On the Terrace

On the Terrace, (in Algiers), Anders Zorn

Ah, Miss Harriet ...

Ah Miss Harriet, it would do us no harm to remember oftener than we do, that vices are sometimes only virtues carried to excess.

Charles Dickens, Dombey and Son

That can be a path from pure justice to including mercy.

A Movie You Might Have Missed #11: Payback

It's been 10 years since I began this series highlighting movies I wished more people knew about. I'm rerunning it from the beginning because I still think these are movies you might have missed.

11. Payback

Porter knows his worth.

$70,000.

That is the amount that his erstwhile partner, who now works for the syndicate, stole after double crossing and leaving him for dead. And that is the amount Porter wants back. No more, no less. He will do whatever it takes to get it.

So begins the grittiest movie I have ever seen Mel Gibson in. Porter is the anti-heroes' "hero" so to speak, a guy who has only one goal and only one redeeming quality, which is his love for Rosie, the requisite hooker with a heart of gold. I suppose he actually could have two redeeming qualities, the second being his stubborn determination to take only the money that was stolen from him. (My full review here.)

Catching Truth in Our Net

In life and art both, as it seems to me, we are always trying to catch in our net of successive moments something that is not successive ... I think it is sometimes done — or very, very nearly done — in stories. I believe the effort to be well worth making.

C.S. Lewis, On Stories

Yes. Yes, yes, yes.

Inari Jizo

Inari at Takayama Inari Shrine Aomori, by Keey
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License

I loved these statues which looked like dogs with napkins tied around their neck. I discovered they are actually foxes with bibs around their necks. They are Japanese deity statues and the bibs signify different purposes.

You may read about Jizo here and the bibs here. As for the fox,

The fox, symbolizing both benevolence and malevolence, is sometimes identified with the messenger of Inari, and statues of foxes are found in great numbers both inside and outside shrines dedicated to the rice god.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Pan Bagnat (Provençal Tuna Sandwich)

I grew up with a version of this sandwich which my parents made regularly in the summertime. We loved it. Loaded with different ingredients, bathed in a vinaigrette (the title means "bathed bread"), weighted down and left for all the flavors to meld — it was the perfect summer meal.

So I was intrigued when Cooks Illustrated had their own version and tried it out last weekend. I loved this version too. Get it at Meanwhile, Back in the Kitchen.

Solitude

Hans Thoma, Solitude
via Arts Everyday Living

Rereading: Mrs. Appleyard's Year (and Mrs. Appleyard's Kitchen) by Louise Andrews Kent

My current bedtime reading - again. Gentle, funny, and perfect for nodding off. Here's my original review from years ago:

I know, I know. This looks like the lamest old book ever. Yet after enjoying the clever, gentle humor of the commentary in Mrs. Appleyard's Kitchen (see below) I was intrigued enough to find a cheap copy of this book. Truth to tell, I was thinking it might be good to read to my mother-in-law (she suffers from slight dementia and so far Cheaper By the Dozen is our favorite to share together on my visits).

At any rate, as I was looking through this I found myself continually pulled into the story and laughing. Louise Andrews Kent pays us the compliment of not underestimating our intelligence. The imagined life of the Italian family living in the hedges (prompted by a gardener's unpleasant joke) or Mrs. Appleyard's defense of her family to a British aunt allow us to enter a world long gone but to realize that people were still the same then as now.

I have been waiting for at least a month to read this on Forgotten Classics and am excited that Mrs. Appleyard's time to shine has finally come. Pull up your rocking chair on the porch, have a glass of lemonade and rock in the cool breeze as we follow Mrs. Appleyard through her year.

Note: I read Mrs. Appleyard's Year over a year at my Forgotten Classics podcast. Pull up your rocking chair on the porch, have a glass of lemonade and rock in the breeze as we follow Mrs. Appleyard through her year. Listen here.

This is the book that led me to Mrs. Appleyard's Year. It is an absolutely delightful "forgotten classic" that I discovered in my parent's basement. Hilarious and intentionally so ... Mom and I kept picking it up and reading each other snippets all day ... and laughing our heads off. It is a cookbook but each recipe deserves reading because they are larded with small stories, humorous comments, and personality ... somewhat in the same way as the recipes in The Best Cook in the World. It often winds up on my bedstand for nighttime reading.

Modern Man and "The Old Days"

I find that the uneducated Englishman is an almost total sceptic about history. ... To us the present has always appeared as one section in a huge continuous process. In his mind the present occupies almost the whole field of vision. Beyond it, isolated from it, and quite unimportant, is something called "the old days"—a small, comic jungle in which highwaymen, Queen Elizabeth, knights-in-armor, etc. wander about. Then (strangest of all) beyond the old days comes a picture of "primitive man." He is "science," not "history," and is therefore felt to be much more real than the old days. In other words, the prehistoric is much more believed in than the historic.

C.S. Lewis, Christian Apologetics essay

This still rings true which does account for the rising inability to understand "context" of people's writings and actions in "The Old Days" which do not conform to modern thinking. On only one action deemed inappropriate may great men and women be judged to be evil. All because they are not in the days we live in ourselves.

