Mother Angelica's Answers, Not Promises

From the founder of EWTN Global Catholic Network comes this profoundly practical, humorous, and common-sense approach to answering life's most vexing questions.

I was never much interested in EWTN though I knew it did untold good. Likewise, I was never really drawn to Mother Angelica, the nun who founded EWTN. However, I happened to be surrounded by people who sang her praises in 2003 when I was a fairly new Catholic. So I read this book and found that  Mother Angelica's sturdy common sense grounded in faith was good for both instruction and inspiration.

Recently, after passing along a favorite quote from this book, I wondered if it would be good to recommend to new Catholics. It had been so long that I had only a hazy memory of the contents so I picked it up again. It turns out that it is good not only for new Catholics but for those who've practiced the faith for a while. It was good to read Mother Angelica's steady advice and instruction again, a way to ground myself anew in the basics.

Examples from her life and those of people asking for advice alternate to give us real life examples we can relate to. She never discounts the realities of living daily joys, sorrows, and struggles, but also reminds us of the less tangible realities of loving God and of our ultimate goal of getting to heaven. I found it a good reminder of all those realities, a help on my journey, and inspirational overall.

Recommended for everyone.

Suddenly the wave crashed at my feet. … When I looked up, I noticed that a tiny droplet of water had hit the top of my hand. It was so beautiful. It glistened like a diamond in the sun.

The droplet affected me so deeply with its beauty that I felt unworthy of it, and to my own surprise, as I stood there, I threw it back into the ocean.

My odd little peace was broken when I felt the Lord say to me, "Angelica?"

I said, "Yes, Lord?"

"Did you see the drop?"

I said, "Yes, Lord."

"That drop is like all of your sins, your weaknesses, your frailties and your imperfections. And the ocean is like My Mercy. If you looked for that drop, could yu find it?"

I said, "No, Lord."

"If you looked and looked, could you find it?"

I said, "No, Lord."

And then He said to me, ever so quietly. "So why do you keep looking?"

A Second-Rate Turner

Because of today's featured art.

Art creates an incomparable and unique effect, and, having done so, passes on to other things. Nature, upon the other hand, forgetting that imitation can be made the sincerest form of insult, keeps on repeating this effect until we all become absolutely wearied of it. Nobody of any real culture, for instance, ever talks nowadays about the beauty of a sunset. Sunsets are quite old-fashioned. They belong to the time when Turner was the last note in art. To admire them is a distinct sign of provincialism of temperament. Upon the other hand they go on. Yesterday evening Mrs. Arundel insisted on my going to the window, and looking at the glorious sky, as she called it. Of course I had to look at it. She is one of those absurdly pretty Philistines to whom one can deny nothing. And what was it? It was simply a very second-rate Turner, a Turner of a bad period, with all the painter's worst faults exaggerated and over-emphasised.

Oscar Wilde, The Decay of Lying: An Observation

Westminster Sunset

Westminster Sunset, JMW Turner

Russian Balloon Seller

Russian Balloon Seller - streets of Petrograd
1881 Miss Rose Rayner

C.S. Lewis on listening to Hitler

On July 19, Lewis had been listening with Havard to a BBC broadcast of Hitler's "Last Appeal to Great Britain" address before the Reichstag, a litany of threats and promises beginning and ending with a call "to reason and common sense." Lewis was intrigued: "I don't know if I'm weaker than other people," he told Warnie, "but it is a positive revelation to me how while the speech lasts it is impossible not to waver just a little."

Philip Zaleski and Carol Zaleski, The Fellowship

Two days later Lewis was inspired to write The Screwtape Letters.

America and space

In America there is more space where nobody is than where anybody is — that is what makes America what it is.

Gertrude Stein

That certainly struck me with great force when we were driving on our vacation.

Braniff stewardesses in the 1960s

Braniff stewardesses in the 1960s, via Traces of Texas

Braniff stewardesses in the 1960s. They are wearing uniforms designed by Italian fashion designer Emilio Pucci, best known for geometric prints in a kaleidoscope of colors. I kind of wish air travel still had this sense of whimsy about it. It's become such a drudgery. Braniff, of course, was based in Dallas.

That makes any flight more fun!

Butterflies

Sarah Paxton Ball Dodson, Butterflies

Marsh Harrier

Marsh Harrier, Remo Savisaar

I don't know how Remo Savisaar gets such stunning photos, I just know that he does it over and over. It's always hard to choose which to share here.

Do yourself a favor and go to his blog to see all the other gorgeous photos he's taken.

This Diwali — Thugs Of Hindostan (Updated)

As any regular readers are well aware, we're really into Bollywood movies at our house. In addition to the fun of finding a whole new sort of movie experience, we recently realized that we've gradually been educated more about Indian culture and attitudes. (All are reviewed under the Bollywood link above.)

• Ek Tha Tiger taught us that the Indians feel about Pakistan the way we felt about the USSR in James Bond movies.
• Chak De! India taught us that the Indians struggle to put national unity above regional identity.
• English Vinglish showed us how Indians felt about the American immigration experience. And about the importance placed on speaking English in India.
• Aiyyaa (not reviewed) gave us a glimpse of the Hindi ideas of Tamil culture.
• Dhoom 3 showed us that no villain is worse than a bank. Ever.

Recently Rose began looking into top grossing Indian films to supplement her Top 100 Bollywood movies list from which we'd been drawing. This is when we realized that Diwali (the Hindu festival of lights, which is a national holiday) is the time to release your big blockbusters. So many trailers have "This Diwali!" as the release time.

And, luckily, this Diwali (early November) is coming a movie for which I've been waiting. Yes, we've finally come that far. We can eagerly anticipate movie openings.

The director of Tashan and Dhoom 3 teamed with  some of our favorite stars, Aamir Khan and Katrina Kaif, to give us what looks like an amazing historical romp set in the time of the Raj. I know I've never seen Aamir Khan looking like this (the rascally scoundrel).

Check out the trailer (it has captions, in case they don't come on automatically).

Thugs Of Hindostan - Official Trailer

Amitabh Bachchan | Aamir Khan | Katrina Kaif

Set in 1795, the film follows a band of Thugs led by Khudabaksh Azaad, who aspires to free Hindostan (the Indian subcontinent) from the rule of the expanding British East India Company. Alarmed, British commander John Clive sends a small-time Thug from Awadh, Firangi Mallah, to infiltrate and counter the threat.

This may wind up being the first Indian movie we actually go to a theater to watch! There are some theaters north of us with a large Indian community where English subtitled films can be seen. Can't wait!

UPDATE
We did go see this at the theater and enjoyed it enormously. It was a big spectacle and we loved it.

