and my surmise was that she felt, as Tom thought must be the case for those who had gone through CRHP recently, "as if there were a death in the family." I felt sorry for her, but also hoped that she could take those feelings into the desert with Christ ... it can be a blessing though it never feels like it at the time.

Then came the news that Father Corapi, a much admired priest by many people I know, announced that he has been accused of sexual impropriety, among other things. Read about it at The Anchoress where there are many other good links and good reflections, with which I agree.

I myself have no particular feelings about Father Corapi either way, except to be quite surprised at his angry comments about the Church immediately putting him on administrative leave. Has he read the news for the past few years? What does he expect? I think of how many saints were, to use modern terminology, put on administrative leave for various attitudes and "offenses" against the Church. They took it in a spirit of obedience. Quite a contrast. Perhaps this is part of God's provision of Lenten silence for the good father. I pray for his accuser and for him, that justice and mercy may be meted to both as needed by the authorities and by God, especially in this time of Lent.

Finally, Tom happened across Archbishop Dolan's interview on 60 Minutes (watch it or read the transcript here), a show we never normally watch. He was very impressed and reported a lot of it to us over dinner. Luckily, it pushed The Amazing Race back far enough that my taping of that show caught most of the interview and we were able to watch it for ourselves. If he is the new face of the Church, then we are blessed. (Read his telling of an airport encounter here to see how much.) He seems not only well spoken but to understand real people, which is key. Some of my favorite bits:

He is unwavering on what he calls the "settled" questions: abortion, birth control, ordination of women, gay marriage and celibacy.

"No question that you're conciliatory, that you like to have dialog, but underneath that you're an old-fashioned conservative. I mean, in the sense that of right-wing conservative," Safer remarked.

"I would bristle at being termed right wing. But if somebody means enthusiastically committed and grateful for the timeless heritage of the church, and feeling that my best service is when I try to preserve that and pass that on in its fullness and beauty and radiance, I'm a conservative, no doubt," Dolan said.

=============

"Do you fear that aftereffects of these [sex] scandals are just gonna live on and on and on?" Safer asked.

"In some ways I don't want it to be over because this was such a crisis in the Catholic church, that in a way we don't wanna get over it too easily. This needs to haunt us," Dolan said.

============

Dolan says he wants people to celebrate the beauty, charity and timelessness of the church, and not focus so much on what the church prohibits. "Instead of being hung up on these headline issues, let's get back to where the church is at her best," he told Safer.

"But the headline issues are where people are living their lives. And an awful lot feel that the church is going down the wrong road," Safer said.*

"Yeah, I guess, you got two different world views there," Dolan replied.

"And you ain't gonna change," Safer remarked.

"I'm in one world. You're in the other," Dolan replied, laughing. "I'm glad you're visitin'."

What does that have to do with Lent and silence?

This statement: In some ways I don't want it to be over because this was such a crisis in the Catholic church, that in a way we don't wanna get over it too easily. This needs to haunt us.

We like to forget that we are fallible, that we don't know the best way, that we have to turn in humility to God. Sometimes only prayer, patience, and obedience are what we can do. Lent forces us to contemplate true perspective, true reality, and let it sink into our souls. We may not recognize it as a blessing, but it is one indeed.

Updates:

• Mark Shea says what needs to be said about Fr. Corapi and about any other accused priest and the process of investigation. He essentially says what was the initial reaction at our house. Good common sense.
• Meant to link to this updates post as well as to The Anchoress's post above. More good common sense.
• Fr. Dwight Longenecker has an excellent reflection on Priests and Pedestals, based upon once being mistaken for Fr. Corapi.

2nd Update: St. Macarius the Great
Hannah was trying to think of the name of the saint whose story she told us ... a priest or monk who was accused of sexual impropriety and reacted in a praiseworthy, Christ-like manner, as she told the story. I don't think it was Desert Father, St. Macarius the Great, but he is a wonderful example ... and we can thank Frank at Why I Am Catholic for telling us his story. I meant to link to this yesterday, actually, but got sidetracked ... shame on me! Go read and let us all reflect upon the times when we could have been more Christ-like and ask for God's grace to do so in the future. Which is the point of Lent, right?

*Note: this took us aback and was a real insight into how journalists think. We, actually, are evidently not in his world view because we do not live our lives by headline issues. What a dreary world that would be.

Is Society Purposely Messing With Boys' Heads?

What ever happened seeing the dignity and worth of the human person alone, and why are we still less focused on the content of one’s character than the character of one’s chromosomes?

The question can be applied in other instances, as well. I once asked a religious sister, who insisted on expunging as many male pronouns from the liturgy as she could get away with (she hit a wall when she tried to de-sex Jesus) why she was so manic on the subject. She kindly explained that “some women have been hurt by men, and they don’t have good feelings about fathers, so it’s important that we not perpetuate the idea of God-as-Father, or as having gender at all.”

I replied, “well I’m a woman, and I’ve been hurt by men and don’t have good feelings about my father; that’s one reason I’ve always been so grateful to have the idea of a Heavenly Father who is perfect; what about women who feel as I do? Why do we get short shrift? Why can’t we echo Jesus and say ‘Abba…’”

Sister was so taken aback that she actually took “a step back” from me and said — with wide-open-eyes — “you are the first woman I have ever heard express that sentiment.”

An absolutely wonderful piece by The Anchoress and the above is just a fraction of it.

It is the fraction that spoke to me most, though, since my Catholic women's book club recently had a conversation about how our fathers helped or hindered our ability to see God as Father.

Two friends talked about how much they loved their fathers, gave them tribute, and then said that they thought it was why they could think so easily about God the Father. Another said that her father was extremely difficult to live with but that it was that very thing which made her long for God the Father ... and always think of Him as the "Abba" (Daddy) that she hadn't experienced on earth.

So we pull toward our Father in Heaven via different routes. But we all need that Father.

Myth Busters: Christians, the Dark Ages, and Statistics

A couple of books I recently came across that look like information we could use.

The Genesis of Science: How the Christian Middle Ages Launched the Scientific Revolution
by James Hannam

Maybe the Dark Ages Weren’t So Dark After all…

Here are some facts you probably didn’t learn in school:

People in the Middle Ages did not think the world was flat—in fact, medieval scholars could prove it wasn’t

The Inquisition never executed anyone because of their scientific ideas or discoveries (actually, the Church was the chief sponsor of scientific research and several popes were celebrated for their knowledge of the subject)

It was medieval scientific discoveries, methods, and principles that made possible western civilization’s “Scientific Revolution”

If you were taught that the Middle Ages were a time of intellectual stagnation, superstition, and ignorance, you were taught a myth that has been utterly refuted by modern scholarship.

You can read some of the author's articles here.  I know I liked some of them well enough to ask for notification when the book was published. It is now on my wish list.

Christians Are Hate-Filled Hypocrites...and Other Lies You've Been Told: A Sociologist Shatters Myths From the Secular and Christian Media
by Bradley R.E. Wright

According to the media, the church is rapidly shrinking, both in numbers and in effectiveness. But the good news is, much of the bad news is wrong. Sociologist Bradley R. E. Wright uncovers what's really happening in the church: evangelicals are more respected by secular culture now than they were ten years ago; divorce rates of Christians are lower than those of nonbelievers; Christians give more to charity than others do. Wright reveals to readers why and how statistics are distorted, and shows that God is still effectively working through his people today.

You know, I think that I used that "well known" myth that Christians get just as many divorces as other people when Scott and I discussed The Castle a few weeks ago. My apologies. But now I know better. The story that brought this to my attention may be read at GetReligion.

"... the bank couldn't handle all the donations made through their ATMs."

What it looks like from Japan ... from the friend of a friend in Japan at Ruth Reichl's.

