A Movie You Might Have Missed #44: Ink

It's been 11 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.

The power of dreams is stronger than you think.

As the light fades and the city goes to sleep, two forces emerge. They are invisible except for the power they exert over us in our sleep, battling for our souls through dreams. One force delivers hope and strength through good dreams; the other infuses the subconscious with desperation through nightmares.

John and Emma, father and daughter are wrenched into this fantastical dream world battle, forced to fight for John's soul and to save Emma from an eternal nightmare. Separate in their journey, they encounter unusual characters that exist only in their subconscious. Or do they?

This is actually a movie that almost everyone missed. I know I did. I never heard of it until Mom showed me the dvd. Intrigued by the description, she'd had it for a long time and hadn't watched it. It has a slow start (just let the first 20 minutes wash over you) but then the story pulls you in. We both found ourselves emotionally invested by the end of the film and talked about it through dinner afterward.

Part of the slow start is necessary to explain the world you are dropped into. The story is ultimately a tale about free will, how our choices affect those around us, and, ultimately, the power of love. I also really appreciated that this was made on a shoestring ($250,000) and the way they managed locations and special effects without affecting the otherworldliness of the film. Lastly, I liked the storyline effects with different color themes telling us whose eyes we were seeing through. The filmmakers did a good job with telling an inventive story in a way that kept us engaged.

The Fortune Teller

The Fortune Teller, Georges de la Tour

Anyone who has truly known God

Anyone who has truly known God can never be cured of him.

Francois Mauriac

The Storm Spirits

The Storm Spirits (1900). Evelyn De Morgan (English, 1855-1919).

Rain, thunder, and lightning are beautifully personified in this painting. Via Books and Art where there is more about the artist and painting.

Things Worth Dying For: Thoughts on a Life Worth Living by Charles J. Chaput

Time has a purpose. The meaning of a sentence becomes clear when we put a period at the end of it. The same applies to life. When we talk about things worth dying for, we're really talking about the things worth living for, the things that give life beauty and meaning. Thinking a little about our mortality puts the world in perspective. It helps us see what matters, and also the foolishness of things that, finally, don't matter.

This was a good series of reflections on big questions of life (and death) written by Archbishop Charles Chaput after his resignation upon turning 75 was accepted by Pope Francis. He gives us the benefit of  his years of experience as he comes close to the end of his own life. 

Each chapter is a series of connected reflections which rather threw me off until I realized that it wasn't intended as one coherent narrative driving toward a goal at the end of each chapter. Each chapter has a single topic like friendship or memory or leadership. Each ties up nicely at the end but the middle leaves one time for reflections and pondering, just as the author intends.

I liked this a lot and was interested to see how many current happenings and cultural touchstones Archbishop Chaput incorporated from COVID-19 shut downs to The Lord of the Rings to Fortnite. As well he includes plenty of ancient wisdom from both pagans and Christians. It is an easy read and one that I recommend.

State Tree, State Nut, State Pie — Pecan!

Texas State Horticulture Society, January 1916

From Traces of Texas, where we learn:

Traces of Texas reader Blair Krebs is the Executive Director for the Texas Pecan Growers Association and of course he loves studying the history of pecans in Texas. And why not? After all, it is the state tree, state nut, and state pie. This year the Pecan Growers Association is celebrating their 100-year anniversary and has been going through their archives to celebrate at their show from July 18-21 in San Marcos. They found the attached photo of the Texas State Horticulture Society meeting that took place in January 1916. The group merged with others to become the Texas Pecan Growers Association.

This is particularly appropriate since we were sure to take smaller highways when we went to Fredricksburg last weekend. One place we always enjoy driving through is San Saba, the "Pecan Capital of the WORLD!" 

The pecan orchards around town are impressive and the "Mother Pecan Tree" has been used to produce many great pecan varieties. I love knowing where some of the pecans may have come from that I use year-round.

Psalm 19 (part 1) — The Glory of Nature and the Law

As you wonder at the order of creation, the grace of providence and the sacred prescriptions of the Law, sing Psalm 19

Athanasius, On the Interpretation of the Psalms

This is my favorite psalm so I've got more to say than usual. Once upon a time, I thought I'd memorize some Scripture and when I flipped the Bible open I was at Psalm 19. I partially memorized it before I began looking at different translations and just falling in love with it. I'm a nature love so that spoke to me and I, too, love the Word (and God's law) so that spoke to me too. Linking them up was the sun — is it the law, is it Christ, or is it just a transition from nature to man and the Law? Obviously, I could go on and on.

That was years ago and I really need to get back to memorizing it. But I do read it all the time!

We'll look at it in three parts — and we still won't be saying everything that can be said about this beautiful psalm.

Today, we're going to let C.S. Lewis take center stage. It was one of his favorite psalms too! He says it all succinctly and much better than I do.

Harmony of the World (1806)
showing a heliocentric universe; Psalms 19:2 is one of four verses
quoted at bottom of the illustration

My other great favourite is XIX.  First, the mere glory of nature (between the Psalms and Wordsworth–a long gap in history–you get nothing equal to either on this theme). Then the disinfectant, inexorable sun beating down on the desert and ‘nothing hid from the heat thereof’.  Then–implied, not stated–the imaginative identification of that heat and light with the ‘undefiled’ law, the ‘clean’ fear of the Lord, searching every cranny. Then the characteristically Jewish feeling that the Law is not only obligatory but beautiful, ravishing: delighting the heart, better than gold, sweeter than honey. Only after that, the (more Christian like) self examination and humble petition. Nearly all that could be said before the Incarnation is said in this Psalm. It is so much better Paganism than the real Pagans ever did! And in one way more glorious, more soaring and triumphant, than Christian poetry. For as God humbled Himself to become Man, so religion humbled itself to become Christianity.