 Hannah and Rose discussed it in episode 39 of An American's Guide to Bollywood podcast.

Café Américain

Café Américain, Edward B. Gordon

One can never wrestle enough with God if one does so out of pure regard for the truth.

It seemed to me certain, and I still think so today, that one can never wrestle enough with God if one does so out of pure regard for the truth. Christ likes us to prefer truth to him because, before being Christ, he is truth. If one turns aside from him to go toward the truth, one will not go far before falling into his arms.

Simone Weil

I love that phrase, "falling into his arms." This resonates with me particularly since I found God by wondering what the truth was. And I fell into his arms thanks to that pursuit.

Night's Bright Darkness by Sally Read

In the spring of 2010 Sally Read was heralded as one of the bright young writers of the British poetry scene. Feminist, atheist and deeply anti-Catholic, she was writing a book about women's reproduction and sexuality when, during her research, she spoke with a Catholic priest. That mysterious encounter led Sally on a dramatic journey of spiritual quest and discovery which ended up at the Vatican itself, where she was received into the Catholic Church in December of that year.

Read confronts head on the burning question for God that every true Christian harbors: What do you want me to do? In an age of increasing secularism, and in the wake of disillusionment with the Catholic Church following disclosures of abuse, the book takes us to the core of what the Church is all about: Christ and the yearning to be near him.

This was my book club's recent selection. About halfway through I was not sure if I liked Read herself very much but I was sure that I liked her unutterable honesty. She was aggressive and argumentative and irrepressibly attached to extreme progressive thinking. We've all either been her or met her. What I loved was her searing honesty about herself and her conversion. I can forgive almost anything of such an honest person. By the end, as happens with us all if we allow God His way, Read has become someone who is both changed and more herself in a way she never was before.

It was interesting being a convert and reading this. I recognized moments so specifically from my own journey and yet, of course, they were completely foreign because they were shaped to Sally Read's soul and not my own. It made them all the more inspiring for me.

Moved me to the point of tears several times and has helped me on my own journey at this point. Definitely recommended.

Gingersnaps

A recipe for classic crisp, spicy gingersnaps truly worthy of the "snap" in their name. These are the ones I make every Christmas. Simple and delicious.

The Fellowship: The Literary Lives of the Inklings by Philip Zaleski and Carol Zaleski

A stirring group biography of the Inklings, the Oxford writing club featuring J.R.R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis

C.S. Lewis is the twentieth century’s most widely read Christian writer and J.R.R. Tolkien its most beloved mythmaker. For three decades, they and their closest associates formed a literary club known as the Inklings, which met weekly in Lewis’s Oxford rooms and in nearby pubs. They discussed literature, religion, and ideas; read aloud from works in progress; took philosophical rambles in woods and fields; gave one another companionship and criticism; and, in the process, rewrote the cultural history of modern times.

Romantics who scorned rebellion, fantasists who prized reality, wartime writers who believed in hope, Christians with cosmic reach, the Inklings sought to revitalize literature and faith in the twentieth century's darkest years--and did so in dazzling style.

I've read enough about Tolkien, Lewis, and the Inklings that I resisted this behemoth of a book until now. What hooked me was that the authors delve into both their faith and their literary works more deeply than the other things I've read. I read slowly, just picking it up here and there, and it was oh so satisfying.

One of the things I especially liked was that it humanized and made likable some of the characters who came off as one dimensional in other biographies. For example, Lewis's father always seemed an unfeeling fellow who continually made Lewis miserable. In this book we see excerpts of letters between the father and Warnie, Lewis's much loved brother, where both are worried about some activity of Lewis's. So we get another angle. The same goes for Edith Tolkien who I've simply seen written about as miserable and unfulfilled as a person. That angle is not ignored, but we also see the Tolkien couple's devotion to each other and the good things she got from her marriage to J.R.R. Lewis's wife Joy and their relationship gets similarly balanced treatment.

I'd say that this is the only book you need if you are interested in biographies of Tolkien and Lewis, or simply interested in the Inklings. It is superb and superior to any other books I've read on these subjects.

We're Back!

And we had a wonderful time exploring the Old and New South in Charleston, Savannah, Muscle Shoals, and points en route.

I will share more later ... am diving back into "real life" today and paddling hard to keep my head above water!

Road Trip — Charleston

Source

I've always heard it is one of America's most beautiful cities. And I love Revolutionary history, which Charleston abounds in. This year we put off traveling, hoping crowds would lessen when school began. We didn't count on hurricane season, but it seems as if Charleston got off fairly easy. So we're going to find out for ourselves.

You know how it is — we love a road trip. So we're driving.

There is something about seeing the land change as you drive by. About meeting the different people on the way, hearing new accents, seeing food specialties change. You understand the country a little differently.

That slow evolution also is reflected on the people traveling, as Tom and I have found. Listening to music or audiobooks, letting silence fill the car, watching miles slip away - these are all conducive to reflections that we just don't have time for in regular life. We may never have the time to develop the thoughts, much less carry them through into conversation. Long hours in the car lend themselves to such things.

So we embrace the simple road trip. I get my knitting, we pick out audiobooks and podcasts, pack up the cocktail kit for our evenings, and hit the road. Plus, you have the chance for side trips which indulge at least one person's special interests. And we've got one of those planned ... Muscle Shoals style. Maybe we'll also swing down to Savannah, Tom being interested in Revolutionary ports (hey any excuse, right?)

More on all that once we return, in about a week. There will be a few planned posts popping up here for some of my favorite feast days.

The Whole Business of Life, The Only Road to Love and Peace

[Obedience] appears to me more and more the whole business of life, the only road to love and peace — the cross and the crown in one ... What indeed can we imagine Heaven to be but unimpeded obedience. I think this is one of the causes of our love of inanimate nature, that in it we see things which unswervingly carry out the will of their Creator, and are therefore wholly beautiful: and through their kind of obedience is infinitely lower than ours, yet the degree is so much more perfect ...

C.S. Lewis, letter to Alan Griffiths

Dunlin

Dunlin, Remo Savisaar

Deviant Rising by Alexander Barnes and Christopher Preiman

The Helix was created to revolutionize the way we communicate. But even the purest of intentions can spawn terrible evil.

This wasn’t what Lithia had in mind when she decided to run away from home. Her ship was not meant to carry a fugitive wanted in two galaxies, or the stowaways running from a war that wasn’t hers. She just wanted to live a quiet, peaceful life alongside her brother. But now she knows too much about The Helix, the secret hidden deep within it, and what it would mean for all humankind if she walked away.

Deviant Rising is a solid space opera with big ideas, likable characters, and plenty of action.

