Worth a Thousand Words: Lion Resting

Lion Resting, Rembrandt
via Lines and Colors

Apologies for my absence!

So sorry I haven't been around much lately. It's my annual crazy time doing layout for the Worthington Direct catalog. 162 pages this year, my part takes about a month and a half with intensity increasing as we go. It will go to the printer the week after Thanksgiving so lately I've been working nights and weekends to make sure I'm keeping up my end.

I really enjoy the work but it does take its toll on available time and also memory! I meant to post this apology last weekend!

I'll be back to normal soon, hopefully getting us back to normal around here next week.

Thanks for your patience!

Well Said: Sun, Rain, and the Holy Spirit

Just as the sun shines and the day brings light, the stream irrigates the soil and rain waters the earth, so the heavenly Spirit pours himself into us.

St. Cyprian of Carthage

Worth a Thousand Words: Forest Wilderness

Forest Wilderness, J. E. H. MacDonald

Well Said: What do you want me to do for you?

Jesus said to him in reply, "What do you want me to do for you?"

The blind man said to him, "Master, I want to see."

Mark 10:51

We all relate to the blind man. It's the common condition. Where am I blind? I want to see.

But take a second and look at Jesus' question. That is considerate and gracious. It is the question God asks us, even though we don't stop to think of it. He met us more than halfway by becoming human and dying for us. And here he is, "What do you want me to do for you?"

It's a question I ponder when I begin my morning prayer. Considering the asker makes me both shed the small stuff and yet also bring the small stuff to him. He's asking. He wants to know. What will we say?

Worth a Thousand Words: Outside the Embassy

Outside the kitchen entrance of the Russian Embassy in Berlin…
Edward B. Gordon

Lagniappe: The mention of ourselves being naturally affecting

"But you can't take your own time to die in, Brother," began Mrs. Waule, with her usual wooly tone. "And when you life speechless you may be tired of having strangers about you, and you may think of me and my children —" but here her voice broke under the touching thought which she was attributing to her speechless brother; the mention of ourselves being naturally affecting.

George Eliot, Middlemarch

Roasted cougar anyone? It's food-on-the-go for anyone stranded on a snowy mountain.

Unless you forget to take it along with you.

I watched The Mountain Between Us with Hannah and Rose and can attest they are telling the absolute truth about this bad movie in their More is More discussion.

Well Said: The speck of self

Instead of wondering at this result of misery in Mr. Casaubon, I think it quite ordinary. Will not a speck very close to our vision blot out the glory of the world, and leave only a margin by which we see the blot? I know no specks so troublesome as self.

George Eliot, Middlemarch

Thank you for the gift!

I've had my eye on this for some time.  I really love the whole Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture series so it is natural that this book would be on my Amazon wish list. Imagine my surprise and delight yesterday when I ripped open an unexpected package and found this!

Not only do I have the delight of a new Bible study but it is so thoughtful of the giver. Since the advent of Facebook and Twitter, any long time bloggers can tell you that comments have gone way down. It's not a big deal in and of itself, but it does make things different than they used to be. Lately I've gotten some wonderful feedback which is priceless in itself.

A tangible compliment like this is delightful on a lot of levels. My sincere thanks to whoever went to the trouble and expense to give me this gift!

Genesis Notes: The New Covenant is Fulfillment of the Old

We're at the end of the Genesis study and amidst all the stories there has been a clear thread for us to follow — God's covenant with us.

Watching from the beginning of creation to the establishment of God's family through covenant  has given me a much better understanding of how the old covenant was achieved in the first place ... which then leads to a better understanding of how the New Covenant completes the old.

First Day of Creation (from the 1493 Nuremberg Chronicle)

The New Covenant in which we live is not a different covenant but a fulfillment of the Old. God still is a Father who makes and keeps promises and who is building His family by covenant. The New Covenant is all the promises of the Old, wrapped up in one and sealed by the sacrament of Christ's death and resurrection. In it God promises:

1. To restore creation: not just turn back the clock to Genesis 2 but to replace the old with new life, His own life, a life that is greater than anything we could have hoped for without the Fall.
2. To defeat Satan, the Serpent who started the whole problem in Eden;
3. To save us from sin, as He saved Noah from the wickedness of the world before the flood;
4. To give us not just a homeland on earth but an eternal home in heaven;
5. To make us not a powerful earthly kingdom but a kingdom of priests, a royal nation that will encompass the whole world and be a blessing to all nations.

Best of all -- these are not only promised, they are offered together with the power we need to keep our part of the covenant, which is to love God with all our hearts and love our neighbor as ourselves; to be holy as He is holy. Only the divine nature flowing through us can accomplish that.

All quotes from Genesis, Part II: God and His Family. This series first ran in 2004 and 2005. I'm refreshing it as I go. For links to the whole study, go to the Genesis Index. For more about the resources used, go here.

Ryan Gosling and Papyrus

From the SNL premiere comes a piece that could have been tailor-made for our household. Remember, we're the people who loved the documentary Helvetica.

Well Said: Religion, Prayer, and Bubbles of Protection

This quote has been coming to mind repeatedly as one violent act after another are committed upon innocents. I am emotionally reeling and the worst thing is that I last posted this quote in July 2017 for the same reason. However, it continues to give me much needed perspective. He is with us through everything.

Only bad religion promises that if you pray enough, give enough or serve enough, God will put a bubble of protection around you ... That’s what got virgins thrown into volcanoes and it’s what gets TV preachers rich. It’s still a lie, though, no matter how loudly or piously you say it.

What good religion teaches instead is that there is a Power at work in the world that is greater than the power of the world. It’s a power that renews and restores. It heals ... It gives life ...

