Why Do We Need Holy Week?

The Holy Week recollection of the passion and death of Jesus Christ serves to remind us that it’s not enough to be a “good person” who does not blow up bridges. Jesus is surrounded by “nice” guys who left commerce to follow him — to heal, to give alms, to feed multitudes — and they drink too much to be able to keep him company when he asks. They engage in skirmishes. They run away. One of them betrays him for silver, another — the first of the “good persons,” the one who first pronounces Jesus as Messiah and holds the keys to the kingdom — betrays him with his tongue.

Recognize yourself here?

Me too.

And I'm not proud of it. Let's start with the extreme battle with myself just to go to Mass tonight. Which I know I will benefit from. Which I know will set me up for Good Friday and Easter Sunday in a way that will benefit my soul and, therefore, everyone around me.

Read it all at The Washington Post from The Anchoress.

(She has lots o' Triduum links here.)

I have some things set to go up tomorrow, Saturday, and Sunday (Easter!) but am going to try to stay off the blog for a while from now on.

Not only for the good of my soul but also for the preparation of the Easter feast and suchlike.

A blessed Triduum and Easter to you all.

“I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer” (Lk 22:15).

Thus begins Pope Benedict XVI's homily for Holy Thursday Mass. That caught my attention because it is what goes through my head every time I approach the Eucharist in communion. I always think of Jesus continually saying to each of us, "I eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you..."

The homily continues a few sentences later with this.

... In this eager desire of Jesus we can recognize the desire of God himself – his expectant love for mankind, for his creation. A love which awaits the moment of union, a love which wants to draw mankind to itself and thereby fulfil the desire of all creation, for creation eagerly awaits the revelation of the children of God (cf. Rom 8:19). Jesus desires us, he awaits us. But what about ourselves? Do we really desire him? Are we anxious to meet him? Do we desire to encounter him, to become one with him, to receive the gifts he offers us in the Holy Eucharist? Or are we indifferent, distracted, busy about other things? From Jesus’ banquet parables we realize that he knows all about empty places at table, invitations refused, lack of interest in him and his closeness. ...

Just having read about the Catholic Phillipines Postponing Earth Day because the largely Catholic Filipinos would rather keep the focus on Good Friday, the point about being distracted really hits me. I think that I read about U.S. churches being urged to tie in their Good Friday homilies with Earth Day. Here's the twist. In the Phillipines, they put off Earth Day so that they could be assured of having proper attention given to it. Meaning that the Filipinos would not take their gaze off of Good Friday.

Would that we could say such a thing or live such a thing with that certainty in the U.S.

I cannot.

Much later, speaking of unity, the Pope continues:

“Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and when you have turned again, strengthen your brethren” (Lk 22:31). Today we are once more painfully aware that Satan has been permitted to sift the disciples before the whole world. And we know that Jesus prays for the faith of Peter and his successors.

Of course, we are "painfully aware." Think of it though. Jesus prayed for us and prays for us even now. We are not promised that we will not be sifted. Things may not be easy. In fact, we can pretty much count on the fact that things will not be easy. But what matters is not the hardship or the sifting, but that our faith not fail.

There is much to ponder here. Read the entire homily at Whispers in the Loggia.

Blogging Around: The "These Grabbed Me" Edition (Updated)

Mostly funny ... but all good.

• Referees - The Curt Jester's referee and liturgical signals crack me up (it's funny because it's true). Scroll down for his version, which is really best.
  
  
• Why Do I Love Jesus - B-Movie Catechism's answers ring true and made me laugh. Practically perfect in every way. Complete with movie quotes to kick each one off. As if that ain't enough ... it is like a conversion story to boot.
  
  
• Lord of the World by Robert Hugh Benson - free audio on LibriVox. This link doesn't go directly to LibriVox because I'm making you go through B-Movie Catechism to get there. The poster alone is worth it. Just trust me.
  
  
• Quo Vadis - free audio from LibriVox. I haven't heard this reader before that I can recall but the book itself is great.
  
  
• Soul Surfer - review at Good News Film Reviews. I've been eyeing reviews of this movie warily, waiting for someone who I trust to evaluate the movie itself over and above the Christian message. Scott Nehring delivers and it looks as if the movie is one I am going to put on my list.
  
  
• Dion: The Wanderer Talks Truth by Dion Dimucci, Mike Aquilina -just got this book in and it intrigues me because I recall hearing Dion speak on an interview show where he talked about his faith. I wish I could remember the name of it, because it seems to me that it wasn't an interviewer who one expected to elicit faith-ish talk. Anyway, it is enough to interest me into putting it on the "to read" stack, especially as I don't believe I've ever seen Mike Aquilina do this style of writing before.

Why We Do Those Things We Do: Reviewing "The Mass" by Cardinal Wuerl and Mike Aquilina

Any Catholic knows that the Mass is the heart of our Catholic life and identity. At the most basic, it is communion in the Eucharist, the bread of life which is Christ's body. Everything else that we are comes from that. Most Catholics know the basics of the Mass so well that they could go through them in their sleep.

Therein lies the problem.

In the first place, we may know motions, gestures, liturgical responses, and more, but we often don't know why we are doing these things. If we do understand why, there often is an even deeper meaning that escapes us. If you are a newcomer then you are in the dark about what to do during Mass until you pick it up by watching those "in the know"—who often may not be able to explain why things are taking place.

Secondly, the well-known liturgy of the Mass is going to change in November when the new translations will be put into effect. What is changing and why are key issues to helping everyone get the most out of the new liturgy.

The Mass: The Glory, the Mystery, the Tradition is designed to act as a primer about the Mass. It begins with a brief description of the Mass's origins and history, followed by an indepth look at all the steps, from procession through dismissal. The authors are at pains to describe the process on two levels. First come the essentials of what actions are being taken (the priest prays, the people respond, etc.). To that effect, they include photos of the priest during different moments of the Mass. Descriptions are given of who all the roles of those celebrating the Mass, the church furnishings, books used, clothing, vessels and more. On a deeper level, they go into why the actions are being taken, both on symbolic and spiritual levels. The excerpt which closes this review gives  an idea of how skillfully these are blended.

The Mass is also where you may find the changes in the liturgy described and explained to show how they more fully reflect the mysteries in which we are taking place.  Often this is not called to our attention as a change, but is contained within the explanation just before or after the liturgical words. This is done matter-of-factly, without polemics.

I confess to almighty God and to you, my brothers and sisters, that I have greatly sinned in my thoughts and in my words, in what I have done and in what I have failed to do, through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault; therefore I ask blessed Mary ever-Virgin, all the angels and saints, and you, my brothers and sisters, to pray for me to the Lord our God.

As you and I acknowledge our sins, we take full responsibility. I have sinned through "my fault"—not someone else's. In order to emphasize the point, we repeat the phrase and intensify it: "through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault." The prayer gives us a brief summary of the ways we can go wrong—by sins of word or deed, omission or commission. We say we're sorry for all of them.

Moreover, we say we're sorry not just with a word, but with a deed as well, a gesture. Like the tax collector in the story Jesus told, we strike our breast as we make the three-fold acknowledgment of our fault. We hope to go home justified, as the tax collector did. [Luke 18:10-14, referenced earlier in the section.]

I know more than some about the Mass. As a convert of 11 years ago, I dug deep and was fascinated by the symbolism. Reading The Mass, I was reminded of things that I had forgotten and, indeed, learned new information as well. It was inspirational and reminded me of the depths that the Catholic faith has to offer anyone who will take the trouble to look below the surface.