Mt. Fuji seen from Mt.Takabocchyama Nagano

Mt. Fuji seen from Mt.Takabocchyama Nagano, taken by Koichi_Hayakawa.
Via Calligraphy in the view, (Licensed under CC BY 4.0)

This photograph is featured at FIND/47: Japan's hidden visual delights.

Japan is home to 47 prefectures offering 47 distinct experiences shaped by the natural scenery, historical architecture, and local traditions unique to each region.

Even after a dozen visits, there will still be more that you have yet to see.

FIND/47 offers a dynamic visual platform for discovering aspects of Japan you didn't even know you were looking for.

There is some stunning photography there and I will definitely be sharing some of it from time to time.

Rereading — The Case of the Missing Servant by Tarquin Hall

Vish Puri, Most Private Investigator, does what is needful to solve his cases. They usually involve investigating prospective brides and grooms for arranged marriages, but there are also big, serious cases. Such is the main problem in this book where Puri has to save a crusading lawyer's reputation while discovering what happened to the missing servant the lawyer is rumored to have murdered.

A judiciously quirky Indian detective (meaning realistic) and his operatives are highlighted, as well as his Mummy who sets out to solve a mystery that her son does not take seriously. This was an enjoyable "cozy" sort of mystery, like a trip to India. Rereading it seven years after the last time (for A Good Story podcast #63), I am struck by just how realistically regular Indian life is portrayed. I say that after watching so many Indian films in the last couple of years that I noticed tons of authentic details that slid past me in previous readings.

Ultimately, this was a classic mystery in many ways and yet it still managed to fool me. Extremely well done and gave a bird's-eye view of India without needing tons of info-dumps. Highly recommended. (P.S. I am a big fan of his Mummy-Ji.)

Chilly Spring Morning

Chilly Spring Morning, Remo Savisaar

Well Said: God intrudes

Despite our efforts to keep him out, God intrudes. The life of Jesus is bracketed by two impossibilities: a virgin's womb and an empty tomb. Jesus entered our world through a door marked "No Entrance" and left through a door marked "No Exit."

Peter Larson

I keep forgetting how utterly impossible Jesus' life was. By human standards, anyway.

Savory (Ham, Mozzarella & Basil) Brioche Couronne

Couronne means "crown" and this is obviously named for the shape. However, it is also fit for royalty. An enriched brioche dough is filled with ham, mozzarella and basil to make a wonderful meal.

Get it at Meanwhile, Back in the Kitchen.

Dog Politics

We got out two new rawhide bones and Rose said, "Let the dog politics begin." Because, you know, power is all about who controls the bones.

Soon afterward, we had this peaceful scene. Kaylee is just taking a peaceful snooze, coincidentally between the two bones.

So peaceful ...

Or is it?

Another angle shows a different story.

A story of supplication and longing for just one of those tasty bones. You can't hear the heartfelt whining but rest assured begging for bones is both physical and verbal. The bones which Kaylee controls with a simple, steely look into Jeeves' eyes.

A story of power and politics.

Fairy Tales

A mother reads to her children, Jessie Willcox Smith

I love this picture. It perfectly captures the feeling of reading to your children, especially when everyone is enjoying the story. I read to the girls for years and years until they grew out of it, which thankfully they did relatively late.

Now that a grandchild is on the way, this is one of the things I am really looking forward to — sharing all those wonderful story-filled moments together.

A Movie You Might Have Missed #10: Double Indemnity

Be still my heart. Do not miss this classic.

It's been 10 years since I began this series highlighting movies I wished more people knew about. I'm rerunning it from the beginning because I still think these are movies you might have missed.

10. Double Indemnity

A famous film that I, nevertheless, have to beat people over the head to watch. The screenplay is by director Billy Wilder and Raymond Chandler and the dialogue crackles with iconic film noir style.

Fred MacMurray is the insurance salesman who comes up with the perfect murder scheme to rid femme fatale Barbara Stanwyck of her husband's annoying presence. Edward G. Robinson is MacMurray's boss, a wily insurance investigator who feels that things don't quite add up. Told in flash-back, the film nonetheless maintains dramatic tension the entire time.

Ironically, all three stars did not want to do the film. MacMurray and Stanwyck because they were cast against type as evil. Robinson because he was not the main star ... yet he carries the film at the end as his line sums up the movie perfectly.

Word on Fire Bible — A Cathedral in Print

I've been waiting for this ever since Word on Fire mentioned they were working on a Bible. Go watch the video. This is beautiful with tons of art — way more than I imagined it would be.

Word on Fire Bible

There is a detailed review at National Catholic Register that tells more (just makes my mouth water, to be honest). Here's a bit:

As Bishop Barron explains in the introduction, the commentary is meant to be, above all else, evangelical in its purpose: “First, it is specifically geared toward those who, for a variety of reasons, are not affiliated with the Christian faith, or indeed with any organized religion. … Secondly and relatedly, its commentaries hone in on two simple but fundamental questions: Who is God, and who is Jesus Christ?”

At the same time, those two questions plumb, even for the most confident believers, wells whose ultimate depths we will never reach in this life. Those of us safely in the Catholic fold have plenty to learn from the commentaries of those who have pondered the Gospels over the centuries. Yes, the intelligent seeker will be enlightened by the Word on Fire Gospels. And the believer who regularly reads Scripture will become well-disciplined by this text: It forces us to slow down rather than zoom through that daily chapter. It compels us to consider the thoughts of greater minds and holier souls than ours on this or that particular passage.