George Mason, Lakewood Advocate

George Mason is the pastor of Wilshire Baptist Church which is only a few blocks away from my house.

We never miss reading his column in our area newspaper, The Lakewood Advocate. As Tom says, this man preaches to every Christian with his common sense, sensitivity, and understanding of living Christian faith. Believe me when I say that Tom doesn't bestow that praise lightly or often.

Click through and read the whole piece for a sample of why we like him so much.

Worth a Thousand Words: Windy Autumn

Windy Autumn, by Remo Savisaar

To Light a Fire on the Earth by Robert Barron and John L. Allen, Jr.

Secularism is gaining influence and increasing numbers of people see religion as dull and backward. Robert Barron wants to illuminate the beauty, intelligence, and relevance of the Catholic faith.

Touching on everything from Jesus to prayer, science, movies, atheism, the spiritual life, the fate of Church in modern times, beauty, art, and social media, Barron reveals why the Church matters today and how Catholics can intelligently engage a skeptical world.

I loved this book. It's a quick read that left me enthusiastic about spreading the faith and inspired in my own faith. In fact, within one day of beginning to read I was quoting it around the house and changing my own actions based on the inspirations. I expected to learn more about Barron's life and ministry but not that it would begin to change me.

That's the quick take. Here's the longer version.

I'm a fan of Bishop Barron's homilies and his Catholicism documentary series which was shown on PBS stations around the country. But what he's really known for, and where he got his social media start, is his YouTube videos where he talks about everything from baseball to movies to Catholic doctrine. This has drawn an audience ranging from faithful Catholics to angry atheists. So he's a pro at discussing the beauty and truth of Catholicism with a diverse crowd.

This book looks at both Barron's life and his philosophy behind "proclaiming the Gospel in a secular age." It is the result of twenty hours of interviews conducted by John L. Allen, Jr., who is an acclaimed Catholic author and journalist. I was really looking forward this book — and it lived up to my expectations. As you can see from my opening paragraph here.

Barron discusses leading people into a "space where they may be ready to hear and embrace those truths" by remembering that what you're trying to do is introduce them to friendship with Jesus. He talks about the fact that his enthusiasm is because he's trying to bring something positive into people's lives - that he's so on fire about the truth of Catholicism that he can't stop from sharing it because he wants everyone to have the goodness he experiences. He talks about finding the role God has designed for us in life, much as a character in a novel finds they are key to the plot even if they aren't a "main" character. And there is is love of Scripture, of how beauty shows truth, and much more.

All these things resonated with me and some of them were vivid reminders at times when I needed a pick me up or a good point in a discussion with a friend.

I think you'll find those things in here too. Highly recommended.

What do we do in the face of great evil?

Like everyone, I was shocked and distressed at the massacre at the church in Sunderland Springs. I can't get it out of my mind.

There have been so many killings lately it not only boggles the mind but leads to serious questions of the sort Job threw at God when he suffered disaster on every front. "What the heck, God? Are you there or what? Because I could use some explanations here." (Generously paraphrased.)

Like Job, we receive no clarifying answer because maybe God can see the causes of evil, but we can't. And we certainly have no control over it.  Jesus' death on the cross shows he understands our pain and bewilderment and suffering more than we know ... and that he can use it to bring about victory over evil.

But, that's hard to see from our human standpoint.

So what do we do?

We help directly if we can.

We remember that those victims were received by Jesus at the moment of their death. He has conquered death and they are his sheep. Their lives were cut cruelly short but they are now in the place we all hope to be in the end.

We pray, always. For the souls of the victims, for their families and friends in the midst of shock and grief, and even for human soul who did evil's work. (That last is a hard one, but necessary for my own soul. I don't know how God metes out justice but I know that I'd be terrible at it. So that prayer is necessary for me to be able to trust God with it.)

We live our own lives fully and with confidence in Christ and for Christ. Every ripple for good we make in our own bit of the world helps Jesus enter the world with healing, making lives whole again. And it helps defeat evil.

Saint Michael Archangel,
defend us in battle,
be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil;
may God rebuke him, we humbly pray;
and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly host,
by the power of God, cast into hell
Satan and all the evil spirits
who prowl through the world seeking the ruin of souls.
Amen.

Well Said: I have been bent and broken ...

Suffering has been stronger than all other teaching, and has taught me to understand what your heart used to be. I have been bent and broken, but - I hope - into a better shape.”

Charles Dickens, Great Expectations

No wonder I love him. He tells the truth. This isn't one we want to think about in our own lives, but when we've gotten done hearing Dickens tell it ... we understand that truth a little better.

Worth a Thousand Words: Bullfinch

Bullfinch, Remo Savisaar

Genesis Notes: The Significance of Numbers

GENESIS 46
Jacob is moving the entire clan to Egypt and Genesis stops here for another of those endless lists of who is going along. Except, that it isn't so endless when you realize the significance of the numbers ... then it becomes very interesting.

Joseph and family moving to Egypt

The author of Genesis takes the occasion of this move to Egypt to record a list of all the descendants of Jacob. To the Hebrews, 70 was the ideal and complete number: it is the number of descendants of Noah after the flood, corresponding in the ancient world to the 70 nations of the world; it's also the number of elders of Israel and of the disciples of Jesus...

Not long ago, the family was just Jacob and Rachel and Leah. Now they are 70: the number of completeness, suggesting a complete development in God's plan. Why is this list here? This is the rootstock of the nation of Israel. As there are 70 nations in the world, there are 70 tribal units in Israel. Later on when Moses records all the family groups of the new nation, no one is mentioned who is not on this list. God is accomplishing His plan to form a nation, and we see here that the foundation has been laid.