The Helix is a universal communications system which everyone in the future is as addicted to as we are addicted to the internet. And what's not to like? It connects with your brain, feeding all the info you need on demand. At least that's how the people of the United Planets of Earth (UPE) feel about it. Out on the Frontier, well, that's a different story. They're pretty independent and not crazy about the UPE's edict that they hook up to the Helix.

And so a rebellion begins.

There's more to it than that, of course. Star Wars style, this tale is told through the eyes of several people who are unconnected to any big doings of government, politics, or power. Or so they think. I mentioned Star Wars and we do meet some familiar character types with motivations that are similar. But the feel I had more was of Firefly, with stubborn people on the fringes of society doing what they must to scratch along and, if necessary, make things right.

I really enjoyed this future San Francisco with the rich people living high up in full sunlight and the poor stuck at the bottom in the Undercity where no light ever penetrates. What a novel idea for establishing privilege and caste. I also enjoyed the Archer's Agony setting, with the story of how the dead ships docking just became part of the structure. That sounds just about right for a frontier culture without lots of resources.

There's a big cast of characters, including my favorites:  a cyborg-assassin with a conscience (we love to love those bad boys, right?) and a naturally gifted engineer who's never happier than when he gets his hands on an engine to fix (like Kaylee from Firefly). They are part of three different plots that come together (natch) into one fast paced story.

In a lot of ways it made me think of my favorite Robert Heinlein stories, the "juveniles" which didn't dumb it down but gave us plenty of action to go with the ideas.

A lot of fun and I hope there is a sequel though this is a stand alone novel.

Loyola Kids Book of Catholic Signs & Symbols by Amy Welborn

For centuries people learned about the Christian faith through paintings, sculptures, objects, and gestures. Simple images still convey deep messages if we learn how to see and understand them. Award-winning children’s author Amy Welborn has created a friendly and fascinating sourcebook on the signs and symbols of the Catholic faith.

I can't praise this book highly enough.

I originally was interested in this book so I could recommend it to young mothers I know. However, looking through it, I realized I have someone much closer who is going to be interested. My daughter, Rose, is helping teach religious education to fifth graders this year (that's Sunday School for any Protestants reading).

She's well catechized but it's been a long time, if ever, since she's had to make complex concepts simple without being dumbed down, interesting without being obvious. This book is the perfect resource for those needs. It doesn't only explain the basics, but gives broader context for other encounters the reader might have.

For example, after covering John the Baptist's symbols, we get a little art appreciation also:

John appears in some portraits of the baby Jesus and his mother. You know the other child is John because, even in these pictures, the little child is dressed in camel's hair and holds a staff or a lamb! The artist does not mean that the baby John was present at Jesus' birth. The image of the two babies reminds us that John's holy purpose was to share the Good News of Jesus, the Lamb of God.

Which is a nice reminder that knowing about the symbols is fine, but finding them in your church, art, and around the house are how they provide a lived experience of faith

While Rose and I randomly flipped pages we were impressed time and again by the beautiful simplicity with which Amy Welborn explained not only the symbols but the deeper messages to be taken away.

Reading about the Burning Bush in the Old Testament section, we learn:

As a sign, so the people would trust Moses and know it was God who had called him, God revealed his name from the bush: I am who I am. This means that God has not been created—God is existence.

Beautifully put. The children have an explanation to ponder. It is followed by a bit of insight to fall like a seed into young hearts:

When we see the symbol of the burning bush, we remember God's love, always ready to save. We remember that he called Moses and gave him the strength and grace to help others. And we remember how great God is, and we thank him for the gift of life—all that was, all that is, and all that is to come.

These things aren't bad for us to be reminded of either, so the benefits go to both the teacher/parent and child.

This is a book which I will give to my goddaughter (and grandchildren when they come along) when she is old enough to understand it. Which won't be that long from now!

Addendum:
For adults wanting more, I recommend Signs and Mysteries: Revealing Ancient Christian Symbols by Mike Aquilina. Really wonderful.

Morgens in Holland

Morgens in Holland, Edward B. Gordon

Like a Marriage Retreat in a Book: Reviewing For Better, For Worse, For God

I first reviewed this book in 2009, but still recommend it a lot, especially to people who can't make it to the Beyond Cana retreat. So I thought I'd rerun the review since it's been a good, long time since then.

... becoming one flesh means more than a physical union. Genesis says that God created man and woman to become one body. The Hebrew word for body or "flesh," refers to the physical body for sure, but it encompasses much more. Body includes the whole person: body, mind, and spirit. We're called to be united with our spouse physically, emotionally, and spiritually while retaining our unique individuality. God's design for this partnership is that it nurtures our lives and in so doing gives life to the world.

Men Are from Mars and Women Are from Venus--John Gray and his publishers picked a great title for his bestselling book on marriage. It has become a popular shorthand way of saying that men and women are profoundly different. They are so different that it often seems they live on different planets.

In addition to the obvious anatomical differences, men and women are "wired" differently in their communication styles, emotional makeup, and sexual responses. You and your spouse differ as individuals. Your temperaments are different. You come into marriage with dissimilar expectations, desires, hopes and approaches to problem solving. And while you don't really live on different planets, you come from different places. You were raised in different families. Your family of origin gave you ideas about marriage, child rearing, sex roles, and family values that are different from your spouse's. Some marriage experts say that incompatibility was never a valid reaon for divorce becuase all couples are incompatible to some extent.

Creating an "us" in the face of these differences is a challenging dimension of the vocation of marriage. to become "one," partners must understand the many ways in which they differ from each other and recognize how their differences can work in their favor in terms of their partnership. They also need to learn to manage these differences without hurting each other.

First, becoming an "us" is a realistic goal. The differences between men and women are great, but the desire to achieve unity is even greater. Men and women deeply desire each other; most men and women want to share their lives with a partner of the opposite sex. ... If God created us this way, we can be assured that he gives us the grace to achieve the union we desire.

Second, the work of becoming an "us" is spiritual work, and it requires spiritual disciplines, as already mentioned. Each vocation has its distinctive challenges, and becoming one with a particular other person for life is the unique challenge of marriage; the spiritual disciplines of marriage are the tools we use to achieve it. The disciplines we practice within marriage may seem mundane, such as counting to ten before returning an angry response, or waiting patiently for a spouse who is slow, but they accomplish something remarkable. They allow us to live in communion with someone who feels, perceives, reacts, responds, and loves differently from us.

Living in communion is holy because the conjugal life both mirrors and provides the world with an experience of belonging and acceptance God desires with us. Like the "communion" we experience in the sacraments of the Eucharist, marriage can provide the opportunity to "be one in Christ," the goal for all baptized believers.