What's your hurry?

“What's your hurry?"

"Because now is the only time there ever is to do a thing in," said Miss Ophelia.”

Harriet Beecher Stowe, Uncle Tom's Cabin

Three Brave Ones

Three Brave Ones, Remo Savisaar

The Continual Tide of the Human Condition

Treading water isn't good enough. There is a continual tide of the human condition that can carry us away. If we're not actively trying to move forward, then we're falling behind.

Father John Libone

Oh and how well I know it. I still catch myself trying to float on that tide, so to speak, for a bit of a holiday. And how do I catch myself? Because I realize how far I've been swept back by the tide.

I am chasing a dream.

I am chasing a dream. I want the unattainable. Other artists paint a bridge, a house, a boat; and that’s the end. They’ve finished. I want to paint the AIR which surrounds the bridge, the house, the boat; the beauty of the air in which these objects are located; and that is nothing short of impossible. If only I could satisfy myself with what is possible.

Claude Monet

(Monet at Giverny by Caroline Holmes)

Woman in the Garden

Woman in the Garden
a study in the effect of sunlight and shadow on colour
Claude Monet

Madame Monet in a Japanese kimono

Madame Monet in a Japanese kimono, Claude Monet

Gospel of Matthew: Struck with Awe

Matthew 9:1-8

Chapter 9 opens with the people bringing Jesus a paralytic for healing, Jesus forgiving the man's sins, and with his chiding the scribes for saying that he was blaspheming. Very familiar and most of us know it well from a different telling when the man's friends lower him through the roof to Jesus.

Once again, the details are all important in helping us to really grasp fully what Matthew is communicating to us. And, once again, I never considered the bit that Martin brings up in "glorified God" discussion. Thought provoking and fabulous.

Hey, check out this mosaic of the paralytic taking up his mat to leave. I always thought of it like a padded quilt. The cot type bed the man is holding makes much more sense in terms of his friends being able to get him to the roof and through the ceiling without him slipping out of their grasp. Also — and you know I had to say it — this is often what we see in Bollywood movies for the beds in the homes of the poor or on rooftops for summer sleeping. So it hit me where I lived.

Mosaic in Sant’Apollinare Nuovo – Ravenna

8 When the crowds saw this they were struck with awe. This is the first mention of crowds being present and witnessing what was happening. The Greek for were struck with awe can also be translated "became afraid." The people of Capernaum had already seen Jesus heal many people (8:14-17), so we can ponder why this particular healing aroused awe and fear. Its only unique feature was that it was done as a sign that Jesus had the authority to forgive sins. The crowd was struck with awe that Jesus had demonstrated that he had such authority; Jesus was a man who could forgive as God could forgive. Joseph had been told that Jesus would "save his people from their sins" (1:21), and the people of Capernaum had just witnessed a down payment.

Consequently they glorified God who had given such authority to human beings. They recognized that Jesus' authority to forgive sins came from God, for only God could forgive sins. They glorified God for sharing his authority with Jesus, bringing his forgiveness to earth (verse 6). Matthew writes that they glorified God for giving authority to forgive sins to human beings rather than simply to Jesus. Matthew's wording foreshadows Jesus' sharing his authority to forgive sins with his disciples and the church (see 16:19; 18:18; James 5:16). Matthew's first readers experienced forgiveness of sins through the church, and they could join in glorifying God for giving such authority to human beings.

For reflection: How have I experienced Jesus' forgiveness through the church? Where am I most in need of forgiveness?

The disciples had wondered about Jesus, "What sort of man is this?" (8:27), and more pieces of the answer are falling into place. Jesus not only has authority over disease (8:1-17), over the physical world (8:23-27), and over demons (8:28-34); he also sees into human hearts (verses 2, 4) and has the authority to forgive sins (verse 6).

Quote is from Bringing the Gospel of Matthew to Life. This series first ran in 2008. I'm refreshing it as I go.

Night Butterflies

Night butterflies, Edward Okuń

The joy of "assigned" reading and book talk

Sometimes I find myself reading a lot of books I didn't intend, faster than I meant to, and it's all because they were chosen by people for discussion ... or, in other words, "assigned." There's nothing like interesting book talk to pull me into a book. Even if I don't love the book, I always get something from the conversation.

Sometimes these are real life discussions. Sometimes they are favorite podcasts that are diving deep. Either way, I usually can't wait to go from one to another.

Here's the latest batch I'm juggling — which is a ton of fun, I must say.

THE SCARLET LETTER

Assigned by: A Good Story is Hard to Find podcast

To be fair, this is my selection so I'm not complaining.

Like a lot of us, I first read it in high school where I had the common dislike for the boring book. Then when my high school age daughters both loved it, I took another run at it and fell in love myself. Both with the book and with Nathaniel Hawthorne's incredible writing style.

I'm always struck by how modern it feels toward toward the end when Hester and her lover are in the woods. She has this moment of "I've never felt so alive!" that just knocks me out. The last few chapters almost turn into a thriller as we are pulling for them while worrying about what their enemy is going to do.

