Well Said: The great democracy of the Catholic Church

The Roman Catholic Church was then, as it is now, a great democracy. There was no peasant so humble that he might not become a priest, and no priest so obscure that he might not become Pope of Christendom....What kept government alive in the Middle Ages was this constant rise of the sap from the bottom, from the rank and file of the great body of the people through the open channels of the priesthood.

President Woodrow Wilson, The New Freedom, 1913

Worth a Thousand Words: Spring in Worpswede

Hans am Ende, Spring in Worpswede

Well Said: Private confession and the dignity of the individual

The practice of private confession also burned onto the Western soul a principle that is not native to the other influential civilizations of humanity: that the individual man, woman, or child is above the tribe, nation, state, and collectivity. Because men were willing to spend hours on end, in huge city cathedrals or tiny rural chapels, amid the coldness of winter and the heat of summer, attentive to the woes of both king and beggar, listening compassionately in order "to make known to his people their salvation through forgiveness of their sins, the loving kindness of the heart of our God who visits us like the dawn from on high...to give light to those in darkness, those who dwell in the shadow of death and guide...into the way of peace" (Lk 1:68-79), the concept of the dignity of the individual hit home. It because clear through this one-on-one dialogue that God, through his representative, loved each man as an individual—regardless of race or rank. ... all were equal as they waited for the sacrament, and if someone tried to alter this egalitarian state of affairs, priests were quite capable of calling the violator to order. One such incident from the seventeenth century occurred when a wealthy white lady in Cartagena, Colombia, jumped the queue, going ahead of a black slave, but found that it was all to no avail since the confessor, Father Peter Claver (1580-1654), insisted on hearing the slave's confession first.

William J. Slattery, Heroism and Genius

I really love this book although it is taking me a while to work my way through it.

Weekend Humor: Affirmation

From Despair.com

I was pleased to see that Despair.com is still in there coming up with posters to define our lives. This one, from their 2018 collection, is practically perfect in every way.

More is More: Hannah and Rose discuss robot genomes ...

Hannah & Rose discuss fathers and daughters, robot genomes, and the warning signs that your boyfriend may be too into your age difference as they watch Transformers: Age of Extinction (2014)

Another episode in the Transformers series from my favorite funny podcast. The movie is bad but Hannah and Rose are so good!

Lagniappe: The way bananas divide us

No fruit's ripeness seems to divide people the way that of the banana does. And it is not simply a question of soft or firm. Oh deary me, no, nothing so straightforward. Within the boundaries of soft and firm are further categories, mostly easier to feel than to describe, where the exact level of ripeness becomes almost an art form. Even before we get inside, there are pointers, mostly to do with the level of mottling and about which some aficionados could probably write an essay, if not a short story. The feel of the banana (go carefully here) is crucial. It must yield like fudge, butter, or, for some, be only just short of a smoothie. Some take it even further: their fruit must be the right shape. For heaven's sake. It's a banana.

Nigel Slater, The Kitchen Diaries II

Of course, then Slater goes on to say he likes his bananas almost crisp. So he would get along just fine with Rose and Hannah. Me, I go for some mottling so as to bring out the sugar. But we won't go on and on.

BeGolden - The Creepy Feel-Good Campaign

What's this make you think of?

Maybe a Star Trek visualization of a disease that spreads by touch and turns people into something weird and leaves their world in a state of grim post-apocalypse?

A perfume ad? A fashion ad?

This is part of the same campaign. Maybe a new version of Goldfinger?

I'm leaning even more into the Star Trek disease that morphs you into another creature.

Wrong!

It's a new Dallas campaign to be nice to immigrants! Didn't you get that from the pictures?

I feel as if it might be a Catholic initiative (Pope Francis is mentioned), but to be fair, no one's claiming that.

They don't tell us what to do, though there is a hat we can buy (not yet, coming soon).

But we should definitely be nice. Probably a hug for our immigrants, right? Or maybe a handshake? Definitely some sort of touching based on those pictures, so I'm going with a hug.

That way we can all feel good about ourselves.

Though this strange Star Trek disease makes me really want to lean away instead of lean into the hugging.

Really super creepy. A weird campaign.

Worth a Thousand Words: Gold Mining

Gold Mining, Belinda DelPesco

Well Said: Maps to Mythic Places and the Transcendent

My mind wanders. Maps to mythic places are a metaphor for mankind’s brushes with the transcendent. They are mystical directions that point characters to things that are amazing yet true. They are communication from somewhere else to here, and the conduit is the mapmaker.

What does a person bring to one of these maps? Like the inspired writer of scripture, a person brings himself to the map, and with him comes the transcendent.

I'd never have made the connection between those maps (and who does make them? how are they inspired?), scripture and the transcendent. Worth musing about, especially for those of us who love stories that need maps to Skull Island or Barsoom.

From a piece by Scott Danielson musing on a story about maps, a magic shoppe, and bean counters who want to make myths efficient. Go read it.

Well Said: Dare to speak of man as a living spirit

Our contemporaries need, whether they believe or do not believe, to hear from another perspective on man than the material perspective. They need to quench another thirst, which is a thirst for absolute. It is not a question here of conversion, but of a voice which, with others, still dares to speak of man as a living spirit.

This is from a really unusual speech given by the President of France, who's putting it out there in a way we don't see from politicians much these days. And he's calling on Catholics to do the same: speak up from the heart.

It resonated with me, of course, because that's what happens here and, to a more deliberate extent, what Scott and I do at A Good Story is Hard to Find.

Lagniappe: Non-fiction

Non-fiction? Non-fiction? Listen, reality is what got me into this mess in the first place.

Justin Alcola

Saw this on Goodreads and I have absolutely no idea what the writer's context was. But it makes me laugh. And love my fantasy and science fiction even more.

Where's Julie? Somewhere Zaney ... UPDATED again

 Zanesville, Ohio, that is.

