Well Said: The Land That Is Us

From my quote journal, via The Spirit of Food. It seems appropriate since Thanksgiving is coming and that's largely about the feast. And about thankfulness, of course, which is about a proper sense of perspective.

When asked what we do for a living I always hesitate; there's no grand title and I can read their eyes. Farming requires no specialized degree, no impressive wages for menial labor, the primitive work of any civilization. We're farmers. We just grow food. We just raise pigs. It doesn't get more rudimentary.

The children read it aloud once from their history text, how the most denigrated class of people in ancient Egypt was the swine herders. They'd looked at each other, at their dad and me, we pig farmers.

I had held the book in my hand, smoothed the page out flat, and the words had come slowly, like bent backs rising, but they had come and we all stood taller because of them. How can growing nourishment for temples where Christ dwells be dirty base work? If it isn't fish at the end of a fork, it ultimately came from dirt, from the bowed back of a farmer. And this dirt tilling, isn't it engaging in Genesis work, stewarding and cultivating his creation? Some say there are only two kinds of people who brush very God. The priest in the sacraments. The farmer in the soil. We've known it, standing at the end of a field, the wagons filling with yield: working earth touches God. Working humus feeds humanity. We are dust farming dust, preparing food for men planting food, living this circular dance: from dirt, through dirt, until the return to the dirt; for from him and through him and to him, all things. Need we be ashamed?

The children had all nodded.

Ann Voskamp, The Land That Is Us

These Beautiful Bones review

I laid the book out, read it partially while doing so, and have been pushing it on people. Have I read it through myself? Not yet ... I will, I will but this is my busy time of year.

BUT Sarah Reinhard read it ... here's her review of These Beautiful Bones, a book that opens up Theology of the Body to everyone.

To think I complained because Pope Francis never wrote anything.

And I know I'm not the only one.

His 288-page exhortation feels like an "Oh yeah? Take that!" ... in a good way! Looking forward to reading this!

(UPDATE: ok, I swear I saw a huge page number on this thing, but the pdf is 83 pages ... thank goodness. Which is still pretty good "in your face" numbers for the non-writing complaints. I stand corrected, Your Holiness.)

Well Said: Preaching Purity Instead of Abstinence

From my quote journal.

We err when we preach abstinence to lads and lasses, rather than purity, the full-blooded virtue that honors the beauty of the body by preserving its cleanliness, its youth, for the marriage and the children to which its sexuality is ordained, if God so wills. No one can sing an anthem to a negative: it is like the glory of a flower. It radiates youth and health and a wise innocence; while impurity is old and enfeebled and "knowing" and ignorant.

Anthony Esolen in Magnificat magazine

Sweet Potato Casserole With Pecan Crumble

My latest favorite in the sweet potato category for Thanksgiving. Get it at Meanwhile, Back in the Kitchen.

Notes on Mark: True Ambition

MARK 9:32-35
I never stopped to analyze why the disciples fell silent when Jesus asked what they had been arguing about ... I didn't have to. I always knew it was because they were ashamed without thinking about it. As any of us would feel when caught in such a moment. It takes looking at things through Jesus' eyes sometimes to see things clearly.

When he asked them what they had been arguing about they had nothing to say. It was the silence of shame. They had no defense. It is strange how a thing takes its proper place and acquires its true character when it is set in the eyes of Jesus. So long as they thought that Jesus was not listening and that Jesus had not seen, the argument about who should be greatest seemed fair enough, but when that argument had to be stated in the presence of Jesus it was seen in all its unworthiness...

Jesus took this very seriously. It says that he sat down and called the Twelve to him. When a Rabbi was teaching as a Rabbi, as a master teaches his scholars and disciples, when he was really making a pronouncement, he sat to teach. Jesus deliberately took up the position of a Rabbi teaching his pupils before he spoke. And then he told them that if they sought for greatness in his Kingdom they must find it, not by being first but by being last, not by being masters but by being servants of all. It was not that Jesus abolished ambition. Rather he recreated and sublimated ambition. For the ambition to rule, he substituted the ambition to serve. For the ambition to have things done for us he substituted the ambition to do things for others.

The Gospel of Mark
(The Daily Bible Series, rev. ed.)

No Forwarding Address

The latest offering in our tall tales told in taverns series at Forgotten Classics podcast. Come hear it!

Notes on Mark: Foreshadowing the Resurrection

MARK 9:14-29
Do I see this foreshadowing when I'm reading the Gospels? No. Good thing there is this sort of commentary to point it out to me.

Mark's account also included an echo of the resurrection. The boy, after Jesus delivered him, appeared "like a corpse" (Mark 9:26). Jesus "took him by the hand and lifted him up" (Mark 9:27). In the original Greek language, Mark's terminology foreshadowed Jesus' resurrection and hinted at another aspect of discipleship: Christians may sometimes feel powerless and lifeless, but beginning even now, Jesus delivers us and raises us to new life.

Mark: A Devotional Commentary
(The Word Among Us)

Worth a Thousand Words: Greylag Goose

Greylag Goose
taken by the incomparable Remo Savisaar

It almost looks like a motion study, doesn't it? Or an anatomy lesson? All conveyed in the simple beauty of these birds flying. Simply fantastic.

For the New Liturgical Year: Reading God's Word - Year A

The new liturgical year is coming up. When I realized that, I made a purchase for my Kindle that has become routine in the last couple of years ... Reading God's Word: Daily Mass Readings. In this case it will be for Year A.

It's inexpensive - $10.

It's incredibly useful. I wouldn't have believed how much I'd refer to it, whether simply in my own daily reading or for various other projects.

It's one of the books that "lives" on my Kindle. And I don't have a lot of those, usually preferring a book in the hand to one in the Kindle. (ha! yes, feel free to use that if you want). The formatting is well done and it's easy to navigate.

It's offered in print, Kindle, Nook, and iBookstore formats at the publisher's website. I just pick it up from Amazon myself.

Highly recommended.

The Thorny Grace of It by Brian Doyle

I think about the motley chaotic confusing house that is Catholicism. I think about the mad wondrous prayer of the Mass. I thing about how htere are such stunning and wonderful and confusing people in the clan of Catholic. I think about how we are all several kinds of people at once and hardly know ourselves let alone anybody else. I think about how possible the Church is, and how possible we are. I think about how really the Church is lots and lots of us mulish miracles gathered for little holy meals and story-swaps. I think about how religions are like people, capable of both extraordinary evil and unimaginable grace. I think about how the Church is sort of like the windows above me which catch these timbers of sun and focus them on the human comedy. I think about how I'd be a lot less of a man if I didn't have ways ot wake up to what I can be if I harness mercy and humor and grace and wisdom and attention and prayer and humility and courage and grace.

Which is what all true stories are about. Which is what we are, really, at our best--true stories. And true stories, stories with love and power in them, can save your life and save your soul and bring you, if even for only a flickering instant, face-to-face with the unimaginable creative force that once, a very long time ago, explained itself to Moses as, simply and confusingly, I Am. That force is in you, in every moment, in every story; which you know and I know, and which we hardly ever admit, which we should, so I do, amen.

