 |
| "The Church Window" by Hans Baluschek, 1915. Via J.R.'s Art Place |
All we do know, and that to a large extent by direct experience, is that evil labours with vast power and perpetual success—in vain: preparing always only the soil for unexpected good to sprout in.J.R.R. Tolkien, from a letter to his son Christopher in 1944
The combination sounds odd but it is delicious — and meatless for Lent! Get it at Meanwhile, Back in the Kitchen.
This is for anyone who has had to endure the lukewarm homilies or RCIA classes as Lent approaches. They talk about not worrying about giving things up, about just adding things on — hey, those aren't mutually exclusive, by the way. Anyway, they reflect the spirit of the 1970's which is trying to make the Church easier and more fun. What they forget, or perhaps don't know, is that these are all to help you get closer to God. There's often little spoken of about that goal.
As a convert, I was intrigued by the rituals, the symbols, the sacraments, and, yes, the sacrifices. All contributed to the glories of the Catholic faith in one way or another. I never look forward to Lent but I take the proscribed penances seriously and I always give full consideration to what I'm "giving up." When Lent hits, I'm always surprised at how the struggles result in clearing away the cobwebs, opening the way to greater faith and a more personal experience of God.
All that is an introduction to why I loved this piece from Ed Condon at The Pillar. It ran a long time ago but is pertinent throughout Lent.
Happy first Friday of Lent friends, And enjoy your day of penance. I mean that.
Penance is one of those things which, at least in the West, has become an almost uniquely Catholic concept. The idea of a day of penance, let alone marking a whole season of it, strikes our wider society as maudlin, weird, and full of “Catholic guilt.”
And while it is neither maudlin nor weird, guilt — especially in the context of Lent — is a good thing, something to be embraced.
We all have a lot to feel guilty about, I am sure. Not just in the superficial sense of “I was so bad when I did that,” but in the much fuller sense of living in the light of an informed and well-formed conscience which is, or should be, our internal impulse to convert, to reorient ourselves to God, and to embrace the better nature we are called to have.
Penance, with its works of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, is uncomfortable, for sure. But it’s not meant to be miserable. Little actions, small offerings (or large ones) attune us to a right understanding of who we are, and who we need — God.
Modern social media psychobabble is full of talk about “mindfulness” and “being present,” which are themselves vacuous terms. To the extent they ever scratch the surface of human existence, they usually concentrate on “centering yourself in the here and now” to distract from the chasmous void at the heart of a human experience that knows not God, the unbearable weight of our imperfections without hope of redemption.
For us, Lent is the celebration of a great gift: the knowledge that our flaws, our jealousies, our petty vanity, and even what some might call our astonishing hubris, merit a great savior — one who is coming with power over the fear of death which rules and directs our baser natures.
Finding our place relative to that cosmic truth, and preparing to accept it, may not be a comfortable experience, but it can be joyful.
There is great joy to being a penitent when we are sure of His response, when each act of penance isn’t so much a plea for clemency before a wrathful master as a gesture of faith in the love of a Father whose nature we are striving to imitate.
In this sense, Lent is a time of relief, of rest, of remembering who we actually are, and for what purpose we were actually made — to know Him, love Him and serve Him in this world, and be happy with Him forever in the next, as we used to say.
I think the Meghan Markle crowd would call this “self-actualization,” or maybe “resting in your truth.” The Church calls it “conversion,” and it’s great.
Aw Shucks and Big Shucks Oyster Bar will be offering a weekly grilled tilapia special, featuring two fillets with rice and vegetable medley for $9, available on Fridays from February 16 through March 29. They'll also have soups: Maria's Clam Chowder, a New England-style chowder topped with bacon and parsley, or Caldo de Mariscos, a fish and head-on shrimp concoction with vegetables in a spicy broth. At all locations in Dallas, Richardson, Lewisville, and Frisco.
I used to do a post like this every Lent and then gradually fell out of the habit, figuring that it wasn't really important to anyone but me. However, I recently found myself inspired to take up a few new practices by reading of others' plans, so I'll share mine in case it is similarly helpful to anyone.