I've got the high privilege of being asked to tell my conversion story on Marcus Grodi's show, The Journey Home.

They asked if I could talk for an hour. Ha! Just goes to show they've never been by here when I've been really impassioned.

I'm going to try to remember to take lots of pics and share them once I get back!

UPDATED
I'm back and it was a great experience. The episode will air on May 14, though I will remind everyone (of course) when it happens.

I will try to post some behind-the-scene photos soon!

UPDATED again
Turns out the episode will actually air on May 21.

Weekend Joke

Something for fellow language lovers.

A linguistics professor was lecturing to his English class one day. "In English," he said, "a double negative forms a positive. In some languages, though, such as Russian, a double negative is still a negative. However, there is no language wherein a double positive can form a negative."

A voice from the back of the room piped up, "Yeah, right."

Worth a Thousand Words: In a Red Dufflecoat

In a Red Dufflecoat, Edward B. Gordon

Lagniappe: The Baby or the Books?

Though I wouldn't go so far as to say that my library — a mere agglomeration of pulp, glue and ink — means more to me than living, breathing human beings, it's a near thing. I'd certainly rescue the baby, not the Mona Lisa, from a burning house. But that baby had better grow up to find the cure for cancer ...

Michael Dirda, Browsings

Almost the perfect quote. Though when it went from books to the Mona Lisa it lost the logic string. But the sentiment works ... and I've got to admit that my "you've got 15 minutes to abandon your house forever" has me, Tom, the dogs ... and then the contents of my "favorites" bookshelf.

Some people have a "go bag."

I've got a "go bookshelf."

And I've had it for a while.

I mean. You've lost your house. Wouldn't you need to read something like The Lord of the Rings or Uncle Tom's Cabin or Jane Eyre? I'm just sayin' ...

Easter Dinner and Green Beans with Ginger

I meant to mention this earlier but we had a lovely Easter dinner with family and friends. One of the best parts for me was pausing from afar a few times to see how everyone was so engaged in conversation, in groups that kept shifting. That's not always the case in big groups where people don't know each other so it made me especially happy to see how much fun everyone was having.

We always have the same basic meal framework of Grilled Lamb, Deviled Eggs (because Easter, of course!), and Potato Rolls. Side dishes vary but this year Tortellini Salad and Hill Country Broccoli Salad won the day. I tried to change it up this year and met with stern opposition. "Lamb is symbolic," said Rose. "And it's the only time we have it all year!" added Tom.

Hey, no problem here.

Dessert is always a changing item, based on my whims of the moment. This year that meant Toasted Coconut Pie and Chocolate Pie. With whipped cream, because what are we - barbarians?

This year, the dish that got the questions and comments was Green Beans with Ginger. It is a favorite of mine and definitely worth the trouble of cutting the beans up in the unorthodox style called for by the recipe. Go take a look and give it a try.

(You can find a lot of these dishes in my recipe archives.)

Worth a Thousand Words: Cherry Blossom Day

Cherry Blossom Day, taken by Calligraphy in Japan

Click through to see this in full size. The beauty fully reflects my joy in this Easter season!

What We've Been Watching: Wilder Fest, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

BILLY WILDER

As I've mentioned before, once we finished watching James Bond films in consecutive order (sigh - I still miss our weekly Bond), we turned to the idea of consecutive Billy Wilder films. The ones he directed, not the ones he wrote before that. We'd like to finish before we die.

We've watched the first four of Wilder's directorial filmography so here's the report on our mini-Wilder-Fest.

The Major and the Minor — A frustrated city girl decides to disguise herself as a youngster in order to get a cheaper train ticket home. But little "Sue Sue" finds herself in a whole heap of grown-up trouble when she hides out in a compartment with handsome Major Kirby and he insists on taking her to his military academy after the train is stalled. Memorable not only as Wilder's debut, but also for the fact that Billy Wilder managed to make the ridiculous plot into a watchable movie. The studio was so surprised it made money that they gave him another movie to direct.

Five Graves to Cairo — The sole survivor of a WWI British tank crew in Africa makes his way to a desolate desert town where he is given refuge by a hotel owner who is preparing to receive General Erwin Rommel and his German staff. Posing as the hotel's waiter, the soldier attempts to report the general's plans to the Allies. A very watchable espionage movie which also has a young Anne Baxter as a French chambermaid and Erich Von Stroheim as Rommel. Wilder and Von Stroheim will work together more memorably in Sunset Boulevard later on.

Double Indemnity — It didn't take long for Wilder to fire on all cylinders. You can't beat this story about an unfaithful wife and an insurance salesman who cook up the perfect murder plot to collect on her husband's insurance. A famous film that I, nevertheless, have to beat people over the head to watch. The screenplay is by Billy Wilder and Raymond Chandler and the dialogue crackles with iconic film noir style. (#10 in Movies You Might Have Missed series. Scott and I also discussed it at A Good Story is Hard to Find podcast.)

The Lost Weekend — The desperate life of a chronic alcoholic is followed through a four-day drinking bout. I'd always managed to avoid watching this Wilder classic which was the first movie to honestly portray alcoholism. Then our Wilder series forced me into it.

It was really great. I have been recommending it to people, not least of all because Ray Milland (who played the clueless Major from The Major and the Minor) showed his acting chops by being absolutely convincing as a full-blown alcoholic who you were somehow still pulling for.

Also, just a month ago I'd actually had an alcoholic give me an identical line to one the popped up early in the movie. Identical. It shouldn't have floored me the way it did. I know from personal experience that alcoholics are not as good at fooling other people as they think they are. The movie's riveting story has more to recommend it than just authentic behavior patterns and I highly recommend it.