Donate to relief efforts through your preferred charity, or you can use the one I remembered that helped Tom's father when no one else would help him get home after his service as a Marine in the Pacific during WWII:

The Salvation Army

Blogging Around: Many Lent-y Things ... and A Few Not So Lent-y

What Will You Murder in Order to Pray?

The major obstacle in most of our lives to just saying yes to prayer, the most popular and powerful excuse we give for not praying, or not praying more, or not praying regularly, is that we have no time.

The only effective answer to that excuse, I find, is a kind of murder. You have to kill something, you have to say no to something else, in order to make time to pray. Of course, you will never find time to pray, you have to make time to pray. And that means unmaking something else. The only way to install the tenant of prayer in the apartment building of your life is to evict some other tenant from those premises that prayer will occupy. Few of us have any empty rooms available.

Peter Kreeft has a good and practical article at Integrated Catholic Life. Via New Advent.

Lent in Hawaii

I hate the idea of wasting time. I spend every moment of the day in a whirlwind of tasks, which gives me a dangerous energy, unanchored, frenetic. ...
The church calendar, unlike my way of inhabiting time, is more merciful, patient, and consistent. It reacquaints us with redemption through the steadiness of liturgy, practice, memory, sacrament.

The church calendar recasts time like a net, pulling us into a rhythm that returns us, season after season, to God.

Read it all at Good Letters.

Stuttering and the King's Speech

The connection between handedness and speech runs deep. Speech is controlled by the left side of the brain and so is motor control of the usually dominant right hand. It is possible that this connection says something about the evolutionary origin of language, if language was first expressed through gestures rather than speech.

Curiously, stuttering is not really a speech disorder. Some deaf people stutter in sign language, too. This is just one of the ways that sign language shares all the characteristics of spoken language.

Matt Ridley's Saturday science column at the Wall Street Journal is consistently a favorite of mine. This one looks at the idea that sound may have come second in language development.

Is Happiness Overrated?

Happiness research, a field known as "positive psychology," is exploding. Some of the newest evidence suggests that people who focus on living with a sense of purpose as they age are more likely to remain cognitively intact, have better mental health and even live longer than people who focus on achieving feelings of happiness.

I'd like to say, "well, DUH!" but a Lenten quality of charity leads me to simply say that they wrote a whole lot more in support of this thesis if you would like to read statistics and suchlike. From the Wall Street Journal.

We know what we like, and it's not modern art! How gallery visitors only viewed work by Damien Hirst and Tracy Emin for less than 5 seconds

I think that pretty much says it. As an uneducated art viewer who only knows what she likes, this is another "Well, DUH" moment for me. But the article was very interesting. Read it here. Thanks to Margaret from ten thousand places for pointing this out to me.

Of Gods and Men ... the Perfect Lenten Movie?

It looks to me as if it might be. Read Father James Martin's review at Patheos and Steven D. Greydanus's review at National Catholic Register and you'll see why I think so.

Where to Get Good Information about Nuclear Reactors in Japan

Hint: not from the mainstream media.

While the events at the Fukushima plant reactors are serious, they also underline how many layers of redundancy and safety measures are built into modern nuclear power plants.

DarwinCatholic has the links we need to the real experts. As we would expect.

God is in Her Hand

I use the terms “God” and “love” interchangeably. But these concepts I merely ponder. As for belief, I believe in acts of love. I believe that God asks me to fill the empty hand of the beggar. I believe that God poses the question every time I see the hand my student raises. I believe that I find God as I type the poem, the one I begin without knowing where I will end.

An essay from the This I Believe series. It is brief but excellent and something we need to ponder during Lent. Or perhaps something that I need to ponder. Listen to the podcast or read the essay at the link.

Don't forget that I link many interesting articles in my Google reader also. It's in the sidebar.

Catholic Media Promotion Day: Easy as 1, 2, 3

Greg Willit's great idea. Via Lisa Hendey.

1. On March 15, everyone with a blog, podcast, or Facebook page should list their favorite 3 blogs, 3 podcasts, 3 other media, 3 random Catholic things online, and their own projects.
2. Then post the link to the list here on March 15th. Additionally, to help get the word out, press are asked to write articles and press releases for this day.
3. Lastly, on March 15th, go to iTunes and leave at least 3 positive written reviews for various Catholic podcasts and 3 positive written reviews for Catholic mobile applications.

So that's tomorrow.

Put your thinking caps on, get your engines ready ... and tomorrow we'll go promotin'.

My Lenten Sacrifice

It occurs to me that my Lenten sacrifice this year may affect some of you.

Therefore, I will share. (Plus, I just like sharing! As you know by now.)

I gave up checking email at home for Lent. Which gives you an idea of just how distracted I get because I then begin following links, writing other emails, checking my Google reader. You know the drill. It is part of the big internet time-suck that steals an hour at a time from me when I'm not looking.

I have a similar problem with looking for new podcasts, new downloads for podcasts I already listen to, and suchlike. Therefore, in a related sacrifice I have given up checking iTunes.

As happens with such things, I have discovered just how addicted I was to those time wasters as I am continually having to fight the urge to just check email once more before doing anything like ... oh ... sweeping the floor.

As a result, I got a record amount of housecleaning done on Saturday. Which just goes to show it was the right thing to give up.

That also gives me much more time for things of the spirit ... which was part of the point ... such as prayer. So I'm better off overall, I think we could all agree.

Anyway, why do you care? Only if you regularly email me and don't get an answer back over the weekend or until the next day. At work, I'm kept from checking personal email as much by ... well ... work.

Earthquake-Tsunami Relief for Japan

Catholic Relief Service personnel throughout the Pacific are standing ready to assist those affected by the earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan early Friday morning.

“We know from 2004 the devastating impact that these tsunamis can have,” said Sean Callahan, CRS’ executive vice president for overseas operations. “As with all such disasters, CRS will help people recover from the emergency and stand with them as they recover in the months and years to come.”

Caritas Japan is beginning to assess the needs in that country where the tsunami has caused extensive damage. CRS has programs in the Philippines and Indonesia and works with Caritas Oceania that is active in numerous islands in the Pacific that might be affected. Central American countries where CRS works could also be in danger.

“We will reach out to our Caritas partners to help them in any way we can,” Callahan said.

Go here to donate.

Remember the obligation for almsgiving during Lent and be extra generous ... because we'd have all given something anyway, right?

From Alice Cooper to St. John Vianney to Battlestar Galactica ... and beyond: Announcing Happy Catholic - the book!

Why did it take me so long to see the truth that floods through everyday life? -- from the Introduction.

As she does in her blog, Happy Catholic, Julie Davis taps into quotes ranging from The Simpsons to John Paul II, Battlestar Galactica to Scripture and The Princess Bride and discovers all around her glimpses of God. Her reflections on pithy quotes (Trashing your hotel room is easy, but being a Christian--that's rebellion. -- Alice Cooper) draw back the veil, letting us connect with God in unexpected ways. Intriguing to both Christians and non-Christians alike, this book is also an unexpected source for daily prayer.

Can you believe it?

Happy Catholic is now an actual book.

It takes one of the most popular features, the daily quotes, and combines that with my reflections on them. These are the sorts of thoughts that go through my head when I put the quotes in my journal and on the blog. I just don't usually share them.

 I wrote all but a couple of these 149 reflections specifically for the book, most of them while sitting in front of the tabernacle in our Church. So if you especially like one or two of them, then you know who to thank for the inspiration. (Hint: it ain't me!)

Here's a sample that gets you from Alice Cooper to St. John Vianney.

Still Countercultural After All These Years

Drinking beer is easy. Trashing your hotel room is easy. But being a Christian, that’s a tough call. That’s rebellion.

Alice Cooper

If you care about what people think of you, then you should not have become a Catholic.