As we mentioned last week, the marks of Lent are prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. I began Ash Wednesday by realizing I wasn't really taking Lent seriously. My reaction to remembering the all-day fast was an internal tantrum over the fact that I had to actually do it, not just think about it.
That made me realize just how much I need Lent.
Traditional for Mardi Gras this is only easier than I thought it would be, but it is absolutely delicious. Try it at Meanwhile, Back in the Kitchen.
I haven't remembered to get photos in previous years, but will do so this year.
.jpg) |
| Anna De Weert, Tonnelle de rosiers (Tunnel of Roses, 1920). |
 |
| Robert Reid, The Mirror, c. 1910 |
Gorgeous. It draws me back over and over to see the way the painting "reflects" the woman.
The red and black of a scarlet tanager almost elevates me physically; registering it in the midst of wet, green foliage that surrounds it as a cloak of mist and mystery does something to me that I don't have the verb for. Behind that coloration, in that multi-dimensional, infinitely patterned web of life, I witness God's eye for color, God's rejoicing in beauty, God's generosity in sharing that beauty with me. I return home from birdwatching bouncing with love and renewed vigor. I have received. I want to give. I re-experience my own life.Yes. Those moments are ethereal and yet solid. Goska puts flesh on the framework of my favorite psalm.
Danusha Goska, God Through Binoculars
The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
Day to day pours out speech,
and night to night reveals knowledge.
There is no speech, nor are there words,
whose voice is not heard.
Their voice goes out through all the earth,
and their words to the end of the world.
Psalm 19:1-4
This is absolutely delicious and makes a simple but taste-filled dinner. It's also darned good when heated up in the morning for a flavorful breakfast if your taste runs to goat cheese early in the day.
Of course, it's at Meanwhile, Back in the Kitchen!
 |
| West 11th Street Fence painted by Andrew Jones |
How to make an everyday thing lovely.
 |
| Beginning of the Gospel of Mark in Minuscule 1689 |
The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ [the Son of God]This really made me take a new look at just what Mark was really saying. I have intellectually known for some time that the good news of Christ is exciting and explosive, but how long has it been since I really resonated with it? It also confirms what our priest has long said, that Mark is not the simple book people like to say it is, but rather is intricately constructed. We will see more proof of that as we move through the book.
The first verse of the Gospel is a title to the whole work. Like Matthew and John, Mark opens with an echo of the book of Genesis. The beginning recalls the first line of the creation narrative in Gen 1:1, and suggests that the good news that Mark is about to tell is a new beginning, a new work of God as original and stupendous as the creation of the universe.
[...]
Mark's opening line resonates with his excitement at the glad tidings he is conveying. He sees the coming of Jesus, preceded by that of John the Baptist, as the turning point in history, when God decisively acted to accomplish all that he had promised for so many centuries. At the time Mark wrote, the good news was beginning to explode upon the Mediterranean world, as the apostles and other Christians traveled throughout the empire, evangelizing in synagogues and town squares. Lives were being changed as people who had been lost in spiritual darkness and moral confusion came to know the living Christ and experience his love. Mark's evident joy at the tidings he has to share prompts the questions: Do we realize how good the good news is? Do we recognize that this news fulfills and far surpasses all the deepest longings of the human heart? Or have we settled of a diluted version of the gospel that has little power to impact our daily lives? God's entrance into human history in the person of Jesus Christ is news that is inexhaustibly new, as fresh and potent as on the day it was first proclaimed.
 |
| Pigeon on Street Water Tap taken by Barcelona Photoblog |
To have a child is to embrace a future you can't control.What they can't know is that the lack of control brings rewards and joys that can't be imagined from their vantage point before parenthood. In this way, it is like obeying God when he asks something that is going to be uncomfortable. (And doesn't he do that a lot?) One must take on his task obediently only to find the surprise, the joy, the love that often is interwoven with the discomfort.
Tom French, RadioLab, 23 Days 6 Weeks episode
 |
| Jusepe de Ribera, Portrait of a Knight of Santiago The Meadows Museum |
 |
| Martin Schongauer, The Lion of Saint Mark |
The man represents Matthew because his Gospel begins with the genealogy of Christ a device that emphasizes Jesus' humanity.