(the clan of catholic)

Read it once. 

This is the essence and theme and a large portion of the style of The Thorny Grace of It by Brian Doyle.

In face, it is so truly the essence of it that I can't describe it better.

Read it a second time, perhaps aloud.

So I will just say that I liked this book very much. Some of the essays are written in a more standard form.

The third person to bless my rosary was a small girl in sage country. She is six years old. Whatever it is that we call the creative force that made us all and can be seen most unadorned in children beams out of this kid with the force of a thousand suns. She put my rosary on top of her head and held it there with her right hand as she put her left hand on my face and said I hope these beads will always have holy in them for when Mister Brian needs it, which is a very good blessing it seems to me.

(ten blessings)

Some are stream of consciousness.

At least look her in the eye and be gentle. Christ liveth in her, remember? ... Also in the grumpy imam, and in the surly teenager, and in the raving man under the clock at Flinders Street Station, and in the foulmouthed man at the footy, and in the cousin you detest with a deep and abiding detestation and have detested since you were tiny mammals fresh from the wombs of your mothers. When he calls to ask you airily to help him lug that awful vulgar elephantine couch to yet another of his shabby flats, do not roar and use vulgar and vituperative language, even though you have excellent cause to do so and who could blame you? But Christ liveth in him. Speak hard words into your closet and cast them thus into oblivion. Help him with the couch, for the ninth blessed time ...

(how to be good)

Some, like the example we began with way back at the top of this piece, are in-between.

In a way, they were like reading Ray Bradbury who reveled in words, flicked words against each other to talk to us in a new way, drowned in the poetry of them. If Bradbury had written about faith he'd have made me smile, nod, see myself. These hit me that way.

I will say that Doyle is from Portland, Oregon, which tends to imbue its inhabitants with a somewhat different viewpoint than those from my part of the country (Texas by way of the Midwest). The things that divide us are those that he lets roll off his tongue as matter-of-fact. However, those pointers tend to be lightly passed over to get to more important, personal ground. That makes it easy to ignore comments which would usually make me roll my eyes if they were emphasized more. And there are not very many of them. I appreciated that because the overall effect of the essays was to make me think more like the excerpt that started us off on the review.

This book is by a Catholic for imperfect Catholics. Doyle's light hand with divisive elements makes me think wonder if it wouldn't be a good one for Christians of any stripe. These essays make me think of how Pope Francis has so many enthusiastic supporters from outside Catholicism, spreading even into atheist ranks. They draw on the common things we all know about being human from the very good, to the striving, to the times that we fall and must haul ourselves up for another try.

Read it a third time.

Get the book. Keep it by your bed. Pick it up. Read it. Let the words roll over you. And be glad.

NOTE:
The review copy was provided by the Patheos Book Club. Publishers pay for Patheos to feature their books.My review is my own based solely on the book's merits.

The Basics ... in Prayer Together

I am swamped. It is my usual catalog season. And I have to be out of the office some for various other reasons. We're also short a person who is at the hospital with his family right now ... and that is what prompted me to stop and post these prayer requests.

Prayer Request #1
Our coworker's father had a bit of neck pain for a few weeks. When he went to the doctor they found that slow-growing kidney cancer had somehow lodged a tumor in his neck that had actually consumed one of the vertebrae.

Naturally this is devastating to the family and the poor father is undergoing numerous procedures and partial surgeries just to properly evaluate the situation.

The family is gratefully accepting offers of prayer. Please lift them up in your prayers that they will come through this dark time closer to God and with healing for body and soul.

Prayer Request #2
I can't say this better than Deacon Greg (and who can really ever say things better than Deacon Greg?).

Today stand up for someone who can't. 

That would be Thomas Peters.

As you probably know, he’s facing a long road back from the debilitating accident that crippled him this summer.

He’s written about it himself with pathos and poignancy—and a beautiful clarity. 

Now, his friends are rallying to help.

Pray. Donate. Spread the word. Visit this website to learn how.  

But if you do nothing else, please just whisper a prayer of trust and hope.

Sichuan-Style Orange Beef with Sugar Snap Peas

Super duper easy and super duper delicious ... find out more at Meanwhile, Back in the Kitchen.

Worth a Thousand Words: Long-Tailed Tit

Long-Tailed Tit
taken by the brilliant Remo Savisaar

I simply cannot emphasize enough how talented Remo Savisaar is at nature photography. Please click through to see the photo in larger detail and to peruse his other outstanding photos.

A Land Without Sin by Paula Huston

A Land Without Sin by Paula Huston

My rating: 4-1/2 of 5 stars

"Jan," I asked casually, "is this one of the glyphs that has been translated?"

He paused over the tripod, as though considering whether or not this information might ruin me as an accomplice, then said, "It has."

"What does it mean?"

He paused again, this time looking at Rikki, who was clearly dying for me to know, then gave an exasperated sigh. "It has several meanings. It is a very common glyph--you find it almost everywhere, including in some month names, some god names, and in a lot of the iconography. Nothing mysterious."

I waited.

"The most common meaning seems to be k'in, which refers to the sun," he added reluctantly. "Also, time in general. And k'in is the name for day. So you can see this is a very mundane sort of glyph, really."

Which is why, I thought, we just army-crawled thirty yards to get to this chamber. Which is why we are hiking around in the middle of the jungle at night and poor Rikki is probably going to die of pneumonia.

It's 1993 in Central America. Eva is a top war photographer who has taken an unusual assignment, aiding a taciturn Dutch Mayanist in his research in the great pyramids of Tikal. That's because her brother, an idealistic priest, has disappeared and no one seems interested in finding him. Undaunted and feeling qualified to explore rough areas because of her war-time experience, Eva uses this job as cover to search for her brother.

She is unwillingly sucked into her employer's family life as she works with his likable son and meets his wife. This just adds to the list of mysteries she can't solve as their relationships seem too complex for a normal family. Meanwhile, as Eva reads an old stack of her brother's letters, we learn of her own mysterious background, much of which she is only coming to terms with as her journey continues.

A lot of this book is infused with questions and conversation about faith. As Eva encounters revolutionaries and ordinary folk, the information she has picked up from her brother's own spiritual growth suddenly begins to be applicable to a lot of different situations in very interesting ways. All this is done without hitting the reader over the head with a religious hammer, which I appreciated.

I myself really enjoyed this book and finished it several months ago but I have not reviewed it until now because I wasn't sure how to describe it. The fascinating blend of treasure hunt and South American revolution made me read the story quickly, but I never felt worried about Eva's safety. In fact the book left me feeling almost detached from any emotional reaction to the storyline.

Perhaps the best comparison I can come up is to Silence by Shūsaku Endō. That is a book about danger, adventure, faith, and religion which is written in what an English teacher pal of mine described as "classical" ... meaning that they keep you detached from visceral reactions to physical events. I appreciated that very much when reading Silence.

