The Faithful Traveler in Portugal - a new 9-episode series

The Faithful Traveler in Portugal strikes the perfect balance between history, travel, and spiritual inspiration, and is a great introduction for anyone planning a pilgrimage to Portugal, and a perfect opportunity for armchair travelers to see these magnificent sites from the comfort of their own homes.

From monasteries and convents to cathedrals and shrines, there is a lot for the faithful traveler to see in this amazing country, beginning with its most famous—Fátima—and including many breathtaking sacred sites throughout Portugal's beautiful cities of Lisbon, Santarem, Coimbra, Batalha, Alcobaça, Porto, Braga, and more! Host Diana von Glahn presents the history behind these sacred sites in a fun and informative way that allows virtual travelers to see things others miss! Or to inspire you to plan your own trip — maybe even to World Youth Day in Lisbon, in 2022!

This series is running on Catholic TV (not EWTN).

I'm friends with Diana and I can't imagine a better guide for a series like this. She combines fun and interest with love of God ... and that's an infectious combination indeed.

Visit this page to see episode listings, details on the many ways that you can access the show, and much more. As well as a picture of Diana's smiling face!

A total dining experience for seniors with cognitive problems

“As residents go through the life cycle of dementia and Alzheimer's, they lose their dexterity,” Schumaker says. “Thrive Dining allows them to easily eat with their fingers.”

The Thrive Dining menu takes all the elements of the full, traditional menu and recomposes them into gourmet bites.

I love to see creative ideas applied to problems, especially when it shows respect to those being served.  And I love to see people enjoying a good meal. This new program does both. So it's no wonder this piece just grabbed me. Read it all at Dallas Observer.

Vase of Flowers

Odilon Redon, Vase of Flowers
via Arts Everyday Living

It's simply that I didn't understand.

It's not often that one gets an immediate answer to the question, "What's wrong with me?", and yet later in the day it became clear that my lassitude was of the hormonal/cyclical variety. The mundanity of that is both uninspiring and helpfully contextual. St Paul says in 1 Corinthians that he does not even pass judgment on himself, since the Lord will bring to light what is hidden in darkness. We think we understand ourselves or others, for good or for ill, and then we stumble on some obscure motivation which puts the situation in a new light. I'm not just lazy. She's not just malicious. He's not just a pushover. They're not just tactless. It's simply that I didn't understand. "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do," said the man of perfect understanding, in the most intolerable circumstances, giving the rest of us a model to follow.

Mrs. Darwin at Darwin Catholic

New Podcast - An American's Guide to Bollywood

Hannah & Rose go over 5 tips for watching Bollywood movies in their new podcast, An American’s Guide to Bollywood.

Our upcoming movies are Lagaan, Tashan, Monsoon Wedding, Bajrangi Bhaijaan, and Baahubali 1 & 2.

Yes, Hannah and Rose have a new podcast!

Their first episode — 5 Tips for Watching Bollywood — should be helpful to anyone who has been watching my continual Indian film reviews with bewilderment. iTunes hasn't added it yet, but the link goes to the website where you can listen: An American's Guide to Bollywood.

Wild Boar Family

Wild Boar Family, Remo Savisaar

Once I planned to write a book of poems ...

Once I planned to write a book of poems entirely about the things in my pockets. But I found it would be too long; and the age of the great epics is past.

G.K. Chesterton, Tremendous Trifles

Just because this is a good time to laugh.

Rough Sea at Naruto

Hiroshige, Famous Views of the 60 Provinces: Rough Sea at Naruto in Awa Province
via Arts Everyday Living

I do love Hiroshige. Coincidentally just the other day I came across my book of 100 Famous Views of Edo which I'm now going to reread. I love the sense of motion in the sea above.

A Word From Our Sponsor: For they search busily among his works, but are distracted

Foolish by nature were all who were in ignorance of God,
and who from the good things seen did not succeed in knowing the one who is,
and from studying the works did not discern the artisan;

[...]

But yet, for these the blame is less;
For they have gone astray perhaps,
though they seek God and wish to find him.

For they search busily among his works,
but are distracted by what they see, because the things seen are fair.

But again, not even these are pardonable.

For if they so far succeeded in knowledge
that they could speculate about the world,
how did they not more quickly find its Lord?

Wisdom, 13: 1, 6-9

The Temptation of the Catholic to Intellectual Pride

The great temptation of the Catholic in the modern world is the temptation to intellectual pride. It is so obvious that most of his critics are talking without in the least knowing what they are talking about, that he is sometimes a little provoked toward the very unchristian logic of answering a fool according to his folly. But we must never despair of explaining the truth, nor is it so very difficult to explain.

G.K. Chesterton, quoted in My Name is Lazarus by Dale Ahlquist

Little Pond

Little Pond, Edward B. Gordon

The artist tells us: I built this little pond next to my studio. Next to it blooms the oleander. In the evening, the reflections of the few lights are especially beautiful.

Ginger-Turmeric Potatoes and Green Beans (Aloo Faliyan)

This is an easy Indian vegetable dry curry which is absolutely delicious whether at room temperature or hot. Get it at Meanwhile, Back in the Kitchen.

Arrow of the Blue-Skinned God by Jonah Blank

Arrow of the Blue-Skinned God

Retracing the Ramayana Through India

The three-thousand-year-old epic Ramayana chronicles Lord Rama's physical voyage from one end of the Indian subcontinent to the other and his spiritual voyage from Man to God. In Arrow of the Blue-Skinned God, Jonah Blank gives a new perspective to this Hindu classic -- retelling the ancient tale while following the course of Rama's journey through present-day India and Sri Lanka.