C.S. Lewis, Letter to Mary Van Deusen

Sources are here and an index of psalm posts is here.

Salisbury Cathedral from the Bishop's Grounds

Salisbury Cathedral from the Bishop's Grounds, John Constable

The Phantom Carriage (1921)

I came for the special effects. I stayed for the gripping drama.

What made me want to watch this silent movie was that it was ahead of its time in using multiple superimpositions and double exposure to create ghostly effects. I was expecting a ghost story with lots of over-the-top horror. I didn't expect there to be multi-layered stories within stories, nonlinear timelines, and some of the most affecting, subtle acting I've seen in any movie. It was also Swedish which gave the story a different pace and feel.

On New Year’s Eve there is a legend that the last person to die in a year, if he is a great sinner, will have to drive the Phantom Carriage for a year,  picking up the souls of the dead. That's where the special effects come in. Most of the movie, though, tells us the story of David Holm who is a bitter and cruel drunkard continually in a loop of being both a victim and victimizer. A Salvation Army sister believes that he's got a kernel of goodness buried somewhere which can lead to his redemption and repeatedly tries to help him.

This is a really good drama, although the middle section was hard to  follow sometimes as the narrative switched between timelines without many title cards. By the end I was on the edge of my seat, horror-stricken by the possibilities being alluded to by something as simple as a glance, and by the end I was moved by genuine emotion.

And, I'll just say that there is not doubt that Stanley Kubrick was well acquainted with this film based on a very recognizable scene that we all know from one of his famous films. I'll let you experience the surprise for yourself when it turns up.

Gene Autry playing baseball

From Traces of Texas where we learn:

Gene Autry playing baseball in Childress, Texas, 1937. Check out those boots! Gene was a Texan, of course, having been born in Tioga, Texas in 1907.

This photo courtesy the Childress County Heritage Museum via The Portal to Texas History.

I couldn't resist since it is the perfect accompaniment to the James Bond quote today.

James Bond and Texans

[James] Bond reflected that good Americans were fine people and most of them seemed to come from Texas.

Ian Fleming, Casino Royale

On Vacation ...

We're just taking a short trip for a belated anniversary celebration. It is our first trip since Mom came to live with us and the COVID pandemic. Needless to say, I've been looking forward to this a lot!

We're going to Fredricksburg in the Texas hill country. It's a flourishing tourist town with that German flourish you find in so many hill country towns. There are two things we know we'll visit. First, St. Mary's (a painted church of Texas). Click through to get an idea of how wonderful these churches can be. We stopped in once when we were driving through on the way to San Antonio. I'm looking forward to a chance to worship there as well as look around more. Second is the Admiral Nimitz museum (he grew up in Fredricksburg) or as it is properly titled The National Museum of the Pacific War. However, part of the fun of visiting somewhere is seeing what you come across unexpectedly.

As always, I'm really looking forward to the long car trip with Tom. We listen to music, sample audiobooks, I knit, and we talk. The sort of talking you do over several hours (or days) has such a different quality than normal conversations during everyday life. The changing landscape, the music and stories, and even roadside experiences all weave in together to bring out subjects you wouldn't think of otherwise.

It can be a golden time. At least it is for us.

The USCCB, Abortion, and the Eucharist

 The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has been in the news lately because of a document they voted to draft on the Eucharist — specifically because it will call a lot of attention to President Biden. He's got a determinedly pro-abortion stance while still regularly attending Mass and taking Communion. 

A couple of pieces on this caught my eye and I thought you might be interested too.

GetReligion, which is excellent for observing how the media covers religion, pointed out that although Joe Biden and Pope Francis are routinely lumped together as being "liberal" (per the NY Times, etc.) so that it sounds as if they are in complete agreement, the Pope is consistent about abortion being gravely wrong. Here's a bit but read it all here.

Any short list of classic Pope Francis remarks about abortion would have to include the 2018 speech in which he asked, using a Mafia image: “Is it just to resort to a contract killer to solve a problem?”

There was more: “Interrupting a pregnancy is like eliminating someone. Getting rid of a human being is like resorting to a contract killer to solve a problem.” While some people support abortion rights, Francis added: “How can an act that suppresses innocent and defenseless life as it blossoms be therapeutic, civil or simply human?”

Or how about this quote, drawn from a 2020 address to the United Nations?

“Unfortunately, some countries and international institutions are also promoting abortion as one of the so-called ‘essential services’ provided in the humanitarian response to the pandemic. … It is troubling to see how simple and convenient it has become for some to deny the existence of a human life as a solution to problems that can and must be solved for both the mother and her unborn child.”

While there is no question that Pope Francis is a progressive on many issues linked to economics, immigration and other political topics, he has continued — sometimes in blunt language involving evil and the demonic — to defend the basics of Catholic moral theology.

Ed Condon over at Pillar Catholic News, which I've begun reading and like a lot, has a good point about what might be needed before a Eucharistic document can really be taken in properly. How about reminding us Catholics that sin is real and has consequences for our souls? Which made me begin praying harder for Joe Biden because with great power comes great responsibility for moral choices in our nation. Here's a bit but read it all here.