There are some wonderful moments in the book that resonated with my own Catholic journey closer to God. Most of them were contained in Eva's brother's letters. Here's a sample:

It was Fr. Anthony, back in Chicago, who wrote to me that I should read the nouvelle theologians ... for the first time, things began to light up for me. I don't mean intellectually, though that too, but spiritually. If the entire cosmos is an outward and visible sign of God's love, then evil, no matter how destructive, does not win out in the end. It can't.

For the first time, I started to feel genuine joy in being alive. How could you not when everything around you, every rock and tree and human being, is in some way participating in a heavenly reality? Everything thrumming with the echoes of its own original name the name by which God spoke it into existence? The mystery of the world had always frightened me, but now I began to see this mystery as marvelously beautiful, even more beautiful than the loveliness of the created realm. I understood that the mystery of the world was connected to the invisible reality of which it was a sign ...

Huston's book is very much her own creation and I would be interested to see what she does fiction-wise in the future. I want to read A Land Without Sin again sometime now that I have the storyline in mind so that I can take in the spiritual elements enfolded throughout. I highly recommend it for an interesting story with lots of food for thought.

A note on the book itself: I loved the texture of the cover and highly approved of both the silver foil stamping on the cloth cover and the high quality of the paper inside. (Those who know me, know I do not give these accolades lightly.) I think this is a new publisher or imprint and they did a great job on the book itself.

A Must-See For Music Lovers: Muscle Shoals - the Movie

You may not have heard of Muscle Shoals, Alabama. I hadn't.

But you probably know the Muscle Shoals sound by heart. I do.

• Brown Sugar - The Rolling Stones
• When a Man Loves a Woman - Percy Sledge
• I Never Loved A Man the Way That I Loved You - Aretha Franklin
• Mustang Sally - Wilson Pickett
• Tell Mama - Etta James
• Kodachrome - Paul Simon
• Freebird - Lynyrd Skynyrd
• Main Street - Bob Seger
• Sitting in Limbo - Jimmy Cliff

As wildly varying as those songs may seem, they all are permeated by one indefinable element, known to musicians as Muscle Shoals sound. This is nothing as easily identifiable as the Motown sound, although "funky" is the commonest descriptor. It joyously infuses this documentary, making you want to sing along or, at the very least, dance in your seat. By the end of this film, you'll know what they mean by it.

On the surface, this is the story of how record producer Rick Hall's tiny recording studio produced some of the biggest songs of our times. Star-studded interviews tell both the recording studio's history and that of the musicians themselves who often were sent to Muscle Shoals to find their true artistic voices. However, this film is much deeper than that, with several strands of story that weave through the music to make this a surprisingly layered, deep tale.

It is the story of a man whose life mirrors the blues, of unlikely studio musicians who helped make stars and earned The Swampers as a name, of shattered stereotypes for both black and white performers, of rejection, and of redemption. It is a mirror of America during some of our most soul-wrenching times. This is always done without ever letting us forget the importance of place, of what it meant to grow up and live in that little country town in Alabama.

Beautifully photographed and touchingly told, Muscle Shoals is one of the richest and most satisfying documentaries I've ever seen. The final revelation was finding that the director had never made a film before and was inspired to begin during a vacation to Muscle Shoals. Truly, this little town just turns out one wonderful surprise after another.

And now I finally understand both the words and the significance of these lines from Sweet Home Alabama.

Now Muscle Shoals has got the Swampers
And they've been known to pick a song or two
Lord they get me off so much
They pick me up when I'm feeling blue
Now how about you?

Muscle Shoals will do the same for you. See the movie.

The movie is available at a few theaters around the country but can be streamed in a lot of ways (iTunes, Amazon, YouTube, etc.). Check their site for more: Muscle Shoals: The Movie.

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Note: there is an official soundtrack for sale but it is a small percentage of the songs that flow through this movie. We're going to figure out the song list and add on to compile our own complete soundtrack.

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Prayers and Help for the Philippines

We are all praying for the survivors of the devastation left by Typhoon Haiyan in the Phllippines.

They also need all the help we can give them in a more tangible way.

There are a lot of relief services out there. I tend to bounce between The Salvation Army and Catholic Relief Services. Two excellent choices, whichever you may favor.

Raising Demons by Shirley Jackson

Raising Demons by Shirley Jackson

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I needed something light (and also light weight) for bedtime since I'm at Mount Doom in The Lord of the Rings and not only is the journey stressful, but the book might crush me if I fell asleep reading it.

I was perusing my shelves and came across this old favorite which was just what I needed. Written with all of Jackson's usual skill, it is a complete opposite to her better known horror works (The Lottery, The Haunting of Hill House). This book about life with her family may call to mind something like Please Don't Eat the Daisies or Erma Bombeck, but please believe me when I say it is something out of the ordinary. (You may hear some samples at Forgotten Classics if you are interested.)

Only she can combine a seemingly mundane occurrences in ways that continually make me laugh out loud, though I've read the books many times before. In fact, she can do more with what is unsaid ... or half-said ... than any author I can think of.

By the Saturday before Labor Day a decided atmosphere of cool restraint had taken over our house, because on Thursday my husband had received a letter from an old school friend of his named Sylvia, saying that she and another girl were driving through New England on a vacation and would just adore stopping by for the weekend to renew old friendships. My husband gave me the letter to read, and I held it very carefully by the edges and said that it was positively touching, the way he kept up with his old friends, and did Sylvia always use pale lavender paper with this kind of rosy ink and what was that I smelled - perfume? My husband said Sylvia was a grand girl. I said I was sure of it. My husband said Sylvia had always been one of the nicest people he knew. I said I hadn't a doubt. My husband said that he was positive that I was going to love Sylvia on sight. I opened my mouth to speak but stopped myself in time.

My husband laughed self-consciously. "I remember," he said, and then his voice trailed off and he laughed again.

"Yes?" I asked politely.

"Nothing," he said.

Any description I give really doesn't do the book justice so please just give it a try.

Her previous book about her family, Life Among the Savages, is just as good. In fact, the book titles alone give you an idea of the humor contained therein.

Worth a Thousand Words: Great Battle in Heaven

Great Battle in Heaven
by Daniel Mitsui

Check Daniel's website for more wonderful art, all of which is available for purchase, and for more information about this fine piece which I simply love.

Just a bit of the insight he gives:

The composition of this drawing I based on an occidental work of art: the 11th picture in Albrecht Dürer's famous series of 15 woodcuts illustrating the Apocalypse, first published in 1498.

The arrangement of the angels closely matches that in Dürer's print, but the figures have been reinterpreted as Japanese warriors. Their appearance is based on prints by Utagawa Kuniyoshi, especially a series showing heroes in battle with monstrous animals.

Also, on a personal note, Daniel asks for prayers for the health of his tiny daughter, Alma Hildegard, who was born more than three months prematurely. (Read more here.)

Notes on Mark: Transfiguration and Jesus

MARK 9:2-8
The transfiguration's significance for Jesus has always seemed to be that he was getting the go ahead for his decision. But there also is significance for us in that Jesus still checked with God every step of the way to make sure he was doing God's will. If Jesus was doing that, then how much more should we?