I've gotten a basic overview of the Ramayana from all the Indian movies I've watched. Including bits of holy day celebrations while acting out the story is highly cinematic, after all. Wanting to actually read it and see what Sita Sings the Blues skimmed over I came across this book which seemed like an easy way into the story.

What a wonderful, easy-to-read book. The author tells the story in pieces and then looks at an particular aspect of India physically, spiritually, and culturally. So you have topics like Fate, Kings, Caste, Rites, and Love and it works to show the reader about what it means to be Indian ... as much as anything can. This meshed really well with what I'd gleaned from Indian movies and the research we'd undertaken after viewing them in order to be sure we understood context.

I benefitted from it in practical ways as well as getting a good look at the Indian national character. Turns out wrestlers venerate Lord Hanuman. As did the main character in Bajrangi Bhaijaan - who was trained in wrestling! Just another little bit of cultural context.

I read it in four days and kept quoting bits of it to the rest of the family, who are now taking their own turns at it. Keep in mind it was published in 1992 because a few bits are dated (especially about war and terrorism), although they still apply to different parts of India these days. You don't have to care about Indian movies. It is an entertaining and interesting travelogue aside from all that. Definitely recommended.

"I never feel so reflexively patriotic ..."

I never feel so reflexively patriotic as when I hear my nation disparaged abroad. Perhaps that is because, when traveling in the Third World, I am constantly associated with every good and bad action of the American government. Punjabis have berated me for giving military aid to Pakistan, Burmese have thanked me for saving them from the Japanese army, and in the Sudan I was nearly turned back at the border for failing to justify my secretary of state's Middle East policy.

Jonah Blank, Arrow of the Blue-Skinned God

Patriotism Personified

Allegory of Patriotism in the Monument to the Fallen for Spain in Madrid (1840)
by sculptor Francisco Pérez del Valle

Collage of Six Cats

Collage of Six Cats

Cats and Sculpture

There's no need for a piece of sculpture in a home that has a cat.

Wesley Bates

Haider

A young man returns to Kashmir after his father's disappearance to confront his uncle - the man he suspects of playing a role in his father's fate.

This is a brilliant synthesis of Hamlet and a statement about police action and terrorism in Kashmir in 1995. There are even two song and dance numbers, albeit properly adapted to the grim tone, but they are brilliant as one would expect when the director has a deep music background as this one does. The gravediggers dance is genius.

The movie is not all grim. The Salman and Salman videostore owners who live, breath, sing, and dance all Salman Khan movies, all the time (Rosencrantz and Guildenstern) are a bit of comic genius. The Chutzpah jokes both entertain and make a point. All the acting is spot on, especially Tabu whose talent I appreciate anew every time I see her.

I'm not sure how the director did it but - wow.

Very violent, though, so be warned about that. I probably will rewatch it but will have to let it settle for a year or two first. I do really find the ultimate message that revenge is wrong to be unusual for Indian movies.

Having now seen all of this director's Shakespearean adaptations I can say that my favorite is Omkara, which is in line with general criticism, but Haider is definitely worth watching.

Rating — for advanced viewers. (You've got to be willing to let this one wash over you, enjoying the ride for what it is ... )

Hannah and Rose discuss Haider in episode 43 of An American's Guide to Bollywood podcast.

The Light of Christ by Thomas Joseph White

The Light of Christ provides an accessible presentation of Catholicism that is grounded in traditional theology and engaged with a host of contemporary questions and objections. Inspired by the theologies of Irenaeus, Thomas Aquinas, and John Henry Newman, and rooted in a post-Vatican II context, Fr. Thomas Joseph White presents major doctrines of the Christian faith in a way that is comprehensible for non-specialists: knowledge of God, the mystery of the Trinity, the Incarnation and the atonement, the sacraments and the moral life, eschatology and prayer.

Do you want a good dose of philosophy with your Catholic faith? Here's the book for you. Looking for something lighter than Edward Feser, but that still had intellectual depth, I noticed this title continually popping up in my searches. So glad I did because it is exactly what I wanted ... though the discussion of the Trinity caused a bit of brain paralysis, but that's no different than my reaction to any other deep look at the Trinity. It's been a long time since I've had to think in such a different way. All this is without ignoring the questions that Catholicism raise in modern life. Truly this is a great book.

"You just start by being greedy, by wanting more than you're going to have."

"The trouble is," said Miss Marple, "that people are greedy. Some people. That's so often, you know, how things start. You don't start with murder, with wanting to do murder, or even thinking of it. You just start by being greedy, by wanting more than you're going to have."

She laid her knitting down on her knee and stared ahead of her into space. "That's how I came across Inspector Craddock first, you know. A case in the country. Near Medenham Spa. That began the same way, just a weak amiable character who wanted a great deal of money. Money that that person wasn't entitled to, but there seemed an easy way to get it. Not murder then. Just something so easy and simple that it hardly seemed wrong. That's how things begin... But it ended with three murders."

Agatha Christie, 4:50 From Paddington

From my quote journal and a book that I highly recommend to any mystery lovers. It is one of Mom's favorites so, of course, the quote had to go up today!

Lady in Waiting

Karin Jurick, Ladies in Waiting III
(part of her Ladies in Waiting series, click the link to see more)

We are not put into this world to avoid danger

"It was very dangerous for her."

“Yes, it was dangerous, but we are not put into this world, Mr. Burton, to avoid danger when an innocent fellow-creature's life is at stake. You understand me?”

I understood.

Agatha Christie, The Moving Finger

Want Your Heart to Soar? Watch This.

From way back in 2013, I happened across this and loved watching it all over again.

