Divine Mercy Novena: Day 6

Easter Wednesday

" Today bring to Me the Meek and Humble Souls and the Souls of Little Children...

...and immerse them in My mercy. These souls most closely resemble My Heart. They strengthened Me during My bitter agony. I saw them as earthly Angels, who will keep vigil at My altars. I pour out upon them whole torrents of grace. I favor humble souls with My confidence. "

Most Merciful Jesus, You yourself have said, "Learn from Me for I am meek and humble of heart." Receive into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart all meek and humble souls and the souls of little children. These souls send all heaven into ecstasy and they are the heavenly Father's favorites. They are a sweet-smelling bouquet before the throne of God; God Himself takes delight in their fragrance. These souls have a permanent abode in Your Most Compassionate Heart, O Jesus, and they unceasingly sing out a hymn of love and mercy.

Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon meek souls, upon humble souls, and upon little children who are enfolded in the abode which is the Most Compassionate Heart of Jesus. These souls bear the closest resemblance to Your Son. Their fragrance rises from the earth and reaches Your very throne. Father of mercy and of all goodness, I beg You by the love You bear these souls and by the delight You take in them: Bless the whole world, that all souls together may sing out the praises of Your mercy for endless ages. Amen.

Source

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The Chaplet of Divine Mercy may also be offered each day
for the day's intention, but is not strictly necessary to the Novena.

Divine Mercy Novena: Day 5

Easter Tuesday

"Today bring to Me the Souls of those who have separated themselves from My Church...

... and immerse them in the ocean of My mercy. During My bitter Passion they tore at My Body and Heart, that is, My Church. As they return to unity with the Church My wounds heal and in this way they alleviate My Passion."

Most Merciful Jesus, Goodness Itself, You do not refuse light to those who seek it of You. Receive into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart the souls of those who have separated themselves from Your Church. Draw them by Your light into the unity of the Church, and do not let them escape from the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart; but bring it about that they, too, come to glorify the generosity of Your mercy.

Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon the souls of those who have separated themselves from Your Son's Church, who have squandered Your blessings and misused Your graces by obstinately persisting in their errors. Do not look upon their errors, but upon the love of Your own Son and upon His bitter Passion, which He underwent for their sake, since they, too, are enclosed in His Most Compassionate Heart. Bring it about that they also may glorify Your great mercy for endless ages. Amen.

Source

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The Chaplet of Divine Mercy may also be offered each day
for the day's intention, but is not strictly necessary to the Novena.

Divine Mercy Novena: Day 4

Easter Monday

"Today bring to Me
those who do not believe in God
and those who do not know Me...

...I was thinking also of them during My bitter Passion, and their future zeal comforted My Heart. Immerse them in the ocean of My mercy."

Most compassionate Jesus, You are the Light of the whole world. Receive into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart the souls of those who do not believe in God and of those who as yet do not know You. Let the rays of Your grace enlighten them that they, too, together with us, may extol Your wonderful mercy; and do not let them escape from the abode which is Your Most Compassionate Heart.

Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon the souls of those who do not believe in You, and of those who as yet do not know You, but who are enclosed in the Most Compassionate Heart of Jesus. Draw them to the light of the Gospel. These souls do not know what great happiness it is to love You. Grant that they, too, may extol the generosity of Your mercy for endless ages. Amen.

Source: EWTN

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The Chaplet of Divine Mercy may also be offered each day
for the day's intention, but is not strictly necessary to the Novena.

Divine Mercy Novena: Day 3

Easter Sunday

"Today bring to Me
all Devout and Faithful Souls...

...and immerse them in the ocean of My mercy. These souls brought me consolation on the Way of the Cross. They were a drop of consolation in the midst of an ocean of bitterness."

Most Merciful Jesus, from the treasury of Your mercy, You impart Your graces in great abundance to each and all. Receive us into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart and never let us escape from It. We beg this grace of You by that most wondrous love for the heavenly Father with which Your Heart burns so fiercely.

Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon faithful souls, as upon the inheritance of Your Son. For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, grant them Your blessing and surround them with Your constant protection. Thus may they never fail in love or lose the treasure of the holy faith, but rather, with all the hosts of Angels and Saints, may they glorify Your boundless mercy for endless ages. Amen.

Source

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The Chaplet of Divine Mercy may also be offered each day
for the day's intention, but is not strictly necessary to the Novena.

