Crushing Temptations

Obviously from a couple of years ago, this is a good reminder to me of my own Lenten realization.

In Mel Gibson's movie The Passion of the Christ, in the very first scene in the garden, as Jesus is praying in agony, he sees a snake creeping up to him. The instant he sees the snake, he crushes it, he stomps on it, he has no mercy toward it and no second thoughts, no hesitation. That's what we all have to do with temptations: stop them at their very source, their very first beginnings, the very first thoughts.

Peter Kreeft, Food for the Soul, Year C First Sunday of Lent

I must say that one of my personal advances during this Lent is to recognize some temptations when they occur. This might sound obvious, but most of my temptations creep up for sins that are habitual. That makes sense. Sometimes I am fighting myself and sometimes I'm being assaulted by enemy barrages. When I'm in the middle of the battle, do I stop to ask where the blows are coming from?

Too often I don't. But having had the grace given to ask myself the question, "What if this is a temptation?" I've been able to simply say, "Go away!" I'm not always good at repeating it too many times, but sometimes just knowing it might be coming from outside is enough. Now, part of my morning prayer is to ask Jesus to show me when I'm being tempted so I have that extra help.

It strikes me, having read the quote above, that another part of my battle needs to be the immediate crushing with no second thoughts. Too often I feel as if it is natural to have a long battle with temptation, which I may win or I may lose. But the times when I've crushed the thought and refused to allow it entry, however many times there is a knock on the door — those are the times I've won.

Sin and trampling on people

"I've done so many things that I thought I would never dare do because they were sins. But I didn't realize then that the consequence of sin is that you have to trample on other people."

Sigrid Undset, Kristen Lavransdatter

I'm slowly rereading this book and it is loaded with little gems like this, amply illustrated by Kristen's life, unfortunately. 

The Catechism Lesson

The Catechism Lesson, Jules-Alexis Muenier

I hear about my daughters' teaching their students on Sunday and I feel as if this fits right in. Especially when you throw in the RCIA classes that are going on as we head toward Easter.

Kumoi Cherry Trees

Kumoi Cherry Trees, Hiroshi Yoshida

We've got flowering trees and it feels so much like spring - or even summer with temperatures hitting 90 today.  We've also had a really bright moon lately. This all is evoked so well in the painting.

Notes on Mark: The Baptism of Jesus

Stained glass window of Jesus's baptism by Tiffany

MARK 1:9-11

I'm so used to reading these passages and accepting them as matter of fact when, of course, there is nothing matter of fact about them. First, Mark sets it in a time when everyone could bring it to mind. It makes me think of how we say now, "This was before 9/11" or "That was during the pandemic." No more need be said to set the scene. What a huge uproar there must have been over John the Baptist to use just a few code words. 

9 It was in this setting

Literally, "in those days." The translation is free but also accurate. In Mark's day ordinary people did not use a calendar. They dated events in rleation to who happened to be in authority at the time or some cyclical event, such as the Olympiads. Mark is saying, in effect, "You want to know when Jesus burst upon the scene? That dates back to the time when there was that widespread religious reawakening of people going out to the desert to see John."

The Memoirs of St. Peter by Michael Pakaluk

Then we have the actual baptism of Jesus to think about. The "simple" fact of Jesus' baptism carries a wealth of information that affects us deeply, as we can see. This not only helps me understand the great power of our own baptism, but how intricately interwoven everything is in the balance of salvation history and our own relationship with Christ.

Jesus' coming up out of the water (anabaino) is answered by a coming down (katabaino) of the Spirit from above. According to the Old Testament, sin creates an insuperable barrier, distancing humanity from the holiness of God (see Isa 59:2). God would "come down" to his people only after they had been cleansed of impurity (Exod 19:10-11). The Spirit's descent upon Jesus foreshadows his descent upon the Church at Pentecost, after sin has been removed by the cross.