MERE CHRISTIANITY

Assigned by: my Catholic women's book club

I'm reading twenty-five pages a day (roughly 3 short chapters) and will get done the day before. Of course, this isn't my first time through and that helps with quick reading. Which I'm naturally good at anyway.

I always enjoy this immensely as an extremely logical and understandable explanation to which anyone can relate. One need not agree with the author about Christianity or God, but one gets an excellent description of how a Christian understands the world. And that is a valuable thing these days, it seems to me. It is also a good devotional as I was reminded of many of the basics upon which my life is based and to which I aspire.

CRIME AND PUNISHMENT

Assigned by: the Close Reads podcast

I've had a sneaking attraction to this book for over a year. Which really surprised me since I hated The Brothers Karamazov (please, no comments about that - let's just move on). But I'd been told that this was a very different book, a very modern feeling book, and numerous people had urged it on me.

When I saw Close Reads was covering this as part of their Patreon extra book I signed right up. I can't quit reading - except to listen to the episode covering the chapters I just read. I've been loving it more all the time! Finally, a Russian novel I can love (so far anyway - I'm not promising anything until I've finished).

I listen to Close Reads off and on in their regular podcast, depending on what they're reading. They are working from a classical education perspective, which feeds into a homeschooling, Christian audience. That is reflected in their Facebook page which has varied and lively discussions and I regularly check in there too.

THE GREAT DIVORCE

Assigned by: The Literary Life podcast

This is a bit of a cheat since I'm not reading the book along with them. I know it really well so listening to the conversation is enough. But I wanted to let anyone reading this know about the podcast, especially in covering this book. So I slipped it in here — and I really am juggling it with the others!

As with Close Reads, I listen  off and on to The Literary Life, depending on what they're discussing. They also are working from a classical education perspective, which feeds into a homeschooling, Christian audience. That is reflected in their Facebook page which has varied and lively discussions and I regularly check in there too.

JONATHAN STRANGE & MR NORRELL

Assigned by:  Mythgard Academy as I relisten to their free classes

I admit it. I'm addicted to Corey Olsen's classes. Of all the book talk-ers on this page, I think he is the best because he focuses on what the text is telling us, not on what we know will happen later in the book or getting sidetracked into tangential ideas.

I usually have something of his on my iPod. I'm not as interested in the lesser known Tolkien writings as he is, so I am often relistening to a class while waiting for him to finish up obscure Tolkien-iana and begin a book I'm interested in. I only read Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell once (while listening to the Mythgard classes) and find it is the perfect fantasy to reread during a pandemic quarantine. That makes these classes my perfect "assignment."

Coming Soon
THE TENANT OF WILDFELL HALL

Assigned by: the CraftLit podcast

I'll begin this as soon as I finish either Crime and Punishment or Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell.

You know, it's that book by the other Bronte sister. The one whose name no one can ever remember. I did sample the first chapter. Heather Ordover has gotten two excellent readers to do the audiobook and, as always, her commentary is great. It can be a bit "women's issues" oriented which isn't really my cup of tea but it's not so much that it is overly intrusive.

Kites

Bertha Lum, Kites

A lovely review from Mrs. Darwin for Thus Sayeth the Lord

... Underneath the conversational tone is a deep knowledge of scripture and a love for these prickly characters who are the pillars of the Old Testament.

Although Julie Davis doesn't sugarcoat any of the apocalyptic weirdness of Ezekiel or the marital imagery of Hosea, this book is appropriate for and accessible to teenagers, a perfect gateway to a deeper scriptural literacy.

Many thanks for the review which may be read in its entirety at Amazon — where the Kindle book is still on sale for $2.99!

The print version will (finally) be available June 22!

At last ....

At last —

"The library is still closed. Opening plans will be presented by the City Manager at the June 3 City Council Briefing. " (from the library home page).

It's been closed forever and our household has been cast into gloom. Three of us use the library A LOT. So to see "the library is closed with no plans to reopen" on the main page was very depressing. Every so often one of us would check the main page and glumly report no changes. Until last night!

Now we have hope.

Lincoln's Battle with God by Stephen Mansfield

Throughout his life, Lincoln fought with God. In his early years in Illinois, he rejected even the existence of God and became the village atheist. In time, this changed but still he wrestled with the truth of the Bible, preachers, doctrines, the will of God, the providence of God, and then, finally, God’s purposes in the Civil War. On the day he was shot, Lincoln said he longed to go to Jerusalem to walk in the Savior’s steps.

What had happened? What was the journey that took Abraham Lincoln from outspoken atheist to a man who yearned to walk in the footsteps of Christ?

Just as he is for many Americans, Honest, steadfast, witty, and determined, he guided our nation through one of our most difficult times. I remember hearing several years ago that he was an atheist and that any language about faith in his speeches was just for political purposes. Ok, if that's who he was then that's who he was.

I was intrigued, therefore, when I saw this book and many positive reviews. The subtitle grabbed me — A President's Struggle with Faith and What It Meant for America — so I picked it up with a spare Audible credit. It is read by the author and is fairly short - around 5 hours.