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri — Mildred is angry. Her daughter was brutally murdered months ago, but the police have got nothing. She rents three unused billboards just outside town to publicly ask the police chief why more isn’t being done. This film asks us to consider how do we channel anger at an unjust world? Hate, rage, and grief are mixed with hope and chances for redemption.

This movie is violent, funny, and profane ... as well as being perfect Lenten viewing.

Perhaps the best hint of how we should view this film is that near the beginning one character is reading A Good Man is Hard to Find by Flannery O'Connor. O'Connor famously said of her title story, "I have found that violence is strangely capable of returning my characters to reality and preparing them to accept their moment of grace." I'm not saying writer/director Martin McDonagh is Flannery O'Connor but he's definitely channeling her. Three Billboards can be tough to watch but is ultimately rewarding in the end.

Weekend Joke: I'm an Artist

Well Said: Remember You Have Only One Soul

Remember you have only one soul; that you have only one life, which is short and has to be lived by you alone; and there is only one Glory, which is eternal. If you do this, there will be many things about which you care nothing.

St. Teresa of Avila, Maxims for Her Nuns

Worth a Thousand Words: A Breath of Fresh Air

A Breath of Fresh Air, Karin Jurick

Well Said: The cardinal sin

Perhaps there is only one cardinal sin: impatience. Because of impatience we were driven out of Paradise, because of impatience we cannot return.

W. H. Auden

I tend to think of impatience as being a specifically American flaw. However, this makes me reflect that impatience is perhaps simply a human flaw. Certainly it is food for reflection.

An Inadvertent Trilogy: Their Finest, Dunkirk, Darkest Hour

We wound up watching these movies within a few weeks of each other and found that these separate takes on the battle of Dunkirk made a wonderful, if inadvertent, trilogy. They also make an interesting set of movies for reflection in the storytelling art, since they all center upon the same event but from very different points of view. 

During the Blitz in WWII, young Catrin Cole is hired to write the "slop" (women's dialogue) in propaganda films for the British public. These heavy-handed films are viewed with derision by the public so a film crew is assembled to make a better film that will have "authenticity, informed by optimism." And, of course, our young heroine is part of the screenwriting team that shapes the film which winds up being about a plucky pair of sisters who pilot their father's boat to Dunkirk to save soldiers trapped on the beach.

This largely ignored movie wants to be about a lot of things and mostly succeeds. It has a meeting of like minded souls, it nods to feminism and ageism, it shows what it was like to be in London during the Blitz, it is a movie about making movies and therefore takes us through the art of translating story into film. I found it likable but couldn't love it unabashedly, although I definitely do recommend it. It certainly is a basic, if sideways, introduction to the battle of Dunkirk for those who weren't aware of the desperate situation those soldiers faced and the bravery of the ordinary citizens who set out to save them.

This shows the results of the Dunkirk tale on the British public during the war, which makes us curious to know exactly what happened at Dunkirk. So let's see ...

The German army has trapped the British Expeditionary Force (400,000 soldiers) on the beach near the French town of Dunkirk. The ground forces halted but German planes continued to bomb the British. Meanwhile, the British soldiers knew only that they were trapped between the devil and the deep blue sea with no escape in sight.

This movie shows us three stories: two soldiers trapped on the beach with the troops, a small boat on the way to rescue soldiers, and fighter pilots trying to keep German bombers at bay so the boats can get the soldiers away.

Christopher Nolan wanted to make a movie that dropped the viewer into the experience of the battle of Dunkirk. He certainly succeeded. Nolan watched a number of great silent films in preparation, knowing that someone in peril isn't constantly narrating their own actions. As a result, there is a lot of action where we are simply watching and not needing dialogue. It works.

Because we are concerned with only the immediate plight or tasks of the moment, there are no politics or important people featured. This is about how everyone felt in their particular places and the measures they all took to succeed. Christopher Nolan does jigger the timelines for each story so that we see each one culminating at the same time but you can largely ignore that and just watch for the stories. It works either way.

This movie shows us how the term “Dunkirk Spirit” was coined. After this the national mindset was united among both soldiers and regular citizens to never surrender. If there is someone we wanted to hear from during Dunkirk it was Winston Churchill. So let's hear what he was doing ...

Unstoppable Nazi forces are on the point of conquering Europe. The Allied army is cornered Dunkirk’s beaches. Britain’s fate hangs on the abilities of Winston Churchill. Should he agree to negotiate for peace with Hitler or fight on against incredible odds?

This movie reminded me that there was nothing certain about the outcome of WWII and just how grim everything was as Europe fell to Hitler. The sense of doom was palpable as we watched German progress across Belgium and France. Dunkirk is the battle against which we see Churchill's decisions being made and his political struggles with those who want to sue for peace instead of fight. As I watched, I kept thinking of what we'd seen in Dunkirk, that while those men battled for life on the beach there were similar political battles being fought behind closed doors. All of which culminated in a seminal turning point in WWII.

This was also the first movie I'd seen from director Joe Wright, whose cinematic style captured me early into the film. His use of symbolism, light and shadow, movement and silence, all enhanced the story while seeming a natural part of what we saw. A really effective film and my favorite of this trilogy.

Worth a Thousand Words: Morocco

Morocco, Belinda Del Pesco

Well Said: Unconsciously bearing testimony to God

I maintain that whatever either our lawgivers of philosophers uttered well, they elaborated by finding and contemplating some part of the Word. But since they did not know the whole of the Word, which is Christ, they often contradicted themselves … For all these writers were able to see realities darkly through the sowing of the implanted word that was in them … it was the work of Divine Providence on your behalf, that they, though often unconsciously, bore testimony to what the prophets said regarding one God … It is not, mind you, that we Christians hold the same opinions as your poets, but that all speak in imitation of ours.

St. Justin

More proof that Catholics have long relished looking for God's fingerprints in everything. Love it!