Any regular reader here already knows that I love Mike Aquilina's writing. The Mass is no exception. Aquilina can take the most basic, matter-of-fact information and show us the spiritual element that makes it come alive. It is his touch that we see throughout the book which makes it an inspirational as well as informational work.

Add to Aquilina's writing chops is coauthor Cardinal Donald Wuerl. I was told that his mere presence as coauthor made an imprimatur unnecessary, according to whatever authorities the publisher contacted (seems dicey reasoning to me for future generations who may read this, but there you go, that's what they told me). It results in accuracy and clerical insight as well as spirituality that you can trust underlying the explanation of the Mass.

It is not a perfect book. A few things caught my attention that were small, but noticeable:

• It seemed to me that some elements were needed for consistency's sake. Several times the text goes to the trouble of informing the people to stand, for example, and yet never instructs on when to sit again. 
• Although the church furnishings are described, no mention is made of saints' statues, votive candles, stained glass and the like ... all the items that every Catholic church contains, no matter how ancient or modern the architecture.
• Some variations which are allowed for in various rituals weren't mentioned. I imagine this may have been because they aren't commonly used. For example, our church retains the altar rail which is where communion is given. Practically everyone chooses to kneel for communion. Naturally anyone may stand who chooses to do so. However, altar rail or no, the book makes no mention of protocol for those who may desire to kneel for communion.

Those small things aside,  believe me when I say that this book is one to recommend for anyone who wonders why we "do those things we do" in Mass. Indeed, it would be a good book to read to remind us of just what depth we are offered every time we attend Mass. Highly recommended.

This excerpt will give you an idea of what you may be missing without full understanding.

The Procession

Sometimes, our churches announce the approaching time of Mass by ringing chimes and bells, calling people to worship. The message of the bells is the ancient message of the Psalm: "Come, let us sing joyfully to the Lord. ... Enter, let us bow down in worship; let us kneel before the Lord who made us. For this is our God, whose people we are" (Psalms 95:1, 6-7). Summoned, the people gather at Church--a word that in the Greek of the New Testament means not a building, but the assembly of God's people. It is the building that takes its name from the congregation, and not the other way around.

Before the Mass can begin, the priest must put on his vestments and make his entrance. Thus, the procession, the entry of the priest and others, may seem like a merely mechanical event: it moves necessary personnel in an orderly way along a prescribed route, from Point A (the sacristy) to Point B (the sanctuary).

But the procession is part of the ritual, and so it is rich in meaning. It symbolizes our earthly pilgrimage toward heaven. We are a pilgrim people, and we're making our way through life to God. We do not travel alone. Like the tribes we read about in the Bible, we move through life as a family, and that family is the Catholic Church.

When we gather as God's family for the Mass, the procession brings the ministers--perhaps the altar servers, lector, and even the choir--and then, finally, the priest into the sanctuary. On their way to the sanctuary, they represent us all. We can see ourselves, by the grace of the Mass, making progress on the way to heaven.

Sometimes the procession is very short and sometimes it's very long and dramatic. Sometimes it is accompanied by a hymn or instrumental music, sometimes by a simple antiphon--a verse from Scripture.

At the head of the procession may be a crucifer, an altar server bearing a cross. This simple, common image reminds us that Jesus is our "leader to salvation...made perfect through suffering" (Hebrews 2:10).

And that's why we've come to the church at the beautiful sound of the bells. "Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us and persevere in running the race that lies before us while keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the leader and perfecter of faith. For the sake of the joy that lay before him he endured the cross" (Hebrews 12:1-2).

The procession moves, outwardly, at a dignified pace. Inwardly, however, and spiritually, we are hastening to heaven, behind the leader who goes before us: Jesus Christ, crucified, risen, and glorified.

Reviewing "Bleeder: A Miracle? Or bloody murder?"

Reed Stubblefield is on his way to his brother's cabin in a small Illinois town. He needs time to recuperate from a debilitating injury, he is traumatized by his wife's recent death, and he is writing a book. A little peace and quiet are just what the doctor ordered, right?

Wrong.

Of course, Reed is plunged almost immediately into local controversies. Is the local priest a stigmatic? Can he heal with a touch? Why does a disconnected phone ring? And who is on the other end? Is the local Hispanic community up to no good? When the priest is murdered and Reed is the prime suspect, he must look for answers to these questions and more to find the real murderer.

Bleeder by John J. Desjarlais grabbed me by the throat and I read it in two days.

I liked Reed's skepticism about healing powers and his ambivalence toward religion in general. I also liked his conversations with priests, especially Monsignor DeMarco, who proved reasonable and understanding of Reed's opinions, but who still explained and defended the Catholic faith ... without being defensive.

I liked the way that the varying viewpoints were shown about the recently swelling illegal Hispanic population. Not everyone had a good point, but they all had a point to make. Just as in real life, where sometimes you can't argue with the local bigot down the road as much as you would like to because ... darn it ... there is a kernel of truth at the bottom of their reasoning.

I liked the way that the author skillfully would segue from one scene to another, often via dreams, and leave me thinking we were heading in one direction only to have me realize I was completely wrong a few sentences later.

I like the way that not every single thing was explained at the end, leaving readers free to their own thoughts about cause and effect. I also enjoyed the philosophical conversations that would come up, not lasting too long, but long enough to draw me in and give me something to think about.

I especially liked the way that Aristotle chimed in whenever conversation ran along lines which made Reed's mind turn to him. Author John Desjarlais' paraphrases showed me just how many things Aristotle can be applied to and I came to look forward to the little insertions of commentary.

... But how did he recognize me at the cafe? Are healers mind-readers as well? Was someone playing a trick on me?

The gods, too, are fond of a joke, Aristotle chuckled.

In short, I liked this book. A lot.

I didn't guess the murderer but I rarely do so that was not a surprise. I did have one big overriding question through most of the book. The resolution to that question turned out to be the key to the murderer as well, although I didn't see it until it was explained to me. I did guess a few things but they were nothing which mattered much in the end.

John J. Desjarlais not only has a deft touch with mystery construction and story, but has a distinct gift for sketching characters. We know who we like and dislike, and find that the author often has reasons for those characteristics which affect us one way or the other, without being obvious in his methods.

I will mention that I got interested in Bleeder after seeing a review to the sequel, Viper, by Sarah Reinhard.  After Sarah kindly put me in touch with the author, he sent both books. This is all to say that as soon as I put Bleeder down, I grabbed the advance copy of Viper and began reading. By then I had forgotten that Selena de la Cruz was the main character in the book. However, when I "met" her in Bleeder, I took to her so quickly that I was hoping that she would be the next person we would follow. I was delighted to find out that is the case. Viper takes off at breakneck speed and I'm loving the ride.

Viper isn't out yet but Bleeder is and I urge you to get a copy. Go on! Now!

Stunned and pleased by President Obama's profession of faith

We all live in the hustle and bustle of our work. And everybody in this room has weighty responsibilities, from leading churches and denominations, to helping to administer important government programs, to shaping our culture in various ways. And I admit that my plate has been full as well. (Laughter.) The inbox keeps on accumulating. (Laughter.)

"But then comes Holy Week. The triumph of Palm Sunday. The humility of Jesus washing the disciples’ feet. His slow march up that hill, and the pain and the scorn and the shame of the cross.

"And we’re reminded that in that moment, he took on the sins of the world -- past, present and future -- and he extended to us that unfathomable gift of grace and salvation through his death and resurrection.

"In the words of the book Isaiah: 'But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.'

"This magnificent grace, this expansive grace, this 'Amazing Grace' calls me to reflect. And it calls me to pray. It calls me to ask God for forgiveness for the times that I’ve not shown grace to others, those times that I’ve fallen short. It calls me to praise God for the gift of our son -- his Son and our Savior.

