1-18-08

I just had to share this last thing.

The trailer for J.J. Abram's new movie .

Still unnamed and very mysterious ... but the coolest trailer ever. Watch it.

I Finally Saw Babette's Feast ... Again

Throughout the world sounds one long cry from the heart of the artist: Give me the chance to do my very best.

This will gladden the hearts of all those who have been urging me to do so upon hearing that I saw it long ago, as a callow youth, and simply was bored.

The couple hosting Movie Night chose it which added to a nice theme that had been running through my books and movies lately, what with Ratatouille and Alone in the Kitchen with an Eggplant taking up a lot of my attention. Also, I was happy they chose it because I knew that left to my own devices I never would have done it. I simply didn't have the impetus.

The only problem that I saw was we watched it with the English dubbing on (not my choice but a very valid one, of course) and none of the songs were dubbed. That is understandable, however, none of the songs (and none of the French dialogue) were captioned ... what the heck were they thinking? This was frustrating because with all the obvious symbolism floating everywhere you just knew those omnipresent songs had to add emphasis and contrast. I found a spot linking to one with many of the lyrics and, natch, that is just what they were doing so I felt as if we were half blind for those sections of the movie. Be that as it may there was plenty to discuss without song lyrics.

The link above has many links to interesting essays about symbolism, recipes, and more about the movie so I will spare everyone that. I liked it but felt it never would be one of my favorite movies.

However, at Sunday Mass by myself (our family's schedule being what it was that day) I had a most unexpected reaction. It was nothing that my mind could even capture in sentences but throughout the entire Mass I had unexpected flashes of the big picture message about God's unexpected and overflowing generosity and Jesus' complete self-sacrifice. This hit me hard, especially with a few family things going on right now. It was most overwhelming, resulting in several extremely cryative moments (cryative - Rose's word which combines crying and sensitive). My own family is used to this sort of thing and I don't even try to fight it anymore. However, I had to laugh since one of Rose's good friends was a lector and sitting right where she had a really good view of me. I glanced up after one of the most affecting moments and thought I saw a look of alarm on her face. This was the good kind of crying through ...

As I say, I don't know if this will ever be a favorite movie but undoubtedly I will watch it again, especially during Lent when I could see it being a very good contemplative jumping off point.

Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum on the "Roman liturgy prior to the reform of 1970"

For all your Motu Proprio news ... these spots have links to the document, the English translation pdf, and those learned souls who have read and are commenting. Eventually I will get to it, I am sure, however, I still haven't finished reading the Holy Father's letter to China which interests me much more than the Latin Mass. By which you can tell that we have a wonderfully respectful and "traditional" Novus Ordo in our parish.

Deacon Greg offers us the Spark Notes (that's like Cliff Notes for those of us of a "certain age" ... ahem) on the subject

Father Z. who gives us the text and his comments about the intro. There is much more by now at his place so check out all the posts.

The Curt Jester has links and commentary.

Dom has a roundup of reaction

Father Jim at Dappled Things has his own comments as well as some links.

Joining Us in the First Friday Fast to Stop Abortion:

Lancashire Cat ... an English blog that is new to me but looks like a good 'un.

The Recovering Dissident Catholic, our friend Cathy.

First Friday Snuck Up on Me ...

... to the point where I was just getting ready to fix my breakfast when I suddenly remembered. I thought, "Why did I have to remember now? Why not after I ate?" (Yes, that is how lowdown I am about fasting...)

Well, duh. My Guardian Angel is there to take care of those very omissions. Thanks G!

Here's why the First Friday fast ...

... We are three bloggers who also live in the Dallas area. We are deeply committed to ending abortion in this country. To that end, we have committed ourselves to the following: On each First Friday for the next eleven months, we will fast and pray before the Blessed Sacrament for an end to abortion. This will culminate at the annual Dallas March for Life in January of 2008, where we will join our bishop and the faithful of this city in marching to the courthouse where Roe was originally argued.

We ask anyone reading these words to join us. Fast and pray with us each First Friday, no matter how far removed you are from Dallas. Spend some time in Eucharistic adoration, and implore Christ to end this curse. We especially ask other Dallas area bloggers and residents to join us, at least in spirit. If you would rather not fast, then pray for those of us that do. ...

Whole statement is here.