The whole cosmos is impacted by Jesus' act of humility. The heavens are not gently opened but torn asunder--a sign that the barrier between God and man is being removed. Israel had pleaded for God to intervene decisively in human events: "Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down" (Isa 63:19). Now that plea is answered! The same verb "tear" will reappear at a crucial point near the end of the Gospel, when the curtain of the temple is torn from top to bottom at Jesus' death (Mark 15:38), completing the reconciliation of heaven and earth that began at his baptism.

Gospel of Mark, The
(Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture) by Mary Healy

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Sources and Notes Index

Psalm 41 — Prayer for Healing

When many are poor and needy and you wish to show pity for them, on the one hand acknowledging the generosity of some people, and urging others on to similar deeds of mercy, say Psalm 41.

Athanasius, On the Interpretation of the Psalms

This has been described as a liturgy for the sick. Deserted by even his closest friends, the psalmist comes to the temple for healing. After a few words from the priest, the psalmist asks for healing and for relief from the friends who abandoned him and now gloat while they wait for his death.

Jesus himself quoted this psalm during the last supper, expressing his own deep sorrow. 

I am not speaking of you all; I know whom I have chosen; it is so that the Scripture may be fulfilled, "He who ate my bread has lifted his heel against me" (Jn 13:18).

I'm always knocked over when we see Jesus quoting scripture like this. And I'm not the only one. From early Christian times, this psalm has been studied as a prophecy of the plot against Christ.

We could hardly ask for a more appropriate psalm to consider as we approach Lent next week.

Tile panel with a verse from Psalm 40 (in the Vulgate), 1716,
by Policarpo de Oliveira Bernardes;
in the Igreja da Misericórdia, in Évora, Portugal.

Saint John Paul II has a meditation on this psalm as part of the series he did covering the prayers of the evening in the liturgy of the hours. Read the whole thing here if you like. I share this bit which points the way from gloom to a dawn of hope.

An Invitation to Meditate on the Saving Passion of Christ

Our bitterness is profound when it is the "friend" we trusted, literally in Hebrew: the "man of peace", who turns against us. We are reminded of Job's friends: from being his companions in life, they become indifferent and hostile presences (cf. Jb 19: 1-6). In our prayer resounds the voices of a crowd of people forgotten and humiliated in their sickness and weakness, even by those who should have stood by them.

Yet the prayer of Psalm 41[40] does not end in this gloomy setting. The person praying is sure that God will appear on his horizon, once again revealing his love (cf. vv. 11-14). He will offer his support and gather in his arms the sick person, who will once again be "in the presence" of his Lord (v. 13) or, to use biblical language, will relive the experience of the liturgy in the temple.

The Psalm, streaked by pain, thus ends in a glimpse of light and hope. In this perspective, we can understand how St Ambrose, commenting on the initial beatitude of the Psalm (cf. v. 2), saw in it prophetically an invitation to meditate on the saving passion of Christ that leads to the Resurrection.

Indeed, this Father of the Church suggests introducing into the reading of the Psalm: "Blessed are those who think of the wretchedness and poverty of Christ, who though he was rich made himself poor for us. Rich in his Kingdom, poor in the flesh, because he took this poor flesh upon himself.... So he did not suffer in his richness, but in our poverty.

An index of psalm posts is here.

Sour Cream Pound Cake

 I first ran this recipe in 2004 and all these years later it is still my go-to pound cake. It isn't fussy but it is simply delicious. Get it at Meanwhile, Back in the Kitchen!

Jesus Tempted in the Wilderness

Jesus Tempted in the Wilderness. James Tissot.

As soon as [temptation] presents itself to us we should turn away from it and direct our glance towards Our Lord, who lives within us and fights at our side, who himself has conquered sin. … In this way temptation will lead us to prayer, to union with God and with Christ; it will not be loss but gain.