Use full screen mode and enjoy. It is only 10 minutes.



Introducing a groundbreaking technique that seamlessly merges computer-generated and hand-drawn animation techniques, first-time director John Kahrs takes the art of animation in a bold new direction with the Oscar®-nominated short, "Paperman." Created by a small, innovative team working at Walt Disney Animation Studios, "Paperman" pushes the animation medium in an exciting new direction.

Don't Call It Bollywood by Margaret Redlich

When you are the only people you know who watch Indian movies, it can feel a little lonely. You meet others who say, "I love Bollywood movies" only to find they have watched a total of one whose name they can't recall, or they like the idea of Bollywood, or they love those colorful dances but that's all. Whereas you've watched about 50 and that's not the sharing you were hoping for. At least our Bollywood love is shared within our family so there are five of us living the dream.

You wish you could make an Indian best friend who could guide you to movies Westerners could understand, and explain what is so great about the blockbusters you thought were bonkers. (3 Idiots I'm lookin' at you.)

Then I discovered Margaret E. Redlich's starter book, Don't Call It Bollywood, so I nabbed it. It's a quick, enjoyable and informative introduction to the world of Indian movies.

This is where I learned that the wind blowing on someone means they're falling in love. That Christians are the good-natured friends in a movie, who are perfectly ok with dropping by a Hindu temple for a bit of quick worship. (Well, that cleared up some confusion for us.) We get a quick overview of the Hindi film industry and why everyone in it is related to everyone else. Except for those outsiders who manage to work the system to become stars (thank you, Shah Rukh Khan!).

We also are given pieces of Margaret's own journey into Indian movies and blogging, begun to fill her own lonely void of fellow lovers of Indian movies.

I first read this when we'd seen about 50 movies and had put a few cultural pieces together (though why people pinch their throats when they make a solemn promise still eludes us — just like if we crossed our hearts, but do they have a little childhood "promise poem" they're thinking of the way that we do when we make the gesture?).

I reread this now that we are nearing the 100-movie mark and pondering what epic to view as an appropriate homage. (Mother India? Mughal-E-Azam?) The book helped more of the pieces fall into place now that I had additional experience. Don't Call It Bollywood is a little gem if you want the basic scoop on Indian movies.

The Baltic Sea

Edward B. Gordon; The Baltic Sea, the beach, the island of Rügen, and the summer.

I love the seashore, but this is as close as I'm going to get this year!

Well Said: Jezebel's Real Sin

This highlights again what happens when our eyes are opened by experience and context and we then turn them upon something old and familiar only to see it in entirely new light. It is from Agatha Christie's memoir of trips to Syria with her archaeologist husband shortly before World War II, Come Tell Me How You Live. It's one of my favorite books.

An immense dinner materializes in next to no time, and after it, tired and comfortable, with special delicacies in honor of holiday and Mac's arrival (Turkish Delight, preserved aubergines, bars of chocolate and cigars), we sit and talk, for once of subjects other than archaeology.

We come to the question of religions generally--a very vexed question in this particular part of the world, for Syria is full of fiercely fanatical sects of all kinds, all willing to cut each other's throats for the good cause! From there we fall to discussing the story of the Good Samaritan. All the Bible and New Testament stories take on a particular reality and interest out here. They are couched in the language and ideology which we hear daily all around us, and I am often struck by the way the emphasis sometimes shifts from what one has commonly accepted. As a small instance, it came to me quite suddenly that in the story of Jezebel, it is the painting of her face the or tiring of her hair that emphasizes in puritanical Protestant surroundings what exactly a "Jezebel" stands for. But out here it is not the painting and tiring--for all virtuous women paint their faces (or tattoo them), and apply henna to their hair--it is the fact that Jezebel looked out of the window--a definitely immodest act!

Thank you for the prayers

The Beyond Cana retreat went really well, with 11 couples refreshed and renewed in their marriages. As well, we always experience many blessings while we are helping put the retreat on and this time was no exception.

Our thanks to everyone who supported us in prayer!

Gone Retreatin' — Beyond Cana Again!

As regular readers know, Tom and I have been part of the Beyond Cana retreat team for about 12 years. Ever since it has begun at our parish, actually.

The Beyond Cana® marriage retreat offers the time and tools to restore and strengthen marriages - with God and His direction for us at the center.

It's a 2½ day retreat designed to enrich the marriages of couples who want to focus on the communication, respect, love, and intimacy that are so integral to a good marriage.

It is presented twice a year and it's that time again! Please keep the team and the attending couples in your prayers. I'll be back on Monday!

Opera of the Winds

Opera of the Winds
Designed by Margaret Macdonald and Charles Rennie Mackintosh
Gesso on panel, inlaid with abalone, set with string and glass beads

Summer Listening — Treasure Island, Elijah, Movie Wala, Learn Hindi from Bollywood Movies

I'm linking to websites, but these are all on iTunes or available from other podcast providers.

CraftLit is back with Chapter one of Treasure Island. This episode has split science teams - scorpion stings - and rappelling down waterfalls - and that's not even touching the book. Hop in your boat, raise your sails, and have a listen.

Heather at CraftLit has been taking a well deserved break while she adjusted to a new job and many other things. But she's back with Treasure Island and I'm thrilled. No one else has Heather's ability to dig deep into a story. If you haven't tried this podcast before, this is the perfect opportunity. Heather plays the audio for each chapter, filling in listeners on needed context, and raising interesting ways to consider the story in relation to our own lives.

St. Irenaeus Ministries scripture study podcast is beginning a new study of Elijah, one of my favorite prophets.  Right after Habakkuk. I mean, we've all got a top five prophet list. Don't we?