Someone who has attended one of the Beyond Cana marriage enrichment retreats that Tom and I help to present may recognize many, if not all, of the principles above. Members of the presentation team definitely will. After working on these retreats for several years, I can tell you that I was blown away by Mary Jo Pederson's book. She consistently took the concepts that Tom and I have learned and practiced in that retreat and expanded upon them in knowledgeable, practical, spiritual, and even humorous ways.

If I included all the pieces that I read aloud to Tom, only to hear him say, "Wow. That is so true. This author is really good!" then we'd be here all day. This is the book I will be buying for newly weds, friends who wish they could make it to a retreat, and for our girls when they are getting married. It can't replace a retreat but it surely is a good supplement and a great grounding in reality for any married couple. Highest recommendations on this one.

Afternoon with Wyeth, Belinda Del Pesco

Afternoon with Wyeth, Belinda Del Pesco

I really like N.C. Wyeth's illustrations, as you may recall. I was interested to see that one of his children, Andrew, grew up to be a famous artist. Check out Belinda's post where she talks a little about her admiration for Andrew and recommends a bio.

A delightful confection from Bollywood: Barfi!

Let's get this out of the way up front. "Barfi" brings up a really unfortunate word association for Americans. Perhaps it will help to know that Barfi is a popular confection in India and that applies very well to the title character whose nickname it is.

Barfi is a magical fairy tale of a film, somewhat like an Indian-style Amelie.  We see four timelines, a rarity for Indian movies, chronicling a romance, a crime spree (of sorts), life in the big city with a childhood friend, and present day. Naturally, these timelines are all interwoven and in learning about Barfi's life, we learn about the people in it and how he touched them all.

The writer/director has a light touch and a love for silent films since he managed to work in a number of classic comedy routines. Although there is a lot of music it is all done as for a Western movie, over the action. Ranbir Kapoor, as Barfi, does a good job conveying these routines and, in fact, essentially portraying a silent character whose eloquent, creative body language makes up for the fact that he's a deaf-mute.

The first half was very slow and could have had at least half an hour cut with no problem. But I'd gladly watch the part after Intermission a dozen more times. The magic definitely outweighs the slow beginning. Definitely recommended.

Rating — Introduction to Bollywood (come on in, the water's fine!)

Hannah and Rose discuss Barfi in episode 56 of An American's Guide to Bollywood podcast.

On My Way to Amsterdam, Edward B. Gordon

On My Way to Amsterdam, Edward B. Gordon

Letter to Pope Francis from Catholic Women ... and also Catholic Men

We write to you, Holy Father, to pose questions that need answers.

We are Catholic women deeply committed to our faith and profoundly grateful for Church teachings, the Sacraments, and the many good bishops and priests who have blessed our lives.

Our hearts are broken, our faith tested, by the escalating crisis engulfing our beloved Church. We are angry, betrayed and disillusioned. The pain and suffering of the victims never ends, as each news cycle brings more horrific revelations of sexual abuse, sexual misconduct, cover-ups, and deceit—even at the Church’s highest levels. ...

Several crucial questions raised by Archbishop Viganò’s statement, however, require neither lengthy investigations nor physical evidence. They require only your direct response, Holy Father. When reporters questioned you recently about Archbishop Viganò’s charges, you replied, “I will not say a single word on this.” You told reporters to “read the statement carefully and make your own judgment.”

To your hurting flock, Pope Francis, your words are inadequate. They sting, reminiscent of the clericalism you so recently condemned. We need leadership, truth, and transparency. We, your flock, deserve your answers now. ...

This is an excellent letter which will be sent very soon to Pope Francis. Read the whole thing. It is eloquent, respectful, and expresses my feelings well so I signed it. I am one of over 35,000 Catholic women to do so.

A letter was written today from men who are standing alongside Catholic women. I was really touched, actually, seeing these men talk about being in love with Christ and his Church. You may read and sign it here.

I wrote my own letter last week (because of course I did) and mailed it off to Vatican City but have a feeling these letters will get more attention. Regardless, I have done what I can and now will fast and pray.

St. Catherine of Siena, pray for us and Pope Francis and the Church. Amen.

Captain Blood, N.C. Wyeth

Captain Blood, N.C. Wyeth

We watched The Black Swan this weekend — no, not the one with too many Natalie Portmans — a 1942 pirate swashbuckler starring Tyrone Power and Maureen O'Hara. I'd been reading a lot of Rafael Sabatini lately and, though I hadn't read this book yet, I was in the mood for escaping reality. It was a lot of fun though, as I discovered afterward, not nearly as good as the book. I'm so glad I encountered the movie first.

Tom was looking around and came across this wonderful cover by N.C. Wyeth for Sabatini's more famous pirate tale. (Not my fave, but to each his own.) The look of the movie was as if it had been lifted from this cover, which was a wise choice if that's what happened.

Bulls and the Bullring

It is not the same to talk of bulls as to be in the bullring.

Spanish proverb

Every culture has a way of saying this, I think, which just goes to show that human nature never really changes. There is always the person holding forth theoretically, as if it were the same as real life. And then there is the experience of getting in there and facing the bull. You can't beat hands on experience for really understanding something.

Well Said: The Very Heart of Religion

Gregor flushed as he went on: "The entire content of the Confesions could be put into one single sentence in the book: when Augustine addresses God, saying: 'Thou hast made us for Thyself and our heart is unquiet until it rests in Thee.' This sentence, my lords and friends, is immortal. It contains the very heart of religion."

Louis de Wohl, The Restless Flame

Ain't that the truth!

3 Week Old Ass

3 Week Old Ass

O big, brown brother out of the waste, How do thistles for breakfast taste?

“The Ass”

I woke and rose and slipt away
To the heathery hills in the morning grey.

In a field where the dew lay cold and deep
I met an ass, new-roused from sleep.

I stroked his nose and I tickled his ears,
And spoke soft words to quiet his fears.

His eyes stared into the eyes of me
And he kissed my hands of his courtesy.

“O big, brown brother out of the waste,
How do thistles for breakfast taste?

“And do you rejoice in the dawn divine
With a heart that is glad no less than mine?

“For, brother, the depth of your gentle eyes
Is strange and mystic as the skies:

“What are the thoughts that grope behind,
Down in the mist of a donkey mind?

“Can it be true, as the wise men tell,
That you are a mask of God as well,

“And, as in us, so in you no less
Speaks the eternal Loveliness,

“And words of the lips that all things know
Among the thoughts of a donkey go?

“However it be, O four-foot brother,
Fair to-day is the earth, our mother.

“God send you peace and delight thereof,
And all green meat of the waste you love,

“And guard you well from violent men
Who’d put you back in the shafts again.”