Read it all at The Baltimore Sun. I found this via GetReligion where they look at how differently the story was covered around the U.S.

I'm not a fan of many of President Obama's policies. I know very little about the man himself. I pray for him as he leads our country. And I suppose a true cynic could say that these words are part of a political move somehow.

I prefer to take the man at his word. It comforts me that as odds as we would be in the same room discussing politics, we would be at one in our Holy Week reflections and self-examination.

Happy Catholic - Kindle version

I have had people asking about whether Happy Catholic would be available as an E-book. I am happy to announce that the publisher just told me that they have uploaded the files and it should be available in 24 hours.

WOOHOO!

Help yourself!

And ... if you have read the book and enjoyed it, would you consider writing a review on Amazon? Every little bit helps! Thank you!

In Outer Space, Can Anyone Hear You Pray ... II: Reviewing Infinite Space, Infinite God II

The Ghosts of Kourion by Andrew Seddon:  A grieving professor escapes back in time to live among a doomed people.

Antivenin by Karina Fabian:  Rescue Sister Rita takes on a ship full of venomous snakes in order to save a friend.

An Exercise in Logic by Barton Paul Levenson:  How do you convince an infuriatingly logical race to stop an asteroid?

Cathedral by Tamara Wilhite: A genetically engineered human spends the last of her tortured days righting her wrongs.

Otherworld by Karina Fabian: Does sin really count when it's virtual?

The Battle of the Narthex by Alex Lobdell:  An alien battle in a most unusual setting--tickles the funny bone and touches the heart!

Tenniel by Colleen Drippe':  The battle for souls becomes a battle to the death.

Tin Servants by J Sherer:  In order to serve his people, Paul becomes an android--but can he really care for them as a tin servant?

Basilica by John Rundle:  Caprizo battles machines and thwarts an enemy armada to keep a doomsday weapon from their hands.

Cloned to Kill by D. Mak:  How can a man of peace protect a clone designed to kill?

Frankie Phones Home by Karina Fabian:  A sixteen-year-old alien abductee calls her family on the way back for official First Contact.

Dyads, Ken Pick and Alan Loewen:  Enter the fascinating culture of the Thalendri in a story of intrigue, terrorist and religious tolerance.

Way back in 2008, I reviewed Infinite Space, Infinite God, an anthology of science fiction centered on Catholicism.  In some ways we cannot avoid comparing a second volume to the first. In fact, editors Karina and Robert Fabian do the same in the introduction when they point out that the first anthology had stories centering more on the Church as an institution. In this second book, the stories tended to focus more on individuals and their struggles, using Catholicism as the context through which we view them.

I found Infinite Space, Infinite God II to be a stronger set of stories overall and one that I could recommend unreservedly to non-Catholics because the overall themes ran strongly to a general science fiction theme rather than to faith. This is not to say that the stories don't address faith, but even for nonbelievers there is something interesting to be found in practically every one of them. The stories are imaginative and, although some are light-hearted, all of them lead readers to think about serious issues, as is the case with the best science fiction. I also especially enjoyed the way that each of them featured the Church which has adapted to the future but which never ignores or betrays her mission.

As before, I found each story introduction to be well written and interesting although, as before, I found there was a bit too much revelation about the story or what characters learned for my taste. I read most of them after I read the story as a result. However, this is an issue that I have come across in many anthologies and it is a matter of personal taste.

My favorite stories:

• The Ghosts of Kourion. This is a bittersweet tale of "what if" combined with time travel. The story's ending will have us all examining our own smallest deeds.
  
  
• Antivenin. I was on the edge of my seat as Sister Rita ran into worse and worse encounters in this "snakes on a spaceship" story. Riveting.
  
  
• Tenniel. A showdown of sorts from which it seems that no one can emerge victorious. And is victory always what we think it is?
  
  
• Dyads. This was my hands-down favorite. Not only was I fascinated by the alien culture, I was captivated by the brilliant translation of the Catholic faith into something that was equally alien but equally true, revealed by God. Also, I was riveted by the conundrums faced by the two faiths in resolving their problems.
  

I can't say nearly as much as I would like about these stories without giving away plots but these stories equal anything found in other science fiction anthologies. They are practically perfect in every way.

The above link is to Amazon but there are many formats available and Twilight Times Books has links.

Happy Catholic and Girls' Night Potluck Rosary

Don't you just love the idea of a potluck rosary group? Way to make it homey and real when you get together to say the rosary.

I am honored to have been asked to speak to this group of ladies from my parish and am pretty excited about it!

I will have more to say tomorrow I am sure!

Why I Love Jesus

The Curt Jester tagged me with this meme (so exciting! I don't think he's tagged me before ... ). And it is a topic that I am drawn to, naturally. So, here we go, not in order of important but in order of what popped into my head:

The rules:

Those tagged will share 5 things they “love” about Jesus/ Or why they love Jesus Those tagged will tag 5 other bloggers. Those tagged will provide a link in the comments section here with their name so that others can read them.

1. He's hilarious and when He laughs at me it is really laughing with me ... and I can't help but join in.
2. He loves me so much that He would have died for me alone.
3. He loves my enemy as much as He loves me.
4. When I look at Him then I see the Father.
5. His Truth is the solid foundation that never fails me ... and I am all about Truth.

I'm tagging:

1. Aliens in This World
2. The Practicing Catholic
3. The Deacon's Bench
4. Frank at Why I Am Catholic
5. B-Movie Catechism

St. Bernadette

My motto is fast becoming "better late than never" and here is a prime example. This fine video from Zac Brakefield for TAN books.



Find more videos like this at Catholic Trailers, as well as Zac's discussion of other videos and movies, like the Vatican's top film list.

Congratulations to those on the list of "blogging chosen" for the Vatican blog-meet

The list is posted and I am delighted to see that some of the bloggers I love to read are on there such as The Anchoress, The Crescat, and Lisa Hendey. There are other bloggers I read on that list too but those are the ones I feel really connected to (and whose urls jumped out at me in a quick scan).

It looks like a really diverse list from many different places. Should be interesting for all of them!

I'm not on it, but you know I'm really all right with that. I hear there isn't a hotel room to be had for love nor money ... and I remembered that my passport is expired ... and so on.

I will get to Rome one day, perhaps, but just not right now.

Happy Catholic Book Giveaway at Catholic Mom

What makes YOU a happy Catholic?

Share in the comments by midnight on Friday, April 22, and you might win your own copy of Happy Catholic!

Go comment at Catholic Mom to get a chance to win.

Thanks again to Sarah for the wonderful review and to Lisa Hendey for giving me the heads up on this. How fun!

Scholarship Essay Contest for Teens: $1,500 Grand Prize

Theology of the Body for Teens has made its way all over the country, giving teens an authentic sense of self.  This dynamic high school program has opened up a life-giving vision for teens of love and sexuality as God intended them to be, effectively helping to renew a generation of Catholic youth.  Equipped with the truth of God’s design in their male and female identity, many of these teens are preparing to venture out as individuals and adults, able to influence their peers at colleges and universities, and later in their chosen professions.

To assist these motivated and faithful high school students, Ascension Press is sponsoring an essay contest for high school teens.  One young man and one young woman will each win the Grand Prize of $1500, plus a $500 Gift Card to Ascension Press for their parishes or schools.

To find out more, go here at Ascension Press.

A source of joy ... bringing young and old together.

The nurses quickly escorted us back to a private visiting room. They didn't even want to let Cora in. "One of our patients is violent," the nurse said. But as I looked at the assortment of women in the visiting area (most with walkers or wheelchairs), I couldn't imagine what harm might befall us and I stood my ground. "No, I'd like to take her to visit her great grandma. I have permission from her doctor." The nurse shook her head and muttered something about me being willing to put my baby at risk. I smiled politely, hugged Cora a little tighter, and walked past the main visiting area to a private room where we could sit without being "in danger."