During this past week’s debate, many bishops spoke about the context of sin and reception of Communion. Several of them were at pains to emphasize that “we are all sinners” and “no one is worthy” to receive the sacrament. This is true, to a point, and the reason why penitential rites are a central part of the Eucharistic liturgy.

But the Church, like any reasonable parent, makes clear distinctions between kinds of wrongdoing. A child sneaking chocolate is in need of correction, yes, but a child playing with fire needs a dramatic intervention to prevent graver harm.

...

Within the context of the conference’s discussion on Eucharistic coherence, the real problem, it seems, is not the number of pro-abortion politicians receiving Communion. It is the number of Catholics who don’t seem to acknowledge there’s actually such a thing as the state of grave sin, still less a terrible spiritual harm attached to it.

How to address this crisis may now become the elephant in the conference room at future USCCB meetings. One possible way forward, though, seems to suggest itself.

…

The bishops may find their efforts to revive belief in, and devotion to, the Eucharist prove a non-starter, unless Catholics can first be convinced why they need its salvific power. While a teaching document on the Eucharist is now being drafted, the bishops may find they need to first issue a similar document on sin and the sacrament of penance.

What is More Pleasing Than a Psalm?

We take a bit of a break from looking at a specific psalm to consider this quote from Saint Ambrose. It was one of the readings from a recent Liturgy of the Hours and really hit me where I live. That in itself is a nice milestone for me since I used to be able to take or leave the psalms. Hopefully our considerations of them has brought you a bit closer too.

Also, here's a painting of the author, Saint Ambrose, that I find very beautiful.

Giovanni di Paolo, Saint Ambrose

What is more pleasing than a psalm? ... It is the voice of complete assent, the joy of freedom, a cry of happiness, the echo of gladness. It soothes the temper, distracts from care, lightens the burden of sorrow. It is a source of security at night, a lesson in wisdom by day. It is a shield when we are afraid, a celebration of holiness, a vision of serenity, a promise of peace and harmony. It is like a lyre, evoking harmony from a blend of notes. Day begins to the music of a psalm. Day closes to the echo of a psalm.

In a psalm, instruction vies with beauty. We sing for pleasure. We learn for our profit. What experience is not covered by a reading of the psalms?

St. Ambrose, bishop
Explanation of the Psalms

Sources are here and an index of psalm posts is here.

Goodachari (The Spy)

Gopi, alias Arjun, is the son of an ex-RAW agent Raghuveer. Brought up by his uncle Satya, he wants to be an agent just like his father and uncle. But Satya wants him to lead a normal life and not be killed like his father was. What happens in Gopi’s life that turns everything upside down?

Goodachari is a super solid spy movie made in a very Western style with good production values. Its Indian heart showed in the hero's tearful, sentimental love for his father and country, as well as the many flashbacks along the way. It surprised us several times In very satisfying ways with plot twists. 

This is a "Tollywood" movie, meaning that it is from the Telugu-language film industry. It is clear that the director of this movie learned a lot, possibly from the Baahubali movies (the second of which is the second top grossing film of all time in India). The Baahubali movies are the ones that really sent us into the Indian film world in a big way. Those movies featured tight stories, and kept us on the edge of our seats. Goodachara, though completely different, doesn't disappoint on those points.

Here's hoping the sequel gets made soon. I'm ready to see Agent 116 save India again. Jai Hind!

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

Sizing Up

Sizing Up, Karin Jurick

Another from Karin Jurick's long running series of people looking at art. She has a great story from Jamie Wyeth, the artist of the original pig painting about his encounter with it and what happened in the end. Do go read it at the link above.

Tower of Jericho

The 8000 BC Tower of Jericho at the site of Tell es-Sultan.

Jericho as an image of the world

This was a recent reading in the Liturgy of the Hours and it blew my mind.

The capture of Jericho

Once Jericho was surrounded it had to be stormed. How then was Jericho stormed? No sword was drawn against it, no battering ram was aimed at it, no javelins were hurled. The priest merely sounded their trumpets, and the walls of Jericho collapsed.

In the Scriptures Jericho is often represented as an image of the world. There can be not doubt that the man whom the Gospel describes as going down from Jerusalem to Jericho and falling into the hands of brigands is an image of Adam being driven out of paradise into the exile of this world. Likewise the blind men in Jericho, to whom Jesus came to give sight, signified the people in this world who were blinded by ignorance, to whom the son of God came.

Jericho will fall, then; this world will perish. Indeed in the sacred books the end of the world was proclaimed long ago. How will the world be brought to an end, and by what means will it be destroyed? The answer of Scripture is: By the sound of trumpets. If you ask what trumpets, then let Paul reveal the secret. Listen to what he says: The trumpet will sound, and the dead who are in Christ will rise incorruptible. The voice of the archangel and the trumpets of God will give the signal, and the Lord himself will come down from heaven. Then the Lord Jesus will conquer Jericho with trumpets and destroy it, saving only the harlot and her household.

Jesus our Lord will come says Paul, and he will come with the sound of trumpets. He will save only the woman who received his spies, that is, his apostles, in faith and obedience, and hid them on the roof of her house; and he will join this harlot to the house of Israel. But let us not bring up her past sins again or impute them to her. She was a harlot once, but now she is joined to Christ, chaste virgin to one chaste husband. Listen to what the Apostle says of her: He has determined to present you to Christ as a chaste virgin to her one and only husband. Indeed, Paul himself had been born of her: Misled by our folly and disbelief, he said, we too were once slaves to our passions and to pleasures of every kind.