But the ass had far too wise a head
To answer one of the things I said,

So he twitched his fair ears up and down
And turned to nuzzle his shoulder brown.

C.S. Lewis, 1919

I discovered this via The Fellowship: The Literary Lives of the Inklings by Philip and Carol Zaleski, which I am enjoying more than any other biography I've read of Tolkien, Lewis, or The Inklings. They comment:

In its pastoral serenity, its humor ("O big, brown brother out of the waste, / How do thistles for breakfast taste?"), its Franciscan love of lowly creatureliness, this poem one might expect from Lewis at fifty years of age; it is a happy harbinger of things to come.

GetReligion is the place to go for Catholic news analysis

I've long been a fan of GetReligion where reporters examine how the media covers religion. Time and again they point out where biases are presented as fact, where big questions aren't asked, and where the good coverage is.

They help me examine the public story of "what everybody knows" and keep my own sense of balance. You never have to just take their word for it because links are always provided so you can go read all the original reporting for yourself. Each piece is the best news roundup you can find.

In the case of all the Catholic chaos lately GetReligion is again keeping me thinking, alert, and balanced.

I strongly recommend you add them to your media of preference to make sure you're seeing all the angles, whether for good or ill.

You can't do better than to begin with this story by Julia Duin who's been impressing me with her analysis: Coverage by the conservative and global press raises the stakes in Viganò affair.

Cardinal DiNardo: reaffirmed call for a prompt and thorough examination into how the grave moral failings of a brother bishop could have been tolerated for so long and proven no impediment to his advancement.

I was just wondering yesterday if we'd hear again from Cardinal DiNardo (president of the U.S. Bishop's Council) about plans for the future in reference to Cardinal McCarrick. After the first flurry of press releases, it would be easy to let things die down until the bishops' conference in a few months.

Nope. He read my mind and came out with a piece yesterday which makes me feel he is really urgent and cares about the issue, especially since he mentions Archbishop Viganò's letter. Here's a bit but do go read it all.

Yesterday, I convened our Executive Committee once again, and it reaffirmed the call for a prompt and thorough examination into how the grave moral failings of a brother bishop could have been tolerated for so long and proven no impediment to his advancement.

"The recent letter of Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò brings particular focus and urgency to this examination. The questions raised deserve answers that are conclusive and based on evidence. Without those answers, innocent men may be tainted by false accusation and the guilty may be left to repeat sins of the past.

... I am confident Pope Francis shares our desire for greater effectiveness and transparency in the matter of disciplining bishops. We renew our fraternal affection for the Holy Father in these difficult days.

ALSO, Bishop Barron has a video Q&A about the Sexual Abuse Crisis. Note: the audio has also been uploaded to the Word on Fire podcast feed.

Friends, many of you have asked for my thoughts on the McCarrick abuse crisis, the Pennsylvania grand jury report, and the recent report from Archbishop Viganò. We're all devastated by the horrific suffering of these many victims, and we're all wondering what to do next.

I shared some thoughts a couple weeks ago, in an article, but I thought it might be helpful to have a more candid conversation today, building on the USCCB's statement just released, which I wholly support.

Please watch the discussion, and together let's pray for the victims and the entire Body of Christ.

Stu-mick-o-súcks (Buffalo Bull's Back Fat)

Stu-mick-o-súcks (Buffalo Bull's Back Fat), George Catlin

I'd never heard of George Catlin before but was fascinated by his portraits of Native Americans in the Old West. Wikipedia tells us: Traveling to the American West five times during the 1830s, Catlin was the first white man to depict Plains Indians in their native territory. And that is also fascinating.

Sunset

Sunset, Tom Thomson

Hair bigger than a meringue ... the beginning of a new bad movie series on More is More.

Hannah & Rose discuss the irresistible charms of sullen teenagers, the irresistible allure of sullen vampires, and why if you has transfer high schools in the middle of your junior year, you should transfer to Forks as they watch Twilight (2008) on More is More, the bad movie podcast.

Sounds ... irresistible!

On seeing God clearly

When you come to knowing God, the initiative lies on His side. If He does not show Himself, nothing you can do will enable you to find Him. And, in fact, He shows much more of Himself to some people than to others—not because He has favourites, but because it is impossible for Him to show Himself to a man whose whole mind and character are in the wrong condition. Just as sunlight, though it has no favourites, cannot be reflected in a dusty mirror as clearly as in a clean one.

... if a man’s self is not kept clean and bright, his glimpse of God will be blurred—like the Moon seen through a dirty telescope. ...

God can show Himself as He really is only to real men. And that means not simply to men who are individually good, but to men who are united together in a body, loving one another, helping one another, showing Him to one another. For that is what God meant humanity to be like; like players in one band, or organs in one body.

C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

Songbird in the Reeds

Songbird in Reeds, Ohara Koson

The worst part of sin is its hiddenness.

The worst part of sin is its hiddenness. It hides everywhere under the pretense that it is something natural, that it is something unavoidable, and that the power, gravity, or tragedy of life is expressed by it. If we are witnesses here of Christ's fate, our eyes are opened wide to this pretense.

Romano Guardini, commenting on the Agony in the Garden,
The Rosary of Our Lady

Rereading: To Know Christ Jesus by Frank Sheed

This is a synthesis of the Gospel stories, looking at the life of our Lord as a whole in the context of his times and environment as well as of religion. I'm just beginning to reread it but had forgotten, since I last read it 8 years ago, that Sheed's approach is fresh and modern seeming which is extraordinary since it was first published in 1962.

He looks at characters I never thought about, such as Theophilus, for whom Luke wrote his gospel and Acts of the Apostles. After musing about whether Theophilus was a Christian and what he might have been taught before sitting down to read Luke's work, Sheed puts us in touch with how the gospel would have struck Theophilus and been generally responded to in that age.

The Greek word "akribos"—it means accurately, carefully—could hardly have prepared him for what follows immediately—the angel Gabriel bringing to the priest Zachary the announcement that his elderly wife would bear his elderly self a son, the angel going on to tell a virgin in Nazareth that she would conceive. One imagines Theophilus incredulously muttering "akribos" to himself—all the more if he had known Luke as a pagan in his medical student days at Tarsus.

Notice too how Sheed reminds us of Luke's own background and the testimony of having such a man write about Christ.

He also makes me laugh with the wry way he brings St. Paul down to earth and has sympathy for the man in the pew:

...if only we had notes of that long sermon preached by Paul at Troas, during which Eutychus, surely the patron saint of the Sunday laity, fell asleep!

All of these little touches make those ancient times and people live and breathe for us ... as well as bringing us, we hope, closer to knowing Christ Jesus more personally.