[To come up with 70, the author takes out Judah's two dead sons (vs. 12) and adds in Joseph and his two sons already in Egypt and Jacob himself. He ignores the entire third generation except for Joseph's sons, who will become heads of two tribes in Joseph's place. The total is not "the descendants of Israel, who came into Egypt (vs. 8)" on that particular trip, but all the family who ended up settling in Egypt.]

All quotes from Genesis, Part II: God and His Family. This series first ran in 2004 and 2005. I'm refreshing it as I go. For links to the whole study, go to the Genesis Index. For more about the resources used, go here.

Worth a Thousand Words: Chase

Chase, Remo Savisaar

Thank you, Mellie!

I don't have a way to do it through Amazon, but your kind gift made my day ... as well as the note you enclosed. Many, many thanks!

More is More - Prom Night

Hannah & Rose discuss prom dresses, wardrobes, and everything not to do when trying to catch crazed stalkers as they celebrate Prom Night (2008).

Are we ready to both laugh and scream? Of course - because we want more!

Episode 3 of More is More - a bad movie podcast.

Genesis Notes: Responding to the Test

GENESIS 42
What have Joseph's brothers learned in the time that they were parted from him? A lot more than I thought on a first reading. Digging beneath the surface shows how changed and repentant they are.

Benjamin being returned to Egypt">Add caption

A guilty conscience is worth little if it does not lead to change. A comparison of the two homecomings reveals that Joseph's brothers are not the proud, selfish, jealous brutes they were when they sold Joseph.

The first thing to notice is the increased sense of family. The brothers seem to see themselves as all in this together, no longer every man for himself. ... whereas before throwing Joseph in the pit they called him "this dreamer" and to Jacob they called
him "your son," now they call Joseph "our brother" and "the lad" and say to Joseph "we are 12 brothers." Even though Joseph is thought dead, they consider him part of the family.

Second is the lack of jealousy or anger at Jacob's favoritism. Even though Jacob obviously prefers Benjamin now that Joseph is gone, there is no sign of resentment among the brothers about this or that Jacob kept him behind or that his absence endangers them.

Perhaps most telling is the sons' honesty with Jacob. When they "lost" Joseph, they were heartless liars; now they are honest. ...

Finally, there is a genuine effort to make good. When Jacob accuses them of bereaving him of his children, Reuben doesn't just try to offer comfort, he offers his own sons if he fails to bring Benjamin back. His solution may not move Jacob, but he is at least trying to make things right. 

All quotes from Genesis, Part II: God and His Family. This series first ran in 2004 and 2005. I'm refreshing it as I go. For links to the whole study, go to the Genesis Index. For more about the resources used, go here.

Well Said: Duties toward parents

I remember when I first read the book of Sirach. I really love the practicality of the advice to fathers never to have a lattice going past their daughter's second floor bedroom. You're just begging for trouble!

I've also never forgotten the advice below, especially the part about honoring your father even if his mind fails in old age ... it shows that humans are the same then as now and we all need those reminders as we go through life. And it spells out just what that the commandment to honor your father and mother really means.

I remember when I realized that commandment actually comes before "thou shalt not kill" which tells you just how important honoring your father and mother is in God's eyes. Kind of blew my mind and helped keep my priorities straight.

Listen to me, your father, O children;
act accordingly, that you may be kept in safety.

For the Lord honors a father above his children,
and he confirms a mother’s right over her children.

Those who honor their father atone for sins,
and those who respect their mother are like those who lay up treasure.

Those who honor their father will have joy in their own children,
and when they pray they will be heard.
...
The glory of one’s father is one’s own glory,
and it is a disgrace for children not to respect their mother.

My child, help your father in his old age,
and do not grieve him as long as he lives;

even if his mind fails, be patient with him;
because you have all your faculties do not despise him.

For kindness to a father will not be forgotten,
and will be credited to you against your sins;

in the day of your distress it will be remembered in your favor;
like frost in fair weather, your sins will melt away.

Whoever forsakes a father is like a blasphemer,
and whoever angers a mother is cursed by the Lord.

Sirach, 3:1-5, 11-16

Worth a Thousand Words: Corner of the Church of San Stae

Corner of the Church of San Stae, Venice; John Singer Sargent

Well Said: Poverty and Freedom

He who is not capable of enduring poverty is not capable of being free.

Victor Hugo

The Three Godfathers by Peter B. Kyne

“What’s a godfather, Bill?” The Youngest Bad Man inquired. “What job does he hold down?”

“You’re an awful ignorant young man, Bob,” replied The Wounded Bad Man reproachfully. “A godfather is a sort of reserve parent who promises to renounce the devil with all his works an’ pomps.”

The Youngest Bad Man smiled wanly. “Well, Bill, all I got to say is that us three’re a lovely bunch o’ godfathers.”

This little novella has inspired at least five movies, two of them from the silent film era. The most famous is 3 Godfathers starring John Wayne and directed by John Ford, which inspired one of my favorite movies, Tokyo Godfathers. So the story has staying power even in modern culture and other lands.

This little story is the backbone of all those films. This is not the story of the Wise Men, it is the story of Bad Men, we are told on the title page. The three Bad Men are on the lam after a bank heist. Searching for water, they come upon a pioneer woman in labor and dying. Her husband is dead and the newborn baby is given into the care of the "three godfathers" who providentially showed up to help it be born. Their journey to get the baby to his relatives is the story of their struggles with their past and their possible redemption. It is heartfelt but also shows flashes of humor which I enjoyed a lot.

It is interesting to see how the films embellished the basics to give their own take and layers of complexity, which are all, nevertheless, still commenting on the basic story. You can get the book free at Project Gutenberg. I'm lucky because my library had it.

• The Three Godfathers free at Project Gutenberg
• My review of Tokyo Godfathers.
• Tokyo Godfathers discussion at A Good Story is Hard to Find podcast.