If you wish to learn more fully about how this harlot ceased to be a harlot then listen to Paul once again: And such were you also, but you have been cleansed and made holy in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God. To assure her escape when Jericho was destroyed, the harlot was given that most effective symbol of salvation, the scarlet cord. For it is by the blood of Christ that the entire Church is saved, in the same Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom belongs glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

From a homily on Joshua by Origen, priest
(Hom. 6, 4: PG 12, 855-856)

Gochujang Chicken and Tortellini

 This is a real hybrid recipe. I  couldn't imagine the final dish, coupling as it does the unlikely combination of cheese tortellini with Korean chile paste. And some honey. And some fontina cheese.

But it works. Really well.

Find out more at Meanwhile, Back in the Kitchen.

Tea Service

Tea service by Albert Anker, c. 1890s.
via J.R.'s Art Place

 

The vessel was just comfortable for two people; there was room only for necessities ...

The vessel was just comfortable for two people; there was room only for necessities, and Flambeau had stocked it with such things as his special philosophy considered necessary. They reduced themselves, apparently, to four essentials: tins of salmon, if he should want to eat; loaded revolvers, if he should want to fight; a bottle of brandy, presumably in case he should faint; and a priest, presumably in case he should die.

G.K. Chesterton, The Innocence of Father Brown,
The Sins of Prince Saradine

Canticle — Daniel 3:57-88, 56

 Let every creature bless the Lord

We begin taking a bit of a break from Psalms with an  occasional look at the Canticles, as I mentioned in this book review.

Fiery Furnace, Toros Roslin, 1266

Let's look first at this Canticle for Sunday morning prayer of the first week.  (The Liturgy of the Hours goes in four week rotation.)

I'm a real sucker for anything that shows us God's reflection in nature. This one, featuring the song of the three young men in the furnace in the Book of Daniel, does that in spades. Here it is.

Bless the Lord, all you works of the Lord.
Praise and exalt him above all forever.
Angels of the Lord, bless the Lord.
You heavens, bless the Lord.
All you waters above the heavens, bless the Lord.
All you hosts of the Lord, bless the Lord.
Sun and moon, bless the Lord.
Stars of heaven, bless the Lord.

Every shower and dew, bless the Lord.
All you winds, bless the Lord.
Fire and heat, bless the Lord.
Cold and chill, bless the Lord.
Dew and rain, bless the Lord.
Frost and chill, bless the Lord.
Ice and snow, bless the Lord.
Nights and days, bless the Lord.
Light and darkness, bless the Lord.
Lightnings and clouds, bless the Lord.

Let the earth bless the Lord.
Praise and exalt him above all forever.
Mountains and hills, bless the Lord.
Everything growing from the earth, bless the Lord.
You springs, bless the Lord.
Seas and rivers, bless the Lord.
You dolphins and all water creatures, bless the Lord.
All you birds of the air, bless the Lord.
All you beasts, wild and tame, bless the Lord.
You sons of men, bless the Lord.

O Israel, bless the Lord.
Praise and exalt him above all forever.
Priests of the Lord, bless the Lord.
Servants of the Lord, bless the Lord.
Spirits and souls of the just, bless the Lord.
Holy men of humble heart, bless the Lord.
Hananiah, Azariah, Mishael, bless the Lord.
Praise and exalt him above all forever.

Let us bless the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Let us praise and exalt him above all forever.
Blessed are you, Lord, in the firmament of heaven.
Praiseworthy and glorious and exalted above all forever.

I never thought about the three young men being connected with the resurrection, especially so early that icons of them have been found in the Roman catacombs.

In this text, in the form of a litany, it is as if our gaze passes all things in review. Our gaze focuses on the sun, the moon and the stars; it settles upon the immense expanse of the waters, rises to the mountains, lingers over the most varied elements of the weather; it passes from hot to cold, from light to darkness; considers the mineral and vegetable worlds, dwells on the various types of animals. Then the call becomes universal: it refers to God's angels, reaches all the "sons of men", but most particularly involves the People of God, Israel, the priests and the holy ones. It is an immense choir, a symphony in which the varied voices are raised in praise to God, Creator of the universe and Lord of history. Prayed in the light of Christian revelation, it is addressed to the Trinitarian God, as we are invited to do by the liturgy which adds a Trinitarian formula to the Canticle: "Let us praise the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit".

It is traditional to associate the Canticle with the Resurrection. Some ancient records show the existence of the hymn in the prayer of the Lord's Day, the weekly Easter of Christians. Moreover, iconographical depictions which show three young men praying unharmed amidst the flames have been found in the Roman catacombs, thereby witnessing to the effectiveness of prayer and the certainty that the Lord will intervene.

John Paul II, Psalms & Canticles, May 2, 2001 homily

An index of canticle posts is here.  

Digging into the roots of our faith

I just figured out that I'm partway into a pilgrimage in seeing just how far back the roots of our faith reach into Jewish tradition, history, and overall context. (Hint: it goes all the way back to the beginning and all the way to the top).

Its so exciting! And you know what that means. I've got to share the good stuff with you.

As we know I've lately been digging into the Psalms (and beginning tomorrow, some of canticles too!) with the help of the Church Fathers and other commentaries. 

That and the strong recommendation from The Burrowshire Podcast led me to dabbling in the Liturgy of the Hours which, in turn, led me to Saint John Paul II's and Pope Benedict's excellent homilies on the psalms and canticles. 