Divine Mercy Novena: Day 2

Holy Saturday

"Today bring to Me the Souls of
Priests and Religious...

...and immerse them in My unfathomable mercy. It was they who gave me strength to endure My bitter Passion. Through them as through channels My mercy flows out upon mankind."

Most Merciful Jesus, from whom comes all that is good, increase Your grace in men and women consecrated to Your service,* that they may perform worthy works of mercy; and that all who see them may glorify the Father of Mercy who is in heaven.

Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon the company of chosen ones in Your vineyard -- upon the souls of priests and religious; and endow them with the strength of Your blessing. For the love of the Heart of Your Son in which they are enfolded, impart to them Your power and light, that they may be able to guide others in the way of salvation and with one voice sing praise to Your boundless mercy for ages without end. Amen.

Source: EWTN

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The Chaplet of Divine Mercy may also be offered each day
for the day's intention, but is not strictly necessary to the Novena.

Divine Mercy Novena: Day 1

Good Friday

"Today bring to Me all mankind,
especially all sinners...

...and immerse them in the ocean of My mercy. In this way you will console Me in the bitter grief into which the loss of souls plunges Me."

Most Merciful Jesus, whose very nature it is to have compassion on us and to forgive us, do not look upon our sins but upon our trust which we place in Your infinite goodness. Receive us all into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart, and never let us escape from It. We beg this of You by Your love which unites You to the Father and the Holy Spirit.

Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon all mankind and especially upon poor sinners, all enfolded in the Most Compassionate Heart of Jesus. For the sake of His sorrowful Passion show us Your mercy, that we may praise the omnipotence of Your mercy for ever and ever. Amen.

Source:EWTN

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The Chaplet of Divine Mercy may also be offered each day
for the day's intention, but is not strictly necessary to the Novena.

Litany of the Cross

What else for Good Friday?

Bergen Crucifix

Litany of the Cross

The cross is the hope of Christians.
The cross is the resurrection of the dead.
The cross is the way of the lost.
The cross is the saviour of the lost.
The cross is the staff of the lame.
The cross is the guide of the blind.
The cross is the strength of the weak.
The cross is the doctor of the sick.
The cross is the aim of the priests.
The cross is the hope of the hopeless.
The cross is the freedom of the slaves.
The cross is the power of the kings.
The cross is the water of the seeds.
the cross is the consolation of the bondsmen.
the cross is the source of those who seek water.
The cross is the cloth of the naked.
We thank you, Father, for the cross.
Source

Divine Mercy Novena

Jesus asked that the Feast of the Divine Mercy be preceded by a Novena to the Divine Mercy which would begin on Good Friday. He gave St. Faustina an intention to pray for on each day of the Novena, saving for the last day the most difficult intention of all, the lukewarm and indifferent of whom He said:

"These souls cause Me more suffering than any others; it was from such souls that My soul felt the most revulsion in the Garden of Olives. It was on their account that I said: 'My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass Me by.' The last hope of salvation for them is to flee to My Mercy."

In her diary, St. Faustina wrote that Jesus told her:

"On each day of the novena you will bring to My heart a different group of souls and you will immerse them in this ocean of My mercy ... On each day you will beg My Father, on the strength of My passion, for the graces for these souls."

Source: EWTN

This novena begins on Good Friday and ends on Divine Mercy Sunday, which is the Sunday after Easter.

I really like this simple but somehow all-encompassing prayer. The more prayer requests I see from people in my own life and around the blogosphere, the more I understand those saints who were moved to pray for the sins and troubles of mankind in general.

I'll be posting the prayers daily.

Rereading: The Best Cook in the World by Rick Bragg

A delectable, rollicking food memoir, cookbook, and loving tribute to a region, a vanishing history, a family, and, especially, to his mother.

Margaret Bragg measures in "dabs" and "smidgens" and "tads" and "you know, hon, just some." Her notion of farm-to-table is a flatbed truck. But she can tell you the secrets to perfect mashed potatoes, corn pudding, redeye gravy, pinto beans and hambone, stewed cabbage, short ribs, chicken and dressing, biscuits and butter rolls. The irresistible stories in this audiobook are of long memory -- many of them pre-date the Civil War, handed down skillet by skillet, from one generation of Braggs to the next.