The lion is Mark's Gospel, comparing its opening passage—John the Baptist's urgent proclamation in the desert—to the roar of a wild lion.
The ox symbolizes Luke, whose Gospel narrative begins with the story of the temple priest Zechariah. Through this lens, the ox represents the sacrificial animals that were associated with priestly duties.
The eagle is John's Gospel, which begins by "flying upwards to the heights of the theological realm in its spectacular prologue: "In the beginning was the Word..."
_-_Scala_dei_giganti_-_Lion_of_Saint_Mark.jpg) |
| The winged lion of St Mark at the Scuola Grande di San Marco, Venice. |
There is no good trying to be more spiritual than God. God never meant man to be a purely spiritual creature. That is why He uses material things like bread and wine to put the new life into us. We may think this rather crude and unspiritual. God does not: He invented eating. He likes matter. He invented it.I think this is such a wonderful way to remind us that all the things of everyday life matter.
C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity
 |
| Palazzo Albrizzo, Antonietta Brandeis via Lines and Colors |
A flavor explosion that doesn't involve hot peppers! We're trying to actually make some of the many recipes we've clipped over the years. This one is the first of the New Year that's been a real winner!
Get it at Meanwhile, Back in the Kitchen.
Cast yourself with confidence into the arms of God. And be very sure of this, that if he wants anything of you he will fit you for your work and give you strength to do it.Never have I had greater proof of than than in my volunteering as a St. Vincent de Paul Society advocat. Whew!St. Philip Neri
The excellent Get Religion, which sadly will be stopping publication soon, points out that John Harbaugh read from the Bible during his post-win press conference. C.J. Stroud gave praise to Jesus in a brief intro during his post-game interview. Secular media ignored both, going to far as to edit Stroud's comments.
C'mon what is everyone scared of? That at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow? Would that it were so.
Read the whole thing. And be sure to watch the videos they included.
 |
| Pasquale Ottini St. Mark writes his Gospel at the dictation of St. Peter |
The unanimous early tradition of the Church was that Mark's Gospel captured the narrative of the apostle Peter. According to St. Jerome, "Mark, the disciple and interpreter of Peter, write a short Gospel at the request of the brethren at Rome, embodying what he had heard Peter tell. When Peter had heard this, he approved it and published it to the churches to be read by his authority." Jerome wrote these words in A.D. 392, but the tradition went back to apostolic times. Bishop Papias of Hierapolis, who died around the year 120, used to quote an unnamed "elder" in the Church whotold him that "Mark, having become the interpreter of Peter, wrote down accurately, though not in order, whatsoever he remembered of the things said or done by Christ."Even though Mark was writing based on Peter's authority, he also knew Jesus himself.
Suppose Papias heard the "elder" say this in A.D. 100, and the elder was about seventy years old. This elder would have been a mature man of around forty years when Peter was martyred i Rome in A.D. 67. Papias was a disciple of John the evangelist, and he was a friend of Polycarp. Papias' testimony, then, reaches right back to the apostles.
We can be sure that Mark knew Jesus Christ personally, although he was not one of the twelve Apostles: most ecclesiastical writers see in Mk 14:15-52, the episode of the young man who leaves his sheet behind him as he flees from the garden when Jesus is arrested, as Mark's own veiled signature to his Gospel, since only he refers to this episode. If this were the only reference it would be ambiguous, but it is supported by other circumstantial evidence: Mark was the son of Mary, apparently a well-to-do widow, in whose house in Jerusalem the first Christians used to gather (Acts 12:12). An early Christian text states that this was the same house as the Cenacle, where our Lord celebrated the Last Supper and instituted the Holy Eucharist. It also seems probably that the Garden of Olives belonged to this same Mary; which would explain Mark's presence there.More interesting, historical stuff about the book itself.
There is a very interesting thing about Mark's gospel. In its original form it stops at Mark 16:8. We know that for two reasons. First, the verses which follow (Mark 16:9-20) are not in any of the great early manuscripts; only later and inferior manuscripts contain them. Second, the style of the Greek is so different that they cannot have been written by the same person as wrote the rest of the gospel.* Not a Catholic source and one which can have a wonky theology at times, but Barclay was renowned for his authority on life in ancient times and that information is sound.