Topping off my deep immersion in Jewish and Old Testament context was Rabbi Sacks' essays Genesis: The Book of Beginnings. I'm now about halfway through his essays on Exodus which are similarly eye opening in connecting Catholicism to Jewish context.

Suffice it to say, I recently realized that God had positioned me for a deep, deep dive into connecting the Old Testament with Jesus. It is so fascinating to see how far back (like all the way to the beginning) that Jesus' priesthood stretches, how much deeper the liturgical readings are linked than the obvious connections we can see, and to feel it all come together.

Recently it all came together in a perfect storm of resources from author John Bergsma.

First, my daughter Rose alerted me to a Pints with Aquinas podcast episode where John Bergsma talks about the Biblical basis for the priesthood of Jesus. This had some stunning connections which make so much sense once someone has pointed them out. Bergsma recently wrote Jesus and the Old Testament Roots of the Priesthood which went straight onto my wish list after seeing the sample and hearing that podcast episode.

I am not surprised at considering that Bergsma's collaboration with Brant Pitre (another excellent author who shows "Jewish roots" connections) on A Catholic Introduction to the Bible: The Old Testament is a simply wonderful scholarly overview of contemporary understanding of the language, literature, history, and culture of the ancient Hebrews. This was a big investment for me but well worth the money. I love it.

But Bergsma's been busier than I realized. Looking around on Amazon for the priesthood book I also came across two other treasures.

I approached the first discovery warily. I've got devotionals the follow the daily and Sunday Mass readings. This would have to offer something different and I felt as if most devotionals tended to fall into the same few general categories. 

However, The Word of the Lord: Reflections on the Sunday Mass Readings for Year B delighted me by focusing on the readings from a deep connection to scripture that wasn't held down to the excerpts that the liturgy uses. Bergsma's background as a Biblical scholar comes to the fore in identifying unifying motifs and intriguing connections that you don't see a lot of the time. I splurged on it as my book to buy this month and it is truly wonderful for anyone who loves Bible study and the Sunday Mass liturgy.

Bergsma's connection with the Ave Catholic Notetaking Bible is simply in writing the introduction (as far as I can tell). But I'm grateful to have this Bible called to my attention. Rose got her own copy so I've been able to see it up close and it is on my wish list now.

Here's why.

I've used the same Catholic study Bible (1980) since I converted. It's got the accumulated notes of 20 years from Bible studies, commentaries, and anywhere else that I found something I was afraid I'd forget. I like having all these notes in one place, but I hate having nowhere to write. And as you can see, some of these pages are full!

The pictures and reviews of that notetaking Bible make me itch to begin transcribing everything into a place with enough room.

Honey Jar with Comb

Honey Jar with Comb, Duane Keiser

 

Determined

Determined, Remo Savisaar

 

Psalms & Canticles by John Paul II

The daily Liturgy of Lauds, in addition to the Psalms, always offers a Canticle from the Old Testament. Indeed, it is well known that besides the Psalter [Book of Psalms], the true prayer book of Israel and later of the Church,  another sort of "Psalter" exists, found among the various historical, prophetic and sapiential [relating to wisdom] pages of the Bible. It also consists in hymns, supplications, praises and invocations, often of great beauty and spiritual intensity.

John Paul II, Psalms & Canticles:
Meditations and Catechesis on the Psalms and Canticles of Morning Prayer

Toward the end of his life and pontificate, John Paul II began a series on of homilies on the psalms and canticles of morning prayer in the Liturgy of the Hours. They were collected in this book. When I began dabbling in the Liturgy of the Hours I picked it up. It is a real  treasure.

Saint John Paul II's homilies going through the psalms and canticles for morning prayer used over the 4 week period. His commentaries are both accessible and rich, giving the context in which they were first prayed and then showing how they show us Christ. They often end with a connection to a Church Father or saint who spoke about a particular psalm. I can't recommend them highly enough.

 

I discovered that JPII followed that up with a series of homilies covering evening prayer, which Pope Benedict XVI finished when his predecessor died before finishing commenting on the four weeks of Hours of the Liturgies.  The book versions of these are out of print or ridiculously expensive and a Catholic publisher would be doing the faithful a great service in reprinting them (so that's my plea, moving on). Luckily, some industrious soul made a linked reference to all the homilies. See the second chart in this location for links to the evening prayer homilies which are posted at the Vatican website.

 

These have been so enriching that I will be sharing a few of the insights in an occasional post on the Canticles that I'll be interspersing these occasionally with our psalms series.

Sunday Mass Obligation Restored in Massachussetts

Cardinal Sean O’Malley of the Archdiocese of Boston as well as the bishops of Springfield and Fall River in similar statements Wednesday announced that the faithful are once again required to attend Mass starting the weekend of June 19-20.

Associated Press, via CruxNow

Woohoo! Another sign of the return to normal living!

View of Riva on Lake Garda

View of Riva on Lake Garda by Alois Arnegger

Creation and the Creator

If creation is beautiful, how much more beautiful must its Creator be?

St. Augustine

A Little Science Fiction Talk for Your Summer

Summer is always a time when we want lighter reading. At least I do. I remember summer vacations from school when I lived on science fiction. 

Two classics are being discussed on podcasts that might spur your interest or just get you to find new angles to that book you love so well. There is one of each below for me.

The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert A. Heinlein

Discussed by: Mythgard Academy podcast

I've read a lot of Heinlein but never cared much about this book. However, there's something about Corey Olsen's enthusiasm that has pulled me through a lot of books I didn't care about and turned me into a fan, most notably Ender's Game and Le Morte d'Arthur.