[...]

I've never heard her laugh like she does when she's visiting my grandma. I don't know what it is… but it is joy. And it is life-giving.

Read it all at Signs of Hope.

Mrs. Darwin sez Happy Catholic is "... pretty compulsively readable."

And she adds a tribute that means a great deal to me.

I can't wait until my girls are a few years older -- Happy Catholic would be great reading for a teen trying to make sense of the shifting patterns of the world.

Thank you, Mrs. D! You may read her whole review here and she also reviews a Gregorian chant cd that sounds wonderful. I especially like that it was recorded during a storm and that you can sometimes hear the rain in the background.

I love it when someone shares the joking that they "hear" from God ...

... since it corresponds all too well to the side of Him that I know too.

From Kevin at Excuse Me Sir But You Dropped Your Cross which I discovered in commenter Fr. Cory Sticha's "followed" blogs list.

One morning at Mass, during the second communion song “Hosea,” I finished my prayer and sat back in my seat. I grabbed the bulletin. On its cover was an image and the poem “Footprints in the Sand.” As I finished reading the poem, I asked God, “What are or were you trying to tell me with this ordeal?” to which the response was “I was with you the entire time, carrying you just like it says in the poem.” Tears of joy poured out of me. I looked at Jean and started laughing uncontrollably. She was perplexed. You see, shortly after the first response came a second one. “…and my back is killing me!” 

Inspirational Christian Stories and Poems

This is an interesting site, from my pal Chris Cash, which has all sorts of stories. They are funny, sad, serious, light-hearted, and more.

Here's a sample.

A Silent Sermon

A member of a certain church, who previously had been attending services regularly, stopped going. After a few weeks, the pastor decided to visit him. It was a chilly evening. The pastor found the man at home alone, sitting before a blazing fire.

Guessing the reason for his pastor’s visit, the man welcomed him, led him to a comfortable chair near the fireplace and waited. The pastor made himself at home but said nothing. In the grave silence, he contemplated the dance of the flames around the burning logs.

After some minutes, the pastor took the fire tongs, carefully picked up a brightly burning ember and placed it to one side of the hearth all alone. Then he sat back in his chair, still silent. The host watched all this in quiet contemplation. As the one lone ember’s flame flickered and diminished, there was a momentary glow and then its fire was no more.

Soon it was cold and dead. Not a word had been spoken since the initial greeting. The Pastor glanced at his watch and realized it was time to leave, he slowly stood up, picked up the cold, dead ember and placed it back in the middle of the fire. Immediately it began to glow, once more with the light and warmth of the burning coals around it.

As the pastor reached the door to leave, his host said with a tear running down his cheek, “Thank you so much for your visit and especially for the fiery sermon. I shall be back in church next Sunday.”

~author unknown~

Check it out!

911 Wildlife's Screech-Owl Webcam

This is a screech-owl in someone's attic ... and it is nesting so it can't be moved. 911 Wildlife cleverly installed a webcam. Fascinating!

Stranger Than Fiction

Science, art, literature, wristwatches, toothbrushing, anarchists, green apples, and motion graphics.

All that and more come up for discussion when Scott and I find traces of the One Reality in the Will Farrell movie, Stranger Than Fiction, on A Good Story is Hard to Find podcast.

Get it while it's hot!

"There is no pit so deep that God's love is not deeper still."

In this week's A Free Mind column at Patheos I review a book that you simply must read or reread or listen to ... The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom. Get it while it's hot ... it makes terrific end of Lent/Holy Week reading!

The Bishop's Hour and Happy Catholic: Today in ... about five minutes!

Some listeners call Bob Dunning a “bleeding heart liberal” while others swear he’s a right-wing conservative. ...

Dunning believes the contradictory assessments of his opinions reflect people’s perceptions of Catholicism itself. “The church’s teachings spread across the political spectrum,” he said in a recent interview with The Herald. “Who decided that being pro-life was a conservative position?” “I’m also against the death penalty,” he added, “which seems to mark me as a liberal.”

The church teaches respect for human life and the dignity of the human person, Dunning observed, yet Catholics can be divided on specific applications church teaching. “To me, being against capital punishment and against abortion under any circumstances is a consistent ethical position, but not all Catholics agree,” he said.

From what I can tell, Bob Dunning is my kind of guy and very probably a happy Catholic.

I'll find out very soon! Sorry for the lack of notice but my days have been crazy, y'all.

Happy.

But crazy.

Here's more information.

The Church is Full of Sinners: This is not new.

Let’s see now: we’ve got a Sunday night series on one of the most corrupt and tawdry families in Church history, the Borgias, with popes, cardinals, bishops, and priests, all part of this big, happy family; we’ve heard non-stop for a decade about abusive priests, (albeit a small minority) and lax bishops who reassigned them; we’ve got front page stories of priests who embezzled money from their parishes; and I saw one not long ago about a priest arrested for DUI.

Yes, all this is scandalous, sinful, sickening, and criminal.

But, it is not new.

Popes, cardinals, bishops, priests, deacons, nuns, brothers are human.

That means, we are sinners.

Granted, when one of us falls, it hurts and shocks more. People rightly expect their spiritual leaders to practice what we preach. When we don’t, we’re hypocrites. And we know what Jesus thought about hypocrites.

But, this is not new.

If you think it worse today than in the past, I ask you to consider the solemn days we will observe next week, Holy Week: Holy Thursday and Good Friday.

Within an hour or so after Jesus had ordained His very first bishops and priests — the twelve apostles — what happened? They fell asleep when He asked them to pray with Him; one betrayed Him for thirty silver coins; one — the first Pope — denied three times even knowing Him; and all but one, the youngest, ran away scared at the time He most needed them. That lonely loyal one, St. John, was there with our blessed Mother at the foot of the cross on a hill called Calvary on a Friday strangely called “good.”

Not a very good start for bishops and priests. Within a few hours after their ordination, 11/12 had abandoned Him. That’s a worse record than even the Mets!

Archbishop Dolan hits one out of the park ... and this is just the beginning of the article. Go read it all.

You too? I thought I was the only one!

Sometimes xkcd scares me. Or we're soul mates. Whichever.

Lino at Large and Happy Catholic: tonight at 7 p.m. (Eastern time)

Lino at Large is a 30 minute radio show which is one of the most popular Catholic podcasts in the country. This fast-paced program geared toward young adults is brought to you by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

I remember waaaaay back in 2007 getting to chat with Lino Rulli a few times and it was always fun.

I mean, you've got to love a guy who has a bobblehead in his store. Right?

And I hear he's got 7 Dumb Questions to ask me.

This is gonna be fun.

Or something. (But I'm counting on fun ...)

And we'll probably talk about books. Just a little. One book anyway.

Guess which one?

Yeah, I figured you'd guess.

My perfect wallpaper

How well Rose knows me ... yes, I will be putting this on my laptop.

Not that I'm obsessed with Serenity or Firefly.

Heather Ordover on Happy Catholic: "You don't have to be Catholic to enjoy it."

I'm rather behind on podcast listening.

However, if nothing else I always look at the show notes for episodes that I haven't gotten to yet, to make sure I don't miss what's going on with my pals (yes, that's how I think of them).

I know that Heather Ordover at the CraftLit podcast (a podcast for crafters who like books) is moving and so keep up with that part of her life on the podcast, though I will catch up on the literary part later.

So, I was surprised and gratified to see that she had a link to Happy Catholic. When I listened I was even more gratified.

