Back to Basics: Anger

The fourth of the seven deadly sins is anger. This is one that I think our society has let get out of control in the name of healthy self-expression.

You have no control over what angers you, but you do have control over what you do after you become angry. The deadly sin of anger is the sudden outburst of emotion -- namely hostility -- and sustaining thoughts about the desire for revenge...

Patience, the virtue that allows you to adapt and endure evil without harboring any destructive feelings, is the best countermeasure for anger. When you give yourself the time and opportunity to cool off, anger dissipates and more practical concerns come to the front line.

Catholicism For Dummies by John Trigilio

Recommended reading: Back to Virtue by Peter Kreeft. He examines the virtues in depth and also looks specific virtues and Beatitudes as antidotes to each of the seven deadly sins. Not a new concept but one that he writes about superbly (as always).

And on we will go next to Gluttony.

Same Kind of Happy As Me: Reviewing "A People of Hope: Archbishop Timothy Dolan in Conversation with John L. Allen, Jr."

Probably my chief professional frustration is that the Catholic Church I have come to know from the inside—the warmth and laughter one finds in most Catholic circles, the rich intellectual tradition, the vast body of lore, the incredible range of characters, the deep desire to do good, the abiding faith against all odds that thrives even in a secular world, the ability to go anywhere and feel instantly at home, even the love of good food, good drink, and good company—rarely finds an echo in my reporting. I wanted to tell the Tim Dolan story in part because it wouldn't leave me with a sense of dissonance between the inner experience of being Catholic, and the public perception of what the Church is all about.

Who knew that being a happy Catholic was something that has an actual name? John L. Allen calls it "affirmative orthodoxy." In brief, this means holding onto the core elements of classic Catholicism but with the emphasis of what Catholicism embraces and says "yes" to instead of what it opposes.

To show there is more to the Catholic Church than the contentious side that that mainstream media presents, Allen had a series of informal question and answer sessions with Timothy Dolan who is the Archbishop of New York City.

What emerges is the profile of a determined "bridge builder"—so much so that Allen often uses the word pontiff meaning "bridge" in Latin to describe Dolan.

Perhaps the most encouraging thing about Dolan is that his continual optimism is not founded in Pollyanna-style cheeriness but anchored in a tough, clear-eyed reality. He understands why critics are angry, how dreams have been dashed, where the people in the Church have fallen short. Therefore he is able to sturdily defend Catholicism while holding out an understanding hand to opponents so that all have the chance to find common ground from which to work.

What about this case? Two men are in a same-sex union who have adopted a child and want that child to attend a Catholic school. We just had a case like that, and I replied, sure, that child is very welcome, as long as there is a certain understanding. ... we need to be up-front from the beginning. We need to say, "You want your child in a Catholic school, and your child is welcome. But you do realize there might be some discomfort insofar as that at a certain point in their catechesis, the child might learn that the kind of life you are leading might be contrary to the teaching of the Church. You may also want to know that if it becomes public you're leading this kind of life, there may be some discomfort for your child and for you." We have to be pretty blunt from the beginning about some of these things. We also need to say, "When it comes time for your child's First Communion, you may be unable to receive Holy Communion with your child. If you're accepting of all that, then I would be open to accepting the child."

Aren't there analogous situations with parents who are married outside the Church? Or, to take another example, when you have a teacher in a Catholic school who's talking about the sinfulness of the abuse of alcohol, there may be a fair number of kids sitting there thinking, "Wow, she's talking about my dad." In other words, I think it's a mistake to treat homosexuals as a special case. There are all kinds of situations in which people may fall short of what the Church would see as the ideal, and I would hope that in all those cases we can find ways to balance the need to be clear about our teaching with being pastoral and loving in the way we relate to people. If we only took the children of saints in our schools, our classrooms would be empty!

Again and again, we see Dolan acknowledge core differences but then reach out across them to relate to people on a human level. It is refreshing to see him continually begin an answer by mentioning a good quality or friendship with someone who holds views that outsiders see as diametrically opposed.

What we also see is a sense of self-awareness that I initially learned about Dolan when I read his book To Whom Shall We Go? Lessons from the Apostle Peter. It was a terrific book about examining our lives in Christ by using St. Peter as our guide. It was a review copy and I didn't know Dolan from Adam. However, it was full of reminders focusing readers on St. Peter's strengths and weaknesses and showing the many ancient and current examples that reflect our own tendencies. The person that wrote that honest book was someone I could relate to and trust because he understood people from the inside out. In my experience, that happens only when the person begins with himself.