B. Baur, In Silence with God

Notes on Mark: Word Study - Repentance

St. John the Baptist Preaching by Mattia Preti

MARK 1:4

Repentance
Metanoia (Gk): literally a "change of mind". The word is used 22 times in the New Testament for a conversion of one's entire life to the Lord. Based on similar OT concepts, it involves a twofold movement of the heart: one who repents turns away from sin (1 Kings 8:35; Ezek 18:30) and toward God (Hos 6:1; Sir 17:25, 26; Heb 6:1). This entails genuine contrition for past failings and a firm resolve to avoid them in the future, and it may be accompanied by bodily disciplines like fasting (Dan 9:3-5; Joel 2:12; 2 Cor 7:10). Because repentance is a gradual process of transformation, God is patient with sinners struggling to make amends and redirect their lives toward holiness (Wis 12:10; Rom 2:4; 2 Pet 3:9). Repentance is inspired by the eternal life offered in Christ (Mk 1:15; Acts 2:38), and its genuineness becomes evident when lives are changed in accord with the gospel (Mt 3:8; Acts 26:20; Gal 5:22-24).

The Gospel of Mark
(The Ignatius Catholic Study Bible)
by Scott Hahn and Curtis Mitch

Reading this I was really struck by the fact that "repentance is a gradual process of transformation". I tend to think of it as very cut and dried. I'm sorry, I won't do it again ... and then I should change my ways. Of course, often the sad fact is that I fail in changing my ways and lapse again. Thinking of it as a gradual thing is very helpful. A step forward here, a little improvement there ... and I am "in progress" rather than a total failure.

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Sources and Notes Index

The Curse of Chalion by Lois McMaster Bujold

I first read this in 2013 and then reread it six years later because it was the opening episode of Season 9 for A Good Story is Hard to Find. 

Here I am, rereading it yet another six years late. That must be my sweet spot for really getting a lot from this book. It was the perfect Lenten read, though I didn't plan it that way. Time to rerun my original review from 2013 in case you missed it or haven't reread it lately!

 

Two readers I trust, Will Duquette and Amy H. Sturgis, have strongly recommended both this author and book. I certainly am glad they did, although if Goodreads allowed it I would give it 4-1/2 stars instead of the full 5, simply because I feel the ending was rushed as if the author was ready to get this situation done and the book sent out. I felt this especially in the case of the romantic resolution for the protagonist.

However, overall I really enjoyed this tale of a bedraggled, galley ship survivor who, despite his best efforts to the contrary, finds himself in the middle of royal intrigue. If that weren't enough, he is also pulled into the the affairs of the divine as a result and this complicates his life as one might imagine. This is a land of various gods and strong, dark magic. It is, however, also a land where free will matters in the outcome of events.

I must admit that about 5 or 6 chapters into it I almost put this book down, thinking it was much of a muchness with other such tales. Luckily, Amy H. Sturgis picked that moment to comment that this was one of her favorite books. I was not going to be the one who quit on her after that. I respect her too much. I'd read to the end and either be bored by it or love it for the entire thing. Just about then was actually when it got more interesting, so if you find yourself in similar straits, just keep going.

The Curse of Chalion reminded me strongly in some ways of Barbara Hambly's Sun Wolf trilogy, especially in the author's examination of a mature man humbled by events and forced to learn who he is below the surface. However, Curse is altogether more layered and interesting.

How much did I like it? I gave the book's name to both daughters yesterday with the comment that I'd be looking forward to discussing it with them. 

Will Duquette's review of the sequel, Paladin of Souls, included this comment, which works pretty well for this book also:

See, this is a fantasy series, but it's almost what you might call theological science fiction. That is to say, Bujold has invented a theology (a very interesting one, I might add) and a religion to go with it--and then, having set up the rules, she's seeing where they take her.

Satan Tried to Tempt Jesus

Satan Tried to Tempt Jesus, James Tissot

Christ made us one with him when he chose to be tempted by Satan. … If in Christ we have been tempted, in him we overcame the devil. Do you think only of Christ’s temptations and fail to think of his victory? See yourself as tempted in him, and see yourself as victorious in him.He could have kept the devil from himself; but if he were not tempted he could not teach you how to triumph over temptation.