Heather is talking to knitters and book lovers, certainly not to a faith-based audience. She gave this a tribute that made me grateful (and happy, always happy of course), but which relieved a worry of mine. Because I knew that non-Catholics, heck non-Christians, might get this book. (Let's just start with my own family for that matter.) I have my own point of view, which is valid, of course, but I don't want to trample other people while I'm expressing it. Heather makes me hopeful that I might have been able to pull it off.

There is more, but here is the essence of it:

Just in case you thought this book was for Catholics only, I would like to read a small selection.  On page 43 it says, "Why Do You Think They Call It Willpower, Old Chum?"  And who does she quote to launch her into her little mini-essay here?

Robin:  Self-control is sure tough sometimes, Batman!
Batman: All virtues are, old chum. Indeed, that’s why they’re virtues.

And that's a quote from the Batman TV series.

Remember this is Happy Catholic: Glimpses of God in Everyday Life ... quoting Batman. This is why I love Julie. And her essay is really quite lovely as well. ...

I don't actually think you have to be Catholic to enjoy it. I am not Catholic and I am enjoying it. But part of that is because wisdom is wisdom, you know? And she's drawing wisdom from all sorts of great places and commenting on it and giving us her own particular slant on it.

This is from Episode 204 of CraftLit if you want to listen for yourself. It is the first thing she talks about, for which I am also grateful. Thank you Heather! (For an autographed copy, go here. I include a favorite quote that didn't make it into the book, as well.)

By the way, if you love classic literature and don't listen to CraftLit then drop by and try it out. CraftLit is one of my top five favorite podcasts. I hate to rank them other than that because ... I don't think I can. They're all just that good and CraftLit is one that you won't be sorry you tried.

Now I'm Going to Have to Watch Gold Rush

Thanks to Rose who pointed out this adorable and funny little dance after yesterday's art featured the Gold Rush poster.

I feel the need to say that the interwebs are a wonderful place.

Where else would I get the chance to chat with an author I admire (Steve Hockensmith) about his podcasting of some of his short stories on the Ellery Queen magazine and Alfred Hitchcock magazine podcasts?

While getting a review copy for my Kindle of his new collection of Dear Mr. Holmes, the Holmes on the Range short stories?

All thanks to Tweet and email.

God bless the ether!

By the way, if you haven't come across the Holmes on the Range stories, they are wonderful. A clever pastiche on Holmes because they are written about the cow punching brothers who admire the Holmes stories  they read in the papers. I am listening to the first novel now and loving it.

The Curt Jester: "I simply loved this book."

Nothing could have made me happier!

Unless it was the rest of Jeff's review of Happy Catholic.

Now Julie is a self-confessed book skimmer in that she often will skim through a book and then come back later and re-read it. I am not as much of a book skimmer and certainly did not skim through this book for fear of overlooking a good nugget. It also did not hurt that Julie pulled her quotes from areas and sources I also love. To have a book quoting Alice Cooper (now an Evangelical), Futurama, Firefly, SF Movies, and a vast swath of culture not in the SF realm is certainly to my taste, but her reflections should benefit all.

I simply loved this book. ...

Jeff is a logical and analytical thinker who loves the Church and loves books. Plus I read his blog before I had one of my own. So to say his review gladdened my heart is a huge understatement.

He even included a quote by me that he liked. That put me over the moon!

There is much more so if you are considering buying the book, you may be interested in reading the whole thing. Certainly I will be doing so several more times.

Thank you Jeff!

Food in Science Fiction and Fantasy

That is the latest topic under discussion at SFFaudio where Scott and Jesse welcome guest Luke Burrage. I can't wait to listen to this one. Two of my favorite topics being discussed by three of my favorite people!

Eagle-cam Alert!

Eagles from atop their tree at the fish hatchery in Decorah, Iowa.

Oh. my. goodness.

I just went to get the link and the mother was feeding the eaglets!

Also, Hannah tells me that 911 Wildlife is going to have a screech owl cam soon. Can't wait!

Thanks to Cindy J. for the link!

Vatican announces a meeting for bloggers will take place in Rome on the afternoon of Monday, May 2, 2011

No, I'm not kidding.

Yes.

The Vatican is calling for a bloggers meet. Actually a "new media" meet for the day after Pope John Paul II's beatification.

Whispers in the Loggia has the whole story and the email link for those who would like to attend. Because of space requirements it is being limited to 150 bloggers. If you blog and could swing the trip, then send that email!

It is the first time I've ever seen anything that made me wish I could afford to go to Rome.

I was telling my husband about it and then about an email from a friend who pointed it out and said I should go. He said, "Send an email. Let's see what happens. I'm curious ..."

So I did!

I feel fairly sure this is an event I will simply be reading about on other people's blogs. Which will be exciting enough, believe me.

However, I am also a firm believer that if you don't ask, then you don't get. So, I asked. It is fun to have an exciting possibility to dream about. Even if the dream doesn't come true, it is sometimes enough to have the fun of doing the dreaming.

And, right now, that's fun!

"A scrappy little volume ... seasoned with Julie's own sauce."

The Anchoress highly recommends Happy Catholic and includes two essays with quotes near and dear to my heart.

... a book I am highly recommending to you, not because Julie is a friend, but because it’s a scrappy little volume that serves up morsels from some of the most surprising sources (Alice Cooper? Bender from Futuerama? Hank Hill and H. G. Wells?) and then seasons them with Julie’s own sauce.

When someone of The Anchoress' caliber is enthusiastic then I am both relieved and proud. (Yes, the eternal insecurities come out ... but it keeps me humble and grateful, people ... so it's perfect for Lent, right?)

Go grab a couple more excerpts by reading her review. Thank you Anchoress!

Good Vibrations: Exploring What It Means to Do the Right Thing

I already loved this overall concept from Liberty Mutual so this cartoon delighted me on several levels. This engaged every person fully when we watched this at the end of an old TED talks that Tom showed this morning in our creativity meeting. About five minutes but worth the time.

Quick! Who is the Patron Saint of Gaming?

C'mon, I know you know it ...

What's taking you so long?

Maybe it's because, as Thomas L. McDonald tells us, there is none.

Never fear, he goes over the options in a most interesting and entertaining post at State of Play.

The Christopher Awards 2011

The Christophers should be known better ... so let's start there.

The mission of The Christophers is to encourage people of all ages, and from all walks of life, to use their God-given talents to make a positive difference in the world. The mission is best expressed in The Christophers’ motto: “It’s better to light one candle than to curse the darkness.”

One of the ways they do this is with their annual Christopher Awards. This year:

A mother strives to improve the lives of autistic children; an African-American nun establishes greater racial equality within the Catholic Church; two brothers travel around the world to discover the commonality of the human experience. These are just a few of the powerful stories told in the books, films, and TV programs that make up the winners of the 62nd annual Christopher Awards.

Go see who won and why. You're going to find new books to read, movies to see, and heroes you didn't know about.

Happy Catholic: the perfect devotional for the busiest person you know (Shameless Self-Promotion cont.)

Marge: All right, already! Everyone knows [Thomas Edison] accomplished a lot. Maybe because he didn't spend every moment talking about Thomas Edison!

Homer: Oh, that's where you're wrong, Marge. He was a shameless self-promoter.

I believe Rose had this in mind when she mentioned in a recent phone call that she noticed how frequently I mention the book.

Well ... well, yes. I cannot deny it.

And when I am as delighted that another friend whose good opinion matters to me liked the book, then I just can't keep it to myself! Sarah Reinhard, the Snoring Scholar, approves in the way that makes me happiest ... by seeing what I did not and surprising me.