I've mentioned this podcast before. It's scripture study that is practical. The teacher is extremely insightful in giving connections between scripture and daily life. I don't always agree with him, but he keeps it real. Although he has an orthodox Catholic point of view, this is the podcast I often recommend to non-Catholics.

We are Flo and Tanvi! Join us as we talk about Hindi movies aka Bollywood. Each season, we will talk about specific categories like Marital Dramas, Family Saga, etc. We are not critics (thank god for that!), we pick a movie and talk about our favorite songs, favorite scenes, gossip and why we picked that movie for that category - All served with a side of nostalgia!

With my love of both Bollywood and podcasts, it was inevitable that I search for a place where they intersect. In the first season Flo and Tanvi don't discuss movies indepth, simply covering the plot in a few sentences.They are more interested in discussing the fashion, songs, and acting. As I've been delving into the second season, they've been concentrating more on the movies themselves and I've enjoyed that a lot. When they've covered movies I have seen, such as Monsoon Wedding, they've opened new vistas for my enjoyment since there are cultural things I didn't pick up on until hearing their discussion.

Even when they're talking about movies I haven't seen (which is most of them), they will take little conversational side trips that open up Indian culture to me in a fascinating way. I've learned about Indian mothers and families, the hazards of getting groped in crowds in India, how NRI (non-resident Indians) talk in London, and how adorable Shah Rukh Khan is in the iconic movie DDLJ. (We're still trying to crack the code on DDLJ's popularity - it is definitely a cultural thing!)

It's a really specific topic, but Movie Wala Podcast is a lot of fun.

Watch enough Indian movies and you begin picking up words. Dil means heart. Achha means ok. Zindagi means life.

You also start wondering why so many Indian sentences end with "hai." Turns out that it's a conjugation of "to be" and Hindi sentences put the verb last. So that's one thing solved. Not by this podcast, though. I found it when looking for grammar but I kept listening because it's really funny.

Learn Hindi from Bollywood Movies is pure comedy and hard to describe. Luckily, I found an interview with the podcaster, Arjun Krishan, which does a good job.

Mr. Krishnan integrates dialogue from Hindi movies -- often gems of language construction and delivery in their own right -- into loopy scenarios of his own invention to build a kind of fantastical basic Hindi that will help you navigate the world of masala films.

A recent episode, for example, focuses on the pragmatic topic of how to ask someone their name in Hindi. Instead of a typical scenario of meeting someone on a train or at a party, Mr. Krishnan imagines employing police interrogation techniques like Amitabh Bachchan in "Inquilaab" (1984).

I'm not learning any Hindi from them but I am laughing — a lot. Arjun stopped adding new episodes in 2014 but there are over a hundred there to enjoy.

Big Bend National Park

Jason Merlo Photography, Big Bend National Park (February 24, 2019)

Signs of Life by Scott Hahn

A clear and comprehensive guide to the Biblical doctrines and historical traditions that underlie Catholic beliefs and practices. Single chapters for each topic illuminate the roots and significance of all things Catholic, including the Sign of the Cross, the Mass, the Sacraments, sacred images, the celebration of Easter, Christmas, and other holidays, daily prayers, and much more.

I picked this up cheap on the Kindle during a daily deal at Amazon but never got around to reading it. Then my book club chose it and once I began, I was impressed at the depth with which each custom was covered. Partly that has to do with the connection to the biblical roots, as the subtitle says. Partly it is due to the way it is written, which is thoughtful while being very accessible.

Sometimes I was surprised by what I found in a custom I thought I thoroughly understood, like the idea that the longing of Advent now reflects the post-Christian world. Sometimes I was reminded of practices which I'd fallen out of, like intercessory prayer. I was often especially struck by the "Ponder in Your Heart" segment ending each custom, taken from the writing of saints, Church Fathers, the Catechism, or modern spiritual writers.

I had to get a print copy so I could mark my favorite parts for later reference. I read a custom a day which made a great devotional for 40 days. Definitely recommended.

Note: be sure you get the full book with all 40 customs. There is a special Augustine Institute version out there which only has 20 customs. I was sent that one by used book stores more than once until I bit the bullet and bought the hardcover.

Flaming June

Frederic Leighton, Flaming June, 1895

I simply love looking at this gorgeous painting, the fresh and beautiful young woman, and thinking about the wisp of dazzling vista presented tantalizingly behind her.

Sita Sings the Blues

This is a creative delight. The Indian story of The Ramayana is told three ways, all from Rama's wife's point of view ... the titular Sita. An illustrated conversation between Indian shadow puppets is interspersed with musical interludes voiced with tracks by 1920's jazz singer Annette Hanshaw and scenes from creator Nina Paley's life. You can stream this movie free on YouTube as the creator, unusually, makes it available under a Creative Commons License.

We watched this way back in 2010 after reading Roger Ebert's 4-star review. It introduced us to Anette Hanshaw's music and the Ramayana, though we had no idea what that was.

Having now watched so many Indian movies we thought we'd rewatch it and see how it held up. We still found it delightful and now had a further frame of reference, having come across so many movie shortcut references to celebrations of the Ramayana. To the point when Rama goes after the golden deer, three of us exclaimed, "That's why there's a deer!" At which point our oldest daughter, who hasn't seen nearly as many of these movies as we have, shot us a look that made us realize just how deep we were diving.

We also could appreciate the intermission and the fact that there were so many song and dance numbers, albeit Annette Hanshaw and not Indian music. Clearly creator Nina Paley knew her way around a Bollywood movie or two.