St. John Vianney

It is astounding that as far as we have advanced, there is still nothing more shocking to the world than a faithful Christian. Jesus was radical in his time. Following Christ makes us radicals in turn. We’re called on to slice through all those neat little boxes that people use to make things more understandable. There is no political party we can trust. There is no nation that gets it right. There is no cultural group where we are going to completely feel at home. We are the ultimate outsiders. That’s OK, really. If we’re doing it right, then we’re upsetting things because we won’t “settle” and we won’t conform. We answer to a higher power.

Take another look at that crucifix and remember the only really original rebel, the one whose watchword of “Love one another” casts the world into confusion. Then prepare to be fully yourselves in Christ and watch the confusion spread, along with the love.

Another excerpt: Knitting Madonna (actually this didn't make it into the book, but only because of space)

Pick it up from your favorite Catholic bookstore like Aquinas and More. It is also at Amazon.

Update
In response to a couple of questions I received in email ... we didn't design the book. The publisher (Servant Books) did all that.

Cross the Bridge to Heaven

Every work day at lunch, Tom and I have been taking turns reading aloud to each other from A Year with the Church Fathers by Mike Aquilina. Considering that we don't do it on weekends, it will take us more than a year to get through it but that doesn't matter. It does explain why we only read Day 39 on Ash Wednesday, though.

This struck both of us as particularly appropriate for Lent so I thought I'd share it.

Cross the bridge to heaven

In a striking metaphor, St. Ephrem the Syrian imagines
Jesus the carpenter making his own Cross into a bridge
to heaven. Because the tree in Eden brought death, it is
fitting that a tree also brings us to life.

This is the Son of the carpenter, who skillfully made his Cross a bridge over Sheol--Sheol that swallows up all--and brought over mankind into the dwelling of life.

And because it was through the tree that mankind had fallen into Sheol, so upon the tree they passed over into the dwelling of life. Through the tree in which bitterness was tasted, through it also sweetness was tasted; so that we might learn of him that among the creature nothing resists Him.

Glory be to your, who laid your Cross as a bridge over death, that souls might pass over on it from the dwelling of hte dead to the dwelling of life!

St. Ephrem the Syrian, Homily on Our Lord 4

In God's Presence, Consider...
Does it help my resolution to imagine the Cross as a narrow bridge over a gaping chasm?

For I Was Blind But Now I See: Reviewing "Jesus and the Jewish Roots of the Eucharist" by Brant Pitre

You've got to have proper context to really understand anything well. It's a lesson I seem to have to learn repeatedly.

Years ago our family hosted a Japanese teaching intern who could not comprehend most of the jokes in "The Simpsons." They were so cultural that they flew over her head. We'd never given context a second thought until that point. More recently, we learned that when we thought our dogs were simply playing, they were actually acting upon a complex pack hierarchy. Watching with our eyes newly opened, we suddenly understood why the gentlest dog always got his way. The other dogs all knew what we didn't: he was the pack leader.

When I converted to Catholicism, one of the most joyful, enriching experiences was learning that there were more levels of context to scripture than I would have dreamed. Obviously parables about weddings, seed sowing, and wineskins required explanations of customs of the day for full understanding. However, the more I learned about what lay contextually behind seemingly simple concepts, the more eager I became to learn as much as I could about the faith.

No statement ever needed context more than Jesus' statement that leads directly to the key Catholic teaching that the Eucharist consumed at every Mass is truly the body and blood of Jesus Christ.

"For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink" (Jn. 6:53-54).

Those words taken without context might lead some to think Jesus was advocating cannibalism, or only speaking completely symbolically. Brant Pitre's Jesus and the Jewish Roots of the Eucharist, however, will put the rest to that notion, and will make even those Catholics who believe they have fully explored and understood church teachings on the Eucharist feel like they'd been merely scratching at the surface of this deep and mysterious gift.

The belief that consecrated bread and wine can become the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Christ is hotly disputed by non-Catholics. It can be supremely difficult to defend when encountering a well-prepared challenger, as Brant Pitre discovered while a college sophomore. Shaken to the core by an attack on Real Presence, which he had never questioned, Pitre changed his major and became a biblical scholar. As his knowledge grew, he realized that the key to understanding Jesus' words, deeds, and identity was in his Jewish roots and the Jewish people to whom he proclaimed his message.

Pitre began concentrating on 1st-century Jewish history to bring context to everything that Jesus taught about the Eucharist; this brought Jesus' teachings into hi-def focus in a new and fascinating way. What readers of Jesus and the Jewish Roots of the Eucharist will find are surprising revelations that add a powerful, exciting depth to everything about Jesus.

Pitre builds his case painstakingly, so that readers clearly understand what the Jews would have believed that God promised about the Messiah, the new Moses, the new Passover, and new exodus. He demonstrates how Jesus' words and actions reflected the foundational expectations of the Jews, and pointed toward his role as Messiah, the fulfillment of them. He then shows how the apostles, Church Fathers, and the Catechism all refer to these key expectations as well, although they are not usually spelled out in a way that modern believers find easy to identify. Those authorities knew the ancient sources very well, while the average modern Catholic lacks the same informing context.

Pitre invests all of this with an immediacy and accessibility that will deeply impress any interested Christian. His research challenges many modern purveyors of "historical" biblical exploration, and even those who think that they know the sources well will find surprising depth and details brought to light, including:

• How the lamb was prepared for the Passover meal
• Why the manna in the desert was truly miraculous
• The ancient Jews' mandatory ceremony celebrating the Bread of the Presence in the temple
• The meaning of the four cups of wine of the Passover
• The less-than-accurate translation in the Our Father that is key for Eucharistic understanding

There is a thrill of discovery at seeing the pieces fall into place, and that makes the book a surprising page-turner; the reader eagerly wonders where the next revelation will take them. Jesus and the Jewish Roots of the Eucharist makes it crystal clear why ancient Jews and early Christians alike understood Jesus' outrageous claims about the Eucharist, that he is truly present in it now and forever.

This book made me look at the Eucharist and Jesus' promises with new eyes and new appreciation for the truth hidden in plain sight in the Catholic Church. It answers the question that Brant Pitre encountered so long ago as a college student, "How can you Catholics teach that bread and wine actually become Jesus' body and blood? Do you really believe that?"

Beginners or scholars, believers or atheists, Protestants or Catholics, skeptics or the faithful can now follow the inescapable logical reasoning of Pitre, which leads to opened eyes and an emphatic "yes."

==========

This review ran initially at Patheos as part of their book club.

If you've just plugged up the holes in your attic and you see a racoon or squirrel frantically trying to get back in ...

... it may not be just that they are mad because they can't have their own way.

It may be because they left something behind. Something so well hidden and so tiny that you didn't notice it.

Like these little tykes. Their eyes aren't even open but they have adorable masks already. Adorable.

Read about their reunion here.

"In an eight-decade study, parental divorce in childhood was the strongest predictor of early death in adulthood."

The early death of a parent had no measurable effect on children's life spans or mortality risk, but the long-term health effects of broken families were often devastating. Parental divorce during childhood emerged as the single strongest predictor of early death in adulthood. The grown children of divorced parents died almost five years earlier, on average, than children from intact families. The causes of death ranged from accidents and violence to cancer, heart attack and stroke. Parental break-ups remain, the authors say, among the most traumatic and harmful events for children.

Wall Street Journal review of The Longevity Project

What makes that fascinating is that the study, begun in 1921 and which studied 1,500 people, was actually to try to identify early glimmers of high potential. They certainly don't seem to have had an agenda. It was not as rigorously scientific as we might like these days but I think that the discoveries based on 80 years' worth of observation of trends are worth considering. It's a book worth looking for, based on the review.

Atheist Convert: Jeff Miller (a.k.a. The Curt Jester)

I was at the apogee of my conservatism based on Randian positivism. To me, radical selfishness was the highest virtue. The pinnacle of individualism and being a self-made man were my highest ideals. The natural virtues helped to modify this idealistic positivism toward how I related with others, but it was not enough. My nose had long before achieved orbit as I looked down at those poor superstitious mortals who still believed in hunter-gatherer myths such as God.