This honesty extends inside the Church as well as outside. Dolan gives us food for thought about how Catholics themselves stand tall or fall short.

The outsider's perception of the Catholic Church is whatever the latest thing the bishops have said or done happens to be.

You got it. But that's not just a problem out there, it's in here. I went up a couple of months ago to Poughkeepsie, where we had a parish that in its heyday had a school, rectory, gym, the whole deal. Now it's decimated. Over the last year, Catholic Charities took over the old gym and now we've got a day care center on the ground floor and a food bank on the second floor. On the third floor we've got an immigration center that does English language instruction, immigration services, all that stuff, because there's a large itinerant Hispanic population out there. That's been humming for a good year. I went up to bless it and I was just blown away by what I saw. I was talking to the staff, who are dedicated Catholic people, and who are proud of what they've done, but who were also a little critical. Of course they thanked me for being there, but the edge of their remarks was, "Where has the Church been? You're here now after a year, but where has the Church been? Why hasn't the Church been more supportive of this?" I'm getting more and more frustrated, and finally I blurted out, "What the are you talking about? The Church has been here already. You are the Church. This is the Church at its best. This is what we're all about." Of course what they meant was, why hasn't the purple been here for a year? Even our own people are thinking like that. ... My point instead is that we need to flip the perception around—to see the kind of thing that's happening in Poughkeepsie as the real expression of "the Church," not so much wherever the bishop happens to be.

This example in particular spoke to me because I have come across it a lot lately and it never fails to baffle me. Perhaps that speaks more to my experience as a convert than anything, but the Church through the ages has operated that way, up to and including the development of the rosary.

This review is excerpt-heavy but that is because letting Dolan speak for himself is the best way to help you understand these views. Author John L. Allen, Jr., is a veteran journalist and Vatican expert and it shows. Each section begins with three or four pages of expert summary and explanation of the overview of a particular issue. This is followed by the questions and answers. The questions aren't designed to pin Dolan to the wall but rather to allow him to air his views.

It is interesting that Allen chose Archbishop Dolan for the purpose of displaying the affirmative orthodoxy ... or, as I call it, happy Catholics ... in the Church. He has a vantage point and knowledge that few other authors share. I, myself, was forever changed by reading Allen's examples in  All the Pope's Men of how liberals and conservatives want the same good for all but simply have very different ideas of how to achieve it. That, coupled with an introduction where Allen confessed that he once thought he was an even-handed writer but was shown how wrong he was ... and how he had worked to change ... come to mind to this day when I am faced with situations where bridge-building must be undertaken simply to have a civil conversation. His books since then have been models of lucid, comprehensive, and even-handed looks at aspects of the Catholic faith. In other words, I trust him.

Allen also tells us that one of the reasons he profiled Dolan is because he is and will be important to the American Catholic Church. I suppose that is important but personally I don't care. What this book shows me is a model to follow in extending a generous hand before condemning, in standing firm but in charity when it involves core Catholic values, and in always, always turning back to Christ who founded Mother Church to help us get to heaven. A People of Hope gives me the examples I need and, hopefully, will show curious outsiders that there is more to the Church than the media tells us.

Highly recommended.

Catholic Ministry Conference: Report, the First

I spent too much time on Halloween (is that possible?) and now have no time to tell of all the wonders that two days wandering around a giant Catholic conference meeting people and hearing interesting talks and just generally having a great time.

So I will stagger it.

First - HI JEFF! (Is there anything so ego-swelling as having someone come up and tell you that Happy Catholic is his home page? Of course there isn't... no wonder I loved the conference)

Second - possibly the most astounding experience was seeing Bishop Kevin Farrell wandering around completely alone, simply dressed in his priestly garb, making himself utterly available to anyone who wanted to come up and talk.

FOR TWO DAYS.

Now that's how you bishop, people.

What a breath of fresh air! Even if I did get so nervous and focused on giving him a copy of Happy Catholic that I totally forgot Tom was there ... which led the good bishop to throw an arm around him and ask "what did you did to deserve that" in his Irish accent, while laughing good naturedly at me. Ah yes, a bishop of the people.