This is much more memoir than recipe book. There are plenty old customs, living through hard times, and personalities in Rick Bragg's family tree. I am not one who likes stories of dysfunctional families and I appreciate that the dysfunctions are smoothed out or merely hinted at because the emphasis is on how the recipe came into the family or how someone learned to cook. By listening to the stories in the kitchen we can take the good with the bad, especially when it comes with a helping of Axhead Soup or Chicken and Dressing.

I recently picked up the Kindle version when my mother was in the hospital and I needed some comfort reading. It more than filled the bill, although I read only a little here and there since I discovered that what I really longed for was author Rick Bragg's narration of the book. Now she's home again and I am still very slowly reading and listening a bit here and there as I find the time to truly savor it. It is as comforting as the food and stories it describes.

And, although I have only read the recipes, I may actually choose one or two to make. Beginning with those beans cooked with ham, a dish I dearly love.

Litany for Lent

This seems the perfect litany to prepare us for Palm Sunday and Holy Week. Via a spot with many litanies for you to explore.

Christ, our Lord,
you endured the agony in the garden
to strengthen us in prayer.
Christ, have mercy.

You carried your cross to save us.
Christ, have mercy.

You were nailed to the cross to heal our wounds of sin.
Christ, have mercy.

You died on the cross to bring us eternal life.
Christ, have mercy.

You were raised to life so that we could live with you for God.
Christ, have mercy.

Practical advice on rebuffing temptation

Having just posted recently a look at how almsgiving, prayer, and fasting are corrections for temptation, I thought this was a good follow up.

 

Practical advice on rebuffing Satan.

Cardinal Dionigi Tettamanzi, 66, the archbishop of Genoa, dedicated his [2001] Lenten letter to combating the fascination of a devil who is charming, shrewd and very real. Those who follow his 10-step program are promised the ability to rebuff offers of forbidden fruit.

Ten Practical Rules to Resist Satan
Rule one: "Do not forget that the devil exists."
Rule two: "Do not forget that the devil is a tempter."
Rule three: "Do not forget that the devil is very intelligent and astute."
Rule four: "Be (always) vigilant in the eyes and the heart."
Rule five: "Be strong in spirit and virtue."
Rule six: "Tireless prayer."
Rule seven: "Adoring God."
Rule eight: "Listening to God's Words."
Rule nine: "Remembering Christ's victory over temptation. Remembering man's sharing in that victory."
Rule ten: "Be humble and love mortification."

Source

This is a good, comprehensive list. I particularly like rules four and six. If I don't notice I'm being tempted then it's hard to fight it. And once I notice, I have to ask for Jesus to give me the grace to fight the temptation. I've learned over the years that I'm lousy at doing it alone!

A Movie You Might Have Missed #95: Masquerade

15 DAYS LOST TO HISTORY.

Though it places his own life in danger, a look-alike commoner secretly takes the place of a poisoned king to save his country from falling into chaos.

This is based on the true fact that in the eighth year of King Gwang-hae's reign his Annals contain fifteen missing days. This movie comes up with a look-alike pauper covering for the prince who has been poisoned. It's set in 17th century Korea so there are fabulous costumes and a lot of court intrigue. Most of all there is the stellar performance by Lee Byung-hun. I can see why he's one of Korea's top actors.

I always enjoy a noble impersonation story, especially The Prince and the Pauper and The Prisoner of Zenda. This is the best I've ever seen. We know all the common twists and turns but this movie keeps you in suspense even as you fall in love with the imposter more in every scene.

I wouldn't have heard of this movie except that there's a very popular television series based on it. Now I can't wait to watch it. Don't you wait to try this one. It's really something special.

Why fasting, almsgiving, and prayer go all the way back to the beginning

Temptations of Christ, 12th-century mosaic in St Mark's Basilica, Venice
(click through to see a bigger image)

This is for anyone who ever felt as if the Church's prescription of fasting, almsgiving, and prayer are picked out of a hat simply as hard things to do. Au contraire, the combination of John Bergsma' commentary with Joe Heschmeyer's observations show how fasting, almsgiving, and prayer are completely logical prescription from the Church during this time.

First, let's look at the nature of temptation.

The classic scriptural formulation of the nature of temptation is found in 1 John 2:15-16 (RSV2CE):

Do not love the world or the things of the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the pride of life is not of the Father but is of the world.