Here they tackle a classic that I've often been urged to read. Revolution on the moon with a lovable computer ought to be right down my alley but for some reason it never appealed to me. So this is the summer that I finally tackle this award winning science fiction classic.
 

 

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

Discussed by: The Literary Life podcast, 3 episodes

This is Ray Bradbury's famous book set in a dystopian world where firemen start fires (in order to burn books) and ideas are enough to get you chased by ferocious mechanical hounds. I'm not reading the book along with them because I know it well enough so that listening to the conversation is enough. 

Scott and I discussed this at A Good Story is Hard to Find way back in 2012. I remember being struck then at Bradbury's prescience in people's fascination with social media, audio, visual gaming and, in essence, amusing ourselves to death. The conversation at The Literary Life reminds me that we have gone a lot further down that rabbit hole in the 9 years since then. It's a good conversation and hits chords that a lot of the usual discussions don't hit, in part because they  are working from a classical education perspective, which feeds into a homeschooling, Christian audience.

Psalm 18 — A Prayer of Thanksgiving

When you have been saved from your enemies and delivered from your pursuers, sing Psalm 18.

Athanasius, On the Interpretation of the Psalms

This psalm is almost identical to 2 Samuel 22, although verse 1 of the psalm, "I love you, O LORD, my strength" is not included in the 2 Samuel version. Experts say that it was 2 Samuel was written first, probably by King David. 

Works for me! When I find something that I want to reflect on, I copy it into my prayer journal. I like to think of the psalmists doing the same thing. 

A large section of this shows how creation quakes, darkens, hails, and more when God is displeased on behalf of the psalmist. I love that imagery but even more I appreciate the reminder that God is not just the loving, gentle deity that we usually hear about in church. He's different. He's other. He's above us. He's God. And we do well to remember that also.

The Utrecht Psalter, End of Psalm 18 Carolingian manuscript, 820s A.D.

18:7-15. Divine Otherness

In these descriptions the psalmists are communicating several truths about the world in which we live. Creation is not the creator but can in fact be threatened by God's approach and presence. ... The fact that when Yahweh comes, the very foundations of the earth can be shaken to their core, illustrates that the continued existence of the earth is wholly dependent on the will and purpose of God.

By undoing the stability of creation, God is undermining any false sense of reliance by humans on their seemingly secure environment. In the words of the old spiritual, "This world is not my home, I'm just a passin' through!" Humans must hold existence in the world lightly and rely on God alone rather than any stability the world may seem to represent.

Psalms vol. 1 (The NIV Application Commentary)

We've got plenty of natural reminders that God is the one sure thing to rely on — tornadoes being what comes to mind for this Texan.

Sources are here and an index of psalm posts is here.

A Movie You Might Have Missed #43: The Sapphires

It's been 11 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.

Follow your heart. Discover your soul.

Based on a true story, The Sapphires tells of four young Aboriginal women in 1968, discovered by a talent scout (Chris O'Dowd), who form a Supremes-type group in order to travel to Vietnam to sing for American soldiers.

This charming, feel-good, Australian movie is lifted above the somewhat predictable story by the singing and Chris O'Dowd's performance (as I am not the first to observe).

The basic plot of four talented young singers making good and finding themselves is given some necessary added depth by the more serious aboriginal / civil rights / Vietnam war plot elements. Somehow, though, the filmmakers managed to keep the serious elements from bringing everything down and the lighter elements from making it too bubbly. It was thoroughly enjoyable.

Peppers

 

Peppers by Edward Okuń, 1921.
Via J.R.'s Art Place

Longhorns in a Texas Hill Country field

Longhorns in a Texas Hill Country field, taken by Traces of Texas

Sabbath — a sign of what ought to be, in the midst of what actually is

On Shabbat we rehearse utopia, or what Judaism came later to call the messianic age. One day in seven, all hierarchies of power are suspended. There are no masters and slaves, employers and employees. Even domestic animals cannot be made to work. We are not allowed to exercise control over other forms of life, or even forces of nature. On Shabbat, within the covenental society, all are equal and all are free. It is the supreme antithesis of Egypt. What a stroke of genius it was to introduce a foretaste of the future into the present, to remind us constantly of our ultimate destination and to be strengthened by it regularly on the way.

So Exodus ends as Genesis began, with the holy day on which God and His image, humankind, find rest at the still point of the turning world, in the midst of the otherwise restless strife of the human condition. The Israelites were called on to be among the nations what Shabbat is in the midst of time — a sign of what ought to be, in the midst of what actually is.

Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, Covenant & Conversation: Exodus

Corfu: Light and Shadows

John Singer Sargent, Corfu: Light and Shadows, 1909

Genesis is a story without an ending

There is, however, one aspect of Tanakh, systematically evident in the narrative of Genesis, that is rare to the point of uniqueness. It is a story without an ending which looks forward to an open future rather than reaching closure. This defies narrative convention. Normally we expect a story to create a tension that is resolved in the final page. That is what gives art a sense of completion. We do not expect a sculpture to be incomplete, a poem to break off halfway, a novel to end in the middle. Schubert's Unfinished Symphony is the exception that proves the rule.

Yet that is what the Bible repeatedly does. Consider the Humash, the five Mosaic books. The Jewish story begins with a repeated promise to Abraham that he will inherit the land of Canaan. Yet even when we reach the end of Deuteronomy, the Israelites have still not crossed the Jordan. ...