More later ...

Back to Basics: Lust

The third of the seven deadly sins is lust.

The Catholic Church believes that it's normal and healthy to be attracted to and appreciate the opposite sex. That's not lust, and it's not considered a sin.

Lust is looking at, imagining, and even treating others as mere sex objects to serve your own physical pleasures, rather than as individuals made in the image and likeness of God. Lust is having someone become something merely to please you, in fantasy or reality.

The Church says that lust depersonalizes the other person and the one having the lustful thoughts. It makes both parties nothing more than instruments of enjoyment instead of enabling them to focus on the unique gift of personhood. And it seeks to separate, divide, and isolate what God intended to be united -- love and life, the unitive and procreative dimensions of marriage...

Chastity, the virtue that moderates sexual desire, is the best remedy for lust. Chastity falls under temperance and can help to keep physical pleasure in moderation.

Catholicism For Dummies by John Trigilio

Recommended reading: Back to Virtue by Peter Kreeft. He examines the virtues in depth and also looks specific virtues and Beatitudes as antidotes to each of the seven deadly sins. Not a new concept but one that he writes about superbly (as always).

Next up ... Anger.

Gone Until Monday

It is the time of year when that big school catalog is being worked on around here and my time is at a minimum for a month or so.

Also, I'm going to the Dallas Catholic Ministry Conference on Friday and Saturday so will be out of touch then.

I'll drop in when I can to touch base, but until then all I can say is ... I'll see everyone Monday!

Back to Basics: Envy

The second of the seven deadly sins is envy.

Envy, another deadly sin, is the resentment of another person's good fortune or joy. Catholicism distinguishes between two kinds of envy.

• Material envy is when you resent others who have more money, talent, strength, beauty, friends, and so on, than you do.
• Spiritual envy is resenting others who progress in holiness, preferring that they stay at or below your level instead of being joyful and happy that they're doing what they're supposed to be doing. Spiritual envy is far worse and more evil than material envy.

Note that some spiritual writers and moralists make a distinction between envy and jealousy. They maintain that envy is the resentment of what others have, such as possessions, talent, fame, and so one, whereas jealousy is the fear of losing what you already have... Jealousy is considered to be as much a sin as envy, because it resembles that deadly sin a whole bunch...

The Church maintains that meekness or kindness can counter envy.

Catholicism For Dummies by John Trigilio

Recommended reading: Back to Virtue by Peter Kreeft. He examines the virtues in depth and also looks specific virtues and Beatitudes as antidotes to each of the seven deadly sins. Not a new concept but one that he writes about superbly (as always).

Next up ... Lust.

Johnny Depp Gets His Own Back at Ricky Gervais for Golden Globe "Jokes"

We all remember Ricky Gervais's angry "jokes" from his Golden Globe emcee stint, right? Or at least we remember they happened (if you happen to be like me and not bother watching most awards programs.) One target was Johnny Depp

What happens when Ricky and Johnny meet up unexpectedly later?



This is from from Gervais’s new BBC show, Life’s Too Short, The show centers on little person Warwick Davis in his day-to-day life, complete with the frustrations he faces. Looks as if it is along the lines of Extras, which I enjoyed a lot.

This bit is cleverly done, almost uncomfortably so ... until the last words, which are a big payoff. Take the time to watch this.

Via Strange Herring.

Back to Basics: Pride

The first of the seven deadly sins is pride. It also is the mother, the author, of all other sins. This was a new concept for me when I first came across it but so very obvious upon reflection. In the end it all comes down to a distortion of truth, does it not? How important am I? How much better am I than others? Easy to see and understand, yet this is so very hard to keep in check ... because it can manifest itself in any and every aspect of one's life.

The sin of pride is an inordinate love of self -- a super-confidence and high esteem in your own abilities. It's also known as vanity. It exaggerates your abilities, gifts, and talents, and ignores your weaknesses, frailties, and imperfections.

In Catholicism, sinful pride is the deviation or distortion of the legitimate need of self-affirmation. Liking yourself isn't sinful. In fact, it's healthy and necessary, but when the self-perception no longer conforms to reality, and you begin to think that you're more important than you actually are, the sin of pride is rearing its ugly head...