I love reading conversion stories and best of all are those of the people you know. Now, I've never met The Curt Jester in person but I've been reading him since before I began blogging and we have a certain amount of give and take in the Catholic blogging community. I'm quite fond of him.
I also thought I knew his story better than I did. It is a fascinating combination of slow percolation and 2-x-4 to the head from God. Read it all at Why I Am Catholic.

While you're there, browse around. There are many other good stories, each that show God's knowledge of us individually and that He never gives up.

Michaelangelo. Is There An App For That? There Could Be ...

Lifted from Ironic Catholic ... and it isn't a joke but a great idea.

• Love art?
• Love theology?
• Love apps?

Then you may want to help my friend Eileen create this app for instant interpretative help for Christian art in museums all over the world.  Eileen teaches theology at Loyola in Chicago--she is incredibly talented and knows what she is talking about (both in art interpretation and theology), and a born teacher.  She's looking for crowd-sourcing funding.  So I ask you--check out her pitch video and stick with it until the end (five minutes?)--and prepare to be impressed.

Spread the word to religious art lovers you know!  Thanks!

Shrove Tuesday Pancakes, Anyone?

Here's a full helping.

When No Fault Divorce Leads to Spousal Abandonment

Imagine your brother Jim discovers that his wife of 17 years, mother to their four children, is leaving him for another man. He pleads with her to stay. He asks that they get counseling to heal their marriage. He calls every priest he knows, along with family and friends, to try to get the help he needs to keep his family together. But your brother’s efforts are in vain.

Jim learns that his wife has retained a lawyer, and is suing him for a divorce. His mind races back to the day he made his vows before God and the community of believers.

“I don’t want a divorce,” he cries out in despair. “And I will never sign a paper stating that my marriage is over.”

Over the next few weeks, Jim’s wife keeps asserting that she has left because their marriage has been “hell.” She says he is the only thing standing in the way of her happiness.

[...]

What we may not know is that most divorces are situations in which one person wants to end the marriage while the other is fighting to save it.

I only wish I didn't know of actual families who this has happened to but I do. Read the entire article at CNA. I especially like the practical suggestions at the end as to how people can stand in solidarity with abandoned families. (Please note that the author is not speaking of those cases where there has been abuse, etc.)
 
The example given in the article about speaking in charity but with clarity resounds to me especially since Hannah did that very thing this weekend to a friend who is planning on moving in with his girlfriend. She did so by saying to him, "That's a terrible idea."  He wasn't offended and said, "You're the first person who's had the guts to tell me that you thought this was a bad idea." He isn't changing his plans but at least that seed has been planted.

Weekend Joke: At the Circus

 

From Dr. Boli's Celebrated Magazine

Squirrels Playing Cards (is it the weekend yet?)

Cribbage actually. They're playing cribbage.

Via Thomas L. McDonald at State of Play where you may see many more amusing "caught in the act" photos of squirrels in card games.

Goons, Giants, and Magids

Episode 150 of Forgotten Classics is a big, big show with three samples of Diana Wynne Jones' books. Get it while it's hot!

First Friday Fast for an End to Abortion: March

Here's the background info.

If you're not already fully involved in working toward this goal, I invite you to join me in a monthly day of sacrificial fasting and prayer for the unborn, the mothers and fathers who are tempted to make the mistake of abortion, those who work to end abortion and for the souls of those who have been so lied to that they work for abortion.

Here is something that I ran in 2008 which I found inspiring and am sharing again to remind us that a "less than perfect" baby is a blessing we simply don't have the capability of imagining ... until they are right there in front of us.

On the ninth day, she came home, and I began to realize that my feelings of fear and anxiety had changed in a way that no prenatal screening could ever have predicted.


I now believe Genevieve is here for everyone. I believe Genevieve is taking over the world, one heart at a time — beginning with mine. I believe that what was once our perceived damnation has now become our unexpected salvation.

When Gregg Rogers heard that their baby would have Down syndrome, he was terrified. Until she was born. A life-affirming story that reminds us that what we often fear turns out to be a great blessing. Read or listen to this short essay here at This I Believe.

New Blog: Wake up Dave

You may recall that after I attended our parish's Christ Renews His Parish (CRHP) retreat, I was so lit up that after a time I began this blog. It is rather odd to think that was so long ago (in blog time), almost 7 years ago.

Now, there is another who has been similarly inspired after attending CRHP. His new blog is Wake up Dave. Drop by and welcome him to the blogosphere!

Is It Real? Is It A Fairy Tale? Reviewing Angel-A

Andre is an inept con artist who has made a lot of bad business deals with a lot of  bad people. When we meet him, Andre's luck has run out and his time is almost up as he faces multiple death threats. Despairing, he decides to end it all by jumping off of a bridge into the Seine.

At the point of jumping, Andre notices a tall, gorgeous woman who jumps from the bridge, and Andre's thoughts turn from suicide to saving her as he jumps and drags her out of the water.

Thus we meet Angela. She pledges to help Andre in any way she can as thanks for saving her life. Andre says that no one has helped him in his entire life and, therefore, he's skeptical as to why such a gorgeous woman would want to help him at all but agrees. He becomes increasing alarmed at the lengths she is willing to go to in order to get the money he needs to pay off the thugs on his trail. Meanwhile, Angela continually tells Andre that beauty is on the inside, not the outside, and that he is good deep down. As Andre begins to believe her and to act accordingly, his fortune changes, and he begins to want to change Angela's fate in turn.

Beautifully shot in black and white, this movie was directed by Luc Besson who is known for movies like La Femme Nikita, The Fifth Element, and Taken. In an interview at Movies Online, Besson commented on the black and white format by saying:

Black and white because yin and yang, because tall and small, introverted extroverted, blonde brown, the good the bad, the black the white, everything is in opposition in the film. And I need the film to have this little poetry. Is it real? Is it a dream? Is it a fairy tale?

The key message of Angel-A is that you don't have to be good for life to be sacred, and you can begin to be good even if you have failed to be.

This movie is extremely straight forward in plot line. There are a few surprises but they are foreshadowed for the most part. I found the plot rather simplistic, but enjoyed it well enough and can recommend it on those grounds. My key problem is that the ending was a cop out because there wasn't the proper set up or story-line logic to make it a realistic conclusion. Along those lines, a much superior movie which communicates the same basic message is In Bruges.

For those who don't mind a tacked-on ending out of nowhere, I can recommend this movie. I specifically enjoyed the humorous moments such as at the American embassy where Andre cannot even con the US official (and where they both spoke fluent French the entire time) and at the police station where Andre pleads to be arrested. If nothing else it is simply beautiful to look at in composition and photography, although there is more to recommend it to the viewer than that. (Rated R for language and some sexual content.) 

For the Love of God - Shut Up!

If the church is not on fire, you should not be talking.

There's more, of course, written by Pat Archibold for National Catholic Register and I encourage you to read it. (Found it via Sr. Lisa Doty whose thoughts on the subject I also encourage you to read.

However, that pretty much says it.

I have to admit that I am guilty of a very lax attitude in this area. Coming up on my 11th birthday as a Catholic this Easter, I have generally had only that "chatty" post-Mass experience. Now I know intellectually that I shouldn't be talking then but it is very easy to forget if the other environment is all you have known.

That's why it is good for me, and doubtless for others, to be reminded. We are in the presence of the King of Heaven. A little reverence is good but I don't think we can show too much. Restraining my tongue until I get out the door is a small gesture to offer but I am going to try (again) to make this my new habit.

Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow ... For Answered Prayers Last Night

This is the sort of story that strains the credulity of anyone who prefers coincidence over God's providence, but I am so thankful that we're charging ahead with it anyway.