But the gospel cannot have been meant to stop at Mark 16:8. What then happened? It may be that Mark died, perhaps even suffered martyrdom, before he could complete his gospel. More likely, it may be that at one time only one copy of the gospel remained, and that a copy in which the last part of the roll on which it was written had got torn off. There was a time when the church did not much use Mark, preferring Matthew and Luke. It may well be that Mark's gospel was so neglected that all copies except for a mutilated one were lost. If that is so we were within an ace of losing the gospel which in many ways is the most important of all.
Verses 9-20, commonly called the Longer Ending, do not appear in the earliest manuscripts of the Gospel. Scholars are virtually unanimous in holding that these verses were not written by Mark but by a Christian of the late first or early second century who sought to fill out the abrupt ending of verse 8. (Footnote: a few ancient and medieval manuscripts of Mark insert other brief endings, which the Church does not accept as canonical.) Yet the Church accepts this addendum as part of the canon of inspired Scripture. The Holy Spirit's gift of inspiration is not limited to the original writer, but encompasses each biblical book in its final edited form.
The author of the Longer Ending was apparently familiar with all four Gospels (or with the oral testimonies on which they were based), and compiled these verses from the resurrection accounts in Matthew, Luke and John. ...
"No wild animal, or domestic either, has as many vocal tones as the Longhorn. In comparison, the bulls and cows of highly bred varieties of cattle are voiceless. The cow of the Longhorns has one moo for her newborn calf, another for when it is older, one to tell it come to her side and another to tell it to stay hidden in the tall grass. Moved by amatory feelings, she has a low, audible breath of yearning. In anger, she can run a gamut. If her calf has died or otherwise been taken from her, she seems to be turning her insides out into long, sharp, agonizing bawls. I have heard steers make similar sounds. They seemed to be in the utmost agony of something so poignant to them that the utterance meant more than life and would be willingly paid for by death."J. Frank Dobie, "The Longhorns," 1941Photo and quote via Traces of Texas
Athanasius, On the Interpretation of the Psalms
This one has been long regarded as praise and patience as one waits for an answer to prayer. Peter Kreeft points out that waiting is the first step in finding out what God wants from us.
"I have waited, waited for the Lord." The Psalmist says it twice because waiting always feels too long and tries our patience. But we must never, never, never, never, never give up. because God will always respond.
The second thing the Psalmist tells us is what God does in response to our waiting for him: he "heard my cry." Waiting is a "cry," a cry from the heart. Waiting is an active, passionate, and painful thing, not a passive, easy, comfortable thing. If we wait for God in this way, he will always hear us and answer us. And in answering us, the Psalmist says, he "stooped toward me," as a tall adult stoops to talk to a tiny child. He humbled himself. He came down to our level, since we cannot raise ourselves up to his level by ourselves.
Food for the Soul, Year C, Second Sunday in Ordinary Time
Look at this image to see under just what conditions the psalmist is imagined patiently waiting. Yikes!!!! But it does go along with what the psalm tells us.
There are two kinds of patience being mentioned here. The first is patient endurance for a long time. The second is enduring hope and expectation that doesn't fade. God doesn't always act quickly but He's worth waiting for.
 |
| "I waited patiently for the Lord" Les Très Riches Heures du duc de Berry, Musée Condé |
This is lengthy but I was fascinated by all the possibilities that the language indicates. All of these kinds of muck and mire are familiar. All make us long even more for a secure rock with firm footing.
Stuck in the MuckThe psalmist is seeking deliverance from sin, so it is interesting to see how its consequences are described as being mired down in a slippery place, with no secure footing or ability to escape. Several images are attached to the vocabulary used here. (1) One appears to refer to the clay pounded out into a smooth surface in building village streets. While in most circumstances this must have provided a relatively hard surface, on occasions of rain or perhaps the spilling of blood in battle, the clay could become slippery and muddy (cf. Zech. 10:5).
(2) A second image connected with the slippery mire is the shifty sediments of the sea bed. Isaish 57:20 describes the restless sea that tosses up slimy seaweed and mud. Similarly, Psalm 69:14 describes the desperate plight of one who is sinking into the mire while the sea waves crash over him.