Davis, as she does so often in her other pursuits, reminds us that faith and life cannot be separated. That’s why you find quotes from Alice Cooper and the TV show Joan of Arcadia. It explains the quips from the Simpsons and the dialogues from various movies and novels.

This book isn’t just a good read, though it is that. It’s also the perfect devotional for the busiest person you know. It’s a great resource for the practice of finding faith right in front of your face. It’s an indispensable handbook for a moment with the God who took the time to get down and dirty by becoming one of us.

If you are interested, do go read it all. She was also kind enough to post her review at Amazon and Goodreads. Sarah, thank you!

i-confess.com Video Contest - voting

Remember that contest I mentioned a while back?

In an effort to help promote New York’s All Day Confessions event, happening Monday April 18th, The Diocese of Brooklyn in conjunction with both the Archdiocese of New York and Diocese of Rockville Centre are launching a grassroots digital campaign called i-Confess. Using both social and digital media, the goal of this campaign is to generate interest in the act of Confession throughout New York State.

The videos are up and the voting has begun.

Go check them out. Be sure to watch them all because you never know when genius is lurking right around the corner!

Our Friend Billy Wins Peabody Award

Billy is the happy guy on the right who may be just a touch flushed because he's used to being behind the camera instead of in front of it. He is part of local Channel 8's Peabody Award winning investigative team.

I have to say that they do a wonderful job. They take the time to explain the whole story, instead of dropping two facts and a helicopter shot on you before whizzing on to the next thing like other local stations seem to do. And they dig up things that definitely need digging up.

We were proud to know him already because he is a stand-up guy. He and his wife have been on the Beyond Cana marriage enrichment retreat team for several years. They give an honest and inspirational talk. They know what being a Christian means and they live it as honestly as they can.

Plus, I've just got a soft spot for Billy so I like to see him get recognized for his work, which he has a true passion for.

Congratulations, Billy! (Oh yes, and the rest of the team too ... of course!)

Save a forest. It's ok to print this email.

I've never had an email signature before but after reading this editorial, I had to do it. It not only brought out the contrarian in me, but the truth teller.

I lifted it from one of the editorialists and just slightly rearranged it to suit my sense of logic (of course no one is surprised by that, right?).

Now that I have had several people compliment me on it, I thought I'd share.

Save a forest. It's ok to print this email.

Paper is a biodegradable, renewable, sustainable product made from trees. Working forests are good for the environment and provide clean air and water, wildlife habitat and carbon storage. Growing and harvesting trees provides jobs for millions of Americans.Thanks to improved forest management, we have more trees in America today than we had 100 years ago. (Want to know more?)

Unofficial, biased, partial review of Happy Catholic

The people you want respect from the most are your family. Of course.

So when I both my mother and sister recently said they received their copies, you'll understand I was curious.

Both said the same thing.

• "It sounds just like you."
• They like it.

My sister added:

• "It makes me happy when I read it."

Calloo, callay, oh happy day!

(We shall see if those verdicts hold true throughout the book, but the odds are good. Right? Right!)

Want Free Books for Your Kindle? Keep an Eye on Kindle Review.

Kindle Review covers more than just Amazon's free Kindle offerings. But they tell those too ... every day. Plus cheap deals.

Check out today's listing.

The Milky Way Over Tenerife

You simply must go see this photo (it only takes a click) on NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day.

Here is some of the explanation to tempt you:

Have you ever seen the band of our Milky Way Galaxy? Chances are you have never seen it like this -- nor could you. In a clear sky from a dark location at the right time, a faint band of light is visible across the sky. This band is the disk of our spiral galaxy. Since we are inside this disk, the band appears to encircle the Earth. The above spectacular picture of the Milky Way arch, however, goes where the unaided eye cannot.

The photo is under copyright so I can't share it here (though I must request permission to share some of TWAN's photos, they are wonderful). And the explanation is fascinating as well.

St. Francis Mission

I've featured the St. Francis Mission here before, but it's been a while so here's some basic info.

St. Francis is a ministry of the of the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits) among the 20,000 Lakota people on the Rosebud Indian Reservation in south-central South Dakota. The Mission is a not for profit organization founding in 1886, whose mission is to serve the spiritual, educational, and physical needs of Lakota Catholics and those who are un-churched on the reservation.

We have many programs ongoing at the mission – schools, recovery, religious education, a radio station and a museum. Right now, I’m looking for individuals who may be interested in sharing information about the St. Francis Mission and our programs with their readers/listeners. We have a blog and website. We also have a radio station, KINI Radio.

They are asking for prayers during Lent and Easter, as well as providing a more tangible way to assist through their April online donation campaign.

It is something that is worth considering for your Lenten almsgiving and beyond. This is a place where the need is ongoing right here in the United States. Drop by and take a look around.

Blog Tour: Murder in the Vatican - The Church Histories of Sherlock Holmes

I completely forgot to post the schedule for Murder in the Vatican's blog tour!

Better late than never (as I always seem to have to say) and this is not really that late.

Why do I care? Well, for one thing I enjoyed the book quite a bit.

For another, take a look at the 7th! That's right, we'll be co-hosting here. I'll have a review up. Hopefully, Ann will drop by and answer any questions in the comments box. I have had the privilege of chatting with her in email and she is really delightful.

Don't wait until later this week though. Go along on the tour.

TOUR SCHEDULE
April 2nd - Tribute Books Reviews & Giveaways

April 2nd - Fabianspace

April 2nd - PUTTING WORDS DOWN ON PAPER

April 2nd - Time With Tannia

April 3rd - Marian Allen

April 4th - A Pius Man

April 5th - The Baker Street Blog

April 6th - One Writer's Journey

April 7th - Happy Catholic

April 7th - CatholicMom.com

April 8th - Impact Reviews

April 8th - The Writing Life For Me

April 9th - One Hot Mess

April 11th - Litland.com Book Reviews

April 12th - Litland.com Reviews!

April 14th - Katie Hines - Walking on Water

April 15th - Sherlock Holmes Fan Wiki

April 16th - Teresa's Simplicity In Words

April 18th - The Book Connection

April 20th - Author Caprice Hokstad

First review in: "It’s a textbook on critical thinking in disguise."

Jennifer at Riparians at the Gate has a thoughtful review of Happy Catholic up. There is nothing like that simultaneous feeling of delight and dread upon seeing that one's book has been reviewed by someone that you like and respect.

I believe I will have to look through the book again because she saw more than I remember putting in there. Which, of course, is a good thing.

The point that made me proudest is the one she made about critical thinking ... Tom literally cheered when I read it to him, while I clapped. There is nothing I appreciate more than a logical, critical thinker so it is wonderful to be considered one. And it is one of the things that I love about the Catholic faith most of all. The logic found there is incredible once one begins looking into it.

If you are interested, please do go read it. I myself will be doing so several more times in the next few minutes, I can assure you!

Here's another bit I especially appreciated.

What I like most: Julie grapples with popular culture head-on.  Lots of quotes from popular books, TV shows, movies.  And she doesn’t always agree! Sometimes, there’s a quote that sounds good, the kind of thing that someone says at a dinner party and everyone’s nodding and agreeing with it, and you want to say something very uncharitable because really even though it sounds so wise, it’s just drivel.   Julie takes quotes like that and answers them directly:  What’s the underlying truth?  What’s the lie?  What’s a catholic to do with that sentiment?

Jennifer, thank you so much.

Free Audiobook Download of The Hiding Place

"There is no pit so deep, that God's love is not deeper still."