I was pleased to find an even-handed telling of Lincoln's faith journey throughout his life. I especially appreciated the author taking care to bring up opposing points of view and objections when people's accounts of Lincoln's faith seem too easy or fabricated. This is done through using Lincoln's own letters, speeches, and other writing, as well as those of his contemporaries.

It is also a good, fairly short biography for anyone who'd like to get the gist without committing to thousands of pages which usually comprise a Lincoln biography. Lincoln's story is also very modern in many ways. His motives for his atheism ring true today. His personal journey rings true with my own experience.

Highly recommended.

At Breakfast

At Breakfast. The painter's wife, Sigrid Kähler, by Laurits Andersen Ring

Your Manuscript is Both Good and Original

My congratulations to you, sir. Your manuscript is both good and original; but the part that is good is not original, and the part that is original is not good

Dr. Samuel Johnson

36 Years of Wedded Bliss

We can tell what doesn't work in marriages. So often today people ask, "Who will make me happy?" But what we should ask is, "Who will I love so much that I will sacrifice myself to make them happy?"

Father Roch Kereszty

Dear, even-tempered Tom is truly my soul mate. I'm so very lucky that he loves me as much as I love him. He has taught me so much over the years about music, about thinking, about humor, about originality, about kindness and consideration. Not because he actively taught me but just by being around him. That in itself tells you a lot about the sort of person Tom is.

It's wonderful having spent 36 years with someone. You know each other's references (jokes become real one-liners), you understand each other's moods, and it is a deep, restful relationship that is not without delightful times of surprise and passion.

I've said this before (as the comments will attest). But this year saw significant changes for us as a couple and as householders. Although she is such a part of our family now that I can't imagine life any other way, my mother came to live with us just last September. We were excited to have her move in but there's no denying it was a big adjustment, especially for Mom — she appreciates Bollywood movies now much more than we ever could have hoped.

Of course, we can't ignore the surreal change of life with Covid-19 and all the uncertainties that involves — swirling statistics with continual reinterpretations, quarantine, toilet paper shortages, three adults working from home (oh, wait, we already did that part of it). Oh no — we realized we are in the "danger" age group. The lower end, to be sure, but it was still a mental shock. Who better to help get through all this than the person who knows and loves you better than anyone else? Not that we could ever have dreamed of facing such strangeness when we married.

And there will be more changes to come as we await the arrival of our first grandchild in November! It's a wonderful world out there and I'm so glad to have Tom to experience it with.

A Movie You Might Have Missed #9: King Kong (1933)

t's been 10 years since I began this series highlighting movies I wished more people knew about. I'm rerunning it from the beginning because I still think these are movies you might have missed.

King Kong (1933)

Reject all imitations. The original King Kong is one of my all-time favorite movies and a true classic in its own right.

It is a simple story: intrepid filmmaker, Carl Denham, leads an expedition to Skull Island where they discover a 50-foot gorilla who becomes enamored of Ann Darrow (Fay Wray). He is captured and brought back to New York City as the "8th wonder of the world" where he inevitably runs wild with Ann clutched in one hand and meets his death atop the Empire State Building.

The skill of the movie makers is such that it is still thoroughly enjoyable almost 90 years later. Fay Wray has a scream that could stop a freight train; you could hear it over practically anything that the movie threw at it. The animation was star quality at the time and you soon discover that it is not the animation but the story that carries a movie. (My review is here.)

Breakfast and excitement

“When you wake up in the morning, Pooh," said Piglet at last, "what's the first thing you say to yourself?"

"What's for breakfast?" said Pooh. "What do you say, Piglet?"

"I say, I wonder what's going to happen exciting today?" said Piglet.

Pooh nodded thoughtfully.

"It's the same thing," he said.”

A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh

Peacock from Behind

Peacock from Behind, Nihaljabinedk - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0,

I'm used to seeing peacocks with their tail feathers displayed, but in this shot I see how beautiful they are anyway.

Corn with Husk

Corn with Husk, Duane Keiser

All these things are here to save our lives

As Harold took a bite of Bavarian sugar cookie, he finally felt as if everything was going to be ok. Sometimes, when we lose ourselves in fear and despair, in routine and constancy, in hopelessness and tragedy, we can thank God for Bavarian sugar cookies. And, fortunately, when there aren’t any cookies, we can still find reassurance in a familiar hand on our skin, or a kind and loving gesture, or subtle encouragement, or a loving embrace, or an offer of comfort, not to mention hospital gurneys and nose plugs, an uneaten Danish, soft-spoken secrets, and Fender Stratocasters, and maybe the occasional piece of fiction. And we must remember that all these things, the nuances, the anomalies, the subtleties, which we assume only accessorize our days, are effective for a much larger and nobler cause. They are here to save our lives. I know the idea seems strange, but I also know that it just so happens to be true.

Zach Helm, Stranger Than Fiction: The Shooting Script

Gospel of Matthew: Why Jesus' Exorcisms Were Unique

Matthew 8:28-34

I have always loved the fact that Jesus is shown several times healing people simply with the power of his word, as we saw with the centurion's slave. But this equal power is shown in exorcisms, something that had escaped me entirely until I read this commentary. Of course. Jesus' own authority is enough.