It [the transfiguration] did something very precious for Jesus. Jesus had to take his own decisions. He had taken the decision to go to Jerusalem and that was the decision to face and accept the Cross. Obviously he had to be absolutely sure that was right before he could go on. On the mountain top he received a double approval of his decision.

(a) Moses and Elijah met with him. Now Moses was the supreme law-giver of Israel. To him the nation owed the laws of God. Elijah was the first and greatest of the prophets. Always men looked back to him as the prophet who brought to men the very voice of God. When these two great figures met with Jesus it meant that the greatest of the law-givers and the greatest of the prophets said to him, "Go on!" ...

(b) God spoke with Jesus. As always, Jesus did not consult his own wishes. He went to God and said, "What wilt thou have me to do?" He put all his plans and intentions before God. And God said to him, "You are acting as my own beloved Son should act and must act. Go on!"

The Gospel of Mark
(The Daily Bible Series, rev. ed.)

Mr. McFadden's Hallowe'en by Rumer Godden

Mr. Mc Fadden's Hallowe'en by Rumer Godden

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

"Mr. McFadden, would you give us each a turnip?"

"What on airth would ye be da'en wi' a neep?"

"I think you know," said Selina. "You know it's Hallowe'en."

"Hallowe'en," echoed Tim. His eyes were bright as he thought of it.

"Never heard of it," said Mr. McFadden.

"You have," Selina was unperturbed. "There's no one in Scotland who hasn't and you know what we do with the turnips." Tim could not be expected to know. "Because he hasn't been here," said Selina. "We hollow them out," she told Tim. "Hollow and scoop them out--that's hard work; then we cut holes for eyes and a mouth, little ones for nostrils if we can. Some people give them paper teeth and red rag tongue. On Hallowe'en night we put a lit candle in them or a night light and carry them as a lantern or put them on gateposts. They look horrible," said Selina with a shudder of pleasure, and she told Mr. McFadden. "I'm sure you did that when you were a boy."

"Certainly not. Neeps were for eating not nonsense."

"It isn't nonsense; they frighten witches and ghosts away."

"And spunkies," said Tim. "Didn't you dress up like Selina says," he asked Mr. McFadden, "dress up as a witch or a ghost or a cat, something frightening? Selina says when it's dark we'll go round to people's houses and they have to let you in--even me," said Tim. "Then we sing a song or ask a riddle. Selina's going to teach me one day and I'll get nuts and tablet," Tim said that reverently.

Tablet is homemade fudge.

I have to thank Melanie Bettinelli at The Wine Dark Sea for bringing this book to my attention. Hers is one of the very few "mom blogs" I read because she consistently brings books and literature into her posts, always with intelligent and interesting commentary. Her commentary on this story is mingled with observations of her oldest daughter's reactions and reflections on children's literature. Be sure you check it out.

Like Melanie, I also love Rumer Godden's children's books just as much as her novels for adults. Godden has a knack for incorporating local culture, awkward and unappreciated people, and interesting plot with a lovely prose style. She is unafraid to have her characters behave naturally which means that a story's crisis points will often leave readers feeling very uncomfortable because they recognize the behavior so well and dread the consequences thereof. Godden also is good at avoiding the "nice" sentimentality which can pervade children's books. Her world is always very real.

The plot, briefly, is that Selina lives in a small Scottish village where Hallowe'en is celebrated the old way, which leads to some fascinating details. She is awkward and so is her pony, Haggis, who she chose precisely because she recognized their similarities. It is Haggis who always drags her during daily rides to stand in the middle of local curmudgeon Mr. McFadden's turnip field. The story takes off from there.

Adults won't be as surprised by a lot of the plot turns in this books because they have seen it before, naturally, but I admit to surprise and worry over the Hallowe'en trick that is played on Selina.

The animals in this book become characters we also care about. Lady the dog, Wully the fierce gander and his wives, and Haggis the pony all have their own contributions to the plot as we learn their ways and understand what their reactions mean when they occur. Just as in real life.

I haven't made this story sound nearly as fascinating as it is so please just believe me and give it a try. I picked it up from the library last night, intending to give it a brief look over. I wound up getting sucked in and reading the whole thing.

I'm going to have to add this to my used store book list so that I can have a copy to go on the shelf next to The Diddakoi and The Kitchen Madonna. As it is, my local library branch is going to wonder what's going on when they receive the big stack of children's books by Rumer Godden that I requested last night. Who knew she wrote so many? And I want to read them all.

It's All Downhill from Here: Sponsorship

From one of my favorite cartoonists, Doug Savage.

I always like any advertising oriented humor and if it has aliens, so much the better!

Well Said: Deep enough for a lamb to wade in ...

From my quote journal.

Scripture is like a river again, broad and deep, shallow enough here for the lamb to go wading, but deep enough there for the elephant to swim.

St. Gregory the Great, Commentary on the Book of Blessed Job

Need Good Podcast Listening Ideas?

Here's your answer ... SFFaudio's podcast about podcasts.

Jesse, Tamahome, Seth, and Jimmy Rogers and I talk about podcasts. So many good listening ideas that I actually listened to the podcast, even though I was there when it was recorded!

Also, be sure to check out Jimmy's link because his blog isn't just a place to host his podcast. He has a lot of interesting posts pointing to good speculative fiction.

It was great fun and I was relieved that my listening showed I didn't interrupt people nearly as often as I thought I did.

Ahem.

Nearly.

Some day, it's gonna be no interrupting. We've all gotta reach for that star, right?

Most Frightening Thing About Listening to Welcome to Nightvale #34 ...

... is listening to the "beautiful dream" and answering the phone at work, only to hear an automated computer talking to you on the phone.

*silent scream*

Of course, this only makes sense to other Nightvale listeners. And that's ok.

Notes on Mark: Transfiguration and the Disciples

MARK 9:2-8
Barclay* tells us two reasons Jesus would have had the disciples accompany him. I always got the "witness" concept but hadn't thought about the other reason he advances. It makes perfect sense.

(a) They had been shattered by Jesus' statement that he was going to Jerusalem to die. That seemed to them the complete negation of all that they understood of the Messiah. They were still bewildered and uncomprehending. Things were happening which not only baffled their minds but were also breaking their hearts. What they saw on the mountain of the transfiguration would give them something to hold on to, even when they could not understand. Cross or no Cross, they had heard God's voice acknowledge Jesus as his Son.

(b) It made them in a special sense witnesses of the glory of Christ. A witness has been defined as a man who first sees and then shows. This time on the mountain had shown them the glory of Christ, and now they had the story of this glory to hid in their hearts and to tell to men, not at the moment, but when the time came.

The Gospel of Mark
(The Daily Bible Series, rev. ed.)

* (Do keep in mind that I like Barclay's insight into language and bygone customs, but his theology can be a bit wacky. That's not to say that I often don't find him inspiring. He can be. But just know that he should be read with caution.)

The Commemoration of All Souls

Reposted from last year with a few updates to my list.

The Day of the Dead, William-Adolphe Bouguereau (1825-1905)

Today we dedicate our prayers in suffrage for the souls in purgatory, still being purified of the remains of sin. Our ties with deceased relatives and friends do not end with their death. Priests can celebrate Mass three times on this day for their benefit, and all the faithful can gain special indulgences to expedite their entrance into heaven.