Commentary on the psalms by Saint Augustine, bishop

A (Time-Loop Thriller) Movie You Might Have Missed 93 — Maanaadu (Public Conference)

After flying in for a friend's wedding, Khaaliq stumbles across a plot to assassinate the Chief Minister  at a political rally (public conference). When he tries to stop it, Khaaliq is killed and unexpectedly wakes up on the airplane again. This second time around he's struck by a sense of deja vu and ultimately discovers that he's in a time-loop. Each time he comes across the plot from a different angle and struggles to stop the assassination attempt. And each time he is killed which returns him to the plane.

This is a really great time-loop thriller with fantastic action scenes and an unexpected twist that ratchets up the suspense and action.

As I was explaining this genre to my mother while we were watching, she asked, "But why is it happening?" And I realized that the time-loop genre doesn't bother to explain why. It is just how things are until the person is released. I mean, we all know why just from watching the story over and over. In Groundhog Day the person must mature. In Happy Death Day, she must figure out who murders her. And so forth and so on.

Maanaadu has an actual explanation that makes sense in the world of the movie (especially, one assumes, if you are Hindu). It gives all the more resonance to the reason Khaaliq wants to solve the problem and find his way to tomorrow.

I really enjoyed the pacing. Often time-loop films drag when they repeatedly show us what is happening or changing in each iteration of the day. This movie quickly gets you up to speed — and speed is the right word — because once we've gone through two or three versions of the day, the director begins each section right at the point where it went wrong before. It doesn't take long to catch on that this is happening and it speeds us right past all the repetitive bits.

The film is self aware enough to mention many time-loop movies and we especially enjoyed when one of the characters complained, "You are confusing me more than Christopher Nolan's Tenet." That Tenet was a confusing mess has never been more universally acknowledged than when it is zinged by a Tamil film. Thank you, Venkat Prabhu!

This is available now on Amazon Prime for $2.99 and it is money well spent.

Rereading — Art and Prayer: The Beauty of Turning to God by Timothy Verdon

I read this long ago, in 2014, and thoroughly enjoyed rereading it recently. I highly recommend this way of combining art and prayer.

There is an “art of prayer,” when faith and prayer become creative responses by which creatures made in the image and likeness of the Creator relate to him with help of the imagination. ... Richly illustrated, Monsignor Verdon explains that images work in believers as tools that teach them how to turn to God.

They had me at "richly illustrated." Over the years I have become more and more attracted to paintings as keys to helping me connect more honestly and deeply with God.

The book has many gorgeous pieces of art which are wonderfully explained and made personal by the text of the book. For example, looking at both the inset and whole painting of Piero della Francesca's Baptism of Christ, the author takes us through what the painter hopes to show us, the importance of the original setting for the piece and it's possible impact on the monks who would have seen it daily, and the importance of interior transformation for every one of us. He then uses the painting's landscape to segue into nature, Scripture, and imagination before moving on to the next piece for inspiration. All this is by page 6, by the way.

Needless to say, it is a thought provoking, eye opening, and inspirational gem.

The Church Window

"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

Linguine with Chickpeas and Zucchini

 The combination sounds odd but it is delicious — and meatless for Lent! Get it at Meanwhile, Back in the Kitchen.

There is great joy to being a penitent

 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.

Special Fish Fridays During Lent

A little help for those who aren't used to meatless Fridays during Lent.

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.

Dallas Culture Map

My Lenten Plans — 2024

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.

• Prayer — I always intend to do daily intercessory prayer but often give myself a pass. JD Flynn at The Pillar talked about St. John Henry Newman's intercessory practices in a way that made me vow to fulfill my intention daily. I want to remember the people I'm praying for in a more personal way than I often do.
  