Julie, Jesse, and Maissa talk about Heinlein, Kipling, and Harriet Beecher Stowe

It's the SFFaudio readalong discussion of Citizen of the Galaxy by Robert Heinlein, my personal favorite of his books. We had tons of fun. Join us!

Tres Leches Cake, Puerto Rican Style

I've never really enjoyed Tres Leches Cake which always struck me as being mildly sweet, soggy, and a bit milky. Nothing really special. Then I read about this version. Rose made it for a meal provided for our parish's men's retreat and months later she's still getting compliments.

It is so delicate but also so flavorful. A hint of coconut is perfectly complimented by the nutmeg and cinnamon sprinkled across the top. Get it at Meanwhile, Back in the Kitchen.

Always happy to be Catholic?

I look at my subtitle these days and find it is still true. I am still happy to be Catholic.

Some may wonder how that can be in the wake of the revelations about sexual predator Cardinal McCarrick who was an open secret among many of his brother bishops. Or in the wake of the grand jury report on Pennsylvania detailing 70 years of misconduct and systematic church coverup in six dioceses across the state. (PDF of report here.)

The Pennsylvania report which has been the subject of so much reporting is not really news. We got a lot of this bad news during the first wave of the scandals in the nineties and early aughts. The good part was that things seem to be on the mend, as the report itself mentions, in that much has improved over the last fifteen years. That is reason for hope.

For me the most illuminating part was that it went back seven decades, well beyond the common understanding of this problem arising as part of the post-Vatican II era and the sexual revolution. It made me think of Bishop Barron's reflections on the original scandal as a diabolical masterpiece because "that awful crisis just seemed too thought-through, too well-coordinated, to be simply the result of chance or wicked human choice."

My thoughts turned to Pope Leo XIII who is said to have written the St. Michael prayer in response to a vision he had of Satan being allowed to test the Church and choosing the 20th century. The visible threats to the Church during that time from changing governments and social values and other sources suddenly seemed like only one front in a global war. We fought the threats we could see while under the surface innocent people were victims of an evil we couldn't imagine. An evil perpetrated by a fifth column* of trusted priests and bishops.

For that reason I welcome the report. It sheds light into the darkness. I welcome the exposure of Archbishop McCarrick and those who joined his evil by their silence. If we do not see the source of an infection, the existence of a cancer, how can we eradicate it? Now we know the hard truth. Now we can work through the shock and horror of new knowledge. Now we can begin the long work of healing and rebuilding for the victims, for the Church, and, yes, even for the hated perpetrators and collaborators, many of whom are still in denial.

I know many are so angry and hurt and upset that they are talking of leaving or indeed have already left. I grieve for them but in my own case the reality of the Church is not the deeds these evil men have perpetrated in her name. They have corrupted and perverted the Truth that Christ gave us. Where could I go? There is nowhere else that has the fullness of truth. I am not happy about anything to do with this whole mess, but I am happy that the sure foundation of Christ and His Church is here for me.

As a result of this, many [of] his disciples returned to their former way of life and no longer accompanied him.

Jesus then said to the Twelve, “Do you also want to leave?”

Simon Peter answered him, “Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God.”

Gospel of John 6:66-69

So how do we practice our own share of that healing and rebuilding work? Elizabeth Scalia has 7 good, practical steps we can take. They are at the bottom of her piece if you are in a hurry, though the whole thing is good. Here's the personal part for everyday:

• Help define what makes a healthy church and begin to be yourself the church you want to see by becoming an open conduit for the love, justice, and mercy of Christ, and the movement of the Holy Spirit, to come forth—even if how Christ defines justice and mercy is not quite as you would prefer; even if the Holy Spirit seems to be taking a turn you don’t understand. That openness is essential because it is a form of consent that speeds along both the action of the Spirit and the glory of God.

... commit to deepening your own prayer life. Pick up the Divine Office and pray some part of it daily. If the opportunity to pray before the Blessed Sacrament is available to you, take advantage of it. Ignore anyone who tells you that it’s an antiquated medieval piety best left behind, which is precisely the sort of stupid, arrogant thinking that helped bring us to where we are. How can praying before the very Presence of Christ be anything but good and powerful? Hint: it can’t.

Two more imperatives:

• Fast.
• Offer up your own troubles for the healing of the Church and in reparation for all of her sins. Yes, offering it up is still a thing, and it is powerful.

I add to the above that we need to keep our priests and bishops in our prayers. The vast majority of priests are good men who are also in shock over the latest revelations, trying to shepherd their flocks through this flood of troubles. Likewise, not every bishop was part of the uncaring, collaborative hierarchy.

*A group within a country at war who are sympathetic to or working for its enemies.

Kingfisher

Kingfisher, Remo Savisaar

The unwearied sun from day to day does his Creator’s power display

The spacious firmament on high,
with all the blue ethereal sky,
and spangled heavens, a shining frame,
their great Original proclaim.
The unwearied sun from day to day
does his Creator’s power display,
and publishes to every land
the work of an almighty hand.

Soon as the evening shades prevail,
the moon takes up the wondrous tale,
and nightly, to the listening earth,
repeats the story of her birth;
whilst all the stars that round her burn,
and all the planets in their turn,
confirm the tidings as they roll,
and spread the truth from pole to pole.

What though in solemn silence all
move round the dark terrestrial ball?
What though nor real voice nor sound
amid their radiant orbs be found?
In reason’s ear they all rejoice,
and utter forth a glorious voice,
forever singing as they shine,
“The hand that made us is divine!”

Joseph Addison, 1712
(after Psalm 19)

Psalm 19 is one of my very favorite psalms. And some time ago I discovered that Psalm 19 was one of C.S. Lewis's favorites also. It creates an extra little bit of fellow feeling with him.

St. Martin's Summer by Rafael Sabatini

The life of an heiress is in jeopardy and her only hope is to place her trust in the wiles of a middle-aged swordsman with no use for "women's troubles." As the plots of the conspirators converge it will take all the wiles and accumulated wisdom of Martin Marie Rigobert de Garnache uncover their identity, to save Valerie de La Vauvraye and keep his promise to his Queen.

What a fun swashbuckler this was, truly one of Sabatini's better books and surely an homage to Alexandre Dumas's adventures.

As mentioned in the summary above, Garnache is wily, wise, and an accomplished swordsman but the bane of his career has been his unbridled temper. Watching him struggle to overcome it and the result of his ill-timed explosions is a lot of fun because we can sympathize with his frustration.

He despises the fairer sex, "Let me tell you that this is the first time in my life that I have been concerned in anything that had to do with women." This makes it more ironic when the main players in the story are all women: the Queen of France, the girl he must rescue (who turns out to be completely admirable) and the wicked, willful Marquise de Condillac is his equal, foiling his attempts repeatedly. Poor Garnache does nothing but deal with women, except when he's sword fighting, of course.