In Conversation with God, Vol. 7

I think today of my beloved dead. I love them and I miss them. Certainly, I pray for them to be happy and joyful in Heaven.

• GG
• Raymond
• Thelma
• Grandmama
• Deedah
• Tom's father
• Tom's mother
• Ivar
• Dorsey
• Dorsey's mother
• Carole
• Heath
• Phyllis
• Jeanmarie, Sydney, Matthew

Here is a litany for the souls in Purgatory.

You can read more about All Souls' Day here. For those with any questions about Purgatory I posted this extremely basic explanation a while back.

Catholic Culture explains indulgences and practices that Catholics can do during the month of November for the Poor Souls in Purgatory. Also be sure to swing by Recta Ratio, who's really got soul ... check out his place. In the past he has examined such fascinating topics as Catholic death customs, especially medieval ones. I hope he reruns it for us this year as well.

Worth a Thousand Words: Italian Vacation

Italian Vacation
by Belinda Del Pesco,
a longtime favorite of us here at Happy Catholic

17th century Salem village, Puritans, witch-meetings and pink ribbons.

 What else could it be but Young Goodman Brown by Nathaniel Hawthorne ... at Forgotten Classics.

A Year With the Saints by Paul Thigpen

All Saints' Day is this week with All Souls' Day right behind it. Soon we'll be at the beginning of a new liturgical year. What better time to settle in with a bit of spiritual guidance from the saints?

Yep, that's what I thought too. So it is my great pleasure to tell you about this new book.

Paul Thigpen is a favorite author of mine from way back in the days when his books in The Saints Speak Today series were my favorites (St. Thomas More and St. Augustine). In fact, I still grab copies of those to give to new converts since they were key to my own experience.

All of which is beside the point, I guess, except to help explain that I've been eagerly awaiting this book ever since I first saw it mentioned.

Like the other books in Tan Book's "A Year With ..." series, it has 365 one-page meditations. As is obvious from the name, it takes you through a year with the saints as your spiritual guides.

Each reading begins with a brief summary from Thigpen to orient the reader to the subject. Then an excerpt from a saint's writings brings a topic to light. This is followed by a question or two which help readers relate fully to what was just read. A brief prayer ends the session. In case you want to know a bit more about a particular saint, there is a brief biography of each in the back of the book.

Tan Books has done this book proud, as with all those in the series. Even if you prefer e-books, this is one you want to hold in your hands, just trust me on this. The cover may not be actual leather but it certainly feels like it. Pages are gilt-edged and the ribbon marker is sturdy. Moreover, the book design is elegant and decorative in an understated but classic way. A Year with the Saints is not only useful but a book that could become an heirloom in your family. Readers will know that I do not give this praise lightly.

I've been reading an entry a day since I received the book, which means I'm up to the 7th or 8th one. So far I've been reminded of the marvel that Scripture achieves in having simple meanings and complex meanings in the same passages, perfect for whichever need you have. I've been reminded of the fact that the reason God can work miracles is because he made nature ... and so he has power over it.

And, I've been reminded that faith and reason go hand in hand. I'll be honest. I didn't need reminding of this particular concept, but I like the way St. Thomas More puts it so much that this is the one I'm going to share. For one thing, look at his commonplace examples of the handmaid and of eating. They get the point across perfectly and also make me laugh just thinking of them.

==========

Day 4

Faith and reason

Faith and reason should not be opposed, St. Thomas More reminds us; they should go hand in hand. The use of reason is necessary in matters of faith, but it must always be in service to faith.

Whoever would grasp what he must believe must use reason. Yet reason must not resist faith, but rather walk with her, waiting on her as her handmaid. And even though at times reason seems contrary to faith, yet in truth faith never gets along without her.

The handmaid who loses all restraint, or gets drunk, or grows too proud, will then chatter too much and argue with her mistress, and act sometimes as if she were insane. In the same way, reason--if it's allowed to run riot and lift up its heart in pride--won't fail to rebel against her mistress, faith. On the other hand, if she's brought up well, and guided well, and kept in good temper, she'll never disobey faith because she'll be in her right mind. So let your powers of reason be well trained, for surely faith never gets along without her.

The study of Scripture involves deciphering its meaning, considering what you read, pondering the purpose of various commentaries, and comparing various texts that seem contradictory, even when they aren't. Now in doing all this, I don't deny that the most important thing is to have grace and God's special help. But at the same time, in our Scripture study he uses our human reason as an instrument as well. After all: God also helps us to eat--but not without our mouth!

-St. Thomas More, A Dialogue Concerning Heresies,
I, 23; Letter to William Gonell

In God's Presence Consider...
Do I consider my reason a gift from God to be used in support of my faith? Do I make the best of my reasoning skills when interpreting Scripture by using helpful commentaries and other study resources?

Closing Prayer
Lord, let the reasoning powers you've given me always be employed in the lively service of the faith that's also your gift.

Friday is a Holy Day of Obligation

Friday is All Saints' Day, a holy day of obligation that is surprisingly old. The current date of November 1 was set by Pope Gregory III (who died in 741 AD).

Read all about All Saints' Day.

Read about Holy Days of Obligation.

I'll have a post on All Saints' Day but I wanted to give anyone interested a chance to read up ahead of time.

Why Are Catholic Churches Like That? Reviewing "The Church" by Cardinal Donald Wuerl and Mike Aqulina

The sacramental principle tells us that, since the Word became flesh, God has begun to heal and restore his creation. Spiritual light can now shine through the material world. On one level, bread and wine; on another, oil, candles, fabrics and paint, bricks, blocks, and filigree--all these can mediate God's presence in the world.

I honestly thought I already reviewed this book. When I saw it on my "to review" stack, I thought it was misstacked (I'm pretty sure that's a word ... or, like Shakespeare, I just invented it). Anyway, my apologies for not telling you about this one sooner. Now, let's get down to why I feel that way.

In every church, invisible realities shine through the visible ornaments. Something spiritual shines through all the material elements, inside and out. The ritual book for blessing a church offers a basic explanation of this symbolism: "The church is a visible building that stands as a special sign of the pilgrim Church on earth and reflects the Church dwelling in heaven."

One of the things I love most about the Catholic Church is her insistence that the material matters just as much as the spiritual. Like a pair of folded hands, you can't fully see reality as God intended it without both body and soul. The Catholic attitude to church buildings reflects that same reality. Symbolism is key to all of this because it helps us unlock all the places we can find God shining through into our lives.

God created our bodily senses to lead us to spiritual truth. Thus, Catholic churches engage the human body as God created it. Eyes delight in seeing the play of light through stained glass. When Christians gather for worship, the church is full of the sound of music and sometimes the aroma of incense. Fingers touch stone and wood and dip into holy water. A church well built is a feast for the senses, a festival of praise for the God who fashioned the human body.

Grace builds on nature, heals it, and elevates it. This is one of the fundamental notions in Catholic theology, and is also a key to understanding what one sees and hears and senses in a church.