Worth a Thousand Words: A Street in Venice

John Singer Sargent, A Street in Venice

Weekend Joke: Didn't Get the Job

There are plenty more where that came from — at Savage Chickens.

Lagniappe: The White Meats

By the middle of Henry VIII's reign, the white meats — that is, dairy products — were considered common fare and people from all classes would eat meat whenever they could get it.

Clarissa Dickson Wright,
A History of English Food (The Tudor Kitchen)

Now that is really the "other" white meat! That makes perfect sense. Nutritious dairy put on the same playing ground as meat. They may not have had the chemistry but they didn't need it in this case.

Worth a Thousand Words: Melting

Melting, Laszlo Mednyanszky

Litany of St. Joseph

This is timely both for our Lenten litany and for the upcoming solemnity of St. Joseph.


This litany reminds me of how St. Joseph models not only fatherhood for us, but also life as a faithful believer. It was approved by Pope St. Pius X (1903-14).

Litany of Saint Joseph
In Honor of the Foster Father of Jesus

Lord, have mercy on us.

Lord, have mercy on us.

Lord, have mercy on us.

Christ, hear us.

Christ, graciously hear us.

God, the Father of Heaven,

Have mercy on us.

God the Son, Redeemer of the world,

Have mercy on us.

God the Holy Ghost,

Have mercy on us.

Holy Trinity, one God,

Have mercy on us.

Holy Mary,

Pray for us.

Holy Joseph,

Pray for us.

Noble Son of the House of David,

Pray for us.

Light of the Patriarchs,

Pray for us.

Husband of the Mother of God,

Pray for us.

Chaste Guardian of the Virgin,

Pray for us.

Foster-father of the Son of God,

Pray for us.

Sedulous Defender of Christ,

Pray for us.

Head of the Holy Family,

Pray for us.

Joseph most just,

Pray for us.

Joseph most chaste,

Pray for us.

Joseph most prudent,

Pray for us.

Joseph most valiant,

Pray for us.

Joseph most obedient,

Pray for us.

Joseph most faithful,

Pray for us.

Mirror of patience,

Pray for us.

Lover of poverty,

Pray for us.

Model of all who labor,

Pray for us.

Glory of family life,

Pray for us.

Protector of Virgins,

Pray for us.

Pillar of families,

Pray for us.

Consolation of the afflicted,

Pray for us.

Hope of the sick,

Pray for us.

Patron of the dying,

Pray for us.

Terror of the demons,

Pray for us.

Protector of the holy Church,

Pray for us.

Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world,

have mercy on us.

Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world,

have mercy on us.

Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world,

have mercy on us.

He made him master of his house,

and ruler of all his possessions.

O God, You were pleased to choose Saint Joseph as the husband of Mary and the guardian of your Son. Grant that, as we venerate him as our protector on earth, we may deserve to have him as our intercessor in heaven. We ask this through Christ our Lord.

Amen.

Lagniappe: Overeating as the English Vice

Wolsey and Henry VIII, it has to be said, were not exceptional in their love of the table. The English of Tudor times had a reputation throughout Europe for gluttony. Indeed, overeating was regarded as the English vice in the same way that lust was the French one and drunkenness that of the Germans (although looking at the amount of alcohol consumed in England, I expect the English probably ran a close second to the Germans).

Clarissa Dickson Wright,
A History of English Food (The Tudor Kitchen)

Oho, so perhaps our English heritage is showing these days!

Lagniappe: Climbing 8,000 Feet

The most disheartening thing about climbing 8,000+ feet in the Alps is finding a bunch of cows already there. It just feels like less of an achievement with a cow next to you.

Patrick Hunt

Life Everlasting by Gary Jansen

This book is about Catholic devotions—prayers, meditations, and small actions you can take right now that will assist you in directing your life toward the greater good, helping you to find solace, healing and direction when all seems lost....

Devotions function as a tap on the shoulder, a way of reorienting our soul's journey to the divine. They not only help us know God better, but they help us know god's beloved son, Jesus, better and in different ways.

Everyone knows that praying the rosary is a very Catholic thing to do. But it is just one of the many options the Catholic church offers to help people find their way to God both in prayer and in living everyday life. This was really a revelation to me after my conversion. I loved trying out different devotions as I came across them, seeing which fit my life and which didn't, incorporating them into my journey with God.

Gary Jansen takes us along on his personal journey of discovery in this book of prayer and devotions. It includes insights, general guidelines to help prayer, insights, and examples from the lives of the saints. The devotions range from basic Catholic touchstones like the rosary and Stations of the Cross, to lesser known devotions such as the Divine Mercy Chaplet, the Jesus Prayer, and the Miraculous Medal. It also includes something which can be hard to find, a lengthy appendix of prayers for every need.

I enjoyed Jansen's way of leading us into each devotion by coupling the history with his own personal experience. Although these devotions are often rooted far back in time, he shows us that they can be vital in our own lives today. Jansen also casts a wide enough net to surprise those of us who feel we already know all about devotions. For example, I have long had a devotion to my guardian angel but it never occurred to me to ask him to pray with me. Here's a person you never have to feel shy about praying with. I was especially touched by the prayer in step 3 of the explanation.

Guardian angel, pray with me. Lead me closer to God. Protect me and give me direction throughout the day.

The prayer not only covers all the bases but leads us to a new intimacy with someone who has known us since the day we were born.

I had several such moments when reading this very enjoyable and inspirational book. This would be a great gift for people entering the church but it will also be a good refresher for those who, like me, thought they knew all about devotionals.

Lagniappe: Writing Advice

In writing. Don’t use adjectives which merely tell us how you want us to feel about the thing you are describing. I mean, instead of telling us a thing was “terrible,” describe it so that we’ll be terrified. Don’t say it was “delightful”; make us say “delightful” when we’ve read the description. You see, all those words (horrifying, wonderful, hideous, exquisite) are only like saying to your readers, “Please will you do my job for me.