Worth a Thousand Words: Girl at a Sewing Machine

Girl at a Sewing Machine, Edward Hopper

Genesis Notes: Jacob Meets His Brothers Again

GENESIS 42
If my brothers had hated me enough to sell me to traders I am pretty sure I wouldn't have welcomed them with open arms. At first that seems to be Joseph's reaction as he pretends not to know them and questions them. But we then can see there is a reason besides hurt feelings or revenge for Joseph's methods.

Joseph and His Brothers, Gustav Dore

So why does he pretend to be a stranger and question them harshly, if not to punish them? It is clear from his questions that before telling them who he is, Joseph wants to learn more about them and test them. ...

All Joseph's testing aims to bring them to repentance and reconciliation. Three days in prison gave the men real time to worry about their predicament. They were being asked to bring their youngest brother to Egypt, and if they had never sold Joseph, Benjamin would be with them now. They were confined in prison, which may have reminded them that they held Joseph in a pit regardless of his pleas and sold him into the prison of slavery. Their consciences began to accuse them. They realized that they did wrong against Joseph and deserve this punishment, which they see as coming from God. They have acknowledged their sin, which is the first step toward repentance. Evidence of true sorrow and a changed character remain to be seen.

As much as Joseph must have longed to see Benjamin, sending his brothers to get him posed a further test as much as it would bring about a reunion. Were the brothers still jealous, divided against their father's favorite? Had their relationship with their father improved? Would he trust them with Benjamin? These questions remain to be answered.

All quotes from Genesis, Part II: God and His Family. This series first ran in 2004 and 2005. I'm refreshing it as I go. For links to the whole study, go to the Genesis Index. For more about the resources used, go here.

Well Said: Carnival

Everything being a carnival, there is no carnival left.

Victor Hugo

Worth a Thousand Words: Persian Calligraphy

Persian calligraphy, Mir Ali Tabrizi

Well Said: Forgiveness or Excuses?

I find that when I think I am asking God to forgive me I am often in reality (unless I watch myself very carefully) asking Him to do something quite different. I am asking Him not to forgive me but to excuse me. But there is all the difference in the world between forgiving and excusing. Forgiveness says "Yes, you have done this thing, but I accept your apology; I will never hold it agains you and everything between us two will be exactly as it was before." But excusing says "I see that you couldn't help it or didn't mean it; you weren't really to blame." If one was not really to blame then there is nothing to forgiven. In that sense forgiveness and excusing are almost opposites. ...

C.S. Lewis, "On Forgiveness," The Weight of Glory

Thank You for A History of the World in 100 Objects! Updated!

A very kind person plucked this off my Amazon wish list and it was a wonderful surprise when it appeared on my doorstep. Thank you!

The history of the Church didn't take place shrouded in the mists of time. It actually happened and continues to happen through things that we can see and sometimes hold in our hand.

The Christian answer to Neil MacGregor's New York Times bestseller A History of the World in 100 Objects, Mike and Grace Aquilina's A History of the Church in 100 Objects introduces you to:

• The Cave of the Nativity (the importance of history, memory, and all things tangible)
• Catacomb niches (the importance of Rome, bones, and relics of the faith)
• Ancient Map of the World (the undoing of myths about medieval science)
• Stained Glass (representative of Gothic cathedrals)
• The Holy Grail (Romance literature and the emergence of writing for the laity)
• Loaves and fish (a link from Jesus to the sacrament of the Eucharist)
• The Wittenberg Door (Martin Luther and the onset of the Reformation)

UPDATE
My take as of Oct. 20:

I'm about halfway through and wanted to encourage anyone who might be on the fence about this book. It is a brief history of the Church, complete with pictures of the items which serve as touchstones for bringing up important historical events. The items include the Christian things you might expect but also range into seemingly non-Christian things like Islamic coins, an Egyptian boy's math notebook, and a medieval science beaker. 

Two or three pages of brief yet comprehensive commentary accompany each item. It is easy to read and even-handed, yet never dumbs it down. I am really loving it.

Well Said: I have noticed something that is really, really cool.

You may also have noticed a lack of critical detachment. I am talking about books because I love books. I'm not standing on a mountain peak holding them at arm's length and issuing Olympian pronouncements about them. I'm reading them in the bath and shouting with excitement because I have noticed something really, really cool.

Jo Walton, What Makes This Book So Great

I can relate.

As you may have noticed here from time to time.

Worth a Thousand Words: Eye Contact

Eye Contact, Remo Savisaar

Well Said: Developing from within

Our being is not constructed from without like a clay mode; it develops from within, as a tree grows and blossoms with the rising of the sap. In us, the sap is the Spirit of Christ. Prayer stimulates its rise.

A. Sertillanges

And just this morning, reading the Gospel of John I read this which, of course, could not fail to call the above quote to mind.

Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches.

John 15:4-5

Chronological Bible Reading - Update

But how shall I speak of the glories I have since discovered in the Bible? For years I have read it with an ever-broadening sense of joy and inspiration; and I love it as I love no other book. Still there is much in the Bible against which every instinct of my being rebels, so much that I regret the necessity which has compelled me to read it through from beginning to end.

Helen Keller

I'd never have thought this in my younger days, but Helen Keller's words resonate with me: "I love it as I love no other book." Reading the Bible daily — sometimes eagerly, sometimes grudgingly, but always reading it — has made me love it. The Word speaks to me through it and provides riches, consolation, inspiration, and surprise.

As I mentioned a while back, I have been reading the Bible in chronological order. This really has given me more of a sense of how God's relationship with his people has progressed, to how history has had a hand in bringing about our salvation.