Medieval illumination of Jesus exorcizing the Gerasene demoniac from the Ottheinrich Folio

Jesus was not the only exorcist in the ancient Near east (see 12:27), but the way he performed exorcisms was unique. First, other people claiming to expel demons used material instruments such as incense, medicines, rings, wood chips, olive branches, or bowls of water. Some played music or made special sounds. Jesus, however, does not rely on any device or special technique. He simply drives out demons by his command (8:32; 17:18; Mark 1:25; Luke 4:35; 8:29). Second, while other exorcists sometimes said prayers, Jesus never prays during an exorcism. He relies instead on his own power, which he associates with the Spirit of God (see 12:28). Third, other exorcists might invoke a higher authority or a powerful name, such as the name of Solomon, who in Jewish tradition was known for his exorcisms. Jesus, however, never expels demons by calling on on another name, not Solomon's or even God's. Jesus drives out demons by his own word and by his own authority.

Quote is from Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture: The Gospel of Matthew by Curtis Mitch and Edward Sri. This series first ran in 2008. I'm refreshing it as I go.

A Movie You Might Have Missed #8 — Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang

It's been 10 years since I began this series highlighting movies I wished more people knew about. I'm rerunning it from the beginning because I still think these are movies you might have missed.

8. Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang

A film that mocks film noir cliches while at the same time being a very satisfying mystery/action/buddy noir-ish film in its own right.

Robert Downey Jr. is a small-time thief who stumbles into an acting audition when on the lam from the cops. He aces the audition and is sent to Hollywood where he soon finds himself neck-deep in a murder mystery involving his childhood sweetheart. While shadowing detective Val Kilmer to learn more about his acting role, Downey Jr. becomes heavily involved in a second mystery as well.

Great fun, with fast-talking dialogue that will keep you on your toes. A nice companion piece to Brick; though completely different in feel, both movies mimic noir style while still standing on their own two legs.

Happy Birthday, Rose

The Roses of Heliogabalus by Alma-Tadema

Our celebration won't be quite on the scale (or style) of the one pictured. Though I do approve of their liberal enjoyment of roses.

Our own Rose is worthy of such a party though I think it would have to be a surprise party. We're going to have a modest, at home celebration with take out and a Cafe Latte Gingerbread Cheesecake (trying out an intriguing Mary Berry recipe).

We're so happy that Rose is here with us and not in L.A. We felt that way before the corona virus situation and it is doubled and redoubled now. Our lives are brighter thanks to her sense of humor, common sense, gardening, cooking, and (especially) Bollywood movie selections. Happy Birthday, Rose!

Lost and Found

The Texas Quote of the Day:

"Thursday I lost a gold watch which I value very highly as it is an heirloom. I immediately inserted an advertisement in your Lost and Found Column and waited. Yesterday I went home and found the watch in the pocket of my other suit. God bless your paper."

------ Letter to the editor of the Dalhart Texan Newspaper, 1920

via Traces of Texas

Let me read you a chapter of Thus Sayeth the Lord

Valencia. The Groups.

Joaquín Sorolla, Valencia. Las grupas

Stupidity

Stupidity is also a gift of God but one mustn't misuse it.

Pope John Paul II

I do my best but sometimes my gift overcomes me and springs free.

I'll Be Reading a Chapter of My New Book on Facebook Tomorrow

Friday, May 8

3:00 p.m. Central Time

My personal Facebook page

I'll be reading a chapter of Thus Sayeth the Lord: A Fresh Take on the Prophets.

If you miss the specific livestream reading, don't worry. Our Sunday Visitor will have the video living on its YouTube page later. And it will stay up on Facebook as a recorded video.

It'll be fun! A personal reading of one of my favorite chapters! Tune in to see which of the 18 prophets I choose!

A passing fairy's hiccough

[Mrs. Gamp] was by this time in the doorway curtseying to Mrs. Mould. At the same time a peculiar fragrance was borne upon the breeze, as if a passing fairy had hiccoughed, and had previously been to a wine vault.

Charles Dickens, Martin Chuzzlewit

Such pertinent information, so amusingly conveyed. What a master!

A Rooftop with Flowers

A Rooftop with Flowers, Joaquín Sorolla

The Key to a Happy Marriage

I have always believed that the key to a happy marriage was the ability to say with a straight face, "Why, I don't know what you're worrying about. I thought you were very funny last night and I'm sure everybody else did, too."

Miss Manners

A Very Nice Review — "Believe That Subtitle!"

Many thanks to Susan Vigilante for her review on Amazon.

When I opened "Thus Sayeth the Lord" I was expecting something, you know, churchy. I couldn't have been more wrong. Julie Davis's "fresh take" on all prophets major and minor prophets is just that- a completely different way of thinking about all prophets minor and major, from Moses (I never thought of him as a prophet, either!) to Jesus Himself. She strips away all the musty scents of incense and grandiose intonations and gives it to us straight: "To become holy is to become more authentically who we are." This utterly engaging book would be perfect for all readers from young adult and up. Highly recommended.

Remember Thus Sayeth the Lord is on a deep discount at Amazon right now - just $2.99 for the ebook. Get a copy now!

Portrait of Countess of Santiago

Portrait of Countess of Santiago, Joaquín Sorolla

There's more to telling a story than just telling a story...