It's not perfect and the modern day story is not that interesting, despite the parallels. But the three shadow puppets retelling the story, correcting each other's versions, and commenting on the classic tale more than made up for other imperfections. It was great the second time around.

It isn't a Bollywood film, but if you want an easy to understand, entertaining version of the Ramayana, this is it. Many of the pantomimes at religious festivals featured in movies will be much clearer!

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

Arrrr Mateys! It's The Pirates of Ersatz on SFFaudio

We discuss one of my very favorite humorous science fiction books - The Pirates of Ersatz by Murray Leinster. Episode 535 of SFFaudio.

Spit of Land

Remo Savisaar, Spit of Land

Click on it to see the photo larger ... I love the way the water moves and the sun hits the trees.

O Lord Jesus, let me be your lute.

O Lord Jesus, I surrender to you all my will. Let me be your lute. Touch any string you please. Always and forever let me make music in perfect harmony with your own. Yes, Lord, with no ifs, ands or buts, let your will be done in this family, for the father, for the children, for everything that concerns us, and especially let your will be done in me.

St. Jane de Chantal

I especially like the lute imagery with God choosing the string of my life which he'll blend in harmony with the others with which he plays a symphony. Beginning with my family.

Plum and Birds

Plum and birds, Emperor Huizong

The Joyous Festival

The Joyous Festival, Gaston La Touche
via J.R.'s Art Place

Theology is about happiness

Theology is never reducible to the utilitarian function of apologetics. Theology is about happiness. Happiness is as much in the intellect as in the heart, and it stems from understanding the truth about ultimate things, and being headed in the right direction, being oriented existentially.

Thomas Joseph White, OP, The Light of Christ

Hand coloured photographs of 19th-century Japan

Hand colored albumine prints – a process which used the albumen found in egg whites to bind the photographic chemicals to the paper – taken around 1880.

Here are a couple of my favorites but be sure to see all of them at The Public Domain Review.

Faith in Action: Pro-Life Women Deliver Semi-Truck Full of Supplies, $72,000 to the Border

The #BottlestotheBorder campaign ... collected more than $120,000 worth of supplies and donated more than $70,000 in aid funding to multiple respite centers, where migrants who are legally in the U.S. are temporarily housed and cared for while they connect with family members and figure out their next steps.

A fellow church-goer of one of ATTWN staff members had heard about the initiative and, as the owner of a trucking company, offered to drive an 18-wheeler to the border for the group, Johnson said. The catch: the truck had to be full.

“We did the first registry and filled that up in a couple of days, like in 48 hours it was full,” Johnson said....

“By the end it was completely packed full of supplies,” Johnson said. [...]

The politics behind the border crisis are frustrating to Johnson, she said, because they often dehumanize migrants and distract people from doing something concrete to help the situation.

She said people have asked her if her efforts to bring supplies to migrants means that she supports an open-border policy. She doesn’t.

“No I don’t support lawlessness, I don’t support an open border, I support legal immigration, doing it the right way, but the bottom line is I don’t have the answer, I don’t know the answer,” she said, “but I can deliver these wipes so that babies’ butts are clean and they’re not getting infections. And I know how to make sure that a baby can get fed, and that’s really what this is about. And that’s what it is to be the Church, to meet the needs that are right in front of us.”

Absolutely. There's a lot more to the story. Read it at National Catholic Register.

Jury Duty Today!

Fingers crossed I'll be back soon, but in the meantime I'm off doing my civic duty at federal court. Later gators!

UPDATE
I wasn't selected from the 70 person jury pool for the 2-1/2 week criminal federal trial. Whew! Though it sounded as if it would have been interesting.

Why it is fitting that Jesus did not write a book

Christ is unique among teachers, because he does not only instruct externally through words, ... but also enlightens us interiorly by grace. Christ, the eternal Wisdom of God, moves the heart and mind from within so that we can perceive intellectually the truths that he reveals. This, Thomas Aquinas argues, is one of the reasons it is fitting that Jesus did not write a book during his lifetime, but entrusted his teaching to others: so that we would not confuse the real presence of Christ among us with a text he wrote, but would instead learn of his presence through the teaching of the apostolic Church, a process that he assists and works through, by the presence of his grace acting in those who teach and in those who are instructed.

Thomas Joseph White, The Light of Christ

That never occurred to me. But, yes, it makes sense.

Wild Raspberries

Wild Raspberries, Duane Keiser

The Gripping Story of the Second Approved Miracle for Cardinal Newman

Melissa was bleeding because the placenta had become partially detached from the wall of her uterus and blood that was meant to nourish her eight-week-old unborn child was escaping through the tear.

An ultrasound scan had also identified a sub-chorionic haematoma, a blood clot on the foetal membrane that was by that time almost three times the size of the child.

Doctors could treat neither mother nor daughter. They fully expected Melissa to miscarry and warned her that her own life might be in danger from a haemorrhage. She had to be ready to call 911 at any time.

What happened when crisis came resulted in the second miracle required for Pope Francis to recognize Cardinal John Henry Newman as a saint. It's a gripping story. Read it at Catholic Herald.

Rehearsal

The rehearsal, Peter and Barbara Bridgmont by Edward B. Gordon

This painting is part of Edward B. Gordon's tribute to his acting teacher. It has several paintings and a lovely written tribute (scroll to the bottom for the English). I love the teacher just from the tribute, especially this bit.

He was not a big fan of Stanislavsky. „Method Acting“ was just as absurd to him as painting by numbers for a painter. Why should you experience something real when you could play it? Acting is not real, it should never be. It is a game that may become the mirror of the soul of the audience. Reality is transformed, a board becomes a jeweled sword. An old limping man becomes a young Romeo, an inconspicuous girl a powerful queen, that’s the magic of acting.