And it has increased my love for this incomparable book. I'm not quite done but I'm within five books of the end — at which point I'll start over again.

I eventually came up with my own chronological list because the one I began with was set up to get you through in a year. (See post linked to above.) To that end and, as they explained, to alleviate possible boredom, they'd jiggered things a little. Things like moving Chronicles to way after Kings. This confused me no end, by the way, when I was reading along in their order and suddenly thought, "What is David doing this far into the timeline? He died long ago."

Boredom is not my problem as much as wanting to feel the flow of history. I loved the way their timeline placed prophets in the timeline so you could feel history and prophecy together. So I used their order as a timeline template and started putting the out-of-order elements back where they belonged. The result is below as a jpg that you can download or straight text that you can copy or print.

The Old Testament is in the order in which it happened (as nearly as one can ascertain). Job is the most problematic, probably, but once I saw some people placing it during the Genesis timeline it made the book fall into place for me better because of Job's relationship to God. (Knowing it is a fictional examination of Truth, and so forth.)

The New Testament is in the order in which it was written. That is because I was interested in seeing what order the Church experienced these things being written down and distributed. Kind of a "being there" experience because we know the oral stories were circulating from the beginning.

NOTE: The first time through I've been reading without notes or commentary. When I begin again I'll probably be supplementing my reading with a few of those.

OLD TESTAMENT
(Order in which happened)

• Genesis
• Job
• Exodus
• Leviticus
• Numbers
• Deuteronomy
• Psalms
• Joshua
• Judges
• Ruth
• Song of Songs
• Proverbs
• Ecclesiastes
• 1 Samuel
• 2 Samuel
• 1 Kings
• 2 Kings: 1-17
• 1 Chronicles
• 2 Chronicles: 1-28
• Amos
• Jonah
• Hosea
• Micah
• Isaiah: 1-39
• Tobit
• Nahum
• Zephaniah
• Habakkuk
• Judith
• 2 Kings: 18-25
• 2 Chronicles: 29-36
• Jeremiah
• Lamentations
• Baruch
• Ezekiel
• Obadiah
• Daniel: 1-12 (minus prayer in 3:24–90)
• Isaiah: 40-55
• Joel
• Ezra: 1-6
• Haggai
• Zechariah
• Esther
• Ezra: 7-10
• Nehemiah
• Isaiah: 56-66
• Malachi
• Daniel: 13
• Sirach
• Daniel: 14
• Daniel: 3:24–90
• 1 Maccabees
• 2 Maccabees
• Wisdom

NEW TESTAMENT
(Order in which written)

• 1 Thessalonians
• 2 Thessssalonians
• Galatians
• 1 Corinthians
• 2 Corinthians
• Romans
• Mark
• Philippians
• Colossians
• Philemon
• Ephesians
• Matthew
• 1 Timothy
• Titus
• 2 Timothy
• Luke
• Acts
• Hebrews
• James
• 1 Peter
• 2 Peter
• John
• 1 John
• 2 John
• 3 John
• Jude
• Revelations

Worth a Thousand Words: Women Preparing Silk

Women preparing silk, Emperor Huizong

Worth a Thousand Words: Girl Reading

Girl Reading, Georgios Jakobides

Genesis Notes: Pharaoh's Dreams and Layers of Meaning

GENESIS 41
One of the things that I love so much about the Catholic approach to Scripture is the acceptance that there are layers upon layers of meaning to be found. This is very well illustrated when Joseph is needed to interpret Pharaoh's dreams. Until I read this I never would have connected the famine in Pharaoh's dreams with man's condition waiting for Jesus, the "Living Bread" but it makes a definite connection.

James Tissot, Joseph Interprets Pharaoh's Dream

Pharaoh's dreams are given in great detail and repeated several times in chapter 41. The net effect of the repetition is to focus our attention on them. "Notice the details!" it fairly shouts.

But why? What is there to notice, other than the fact that the dreams warned Pharaoh of an economic downturn that would wipe out all memory of prosperity and potentially wipe out the population? Wasn't it just a setup, so Joseph could be brought into power?

This is a good time to remember that there are layers of meaning in Scripture, and that understanding the literal meaning can be a springboard to illuminating a deeper spiritual sense. In this case, Pharaoh's dreams and the state of Egypt they represent gain significance when we realize that they are in microcosm a picture of the condition of mankind after the fall. We gain profound insight into the way Joseph saves Egypt by seeing it as sign of the way Christ will come to change that condition.

[...]

Returning to Pharaoh's dreams, it is significant that other than the account of the flood, which signifies baptism, all the major pictures of man's condition and the solution to come (the fruit in the Garden; the famine and grain; and later manna in the wilderness, bread from heaven, the feeding of the 5,000; etc.) are couched in terms of food. For what is it that gives us life but the food that Jesus provides, His Body and Blood? As we read in St. John's gospel: "I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if any one eats of this bread, he will live for ever; and the bread which I shall give for the life of the world is my flesh." (John 6:51). As Catholics we take in this new life every time we eat the host at Mass. As the Catechism so aptly says,

"... when the faithful receive the Body of the Son, they proclaim to one another the Good News that the first fruits of life have been given.' Now too are life and resurrection conferred on whoever receives Christ." What material food produces in our bodily life, Holy Communion wonderfully achieves in our spiritual life. Communion with the flesh of the risen Christ, a flesh -- given life and giving life through the Holy Spirit, "preserves, increases, and renews the life of grace received at Baptism." (1391-2)

All quotes from Genesis, Part II: God and His Family. This series first ran in 2004 and 2005. I'm refreshing it as I go. For links to the whole study, go to the Genesis Index. For more about the resources used, go here.