Definitely recommended for light reading.

Omkara — Othello, Indian-style

Half-caste bandit Omkara Shukla abducts his lady love, Dolly Mishra, from her family. Thanks to his cleverness, he gets away with the kidnapping. A conspiracy, however, forms against him when he denies his right-hand man, Langda Tyagi, a promotion. Ultimately, this plot threatens not only his relationship with Dolly, but their lives and those of their associates as well.

This is a simply wonderful Indian film adaptation of Othello as a gangster story. Not only is the film pretty faithful to the story and to the Indian environment in Uttar Pradesh, but the acting, shots and production were arresting. If you've seen it, I'm thinking especially of a particular shot in the rain in front of the train and, of course, the film's last shot. I also loved the use of specific color associations with specific characters. (Hint - in India, the color for marriage is red.)

It is, as the film says, an adaptation, but often there were lines that seemed almost lifted directly from the original. This line, in particular, was key to this production.

Shakespeare/Desdemona's father: "Look to her, Moor, if thou hast eyes to see. She has deceived her father and may thee."

Omkara/Dolly's father: "The girl who can betray her own father, how can she be trusted by anyone else."

We were especially interested to see Saif Ali Khan's take on Iago since he first came to our attention as a lovable rogue in Tashan. Khan gave an impressive portrayal of a man consumed by envy and evil. He's truly versatile.

It's Bollywood so of course there are a couple of song and dance numbers but they are worked in realistically as Kesu's (Cassio's) girlfriend is an entertainer whose performances provide key moments for the story's action.

Vishal Bhardwa is a director I will be looking for more from. I'm especially eager to see his adaptations of Macbeth and Hamlet.

Rating — for advanced viewers. (You've got to be willing to let this one wash over you, enjoying the ride for what it is ... and that means you've got to have seen enough other Indian movies to not worry about some dead space or romantic side trips. Or gangster shootings ... )

Scott and I discuss Omkara on A Good Story is Hard to Find podcast. 

Hannah and Rose talk about it on episode 42 of An American's Guide to Bollywood podcast.

President of USCCB: Scores of beloved children of God were abandoned to face an abuse of power alone.

This statement from Cardinal DiNardo seems sincere. Certainly the wording is less like that of a CEO and more like that of a priest. Read it all ... this snippet is the conclusion.

I have no illusions about the degree to which trust in the bishops has been damaged by these past sins and failures. It will take work to rebuild that trust. What I have outlined here is only the beginning; other steps will follow. I will keep you informed of our progress toward these goals.

Let me ask you to hold us to all of these resolutions. Let me also ask you to pray for us, that we will take this time to reflect, repent, and recommit ourselves to holiness of life and to conform our lives even more to Christ, the Good Shepherd.

Miss Monroe, 1925

1925 photo of Miss Monroe on the beach at a Galveston beauty pageant.

There's more and a link to a bathing beauty video she was in at Traces of Texas.

Hannah & Rose discuss the wonders of gravity ...

... why everything should be on fire, and how to properly segregate your workforce as they watch Upside Down (2012) at More is More, the bad movie podcast.

Breathless encounters with the classics

Charles Dickens: A Tale of Two Cities.
With Illustrations by H. K. Browne. 1859. First edition

For of all my discoveries, nearly the most breathless was Dickens, himself. How many of the educated can ever suspect the delight of such a delayed encounter? I think we owned a Collected Works when I was a child. But I had tried David Copperfield too early and had believed all my life that he was not for me. One night last winter I was sleepless and somehow without a book. From our own shelves I took down Little Dorrit, which people tell me now is one of the least beguiling of the lot. But Keats first looking on Homer could have been no more dazzled than I first poring on my Boz. I felt as a treasure-hunter might feel had he tripped over the locked chest that belonged to Captain Kidd.

Phyllis McGinley

I found this quote in a good piece about not being able to understand the classics until we are adults by Tod Worner at Word on Fire. Phyllis McGinley, whose wonderful book Saint-Watching I have loved for some time, echoes precisely my own adult encounter with Dickens in A Tale of Two Cities. I still remember how thrilled I was to see how many of his books were there for me to discover. I went on to read all of them.

It is interesting to think about the classics that I've grown to love as an adult since Uncle Tom's Cabin awoke me to the possibility that maybe classics weren't boring. That was in 2006. From there I went to the afore-mentioned A Tale of Two Cities, The Lord of the Rings, Dante's Divine Comedy, C.S. Lewis's Space Trilogy, and Kim. All are books that I approached with the trepidation borne of early failed attempts. Some I had to approach with audio, print, and commentaries. But I kept going and there was something very worthwhile in them all.

The latest in that struggle was Brideshead Revisited which my book club just discussed this Monday. I do not yet love it, but I now appreciate a book I had cast away twice earlier with distaste. I know I will reread it and can foresee a future where I might love that work. Once I was finished, I appreciated the struggle itself and the fruit it yielded. There was a real sense of satisfaction in working through a challenge successfully. What I found in each was something that enriched my life and mind in new and exciting ways.

All of this is to say that when I feel a book challenge circling my mind I no longer duck and weave to avoid it. I wait to see if it will settle and then approach the book with a certain anticipation, both of the struggle and of the achievement.

Next up? Well, I have been thinking about Augustine's City of God an awful lot over the past few months ... and also Crime and Punishment. We shall see if either of them settles down to roost.

Morning Sun

Morning sun, Joaquín Sorolla

In the Midst of Clerical Misdeeds, a Crucial Moment for the Laity

Just when I think I've shared the last piece I need to about this McCarrick scandal, another comes up. This one from Msgr. Charles Pope, urges us to write a physical letter to our bishop so they really understand this is a scandal that will not go away.

Here's a bit of it:

I am not sure how many of the bishops realize just how angry, disheartened and disturbed God’s people really are. ...

I have never seen people so serious and determined to take actions of their own....

As a Church hierarchy, we have worn on folks’ last nerve. We have come to a point where only penance and a complete housecleaning can restore credibility and trust. As a lower-ranking priest I cannot issue demands or send binding norms to those in wider and upper ranks of the hierarchy, but I do want to say to God’s faithful how powerfully aware I am of their justified anger and agree with their insistence that something more than symbolic action or promises of future reform is necessary.

I also would like to say to God’s faithful that this is a critical hour for you. I have learned from Church history that reform almost never comes from the top; it comes from religious life and from the grass roots, from among God’s people. ...

Read it all here.