Jonathan Sacks, Covenant & Conversation: Genesis

Psalm 17 – Prayer for Protection

When you are in difficulty as enemies circle around you threatening your life, say Psalm 17.

Athanasius, On the Interpretation of the Psalms

Again we have a psalm appealing for God's protection against enemies. And again I can think of situations when this is a psalm I could use. In our divisive times, how many of us understand all too well the psalmist's words: "They close their hearts to pity; with their mouths they speak arrogantly."

Yet, in the midst of this, there is a sense of calm trust and confidence that God knows the situation and is sovereign over all. I also really like that it ends with the desire to see God's face. That will fulfill all desires.

Verse 8, Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of thy wings,
is used in the office of Compline.
Book of hours open at compline

I like the way that St. Augustine ties this psalm to the New Testament and uses it as a launching point for meditation on God himself.

17:15. Satisfied with Beholding God

What God Must Be Like, St. Augustine:What this future glory will be like, however, how richly it will flourish, with what splendor it will blaze out, while we can sing its praises, we cannot possibly explain. Why not? Because we read, "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor has it come up into the human heart, what things God has prepared for those who love him" (1 Cor. 2:9). So if that is what has to be said about the eternal good things of heaven ... what must God himself be, who has prepared such great and wonderful tings? What, I repeat must almighty God be like? What but unfathomable, inexpressible, incomprehensible, surpassing all things, beyond all things, apart from all things? He excels, after all, everyone of his creatures; he goes far beyond everything he has made; he surpasses the whole universe. I mean, if you are looking for greatness, he is greater; if for beauty, he is more beautiful still; if for delightfulness, he is still more delightful; if for splendor, he is more brilliant; if for justice, he is more just; if for strength, he is stronger; if for fatherly care, he is kinder. Reason, after all, in no way allows us to equate the thing made with its maker or the work with its craftsman. Sermon 384.1

Psalms 1-50 (Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture)

Sources are here and an index of psalm posts is here. 

Color in the Middle of Spring

Color in the Middle of Spring, Calligraphy in the view

 

I will not let you go until you bless me

I will not let you go until you bless me: These words of Jacob to the angel lie at the very core of surviving crisis. Each of us knows from personal experience that events that seemed disappointing, painful, even humiliating at the time, can be the most important in our lives. through them we learned how to try harder next time; or they taught us a truth about ourselves; or they shifted our life into a new and more fruitful direction. We learn, not from our successes but from our failures. We mature and grow strong and become more understanding and forgiving through the mistakes we make. A protected life is a fragile and superficial life. Strength comes from knowing the worst and refusing to give in. Jacob/Israel has bequeathed us many gifts, but few more valuable than the obstinacy and resilience that can face hard times and say of them: "I will not let you go until you bless me." I will not give up or move on until I have extracted something positive from this pain and turned it into blessing.

Jonathan Sacks, Covenant & Conversation: Genesis

Portrait of Amélie du Bois

Portrait of Amélie du Bois in a blue muslin dress, with flowers in her hair (1821). Alexandre-Jean Dubois-Drahonet.

 

Why is Genesis a series of stories?

In Torah, form follows function. The fact that a piece of information is conveyed in a particular way is never accidental. The chosen genre, the literary medium, is there for a reason, and the reason is never merely aesthetic. Why then did the Torah adopt a story-telling mode for Genesis, its book of first principles?

Partly for the reason already stated: a story is universal. The Torah is a book written for all. One of the great themes of Tanakh is its consistent battle against elites, especially knowledge elites. ... Judaism is about the democratization of holiness, the creation of a society in which everyone will have access to religious knowledge. Hence the importance of stories which everyone can understand.

Yet not understand at the same level: that is another feature of Genesis. Each of its stories has layer upon layer of meaning and significance, which we only grasp after repeated readings. ... The truths of the human condition are simply too deep to be understood at once and on the surface. Only stories have this depth, this ambiguity, this principled multiplicity of meanings.

Jonathan Sacks, Covenant & Conversation: Genesis

Long-Tailed Tit

Long-Tailed Tit, taken by Remo Savisaar

 

A Movie You Might Have Missed #42: I Wish

It's been 11 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.

If you could wish for anything what would it be? 

 

 This delightful film left us talking about it the rest of the evening and following day. Two brothers hatch a scheme to reunite their separated parents based on an overheard rumor that a wish will come true when made from the spot where the new bullet trains pass each other for the first time.

The first half of the movie is quite slow but we enjoyed just taking in the details of Japanese life as we watched the two brothers in their separate routines. The second half is more engaging as the brothers and their friends scrounge the cash for tickets, figure out how to escape school, and embark upon their quest. Watching how wishes change or are modified, watching how some of these youngsters change their lives based on their wishes, and realizing that most of the people around them have their own wishes is what weaves the enchantment of the piece.

National Hotel, Cairo

National Hotel in Cairo by Mario Borgoni.

 

News of the World — in print and on screen

In the wake of the Civil War, Captain Jefferson Kyle Kidd travels through northern Texas, giving live readings from newspapers to paying audiences hungry for news of the world. He is offered a $50 gold piece to deliver a young orphan to her relatives in San Antonio. She had been raised by the Kiowa raiders who killed her family and is completely unfamiliar with white culture. Their 400-mile journey south through unsettled territory and unforgiving terrain proves difficult and at times dangerous.