Worth a Thousand Words: Fairytale of the Tsar Saltan

Illustration for Alexander Pushkin's 'Fairytale of the Tsar Saltan,' Ivan Bilibin

Well Said: Adversity and prosperity

Adversity makes men and prosperity makes monsters.

Victor Hugo

Worth a Thousand Words: Winter Geraniums

Winter Geraniums, Belinda Del Pesco

Chai-Spiced Pound Cake

I've never liked chai-spiced drinks but then I saw this recipe in the King Arthur Flour catalog which looked so enticing that I bought their chai spice so I could make it. Of course, I don't love to drink chai but I might like to eat it in a dessert.

The cake was straight-up fantastic. I've got it at at Meanwhile, Back in the Kitchen.

Well Said: The advantage of front and back views

Mrs. Glegg had both a front and a back parlour in her excellent house of St. Ogg's, so that she had two points of view from which she could observe the weakness of her fellow beings and reinforce her thankfulness for her own exceptional strength of mind.

George Eliot, The Mill on the Floss

She's got a way with words, you've gotta admit it.

Worth a Thousand Words: Double Date

Double Date, Karin Jurick

Well Said: Intolerance in support of tolerance

I have seen gross intolerance shown in support of tolerance.

Samuel Taylor Coleridge

So there really is nothing new under the sun. I feel he would find our times very familiar.

Worth a Thousand Words: Lutter & Wegner

Lutter & Wegner, Edward B. Gordon

Well Said: St. Francis and converting Christians

It is an old story that, while we may need somebody like Dominic to convert the heathen to Christianity, we are in even greater need of somebody like Francis, to convert the Christians to Christianity.

G.K. Chesterton, The Dumb Ox

Genesis Notes: A Few Facts About Egypt

GENESIS 39
I found this information about Egypt in Joseph's time interesting.

Workers plowing, harvesting crops, and threshing grain under the direction of an overseer,
painting in the tomb of Nakht.

WHEN DID JOSEPH ARRIVE?
The date of Joseph's arrival in Egypt is debatable. Many believe he arrived during the period of the Hysksos rulers, foreigners who came from the region of Canaan. They invaded Egypt and controlled the land for almost 150 years. If Joseph arrived during their rule, it is easy to see why he was rapidly promoted up the royal ladder. Because the Hysksos were foreigners themselves, they would not hold this brilliant young foreigner's ancestry against him.

PHARAOH
Pharaoh was the general name for all the kings of Egypt. It was a title like "King" or "President" used to address the country's leader. The Pharaohs in Genesis and Exodus were different men.

THE GOOD LIFE IN EGYPT
Ancient Egypt was a land of great contrasts. People were either rich beyond measure or poverty stricken. There wasn't much middle ground. Joseph found himself serving Potiphar, an extremely rich officer in Pharaoh's service. Rich families like Potiphar's had elaborate homes two or three stories tall with beautiful gardens and balconies. They enjoyed live entertainment at home as they chose delicious fruit from expensive bowls. They surrounded themselves with alabaster vases, paintings, beautiful rugs, and hand-carved chair. Dinner was served on golden tableware, and the rooms were lighted with gold lampstands. Servants, like Joseph, worked on the first floor, while the family occupied the upper stories.

All quotes from Life Application Study Bible. This series first ran in 2004 and 2005. I'm refreshing it as I go. For links to the whole study, go to the Genesis Index. For more about the resources used, go here.

Worth a Thousand Words: Good Company

Good Company, taken by Remo Savisaar

SFFaudio - The Uninvited

We ain't afraid of no ghosts. Or are we? Jesse, Maissa, and Julie talk about The Uninvited at SFFaudio, episode 441.

(Get the audiobook here, my recording of The Uninvited originally done for Forgotten Classics.)

Worth a Thousand Words: Ludgate, Evening

John O'Connor, Ludgate, Evening, 1887
via Lines and Colors

Well Said: What we get to worship

In the day to day trenches of adult life, there is actually no such thing as atheism. There is no such thing as not worshipping. Everybody worships. The only choice we get is what to worship.

David Foster Wallace

Prayers for Victims in Las Vegas

I don't really keep up with current news and everyone in the household knows it. So when someone carefully says, "I don't know if you've heard the current news ..." then I know they are preparing me for something horrific. This morning was another such moment.

After hearing about the carnage in Las Vegas, once again I am left shocked and thinking, "what is wrong with the world?"

I am inadequate to come up with a prayer but The Anchoress has helped out there. The city's patrons are the Holy Family, St. Peter, and St. Paul, which is why they are included in her prayer.

Together, let us pray:

O Lord, by whose design the sands of our lives run fast or slow,
be with us in this time of terror;
send your Holy Spirit to help us grow in wisdom
in the face of such a senseless act.

Holy Family — Jesus, Mary and Joseph — be the consolation of families impacted
by this violence and mayhem.
Saints Peter and Paul, patrons of the city,
Saint Michael the Archangel, patron of First Responders, pray for Las Vegas.

Kyrie Eleison
Christe Eleison
Kyrie Eleison

For the sake of Christ’s sorrowful passion, have mercy on us, and on the whole world.

Amen.

Well Said: What you need to achieve great things

To achieve great things two things are needed. A plan and not quite enough time.

Leonard Bernstein

Listen Up: More is More

Hannah spends her days looking at trees and Rose spends her days looking at computer screen but they both spend their nights watching bad movies. They can commonly be found in yarn shops, hanging off silks, and in fancy grocery stores but their natural habitat is the dollar movie theater.

We've got a long history of enjoying discussing bad movies, especially when Hannah and Rose are doing the talking. They are both funny and insightful, and I don't just say that as their mother. And they love bad movies enough to specifically go to see them at the theater.