  I'm also going to try JD's idea of hand-copying Scripture. I've never heard of this before. I'm trying to figure out where I will incorporate it in my schedule. It may be a good addition to my morning prayer. As to what I'm going to copy, it will be Baruch. I'm not excited about this selection but when you aren't sure what to copy and flip your closed Bible open to see what pops up, sometimes you wind up with Baruch. (Especially when you flip to the same page two times in a row. Yeah, I tried to get out of it, but I also can take a hint.)
  


• Fasting — I've got two fasts this year. First, no between-meal snacking. I've slid into having something "just a little something" here and there in a practice of self-indulgence and comfort. I've noticed the trend lately in homilies for priests to act as if giving up something like ice cream or snacking as childish or not deep enough. Hey, sometimes we need grounding in the basics to remind us of how to make space for God. I need the spiritual discipline of not coddling myself so that I have the habit of making a small sacrifice when the need arises.
  
  I'm also going to fast from criticizing people to others. There are a lot of people that I can view charitably even when they annoy me — so I've made some progress over the years. But just recently I realized that, again, I give myself a pass on that for certain other people. It was a humbling realization and from my thoughts about how hard it is going to be I can see that it is much needed. I recently had occasion to remember my "Lord have mercy on me and bless [insert name here] prayer. (Read about it here.) I feel as if I'm going to be busting that out a lot.


• Almsgiving — During Covid we got out of the habit of picking up things for the food pantry every week. I'm going to start that up again. This is something that Zombie Parent's Guide reminded me of.
  
  
• Reading — Fiction: Last year I read 22 pages a day of The Lord of the Rings for my lectio divina. It was powerful in a way I didn't anticipate. In fact, I wound up reading fiction a lot of the year during lectio divina because of that — and it was also very fruitful. So I'm doing it again this year, of course!
  
  Nonfiction: I always read something spiritual in the morning after looking over the paper. This year I'm focusing on Lent with The Power of the Cross: Good Friday Sermons from the Papal Preacher by Raniero Cantalamessa. I really love his writing anyway, but Joseph at Zombie Parent's Guide reminded me of it in his 2024 Lenten post. Be sure to click through his link to his review.


• Movie watching — I haven't rewatched The Mill and the Cross or The Passion of the Christ for years. This is the year!

This looks like a lot of things but most of them fit a spot that's already in my schedule.

The Firefly

Shoen Uemura, The Firefly, 1913

King Cake

 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. 

Tunnel of Roses

Anna De Weert, Tonnelle de rosiers (Tunnel of Roses, 1920).

This is just so gorgeous. I can only imagine how delightful it would be to stroll through it with the dappled sunlight and scent of the roses. Click through on the link to see it bigger.

The Mirror

Robert Reid, The Mirror, c. 1910

Gorgeous. It draws me back over and over to see the way the painting "reflects" the woman.

A Scarlet Tanager and the Glory of God

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.

Danusha Goska, God Through Binoculars

Yes. Those moments are ethereal and yet solid. Goska puts flesh on the framework of my favorite psalm.

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

Bacon, Pea, and Goat Cheese Frittata

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

West 11th Street Fence
painted by Andrew Jones

How to make an everyday thing lovely.

Notes on Mark: The Beginning of the Good News

Beginning of the Gospel of Mark in Minuscule 1689

MARK 1:1

The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ [the Son of God]

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.

Gospel of Mark, The
(Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture) by Mary Healy

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. 

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Sources and Notes Index

Pigeon on Street Water Tap

Pigeon on Street Water Tap
taken by Barcelona Photoblog

As we are told, don't bother trying to feed this pigeon. It is street art so realistic that it fooled the photographer. More about this pigeon and this tap at Barcelona Photoblog.

To have a child

Many young adults these days eschew having children because it would take the attention off of them. I have a niece who willingly uses this excuse. But perhaps at the bottom of it lies this unacknowledged truth.

To have a child is to embrace a future you can't control.