Letter to Joan Lancaster, June 26, 1956
C.S. Lewis, Letters to Children

I guess this is lagniappe only if you are not a writer. Although we could all use it when wondering why a book isn't grabbing us the way it should. Perhaps we're being asked to do the writer's job.

It's Funny Because It's True: The Onion and A Wrinkle in Time

Negative Review Of ‘A Wrinkle In Time’ Peppered With Critic Assuring Readers He Still Totally Supports Diversity

OAKLAND, CA—Alternating his problems with the film’s story structure, pacing, and overall tone with effusive praise for the cast of strong, multicultural women, Bay Area Examiner film columnist Justin Garren published a negative review of A Wrinkle In Time Friday in which he nevertheless took pains to remind his readership of his support for diversity. “This adaptation of Madeleine L’Engle’s young-adult classic sanitizes the book’s most powerful themes, making it a rare miss for director Ava DuVernay, whose MLK biopic, Selma, I give my highest recommendation,” Garren wrote in his two-star review of the science-fiction adventure, painstakingly and repeatedly noting that his objections to the film are purely on cinematic grounds. “There’s plenty of blame to go around, as many of the film’s problems lie squarely at the feet of white people—Jennifer Lee delivered a tepid screenplay that was done no favors by Chris Pine’s hardly there performance.” At press time, Garren had taken to social media to promote his thinkpiece lavishing praise on virtually every aspect of Black Panther.

From The Onion which boldly says what we're all thinking, and makes us laugh along the way. I have to say I never saw Joe Morgenstern be as nice as he was in his review while still pointing out all the reasons it was a bad movie. He's usually perfectly happy to rip a film to shreds, but not this time.

Weekend: Fish and Chips

A young hiker was traveling through a heavily wooded area and came upon a monastery full of friars and monks. He knocks on the door for directions, however he was invited inside for "fish and chips" for lunch.

After lunch he exclaimed that this was the most delicious fish and chips he had ever eaten. Seeing a chef emerge from the kitchen, he raced over and said, "Are you the Fish Friar?"

To which the reply was, "No, I am the Chip Monk."

Thanks to Mark Woodward of CowPi Journal for this one!

Worth a Thousand Words: Houses at Auvers

Vincent van Gogh, Houses at Auvers

Well Said: Arrogance and God's Mercy

"Kristin," the priest said sternly. "Are you so arrogant that you think yourself capable of sinning so badly that God's mercy is not great enough?"

Sigrid Undset, Kristin Lavransdatter

Listen Up — The Curious Cases of Rutherford & Fry

Science sleuths Dr Adam Rutherford and Dr Hannah Fry investigate everyday mysteries sent by listeners.

Here's another great show from the BBC. This half-hour podcast combines science with light-hearted presentation. Hannah Fry and Adam Rutherford are bona fide scientists but they bring a sense of fun and discovery to each question. Finding the answers can lead them into unexpected places but the questions themselves are often very simple.

• Why do we dream?
• Why do tunes get stuck in our heads?
• How far up can a helium balloon go?
• Can horses count?
• Why don't children like vegetables?

And many, many more. I love the hosts' chemistry and banter and their willingness to investigate any question, even when they seem silly. 

These questions are often suitable for family listening, as their simplicity indicates, and the show is produced for the radio so it is fairly family friendly. However, it is produced for adult listeners so you may want to preview episodes before listening with the kids. For example, when they examine the question of hair growing to different lengths leads to discussion including  all the different places where hair grows.

Litany of Humility

I picked this up from EWTN. It is by Merry Cardinal del Val, secretary of state to Pope Saint Pius X from the prayer book for Jesuits, 1963. For use in private devotion.

O Jesus, meek and humble of heart, Hear me.

From the desire of being esteemed, Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the desire of being loved, Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the desire of being extolled, Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the desire of being honored, Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the desire of being praised, Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the desire of being preferred to others, Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the desire of being consulted, Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the desire of being approved, Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the fear of being humiliated, Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the fear of being despised, Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the fear of suffering rebukes, Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the fear of being calumniated, Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the fear of being forgotten, Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the fear of being ridiculed, Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the fear of being wronged, Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the fear of being suspected, Deliver me, O Jesus.

That others may be loved more than I, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be esteemed more than I, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That, in the opinion of the world, others may increase and I may decrease, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be chosen and I set aside, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be praised and I go unnoticed, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be preferred to me in everything, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may become holier than I, provided that I may become as holy as I should, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

UPDATE
For bloggers there is Jeff Miller's Litany of Blog Humility ... it's funny because it's true. And it can be adapted for all sorts of social media, which weren't prominent (or even invented) when Jeff first did this litany.

If you can listen to a sermon podcast, why go to the church?

We know the answer to that one, right?

This came up in an email conversation with my Good Story podcast partner Scott Danielson. I thought you might enjoy it as much as I did.

Scott:

From the Catholicism-knows-what-its-doing-department, I was listening to the Phil Vischer Podcast and a guy was on there that wrote an article stating that podcasts of sermons are resulting in fewer churchgoers. They can get a sermon while drinking coffee, why actually go to the church?

Then a guy said something like, "well isn't the problem that people perceive the sermon as the main point of going to church?"

The another guy said that churches ought to "be creative" and do things other than sermons at the church.

And I thought that in the Catholic Church, the Eucharist is why we go. I love a good homily but of course it's Eucharist.

Interesting that some other Christian Churches are wondering what to do on Sundays.

Julie:

That IS interesting ... and your observation is so true.

Just this morning our pastor celebrated Mass and his homily was so deep and thoughtful and fantastic. In marked opposition to some of the other priests that are on the daily Mass schedule. One priest in particular is just disinterested, as far as I can tell ... we get the same message every time.

However, as Rose and I keep reminding ourselves - we aren't there for the homily. The point is that Jesus is there in the Eucharist. And that's why we are there.