Pride is the key to all other sins, because after you believe that you're more important than you actually are, you compensate for it when others don't agree with your judgment. You rationalize your behavior and make excuses for lying, cheating, stealing, insulting, ignoring, and such, because no one understands you like you do. In your mind, you're underestimated by the world.

That's the extreme expression of pride. A subtler example is when you refuse to accept the authority of someone else over you, be it a parent, teacher, employer, pastor, bishop or pope. Most resentment toward those in authority has nothing to do with the occasional instances of abuse of power in the course of human history. Rather anti-authoritarianism is rooted in pride: "No one is going to tell me what to do." ...

Pride also prevents you from seeking, listening to, or applying advice from others. It fools the mind into thinking that it alone has or can discover all the answers without help from anyone...

The Catholic Church teaches that humility is the best remedy for pride. It's not a false self-deprecation ... It's not denying the truth ...

In other words, although acknowledging your talents is good, humility should remind you that your talents come from God. Pride fools you into thinking that you're the source of your own greatness.

Catholicism For Dummies by John Trigilio

Recommended reading: Back to Virtue by Peter Kreeft. He examines the virtues in depth and also looks specific virtues and Beatitudes as antidotes to each of the seven deadly sins. Not a new concept but one that he writes about superbly (as always).

Next up: Envy.

In Dallas? Going to the UDMC? Me Too! I'll Be Signing Books on Friday from 2:30-3:00 pm

Tom and I were already planning on attending the big Catholic Conference that the Dallas and Fort Worth dioceses are sponsoring next weekend.

Then I found out that St. Anthony Messenger Press is going to have a booth there and was happy to think that I could meet some of the nice folks who I've exchanged emails with over the last year. St. Anthony owns my publisher, Servant Books.

They went it one better and offered a time when we could do a book signing.

If you are there, either with your own book or wanting to buy one, I'll be signing them on Friday from 2:30 - 3:00.

And, I'll add a quote that isn't in the book. As a little bonus.

Fr. Dwight Longenecker on Happy Catholic: "... I will probably be stealing a lot of ideas from her."

... Julie stands things on their head and helps you to see the world in a new way in the new method of communicating in the new media: bite sized chunks.

I plan to use this book as a daily reader. I'll keep it by my side when I'm doing the office of readings and after the Divine Office and prayer, I'll dip into Happy Catholic.

It is quite surreal to have an author whose books you admired for a long time, to whom you dared to write one of your first fan letters long ago, and whose current writing continues to provide new insights ... praise your own efforts. A wonderful, but nevertheless surreal, experience!

Thank you Father Dwight Longenecker!

You can read the entire review at his outstanding blog, Standing on My Head.

Back to Basics: The Seven Deadly Sins

The opposite of the cardinal virtues are the seven deadly sins. We'll be going through these one by one, as well as the virtues that remedy each, in future posts.

As you may have guessed, along with cultivating good habits, some bad habits need to be avoided. The Church maintains that seven vices in particular lead to breaking one or more of the Ten Commandments. These particular bad habits are called the seven deadly sins because, according to Catholicism, they're mortal sins -- sins that kill the life of sanctifying grace. The Church believe that if you commit a mortal sin, you forfeit heaven and opt for hell by your own free will and actions.

A mortal sin is any act or thought of a human being that turns away from God and which turns toward a created thing instead. In other words, mortal sin is the complete turning away from God and embracing something else in place... Three conditions are necessary for moral sin to exist.

• Grave Matter: the act itself is intrinsically evil and immoral. For example, murder, rape, incest, perjury, adultery, and so on are grave matter.
• Full Knowledge: The person must know that what they're doing or planning to do is evil and immoral...
• Deliberate Consent: The person must freely choose to commit the act or plan to do it. Someone forced against his will doesn't commit a mortal sin...

Venial sins are any sins that only meet one or two of the conditions needed for a mortal sin but do not fulfill all three at the same time, or they're minor violations of the moral law, such as giving an obscene gesture to another driver while in traffic. Venial sin is less serious than mortal sin...[they] aren't deadly to the life of grace, but like minor infections in the body, if casually ignored and left untended, may deteriorate into a more serious condition...

The seven deadly sins are pride, envy, lust, anger, gluttony, greed, and sloth and Pope Gregory the Great made up the list in the 6th century.