Sometimes the symbolism is obvious but often the meaning has been lost over time or not passed on due to poor instruction in the faith. That's why we need this book.

The Church: Unlocking the Secrets to the Places Catholics Call Home does exactly what it says in the subtitle. It gives you a key to why there are all those statues, what's up with the kneelers, and why a crucifix holds place of pride at the front of the church. In short, Cardinal Wuerl and Mike Aquilina aim to demystify things so that the next time you go into a Catholic church you can recognize the reminders of God's grace that surround you.

This book will be just as important to Catholics as it is to non-Catholics. The example often told to show how Catholics don't understand their own faith well is that if you ask one why they cross themselves with holy water when entering the church, you rarely find someone who knows the answer. (It's a reminder of your baptism, just in case you're curious.) The Church has both pictures and words that help anchor those important facts in your heart.

This is a companion piece to an earlier book, The Mass. As with that book, I found The Church not only instructive but inspirational. Just to share one example, we are reminded of the scandalous nature of the cross in this book and it helps us understand a Protestant friend who is horrified by the crucifix in the front of our church. Not only that, we are reminded of just how much humiliation Jesus Christ took on for our sakes and how, as St. Paul said, "The cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." Ultimately, for my own part, I was reminded that just as Christ turned that humiliation into glory, so too His grace and redemption can turn my shortcomings and sins into something good, something greater than I could ever achieve on my own.

I can't recommend this book highly enough. It will open your physical eyes so that your soul can also see the glory that is all around you. You may, like me, find yourself seeing your surroundings in an entirely new way. I can't resist sharing this last bit.

Perhaps the earliest precursors of motion picture photographers were the builders of the great medieval cathedrals. They created images that were invisible to the surrounding world, yet spectacularly beautiful to worshippers inside the church. Catching sunlight, the bits of glass seem to coalesce and come alive, revealing the forms of standing saints in heavenly splendor.

The windows provide motion pictures really: the images change slightly as the earth slowly makes its rounds and clouds pass now and then before the sun.

This never occurred to me and I now look at stained glass windows in an entirely new way. Because, of course, what the building shows our eyes also reflects what is being done in our souls. But I'll let you read more about it for yourselves when you get the book.

Weekend Joke

We're pretty close to Halloween. I like this list from TrailerGhost.
 

How to Tell if Your Mobile Home is Haunted

1. A can of Skoal mysteriously floats through the air.
2. Blood drips out of your simulated wood paneling.
3. The eyes on the velvet Elvis painting move.
4. The room is spinning, and you’re not even drunk yet.
5. That car in your front yard isn’t on blocks -- it's levitating by itself.
6. Your dog, Bo, gets sucked into the TV set, and he's blocking your view of rasslin'.
7. That mysterious scratching below the floorboards? The Telltale Raccoon.
8. The chain the ghost rattles is attached to his wallet.
9. You feel an eerie presence every time "Freebird" plays on the radio.
10. The trailer is shaking, but there’s no tornado in sight.
11. Your Dale Earndhart bed sheets have eyeholes cut in them.
12. The ghost is completely invisible except for the tobacco juice running down his chin.
13. Mysterious footsteps seem to be stomping out “Achy Breaky Heart.”
14. There's a funny howlin' noise comin' from the corn crib--no wait that's Jimmy.
15. You hear strange moaning—but only during Shania Twain videos.
16. You're missing four PBR's, and the missus only drinks Old Milwaukee.
17. The lights turn on and off even though you paid the power bill.
18. You hear blood-curdling screams, but both neighbors are still in jail.
19. You get a mysterious phone call that says, "I know what you did last NASCAR race."
20. Instead of saying "boo" the ghost says "boo-ya'll!"
21. The veneer of window grime looks just like Calvin... and he's peeing on YOU!!
22. Instead of naked women, your playing cards, all of a sudden, have pictures of covered bridges on them.
23. The folks on Jenny Jones discuss domestic problems that eerily resemble your own.
24. You get a creepy feelin' and it ain't because Richard Simmons is on TV.
25. You come home one day and it's clean.

Wait. That Guy is in That Thing? Now I've Got to Watch It.

As I mentioned a couple of days ago, seeing that Karl Urban was going to be in Almost Human piqued my interest.

As an aside, I notice that there were several comments about Karl Urban's looks (ok, ok, including mine) ... but none about Andre Braugher's excellent acting which is what makes me doggedly watch whatever he's in, in the usually vain hope that it won't be cancelled after the first four episodes. Luckily Brooklyn Nine Nine seems good to go for a while.

Back on topic, this made me look for a list I had of actors who will make me take a second look at a show or movie I'd never have considered otherwise. Hey. I told you already ... I make lists. Lots of lists.

This particular list seems embarrassingly long, but I'm going to share it anyway. It seems rather eclectic now that I'm rereading it several months after I first made it. Some of these are just plain American. I mean, really, Will Smith and Robert Downey Jr. are on everyone's list, am I right?

In no particular order except how they popped out of my pen and onto the paper:

1. Sam Rockwell
2. Paul Bettany
3. Nathan Fillion
4. Andre Braugher
5. Steve Carrell
6. Guy Pearce
7. Jim Caviezel
8. Alan Rickman
9. Tyrone Power (yes, you read that right)
10. Boris Karloff (and yes, you read that right)
11. Toni Collette
12. Will Smith
13. Rachel Weitz
14. Bruce Willis
15. Victor Garber
16. Daniel Craig
17. Scott Glenn
18. Robert Downey Jr.
19. Sean Bean
20. Emma Stone
21. Jesse Eisenberg
22. Benedict Cumberbatch
23. David Tennant
24. Karl Urban

Obviously this is a work in progress based on the fact that Karl is last on the list. I only realize these things when I've got to fight off an urge to see The Fifth Estate despite (and strangely enough, because of) Benedict Cumberbatch's weird wig. And then the list gets another name.

Who's on your list?

Notes on Mark: Radiant Glory and the Cloud

MARK 9:2-8
I like the way Mark's description translates to my mind's eye. It is much different than I had pictured, which was more of a white, glowing process. Also, it is fascinating to see connect the overshadowing cloud with events from the Old Testament.

... Mark tells us that the garments of Jesus became radiant. The word he uses (stilbein) is the word used for the glistening gleam of burnished brass or gold or of polished steel or of the golden glare of the sunlight. When the incident came to an end a cloud overshadowed them.

In Jewish thought the presence of God is regularly connected with the cloud. It was in the cloud that Moses met God. It was in the cloud that God came to the Tabernacle. It was the cloud which filled the Temple when it was dedicated after Solomon had built it. And it was the dream of the Jews that when the Messiah came the cloud of God's presence would return to the Temple. (Exodus 16:10, 19:9, 1 Kings 8:10, 2 Maccabees 2:8.) The descent of the cloud is a way of saying that the Messiah had come, and any Jew would understand it like that.

The Gospel of Mark
(The Daily Bible Series, rev. ed.)

If You Will Not Ask The Right Questions - Why Bother to Ask At All?

Tom takes it to Black and Decker ... and most retailers who put surveys out there. Read his experience and, more interestingly, his analysis at the General Glyphics blog.