The Church is truly our Mother ... helping us find the way. And I am so grateful for that.

Well Said: The priests from the barley lands

They received food from the monks at the churches they visited, and when they drank the blood-red wine and broke off the golden crust from the bread made of wheat, all four priests from the barley lands understood why Christ had honored wine and wheat, which were purer than all other foodstuffs that God had given humankind, by manifesting himself in their likeness during the holy communion.

Sigrid Undset, Kristin Lavransdatter

Worth a Thousand Words: Among the Sierra Nevada, California

Albert Bierstadt, Among the Sierra Nevada, California

Be sure to click on the image and look at it in original size. It is simply breathtaking.

Well Said: Seeing her own life from the uppermost summit of a mountain pass

She had finally come so far that she seemed to be seeing her own life from the uppermost summit of a mountain pass. Now her path led down into the darkening valley, but first she had been allowed to see that in the solitude of the cloister and in the doorway of death someone was waiting for her who had always seen the lives of people the way villages look from a mountain crest. He had seen sin and sorrow, love and hatred in their hearts, the way the wealthy estates and poor hovels, the bountiful acres and the abandoned wastelands are all borne by the same earth. And he had come down among them, his feet had wandered among the lands, stood in the castles and in huts, gathering the sorrows and sins of the rich and the poor, and lifting them high up with him on the cross. Not my happiness or my pride, but my sin and my sorrow, oh sweet Lord of mine. She looked up at the crucifix, where it hung high overhead, above the triumphal arch.

Sigrid Undset, Kristin Lavransdatter

Lent and Me — Update

I realized we're about halfway through Lent, which is often enough time to realize the benefits of our sacrifices. So a brief update from me.

Giving up:

• Most of the internet, except for Happy Catholic which will be like my little hermitage. No Facebook, Goodreads, or Letterboxd.
  These have been surprisingly easy to live without. So much so that I can foresee not returning to active participation when Lent is finished. Of course, I can also see how much avoidance I was practicing by spending a lot of time on those sites. And I can still post things on Facebook from here by using the Facebook symbol and it won't take me into the Facebook forum.

Adding on:

• Daily Mass during the week. I've been dreading it. Not dreading Mass but getting myself to follow a strict enough schedule to fit it in. That's the challenge.
  This has been the real toughie. I realized just how indulgent I've been with my timing. Working at home, I rarely had to get myself going by a certain time in the morning. This self discipline has been wearing but definitely good for me. I don't doubt that daily Mass is also good for me but those are results that I can't see right now. Seeds planted in the earth need time for germination and doubtless that is the result of daily communion.

Reading:

• Lenten Nonfiction
  
  The Power of Silence by Cardinal Sarah.
  I began this a couple of weeks ago and a few paragraphs daily are perfect morning reading for Lent.
  I read about 2/3 of this and then needed no more silence from that particular source. It was quite good, just a bit long on the topic for me. This may also be influenced by the fact that I'd read Sarah's book God or Nothing right before and it also had many meditations on silence woven throughout.
  
  The Reed of God by Caryll Houselander.
  This is a series of meditations upon Mary which are linked to the practical and inspirational in our own lives. It is profoundly Christocentric, as any good meditations upon Mary must be.
  
  
• Lenten Fiction
  
  Little Women by Louisa May Alcott.
  Waiting for Heather Ordover at CraftLit to begin Anne of Green Gables I roamed over her vast library and remembered that I didn't listen to Little Women when she covered it. I picked up the audiobook to accompany her excellent commentary. Reading it when younger I never paid attention to the Pilgrim's Progress theme that runs throughout. Heather is making sure I don't miss that theme and the simplicity of the book's old fashioned values is proving quite strengthening right now. I realized this morning that it is also excellent Lenten reading.
  This was really inspirational despite the simplicity. It was the return to roots which helps anchor me in everyday life.
  
  The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne
  The effects of sin, confessed and unconfessed, on the perpetrators and everyone around them — all wrapped in a compelling story.

Worth a Thousand Words: Wonderful Winter Day

Wonderful Winter Day, Remo Savisaar

Blogging Around

In a first, archdiocese unveils it parish pastoral plan for Amoris Laetitia

From The Deacon's Bench comes news that the Archdiocese of Washington has a plan for implementing Amoris Laetitia on a parish level.

What's the plan and can it be trusted is the question that comes to mind. Deacon Kandra has links and, what is more important, he asked his friend Deacon Bill Ditewig analyze the plan. Ditewig is a deacon for the Archdiocese of Washington and a theologian with over a quarter century of pastoral and ministerial experience. His commentary upon the pastoral plan was thorough and impressive. It certainly captured my attention by providing much needed context. He gives the plan thumbs up  but do go read the whole thing. Here's a bit ...

The document’s first significant contribution is context. In the Preface, Cardinal Wuerl makes clear that the Plan incorporates not only the teaching of Amoris Laetitia itself, but also the two Synods which preceded and inspired it. For me this is a most important reminder. Far too frequently, observers have attempted to read and comprehend the pope’s Exhortation without this context, and that, in my opinion, is not only inadequate but dangerous. “Text” always requires “context”, and the Cardinal makes this clear: to understand and to implement Amoris Laetitia, one must situate it within that broader global synodal process. Amoris Laetitia, precisely as a post-synodal apostolic exhortation, reflects not merely the personal teaching of the Holy Father himself; it is that, certainly, but so much more. The work of the preceding synods involved representatives of the world’s episcopal conferences, extensive consultation and research over several years, and intense discussions during the synods themselves. All of this reflected both the importance of the challenges facing contemporary families and the diversity of pastoral responses needed to help them.

What the "average German" really thought during WWII

We often read in history books statements about what people knew and thought during historical events. What's particularly interesting reading an extensive diary account such as this is seeing precisely what a German man with his eyes open (ordinary in all senses other than being anti-Nazi) saw and thought as events unfolded.