This is a special month for christianaudio; The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom is our free audiobook for April! This month marks the print book's 40th anniversary and April 15th also marks the day of both her birth in 1892 and her death in 1983. The Hiding Place is one of the all-time classic books written regarding the sovereignty of God, suffering, evil, and God's purpose to work all things together for good. Corrie's faith and story is one of hope, encouragement, and triumph through the most difficult of circumstances.

In addition to being one of the most important books we have published, our audiobook of The Hiding Place was nominated for 2010 Audiobook of the Year in the inspirational/non-fiction category. The narration by Bernadette Dunne is faithful to the story allowing, for people of all ages to enjoy this amazing audiobook.

I have loved this book ever since reading it in high school.

Interestingly, this coincides with reading Scott Nehring's compelling review of the movie of this story. Do go read it. He may cause a run on movie rentals for this title if enough people take him at his word and watch it. It looks like wonderful Lenten fare.

A Lenten Joke

I can't help myself. I just have to repeat this joke from last year.

On their honeymoon, the blonde bride slipped into a sexy nightie and with great anticipation, crawled into bed, only to find that her new Catholic husband had settled down on the couch.

When she asked him why he was apparently not going to make love to her, he replied, "Can't; it's Lent".

In tears, she remarked, "Well, that is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard! Who did you lend it to, and for how long?"

About April Fool's Day

That sums it up for me.

Via Amy H. Sturgis, who also had this which is going straight to the pool room quote journal.

April
Comes like an idiot, babbling and strewing flowers.

- Edna St. Vincent Millay

The End of the World: Tim Muldoon on The Arena

The Anchoress is there too ... check it out.

I just want to say that I am proud to be one of the top providers of information about the Catholic Zombie Apocalypse at Google

Four hits came through yesterday from that search

I wonder ... is this really what God had in mind when I became Catholic lo those many years ago? (Eleven at Easter.)

Well, someone's gotta speak up and I'm proud to be that one.

Fasting for an End to Abortion: First Friday (April)

I am thrilled to see that there are others fasting for an end to abortion. These ladies are ramping it up. Once a month? Pah! They are making it personal with once a week fasting. (Once a week? I must think about this ... it is the sort of sacrifice that really puts it out there with constancy and immediacy.) Check out Garden of Holiness.

(Much thanks to Adoro te Devote for pointing me this way and also for reminding me that today is the first day of April ... no April Fool's about it, either!)

Now, on to my regular monthly fast for an end to abortion.  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.

Space Aliens, a Priest, and the Black Death

One marvelous novel has it all: Eifelheim.

Father Dietrich is the village priest of Eifelheim, in the year 1348, when the Black Death is gathering strength. To his astonishment, Dietrich makes first contact between humanity and an alien race from a distant star, when their ship crashes in the nearby forest. Flynn gives us the full richness and strangeness of medieval life, as well as some terrific aliens.

Scott and I discuss the book, whether aliens have religion, disagree over Connie Willis' Blackout, and a whole lot more at A Good Story is Hard to Find.

Young, Fun and Catholic

Looking for answers? Or just want something clean to read? Got questions about your Catholic faith and don't know what answers you can trust to be true to the Vatican? Here is the blog for you! For ages 20 - 30. It's a place for younger Adult Catholics to find some answers and read about other Catholics trying to live the right way!

From what I saw it is perfectly named. Drop by and take a look around.

A Free Mind: Brede, No Treacle: St. Therese and Rumer Godden

Cutting through the "treacle" of St. Therese brings forth the strong personality and deep faith of a woman willing to embrace the challenge of a Carmelite cloister. And we know how challenging that could be thanks to a Rumer Godden classic novel.

What broke open connecting with St. Therese for me? A good translation and a second book: my latest column at Patheos.

Clarification
Treacle = British for molasses (sort of)

Wikipedia sez: The most common forms of treacle are the pale syrup that is also known as golden syrup and the darker syrup that is usually referred to as dark treacle or black treacle. Dark treacle has a distinctively strong flavour, slightly bitter, and a richer colour than golden syrup,[3] yet not as dark as molasses

Au Revoir Les Enfants: There's Another 105 Minutes I'll Never Get Back*

I'll do what director Louis Malle should have. I'm going to make this mercifully brief and to the point.

A young, privileged French boy in a Catholic boarding school in Nazi-occupied France mostly despises and later befriends another young boy who has a touch of mystery about him. It is just a touch. The audience can tell fairly easily that the boy is Jewish and is being hidden at the school by the priest.

Although beautifully photographed, this story goes nowhere as slowly as possible, failing to develop characters enough for us to care about them until around the last twenty minutes of the movie. At that point it became interesting as the Nazis made their usual menacing selves more obvious.

The biggest crime in the movie is that Malle showed us nothing new. Autobiographical or not, the characters are those we've seen before, as are the motivations and the lessons.

I'm not against slow movies. Babette's Feast was also almost ponderously slow and beautifully shot. The difference, and it is crucial, is that Babette's Feast showed us something new and gave us much food for thought at the end. There was a payoff and it was one that kept us talking about it for weeks.

This story mattered to Louis Malle because it was semi-autobiographical. It didn't to me or the three others who watched it with me.

Update:
I meant to say that we researched Louis Malle's other films after seeing this. Upon seeing that he also directed My Dinner with Andre, Tom reevaluated his review, "I now realize that for Malle this was a sprightly and fast-paced look at school days." Which tells you all you need to know about our view of that movie, which we never made it through despite our best efforts. 'Nuff said.

*I'll just say it now ... yes, I'm in the minority, based on the many acclaims the movie has received. I remain unmoved by them and stick to my guns on this.

A Zombie and Two Protestants Walk Into a Book Store

I am tickled pink to see that a zombie was the first purchaser of an autographed copy of Happy Catholic at the HC store.

He was followed closely by two of my Protestant besties ... Scott, with whom I've argued over many a movie review, and Hey Jules, with whom I've pondered many a theological question.

Just seems right somehow.

Though I see the fellow mackerel-snappers are joining in now also. Which definitely is a good thing!

======

On another note, I am super-swamped today ... this may be the only post I can muster.

Sorry!

The HC Book Store is Ready to Serve You

Finally!

Step right up to get your autographed copies ... we're set up for domestic sales in the form and will be happy to handle international requests also (though those will take a little more hands-on work).

I made my first personal sale this evening. It's true, I'm shameless. None of Hannah's friends are safe when they come over to go running. Though to be fair, she does read the blog.

Rest In Peace: Diana Wynne Jones

Thank you to the various people who, knowing of my new-found passion for Diana Wynne Jones' books, wrote to let me know that she died this weekend.

Neil Gaiman wrote a splendid and moving tribute to this author, who was also his literary godmother.

As an author she was astonishing. The most astonishing thing was the ease with which she'd do things (which may be the kind of thing that impresses other writers more than it does the public, who take it for granted that all writer are magicians.But those of us who write for a living know how hard it is to do what she did). The honest, often prickly characters, the inspired, often unlikely plots, the jaw-dropping resolutions.

Indeed, yes.

I also liked reading his description of visiting her in the hospital the day before she died.

Read it all here: Being Alive. Mostly about Diana.

Just this weekend I was thinking about confession ...

... during my wrestling with keeping my thoughts on Mass, one of the wanderings my too-active brain did was a realization that Reconciliation (a.k.a. confession) is the only sacrament, other than the Eucharist, which can be repeated frequently in ordinary life and which we need no other prompting than to get ourselves to the confessional.

(Quick refresher here - the seven sacraments are: Baptism, Eucharist (communion), Reconciliation, Confirmation, Marriage, Holy Orders, Annointing of the Sick)

I don't know why this never dawned on me in quite that way, but it made it more special. It is so important, like the Eucharist, that God wanted us to be able to get it whenever we needed it. Often. Frequently.