In the Christian tradition, this threefold love of the world—lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and pride of life—is known as the three-fold concupiscence and lines up roughly with the sins of (physical) lust, avarice (greed), and pride.

We see this threefold pattern at work when Eve gives in to temptation: The woman saw that the tree was (1) good for food, (2) pleasing to the eyes, and (3) desirable for gaining wisdom.

"Good for food"—this is physical lust. "Pleasing to the eyes"—this is avarice, the desire to have more, to possess things for their beauty or value. "Desirable for gaining wisdom"—this is pride because her purpose for gaining wisdom is to make herself equal because her purpose for gaining wisdom is to make herself equal to god. As the serpent says, "You will be like God" (v. 5, RSV2CE).

John Bergsma, The Word of the Lord Year A,
First Sunday of Lent, commentary on Genesis 2:7-9; 3:1-7

Bergsma goes on to draw the connection between Eve giving into the three temptations and Jesus rejecting all three in turn. He rejects lust of the flesh when he will not turn stones into bread to break his 40-day fast. He rejects the pride of life when he rejects the temptation to throw himself from the temple and let the angels save him. (It never occurred to me that this would have been quite a publicity stunt until reading this commentary.) Finally, Jesus rejects lust of the eyes when he is shown all the kingdoms of the world and rejects the act of worship that would make them his.

The Lenten disciplines are intended to help us overcome the temptation to the same sins. Fasting combats lust of the flesh. Almsgiving combats lust of the eyes. Prayer combats pride because we must acknowledge our dependence on God.

Helping Our Relationships in the World

Joe Heschmeyer in his Shameless Popery podcast points out that these three forms of sin not only hurt us but others. He begins with the Catechism, paragraph 1434:

The interior penance of the Christian can be expressed in many and various ways. Scripture and the Fathers insist above all on three forms, fasting, prayer, and almsgiving, which express conversion in relation to oneself, to God, and to others. "

He then points out that the pattern of the three temptations hurts our relationships - with ourselves, with our neighbors, and with God. Lust of flesh hurts us and  fasting is a form of self mastery to help combat it. Lust of the eyes damages our relationship to others (our neighbors) because we desire their goods so almsgiving (giving to our own goods away) is an appropriate correction. Pride of life means we put ourselves in the place of God and obviously prayer is a way to correct our relationship with him.

This was a brand new connection for me and one that has added a deeper meaning to my fasting, almsgiving, and prayer. It is a way to help fix the damage that our sin has done in the world. Simply amazing.

Heschmeyer's commentary is best listened to, however I pulled this from the episode transcript for those who want a quick excerpt.

Now, there’s a cool connection that [the Catechism] just made there because the point is this, in sin, we hurt our relationship to ourself, we hurt our relationship with God, we hurt our relationship with our neighbor.

So if you are struggling with lust of the flesh, you have a disordered relationship with yourself. Okay, well, what’s the tool that combats that, the relationship with ourself? Well, fasting, it’s a form of self mastery.

Or I’ve got pride of life. I am putting myself in the place of God and I’m desiring these worldly things and I’m getting puffed up. Well, what’s the cure for that? Prayer.

Or I’ve damaged my relationship to others, I’m being greedy. I’m dominating those around me. I’m trying to get my neighbors goods, covetousness, all of that stuff. Well, what’s the cure for that? Almsgiving. That these worldly goods that maybe I really want will give that money away. And so rather than damaging your relationship to your neighbor by getting richer and richer while your poor neighbor languishes, you give to your neighbor.

So you can see this is hopefully very clear that the damaged relationship to myself is related to lust of the flesh. The damaged relationship to my neighbor is related to lust of the eyes. My damaged relationship to God is related to pride of life.

... Therefore fasting, which works on myself, prayer which works on my relationship with God, almsgiving works on my relationship with my neighbor, are especially kind of calibrated.

Joe Heschmeyer, Shameless Popery,
The 3 Spiritual Traps (and 6 Spiritual Weapons) of Lent

Brittany Boats

Edgar Alwyn Payne, Brittany Boats

The Lion of the tribe of Judah

The author here is using the fifth chapter of the book of Revelation as a commentary on the Passion read during Good Friday. 