Now everyone can enjoy that hilarious insight on their new podcast, More is More. Hannah and Rose take you through their favorite bad movies in enough detail that you don't have to have seen it yourself (for which I am truly grateful). They also discuss story elements that went wrong and why.

Episode 1 is The Scorpion King featuring everyone's favorite, The Rock, in a movie that even his charm can't salvage. Try them out! (website, iTunes)

"Don't let them tell you less is more. More is more."

Stephen Sommers

Worth a Thousand Words: A_Thousand_Li_of_River

Panorama of a section of A Thousand Li of Mountains and Rivers, a 12th-century painting by Song dynasty artist Wang Ximeng

Click through to see the image bigger.

Well Said: Grant's brand of whiskey

You just tell me the brand of whiskey Grant drinks — I would like to send a barrel of it to my other generals.

Abraham Lincoln

Catholic Books I'm Looking Forward To: Robert Barron, Mike Aquilina, Marc Barnes, Brandon Vogt

Fall is new book publishing time and these beauties are almost ready to dive into. I've had them on my wish list for a while so I thought you might be interested too!

As secularism gains influence, and increasing numbers see religion as dull and backward, Robert Barron wants to illuminate how beautiful, intelligent, and relevant the Catholic faith is.

In this compelling new book—written in conversation with award-winning Vatican journalist John L. Allen, Jr.—Barron proclaims in vivid language the goodness and truth of the Catholic tradition.

Touching on everything from Jesus to prayer, science, movies, atheism, the spiritual life, the fate of Church in modern times, beauty, art, and social media, Barron reveals why the Church matters today and how Catholics can intelligently engage a skeptical world.

You can hear John Allen and Bishop Barron discuss the upcoming book on this Word on Fire podcast episode. I was particularly intrigued by what Allen says about WOF as an apostolate. I really loved Allen's book with Timothy Dolan and this promises to be just as good. Can't wait to read this one!

The history of the Church didn't take place shrouded in the mists of time. It actually happened and continues to happen through things that we can see and sometimes hold in our hand.

The Christian answer to Neil MacGregor's New York Times bestseller A History of the World in 100 Objects, Mike and Grace Aquilina's A History of the Church in 100 Objects introduces you to:

• The Cave of the Nativity (the importance of history, memory, and all things tangible)
• Catacomb niches (the importance of Rome, bones, and relics of the faith)
• Ancient Map of the World (the undoing of myths about medieval science)
• Stained Glass (representative of Gothic cathedrals)
• The Holy Grail (Romance literature and the emergence of writing for the laity)
• Loaves and fish (a link from Jesus to the sacrament of the Eucharist)
• The Wittenberg Door (Martin Luther and the onset of the Reformation)

I've mentioned this one before but wanted to bring it up since it is coming out fairly soon. So, Mike Aquilina - it's a given I'll love it. I'm looking forward to reading his collaboration with his daughter as well as an insightful look at those 100 objects.

Marc Barnes first cared about being Catholic, "not out of any profound love for the person of Christ, but out of a profound distaste for my other options." After exploring the options of the secular world, Barnes came to the conclusion that even the secular world isn't secular enough. In fact, it is hopelessly Christian.

Through these essays Barnes exposes the hopelessly Catholic nature of our fallen world, and the joyous news that, even for the bad Catholic or the non-Catholic, there is nowhere to hide from the Truth. The beauty of Christ's love can be found even in the most secular of circumstances.

I've liked Marc Barnes' Bad Catholic blog for a long time, so this one is a no-brainer. Agree or disagree, you'll usually wind up laughing and nodding and ... thinking. And all of those are good things, so of course I'm eagerly anticipating this one!

With atheism on the rise and millions tossing off religion, why would anyone consider the Catholic Church? Brandon Vogt shares his passionate search for truth, a journey that culminated in the realization that Catholicism was right about a lot of things, maybe even everything.

Why I Am Catholic traces Vogt’s spiritual journey, making a refreshing, twenty-first century case for the faith and answering questions being asked by agnostics, nones, and atheists. With references to Catholic thinkers such as G. K. Chesterton, Ven. Fulton Sheen, St. Teresa of Calcutta, and Bishop Robert Barron, Vogt draws together lines of evidence to help seekers discover why they should be Catholic as an alternative.

I'm a fan of Brandon Vogt's (see my review for his book Saints and Social Justice). His passion for the faith has led him to discuss it in a lot of places and he's now the content manager at Word on Fire, Bishop Barron's ministry. I have been looking forward to reading his spiritual journey from "none" to Catholicism ever since I heard about this book.

Genesis Notes: Dealing With Temptation

GENESIS 39
We could never have a better model for dealing with temptation than looking at how Joseph dealt with Potiphar's wife who would just not take no for an answer.

Joseph and Potiphar's Wife, Jean-Baptiste Nattier

Joseph provides a true model of strength in the face of temptation, which recognizes the danger of remaining in its presence. "Shun immorality!" Paul says in I Cor. 6:18. Other translators prefer the word "flee." Joseph did both: he refused Potiphar's wife, shunning her suggestions, and then fled when she didn't listen. It is not cowardice to run from such temptation, it is common sense. Sexual immorality may entice but its ultimate end is death. St. Paul speaks elsewhere (see, for example, I Cor. 10:13 and Heb. 4:15-16) of the mercy and grace that God provides to help us endure and escape temptation, and says that God will not allow us to be tempted above our strength. What was Joseph's secret? Vs. 21 says it all: "But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love, and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison."

Genesis II: God and His Family

Thinking of Joseph and temptation is an obvious theme for this story. What is not so obvious is thinking of how Potiphar reacted to his wife's accusation of Joseph's attempted rape. Leave it to C.S. Lewis to examine the story more deeply for what it shows us about everyone involved.