Bishop Barron on The McCarrick Mess

While I have been disillusioned and saddened by the silence of  bishops and cardinals I really admired, one bishop's silence especially had me on tenterhooks. I admire Bishop Robert Barron and his Word on Fire ministry so much that to see time go by with no commentary was really worrying.

I told myself that he is an auxiliary bishop and probably had to wait until his own bishop gave permission. If that was not the reason ... well, I knew it would be a heartbreaking admission of how far the entire hierarchy had fallen. So you can imagine how happy I was to see this piece. Here's a bit but go read it all for yourself.

Now I can hear people saying, “So Bishop Barron is blaming it all on the devil.” Not at all. The devil works through temptation, suggestion, and insinuation—and he accomplishes nothing without our cooperation. If you want to see the principle illustrated, Google Luca Signorelli’s image of the Antichrist in the Orvieto Cathedral. You’ll see what I mean. Archbishop McCarrick did wicked things and so did those, it appears, who enabled him. And we have to come to terms with these sins.

Noh Dance Prelude

Noh Dance Prelude, Uemura Shōen

Isn't this gown gorgeous? I especially love the bottom because it makes it look as if she is standing among the clouds.

A Gaelic Blessing

May those who love us, love us.
And those who don't love us
May God turn their hearts;
And if He doesn't turn their hearts
May He turn their ankles
So we'll know them by their limping.

Traditional Gaelic Blessing

This just works on so many levels!

Larry's Whereabouts

My heart went out to Larry as I scented adventure, and I wished him with me; but speculations as to Larry’s whereabouts were always profitless, and quite likely he was in jail somewhere.

Meredith Nicholson, The House of a Thousand Candles

This is a mystery but it has a lot of funny little bits like this.

All the Things I Never Knew About Uncle Tom's Cabin

This is the original review from when I first read Uncle Tom's Cabin, way back in 2006. Since then I've read it several more times, even going so far as to narrate it with commentary on my Forgotten Classics podcast.

I'm a little more than halfway through yet another time and have been struck anew by how many psychological types Stowe worked into this exciting cliffhanger. It is also my current inspirational reading as you are never going to get more discussion of Christianity in a novel than in this one.

As always, I want to share something that's brought me so much pleasure, so I'm rerunning my original review below.

Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe

I never knew that it was such a page turner! About halfway through the pace picked up so that I was avidly reading whenever I had a chance to see if George and Eliza would shake off their trackers, Uncle Tom would make it back to his family, what it would take to make Topsy reform and much more. How about that crazy Cassy, hmm? And poor Emmaline ... would someone save her before Simon Legree got his filthy hands on her? Wow!

I never knew that Uncle Tom actually was a Christ-figure, a living saint. No wonder he is misunderstood by so many. They are not getting the whole picture.

I never knew that so many sorts of people were represented throughout the book. The language can be rather stilted due to the style of the times but Stowe did a good job showing many different attitudes toward slavery and how people excused themselves under the flimsiest of excuses. One expects the broadly painted very good and very evil owners but not the more shaded in-between characters.

It was fascinating toward the end of the book to see where many of the slaves wound up. One could discern what Stowe's ideas of a solution for the slavery problem were and, indeed, it was even more interesting to read her afterward where she discusses it specifically.

I thought that Stowe included herself in the book as the maiden aunt from New England who thought she understood the problem until she came up against Topsy who demanded that she put her whole heart and soul into realizing that the slaves were real people. Rose saw her as Mrs. Shelby, the kindly wife of Uncle Tom's original owner, who as soon as she got a chance absolutely did the right thing.

I am quite grateful that Rose read this book and pushed it on me. Highly recommended.

The House of a Thousand Candles - in German

I knew that The House of a Thousand Candles was a best seller back in the day but I had no idea that it was a big seller outside the United States. The proof is in the book cover, however!

Social adventure with nothing to equal it

“Morgan, you are an infernal blackguard. You have tried twice to kill me—”

“We’ll call it that, if you like,”—and he grinned. “But you’d better cut off one for this.”

He lifted the gray fedora hat from his head, and poked his finger through a hole in the top.

“You’re a pretty fair shot, Mr. Glenarm. The fact about me is,”—and he winked,—”the honest truth is, I’m all out of practice. Why, sir, when I saw you paddling out on the lake this afternoon I sighted you from the casino half a dozen times with my gun, but I was afraid to risk it.” He seemed to be shaken with inner mirth. “If I’d missed, I wasn’t sure you’d be scared to death!”

For a novel diversion I heartily recommend a meeting with the assassin who has, only a few days or hours before, tried to murder you. I know of nothing in the way of social adventure that is quite equal to it.

Meredith Nicholson, The House of a Thousand Candles

Laity are "Essential," Must Lead Any Investigation

In reference to former Cardinal McCarrick and his abuses which apparently were an open secret among his fellow bishops, Cardinal Weurl proposed having a national panel of bishops investigate complaints against bishops. Talk about tone deaf.

Jeff Miller at The Curt Jester does a nice summing up of where we are at this moment. And I give all tribute to Bishop Scharfenberger who does understand the problem and what must happen for reform. It is the way I myself feel. As Jeff says, "May his tribe increase."

Statement by Bishop Edward B. Scharfenberger
of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany

August 6, 2018

While I am heartened by my brother bishops proposing ways for our Church to take action in light of recent revelations – and I agree that a national panel should be commissioned, duly approved by the Holy See – I think we have reached a point where bishops alone investigating bishops is not the answer. To have credibility, a panel would have to be separated from any source of power whose trustworthiness might potentially be compromised.

It is time for us, I believe, to call forth the talents and charisms of our lay faithful, by virtue of their baptismal priesthood. Our lay people are not only willing to take on this much-needed role, but they are eager to help us make lasting reforms that will restore a level of trust that has been shattered yet again. In speaking with them, we all hear their passion for our universal Church, their devotion to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and their hunger for the truth. They are essential to the solution we seek.

What is needed now is an independent commission led by well-respected, faithful lay leaders who are beyond reproach, people whose role on such a panel will not serve to benefit them financially, politically, or personally. These will be people with a deep understanding of the Catholic faith, but without an axe to grind or an agenda to push. It will not be easy, but it will be worth every ounce of effort, energy, and candor we can muster.

We bishops want to rise to this challenge, which may well be our last opportunity considering all that has happened. We must get this right. I am confident we can find a way to look outside ourselves, to put this in the hands of the Holy Spirit, and to entrust our very capable lay people, who have stood with us through very difficult times, to help us do the right thing. We need an investigation — the scope of which is not yet defined but must be defined — and it must be timely, transparent and credible.

Extra tidbit: I've been in a couple of recent conversations about this with other faithful, distressed Catholics and Simcha Fisher echoes many of our conclusions about how this state of affairs happened.