DarwinCatholic reviews My Opposition which was the secret diary of an ordinary German citizen during WWII. Darwin shares extensive excerpts. The review and excerpts were fascinating so I can only imagine how the book must grab you, provided you enjoy reading a diary.


Best Films of 2017
Steven Greydanus has a round up of best film lists from a lot of Christian film reviewers.

Well Said: A reflection of the heavens in the puddles of a muddy road

Dear sister—all other love is merely a reflection of the heavens in the puddles of a muddy road. You will become sullied too if you allow yourself to sink into it. But if you always remember that it’s a reflection of the light from that other home, then you will rejoice at its beauty and take good care that you do not destroy it by churning up the mire at the bottom.

Sigrid Undset, Kristin Lavransdatter

Scott and Julie steal a painting, elude an assassin, avoid a war, join a secret society, escape prison, and eat cake.

All while learning to become Lobby Boys, completely invisible yet always in sight. Join us as we discuss The Grand Budapest Hotel at A Good Story is Hard to Find podcast.

Worth a Thousand Words: Smoke of a .45

Charles Marion Russell, Smoke of a .45

Well Said: The Consequence of Sin

But I didn’t realize then that the consequence of sin is that you have to trample on other people.

Sigrid Undset, Kristin Lavransdatter

This seems to me to be the theme of the entire book.

Many thanks ...

... to the person who bought me The Reed of God from my Amazon wish list.

Your kindness has touched me ... and provided excellent reading too! 

Weekend Joke: Boudreaux and Lent

Boudreaux walks into a bar and orders three beers. The bartender raises his eyebrows, but serves Boudreaux three beers, which Boudreaux drinks quietly at a table, alone.

An hour later, Boudreaux has finished the three beers and orders three more. This happens yet again.

The next evening at the bar, Boudreaux again orders and drinks three beers at a time, several times.

This happens for several nights.

Soon, the people up and down the bayou are whispering about Boudreaux going to the bar and always drinking three beers at a time.

Finally, a week later, the bartender says "Boudreaux, I don't mean to be nosey, but everybody around here is wondering why you always order three beers at one time?"

Boudreaux replies, "You see, I have two brothers. One moved to Texas and de udder one to Mississippi. We promised each other dat we would always order an extra two beers whenever we drank as a way of keepin up de Boudreaux bond."

Everybody on the bayou was impressed with Boudreaux's explanation, and Boudreaux was the talk of the bayou.

Then, one day, Boudreaux comes in to the bar and orders only two beers.

The bartender pours them with a heavy heart. This continues for the rest of the evening ... Boudreaux always orders only two beers. The word flies up and down the bayou. Prayers are offered for the soul of one of the Boudreaux brothers.

The next day, the bartender says to Boudreaux, "People on the bayou and I want to offer condolences to you for the death of your brother. You know - the two beers and all."

Boudreaux ponders this for a moment, then replies, "You'll be happy to hear dat my two brothers are alive and well. It's jus dat me, myself, has decided to give up drinkin' for Lent."

Remember Goliad! Remember the Alamo!

Celebrating Texas Independence.

Let us raise our margarita glasses high in tribute to the brave heroes of the Texas Revolution.

Yes it is Lent and Friday! We can still fast from meat and yet feast! Let's all celebrate with that classic Texan dish, Cheese Enchiladas. You can get it at Meanwhile, Back in the Kitchen where there is a recipe for classic style or casserole style.

Other recommended activities:

• Read Lone Star Nation
• Watch The Alamo

Many thanks to my friend Don for keeping important Texas holidays top of mind!

Worth a Thousand Words: Lemon and Water

Duane Keiser, Lemon and Water

Well Said: Christopher Lee on Tolkien

What Professor Tolkien achieved is unique in the literature of my lifetime. Indeed, in my opinion, he had reached the peak of literary invention of all time. Nothing like it has ever existed, and probably never will.

Actor Christopher Lee who reread
The Lord of the Rings every year since
The Fellowship of the Ring was published

Litany To Sanctify Work

I like litanies because, if prayed thoughtfully and slowly, they open a window into self examination ... for me at least. Today I share the litany which Magnificat published years ago and which I have long appreciated.

The Catechism teaches that "daily work ... if ... accomplished in the Spirit -- indeed even the hardships of life if patiently born -- all these become spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ" (CCC 901). In a spirit of sacrifice, we consecrate our workday to the Lord and pray:

R: Lord, protect me.
From the temptation to be listless and lazy. R
From the temptation to complain. R
From the temptation to be critical of my boss. R
From the temptation to cheat or to be dishonest with others. R
From the temptation to gossip. R
From the temptation to lateness. R
From the temptation to waste time. R
From the temptation to be judgmental of my co-workers. R
From the temptation to procrastinate. R
From the temptation to be jealous or envious of others. R
From the temptation to be hypercritical. R
From the temptation to engage in idle conversation. R
From the temptation to be quick to take offense. R
From the temptation to shift my work onto others. R
From the temptation to impatience. R
From the temptation to cut corners or to be sloppy. R
From the temptation to give in to weariness. R

R: Lord, please grant it.
For the grace to be a peacemaker. R
For the grace to witness to you by word and example. R
For the grace to be energetic and committed. R
For the grace to be compassionate and forgiving. R
For the grace to offer up all tedium and drudgery. R
For the grace to be attentive to those in need. R
For the grace to be generous in sharing. R
For the grace to be prudent in dealing with others. R
For the grace to be kind. R
For the grace to be understanding. R
For the grace to fulfill my responsibilities well. R
For the grace to be patient and persevering. R
For the grace to put myself in others' shoes. R
For the grace to be dedicated and undistracted. R
For the grace to be honest and forthright. R
For the grace to be hard-working. R
For the grace to be free of stress. R
For the grace of insight to solve problems. R
For the grace of industriousness. R
For the grace to resolve conflicts and difficulties. R
For the grace to put up with hardships. R
For the grace to esteem the dignity of my co-workers. R
For the grace to be thankful for the chance to work. R
For the grace to spread the good news of the Gospel. R

Our Father ...