Yes.

Masks and Truth

Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask and he will tell you the truth.

Oscar Wilde

So true. And it sends my thoughts off in a lot of directions: the people I know who absolutely will tell you the truth without a mask, Adam and Eve hiding their nakedness from God (which is where the mask comes in), confession behind the screen versus face-to-face, and much more.

Dangal

Dangal is an extraordinary true story based on the life of Mahavir Singh and his two daughters, Geeta and Babita Phogat. The film traces the inspirational journey of a father who trains his daughters to become world class wrestlers.

I really enjoyed this sports film with Aamir Khan showing his commitment by gaining 66 pounds for a total of 216 in order to play the role. Superb acting all round and a sport I was unfamiliar with added to our interest.

Most compelling of all was the way this movie hit the expected sports film/coming of age beats with unexpected twists. The girls are being forced to live their father's dream but his dreams also are for his country's honor. Beyond that his tough methods become a celebration of women's abilities and talents (twist!) — this in a country where often women are seen as nothing more than a burden to marry off to an unknown man for a life of domesticity.

By the end, we'd traveled Geeta's path with her — learning to appreciate her father's wisdom and her own hard won skills. We were also exhausted — the wrestling sequences were so vivid that we were worn out.

I especially loved the moment when Geeta is watching DDLJ with her new teammates. I myself don't love this movie but know it is a quintessential Hindi film. The moment shows so much about what Geeta has been missing and what she will gain from this time of her life. (And also, in a very small way, how much Indians connect through their favorite films, which I just heard discussed in the Movie Wala Podcast episode about Monsoon Wedding.) Of course, what Geeta is experiencing is far from her father's path and we also see the results of a different way.

It is, of course, a story celebrating women, but that point became even more vivid when I read this in a review.

What's very significant is that Mahavir's family hail from a village in the state of Haryana. Due to female foeticide, Haryana has the lowest female-to-male child ratio in India. This film was actually allowed tax-free status in a number of Indian states, including Haryana, as part of the Indian government's campaign against female foeticide. And from what I can tell, the true facts of the Phogat family's life were twisted a bit in the film to support this agenda - reportedly, in reality Mahavir was not disappointed that all the children born in his family were female.

As the reviewer mentions, the real coach's story is even more amazing. For one thing, all of his four daughters and his two nieces (taken in when his brother died) became respected, medalling wrestlers. This story obviously had special resonance in India but it applies worldwide on a variety of levels, as witnessed by the fact that it is in China's top 20 top grossing films. It is India's top grossing film in foreign markets - it's a universal story.

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

Worth a Thousand Words: Starry Night Over the Rhone

Van Gogh, Starry Night over the Rhone, 1888

Bael

Bael, Ellen Schutt
via U.S. Department of Agriculture Pomological Watercolor Collection.
 Rare and Special Collections, National Agricultural Library, Beltsville, MD 20705

The USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection documents fruit and nut varieties developed by growers or introduced by USDA plant explorers around the turn of the 20th century. Technically accurate paintings were used to create lithographs illustrating USDA bulletins, yearbooks, and other series distributed to growers and gardeners across America.

Explore it for yourself!

Inspiration

From my quote journal.

You can't wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club.

Jack London

3 Good Movies: Neerja, Sui Dhaaga, Andhadhun

We had a lucky run last weekend with three great movies. They are each very different so you might find something you'll like too.

Neerja is a portrayal on the life of the courageous Neerja Bhanot, who sacrificed her life while protecting the lives of 359 passengers on the Pan Am flight 73 in 1986. The flight was hijacked by a terrorist organization.

I don't love movies about hijackings or terrorists, but I was so interested in finding out how a 23-year-old woman could save 359 lives that I was really intrigued by this movie. It totally paid off. The story wound several threads of Neerja's life together through flashbacks so we could see some of the events that prepared her, in a way, to keep her head and do the right thing even when terrified. The acting and directing were great. I, probably like most of the aunties who saw this, was fighting back sobs by the end. It was an inspiring hero's tale.

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

Hannah and Rose discuss this at An American's Guide to Bollywood podcast.

A sweet, charming, feel-good movie which showcases Varun's and Anushka's subtle acting abilities as they play Mauji and Mamta, an ordinary couple, struggling to begin a small clothing business. Sui Dhaaga means The Needle and the Thread which is apt not only for the clothing business but for how we see this young couple work together and grow closer to create a life together. I really enjoyed the ordinary setting of humble home and family, complete with traditional overbearing father. Mauji and Mamta each inspire the other in different ways without using any of the typical tropes we'd see in an American version of the story.

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

Tom's review:

The story of a blind pianist who witnesses a murder. But that was just the first twist in this 2018 crime thriller. It was a heck of ride to the last frame. It got a bit dark, but never gory. It was critically acclaimed and a huge box hit. Box office was 14 times its budget.

It is worth watching, pretend it is a French noir film. (It’s based on a French short.) here is the trailer. It has subtitles. It is available on Netflix.

If a Hollywood studio does not redo this for the American market, they missing bet.

I found it very disturbing without actually showing anything disturbing. It definitely left all of us feeling unsettled. I'm not sorry I saw it but I won't need to see it again. Very much the way I felt after seeing Martin Scorsese's After Hours.

However, it was really popular and the acting and script were superb. Tabu deserved her first billing, especially once I found that she wasn't told anything about her character before the scenes she would play. It might be just the thriller that you talk about all summer.

Rating — for viewers with medium Indian film experience. (It's not rocket science, but without any cultural background at all you might feel kind of lost.)