All I wanted was something lightweight and undemanding. The Da Vinci Code was both of these. However, as I compulsively turned the page to discover what incredible nonsense might happen to Robert Langdon and Sophie Neveu next—incredible but gripping—I could not help noticing that the book was exceptionally poorly written. You go to a thriller for its thrills, not its poetry, but this was distractingly bad. ...

To be clear, Dan Brown knows how to tell a story—but there is more to telling a story than just telling the story. Stephen King understands this...

Andy Miller, The Year of Reading Dangerously

Andy Miller manages to be incredibly fair to Dan Brown while pointing out the very reason I never read The Da Vinci Code. I'd heard it was terribly written and that can be such a point of distraction for me that I'll not be able to read a book sometimes.

Gospel of Matthew: Matthew's Resume

I especially like the point made below of the extent of Matthew's sacrifice because he couldn't turn back. I never thought about that before.

Saint Matthew (1713–1715) by Camillo Rusconi,
Archbasilica of St. John Lateran in Rome

More than any other disciple, Matthew had a clear idea of how much it would cost to follow Jesus, yet he did not hesitate a moment. When he left his tax-collecting booth, he guaranteed himself unemployment. for several of the other disciples, there was always fishing to return to, but for Matthew, there was no turning back. ...

Jesus gave Matthew a new purpose for his skills. When he followed Jesus, the only tool from his past job that he carried with him was his pen. From the beginning, God had made him a record-keeper. Jesus' call eventually allowed him to put his skills to their finest work. Matthew was a keen observer, and he undoubtedly recorded what he saw going on around him. The gospel that bears his name came as a result.

Matthew's experience points out that each of us, from the beginning, is one of God's works in progress. Much of what God has for us he gives long before we are able to consciously respond to him. He trusts us with skills and abilities ahead of the schedule.

Strengths and accomplishments:

• Was one of Jesus' 12 disciples
• Responded immediately to Jesus' call 
• Invited many friends to his home to meet Jesus
• Compiled the Gospel of Matthew
• Clarified for his Jewish audience Jesus' fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies

Lessons from his life:

• Jesus consistently accepted people from every level of society
• Matthew was given a new life and his god-given skills of record-keeping and attention to detail were given new purpose
• Having been accepted by Jesus, Matthew immediately tried to bring others into contact with Jesus

Key verses:
"As he walked along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax collector's booth. 'Follow me,' Jesus told him, and Levi got up and followed him" (Mark 2:14).

Matthew's story is told in the Gospels. He is also mentioned in Acts 1:13.

Excerpt from Life Application Study Bible. This series first ran in 2008. I'm refreshing it as I go.

Sewing the Sail

Sewing the Sail, Joaquín Sorolla

Raanjhanaa [Beloved One]

A small-town boy needs to break through the class divide to gain acceptance from his childhood sweetheart who is in love with big city ideals.

Between the poster and the description we were expecting a light romance. I mean, look at how much fun they're having during the Holi celebration!

So we were really surprised when this began taking some dark turns, but it was good and I really liked Dhanush's performance. Both the main characters are really stupid about each other when it comes to romance which was rather realistic when you think about their different backgrounds. However, as the film goes on it takes a turn into something different which is more interesting than a standard love story. We see Dhanush's character, Kundun, suddenly think outside his own desires after he makes a big mistake. Simultaneously we see Zoya's twin desires for vengeance and paying tribute to a loved one result in a fascinating journey. The movie becomes an interesting look at selfishness versus true love in what will we do for our beloved ones.

My favorite scene was when he's picked up by the student political group as a thief. They are trying to figure out why he was stealing with discussion on a high intellectual level while not realizing he is hungry, thirsty, out of work, etc.

Anyway, good with several surprising twists which gave it depth.

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.)

Don't Forget! $2.99 Kindle Sale on Thus Sayeth the Lord!

April 27 - May 11, 2020

OSV has a temporary deep discount on the Thus Sayeth the Lord e-book for $2.99 on Amazon!

Get it now! 

And tell your friends!

Remember Your Death: Lenten Devotional by Theresa Aletheia Noble

In the very simplest terms, memento mori(Latin for "remember you must die") is the practice of keeping a reminder in front of you that death is inevitable. The way I'd seen this most commonly was in paintings that included a skull tucked among still life items.

I'd never thought about it much one way or the other, except for the general way I would try to remember that my ultimate goal is heaven. When I saw this devotional it was after Easter 2019 so I waited until Lent 2020 to get it. How timely that turned out to be, what with global pandemics and suchlike.

Memento mori seems like a gloomy prospect but, especially as reflections written by Theresa Noble, it is actually life affirming. How do we want to live ... and why? How can we draw closer to God? Where are we going wrong and how do we fix it? These are all Lenten questions and all questions we want to have figured out by the time we die. Remember Your Death helps you with that.

Noble has her own two-page reflection, a prompt for Examen and intercessory prayer, and a journaling/prayer prompt. I liked all of them, especially the long quote from a saint that was included in each intercessory prayer section.

This book will definitely be one I use for future Lenten reflection.

Happy Birthday, Tom!

You may recognize this from last year. When Tom got that look on his face (see below) I reminded him of last year's ice cream sundaes and his look changed to one of amazed delight. Sometimes repetition is a wonderful thing. Done and done.