Tom French, RadioLab, 23 Days 6 Weeks episode

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.

One must not be afraid of adventure. As Saint John Paul II said, "Be not afraid."

Portrait of a Knight of Santiago

Jusepe de Ribera, Portrait of a Knight of Santiago
The Meadows Museum

This is another of my favorite pieces from Dallas's best kept secret, The Meadows Museum.

Guess why?

Ok, it's true that I really like Ribera's work. Of course, it is the glasses. This knight had the latest tech and was going to show it off.

As Tom said, "Can you get my smartphone in this one? I want people to know I had the newest thing."

Notes on Mark: Mark the Lion

Martin Schongauer, The Lion of Saint Mark

I can never keep track of the traditional symbols of the four Gospel writers. Since we're launching into Mark, I wanted to find out just why he's represented in art by a lion. The Word on Fire Bible: The Gospels takes us to St. Jerome's wonderfully succinct reasoning which links each evangelist to the opening passage of its corresponding Gospel.

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..."

I like that key to the symbolism! Let's see if I can keep it straight the next time I'm trying to identify who's who in stained glass windows!

The winged lion of St Mark at the Scuola Grande di San Marco, Venice.

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Sources and Notes Index

God Likes Matter. He Invented It.

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.

C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

I think this is such a wonderful way to remind us that all the things of everyday life matter.

Palazzo Albrizzo

Palazzo Albrizzo, Antonietta Brandeis
via Lines and Colors

Isn't this incredibly lovely? I can't stop looking at it. 

Tandoori Chicken Sandwiches

 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.

God Will Fit You for Your Work

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.

St. Philip Neri

Never have I had greater proof of than than in my volunteering as a St. Vincent de Paul Society advocat. Whew!

Jewess with Oranges

Jewess with Oranges, Aleksander Gierymski

 

If a NFL coaching legend quotes scripture in a press conference, does it make a sound?

 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.

Notes on Mark: The Author and the Manuscript

I'm rereading the Gospel of Mark along with various commentaries and will be reposting episodes of my previous notes that last ran 12 years ago. I'll intersperse them with new material as it is appropriate. Kind of an old again, new again thing that we'll be doing. 

Here's a touch of background to get us started.

Pasquale Ottini
St. Mark writes his Gospel at the dictation of St. Peter

I like the fact that the Gospel of Mark was requested by the Roman Christians so they had a copy of Peter's stories.

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."

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.

The Memoirs of St. Peter

Even though Mark was writing based on Peter's authority, he also knew Jesus himself.

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.

The Navarre Bible: Mark

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.

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.

The Gospel of Mark
(The Daily Bible Series*, rev. ed.;)

* 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.

UPDATE (from 2012)
I have been contacted by a gentleman who begs me to stop quoting Barclay's comment that Mark 16:9-20 is not in any of the early great manuscripts.

Therefore, I turned to Mary Healy's excellent Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture to see what she said. Here we go, sports fans!

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. ...

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Sources and Notes Index

The Snowball

The Snowball, Otto Seitz

Leaving the Table

Leaving the Table, Laurits Tuxen

The Expressive Voice of the Longhorn

"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," 1941

Photo and quote via Traces of Texas

Psalm 40 — Waiting Patiently

During the attack, as you suffer the afflictions and wish to learn the advantage of steadfast patience, sing Psalm 40.

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 Muck

The 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.

Polycarp's Zinger

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."

Bert Ghezzi, The Voices of the Saints

I wish I was that quick with a witty quip.

Evening Elegance: Birch Ambiance

Evening Elegance: Birch Ambiance, Remo Savisaar

This reminds me of growing up in Kansas and Missouri where winter weather gave us gorgeous snow covered trees.

Hot Pepper Popcorn

Once again we have the playoffs coming and once again I bring you this popcorn that will delight anyone who enjoys a little spice with their popcorn crunch. Get the recipe for Hot Pepper Popcorn at Meanwhile, Back in the Kitchen.