He has conquered! This is the news the sage was charged to make re-echo in the Church, just as the Church must make it re-echo throughout the world for all time: the Lion of the tribe of Judah has conquered! (The "Lion of the tribe of Judah" is the Messiah, so-called by Jacob in the book of Genesis 49:9, when he was blessing his son Judah). The Long-awaited event that gives meaning to everything has taken place. History can never go back. ...

That simple verb enikesen—"he has conquered"—contains the very principle that gives history a kind of absoluteness. It gives eternal and universal value to an event that took place at a given point in time and space. ... It represents for history what the principle of noncontradiction represents for metaphysics. It is impossible to go back to the previous state of things. Nothing and no one in the world, no matter how hard they might try, can change what happened—that is, that Jesus Christ died and rose again, that we are redeemed, that the Church was founded, the sacraments instituted, the kingdom of God established.

Cardinal Raniero Cantalamessa, The Power of the Cross

Desert Sky

Desert Sky by Edgar Alwyn Payne

Lent: Who Do You Say I Am?

From a long ago insert I wrote for our church bulletin. 

Who Do You Say I Am?

Filled with the holy Spirit, Jesus returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the desert for forty days, to be tempted by the devil. ...

Luke, chapter 4

The common practice today is to measure the Bible against the so-called modern worldview, whose fundamental dogma is that God cannot act in history—that everything to do with God is to be relegated to the domain of subjectivity. And so the Bible no longer speaks of God, the living God; no, now we alone speak and decide what God can do and what we will and should do. And the Antichrist, with an air of scholarly excellence, tells us that any exegesis1 that reads the Bible from the perspective of faith in the living God, in order to listen to what God has to say, is fundamentalism; he wants to convince us that only his kind of exegesis, the supposedly purely scientific kind, in which God says nothing and has nothing to say, is able to keep abreast of the times.

The theological debate between Jesus and the devil is a dispute over the correct interpretation of Scripture, and it is relevant to every period of history. The hermeneutical2 question lying at the basis of proper scriptural exegesis is this: What picture of God are we working with? The dispute about interpretation is ultimately a dispute about who God is. Yet in practice, the struggle over the image of God, which underlies the debate about valid biblical interpretation, is decided by the picture we form of Christ: Is he, who remained without worldly power, really the son of the living God? ...

The point at issue is revealed in Jesus’ answer, which is also taken from Deuteronomy: “You shall not put the Lord your God to the test” (Deut 6:16). ... The issue, then, is the one we have already encountered: God has to submit to experiment. He is “tested,” just as products are tested. He must submit to the conditions that we say are necessary if we are to reach certainty. If he doesn’t grant us now the protection he promises in Psalm 91,3 then he is simply not God. He will have shown his own word, and himself, too to be false.

We are dealing with the vast question as to how we can and cannot know God, how we are related to God and how we can lose him. The arrogance that would make God an object and impose our laboratory conditions upon him is incapable of finding him. For it already implies that we deny God as God by placing ourselves above him, by discarding the whole dimension of love, of interior listening; by no longer acknowledging as real anything but what we can experimentally test and grasp. To think like that is to make oneself God. And to do that is to abase not only God, but the world and oneself, too.

Joseph Ratzinger4,­ Jesus of Nazareth

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We are quite used to thinking of Jesus’ struggle with temptation as a scenario of the devil offering worldly methods which Jesus spurns while worshiping God. This often leads to us considering what we must struggle with or deny in order to follow Jesus.This is valid, however, we have seen this piece of scripture presented so many times that it can be easy to miss levels of meaning aside from struggle with physical desires and denial.

Therefore, it is startling to see Joseph Ratzinger boldly state that Jesus’ verbal battle with the devil is one of Biblical interpretation. It brings us down to earth with a thump. Moving to this different level of understanding scripture offers challenges to our easy doubts of God’s presence in our lives and in our world.

It is easy to doubt and to fall back on the well worn phrase “trust but verify.” Indeed, we have been taught this lesson by the world, where business and politics, to name merely two influences, have given us much reason to be wary, cynical and doubtful of claims we cannot see, touch, or prove scientifically.

However, we cannot use these criteria when it comes to friends, loves, children, spouses, or, most importantly, God. With these cherished relationships, we must learn in a way that cannot be quantified. We must release our need to control. We must listen. We must remain open. We must learn. We must trust.

We may not know what questions to ask in order to learn to love God better. Jesus came to bring us the answers before the questions were spoken. We can find them by being open to God’s living word and listening.