You may recall my speaking about Hannah's rescue dog, Kif, who was abused and is spooky as can be around everyone except her. He's part Staffordshire Terrier (pit bull) and looks it but is as gentle toward people as can be.

He got out last night and Hannah wasn't home. A combination that strikes fear into the heart of anyone in our family.

I was bringing in the groceries, during which the other three dogs (our two Boxers and Hannah's other rescue dog who is German Shepherd-Chow Chow and something else) go in and out with me for entertainment. Kif's been increasingly curious about the good times those dogs have in the garage and is always close to the door to the garage when I come in laden with bags. I was at the back of the van, pulling out the last of the things, and a white shape ghosted past the corner of my eye.  (Did the door just come open? Did I not shut it? Who cared. The thing was done.)

"Nooooooo," I howled to the heavens. Softly. I howled it softly. Because there was still a chance I could lure him back to the house.

"Kiffer. Kif boy. C'mon back in ... goooood dog."

Gently. Sweetly.

He came back to the bottom of the driveway and looked at me. The person who gives him raw hamburger, dog treats, and whatever else is around when he's in the kitchen. But yet the person he just can't bring himself to trust. *sigh*

Nope. He ghosted away down the alley.

I cried in my heart but wheedled again, "Kif boy. Kiffer. Here, boy."

He reappeared. Looked at me curiously again from the bottom of the driveway. I could tell he wanted to go back in. I thought of how it took the entire volunteer fire department of the little town of Garrett to catch him. I though of how terrified he was of people. That he would never come to anyone. Of the fact that people would see nothing but a "stray pit bull" slinking in the bushed and ... Texas has many homeowners who have guns.

I sweetened my tones. Stood aside from the door. Made myself as inconspicuous as possible and tried to make myself sound like Hannah, who he adores (not out of the bounds of reality because we do sound alike).

No good. He couldn't make himself do it and ran down the alley. toward the six-lane street we live two houses away from, naturally.

I sprang into action, grabbed a handful of dog treats, ran down the alley, calling. Got Hannah's other dog, Zap, and walked him around the driveway and that bit of alley, thinking that dogs were "safe" and might lure him back.

No good again.

Called Hannah, who was on her way home from work and about 15 minutes away. Called Tom, who dropped everything at work and sped the five minutes home to begin looking.

We began canvasing the neighborhood in our cars, Hannah and I calling, Tom silent because he knew Kif would never respond to a male voice. Cell phones, bless them, were on and ready to call Hannah to wherever we might spot him. I'm not sure what was worse, calling and calling with no response or stopping to ask people if they'd seen a medium-sized, white dog running loose and having to answer the inevitable, "what does he look like" with a reluctant "kind of like a pit bull, but he isn't one, he's really sweet." Ah, the stigma of that breed name.

Hannah prayed. I prayed. I reminded God about the sparrows he looks after and that this terrified dog needed some looking after. I asked my guardian angel to go find him (I had a definite impression of refusal over that). Ok. Fine. Back to God, then. That if we didn't find him, and who knew how far this dog could run in his fear, that some nice family would find him. Someone who would have the patience and kindness to invest in him.

As it turns out, a nice family did find him.

Tom was broadening his search yet again, after 40 minutes of looking, and saw Kif slowly going from bushes to house, bushes to house, bushes to house. It was clear that he was trying to find his way home. It was equally clear that he was scared to death.

Hannah was not even one minute away, got there, and called to him from the car. That stopped him. She got out of the car and the joyous reunion took place.

What a relief.

Tom called me to end the search. I, too, was converging on the spot where the other two had been looking. Clearly we would have all been at the very same spot within minutes of each other.

This isn't out of the realm of possibility. It was near enough to our house after all. But for Kif to have stayed in the neighborhood, for us to all be coming on that spot when he was finally obvious and looking for the house ... that all smacked of a little divine guidance to me.

Whether or not, my heart filled with joy and thankfulness.

And you have never seen such a happy dog in your life. When I sat on the kitchen floor and held out my hand, he came up to have his ears rubbed.

Which, in itself, was some kind of miracle.

Weekend Joke: It's Funny Because It's True

From Ironic Catholic who adds this context: It's true, too. Told to me years ago by a Southern Protestant minister who was working in his church during the racial desegregation of the schools, culture, and to his parishioners' horror, churches.

Church lady: I don't see why things can't stay the way they have been--whites go to our church, and blacks have theirs. I mean, it doesn't harm anyone. It's the way it's always been, separate but equal. This is our special space--I just don't want to be that close to them, you know? I just don't understand why you want to invite blacks to our church.

Pastor: Well, ma'am, I just want to keep some folks from going to hell.

Church lady: Oh, well, I don't want them to go to hell!

Pastor: I wasn't talking about them.

I pay so little attention to the Academy Awards ...

... that I just now realized why I've been seeing so many stories about Oscar-related items. I had to look up the Academy Awards date on Wikipedia to see that they were coming up this Sunday.

(Note: language warning for the bottom of this story)

It's not that I necessarily have anything against them. Ever since Tom and I went to see Forrest Gump and then Il Postino because they won Oscars (figure out how long ago that was for yourselves), and were underwhelmed, I have been fairly disinterested in the Academy's opinion.

However, I still find myself reading the related articles. And when I'm sent a good one, this time by Margaret, like this one about the nun who is still a voting member of the Academy, then I am actually engaged. Especially when she seems to have common sense as well.

I don’t think that they would be shocked by the gore and the sex and the violence in the movies as much as they would just feel that their time had been wasted. (On sharing all the movies with her community)

Hey, that's how I feel about the Oscars!

When I see Natalie Portman masturbating [in Black Swan], I hear the kids come in and talk about their problems with masturbating. What offends me is, Is the movie itself going to leave people without hope? You have to help them know that there is a way through their grief and their pain.

Precisely.

Because while I am disinterested in the Academy's opinion, I love movies and the way they can show us a different view.

Perfectly Put

We live in a bizarre society where one of the national pastimes is getting all huffy because someone else’s life isn’t one long giant defense of your own personal decisions.

I have never seen it put so well.

If you read the rest of what Jennifer at Riparians at the Gate says, and then click through to the link (oh, thanks by the way, Jen, because I needed another blog to read) you will find a good illustration of this point.

I read the original post about the 16-year-old in Haiti and it made me instantly flash back to reading the Little House books by Laura Ingalls Wilder which remind us that life for most people, including children, was often not easy or fun. Yet, Laura and her family were rich in the things that many people in our extremely privileged society today don't even know they are missing: proper perspective, flexibility, appreciation for the good things they received, and ... most of all ... love.

And that's sad.

(You know, I call her Jen to myself ... because I feel just that comfortable with her. DANG, she's a good writer.)

Secret Adversary is #2 at Free Listens

I was most gratified to note that my recording of The Secret Adversary by Agatha Christie, done at Forgotten Classics, has turned up in second place in the Top 10 list at Free Listens (most popular free audiobook reviews at Free Listens, as determined by the number of page visits).

Of course, I was already extremely gratified with Free Listens extremely favorable review, so this just doubles the pleasure. I already enjoy doing the podcast ... nice comments and reviews just make it that much better.

About.com's 2011 Readers' Choice Awards: Time to Vote for Catholic Sites

Though there is precious little representation of anyone except the usual biggies. I was quite surprised at the lack of creativity in most of the nominations. Even some of the usual biggies aren't there like Amy Welborn or Mark Shea. However, as The Crescat points out, there is the occasional wild card in the running.

You can begin voting here and the bottom of each page has a prompt that takes you through all the Catholic categories.

I, personally, am looking forward to The Crescat's 2011 Cannonball Awards. That's where all the interesting folks come into their own. She sez details will be up on March 1.

Holy Moly! Female "Deacon" Renounces Her Alleged Ordination.