But do we think of it that way? I do not. Which is, in itself, something I need to think about.

As if to underscore that realization, today I had a question pop up on an old post explaining Penance (yet, another term for Reconciliation and Confession). You just get yourselves over there to see what it was, but it made me look up the results of Confession. I gotta love that online Catechism.

1496 The spiritual effects of the sacrament of Penance are:

• reconciliation with God by which the penitent recovers grace;
• reconciliation with the Church;
• remission of the eternal punishment incurred by mortal sins;
• remission, at least in part, of temporal punishments resulting from sin;
• peace and serenity of conscience, and spiritual consolation;
• an increase of spiritual strength for the Christian battle.

It is Lent. Time for confession, penance, and reconciliation with God. What else do I need to think about?

Nothing really.

Saintly Sisters' Nun Dolls

I am pleased to announce that I have started my own Catholic Nun Doll business! Today on the feast of the Annunciation Saintly Sisters officially opened its doors! Saintly Sisters is a family owned and operated business. It's my sincerest hope that vocations will be inspired by these dolls. I love love thinking about the possible vocations that might come blossom from our dolls!

These are super-cute dolls. Go check out Saintly Sisters' grand opening!

The new Happy Catholic book's here!

Navin R. Johnson: The new phone book's here! The new phone book's here!

Harry Hartounian: Boy, I wish I could get that excited about nothing.

Navin R. Johnson: Nothing? Are you kidding? Page 73 - Johnson, Navin R.! I'm somebody now! Millions of people look at this book everyday! This is the kind of spontaneous publicity - your name in print - that makes people. I'm in print! Things are going to start happening to me now.

The Jerk

I have in my hands the actual printed book! Not too shabby! And this'll tell you what a layout geek I am ... I actually really like the spine.

Yes. The spine. You'll just have to get your own to see what I mean.

Sadly, I've already found a couple of things that need fixing. Isn't that always the way? The first things you turn to are the shockers that stop your heart.

I am going to look at these as the touches that tell us that real human beings worked on these, just as in Gutenberg's day. Yeah. That's my story and I'm sticking with it! Although they will be fixed in the ebook editions so anyone buying those will be just that little bit closer to perfection!

(I haven't been in advertising for so long without learning how to tap that dance in both directions, y'all. The crazy thing? I mean it! Both ways!)

Ok, I'm getting the store set up. Cross my heart. As soon as I can get Tom off the phone.

Did you read ...?

This makes me think of being on SFFaudio. There's no way I can ever keep up with those guys' encyclopedic science fiction reading. Thanks to Tante Leonie for this.

In which Abraham and Isaac go to the mountaintop and Abraham buys at top dollar.

That's right! We're heading with Abraham into the event that everyone knows him for, whether they've ever read the Bible or not. Hear it all, plus the podcast highlight, at Forgotten Classics.

Reviewing Gilgamesh The King by Robert Silverberg

The Epic of Gilgamesh is one of the earliest known works of literature, being from around 2200 B.C. It tells of Gilgamesh the king of Uruk (a city-state in Sumer) who is half human and half god.

[...]

After a story has been around as long as the Epic of Gilgamesh, it is not surprising that there are several versions which have been recovered on ancient clay tablets. What is surprising is that Gilgamesh’s story is alive and well in different versions in modern culture, ranging from music to television to video games. That makes it more understandable that Robert Silverberg, that prolific master of science fiction, brought his talents to bear on retelling the tale in 1984. One wonders how earlier authors missed taking advantage of a story with such fantastic elements: a demi-god, slayer of monsters and master warrior, searching for the key to immortality.

Read it all at SFFaudio.

Mail Bag: Three Interesting Things

NY Lenten Video Scholarship Contest with a $25,000 Prize

In an effort to help promote New York’s All Day Confessions event, happening Monday April 18th, The Diocese of Brooklyn in conjunction with both the Archdiocese of New York and Diocese of Rockville Centre are launching a grassroots digital campaign called i-Confess. Using both social and digital media, the goal of this campaign is to generate interest in the act of Confession throughout New York State.

As part of the i-Confess campaign and beginning March 8th local New York area students will have the opportunity to create and submit short (up to 1 minute in length) YouTube stylized videos for a chance to win the top prize of $25,000 towards an educational scholarship and the school will receive an additional $25,000. A second place prize of $10,000 and the school will receive an additional $10,000, multiple third place prizes of $1,000 each will be awarded. The winning video may also be featured in the official All Day Confessions campaign TV commercial airing throughout NY.

Find out more here. Thanks to The Anchoress for the heads up on this.

Shower Curtains to Sing About

Find them here. Via Rose, whose selection you see above.


The History of Science Fiction

 I especially like the way that pulp magazines have an artery leading to Astounding Magazine that leads to L. Ron Hubbard, with a vein going to Scientology. That gives you the flavor. I printed it out to peruse at leisure. This is a low res image just to give you a feel for it. Go to slashfilm to see the high res image. Also via Rose.

B-16's History Lessons: Reviewing "The Fathers, Volume II"

In this treatise on the combat between the vices and the virtues, [Ambrose] Aupert sets contemptus mundi (contempt for the world) against cupiditas (greed), which becomes an important figure in the spirituality of monks. This contempt for the world is not a contempt for Creation, for the beauty and goodness of Creation and of the Creator, but a contempt for the false vision of the world that is presented to us and suggested us us precisely by covetousness. It insinuates that "having" is the supreme value of our being, of our life in the world, and seems important.

It is often lamented that Pope Benedict XVI writes on a very high level. What is overlooked are his homilies, which he gives a great number of every year.

Homilies of necessity must be fairly easy to follow as they are delivered to the widely varying crowds of the congregation for Mass. Luckily for us, Pope Benedict likes to take a theme and follow it to a logical end, which may cover the course of a year. In this case, he followed the theme of the Fathers of the Church, which is a long one indeed. Equally luckily for us Our Sunday Visitor has published the pope's homilies gathered into books which makes them handy for contemplative reading or simply for learning more about the fathers' lives and times.

I was eagerly anticipating this book, having really been inspired after having read the first Fathers volume as well as his homilies about the apostles. I was not disappointed and, if anything, found this even more valuable as it covered many people who I hadn't heard of before. Although factual information is naturally important, the books really shines when Pope Benedict uses their lives to show how God worked through them and then deftly brings us face-to-face with our own similar need for God today.

... I think that Rabanus Maurus is also addressing these words to us today: in periods of work, with its frenetic pace, and in holiday periods we must reserve moments for God. We must open our lives to him, addressing to him a thought, a reflection, a brief prayer, and above all we must not forget Sunday as the Lord's Day, the day of the Liturgy, in order to perceive God's beauty itself in the beauty of our churches, in our sacred music and in the word of God, letting him enter our being. Only in this way does our life become great, become true life.

We might think that the Fathers of the Church are too difficult to understand or to relate to, that they don't have anything to teach us. Pope Benedict shows us that nothing could be further from the truth.

This is a long over-due review for The Catholic Company who provided this book. My thanks to Chris Cash for his patience!

You can find all active reviews of this book here.

A great piece of advice for those who wish to achieve dominance over their dog.

"Ignoring attention-seeking behaviors is the highest form of dominance." (Now stop yelling at the dog when he barks at the mailman.)

From a review that I was reading to see if I wanted to accept a review copy of this book. Everyone at our house can agree on this truth. Ignoring our dogs except when we call them to us has really made a huge difference.

The only greater truth is that growling at the dog will stop that behavior (thank you again, Bark Busters). Of course, we praise the dog as soon as they stop, which is usually instantaneous. It's the language they understand. Truly miraculous.