(3) The final image associated with slippery mud refers to the sediment left in the bottom of an abandoned cistern or pit. Jeremiah 38:6 describes the circumstances in which the prophet was abandoned to die by his enemies in a cistern having "no water in it, only mus, and Jeremiah sank down into the mud." When the kind learned of Jeremiah's fate, he sent men with ropes to draw him up out of the muck and mire of the pit. Similarly Joseph's brother threw him into an empty cistern before drawing him out in order to sell him to passing Midianites (Gen. 37:19-28). Lamentations 3:53 describes the poet being thrown into a cistern and left to die while the "waters closed over my head." Apparently these accounts draw on a common practice of using cisterns for imprisonment. ...Psalms Volume 1 (The NIV Application Commentary)
An index of psalm posts is here.
For more than half a century Polycarp devoted himself to teaching sound doctrine and opposing heresy. Once on a visit to rome he had snubbed the heretic Marcion. "Don't you know who I am, Polycarp?" he asked. "Oh yes," said the saint, "I know the firstborn of Satan when I see him."I wish I was that quick with a witty quip.Bert Ghezzi, The Voices of the Saints
.jpg) |
| Evening Elegance: Birch Ambiance, Remo Savisaar |
 |
| Dream During the Dance (Ensueño durante el baile) Rogelio de Egusquiza |
To read Genesis for its views about evolutionary theories is like reading Genesis for its views about cell phones.That's just so spot on it made me laugh out loud. What a perfect comparison to get the point across.Dr. Chrostopher Kaczor,Word on Fire Bibel: The Pentateuch
Notice that the apostles’ first and most important duty was simply to “be with him*”—to “waste time” in the presence of Jesus, loving him and being loved by him, learning his ways, letting their hearts become more and more aligned with his.Mary Healy, The Word Among Us, Oct. 2022
==========
My job was just to spend twenty minutes with scripture: reading, thinking, and praying as I chose; the fireworks were up to God.Leah Libresco, Arriving at Amen
.jpg) |
| Stained glass of the Holy Spirit as a dove The Holy Spirit helps us pray. |
From one of my favorite spots on the internet, Joel Miller at Miller's Book Reviews tells us a lot of things about libraries, including this which made me very happy:
Younger Americans love libraries. Millennials and Gen Zers spend time at their local library more frequently than their elders. “54% of Gen Zers and millennials trekk[ed] to their local library in 2022,” say Portland State University professors Kathi Inman Berens and Rachel Noorda, compared to 45 percent of Gen Xers and 43 percent of boomers.This leads to a lot of interesting things including that libraries all over the world serve as "valued third places." Get it all at the link.
One reason? While the younger generations spend a lot of time on digital devices engaging social media, they prefer print over digital or audio when it comes to books and, according to Berens and Noorda’s data, average about two print books a month. “Gen Zers and millennials still see libraries as a kind of oasis,” they say, “a place where doomscrolling and information overload can be quieted, if temporarily.“
 |
| Vincenzo Irolli, Altar Boy via I Am A Child |
Gunpowder destroys itself along with its victim, while a book can keep on exploding for centuries.Amen, amen!Christopher Morley, The Haunted Bookshop
I began reading The Memoirs of St. Peter, a new translation of Mark, and remembered these notes. Heavens to Betsy! The last time we looked at the Gospel of Mark together it was 2012!
We're way past time to take a second look at some of the things that bring Mark alive for me. Here are my favorite resources. I may not quote all of these, but I'll have looked through them and over the years they have added to my overall knowledge. |
| Mark the Evangelist by Il Pordenone |
 |
| Snow balls, Bertha Lum. Via J.R.'s Art Place. |
When we're arguing with the past, we're really arguing with the present.That is so true it hardly seems worth saying, but when you look at our cultural state with it in mind I don't think it is being said enough.Joel Miller, Miller's Book Review
You ever think about how wild it is that you humans just tell each other stories about your day? Like you'll be on the phone for forty-five minutes with a customer service rep, and then later someone will ask you about your day and you'll be like "I was on the phone forever with customer service," and they'll just be waiting to tell you about a time they were on the phone with customer service. It's like a duel of storytelling, and y'all do it all the time!Alexander Kane, Dragon Heist
Storytelling animals, that's us! I love that we're so hardwired for it.
 |
| André Brulé as Arsène Lupin, a gentleman thief and master of disguise |
I don't think of H.G. Wells as being funny so this was a delightful surprise.It is a moot point whether burglary is to be considered as a sport, a trade, or an art.