Now, here's something you don't see every day. But it is most welcome.

On July 22, 2007, I was ordained to the diaconate by Bishop Patricia Fresen, of Germany and South Africa who was ordained by three male bishops in Germany for the group called Roman Catholic Women Priests. The ordination took place at the Santa Barbara Immaculate Heart Spiritual Center. Because neither Patricia Fresen nor myself were given permission for the ordination by Pope Benedict XVI, the ordinations were illegitimate and not recognized by the Roman Catholic Church. Thus an excommunication process called Latae Sententiae occurred, excommunicating oneself by failure to observe the Canon Laws of the Church.

I wish to renounce the alleged ordination and publicly state that I did not act as a deacon as a part of this group except on two occasions, when I read the gospel once at mass and distributed communion once at this same mass. I withdrew from the program within two weeks of the ceremony because I realized that I had made a mistake in studying for the priesthood. I confess to the truth of Pope John Paul II’s Apostolic Letter Ordinatio Sacerdotalis. I confess the authority of the Holy Father on these issues of ordination and recognize that Christ founded the ordination only for men.

Formally, I relinquish all connection to the program of Roman Catholic Women Priests and I disclaim the alleged ordination publicly with apologies to those whose lives I have offended or scandalized by my actions. I ask God’s blessings upon each of these folks and their families.

Norma Jean Coon, RN, MFCC, PhD
San Diego, California
Tuesday, February 8, 2011

It takes courage and humility to admit your mistakes, especially those made so publicly. Let us pray for Ms. Coon and also for those who have not yet admitted their errors. You may see the original post on this at The Last Papist Standing. Via The Curt Jester.

It's All Downhill From Here

A little humor to help us through the rest of the week. Courtesy of xkcd, whose comics are not the only humor of his that I enjoy. As witness this warning from the bottom of his site.

Warning: this comic occasionally contains strong language (which may be unsuitable for children), unusual humor (which may be unsuitable for adults), and advanced mathematics (which may be unsuitable for liberal-arts majors).

Accepting God's Challenges

I'm a semi-professional writer in real life with a tidy handful of paid publications under my belt--mostly horror and dark fantasy short stories--but in recent months I've been feeling the call to write something altogether different. Actually, calling it "a call" is being generous, unless "the Call" involves occasional divine whacks over the head. It's more like this:

Me: Ooh, I just had this idea for a novel, but... God, I can't write stuff like that, I have no experience...

God: *points*

Me: Yeah, but... listen, that's a LOT of research you're asking of me, and we're talking, like, years of notes and writing and revising and actually talking to professors and you know I'm anti-social...

God: *points*

Me: But other people have done it already...

God: *points*

Me: There's no money in it!

God: *points*

Me: But... but... I WRITE HORROR STORIES.

God: *points*

Me: Sigh. Fine. *slinks off to the computer*

So, I'm trying hard to listen and trust that He knows what He's doing. On that note, if anyone has any book recs about the historical St. Peter, and the history and culture of his time period, please feel free to send them my way. I have quite a few already, but I'm always on the lookout for more.

Libby at Three Wee Leaves

I like that: God: *points*

I know someone else (hi Joanette!) who also is stepping out in faith in a big way. She would have to change her entire life to take up God's challenge. She's been "called" if you like via a longing that has been there since childhood but that she always thought was too unachievable. (No, we're not talking about joining an order, but we are talking about vocation.) I mean, she'd have to move. Far away. Take up a different way of life for several years. From our conversations the path does seem clearly marked for this challenge to be undertaken at this time. She's been prepped. She's been put in the right place to take advantage of it. So she's taken the first steps. She's ready. Excited. Scared. But most of all -- ready.

I recently read something by St. Teresa of Avila which applies to this. Many of you know that she was a lady who plunged ahead doing lots of God's challenges, despite huge odds against her. I told Joanette I'd send it to her but I see no reason not to share it with everyone in the process.

I would not hesitate to do anything the Beloved [God] asks, regardless of its difficulty. Experience has taught me that when I accept a challenge for his sake, a gnawing doubt regarding my ability to perform will bless me. When the work is finished, the reward is high satisfaction This is a reward we receive her and now rather than in heaven.

The only ones who can understand what I am saying are those who have also tasted these sweet pleasures. I have been through this many times.

Sometimes an assignment has far-reaching implications. In such cases, I will give you my best advice: If you are inspired to take on a worthy project, don't hesitate. Have no fear that you may not be able to accomplish it. Turn yourself over to God. Take yourself out of it. You need not be afraid you can't do the job. God can do all things.

St. Teresa of Avila, excerpt in A Little Daily Wisdom

Those goals are individual to us. They can have a big impact on others, no doubt about it. But, they are tuned to what we need at that particular time.

I have a friend who several years ago faced the challenge of stopping home schooling, enrolling all their children in public school, and entering the work force. Terrifying at the time, but it has enriched every community that their family has touched.

I have another friend who recently began homeschooling which brings challenges which would make me quail before them. I know that it had to cause, at the least, great trepidation. However, I have no doubt that when I hear the long term results, they will show a story which my friend couldn't have predicted either.

If we are persistent and faithful, God's challenges yield results which may surprise us, which may succeed or fail, and which may require constant attempts to fulfill. Our vision may be too small or too big or we may try in completely the wrong way. Through all this we must take the huge risk of making a full commitment of ourselves. I think that is what God wants above all. It is in the doing that we learn, whether it comes off the way we think it should or not.

Been there. Done that. Surprise, surprise. Doesn't everything around here wind up being about me?

Of course it doesn't end at that because God is all about the organic process, so to speak. He's got that bigger view of working with us and through us ... and one challenge just isn't gonna cut it in achieving his goal. Onward and upward is the way that works.

So, I've got my own new challenge that I realized was being pushed in my face a few months ago. I've been doing my best to avoid it, ignore it, pretend I couldn't do it, and so on. You know the drill, right? As a recent correspondent wrote to me:

My relationship with God so often feels like an extremely patient father dealing with a recalcitrant three year old. I keep kicking, yelling, and throwing myself boneless on the ground, and he keeps patiently picking me up, dusting me off, and guiding me back into place. The funny thing, though: When I stop fighting him and actually -look- at what it is he wants me to do--sure, it's going to be difficult, but it's also something I'm uniquely suited for.

The fact is, I know God is going to do something with me while I am working on this challenge. Slowly, imperceptibly perhaps. But if he's made it this clear, then who am I to say no? And with that acceptance comes a certain amount of relief, even as I prepare for difficult, challenging work along the way.

Naturally, I read something just this morning that St. Teresa said about this too.

I have learned, through experience as well as reading, that an obedient soul receives much blessing. Through obedience, we advance in virtue and gain humility. Obedience prevents us from worrying about straying from the path to heaven.

We also gain a precious spiritual relaxation. Once we completely resign ourselves to the practice of holy obedience, surrendering our thoughts and not seeking any other opinion than our confessor or superior, the devil will stop harassing us. Our restless fidgeting, which makes us eager to do what we desire even if it is unreasonable, ceases.

Amen.

===============

I will add that one thing I am already struggling with is the desire to be great at what I'm doing, the first time out of the gate. This particular challenge I'm working on has no goal, no deadline, and no expectations set by anyone ... except by me. I am the only judge of it at this point anyway. And yet, despite the knowledge that I have a long way to go, just in the doing of this I am finding joy, excitement, and a more interesting life. If that isn't positive feedback, then I don't know what is.

I keep reminding myself that what counts here is persistence, patience, and adherence to my goal.

I was helped quite a bit by the fact that Tom chose a particularly perfect video to show at our weekly creativity meeting this morning. It is The Secret Truth About Executing Great Ideas from 99%. There's nothing about faith there. But there is everything about risk-taking, failure, persistence, and just doing it. You may find it helpful too.