Dream During the Dance

Dream During the Dance (Ensueño durante el baile)
Rogelio de Egusquiza

Click on the image to see the details close up. This is just beautiful work and, of course, I'm always a sucker for a gorgeously painted gown.

Genesis and cell phones

To read Genesis for its views about evolutionary theories is like reading Genesis for its views about cell phones.

Dr. Chrostopher Kaczor,

Word on Fire Bibel: The Pentateuch

That's just so spot on it made me laugh out loud. What a perfect comparison to get the point across.

Lectio Divina — Fiction

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

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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

Stained glass of the Holy Spirit as a dove
The Holy Spirit helps us pray.

There can be an internal pressure to our prayer time, as if God is grading us on how well we do. In actuality as long as we’re there praying, however we choose to do it, then we’re doing it right. Just the doing of it, the hanging out, our presence is what is required. God will do the rest. 

I want to know Jesus as well as the disciples did. 

In my case, I continually return to lectio divina, which means divine reading. It's a slow, contemplative reading, usually of the Bible. We read, listening for the murmur of God, and contemplate what we find. Here's an article which explains it well.

In my case, God has spoken to me through literature since I became aware that he was a real person. (That's another story.) Last year I began including fiction in my lectio divina. My prayer time became a time that I couldn't wait for. After all, who doesn't love reading a good story and talking it over with a friend?

 I pick fiction that I know is inspirational on some level. Then I read for around 15-20 minutes. I read the book, a chapter a day if possible, from cover to cover. As things strike me, I will stop to appreciate the truth I've just realized. These are my moments to share with Jesus. It can be incredibly fruitful. And sometimes there is nothing but reading the story. That's how prayer goes.  

I began by reading The Lord of the Rings during Lent, It was unbelievably powerful. I went on to read In This House of Brede, The Feast, A Little Princess, Death Comes for the Archbishop, and The Hobbit. Occasionally I will read nonfiction but it is usually telling a story — The Hiding Place, A Song for Nagasaki, and The Smile of a Ragpicker. 

I also read A Beginner's Guide to Dante's Divine Comedy by Jason M. Baxter. It was a sort of a cheat because I really wanted to reread Dante but wasn't quite ready to dive in again. Because it was delving into Dante, it was a rich source of inspiration. This year, might be the Divine Comedy year.

Every book was chosen in the service of hanging out and reading something that captured my interest as a point of conversation with Jesus. There's a real sense of anticipation when my afternoon prayer time comes up now. And if I'm not feeling so eager, it is not a hardship to pick up a book I enjoy. I am soon pulled back into the reading (and conversation) I love so well.

* He appointed twelve, to be with him (Mark 3:14). 

Bookish Diversions: Shhh! Happens

 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.

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.“

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.

Altar Boy

Vincenzo Irolli, Altar Boy
via I Am A Child

Isn't this curious scamp adorable? Check the link in the caption for many more Vincenzo Irolli paintings. I'd never heard of that artist before but found much of his work captivating.

Gunpowder and books

Gunpowder destroys itself along with its victim, while a book can keep on exploding for centuries.

Christopher Morley, The Haunted Bookshop

Amen, amen!

Sources for Gospel of Mark Bible Study

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

The Memoirs of St. Peter: A New Translation of the Gospel According to Mark
Mark Pakaluk’s goal is to restore the freshness and realism feel of the text as originally written by Mark. He's interested in Mark's Gospel as being a first-hand account told by St. Peter of what it was like to live with Christ for three years. He also has insightful commentary which helps us feel "you are there."

 
The Navarre Bible: Mark
The Navarre commentaries are consistently excellent and have a lot of thoughts from Church Fathers, Popes, saints, and the Catechism. They add wisdom from the 2,000 years of Church contemplation on scripture since Jesus.