I read this because my daughter, Hannah, recommended it. I don't know what I expected but it wasn't to be captivated, which is what happened. More than anything it put me in mind of True Grit. Which means I loved it for reasons that I can't really put my finger on.

Having seen the movie, I realized that the book was better plotted and written than I realized. I am going to listen to it soon, so I'll have a "news of the world" experience of having Grover Gardner tell it to me.

This was interesting because they did a pretty good job of telling the story. Not as good as the book but good enough in its own way. There were some changes of motivation which did not make as much sense and left one family member saying, "Why on earth does he do that?" And there were some added bits which I didn't mind but which were obviously there to be sure we understood the modern lessons  on a few things.  I did enjoy the "fake news" section which was added on but felt true to the original story.

Overall good with some great acting and beautiful cinematography. More than anything I wish the director hadn't gone for such dark lighting, with nights being very gloomy and even the brightest day somehow not being that bright. I get it. This is a serious story. You can lighten things up so we can see and we will still know the main characters are wrestling with serious personal issues.

The glory of nature

Logan, Utah. Taken by Scott Danielson

A supremely child-centered faith

Throughout history, Jews were called on to treasure children. Our entire value system is built on it. Our citadels are schools, our passion, education, and our greatest heroes, teachers. The seder service on Passover opens with questions asked by a child. On the first day of the New Year, we read not about the creation of the universe but about the birth of a child — Isaac to Sarah, Samuel to Hannah. Ours is a supremely child-centered faith.

That is why, at the dawn of Jewish time, God put Abraham and Sarah through these trials — the long wait, the unmet hope, the binding itself — so that neither they nor their descendants would ever take children for granted. Every child is a miracle. Being a parent is the closest we get to God — bringing life into being through an act of love.

Jonathan Sacks, Covenant & Conversation: Genesis

Yellow-winged darter

Yellow-winged darter, Сергій Мірошник

The Greatest Expression of Faith in a God We Cannot See, But Only Hear

I began by pointing out that the Torah was a text intended to be read aloud and listened to. It is the single greatest expression of faith in a God we cannot see, but only hear. Judaism is supremely a religion of the ear, unlike all other ancient civilizations, which were cultures of the eye. This is more than a metaphysical fact. It is a moral one as well. In Judaism the highest spiritual gift is the ability to listen — not only to the voice of God, but also to the cry of other people, the sigh of the por, the weak, the lonely, the neglects and, yes, sometimes the un- or less-loved. That is one of the meanings of the great command Shema Yisrael, "Listen, O Israel." ...

Jonathan Sacks, Covenant & Conversation: Genesis

Kammer Castle

Gustav Klimt, Schloss Kammer in the Attersee IV, 1910
via Arts Everyday Living

 

Psalm 16 — Faithfulness to the Lord

Psalm 16 reveals [the Savior's] resurrection from the dead.

Athanasius, On the Interpretation of the Psalms

Athanasius's statement above might seem surprising but the early Church Fathers (and many others since then) routinely read the psalms to see how Christ was revealed in them. In that sense, we go back to Jesus' appearance on the road to Emmaus where he describes to the two disciples everything that refers to him in the scriptures (Luke 24:13-35). This is possibly my favorite resurrection story. I love thinking of Jesus conducting that Bible study.

Taking their cue from Jesus himself, then, the early Church began looking at where scripture talked about the Messiah. They found a lot to talk about in the psalms. Read the psalm, thinking of Jesus speaking to God the Father.

A singing and dancing David leads the Ark of the Covenant, Pieter van Lint

This is surely the purest way to approach God, with complete trust. Can we do it? We have Jesus as our example so we know that even when things don't look like they are working out right, God has a bigger plan than we can imagine.

16:5. The Lord is a Chosen Portion

I Love You, Lord, St. Augustine: [The psalmist is saying] "O Lord, why give me some other inheritance? Whatever you give, it isn't worth much. You be my inheritance; I love you, I love you with all I am, with all my heart, with all my soul, with all my mind I love you. What can it mean to me, anything you give me apart from yourself?" That is to love God freely, to hope in God for God, to hasten to be filled with God, to be satisfied with him. He, after all, is enough for you: apart from him, nothing is enough for you. Sermon 334.3

Psalms 1-50 (Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture)

Sources are here and an index of psalm posts is here. 

A Movie You Might Have Missed #41: Spinning Plates

It's been 11 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.

It's not what you cook. It's why.

This was a fascinating comparison of three very different restaurants - one high concept where the chef is like an artist, one Iowa restaurant that holds the community together, and one Mexican restaurant where the family has placed their hopes for a better life on its success. The flow is masterful between the places as their stories progress and we get to know the main restauranteurs.

It was also interesting in that none of these were about going somewhere to get a bite to eat. All these places were the focus of hopes, dreams, and fulfillment on an entirely different plane than mere sustenance. It compares well with Jiro Dreams of Sushi and, in fact, I liked it better.

We found ourselves afterward in terms of our own business, our own hopes and dreams, and our own lives. Highly recommended.

Bianca degli Utili Maselli and six of her children

Portrait of Bianca degli Utili Maselli and six of her children,
by Lavinia Fontana, c. 1600s.
Via J.R.'s Art Place

The tea-party, an extraordinary meal

Another novelty is the tea-party, an extraordinary meal in that, being offered to persons that have already dined well, it supposes neither appetite nor thirst, and has no object but distraction, no basis but delicate enjoyment.

Jean-Anthelme Brillat-Savarin, The Physiology of Taste