Girl Reading a Newspaper

Girl Reading a Newspaper by Wada Eisaku

The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara

I'm rereading this magnificently written book just because. I can't believe I hadn't reviewed it here so am hastily pushing this book your way. It is not a typical Civil War book or I wouldn't like it. This is truly something special. Here's the review I posted on Goodreads in 2012.

Against all odds I loved this book. I wanted both sides to win. This despite being initially unnerved to see maps when I opened it. Maps with arrows indicating troop movements hither and thither around Gettysburg.

I do not care about maps in books. Even for Lord of the Rings I ignored the maps. I hasten to add that I actually love real maps ... on a wall, in an art book, on a blog. I just do not want to have to make my mental image when reading have to conform to the reality of a map.

Feeling brave despite my unnerving experience I soldiered on. (ha!) I would like everyone to note that my reading of Coraline (for both Good Story and also SFFaudio) was not in vain. Bravery consists in keeping going when one is afraid (or even merely unnerved).

It only took reading the descriptions of the leaders to begin embracing the book. The author makes all the personalities so accessible, all the military talk so clear, and sets the tale in clear, grounded writing.

For example, I just finished reading the Battle of Little Round Top. I felt as if I was in the battle itself, while not being dragged into the grim details. Watching through Chamberlain's eyes, one can see the decisions, the chaos, the necessity that drives the way the battle went. And, Hood was right. Of course, we could tell that all along just as Longstreet could.

It is simply an amazing book in communicating the humanity, the flaws, the errors, and the brotherhood and love of these men ... and the tragedy of the battle. I now have a small crush on General Longstreet. Also on Chamberlain.

=========

I originally read this for our podcast where you may listen to it here: Good Story #36. Scott learns that Texas is it's own direction, and Julie changes her opinion about Robert E. Lee. Neither is certain where in the timeline to find Lincoln's vampire slaying.

Francis warns German Catholics they can’t just do their own thing

At last. Pope Francis has been telling the German cardinals to work things out themselves ... and then when that didn't work, to try again. But now he gives very specific thinking.

As the Catholic Church in Germany prepares to embark on a synodal process motivated in part by a desire to stop a hemorrhage of faithful, Pope Francis has sent them a letter reminding them they don’t walk alone but with the universal Church.

In the missive he also reminds the Germans that a “structural” reform, simply changing to adapt to modern times, is not the solution.

The Church’s raison d’etre, Francis wrote in a letter released by the Vatican Saturday, is that God “so loved the world that he gave his only Son so that all who believe in him may not die, but may have eternal Life.”

[...]

Believing that solutions are purely structural, Francis argued, is “one of the first great temptations at the ecclesial level.”

“Without having the Gospel as its soul,” Francis wrote, a well-organized and even modernized ecclesial body could become a “gaseous” Christianity that has no evangelical zeal.

“Each time the ecclesial community tries to leave its problems alone and focuses exclusively on its forces or its methods, its intelligence, its will or prestige, it ends up increasing and perpetuating the evils it was trying to solve,” Francis said.

Crux has the story.

Kingfisher

Remo Savisaar, Kingfisher

Louis De Wohl's Saint Books

Louis De Wohl is a forgotten treasure - whose books I encountered a few years ago.

He was German and Catholic and between the late 1940s and 1960 he wrote a ton of historical fiction about saints' lives and Biblical stories. They were bestsellers at the time. In fact, sixteen of them were made into movies.

I discovered his novels when Ignatius Press reissued them but have discovered that a lot of people still haven't heard of them. Of course, some are better than others, but when they are good they are so interesting and also so inspirational!

Best of all our library has a lot of his books!

I recently read Lay Seige to Heaven which is about St. Catherine of Siena. I thought I knew all about her but it turns out I only knew the merest basics. It focused me on the Eucharist in a way I hadn't expected. That made me reread The Quiet Light about St. Thomas Aquinas which I enjoyed just as much as the first time ... and which reinforced my Eucharistic gaze.

Here are the 4 reviews I featured previously, although they are far from all of De Wohl's books that I've read and enjoyed.

• The Joyful Beggar - St. Francis
• The Quiet Light - St. Thomas Aquinas
• The Restless Flame - St. Augustine
• Set All Afire - St. Francis Xavier

They are easy to read but have given me a lot of food for thought. If you want a dose of history and inspiration they might be the perfect summer read!

Even Hindus Eagerly Await Canonization of India’s ‘Patroness of Families’

KUZHIKKATTUSSERY, India — Enthusiasm is growing even among Hindus as they join Catholics in awaiting the announcement of the date for the canonization of Blessed Mariam Thresia Chiramel Mankidiyan, who in 1914 founded the Congregation of the Holy Family (CHF), a community of women religious in southern Kerala state.

“Mother is not an ordinary Christian for us,” P.K. Mohanan, a member the village council for Kuzhikkattussery, told the Register. “She is an icon of love and charity. All of us respect her.”

Read all about it at National Catholic Register. I'd never heard of this saint but you can't watch as many Bollywood movies as I have without knowing about southern Kerala! So I feel a sense of connection just based on that slight bit of geography. Also, she seems like a really amazing person, just as any saint should!

I would also add that "even Hindus" is probably not as impressive as it sounds to us. Hindus often hold a variety of views that include other faiths. Such as the fact that some see Jesus as a god, just not the only God. So, it's great that they acknowledge her saintliness, but it doesn't have the same impact as if Muslims were flocking to this tomb. That would be something new indeed.

Fighting With My Family

Born into a tight-knit wrestling family, Paige and her brother Zak are ecstatic when they get the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to try out for the WWE. But when only Paige earns a spot in the competitive training program, she must leave her loved ones behind and face this new cutthroat world alone.