Reflection on the story raised in my mind a problem I never happened to have thought of before: why was Joseph imprisoned, and not killed, by Potiphar? Surely it seems extraordinarily mild treatment for attempted rape of a great lady by a slave? Or must one assume that Potiphar, tho' ignorant of the lady's intention to make him a cuckold, was aware in general ... that her stories about the servante were to be taken with a grain of salt—that his real view was "I don't suppose for a moment that Joseph did anything of the sort, but I foresee there'll be no peace till I get him out of the house?" One is tempted to begin to imagine the whole life of the Potiphar family: e.g. how often had he heard similar stories from her before?

C.S. Lewis from a letter to his brother, February 25, 1940

via The C.S. Lewis Bible

Scripture is so rich. Reading the stories again and again leaves us the leisure, if we want to put it that way, to see just how much is in there for us.

Do You Like Pumpkin Pie? Then You Need This Ice Cream.

Fresh H-E-B milk, real dairy cream, Pumpkin, nutmeg and spices combine to create this exceptional holiday delight.

This is how brave we are. We tried it, even figuring that real pumpkin would make it pretty heavy and weirdly chewy for ice cream. Nope. It's silky, creamy, delicious and captures the essence of pumpkin pie.

Well Said: He'd never met The People

Vimes had spent his life on the streets, and had met decent men and fools and people who'd steal a penny from a blind beggar and people who performed silent miracles or desperate crimes every day behind the grubby windows of little houses, but he'd never met The People.

People on the side of The People always ended up disappointed, in any case. They found that The People tended not to be grateful or appreciative or forward-thinking or obedient. The People tended to be small-minded and conservative and not very clever and were even distrustful of cleverness. And so the children of the revolution were faced with the age-old problem: it wasn't that you had the wrong kind of government, which was obvious, but that you had the wrong kind of people.

As soon as you saw people as things to be measured, they didn't measure up.

Terry Pratchett, Night Watch

I hear a lot of talk, especially these days, about action on behalf of "The People" of various labels without remembering what Pratchett reminds us of above.

Worth a Thousand Words: Windy evening at the coast

Windy evening at the coast, taken by Remo Savisaar

I can almost feel the sand between my toes and the wind blowing hard. Click through on the link to see this larger and take in the full beauty.

Well Said: Do you know how to live?

You want to live — but do you know how to live? You are scared of dying — and, tell me, is the kind of life you lead really any different from being dead?

Seneca, Letters from a Stoic

Seneca lived in first century Rome but these words echo loudly through the modern mindset and lifestyle. They make me think of a much later quote from a very different person. The sentiment is the same though.

To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all.

Oscar Wilde

Listen Up: BirdNote, Classic Tales, Jaws of Life, Rachel Watches Star Trek

Hannah recently began listening to podcasts and was asking for recommendations. Oh, I have so many!

My own Forgotten Classics podcast is on hiatus now but I tried to always have a new podcast suggestion to give in each episode. (Check the sidebar there for a wide range of suggestions.) Sharing new podcasts is the one thing I miss at the moment. So I'm going to drop a few here occasionally, ranging from old favorites to new discoveries.

You can find all of these at iTunes but most have more info at their websites so that's where the links go.

BirdNote is one of those shows that is a bite-sized nugget of information, about 2 minutes long. It airs every day, featuring fascinating information complete with bird calls and a great photo of that day's subject.

Recent entries included how an Emperor Penguin launches out of the water to get back to shore, the tiniest hummingbird (not much bigger than a bee), how the Jaeger pursues gulls to steal their fish mid-air, and a week-long series about migration (since it is that time of year).

It's a brief investment of time but always entertaining and I never miss it.

I'm not sure how long the Classic Tales Podcast has been running but I've been listening ever since I discovered podcasts (and that was many, many years ago, y'all). No one can beat B.J. Harrison's narrative style and I can't beat his podcast description so here you go:

Every week, join award-winning narrator B.J. Harrison as he narrates the greatest stories the world has ever known. From the jungles of South America to the Mississippi Delta, from Victorian England to the sands of the Arabian desert, join us on a fantastic journey through the words of the world's greatest authors. Critically-acclaimed and highly recommended for anyone who loves a good story with plenty of substance.

It's weekly and ranges in length from half an hour to an hour long. Another one I never miss each week.

Jaws of Life is fairly new but I've been enjoying it since the first episode. Two Catholic guys discuss different aspects of modern life in the light of the faith. It's weekly and about half an hour long.

Tim and Rob apply the jaws of life to release truth from the mangled mess of modernity. In each episode we bring light and levity to our encounter with the modern world, helping to bring the contagious joy of a holy life to a world so desperately in need of our witness.

Topics so far have included: Snuffing Out Hope: The Science of Grumbling, Bored at Mass, Fighting for Entertainment, Falling in Love with Vatican II, Recreation in a Culture of Comfort, and Funny Business: The Seriousness of Faith. I've listened to all of them except the one about fighting, which was distinctly more of a guy topic. I look forward to it every week.

Rachel Watches Star Trek is a new favorite of mine.

Chris loves Star Trek. Rachel has never watched it. Until now.

This is a podcast where Rachel and Chris talk about each episode of the original Star Trek Series, from the original pilot, getting her outsider’s perspective on one of the most influential Sci-fi shows of all time.

Rachel and Chris Lackey are pure fun to listen to whether you care about Star Trek or not. They cover an episode at a time and Rachel's comments are often hilarious, coming, as they do, from a perspective that is decades after the show aired.  They also often branch out into interesting conversation I wouldn't have expected, such as musing about leadership qualities after watching The Enemy Within.

Episodes are about half an hour long and come out once a month at best. So it isn't hard to catch up, even if you don't binge-listen the way I did.