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1 Critical explanation or analysis, especially of a text.

2 The theory and methodology of interpretation, especially of scriptural text.

3 Psalm 91 is a prayer of someone who has taken refuge in the security of the temple. Verses 11-12 state, “For God commands the angels to guard you in all your ways. With their hands they shall support you, lest you strike your foot against a stone.” Read the entire psalm to see the statement of God’s promises therein.

4 Pope Benedict XVI wrote Jesus of Nazareth under his own name, Joseph Ratzinger.

Feeding Time

Feeding Time by Hans Andersen Brendekilde

A Movie You Might Have Missed #94 — A Tale of Two Cities (1935)

THE IMMORTAL STORY OF LOVE AND INTRIGUE DURING THE FRENCH REVOLUTION!

The exciting story of Dr. Manette, who escapes the horrors of the infamous Bastille prison in Paris. The action switches between London and Paris on the eve of the revolution where we witness ‘the best of times and the worst of times’ - love, hope, the uncaring French Aristocrats and the terror of a revolutionary citizen’s army intent on exacting revenge.

This was the final movie in our 1937 Oscar winner/nominees viewing. 

We saved the best for last, without realizing it. What a fantastic movie! I have to admit that my reaction is colored by the fact that I love the book. They did such an excellent job of telling the story that I am going to have to reread the book very soon.

However, my mother didn't know the story and couldn't quit talking about it, saying the next morning, "That movie simply blew me away." So it isn't just Dickens fans who liked it.

Wikipedia says: The film is generally regarded as the best cinematic version of Dickens' novel and one of the best performances of Colman's career. I believe it. I've never seen Ronald Colman in anything but he was simply terrific. With his somewhat disheveled look and his subtle acting style, he seemed very modern. They say that he was so determined to play this role that he agreed to shave off his mustache. Wise choice. 

The movie that won in 1937 was The Great Ziegfeld. Until now we were ready to call that a good choice. No longer.

This is the movie that should have won the Oscar.

At a Book

At a Book by Marie Bashkirtseff

I mean, my hair isn't that elegant, but otherwise this is how I spend a lot of my time. Obviously!

Guide to Catholic Devotions

 This is a really complete guide to Catholic devotions, ranging to Lent and Advent to more obscure things like chaplets and devotion to the Sacred Heart. 

If the whole of Scripture were to start talking at once ...

Jesus suffered and died freely, out of love—not by chance, not out of necessity, not because of some hidden catalyst or misunderstanding that took him unawares or against his will. To assert such would be to nullify the Gospel, to remove its soul, because the Gospel is nothing other than the good news of God's love in Christ Jesus. Not only the gospel but the entire Bible is nothing other than the news of God's mysterious, incomprehensible love for people. If the whole of Scripture were to start talking at once, if by some miracle the written words were transformed into speech, that voice would be more powerful than the waves of the sea, and it would cry out: "God loves you."

Cardinal Raniero Cantalamessa, The Power of the Cross

I'm reading this book during Lent, and it is a powerhouse of reflection. He has been the papal preacher for three different popes over 4 decades. This is a collection of his Good Friday homilies, 43 of them from 1980 - 2022. It is truly amazing to see how many different topics are found in the same collection of readings every year.

Onions and Oleanders

Onions and Oleanders by Wada Eisaku

No special reason for this one except that I love it.

Baked Salmon with Horseradish Mayonnaise

 This is our family's favorite way of having salmon and perfect for a Friday in Lent! Pick it up at Meanwhile Back in the Kitchen.

Also, I didn't share the link for last week's recipe, which is another one we enjoy on many Fridays during the year. My mother's Creamed Tuna. The nutmeg, Parmesan and walnuts raise it a bit above the usual recipe.

China Trade and Concourse — Two Mysteries by S.J. Rozan

I first read these in 2016 where they wound up on my Best Books list for the year. I was browsing my "Best" lists and picked them up to try again. They were still very pleasing and I recommend them to you!

(Lydia Chin & Bill Smith, #1)

"Lydia. You're still like that, huh?" He shook his head, smiling. "You're still like that."

I wasn't completely sure what it was I was still like, but I knew I was still like that.

Lydia Chin is an ABC (American Born Chinese) living in New York's Chinatown with her mother. She's also a private investigator and we follow her on a case tracking down stolen porcelain from a small, private Chinese museum. Thus we get first-person insight into life in Chinatown, Chinese gangs, Chinese mothers (and brothers) and many other details of daily life in this unique environment.