What's Goin' On: Birding

We finally got a weekend without terrible weather or sick family members so Tom and I were able to undertake a New Year's resolution we'd made together. Psyched up by having identified a Carolina Wren; we decided to add occasional birdwatching treks to our time together (yes, we know they live everywhere and we should have noticed them before this year but we'd never stopped to look at one before so ... it was a big accomplishment for us).

With Hannah in tow we set off for nearby White Rock Lake. And when I say nearby I'm not kidding. Maybe 10 minutes in traffic. Maybe. Hannah actually wasn't in tow but more leading the pack as she loves birds and also identifying trees. However, we didn't want to haul lots of books around so we settled for the one Hannah had bought for her bird class which truly did make it easy to figure out which birds were which. I mean to say when you're looking at gulls from quite a distance away it can be hard to tell which one has a ring around the end of its beak and which has a ring around the middle of its beak ... unless you know that one lives in California exclusively (yes, the imaginatively named California Gull).

Eventually we found a fairly unused part of the bike trail in our wanderings and some teeny tiny birds that were buggers to see in the tangle of branches they were hopping around in. Plus they were against the sun so it was tough to see any feather colors. However, working as a team (Hannah - white eye ring, striping on feathers, Tom-forked tail, me-beak and body shape) we figured out it was a Ruby Crowned Kinglet. Which seems a misnomer because you only get to see the itty-bitty patch of ruby when a male is excited ... or maybe when it is annoyed. Anyway, you couldn't see any ruby really. Most of the time it looked like this. I felt especially proud because when Hannah was flipping pages, the kinglet general picture caught my eye and I kept coming back to it (beak shape is all important to me).

We also saw innumerable other birds which I forgot were actually birds (ducks, seagulls, etc.) because I was on the outlook for something new. However, we now have proper names to go with them.

• American White Pelican (to be fair, this is not exactly common; we were pretty surprised to see a pair of them settle on the water near us)
• Ring Beaked Gull
• Double Crested Cormorant
• Great Egret
• Green Parakeets (there are colonies of feral parakeets living at the lake from the larger sized such as these, down to the budgie sort)
• American Coot Duck

And, of course, starlings, grackles, mourning doves, mockingbirds, cardinals, and sparrows. Which are all so common I can see them in my yard. But at least after this I did remember that they were birds. Not just part of the scenery.

The extra bonus was that we were near the spillway and the trail there winds through trees and has water flowing picturesquely over rocks. It was lovely and a balm to the soul as long as you were sure to stay "Left!" so the bikers could whip by.

We're looking forward to doing this again and I'm pretty excited thinking about going to Chicago in May (when Rose graduates) so we can go to Jackson Park which has prime bird watching, or so I've read.

On a side note, Jackson Park is fast turning into the place we are all looking forward to. Rose has long recommended the Industrial Museum as something Tom would enjoy. He's been reading The Devil in the White City and how has come across the park's huge connection to the World's Fair which is the central event of the book. So we're getting many a fine tale told about not only the fair but the Jackson Park connection. We'll be well prepared for that day trip.

Nothing says “I want to be alone” quite like an atomized sulfur cloud.

During the breeding season, in February and March, 

female skunks may spray males when they're no longer in the mood 

(Photo: Dan and Lin Dzurisin, Creative Commons license)

Do skunks spray other skunks?

It never would have occurred to me to even ask the question.

Luckily, Hannah asked the question at Crowded Creatures and Bonnie had the answer. And there's a link to more info about skunks and spraying (which is where I picked up the photo). Which every inquiring mind wants to know, right? Right!

More reviews of Jesus and the Jewish Roots of the Eucharist

These reviews, also at the Patheos book club, are honest and affecting. I'm giving you a bit but I think you'll appreciate their testimony to how the book affected them personally.

Rick Rice, who is working his way back to the Church, finds solid food for the journey.

I’ve been away from the Catholic faith for 40 years, in essence wandering in the wilderness as the Jews who were led out of Egypt. My trek toward belief in the Real Presence has been slow and methodical, perhaps even too cerebral; my struggles have been, well . . . real and present.  Pitre’s book has helped fill the intellectual gaps and in that sense is an enormous assist.

Simcha Fisher, who I have mentioned here before for her humor and candor alike,  appreciates the same details that I did ... and more.

But, the details!

Did you know that the Jews’ Passover lamb was commonly nailed to a cross-shaped board? Did you know that the manna which sustained the Hebrews in the desert was thought to have been created before the Fall, and “had existed ‘on high’ in heaven” until God gave it to the people to eat? Did you know that the Bread of the Presence, which was consecrated and reserved in the tabernacle of the Temple, constituted both meal and unbloody sacrifice, and was offered with wine each Sabbath?

Did you know that temporarily-celibate Jewish priests would elevate this bread on feast days, and proclaim, “Behold, God’s love for you!”

Movie Plots Summed Up in Venn Diagrams

I never made this connection before but don't know why not. No wonder I love Mal Reynolds (from Joss Whedon's creations Firefly and Serenity).

This was #25 in the Cracked.com contest. It was my favorite though there were some very good entries. We all know, though, that I'm a sucker for Firefly and Serenity ... oh, yes, and Nathan Fillion.

(Note: Cracked.com has no qualms about explicit language and the linked post has some, so don't click through if such will be upsetting to you.)

Not always was the Kangaroo as now we do behold him, but a Different Animal with four short legs.

The Sing-Song of Old Man Kangaroo is up at Forgotten Classics. Don't miss this lesser known Kipling tale.

"Comedy is, in some way, the point of everything."

It is the dismissal of comedy as "un-important" that worries me.  ... RCA and I had a similar discussion a few weeks ago, when she said "I just don't see the point of Comedy." I'm still a little shocked by that statement--it has left me speechless for three full weeks, because, it seems to me Comedy is, in some way, the point of everything.  Dante's journey through the afterlife is called a "comedia" for a reason.  And while slapstick and puns and romantic comedies are not la comedia in this fullest sense, they share something of it's nature.  Comedy is about justice and about reason--even at its most absurd. A pun is funny because it surprises our reason with a new connection.  Slapstick is funny because no one deserves a pie in the face.  The Misanthrope is funny because he is absurd, and yet, we pity him and see ourselves in him, and the only way to deal with such absurdity in ourselves is to throw up out hands and laugh.

Margaret at Ten Thousand Places defends comedy very well (go read it). Once again, Margaret says what I am thinking with her speechlessness in the face of a complete rejection of comedy.  (That quote which serves as my headline? It's going straight to the pool room ... uhhh ... quote journal.)

She also, perhaps, justifies why my movie of choice for this week's A Good Story is Hard to Find podcast is The Castle. Scott and I find a surprising amount to say about this quirky, warm little-known Australian comedy, as well as family, marriage, manners, and being friendly.

It's All Downhill From Here

Since we've been talking zombies today, here's a little midweek entertainment, courtesy of Doug Savage.

He's got a book out ... didja know? Take a look.

Those Zombies Are Nothing That a Little Lysol (and a great big chainsaw) Can't Clean Up

Neeta Lyffe, Zombie Exterminator, is a fun romp through the zombie genre that is more akin to Shaun of the Dead than to the more "serious" zombie books I've read (World War Z, The Reapers Are The Angels).

The zombie apocalypse is actually somewhat in balance at the point in which this book takes place. Neeta Lyffe is following in her mother's footsteps as a zombie exterminator. Due to some legal problems she is in need of extra income which is why she agreed to participate in a television reality show in which she trains wanna-be zombie exterminators. The winner will win a million dollars and the others, should they survive, will have been trained in a useful occupation. Naturally, each person has their own reasons for wanting this training and we see a bit below the surface into each person's motivations. Neeta herself loathes the necessity that made her agree to the series but is determined that each person will be properly trained. This puts her into direct opposition with the show's producer who is all about the visual thrills and exploiting every emotion to titillate viewers.