(OMG, Black and Decker ... your "factory service center" doesn't even have an answering machine? The phone just rings and rings? You've really given up, haven't you ...)

What I'm Reading: The Firm

In a conversation about movies recently, people were lauding The Firm which I'd never seen. (extreme shock and wonder at such a hole in my movie viewing, though I redeemed myself by expressing my love of Runaway Jury, also originally a John Grisham novel)

That was when I realized I'd never read a John Grisham novel.

"Why ever not?" I was asked. It just never occurred to me to pick one up. I guess I just don't move in the circles where people read or talk about Grisham novels.

Hard upon the heels of that conversation came a featured interview with Grisham in the Wall Street Journal's weekend book section. I don't know much about Grisham but I fell in love with his wife solely based on the comments she gives him on his books.

"What the heck," I thought. "Why not try one?" I'm a Scott Brick fan, so when I saw the library had the audio version that was what I requested.

And here I am, with one CD down and 13 to go. So far, so good. The hook is baited with lots and lots of money and Mitch McDeere is getting ready to bite on a deal that sounds way too good to be true. In fact, I'm positive it is too good to be true because otherwise it's going to be a very boring book.

I've got my seat belt on and am hoping for an entertaining ride.

Karl Urban on TV -- I'm There

I'd seen mentions of Almost Human, almost endless tv commercials actually during any football games on Fox.

"In a not-so-distant future, human cops and androids partner up to protect and serve." The ads didn't grab my interest. Although it did make me think that someone was updating Isaac Asimov's "Caves of Steel" about a robot-hating detective who was teamed up with (you guessed it) a human-looking robot to solve a murder.

Until Hannah pointed out the star is Karl Urban.

Wait. What?

Eomer from Lord of the Rings?

Doctor McCoy from Star Trek?

Those are the movies where I noticed that chameleon, that darned good looking chameleon I might add.

He's just one of those guys who will make me watch something because he's in it.

Much the same way that seeing Andre Braugher got me to watch Brooklyn Nine Nine, which much to my relief came out of the starting blocks as a solid and smart comedy. I mean really. Andre Braugher. Of course, I was going to try it.

And now Karl Urban.

November 4, I'm there.

The Halloween Tree by Ray Bradbury

It was a small town by a small river and a small lake in a small northern part of a Midwest state. There wasn't so much wilderness around you couldn't see the town. But on the other hand there wasn't so much town you couldn't see and feel and touch and smell the wilderness. The town was full of trees. And dry grass and dead flowers now that autumn was here. And full of fences to walk on and sidewalks to skate on and a large ravine to tumble in and yell across. And the town was full of...

Boys.
And it was the afternoon of Halloween.
And all the houses shut against a cool wind.
And the town was full of cold sunlight.
But suddenly, the day was gone.
Night came out from under each tree and spread.

Scott (from A Good Story is Hard to Find podcast) loves this book and never fails to bring it up around Halloween. I happened to have an Audible credit coming up and figured it is always good to come up to Halloween with Ray Bradbury. Bronson Pinchot's narration is simply wonderful.

The story, which is highly reminiscent of A Christmas Carol, is an enchanting tour of Halloween history and how it is represented in the way we celebrate the holiday ... done Bradbury style with lovely prose as a gang of neighborhood boys strike out into adventure to help an ailing friend.

It is written for younger readers but is equally enchanting for those of us who are merely young at heart.

This went on my Best of 2013 list.

Notes on Mark: On the Mountaintop

MARK 9:2-8

I am going to take several posts to quote William Barclay* on the transformation as I like how he explains both some of the details of this important event. Here we will look at when it happened and just which mountaintop they were on.

Mark says that this happened six days after the incidents near Caesarea Philippi. Luke says that it happened eight days afterwards. There is no discrepancy here. They both mean what we might express by saying, "About a week afterwards." Both the Eastern and Western Churches hold their remembrance of the transfiguration on 6th August...

Tradition says that the transfiguration took place on the top of Mount Tabor. The Eastern Church actually calls the Festival of the Transfiguration the Taborion. It may be that the choice is based on the mention of Mount Tabor in Psalm 89:12, but it is unfortunate. Tabor is in the south of Galilee and Caesarea Philippi is away to the north. Tabor is no more than 1,000 feet high, and, in the time of Jesus, there was a fortress on the top. It is much more likely that this event too place amidst the eternal snows of Mount Hermon which is 9,200 feet high and much nearer Caesarea Philippi and where the solitude would be much more complete.

The Gospel of Mark
(The Daily Bible Series, rev. ed.)

* (Do keep in mind that I like Barclay's insight into language and bygone customs, but his theology can be a bit wacky. That's not to say that I often don't find him inspiring. He can be. But just know that he should be read with caution.)

Worth a Thousand Words: Mother and Child

Pablo Picasso, Mother and Child, 1905
sketch-and-study, via Wikipaintings

Notes on Mark: Transfiguration as Suspension of Miracle

MARK 9:2-8

The transfiguration is a mystery pure and simple. I would have been just as dumbfounded as the disciples who were there to witness it. 

I am not sure where I picked up this particular note (perhaps our parish Bible study?), however, it is fascinating to see that St. Thomas Aquinas said the transfiguration was actually the cessation or suspension of a miracle. This is because Christ pulled aside the veil of flesh to allow His natural glory to be seen.

Mind-blowing, am I right?

Let's just wrap our minds around that for a bit and then I'll have some other people's take on the transfiguration for further mind-bending.

These Books Just In: Angels, Bones, Marriage, Buckets, and Modern Martyrs

It's book publishing time and often when I check my mailbox I get that wonderful feeling of receiving an unexpected gift. I haven't read these books ... yet ... for the most part, but I will be.

However, I wanted to give a heads up on these because I don't want you to wait on me.

Entertaining Angels by Mike Aquilina
Catholic Scripture Study

Every Sunday Roman Catholics (like many other Christians) stand to profess our faith in God who created "all things visible and invisible." and we confess our sins the presence of "all the angels and saints." Discover that angels are spiritual, personal, and immortal creatures, with intelligence and free will, who glorify God without ceasing and who serve God as messengers of His saving plan!

We all know that I'm a fan of Mike Aquilina's books and anyone who, like me, read his book Angels of God knows that he's wonderful at explaining the ethereal in ways we can relate to. This is a 10-lesson scripture study that covers angelic information from creation to salvation history to spiritual combat and beyond. I've been a fan of the Catholic Scripture Study program since they used to be featured free on Catholic Exchange (yes, waaay back in the day). Aquilina and CSS make a good combo.

These Beautiful Bones: An Everyday Theology of the Body by Emily Stimpson

It was Blessed John Paul II's greatest gift to the Church: The theology of the body. A window into who we are, the theology of the body is a theology for the rooms where we make love. But it's also a theology for the rooms where we work, where we eat, where we laugh, and where we pray. These Beautiful Bones takes you on a walk through those rooms. With both humor and practical wisdom, it sheds light on what the theology of the body has to say about life beyond the bedroom, about the everyday moments of life, helping you discover how to let grace enter into those moments and make of them something extraordinary.