Life Application Study Bible: New International Version
This Protestant Bible is an interesting resource. The footnotes are fresh, interesting, and a good resource for historical questions such as how threshing was done when Ruth met Boaz for example. They also have maps and occasional one page essays about main figures of the Bible. There is a tendency to ask questions at the end of commentary such as, "Do you listen to God like this person, etc.?" which I find rather annoying but they may not strike everyone that way. I would advise the NIV version as I have been told that translation is more accurate than the New Living Translation.

Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture: The Gospel of Mark
The structure is such that you are generally covering just a little scripture at a time. Each reading is followed with cross references to the Old Testament, New Testament, Catechism, and Liturgy. These are followed by the commentary, in which words from the scripture reading are bold whenever they are used. Although I saw some people complaining about that practice, I found it useful. Sometimes a bold word would make me suddenly pay attention and go back to the scripture, thinking, "Did it really say that? Why haven't I ever noticed before?"

There are also a few maps, occasional photos when they'd be helpful, and sidebar boxes with Biblical background and living tradition (Catechism, Fathers of the Church, saints) information that enriches understanding.

In Conversation with God by Francis Fernandez
A daily devotional that follows the daily Mass readings. Topics range from the sacraments and virtues to family interaction and friendship. The sensible and down-to-earth writing is enhanced by quotes from saints, Church Fathers, popes, cross-references with other scripture than in the day's readings, Church documents, etc. I've been using this for 20 years off and on.  Full review here.

The Word on Fire Bible: The Gospels
From the Word on Fire ministries headed by Bishop Robert Barron, this is a commentary bible loaded with observations from the Church Fathers, newer Catholic writers like Fulton Sheen and G.K. Chesterton, and Bishop Barron himself. The primary purpose is evangelization of those not affiliated with organization or Christianity and poses the question throughout of "Who is God? and "Who is Jesus Christ?"

Opening the Scripture series: Bringing the Gospel of Matthew to Life
This is the one that I used for my first Gospel of Matthew series of posts, way back in 2008. It's still good. Read my full review here.

Ignatius Mark Study Bible
This has since been gathered into the Ignatius Study New Testament by Scott Hahn and Curtis Mitch. I already had it in this individual little book. The commentary is excellent, as one would expect.

Mark: a Devotional Commentary
Practical and easy to use. From Word Among Us but also with a Kindle version.

Food for the Soul

In his inimitable style, Kreeft offers reflections on each of the Sunday Mass readings, excepting the psalms (which I wish he'd included). These amount to a series of mini-homilies on each reading and I like them a lot so far. My review is here.

The Word of the Lord

Biblical scholar Dr. John Bergsma provides commentary on each Sunday's selection of readings. Whether you are a homilist seeking insight into the meaning of difficult scriptural passages or a Catholic desiring a deepened understanding of the readings you hear at Mass, The Word of the Lord series is an invaluable guide. My review is here.

The Daily Study Bible Series — The Gospel of Mark, Revised Edition
I'm a real fan of William Barclay's commentaries on the New Testament books. Barclay's strengths are his phenomenal knowledge of the Greek language, the Jewish culture and religion, and the Roman occupation during the New Testament era. He is wonderful at conveying this knowledge in a way that simple and easily understandable. He puts it in context so that you can understand what events meant to the people to whom Jesus spoke to 2,000 years ago.

However, I have to always include this caveat when mentioning William Barclay ... his theology can be very wonky if you are Catholic. For example, his commentary on the gospels with nativity stories include a number of reasons Jesus' virgin birth didn't necessarily have to be virgin. Sorry. That's really nonnegotiable. He also often includes pointed commentary about why Roman Catholic teachings are wrong. So there's that ...

But if one reads with a knowledgeable eye, Barclay's work is really wonderful.

NOTE: the recently revised versions (1990s and beyond) have been heavily edited to be more politically correct. I'm not sure what that has done to Barclay's original work so I just go with the second revision, done under Barclay's eye. I'm not so thin skinned that I can't stand a little old fashionedness.

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Sources and Notes Index