Lydia often partners with Bill Smith who provides both brains and muscle to complement Lydia's own particular skills. The partnership contrasts work well both for mystery solving and as a story telling device.

I thoroughly enjoyed this and was interested to see that the next book is one of Bill Smith's cases, told from his point of view. So I dove right in.

(Bill Smith & Lydia Chin, #2)

"Dealing with him was distasteful," she said. "He was similar to some of our donors. Outwardly quite charming, but I don't value charm. There are other qualities I value, such as perseverance and honesty." My face must have changed. She smiled again. "You have a right to disbelieve that, after what you've heard, but honesty is a complicated virtues." "I always thought it was one of the simpler ones."

"None of the virtues are simple," Margaret O'Connor told me. "Only the sins."

I now understand why people say that the first book about Lydia Chin and Bill Smith was good but this one blew their socks off. Yes. It is a powerfully written book, from Bill Smith's point of view this time, and one that somehow has a different feel and style. The mystery is similarly labyrinthine, it is filled with interesting characters (some we loathe and some we love), and it held my interest the entire way through.

When Bobby Moran's son is killed working in his security firm, Bobby hires Bill Smith to investigate. Bobby was Bill's mentor and Bill knew the victim growing up so this one's personal. The murder was during a run-of-the-mill assignment at an elegant retirement home that is in the middle of a badly deteriorated neighborhood. With Lydia Chin working backup, Bill wades through the clues while additional murders pile up.

Interestingly, we get a nuanced look at urban blight which ranges from the victims to the exploiters to the non-profits trying to help. Not what I expected from investigating a murder in a senior community, but it was really well done.

Scott and I discussed this in episode 147 of  A Good Story is Hard to Find podcast.

Notes on Mark: Tempted in the Wilderness

Christ in the Wilderness by Ivan Kramskoy, 1872

MARK 1:12-13

Jesus faces the same ordeal that Adam and Israel endured in the OT (CCC 538-540). He is thus tempted by Satan among the wild beasts, as the first Adam was tempted amid the beasts in paradise. He likewise retraces the steps of Israel, being led into the wilderness by the Spirit and tested for forty days as the Israelites marched in the desert for 40 years of testing. In the end, Jesus succeeds where Adam and Israel failed by resisting the devil and proving his filial love for the Father. This initiates an extended campaign against demons, death, and disease throughout the Gospel (1:25, 31, 34; 2:11; 3:5; 5:13, 39-41).

Morally: (St. John Chrysostom, Hom. in Matt. 13), Jesus endured temptation to train his disciples how to overcome the devil. No one should be surprised, then, that after our own Baptism the tempter assails us more aggressively than before. Victory is assured if, like Jesus, we commit ourselves to fasting, wait upon the Lord with patience, and have no desire for things beyond our need.

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

I just love all those parallels between Jesus' temptation and the Old Testament. So obvious when pointed out but so hard to see when I am just reading along.

Also it is a good reminder that if Jesus suffered from temptation, so then will I. It is much easier to take when we see what is pointed out here.

No sooner was the glory of the hour of the Baptism over than there came the battle of the temptations. One thing stands out here in such a vivid way that we cannot miss it. It was the Spirit who thrust Jesus out into the wilderness for the testing time. The very Spirit who came upon him at his baptism now drove him out for his test.

In this life it is impossible to escape the assault of temptation; but one thing is sure -- temptations are not sent to to us to make us fall; they are sent to strengthen the nerve and the sinew of our minds and hearts and souls. They are not meant for our ruin, but for our good. They are meant to be tests from which we emerge better warriors and athletes of God.

The Gospel of Mark
(The Daily Bible Series*, rev. ed.)
by William Barclay

* 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.

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Sources and Notes Index

Lent: A Preparation for New Life

This is from a series of  bulletin inserts I wrote for our church, waaaaay back in 2008. 

It's good for reflection now that Lent is underway and my initial fervor may have flagged. I'm just sayin' ... it could be that I need a Lenten booster!