Julie Versus the Squirrel

Finally having refilled my bird feeder, I now am contending with a persistent squirrel who gradually has become accustomed our scare tactics. It now sneers when we bang on the kitchen window, snap a dish towel in its direction, and open the window.

However, General Tom came up with the perfect weapon of war.


The feeder is just close enough to the window that I can zap the squirrel with a good shot of water when it hesitates as it did yesterday ... it was so surprised it fell of the feeder and didn't stick around to scold me from a safe distance as is usual. Now, if the birds will just gain the confidence that squirrel was so well endowed with...

An Extraordinary Movie on Many Levels

When "Fin" came up on the screen, I suppressed an impulse to applaud. No need. The audience around me, without my reservations, burst into applause anyway.

We watched Ratatouille under unusual circumstances. It was a 4:00 movie but the theater was full. Perhaps the rest of the audience, like us, had tried in vain to get into an earlier showing only to find it sold out. More unusually, in a movie marketed to children, this audience was three-fourths adults, adults of all ages. In fact, we ourselves were part of that demographic. Hannah, 18, had rearranged a date in order to make the movie with us. We were at the 4:00 movie specifically because Rose, 17, would not be able to make it over the weekend due to work schedules. Such is the power Pixar can induce in those who have learned that they have that most special of talents, the ability to make a good general audience movie that pleases everyone on many levels. Obviously they did not fail to please this time. I thought that nothing could equal The Incredibles, Brad Bird's most recent offering, but he has matched that, if not surpassed it.

Noncooks think it's silly to invest two hours' work in two minutes' enjoyment; but if cooking is evanescent, so is the ballet.

Julia Child

Remy, the rat, has a love and appreciation for good food that is not shared by the rest of his family who see nothing wrong with eating garbage in all stages of decomposition. Circumstances team him up with Lingune, a hapless plongeur (dishwasher and kitchen assistant), who is trying hard to hold onto his job. Together the two begin to amaze diners at the Parisian restaurant of the late chef, Auguste Gusteau. Conflict arises not only from Remy's need to be hidden and yet guide Linguine, but from the animosity of the head chef, Linguine's romantic interest in the the kitchen's one female chef, the need for the restaurant to regain their five star rating which depends upon the approbation of food critic Anton Ego, and Remy's desire to be understood by his family while being able to express his art.

This is a far from simple set of conflicts, especially for a children's movie, and yet my desire to avoid spoilers leaves the list incomplete. Suffice it to say that the story is told simply and well enough to be thoroughly enjoyed by children while carrying complex food for thought that adults may well ponder long after the movie is finished. As well, this movie is a complete delight for anyone who has an interest in the food world. I will say more about that below, but if you are a "foodie," don't miss this movie. There are many subtle jokes that will delight you.

This movie didn't have the fast paced jokes we have come to expect since Monsters Inc., Finding Nemo, or The Incredibles. There was a lot of verbal, situational, and physical humor but much of this, while appreciated, didn't result in laughs. However, when the laughs came they were big. Interestingly, when I noticed this, I noticed that the audience was silent the rest of the time. Everyone, including the children, some of whom were quite small, was engrossed by the story and giving it their complete attention. As die-hard movie fans who have attended many movies with large audiences of children, we know how unusual that is. Other than during Finding Nemo and The Incredibles (during which one young boy was so caught up in the movie he was shouting advice to the heroes), the only other time I have seen that was during Two Brothers.

There was a deft blending of living by "real world" rules with fantasy. It is fantastic enough that Remy and Linguine will work together, however, it is made clear that Remy cannot talk except to other rats. This is made clear in several scenes where we hear Remy's expostulations and then are switched to a human's point of view to hear only a rat squeaking. Remy's father constantly reminds him that to become close to humans is to live in danger of being killed as vermin. Yet at the end of the movie when the question of running the kitchen in a moment of extreme crisis must be resolved, a scene evolves that forcibly called to mind the Disney classic, Cinderella.

As always, the technical elements are handled perfectly. Voice work is flawless and not dominated by the big name stars we have come to expect. I followed the advice I read in a review and avoided knowing who was doing which voice so that I would not be playing "spot the voice" through the movie and I pass that same advice to you. Upon finding out who did voice work we were surprised that much of the time we never would have guessed, especially for John Ratzenberger (Cliff from Cheers) who has done a voice for every Pixar feature to the extent that it was a joke used in the credit scenes for Cars.

As one would expect, the animation is amazing. Remy scuttles up pipes and underfoot in the kitchen looking very like a real small animal, frightened in an unfamiliar world. When the rat colony is on the move, one automatically feels a bit of natural revulsion at the prospect of that many rats in an enclosed area. Unlike the early Pixar days of Toy Story, human movement is now mimicked on such a good level that we watch an entire kitchen of chefs moving deftly and are never jolted out of the movie's "reality" by motions that don't seem right. The scenes of Paris are so evocative of the real "City of Lights" that, as some critics have mentioned, I wished for more outside scenes. All this was done with "100% real animation" we are reminded in the end credits with wicked humor, with "no motion capture or other shortcuts" used in making the film. (To learn more about the debate raging in the animation industry about what constitutes "real animation," go here.)

A Few Themes
Warning: SPOILERS, please read this after seeing the movie

"I dare say it is rather hard to be a rat," she mused. "Nobody likes you. People jump and run away and scream out, `Oh, a horrid rat!' I shouldn't like people to scream and jump and say, `Oh, a horrid Sara!' the moment they saw me. And set traps for me, and pretend they were dinner. It's so different to be a sparrow. But nobody asked this rat if he wanted to be a rat when he was made. Nobody said, `Wouldn't you rather be a sparrow?'"

A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett

ART AND OUTCASTS
First and foremost, there is the concept of being naturally drawn outside of one's accepted environment in order to express one's art. Obviously, this is shown in the concept of a rat cooking, which is continually being offset by showing Remy's concern with cleanliness around any sort of food preparation. We also see it in Collette's description of the chefs' backgrounds. She tells Linguine that people think of haute cuisine as snobbish but that the cooks are more like "pirates" who have found a way to express their inner creativity through cooking. (Anthony Bourdain was thanked in the credits and we see his influence in this. As a side note, read his Kitchen Confidential Updated Ed: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly for more about this.)

The idea of being societal outcasts is carried on more subtly, in details about the rat colony. Remy's father's name is Django, evocative of famous jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt. Having just heard an admirer discuss him, I also strongly associated him with gypsies. It is quite easy to see the association between Django's warnings about outsiders to Remy, their nomadic lifestyle, the constant assertions about "not stealing" and gypsies.

HOW WE LIVE
There is a strong theme of criticism in how people approach food, which can be naturally extended to other areas of life and society (such as the movie industry, perhaps?). One group, represented by the rats, view food as fuel. They are uncritical about what they eat and pay only enough attention to make sure they are not poisoned before they unthinkingly stuff themselves with whatever is available. Tellingly, the dastardly head chef's evil scheme is hawking Auguste Gusteau's good name after his death on a line of frozen foods. The opposite group, represented by critic Anton Ego (The Grim Eater), loves food so much that they will not eat anything that is not perfect. This elevates food far beyond its proper place in the scheme of things. Clearly Remy shows us that savoring pure, fresh ingredients and thoughtfully combining them is more satisfying than either of the other approaches. On a side note, we wondered how many people watched this movie and then went home to frozen dinners. Certainly, as I was flavoring the hamburgers while Tom fired up the grill, I found my thoughts drawn back to the movements we saw the chefs' making in the restaurant kitchen.

This approach is further emphasized by the cookbook Gusteau wrote, "Anyone Can Cook." The theme is emphasized over and over again, with the point being made in the final analysis, that not everyone need be a great chef to do so. Seeing the line of everyday people in front of Anton Ego's bistro underscores that theme and it is comforting to me that this emphasis was probably reinforced repeatedly to the Pixar team by their chef consultant, Thomas Keller, who is one of our country's finest chefs himself.

SEE IT WITH A FOODIE YOU LOVE
The Pixar team's thoroughness in understanding their subject, as has been noted before, extends to investigating the food world. This local food critic was not the only one pleased by the attention to detail. I couldn't wait to call my mother and share some of the details that no one else in the family caught. Poor Rose. I was continually poking her and whispering information that she just didn't care about. fact that Thomas Keller of The French Laundry had a voice credit ... no one cared. The five star French restaurant that was credited? No one cared.

Most of all, the most evocative food moment was one that explained a question I began wondering halfway through the movie. Why call it Ratatouille? Other than a clever play on the "rat" connection there seemed no reason to name the movie after that peasant vegetable stew. Until the supreme moment of revelation, which was done so perfectly that it brought howls of laughter ... and more whispering in Rose's ear from me. Later on, I asked, "Did anyone get that reference to Proust and the madeleine?" They all looked at me blankly. I felt just as I did when I took Hannah to see Beauty and the Beast, her first movie in the theater, and was the only member of the audience laughing because Lumiere was channeling Maurice Chevalier.

That moment of revelation in the movie's title refocused and redefined the entire movie in a new way around food, identity, and self.

Many years had elapsed during which nothing of Combray, save what was comprised in the theatre and the drama of my going to bed there, had any existence for me, when one day in winter, on my return home, my mother, seeing that I was cold, offered me some tea, a thing I did not ordinarily take. I declined at first, and then, for no particular reason, changed my mind. She sent for one of those squat, plump little cakes called "petites madeleines," which look as though they had been moulded in the fluted valve of a scallop shell. And soon, mechanically, dispirited after a dreary day with the prospect of a depressing morrow, I raised to my lips a spoonful of the tea in which I had soaked a morsel of the cake. No sooner had the warm liquid mixed with the crumbs touched my palate than a shudder ran through me and I stopped, intent upon the extraordinary thing that was happening to me. An exquisite pleasure had invaded my senses, something isolated, detached, with no suggestion of its origin. And at once the vicissitudes of life had become indifferent to me, its disasters innocuous, its brevity illusory - this new sensation having had on me the effect which love has of filling me with a precious essence; or rather this essence was not in me it was me. I had ceased now to feel mediocre, contingent, mortal. Whence could it have come to me, this all-powerful joy? I sensed that it was connected with the taste of the tea and the cake, but that it infinitely transcended those savours, could, no, indeed, be of the same nature. Whence did it come? What did it mean? How could I seize and apprehend it? ...

And suddenly the memory revealed itself. The taste was that of the little piece of madeleine which on Sunday mornings at Combray (because on those mornings I did not go out before mass), when I went to say good morning to her in her bedroom , my aunt Léonie used to give me, dipping it first in her own cup of tea or tisane. The sight of the little madeleine had recalled nothing to my mind before I tasted it; perhaps because I had so often seen such things in the meantime, without tasting them, on the trays in pastry-cooks' windows, that their image had dissociated itself from those Combray days to take its place among others more recent; perhaps because of those memories, so long abandoned and put out of mind, nothing now survived, everything was scattered; the shapes of things, including that of the little scallop-shell of pastry, so richly sensual under its severe, religious folds, were either obliterated or had been so long dormant as to have lost the power of expansion which would have allowed them to resume their place in my consciousness. But when from a long-distant past nothing subsists, after the people are dead, after the things are broken and scattered, taste and smell alone, more fragile but more enduring, more unsubstantial, more persistent, more faithful, remain poised a long time, like souls, remembering, waiting, hoping, amid the ruins of all the rest; and bear unflinchingly, in the tiny and almost impalpable drop of their essence, the vast structure of recollection.

And as soon as I had recognized the taste of the piece of madeleine soaked in her decoction of lime-blossom which my aunt used to give me (although I did not yet know and must long postpone the discovery of why this memory made me so happy) immediately the old grey house upon the street, where her room was, rose up like a stage set to attach itself to the little pavilion opening on to the garden which had been built out behind it for my parents (the isolated segment which until that moment had been all that I could see); and with the house the town, from morning to night and in all weathers, the Square where I used to be sent before lunch, the streets along which I used to run errands, the country roads we took when it was fine. And as in the game wherein the Japanese amuse themselves by filling a porcelain bowl with water and steeping in it little pieces of paper which until then are without character or form, but, the moment they become wet, stretch and twist and take on colour and distinctive shape, become flowers or houses or people, solid and recognizable, so in that moment all the flowers in our garden and in M. Swann's park, and the water-lilies on the Vivonne and the good folk of the village and their little dwellings and the parish church and the whole of Combray and its surroundings, taking shape and solidity, sprang into being, town and gardens alike, from my cup of tea.

Remembrance of Things Past by Marcel Proust

God Bless America, Land That I Love

Happy birthday, USA!

Here are 10 good ways to celebrate America.

3) Walk around your house enjoying the lack of soldiers

A Remake of Mostly Martha?

Heresy!

They may have changed the name (No Reservations) but that is no comfort to this Mostly Martha loving family. This is as bad as when they remade Shall We Dance with Richard Gere and Jennifer Lopez. Or when they remade Infernal Affairs .... aaargh, I don't like Martin Scorsese movies!

Accept no substitutes!

Watch the real thing.

Like Our Own Home Bakery

The restaurant where Rose works is closed for the week and, as is her wont, she has begun baking. I came home yesterday to a selection of lemon bars, deluxe brownies, cheesecake brownies, and peanut bars with chocolate frosting. Last weekend she also made some deceptively simple bar cookies where the only flavoring is nutmeg, which were universally greeted with approval.

Mmmmm, mmmmm ...

Now That Is Good News!

Scott Nehring, of Nehring the Edge, has begun another blog, Good News Film Reviews: Discerning Christian Reviews. Take a look at his first articles, especially " The G-Rated Christian: Does God Call For Us to Become Ned Flanders? PART 1."

A Couple of Weekend Picks

World Trade Center (Widescreen Edition)
I was going for the patriotic build-up to the 4th of July with this movie last night. Ultimately it will remind you of the courage and goodness deep within the ordinary man, shown in the stalwart love of the husbands and wives for each other, the determination of the rescuers, and in support of the two trapped Port Authority partners for each other. You don't leave this necessarily uplifted as it takes you right back to those dreadful days but it does remind us that love for our country and our countrymen is more than skin deep and a wave of emotion. Highly Recommended. ****

The Book of Jane by Anne Dayton and Mary Vanderbilt
Light and fluffy, this is a retelling of the Book of Job as chick lit. Yep. You heard me. And you're right. It goes skin deep and no further. However, that doesn't mean it isn't an entertaining book. Jane Williams has a glamorous job in NYC, a perfect boyfriend, loving parents and friends, and a much loved dog. She thanks God for her many blessings and then is put to the test of whether she will still be thankful when all these things seemingly vanish as she realized that very little is as it seemed. The parallels to the Book of Job are tenuous once the book is halfway through as Jane's trials seem to dissipate very quickly. However, she does look at the world through new eyes, trying to apply the lessons she's learned. It would be nice if the Christian aspect went a bit deeper than a declared love for God with the occasional prayer of thanks and reference to going to church with the boyfriend, but those are more than you get from most books of this genre so we won't go for perfection on this round. Altogether an enjoyable book and one that won't embarrass you if others pick it up, which can't be said for all chick lit. I actually am going to check the library for the authors' other two books, "Emily Ever After" and "Consider Lily" as these make nice contrasts for all the heavier reading I have been doing lately. Recommended for easy summer reading. ***

Ratatouille Wins Over Even a Restaurant Critic's Heart

Was that chervil Remy was about to toss into the soup?

While a theater full of young kids giggled along with the slapstick hijinks of Ratatouille's animated rodent hero at a recent screening, I sat agog at the film's painstaking re-creations of culinary minutiae.

It wasn't just parsley in Remy's paws. It was, indeed, chervil, the less common herb with smaller leaves whose delicate flavor is ideal for exactly the sort of creamy potage Remy was scurrying to concoct. And he wasn't merely readying to hurl the sprig into the pot. He had crushed it, a technique used to release the herb's aromatic oils and more quickly absorb its flavor into the soup.

Boy, that's specific. But it illustrates the kinds of pains through which Pixar went to accurately mimic Ratatouille's world of French restaurants. And as someone who has spent most of his professional life either working in restaurants or reviewing them, I was mighty impressed. ...

Dallas Morning News

I have to say that I was impressed to see that the Dallas Morning News sent not only their movie critic but a restaurant critic as well to see Ratatouille.

Now I really can't wait ... except that we have opted to see it on the Fourth of July so I'll have to hold out for just a few more days.

To see what the movie critics say, check out Decent Films and Past the Popcorn.

Ratatouille is rated G. Yessiree. And no political mumbo-gumbo snuck into the recipe, either, unlike many other kids’ movies this year. Just good clean fun, and a sophisticated parable about the film business that will sail cleanly over even your teenagers’ heads.

Now, If Only I Ever Went to Starbucks, I'd Know What to Order

Caramel Frappuccino

Creative and expressive, you tend to match your Frappuccino flavor to your mood. And a flavored syrup is always a must!

What Flavor Frappuccino Are You?

Via the Mocha Frappachino at The Common Room.

Prayer Works

The Anchoress reports on the resolution to the situation that had an urgent prayer request echoing 'round the world.

Prayer works. At one point, yesterday, we got the kid who was hurting the most out of that house, knowing - of course - that we’d have to bring her back. We worried about the “bringing back” part - what would we be bringing her home to? Buster told me that he was saying to God, “c’mon now, we have people praying all over the world, here - we’ve got three monasteries praying - we’ve put St. Joseph in charge of the father and Mary in charge of the Mother - we’ve corralled prayers from everyone from St. Michael the Archangel to St. Thomas More to St. John Fisher to all the Saints and Blessed Theresa’s and Elizabeth’s and even Kateri Tekakwitha! We roped in Cardinal O’ Connor and JPII - do you really need me to pray, too? It’s not like you don’t know the need!”

At that point the phone rang, with the news that things were straightening out, that things were markedly better and points would be addressed, matters were being handled - that we could take the kid back home without fear.

Praise God from whom all blessings flow! Do go read it all.

I thought it was interesting that she also confessed:

I was going to shut down comments on this thread, because I know you people and that you’re too generous and you also think much too well of me, and I didn’t want to be reading comments about how “good” we were to help this family. I’m not good. I went kicking and screaming into this saying, “what the hell? Why is this on my plate?” But I’ll let the comments stay open, because you all should have your chance to praise God, from whom all blessings - and all clarity and healing - flow.

Sometimes we are called to cooperate with God's will in extreme circumstances and we are open and willing. Much more of the time though, I think that , like The Anchoress, we are kicking and screaming and howling all the way there. I agree that it would be nice if that wasn't the case. However, it is when we are unwilling and yet cooperate anyway that we are humbled and taught lessons and allowed to see grace in ways that would not happen otherwise. Isn't that called a "teachable moment?"

And I thank God for them ... He knows if he waited around for my willingness, darn little would get done.

Word Among Us Press: a Hidden Treasure

Word Among Us first came to my attention because of their daily devotional which I can highly recommend. However, despite the tempting descriptions/ads about their books always published on the devotional's back cover, I didn't think of looking into their books until I was looking for a Bible study that was based around subject, namely the Holy Spirit, rather than a book of the Bible. I was so pleased with their study that I then ventured on to try Praying with Teresa of Avila. Another winner. (By the way there are quite a few of the "Praying With..." series. If you have a favorite saint, check to see if there is one of these books about him or her.)

Now, I have been fortunate enough to have several review copies of their books sent to me. As I am going through a period of trying to slow down my reading ... and am immersed in Jesus of Nazareth, I have read a couple and the others are stacked by my bed. However, I am going to mention them all as I think they are really good resources should you be looking for something specific and I think that perhaps this press is often overlooked when seeking Catholic materials.

The Resilient Church: The Glory, the Shame, and the Hope for Tomorrow by Mike Aquilina: Quick overview of the trials of the Church and how they were overcome. A good reminder that the Church has always had sinners who drag her down and also the saints provided by God in his faithfulness ... who keep her going and provide our hope for the future. I have read three chapters and reluctantly put it to one side while trying not to read six books at once.

The Rosary Handbook: A Guide For Newcomers, Oldtimers And Those In Between by Mitch Finley: I got this some time ago and read the entire thing. A fairly good guide, especially in some of the ideas for meditation and who to pray for during various mysteries ... and should be helpful to most. I had a few quibbles such as why Finley didn't include any history on the "Fatima prayer" other than providing it and saying to do it if you want and otherwise to skip it. I had a more serious problem with his attitude toward meditation and reflection in the "how to" section.

... Theoretically, the idea is to meditate or reflect upon this mystery while praying an Our Father, ten Hail Marys, and a Glory Be. If you can do that, great. If not, don't worry about it. Personally, I suspect that the repetitive nature of the Rosary actually short-circuits conscious reflection reflection on anything -- let alone a mystery of faith -- and acts something like a mantra does in the meditation methods of Zen Buddhism. The Rosary gives the fingers and tongue something to do, so that your mind and heart can "go deep," as it were, in wordless prayer.

I don't know if this puts him behind me or ahead of me, but I find the meditative quality the most worthwhile part of the rosary, as did Pope John Paul II.

The Rosary, a contemplative prayer

12. The Rosary, precisely because it starts with Mary's own experience, is an exquisitely contemplative prayer. Without this contemplative dimension, it would lose its meaning, as Pope Paul VI clearly pointed out: “Without contemplation, the Rosary is a body without a soul, and its recitation runs the risk of becoming a mechanical repetition of formulas, in violation of the admonition of Christ: 'In praying do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think they will be heard for their many words' (Mt 6:7). By its nature the recitation of the Rosary calls for a quiet rhythm and a lingering pace, helping the individual to meditate on the mysteries of the Lord's life as seen through the eyes of her who was closest to the Lord. In this way the unfathomable riches of these mysteries are disclosed”.(14)

It is worth pausing to consider this profound insight of Paul VI, in order to bring out certain aspects of the Rosary which show that it is really a form of Christocentric contemplation.

Remembering Christ with Mary

13. Mary's contemplation is above all a remembering. We need to understand this word in the biblical sense of remembrance (zakar) as a making present of the works brought about by God in the history of salvation. The Bible is an account of saving events culminating in Christ himself. These events not only belong to “yesterday”; they are also part of the “today” of salvation. This making present comes about above all in the Liturgy: what God accomplished centuries ago did not only affect the direct witnesses of those events; it continues to affect people in every age with its gift of grace. To some extent this is also true of every other devout approach to those events: to “remember” them in a spirit of faith and love is to be open to the grace which Christ won for us by the mysteries of his life, death and resurrection.

This is still a good book but for the reason above I think I'd give it to people who are beyond the "beginner" stage in the rosary. There is plenty of good material for contemplation and historical information that many practiced rosary sayers may not know or have considered.

The Words Of The Risen Christ: A Bible Study On Jesus' Resurrection by Rich Cleveland: A single subject Bible study and looks like a good 'un ... about Jesus final words after his resurrection, how they affected the disciples, and how we can incorporate them into our own lives. I have looked through this but not used it yet.

Food From Heaven: The Eucharist In Scripture by Jeanne Kun: Part of a different Bible study series called "Keys to the Bible" designed help "unlock" Scripture on various subjects. I have looked through this with great interest but, again, haven't had a chance to do it yet. Tom and I have talked about doing this together.

The Sacrament of Charity (Sacramentum Caritatas) by Pope Benedict XVI: we all know this one, right? A nice bound book of that document and it has been immensely helpful in following along with our parish's bulletin insert series on it (weekly from May 6 on).

Reading The Bible As God's Own Story: A Catholic Approach To Bringing Scripture To Life by William S. Kurz, SJ: The author examines the Bible as God's way of looking at the world ... drawing heavily on the writings of two church fathers, St. Irenaeus and St. Athanasius. Another one where I read the first two chapters and definitely will be coming back for more after finishing Jesus of Nazareth.

At any rate, this is surely enough of a sample to show how solid the Word Among Us Press is in selecting authors and subjects. Check it out.

Those Teachable Moments with Our Kids

52 SIMPLE WAYS TO TALK WITH YOUR KIDS ABOUT FAITH
by Jim Campbell

Relieving your child of too much pleasure

Faith Themes
God wants our faith, not sacrifice
Abraham's near sacrifice is a great lesson for us

Natural Teachable Moments

• After your child brings home a noticeably good or bad report card
• While driving your child to or from an athletic or artistic practice
• When your child shows interest in a hobby or discipline

The biblical story of Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son Isaac is a frightening one. How could God ask this of him? But the ultimate lesson of the story is that God did not want a child to be sacrificed. He stopped Abraham's sacrifice to show the surrounding culture's practice of sacrificing children was wrong.

This Scripture story points to issues that we, as parents, can consider today. Although our culture does not condone the physical sacrifice of children, it does require more and more from them in order that they are seen as valuable in the world. What expectations do we have of our children? Do we insist on academic or athletic excellence beyond their capacity or interest? Do we insist that our way of doing things is the only way our children should follow? ...

One of the things that I hear parents talk about over and over is how best to guide their children toward a personal relationship with God and how to love their faith, not to mention how to live well in the complicated world we face today. Just to add to the pressure, we'd all like to do this without "preaching" or being ponderous about it. We want those moments to arise naturally. Of course, much of the time these opportunities often arise when we least expect it ... a sudden question that we aren't prepared for, an experience that slips by that we look back on with regret as a "teachable moment" or just those times when we were more awkward at expressing things on the children's level.

Most of us get by just fine but we'd probably get along better if we'd have read a book like this one by Jim Campbell. I admit that when I saw the title I rolled my eyes and thought, "Great, another self-help book." However, this is far from falling into that typical category. It is a simple set of topics, each discussed in three pages following the outline:

• Faith themes
• Natural Teachable Moments
• Starting the Conversation
• To Help You Listen
• To Support You: Suggested Bible Reading, What the Church Says about This Topic
• A Prayer Moment with Your Child

The topics covered are thorough and include such diverse subjects as:

• Sharing another person's company
• Seeing prejudice for what it is
• Making memories
• Living with a sense of awe and mystery
• Setting priorities
• Developing childhood heroes

One of the things that I like best about this is that it almost could be used as a daily guide for parental contemplation. Campbell doesn't talk down to the parents but presents his points naturally and simply in a way that invites our contemplation of the point in our own lives. During that contemplation, we also may see where our own relationships within the family can be expanded beyond boundaries we previously hadn't recognized. As you can tell, I really liked this book.

I think I have just found my new baby shower gift for new parents ... now if the expectant mothers I know can just wait until the August publication date.

Two Urgent Prayer Requests

Little Charlie was born last weekend, three months early, weighing 2.5 pounds: Little Charlie is currently undergoing surgery to repair a hole in his stomach. If you have time, please say a little prayer for him to be strengthened so he can get through this.

The Anchoress and her family have been sent to help those in desperate need and she is asking for prayers.

How did we get involved? I have no idea, but there is no walking away from this. We’re storming heaven in prayer for them, trying to turn a Titanic around before it strikes a berg, and now I’m about to make phone calls to see if anything can be done to help. We’re begging God to send his angels, and Christ to stand between the parents and kids and each other as they try to survive one parent who has created a vortex of insanity and another too whipped to save the kids. If you are inclined to pray, please pray for for T and her family. And if you have a spare prayer, one for Diane, who is writhing in pain in an ER with no answers in sight.

More details are at her site.

Dream Date?

A couple of weeks ago, Hannah was going to dinner with a guy she met at a midnight movie (through mutual friends) and then bring him back to the house for a movie here ... before trekking off to another midnight movie. Was it a date? Mmmmm ... a maybe-date.

The movie?

Some guys might be dreading having to endure a chick flick but not this lucky guy ... it was that Russian vampire cult fave Nightwatch. Plenty of violence and heavy metal ...

Of course, they did meet at Shaun of the Dead, both dressed as vampires.

As for the date, no maybe about it these days ... they're an item.

Talk Backwards

Wow. Via Literary Compass.

Once again, I remember one of my favorite Steve Goodman songs.

Sdrawkcab Klat (Talk Backwards)

Hey everybody wherever you are
They've got a new way of talking and it's
Gonna go far; you take the letters in the
Words, turn 'em around; say the last one
First and check out the sound, Talk Backwards

I know what you're thinking; that it sure sound strange
You talked forward so long that it's hard to change
But it's just like metric once you get the drift
You twist your tongue and give your palate
A lift. You take your favorite phrase, read
It in the mirror, practice that about a half
A year, and then sdrawkcab gnikiat mi em ta kool
You're a regular talking bassackwards fool
Talk backwards

Talking backwards is the new sensation,
Talking backwards is sweeping the nation
You amaze your friends when you start to rap
Don't say pass the butter, say rettub eht ssap.
Rettub eht ssap? Rettub eht ssap
And if you're out with a girl and she's a
Little bit shy don't say I love you; say
Uoy evol I. uoy evol I and I always will, Now
See if that doesn't take off the chill
Talk Backwards

Just the otherday I was walking down the street
And there was this little girl I thought I'd
Like to meet. I said excuse me miss but
Sserd taht teg uoy erehw. thgin ta tuo emoc
Yeht srats eki I era hteet ruoy
And I said am I getting through to you yet
She said you're a gent in the first degree
And I love it when you talk backwards to me
Talk backwards

You never can tell, but one of the nights
Those who talk backwards will demand
Their rights. They'll rise up angry
And get a solution in the form of an amendment
To the constitution, that guarantees 'em freedom
Of reverse elocution; and then every T.V. show
That airs will have to be captioned
For the forward impaired
Talk backwards