I was interested in this partially for the back-scenes look into the professional wrestling world. Also, The Rock is in it, very occasionally. So that was also a draw.

What we found was a coming-of-age sports movie that hits the familiar beats but in a funny, quirky, and thoughtful way that makes it rise above the ordinary. The cast is charming, the story interesting, and the fact that it's based on a true story gives a little extra interest.

They also gave a surprising number of takes on answering the question of what happens when your lifelong dream comes true ... and you suddenly have to reevaluate your dream. Or, conversely you don't get your lifelong dream. How do you pick yourself up and move on? These are standard questions for any sports drama but this movie gave us different perspectives, even if glancingly, from different characters which added a layer of nuance we didn't expect.

There were a few plot progressions that left us scratching our heads but we were willing to overlook them for such an enjoyable film.

The Animals As They Are

Les animaux tels qu’ils sont, which Google translates as “The animals as they are” is a book published in France in 1959 that offers 90 plus examples of how to draw animals using simplified geometric forms.

Lines and Colors

These are charming, both in technique and finished drawing. I love to think of generations of little French children drawing these animals. You can see more on Wikipedia and Flickr.

City Lights Just After Sunset

Edward B. Gordon, City Lights Just After Sunset

Baptism - the true light that enlightens every man

Baptism is God's most beautiful and magnificent gift. . . .We call it gift, grace, anointing, enlightenment, garment of immortality, bath of rebirth, seal, and most precious gift. It is called gift because it is conferred on those who bring nothing of their own; grace since it is given even to the guilty; Baptism because sin is buried in the water; anointing for it is priestly and royal as are those who are anointed; enlightenment because it radiates light; clothing since it veils our shame; bath because it washes; and seal as it is our guard and the sign of God's Lordship.

St. Gregory Of Nazianzus

quoted in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1243

This made me think of a baptism I attended a couple of weeks ago. The mother said afterwards that now she could relax because her child was safe. I didn't know people still thought that way and being raised a heathen, myself, my children were baptized well after infancy. I'm a godmother as well as a mother — I know how important baptism is but the quote above made me really feel it. It sank into me somehow.

Stree (2018)

In the small town of Chanderi, the menfolk live in fear of an evil spirit named "Stree" (Woman) who abducts men in the night during an annual festival. Everybody diligently makes sure the inscription O Stree, Come Tomorrow is written on their walls to keep the ghost away. Vicky falls in love with a mysterious girl, who is only seen during the annual festival season. Could she be Stree?

This is a comedy-horror film in the way that Tucker and Dale Vs. Evil was ... tongue-in-cheek humor while turning the conventional story on its head. It was super fun while being quite suspenseful in places. I was happy that this wasn't gory in the way an American movie would have been. It was interesting to see that there are ghost stories that originate in all parts of the world about brides whose lives were cut short.

And there must be a lot of cultural influence from Western horror films. That means you don't have to know Bollywood films to enjoy this as many of the tropes were the ones we all know .... like "don't split up - stay together!" Or as we were yelling at the screen, "Be like wolves, not lions!"

Plus, you know, a few songs and dances! Which is even better!

This was a sleeper hit last year and just hit Netflix recently.

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

Tasty Dandelions

Remo Savisaar, Tasty Dandelions

Letter to a Suffering Church by Bishop Robert Barron

Preface

This book is a cri de coeur, a cry from the heart. I am a lifelong Catholic, and I've been a priest for thirty-three years and a bishop for four years. I have dedicated my life to the Church. The sexual abuse scandal has been for me, for millions of other Catholics, and especially for the victim-survivors, lacerating. I have written this book for my fellow Catholics who feel, understandably, demoralized, scandalized, angry beyond words, and ready to quit. What I finally urge my brothers and sisters in the Church to do is to stay and fight — and to do so on behalf of themselves and their families, but especially on behalf of those who have suffered so grievously at the hands of wicked men. Of course, I’m also happy if those outside the Church find some illumination in these chapters as well.

I want to be clear about something from the outset: I am not speaking in the name of my brother bishops, or of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, or of the Vatican. I have no authority whatsoever to do so. I am speaking in my own name, as a Catholic, a priest, and a bishop. My prayer is that these reflections might encourage Catholics who are attempting to navigate today in very choppy waters.

The Vatican, USCCB, and other bishops should be so lucky as to have Bishop Barron's book speaking for them. If they are wise they will embrace it and get copies into the hands of their congregations. Robert Barron gives not only a cry from the heart but perspective and counsel which both encourage and console.

This little book doesn't take long to read but it's packed with food for thought and gives historical and scriptural perspective. That may make it sound a bit detached or trite. Letter to a Suffering Church is anything but.

Barron condemns the wicked — it's been too long since I heard that word applied to the priests who violated the souls and bodies of their victims. He offers understanding and solace to those victims. He reminds us that the Church has been dragged through the dregs of corruption by the clergy before and of the fight it took to cleanse it.

Above all Barron offers inspiration and a fighting spirit as he encourages Catholics to stay and fight for the Church to be what Christ calls her to be — a pure source of Truth for a world crying out for God and love. Even though the world may laugh at that idea right now.

I'll be rereading this book for my own future inspiration moving forward. I strongly recommend it for all of you too.

This book is only a dollar a copy so it can become widely accessible, with all proceeds going to organizations that support sexual abuse victims. Order it here. Parish resources are here.

Well Said: Most People

From my quote journal.

In most cases, people, even wicked people, are far more naive and simple-hearted than one generally assumes. And so are we.

Fyodor Dostoevsky, The Brothers Karamazov