For trade, technique is scarcely rigid enough, and its claims to be considered an art are vitiated by the mercenary element that qualifies its triumphs. On the whole it seems to be most justly ranked as a sport, a sport for which no rules are at present formulated, and of which the prizes are distributed in an extremely informal manner.
H.G. Wells, The Hammerpond Park Burglary
How long's it been since you rewatched these? Pardner, that's too long.
My top picks from last year. In no particular order.
How long's it been since you reread these? Pardner, that's too long.
My top picks from last year. In no particular order.
This is the story of Corlath, golden-eyed king of the Free Hillfolk. And this is the story of Harry Crewe, the Homelander orphan girl who became King's Rider, and heir to the Blue Sword. And this is the song of the kelar of the Hillfolk, the magic of the blood, the weaver of destinies...A near-perfect fantasy. Just reading the description makes me want to pick it up again.
My top picks from podcasts I discovered last year. As always, they may be old, but my listening was brand new in 2023. In no particular order. Links are in the podcast name.
Fr. Mike Schmitz guides you through the entire Catechism of the Catholic Church in 365 episodes, providing explanation, insight, and encouragement along the way.
Anupama Chopra, founder & editor of Film Companion, is a film critic, television anchor and book author. She has been writing about Bollywood since 1993. Here you can find all of her reviews for movies from across the globe.I discovered this when browsing through Evergreen Podcasts listings. Anupama Chopra gives just the succinct yet personal reviews of new Indian films that help me know whether or not to put movies on my list. So far, her tastes and ours match up very well.
Here are my top picks from our year of TV viewing. Our television viewing was not extensive but we discovered some that were pure gold. In no particular order.
I began my "Best of" lists way back in 2008. To see them, check the label cloud in the sidebar under "Best of ..."
A really excellent documentary. Well edited, conceived and executed. This series is one that Indians will enjoy and that true film fans will appreciate. Other than that, only people like us — a true minority of Indian film lovers who are not ourselves Indian — will appreciate.
Lee Yeon is a mythical nine tailed fox in this fun and exciting roller coaster of a K-drama. He works on earth for the the gods' Department of Immigration of Life After Death — hunting down mythical beings who kill humans. A lovely television producer, Nam Ji-Ah, whose show investigates the supernatural, suspects that he is involved in a murder case. She investigates him and he investigates her. Ji-Ah's looking for her long lost parents and Yeong's on the lookout for the reincarnation of his lost love. Naturally they will work together. Just as naturally, nothing is as it appears on the surface.
If you like this then go watch Tale of the Nine Tailed 1938 which is the sequel (prequel). Although not quite as good as this, it is a lot of fun and still quite good.
Yang Jong-hoon, a prosecutor-turned-professor, teaches criminal law at a prestigious law school. He and his first-year law students get involved in an unprecedented case during a mock trial. During a mock trial class, the supervising professor is found murdered and Professor Yang is arrested as the main suspect. Showing on Netflix.
There was a refreshing lack of romance, aside from the occasional glance sent from one student to another while they weren't looking. This was a straight up drama that's wildly intricate and inventive in the plot's twists and turns. Somehow it had plenty of drama without being emotionally over-the-top, which we appreciated too.
Sergeant Ruawai Maaka of the Wellington Police enlists the aid of Officers Minogue and O'Leary to tackle paranormal events in New Zealand's capital city. The mockumentary follows these kiwi cops as they investigate cases such as the demon possession of a teenager, a noise complaint at a haunted house and a blood bank robbery.Just plain fun.
Follows Captain Christopher Pike and the crew of the starship Enterprise in the 23rd century as they explore new worlds and carry out missions throughout the galaxy during the decade before Star Trek: The Original Series.
We enjoyed this quite a lot. It was an intriguing blend of faithfulness to the Star Trek sensibilities while containing character development and modern ideas.