Worth a Thousand Words: Yellowhammers

Remo Savisaar, Yellowhammers

Well Said: Fiction is the lie that tells the truth

We writers -- and especially writers for children, but all writers -- have an obligation to our readers; it's the obligation to write true things, especially important when we are creating tales of people who do not exist in places that never were -- to understand that truth is not in what happens but in what it tells us about who we are. Fiction is the lie that tells the truth, after all.

Neil Gaiman in a talk about libraries

Worth a Thousand Words: A Field of California Poppies

Granville Redmond, A Field of California Poppies

The Fourth Cup by Scott Hahn

Dr. Scott Hahn explains Christ's Paschal sacrifice on the cross as the fulfillment of the traditional fourth cup used in the celebration of Passover, drawing symbolic parallels to the Last Supper and Christ's death on Calvary. Through his scholarly insights and important biblical connections, Mass will come alive for you as never before.

I first encountered Scott Hahn's writing not long before I entered the Church. My godmother had given me Rome, Sweet Home which was co-written with his wife, Kimberly, and is their joint conversion story.

After that, I picked up A Father Who Keeps His Promises which traces, as the subtitle tells us, God's covenant love in scripture. I didn't know what that meant. I just wanted something more by that author. It proved formational as I was pulled into a new world where the Bible had layer upon layer of deeper meaning than I'd encountered before. It was not only formational in my faith life, but in my reading and movie viewing. I learned to dig deeper and find meaning everywhere.

I bring these experiences up because The Fourth Cup is something like a synthesis of both of those books, plus a little extra. Sparked by a teacher's question which seeming had no answer, Scott Hahn began trying to find out the meaning of Jesus's final words on the cross, "It is finished." What was the "it" which was finished? This sent him on a long journey which ended in Hahn's entering the Catholic church and digging deep into the meaning of Passover and Christ's death on the cross.

The Fourth Cup is part detective story, part memoir, part conversion story, and partly linking the Catholic faith back to Jewish roots. The entire mix is very easy to read and thought provoking. I found it inspirational and during Lent I have been very aware of the real meaning of "The Lamb" every time he is mentioned during Mass. Definitely recommended.

Well Said: God employs several translators in our life

All mankind is of one author, and is one volume; when one man dies, one chapter is not torn out of the book, but translated into a better language; and every chapter must be so translated; God employs several translators; some pieces are translated by age, some by sickness, some by war, some by justice; but God's hand is in every translation, and his hand shall bind up all our scattered leaves again, for that library where every book shall lie open to one another ...

John Donne, Meditation XVII

This comes from the famous "ask not for whom the bell tolls ... no man is an island" meditation. As you can see from the excerpt above there is richness throughout the whole thing, which is fairly short. Do go read the it all.

Worth a Thousand Words: Katsushika

Katsushika by Takahashi Shōtei

Well Said: Predestination

I have noticed even people who claim everything is predestined, and that we can do nothing to change it, look before they cross the road.

Stephen Hawking

Lagniappe: A little meal of peace

Sometimes I rather like noise. The testosterone-fuelled roar of a football match heard from my back garden; the tired and blissfully happy sounds of a crowd singing along at a festival; the swoosh of a barista's steam wand. But most times I prefer peace and quiet. The sound of snow falling in a forest os more my style — something I have yet to hear this year.

There is quiet food also. The tastes of peace and quiet, of gentleness and calm. The solitary observance of a bowl of white rice; the peacefulness of a dish of pearl barley; running your fingers through couscous. The thing these have in common is that they are grains or something of that ilk. What is it about these ingredients that makes them so calming? Could it just be that they bring us gastronomically down to earth, show us how pure and simple good eating can be? This is food pretty much stripped of its trappings. This is, after all, the food that many people survive upon.

Nigel Slater, February 26, The kitchen diaries II

After reading so much from The Power of Silence it was interesting to come upon a meditation on silence from a completely different source.

Podcast Review: In Our Time

The show is beloved in the U.K.; for American podcast enthusiasts, it might be experienced as a refreshing change of pace. It’s nothing like the “This American Life” style of audio entertainment, marked by self-effacing narrative authority, inventive sound design, human intimacy of various kinds, and artfully revealed narrative surprises. It is not organized into themed seasons or arcs. Nor is it an NPR-style show about current events, scientific discoveries, or new books, satisfying a need to keep up with the cultural conversation. It’s just four intelligent people in a studio, discussing complex topics that are, as a friend of mine once said of Bragg’s openers, aggressively uncommercial.

Escape the News with the British Podcast "In Our Time with Melvyn Bragg"

There is really nothing like the eclectic selection of topics that are covered in In Our Time. Each week, host Melvyn Bragg and three experts delve into things I'd often never thought about, but am always glad I was exposed to by the end of the episode. Art, science, personalities, history, religion, philosophy, culture, and more are all grist for their mill. Moby Dick, The Bronze Age Collapse, Cephalopods (squid, octopus, etc.), The Congress of Vienna, and Frederick Douglass have all recently streamed through my iPod.

The experts vary with the topics so Bragg is the only constant, other than the endearing producer who ends each episode by bringing in the tea trolley. The conversation is unfailingly polite, even when there are basic disagreements, a la the manners we've seen in The Great British Baking Show. And Bragg's questions and observations bring everyone back on point when they stray from the path.

For more, do read the article linked above. It is a love letter with which I heartily agree.

In Our Time website

In Our Time iTunes

Worth a Thousand Words: Desdemona

Desdemona, Frederic Leighton