Lent: A Preparation for New Life

1430 Jesus’ call to conversion and penance, like that of the prophets before him, does not aim first at outward works, “sackcloth and ashes,” fasting and mortification, but at the conversion of the heart, interior conversion. Without this, such penances remain sterile and false; however, interior conversion urges expression in visible signs, gestures and works of penance.231431 Interior repentance is a radical reorientation of our whole life, a return, a conversion to God with all our heart, an end of sin, a turning away from evil, with repugnance toward the evil actions we have committed. At the same time it entails the desire and resolution to change one’s life, with hope in God’s mercy and trust in the help of his grace. This conversion of heart is accompanied by a salutary pain and sadness which the Fathers called animi cruciatus (affliction of spirit) and compunctio cordis (repentance of heart)....

1439 The process of conversion and repentance was described by Jesus in the parable of the prodigal son, the center of which is the merciful father:37 the fascination of illusory freedom, the abandonment of the father’s house; the extreme misery in which the son finds himself after squandering his fortune; his deep humiliation at finding himself obliged to feed swine, and still worse, at wanting to feed on the husks the pigs ate; his reflection on all he has lost; his repentance and decision to declare himself guilty before his father; the journey back; the father’s generous welcome; the father’s joy — all these are characteristic of the process of conversion. The beautiful robe, the ring, and the festive banquet are symbols of that new life — pure worthy, and joyful — of anyone who returns to God and to the bosom of his family, which is the Church. Only the heart of Christ who knows the depths of his Father’s love could reveal to us the abyss of his mercy in so simple and beautiful a way.

Catechism of the Catholic Church

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Most of us do not look forward to these 40 days of penance. Perhaps this is why the Church, in Her wisdom, mandates it for us. We would never seek this on our own.

A time of deprivation. A time of suffering. A long, gray, dreary time of doing without the little things that make life worthwhile ... coffee, chocolate, a favorite television show. This is all too often the attitude of dread that we bring to Lent.

The Church also strongly recommends that we do something additional during this time to show penance. Prayer, fasting, and service to others are among the recommended activities that we may resolve to take on. These also do not sound very attractive and often are dropped during the 40 days.

Yet it is that very attitude that is skewed from reality, as we see if we read the Catechism about interior penance. We are going about it all backwards if we merely focus on the outward sign, on what we are “giving up” or “adding on.”

This is not about outward signs and empty gestures. Lent’s purpose is to deepen our knowledge of ourselves and of what we need to come closer to a more loving relationship with God. This is the hunger that should be propelling us into Lent. This is the true change of heart and new life which God longs for us to have. The outward signs should be merely the visible supports to our inward changes.

With this in mind, we can examine our Lenten plans while asking God what He would like us to do to come closer to him. He knows our hearts better than we do ourselves. He will guide us in how to link our “giving up” and “adding on” to help us gain the interior knowledge we need.

Perhaps instead of giving up coffee altogether, we can give up the daily morning visit to Starbucks. The fifteen minutes that is saved, could be spent in prayerful reading of scripture, for which we would usually never have time. Possibly we may give up watching our favorite television show and spend the time with our families playing a game, reading aloud, or just talking. Maybe we feel called to volunteer to spend time with those in need. In that case, giving up surfing the internet may allow us to do other tasks in order to have the needed time later on.

Regardless of the outward signs, let us be sure to take full advantage of this opportunity to dig deeper, change our hearts, and grow closer to God.

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Footnotes

23 Cf. Joel 2:12-13; Isa 1:16-17; Mt 6:1-6; 16-18.
24 Cf. Council Of Trent (1551): DS 1676-1678; 1705; Cf. Roman Catechism, II,V,4.
37 Cf. Lk 15:11-24.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church can be found online.

The novel and the truth

He asked her what book she was reading.

"The Idiot, do you know it."

"No. What's it about?"

"It's a novel."

"I'd rather read the truth," he said.

"It is the truth."

Bernard Malamud, The Assistant

I came across this in the Kindle sample of The Novel, Who Needs It? by Joseph Epstein. I now can't wait to read it except the library doesn't have a copy. Which I find really surprising. It seems as if every library would automatically want several copies of this one.

Art Critics

Art Critics by Michael Ancher, via JR's Art Place

Painters Laurits Tuxen and P. S. Krøyer discussing an artwork in Krøyer's studio at the artists' colony in Skagen, Denmark.

Woman with Geraniums

Woman with Geraniums, Caroline A. Lord

This reminds me of my mother-in-law and how she loved to have flowering plants around.

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.