Tom always gets this look on his face when I ask him for a decision about something like this. What kind of cake does he want for his birthday? (His 66th birthday! So I'm willing to go all out — or to enlist Rose's help in doing so.)

It's the look of someone who ... though he has tons of imagination otherwise ... has no imagination when it comes to birthday cake. This is a problem I cannot relate to.

My mission — fulfill the dream that he can't come up with.

You can see the answer. When someone gives up ice cream for Lent year after year, because it is the most perfect food they can imagine — well it doesn't take much imagination to come up with a substitute for birthday cake (not a thing I'm ever going to need to do for myself, but Tom got a big smile on his face when I suggested it).

So sundaes it is! I've got four kinds of ice cream (66th birthday, after all!) - vanilla, milk chocolate, coffee, and white chocolate raspberry swirl. Chocolate sauce. Butterscotch caramel sauce. Toasted pecans. Whipped cream. And maraschino cherries because ... it's not a sundae otherwise. (Though Tom feels otherwise. I tell you, I do not understand this guy sometimes.)

Also I have many gifts, chosen with great difficulty because he's the kind of guy whose whims begin at $2,000. The way it is with a lot of people attracted to tech and cars and so on.

Happy, happy 66th birthday, Tom! We're gonna use the big bowls tonight - in your honor!

McLuhan, the Catholic Convert

From my quote journal.

Marshall McLuhan was a Roman Catholic with a profound understanding of the traditions of the Church and Catholic doctrine. Often other intellectuals and artists would ask him incredulously, "Are you really a Catholic?" He would nod and answer, "Yes, I am a Catholic, the worst kind—a convert," leaving them more baffled than before.

The Medium and the Light, introduction

Marshall McLuhan

Rest in peace, Irrfan

I'm surprised at how upset it made me to learn this morning that Irrfan Khan died. He was hands-down one of my favorite Indian actors, with a nuance and subtlety which gave every performance depth. I tended to forget that he'd been in Western movies like Life of Pi and Slumdog Millionaire although the admiring obituaries ranging from CNN to The Guardian to Deadline Hollywood reminded me that in many ways he was the face of India in Hollywood. What defined his skill for us were Indian movies like The Lunchbox, Haider, and Piku.

Tom also felt it more deeply than he expected and, talking it over, we realized that Irrfan was so natural seeming that you felt as if you connected with him personally in many of his roles. So it is as if we have lost a friend instead of a star. I imagine that many in India feel that and more right now.

I am glad that we so recently watched Billu, which I reviewed yesterday. It was a nice last look at Irrfan Khan while he was alive.

Grant to Irrfan eternal rest. 
Let light perpetual shine upon him. 
May his soul and the souls of all the departed, 
through the mercy of God, rest in peace. 
Amen.

The Doctor and Nature

From my quote journal.

The doctor is the cooperative ally of nature, not its master.

Dr. Leon Kass, Toward a More Natural Science

I believe we are living through the proof of that very thing.

An Afternoon Coffee

Henri Adrien Tanoux, An Afternoon Coffee
via French Painters

Gospel of Matthew: Keeping Our Faith During the Storm

Matthew 8:23-27

Why does Matthew tell us the story of Jesus calming the storm? Multiple reasons but there is a specific one for disciples.

Lu Hongnian, 20th century, Chinese, Jesus Calming The Storm
via J.R.'s Art Place

While the incident of the storm at sea provides a glimpse of what sort of man Jesus is, Matthew's focus in recounting it is on what sort of disciples Jesus wants. Jesus invites his disciples to be with him wherever he goes, sharing his life and enduring the hardships he endures (verses 19-20). His disciples must put following him above all else (verses 21-22). They must remain firm in their faith, no matter what storms rage about them (verses 23-26). An ordinary teacher deserves respect; a Lord who has the authority to command winds and seas deserves absolute, unwavering commitment.

Quote is from  Bringing the Gospel of Matthew to Life by George Martin. This series first ran in 2008. I'm refreshing it as I go.

Billu

This was really charming. A barber's claim to be friends with a mega-star is put to the test when a movie is shot in his small village featuring, of course, that star. We are left wondering if the barber is telling the truth and what will happen if he can manage to meet the star face-to-face.

Billu provides an interesting insight into the challenges of Indian movie making on location as well as how to handle sudden notoriety. One of the things that makes this movie so much fun for Bollywood fans is that the mega-star is played by the biggest Indian star of our time, Shah Rukh Khan (SRK). We felt a real thrill when he first appears and pulls off his helmet to show himself. The role allows us to see him behind the scenes as well as the fact that every celebrity is, underneath all the glamor, a human being. I've seen Irrfan Khan in a lot of movies where his understated style means the movie is going to be relatively low-key. His parts of this movie were a definite contrast to the "big in Bollywood" SRK part.

 I am hard put to think of another movie that successfully blends big movie glitz with thoughtful small village reality, or in other words Shah Rukh Khan's style with Irrfan Khan's. But this one pulls it off.

With three item numbers (not moving the plot forward, just for fun, and frequently with stars who we never see again in the film) as well as various other songs, this was long. But we didn't mind and already know we'll watch it again sometime when we want a feel-good movie.

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