For everyone who thought that the Theology of the Body is only about sex ... which it is ... and it isn't. Full disclosure: I did the graphic layout on the cover and text for this book. I read just enough of it here and there in the course of my work to know that this was a book I wanted to read. Relatable and thought provoking ... at least the parts I read as I went.

Just Married: The Catholic Guide to Surviving and Thriving in the First Five Years of Marriage by Dr. Greg and Lisa Popcak

Nationally syndicated radio hosts and international family life speakers Greg and Lisa Popcak combine decades of counseling, the latest findings in marriage research, twenty-three years of marriage, and the wisdom of Catholic teaching to offer newlyweds a master plan for creating a strong bond in the first five years of marriage.

I know, I know ... blah, blah blah ... self-help ... and so forth. This one I've actually read, albeit super fast. So let me give you the short version: this is now the book I'm going to give newlyweds. I wish we'd had it when we got married. I wasn't religious at all then and my husband was not a practicing Catholic. Nevertheless, I stand by that. It would have helped us tremendously. And it's good for those married longer than that too.

God's Bucket List: Heaven's Surefire Way to Happiness in This Life and Beyond by Teresa Tomeo

Scripture tells us only God knows the desires of our hearts. It was, after all, God who placed them there because they are designed to lead us to His will for our lives. Why, then, is it so challenging at times to figure out if we are on the right track when it comes to what we believe we want or need? God's Bucket List will examine what God wants for each of us: mercy, fruitfulness, fellowship, and peace, just to name a few, and will explain what the Christian faith teaches about these gifts and how we can begin to achieve and cross out, one by one, the items on that heavenly list.

Not being into bucket lists, this didn't sound like the sort of book I wanted to spend time on. However, when I read an excerpt Tomeo was talking about exactly the sorts of things I agree with and struggle to accomplish, like being able to just sit in the back yard and enjoy the day ... without having to be doing anything. And, it was something I needed to hear right then, which is kind of the point of this book. So ... I'm interested.

The Global War on Christians: Dispatches from the Front Lines of Anti-Christian Persecution by John L. Allen Jr.

This book is about the most dramatic religion story of the early twenty-first century, yet one that most people in the West have little idea is even happening: the global war on Christians. We're not talking about a metaphorical "war on religion" in Europe and the United States, fought on symbolic terrain such as whether it's okay to erect a nativity scene on the courthouse steps, but a rising tide of legal oppression, social harassment, and direct physical violence, with Christians as its leading victims. However counterintuitive it may seem in light of popular stereotypes of Christianity as a powerful and some­ times oppressive social force, Christians today indisputably are the most persecuted religious body on the planet, and too often their new martyrs suffer in silence. ...

This is a truly ecumenical scourge, in the sense that it afflicts evangelicals, mainline Protestants, Anglicans, Orthodox, Catholics, and Pentecostals alike. All denominations have their martyrs, and all are more or less equally at risk. A 2011 report from the Catholic humanitarian group Aid to the Church in Need described the worldwide assault on Christians as “a human rights disaster of epic proportions.”

This book looks to shatter that silence.

Gulp.

The mere introduction dealt with horrifying images of what Christians are subjected to, right now, specifically because of their faith. I cringed away from the idea of reading an entire book about this, but felt that if I didn't at least try then I was failing them somehow, was denying that they were actually in the dire straits they suffer. So I accepted the review copy. I trust Allen and I think looking away is not an option for me right now.

Weekend Joke: Knitting

From the brilliant and hilarious Doug Savage.

Julie's Take - Christianity in Three Books [UPDATED]

These things used to be called memes ... but whatever they're called, I find them difficult to resist.  Basically Rod Dreher has asked his readers, and the internet at large, what three books they would recommend to provide a basic familiarity with Christian theological ideas to someone with little background on the topic. Read all the guidelines here, which is where Jen Fitz found it.

This came to my attention when I saw Jen's answers (and was insanely flattered, by the way, thank you Jen!).

Ahem. Anyway, here is my list. Pick it up, pass it on ... and so forth.

1.  The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom.

Same as Jen's #1 but that's because this is such a great book. I recently reread it and made it a goal to reread it annually. It is a great story and, not coincidentally, is Christianity in a nutshell.

Sheltered spinster, Corrie Ten Boom is 50 years old when the Nazis invade Holland. She and her family shelter Jews targeted by the Nazis and when they are caught, they are sent to prison and eventually concentration camps. This sounds gloomy and like a familiar story. It is not. Every Christian should read this book. If you get the audio, it is even better. Simply fantastic.

2. The Captain from Castile by Samuel Shellabarger 

The classic story of a young Spanish nobleman, Pedro de Vargas, who goes with Cortes to conquer Mexico. Rereading it, Washington Post critic and Pulitzer Prize-winner Jonathan Yardley says in his introduction he "was astonished at how well it has survived. . . . It is accurate, meticulously researched history, and it is a sympathetic, nuanced account of a young man's moral education..." Precisely. Such is also the same of Shellabarger's other books. A prime example of how an excellent piece of fiction can communicate "Truth." Also a favorite, more than this book to be truthful, is Prince of Foxes by this author.

3. In This House of Brede by Rumer Godden

One of the finest authors of our time, largely forgotten, but who always wrote from a deep background of faith. This is the story of Philipa who at the height of a brilliant career and in her 40s decides to enter a cloistered convent. Yes, this is the story of nuns, but the Christianity they practice should be recognizable to Christians of any sort. Not only is it a fascinating tale of what it is like to live in a convent, but it contains a riveting mystery too.

UPDATE
I didn't notice we weren't allowed to have books about a "flavor" of a particular religion, which knocks out my original third choice, which I leave below for your edification. That's ok, it made room for a book I originally was going to include but had dropped in favor of something more obviously theological. Woohoo!

3. Catholic Christianity by Peter Kreeft

Puts the muscle on the "skeleton" of the Catechism, so to speak. This is the book that I read after converting and which brought my understanding fully into line with the teachings of the Church. Eminently logical.

Notes on Mark: The Cost of Discipleship

MARK 8:34-35

This is the famous "take up your cross and follow me" instruction which is followed immediately by "whoever loses his life for my sake and that of the gospel will save it."

How often do I really ponder these words and think about what they meant when Christ said them versus how I translate them into my own everyday life? Not often enough, I fear. Christ never lied to anyone about the cost of discipleship, as Mary Healy points out here.

Jesus does not call his disciples to read this path alone, but following him. Discipleship is a continuous contact with the Master who leads the way at every step.

With the phrase for my sake, the absoluteness of Jesus' claim appears for the first time. Jesus is asking more than any general ever asked of his soldiers or any religious leader ever asked of his adherents. He is not merely demanding a willingness to die for a great cause; he is calling for an unconditional personal allegiance to himself. Whoever loses his life is to do so for the sake of Jesus and his good news. No greater motive is necessary or possible. But this is the very thing that Jesus will do for us: he will give his life (psyche) as a ransom for many (10:45).

The Gospel of Mark: Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture