The Christmas Light in Shopping Madness

I certainly understand, and to some extent share [Father James] Martin’s frustration [with over-commercialization], but I am not yet ready to give up on December and Christmas. In the darkening days, we need the call for light, the promise of those twinkling wires hanging from trees and eaves and railings, and even gutters, shining in a darkness that does not overcome. Perhaps we simply have to make a more concerted effort to find and appreciate the small promptings hidden within Christmas excesses, that lead us toward the stilly night turned to song.

The Anchoress has a nice piece that reflects a good deal of what I think also.

We can snark all day along, every day, about how the Christian life is overshadowed by so much in our culture that is dark. Christmas brings it to the foreground, but the tendency is there always. Yet if we fight the tendency to succumb, we can ourselves be the turning point. Sometimes we are the ones who need to hear that voice of hope, sometimes it is those around us. Regardless, it is much needed and if we don't do it, then who will?

Yes, I've sung this song before and I'll do it again. It was one of the delights that I discovered waiting for me when I found out that God was a real person who loved me. He pays attention to the details and uses them to speak hope to us. That's how He gets our attention and we could do much worse than to do likewise for those around us.

The Anchoress says it well. And so does Mother Marie des Douleurs.

…You know very well that a friendly voice is enough to set restless and troubled minds at ease. Be one of those who notice when the thermometer is rising, and not one of those who is always pointing out that it’s getting colder.

… No, you are going to be the little smile which, though delicate, on certain winter afternoons reminds people of the springtime, and is its foreshadowing, and shows that the life and the joys of living are things that are still possible and not dead and buried.

There are enough people who bury every budding hope. You, you be one who brings hope out into the light.

Mother Marie des Douleurs

The Old, the New, and the Third: Reviewing "The Third Testament"

Fred is a grieving widower with one daughter who lives near Chicago. A faithful Catholic, he begins having a series of dreams which make him realize that he is being prompted to write the third testament to the Bible ... which would update it for modern times. Soon after this, he is served with what seems to be a bogus summons that nonetheless threatens to take his home from him and his daughter finds she has melanoma which is spreading rapidly through her body.

At this point, Fred turns to his writing as a panacea for his mental and emotional struggles. The current story serves as a thin thread which holds together the history that Fred is writing. The author includes much more of the history, both as Fred's thoughts and then as samples of what he is writing. Eklund has a knack for picking out interesting people and events and pulling up tidbits that I hadn't heard, even when I was familiar with the overall piece of history.

The Third Testament was an interesting book on several levels. It is clearly a first novel and the author does not have a very good ear for natural dialogue. He also has a tendency to preach a bit when the protagonist is thinking. For example, gazing at the sky and seeing an eagle, Fred suddenly takes a mental side trip onto American virtues. This is a bit wearying and tended to put me off the book.

The modern story is extremely one dimensional, yet, I nevertheless found myself interested in whether Ellen would beat her cancer, the different places that Fred would encounter his new friend (Tony), and whether we would get more than a whiff of evil from the lawyer suing Fred.

I am glad that I persevered despite the sometimes clunky writing in the modern section because the author has a much more natural flow when writing any of the "third testament" and detailing Catholic Church history. There still is a tendency to preach some but since it is within the context of the history this becomes easier to take.

The book as a whole overcomes the problems if one is willing to overlook them and I found it a satisfying read. I will be interested to see what this author writes next.

(Note: I read a review copy but I'd have criticized ... and praised ... the book anyway!)

Let It Dough

Creation of many things ... amusingly illustrated using cookie dough and sprinkles ... from the NY Times. Brilliant!

Many thanks to Mom for the heads up on this one!

A Profound Christmas Story from an Unexpected Source

Some lagniappe to be found at Forgotten Classics. It is about 15 minutes long but worth the time.

Christmas Shopping Idea: Is That Angels I Hear Singing?

Voices: Chant from Avignon

The Nuns of the Abbaye de Notre-Dame de l'Annonciation, from a remote region of France near Avignon, won a worldwide search to find the world's finest female singers of Gregorian Chant. The search took in over 70 convents, including communities as far afield as North America and Africa.

The Nuns are part of an ancient order which dates back to the 6th Century. They continue the tradition of leading a hidden life, literally behind closed doors. To remain `secluded' to the outside world, any visitors, even family, must communicate with the sisters through a grill. Once vows have been taken to live in the Convent, the sisters remain there until their death.

The Nuns' album will feature the most ancient form of Gregorian Chant, which the sisters sing eight times a day, and was the first music ever to be written down.

That description is from the cd.

It is lovely that the nuns live such a dedicated life serving God in prayer and contemplation. We certainly can use it and they are wonderful examples as well.

However, what I really enjoy right now is having their CD playing in the evenings. It is like liquid gold, bathing the listeners in smooth, soaring song. It doesn't matter that I don't understand a word of it. The music is enough. It makes me pause from my occupation, stop and think, and sometimes ... pray.

If you are at all interested, I encourage you to listen to samples from Amazon (link above). It is something out of the ordinary.

In which we are treated to a retelling of the Epic of Gilgamesh

Doesn't that sound fun?

Ok, I know it doesn't.

But when Rose is doing the telling it becomes vivid and quite enjoyable. We also consider myth, literature, and the Bible. All at the Forgotten Classics podcast. Get it while it's hot!

The New Dappled Things Is Out!

Bernardo Aparicio wrote to say:

There's a new edition of Dappled Things online with some great content. Also, I want to remind you that while we publish a truly top-quality magazine, our budget is almost impossibly small, so we depend on word of mouth to reach readers. Please consider helping us in our mission to transform the culture by posting about and/or linking to our content. Here's a sampling of some of the great work featured in our most recently released edition:

• The dramatic, haunting photographs of Rick Westcott;
• A wonderful reconsideration of the unjustly forgotten Catholic novelist J.F. Powers;
• "I've, like, got to get there, like, now" a delightful rant by the inimitable Eleanor Bourg Donlon on language, unintelligibility, and irreverence;
• Reviews of award-winning graphic novelist Gene Luen Yang's new book of stories, The Eternal Smile; and of House of Words by Jonathan Potter, a beautiful book of poems which is the first title from Korrektiv Press, a promising new venture by the writers of Korrektiv.org;
• "Achilleus Now," an insightful feature essay by Robert T. Miller on his experience teaching great books and how old books still matter to young students.

I was just sending a link from a Dappled Things article the other day to a friend when we were deep in a conversation about vampires and the Faith (yes, again). This is a great publication and well worth reading.

If you already read, why not consider giving them some Advent or Christmas alms to help their good works keep on going?

Or subscribe. They have an actual print version. If you want to see a sample issue just send your name and mailing address to "dappledthings [dot] cybulski [at] gmail.com. (Write "free sample" in the subject line.)

Time for one of the most delightful of activities ... choosing a new calendar!

It's a weakness, perhaps, but I simply love calendars. However, I am supremely picky about them. What a shock, eh?

I like a weekly planner (seeing a whole month's worth of obligations at a glance overwhelms me). I like a coil bound calendar so I can fold it up as small as possible. Also I'm ruthless about ripping out pages once a week has gone by, which coil binding makes easy.

This year I wanted to try to find a calendar that would tell me the Mass reading for each day. Any calendar like that would naturally include feast days (or so it seemed to me). It didn't need to be big. I prefer a really tiny calendar, but accept the fact that those are hard to find because most people want more room to write.

After looking around on the internet for a while, I found Family Centered Media's Catholic Daily Planner.

A useful, annual resource designed to help you live your Faith and order your life – every day! Each day lists feasts and ferias as well as the liturgical color proper to the day for both forms of the liturgy.

The weekly pages are formatted with plenty of space to record all of your tasks and appointments. Blank lined journal pages, contact/address book pages and weblog all help you order your life.

Liturgical observances (i.e. First Sunday of Advent, memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows, etc); Mass reading citations for every day (ordinary form); holy days of obligation; First Friday and Saturday devotions; and daily rosary mystery reminders.

All true.

Plus there are a few pages in the front that help decode things (for example I didn't know that "feria" means a day has no feast or vigil ... but I do now!). The daily prayer pages have some simple, basic Catholic prayers that anyone can memorize and use at the appropriate time of day to stay connected with God. These are basics but something I hadn't ever practiced regularly. I think I am going to give that a shot with the New Year.

Each month is prefaced with a spread that shows the entire month's layout. This page also has the Papal Prayer Intentions for that month.

Most of the weekly spreads have an inspirational quote from the Pope or a saint. There is a little note in the corner of each day telling which decade of the rosary to say, if you like to follow the recommended order (I don't, but I'm not rosary-centric either ... being rather hit or miss in whether I feel moved for that particular meditation.)

There are nine cover images you can choose from.  All are lovely. I chose the most subdued but was tempted by many of them.

I like the basic calendar layout. If you want, you can pay a little extra to have a menu planner add-on.

There is a large version as well, but you know already that I got the small one, right?

There are images of inside pages although they don't enlarge very much. But they do give you an idea of the page layout so you can get a sense of whether it would work for you.

I am well pleased, which is no easy feat as y'all may know,  and am looking forward to using this calendar in 2011.

For Everyone Who, Like Me, Wished Connie Willis's Editor Had Been More Diligent

As the dedication in All Clear makes apparent, Willis' intent when writing these books was to celebrate and pay tribute to the ordinary people who sacrificed everything -- including their lives -- to help England endure through the harrowing war years. And she rises to the demands of honoring this history. One can only wish that she had given equal attention to the demands of fiction.

SF Site's review of Blackout and All Clear makes me positive I was wise to not read All Clear after dragging myself through Blackout ... my comments about Blackout may be read here.

To be fair, Amy H. Sturgis confirmed my decision much earlier.

I guess I just appreciate a nice turn of phrase. And these two books are very frustrating because Willis has long been a favorite author of mine.

It's All Downhill From Here

Some humor to get us through the rest of the week. Click the image to see it larger. Many thanks to xkcd for this.

What Do I Want for Christmas? Seven Deadly Sins, Please!

Well, actually I want John Zmirak's latest book, The Bad Catholic's Guide to the Seven Deadly sins. Ian from Aquinas and More says the books are finally in stock.

I am a dedicated fan of the "Bad Catholic" books, so much so that I've had this book on my wish list since I found out months ago that it was close to publication.

I'll let Ian give you the samples and then you can go pick up your own copy of at least one of those books.

So who should you send this latest guide to? I’ll let Mr. Zmirak give you his thoughts on that:

Think of the person who most gets on your nerves with the scruples he likes to share, who spams you with email sob stories, or sniffs disgustedly at your jokes. You know, the person who makes you bite your tongue for fear of piercing his preternaturally thin skin…Put this book down right away, find some really tasteful wrapping paper, wrap the book up, and give it to him.

Here’s a sample from the introduction:

One way of describing the Seven Deadly Sins might be “the seven key areas of life where Jesus ruins our fun.” By this, I mean the categories of normal human experience that make up the bulk of our lives – where our instincts, habits and egos have patched together perfectly serviceable habits of schlepping through, day to day. We’d just as soon our coping strategies weren’t disrupted by some fish-multiplying, wonder-working God-Man who speaks in riddles. But hey, thanks for thinking of us.

Full of Grace: Meditations on Mary, Love, and Transformation

My review of Judith Dupre's book Full of Grace is up and running at Patheos.

I think this book would be a simply wonderful gift for ... well, practically any Catholic and for lots of people who aren't Catholic but would be open to reading a book about Mary.

Here's the beginning of the review to get you started.

Among the practices indelibly associated with Catholics is the veneration of Mary and praying of the rosary. To outsiders it can seem as if Jesus is being cast aside while his mother is being unduly worshipped. Or, it might seem to be precisely the meaningless gabble of thoughtless prayer that Jesus warned against when he said, "In praying, do not babble like the pagans, who think that they will be heard because of their many words" (Mt. 6:7).

Anyone holding such opinion while encountering Judith Dupré's extraordinary book Full of Grace will soon realize how wrong those ideas can be. Dupré melds myriad written and artistic images -- a glittering mosaic of perspectives on Mary through the ages. Always, she is pointing to Her Son, Jesus. If one could produce a symphony in writing it would be similar to Full of Grace, which combines art, history, poetry and prose, personal experience and hearsay, traditional Catholic theology and Islam, and orthodoxy and feminist theology, into a marvelous and comprehensive look at the Mother of God.

Christmas Music: Shake It Up

I discovered this a couple of weeks ago via My Merry Christmas podcast and can't shake it out of my head (get it? shake it? hilarious ... I know ...)

A Swingin' Christmas: Our Favorite Christmas Albums

Last night at cocktail hour, several of our favorite Christmas albums were in the CD player. It made me want to share such enjoyment with y'all ... I might be missing one or two in which case Hannah and Rose will have to speak up. But this is a pretty solid list, in no particular order as mood may dictate which album jumps to the top.

•  Let It Snow Baby, Let It Reindeer by Reliant K
  The word play in the title tells you that there is an undertone of humor that precisely fits our family. This is a 2008 album from alt rock Christian band Reliant K and it goes from reverent to goofy to explosive ... and then back again. Some of the songs are traditional, others are definitely not.
  
• Ella Wishes You A Swingin' Christmas by Ella Fitzgerald
  It's Ella Fitzgerald. The greatest jazz singer of all time. Isn't that saying enough? These were recorded in 1960 and every song is perfect.
  
• I Wanna Be Santa Claus by Ringo Starr
  A 1999 holiday album that was critically acclaimed but that did little in stores. We came across it a few years ago, via one of those critics bemoaning the fact that no one bought this album. It is often playful, even if it is only in using Scottish bagpipes to back up his inspired Little Drummer Boy (a song I usually hate, but with Ringo on the drums it is impossible not to smile). Other traditional Christmas songs are sung in a straight forward manner but all have creative tweaks to the music which add Caribbean beats, rockabilly, or guitar work to the backgrounds. The original songs are very good and sincere, which you might not expect.
  
• New Orleans Christmas
  Blues, jazz, and swing put a different sound on these familiar carols which range from something naughty to something nice. Perfect for changing up the familiar tunes and keeping them fresh.
  
• Christmas with the Rat Pack by Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Sammy Davis, Jr.
  Any album that has these three singing Marshmallow World on it is ok with me. The good cheer and fun they display is infectious. Luckily all the other songs are winners too. (Rose is not a Sammy Davis, Jr. fan, but I contend that he is at his best here ... though I don't know why the poor guy always got stuck with a kid's chorus whenever such a song came up.)
  
• White Christmas by Bing Crosby
  Isn't it a rule that you've got to have some Bing for Christmas? I like all of the songs in this collection but especially the novelty tune, Mele Kalikimaka. So sue me. I like it. And look at that album cover. How can you resist?
  
• A Swingin' Christmas by Tony Bennett featuring the Count Basie Big Band
  Another one where the album cover sells it. Bennett's voice is not as strong as it could be but it is good enough and the Count Basie Band is just fantastic, more than compensating for any of Bennett's weaknesses.
  
• Treasury of Christmas by Time-Life
  This is a multiple CD set is as close to a complete set of traditional songs as you can get. It has practically every Christmas carol you can imagine, by every classic popular singer who helped set the standards we expect ... Bing Crosby, Julie Andrews, Nat King Cole, and more.
  
• The Lost Christmas Eve by Trans-Siberian Orchestra
  If you don't already know this group, then how do you describe their music? I'll use the description from the album description: "... features their trademark symphonic rock," which fuses elements of hard rock, Broadway, R&B, and classical music into a unique and distinctive blend of original compositions, symphony excerpts and holiday standards." As unlikely as that sounds it is true. It is also energizing, inspirational, and unique. You'll love it or hate it. We, of course, love it.

Every year we buy a new Christmas album, hoping to find one to add to the list above. Many years there are a few decent songs, but the overall albums are not that great.

This year? We suddenly became aware that we neglected the soundtrack from A Charlie Brown Christmas. Listening takes Tom and me right back to our childhoods when you could only see that TV special once a year when the network aired it. As adults though, we now have a deep appreciation for Vince Guarald's jazz genius so we can enjoy it on two levels.

One of the things that made me think of getting this album was listening to The Christmas Stocking Podcast's episode about Charlie Brown. It has fascinating back story info on how the show got made and enough of the music that it made me wonder why we never bought the album.

Why Will Your Priest Be Pretty in Pink onSunday?

If not exactly "pretty," he probably will be wearing rose colored vestments. The third Sunday of Advent is Gaudete Sunday, so called from the first word of the Introit at Mass (Gaudete, i.e. Rejoice). This is our sign that Advent is almost over and we may look forward with greater joy than ever to the Lord's coming as there will be only one more Sunday in Advent ... and then it will be Christmas!

Read more at New Advent.

On the Sunday Obligation to Attend Mass

Riparians at the Gate states this in a beautifully short and simple, yet comprehensive way. My favorite bits are below, but go read it all.

... There isn’t a secret calendar showing weeks when you can skip [Mass] based on a flimsy excuse, and other weeks when you have to show no matter what. Likewise, there isn’t a cosmic attendance policy giving you so many unexcused absences and then you fail the course.

You either can come, and therefore you must. Or you cannot come, and therefore, well, you cannot.

Much simpler than people fear. The Church is not out to get you. Well, okay, she is out to get you. But in a good way: She is out to get your soul into Heaven. And she knows that under ordinary circumstances, attending Mass on Sundays and Holy Days is what your soul needs. So go if you possibly can.

Italics are mine and that's what's going into my quote journal.

Those who would like more specifics on the why's and wherefore's may find it in the Catechism, beautifully stated as is the norm there.

Weekend Joke

Advertisement from Dr. Boli's Celebrated Magazine

U.S.'s First Approved Apparition of Mary

After a special morning Mass at the Shrine of Our Lady of Good Help at Champion, Wis., Bishop David Ricken concluded two years of investigation by officially approving the authenticity of the Marian apparitions that took place on this site in 1859.

As Bishop of Green Bay, his official decree and proclamation makes Our Lady of Good Help the very first and the only site in the United States of an approved apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

(Read more about the apparition and why Bishop Ricken approved it)

I never had heard of this apparition and was interested to read about it.

For those who thought maybe some other apparition was already approved for the U.S. of A., please read America's 1st Approved Apparition is What? for Jimmy Akin's explanations. Do NOT read it, as I did, to see what Our Lady of Good Help is. He assumes you already know that and skips right to the 'splainin' of other things.

Now "Pantone" is Part of the Common Vocabulary. Who'd a Thunk It?

Once upon a time Pantone was something that behind-the-scenes people knew about. Their PMS (that's pantone matching system) color system was one that printers, designers, and anyone involved in precise color matching knew about. As graphics production and design folks, we had a long history of working with colors using that system.

Otherwise, who'd care?

In fact, a graphics designer asked just the other day what ever had happened to Pantone? Tom's answer ... fabrics, fashion, etc. ... was right as it turns out.

The very next day this story in the Wall Street Journal informed us that Pantone was busy answering that question as they revealed the new hue for 2011.

And more people cared than I'd ever have thought, as I was reminded when looking through Ten Thousand Place's list of cool stuff (it's a great list, by the way, you'll like it).

Me?

I was stunned to see that they even have a hotel. In Brussels. With a nifty, colorful website, of course.

I'd try it if I were ever going to be in Brussels. But in the meantime, for those of us without international traveling budgets, I thought these were cool.

I'm geeky that way. Though from the number available, I must not be the only one.

Everything Old Is New Again: Reviewing This Tremendous Lover

This is one of the most practical, down to earth books I have ever read about living one's Catholic faith in everyday life. Written by M. Eugene Boylan, a Trappist Monk, around 1945, "This Tremendous Lover" is actually a more timeless book than one might think. Human nature does not change from age to age and 1945 is not actually that long ago. Boylan clearly had practical experience in helping people look past their hectic lives in a culture often at odds with God. His insightful, accessible book gives straight forward advice on how to proceed toward holiness.

It is probably no surprise that Boylan always comes back to a few key points: knowing Jesus Christ in a personal relationship, turning away from pride, and embracing humility. He discusses seeking Christ through prayer, reading, in the sacraments, in conversation, and through our neighbor. He delves deeply into what it means to be a member of the body of Christ.

Because of its age, this book does have a few outdated assumptions that surface occasionally. For example, Boylan assumes that he must convince the ordinary person that their vocation is just as valid for seeking a deep experience with God as that of a priest or religious. That concept is one that we are all familiar with today, post-Vatican II, but at the time of original publication the point would have been very valid.

In the chapter about marriage and holiness, Boylan points out that the intimacies of married life are holy. Again, this is something that is nowadays taken to be a given and so might seem quaint as a reassurance. However, and this is an important point, even when the original assumption might seem old fashioned, Boylan's underlying theory remains sound. If one agrees to set aside prejudice against an attitude that might not agree with the way everyone thinks today, then the reader will discover a wealth of truth lying just beneath the surface for the taking. In continuing his discussion of married intimacies, Boylan says:

Let us once and for all get rid too of the notion, so harmful to the spiritual life, so heretical in its origin, and so widespread today, that there is anything intrinsically wrong in pleasure as such. God forbid! God made pleasure; man made pain. god share the pleasure of His creatures. All pleasure that is not inordinate, no matter how intense it is, can be offered to God. What is lawfully done to one's neighbor or to one's self is done to Christ. ... It is only when pleasure becomes inordinate—that is contrary to the will of God—that it is wrong. And no one can live without some pleasure, just as no one can live without some food and some rest.

Love demands expression, and love is nourished by expression, and that is true even of the most spiritual love. And the love of a man for his wife is a unique love and demands a unique expression, and God has provided an unique expression for it and has attached intense pleasure to it. And God has gone further still. For He has arranged that by that very act of expressing their love for one another, husband and wife become partners with Him in the work of producing a new creature. ...

This is the solid advice of a good theologian and a practical man. Surely this would have been very reassuring to those who read it when it was originally published. Just as certainly, in modern times it is beautiful to read such an outright declaration of the purpose of marital love and fidelity.

Time after time, Boylan gives practical advice that is elevated by a desire for his readers to find a deeper union with Christ. It is a challenge for any of us to fully live our lives seeking to follow in Christ's footsteps and learning to love him. With M. Eugene Boylan's help, we have a much better chance of finding the way with fewer missteps. Highest recommendation.

I received this book from Aquinas and More Catholic Bookstore.