Author Karina Fabian is very imaginative in her creation. For example, the zombies are repelled by common household cleaners. They have some dregs of habit left when they rise from the grave which makes them inclined to "visit" their loved ones or drawn to cultural icons they used to frequent. This is an amusing twist which Fabian exploits for full comic or adventure value as needed.

Fabian is Catholic but repeatedly mentioned that the book is not Catholic. True enough but there is a solid worldview beneath this fantasy which Catholics will appreciate. I know that I did.

I truly enjoyed this light, amusing book. I became invested enough in Neeta to worry that she might be dating the wrong person, to worry about who might die in the ending climax, to become annoyed with the troll that haunts a fan forum for the show. It is a quick read, but one that I anticipate rereading whenever I need a lift in spirits. My review copy was a Kindle file and I'm putting the actual paperback on my wish list so I can have a real hands-on book on my shelf.

Note: As I said, I received a review copy of this book. Guess what? I'd have liked it anyway.

A Simply Terrific Book About The Eucharist

I really loved Jesus and The Jewish Roots of the Eucharist by Brant Pitre. Read my review at the Patheos book club to find out why it made me say, "For I was blind but now I see ..."

You can read Chapter One here.

An author interview is here.

What Do These Have in Common: Murder. Pope Leo XIII. Zombies. Outer Space. Sherlock Holmes.

All are connected with Karina Fabian.

Neeta Lyffe, Zombie Exterminator
Karina wrote Neeta Lyffe, which I just finished reading (at breakneck speed) last night and enjoyed very much. Review coming soon, soon, soon! Suffice it to say for the moment that I am buying an actual book to have on my shelves. Read more here.

Infinite Space, Infinite God II
Which we'll just call ISIG-II to make things easier, shall we? Karina edited this and, if it is like the last one, I'd bet we'll see a story from her in it. That is the next book in my reading queue on the Kindle. Karina's blog tour for the book will be hosted here on Tuesday, April 19, so you have plenty of time to get your own copy and be ready to join in.

You may recall that I enjoyed the first Infinite Space, Infinite God and I am really looking forward to this book. Karina's website describes it thusly:

Twelve science fiction stories featuring Catholic heroes. Meet a time traveler who sacrifices his life to give a man a sip of water, and the nun who faces venomous snakes to save a friend. Share the adventures of priests who battle aliens and machines in order serve the greater good. Infinite Space, Infinite God II spans the gamut of science fiction, from near-future dystopias to time travel to space opera, puzzles of logic to laugh-out-loud humor and against-the-clock suspense. A great read for any science fiction fan--a must-read for the Catholic sci-fi lover.

 Murder in the Vatican: The Church Mysteries of Sherlock Holmes
Karina must like to stay very, very busy, she is helping a friend organize a blog tour for Murder in the Vatican: The Church Mysteries of Sherlock Holmes.

Yes, the Vatican and Sherlock Holmes. It can hardly get better. We'll host the blog tour for that book on Thursday, April 7, so get reading! Karina says:

Do you or your readers like mystery? Sherlock Holmes? Then I invite you to join the virtual book tour for Murder in the Vatican: The Church Mysteries of Sherlock Holmes, written by Ann Margaret Lewis.

About the Book: A sudden death in the Vatican. An international incident over stolen artifacts. A priest’s wrongful imprisonment for murder. In this collection of three as yet untold tales, hinted at in the original Holmes stories, the voices of Dr. John H. Watson and the legendary Pope Leo XIII reveal how the great Sherlock Holmes brought these grim ecclesial cases to startling and poignant conclusions. Learn more here.

This book has been receiving critical acclaim from both mystery and Sherlock Holmes organizations, including the Chesterton Society.

Happy Valentine's Day

Tom and I will be going out for cocktails to a new place that has a good reputation and then strolling down the street for pizza. Yes. Pizza. Lady's choice, so that makes it ok, right? And it is some of the most delicious pizza you've ever had. Which is what matters most.

The Anchoress had more than just herself on her mind and, therefore, has some loverly links for the day. Check it out.

Global Warming, Climate Change, Whatever You Call It: It Isn't Making the Weather Weirder

In the climate models, the extremes get more extreme as we move into a doubled CO2 world in 100 years," atmospheric scientist Gilbert Compo, one of the researchers on the project [The Twentieth Century Reanalysis Project], tells me from his office at the University of Colorado, Boulder. "So we were surprised that none of the three major indices of climate variability that we used show a trend of increased circulation going back to 1871."

In other words, researchers have yet to find evidence of more-extreme weather patterns over the period, contrary to what the models predict. "There's no data-driven answer yet to the question of how human activity has affected extreme weather," adds Roger Pielke Jr., another University of Colorado climate researcher.

Read the whole story at The Wall Street Journal.

Though, as Mike Flynn points out, that doesn't stop people from making up theories of weather change affecting just about anything.

NYT columnist Paul Krugman has determined that the Egyptian uprising was due to Global Warming™ [I mean, Climate Change; I mean, Climate Disruption]. The rationale is that Global Warming results in droughts (when it isn't causing increased rainfall or snow) which leads to reduced crops, which leads to higher prices, which leads to mobs crying out for governments to sprinkle magic pixie dust to make food cheaper. It's a wonderful theory. Except for one thing.

Another interesting instance of "what everybody knows" versus the facts.

Why 911 Wildlife Is So Amazing, Relocating Racoons, and Other Interesting Info

The raccoons Bonnie deals with are almost exclusively orphaned, usually by efforts to remove the mother from someone's house or backyard. This is, in fact, one example of a reason live-trapping can be inhumane. Most people can't tell if a raccoon (or squirrel, opossum or skunk) is a lactating mother, and taking her to another location could mean leaving her babies to fend for themselves.

Crowded Creatures has the scoop. Take a look around the other posts at this new blog to find out why coyotes probably didn't eat someone's dog and tips about what to do in event of a dog fight.

Yes, this is written by our very own Hannah whose two dogs have swelled our dog population to "pack" status. Check it out.

Reviewing "The Art of Eating In"

Cathy Erway needed an interesting subject for the food blog she was considering beginning. She decided to give up eating out, though that would be difficult for a young twenty-something in New York City, and begin cooking her meals at home. What began as an interesting experiment became something of an obsession. As Cathy's blog, Not Eating Out In New York, grew in popularity, she threw herself into the project with an increasing passion that lasted two years.

My review is at Meanwhile, Back in the Kitchen.

Mubarak Out, Anchoress Cites Marian Connection

Just this morning I was looking at the front page photo on the Wall Street Journal of that stubborn, stubborn man and saying, "What does it take for him to get a clue?"

Evidently he got it and got out.

The Anchoress realized that today is the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes and has a list of other historic events that have occurred on Marian feast days. An interesting list to look over ... check it out.

Steven Riddle's Review of The Reapers Are The Angels

Think James Lee Burke filtered through Cormac McCarthy's The Road with zombies.  Boy, that really wasn't very helpful was it.  Let me try another pair of words: unexpectedly lovely.

Such is my respect for Steven that I'm not sure what made me happier, reading that he liked the book or his opening paragraph about our compatibility as reading partners. I feel super smart now.

As you know, I can also strongly recommend the audio version. It is amazing.

Google Salutes Edison's 164th Birthday

Google celebrates Edison's birthday with a wonderful animated gif in which gears turn and the light illuminates. Go check it out.

I know a bit too much about Edison's shameless self promotion, shameless to the point where others were done down to achieve it, to celebrate him as wholeheartedly as I could. His behavior during the AC/DC war, his treatment of Nikola Tesla, his behavior toward Georges Méliès, and his film licensing monopoly which is why the motion picture industry moved to California are just a few examples. However, there is no denying the fact that he is an American icon.

The Google tribute is truly striking, no matter who inspired it.