Catholicism For Dummies by John Trigilio

Recommended reading: Back to Virtue by Peter Kreeft. He examines the virtues in depth and also looks specific virtues and Beatitudes as antidotes to each of the seven deadly sins. Not a new concept but one that he writes about superbly (as always).

Next up: Deadly Sin #1.

Going to the Heart of the Matter: Reviewing "Catholic Mass for Dummies"

For the Ordinary form, the Roman Rite uses the following colors:
[...]

• Red: Used for Pentecost; Palm Sunday; Passion of the Lord; feasts of the holy cross, martyrs, Apostles, and evangelists (except for John the Beloved Disciple); and Confirmation. Red is a symbol of the burning charity of the martyrs and their generous sacrifice, tongues of fire of the HOly Spirit, and the blood shed by our Divine Lord.
• Green: Used in Ordinary Time. It is a symbol of hope in eternal life.
• Violet or purple: Used for seasons of Advent and Lent, Sacrament of Reconciliation, and Mass of Christian burial. Purple is a symbol of penance and mortification.
• ...

I originally became interested in Catholic Mass for Dummies because it might help with answers for our RCIA small group. I learned to trust authors John Trigilio and James Cafone when reading Catholicism for Dummies which was wonderfully informative and also carried the Nihil Obstat* and Imprimatur*.

Joined by Kenneth Brighenti, the same authors have joined forces again to provide this practical, step-by-step guide to the Catholic Mass. This book also has the Nihil Obstat and Imprimatur and is fascinatingly informative. The authors not only take us through the standard Roman Catholic Sunday Mass, but also variations for such needs as weddings, funerals, and the like. At pains to explain the history, symbolism and meaning, they also explain the changes to Mass responses which will be instituted when the new liturgical translation begins being used in Advent.

As well as explaining the structure of the Mass, they also discuss the Extraordinary Form of the Mass (Latin Mass), the Liturgy of the Hours, Eucharistic Devotions, and the Byzantine rite Eastern Catholic Divine Liturgy. I admit I was fairly stunned to realize that I could take this book to a Latin Mass or Byzantine Mass and follow along. They include all the actions and words of the priests and people for both. The other Catholic rites from East to West are described with the history for everything from Armenian to Dominican to Anglican covered.

In the Tools of the Trade section, we learn about the books, vestments, vessels, architecture, art, and music used in worship. This was one of the most interesting sections to me since much of the symbolism inherent in these items is that which I only knew dimly or guessed at. This section would have been much enhanced with simple sketches or photos of the items being discussed. We may know what a tunic is but an amice is something that I just can't call to mind, no matter how detailed the description. Again in this section as in the rest of the book, the authors take care to call out differences practiced in the different rites of the Church.

I especially liked that the authors were reporting the information and not giving any personal opinions. This makes the book especially useful to the wide variety of people who might be drawn to it, whether the merely curious, Catholics, potential converts, or those with specific questions about a particular practice. This is intended as a reference book and deeper theological reflections, therefore, are not found here. However, just knowing the symbolism that stretches back to the beginning of the Church is often enough to prompt the reader to their own reflections, which I found happening as I read.

There are times when we all just need to know what's going on before we dig deeper. I can think of no better place to find one's footing with the ins-and-outs of the Catholic mass than in this book.

The unalterable importance of the altar

The altar is not only the place where the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is offered, it also represents and symbolizes Christ himself. At the beginning of Mass, the altar is always reverenced by the clergy who are concelebrating by bowing before it and kitting it before going to their respective places. Before the introductory rites start, the main celebrant, escorted by one or two deacons, may incense the altar in a very dignified and elegant movement around it. The altar is also reverenced with a kiss at the end of Mass.

All immovable altars must have altar stones, slabs of stone about the size of a netbook computer. The altar stone is placed on a full size altar (made of marble or wood). Under the stone are relics of one or more of the ancient martyrs. Even though the altar is covered with linens during Mass, the bread and wine are placed on top of the linens over the altar stone. The idea is that Mass will be celebrated over the remains of the martyrs, just as was done for three centuries when the early Christians had to worship in the catacombs to escape Roman persecution.

* Official declarations that a book or pamphlet is free from doctrinal or moral error. No implication is contained therein that those who granted the Nihil Obstat and the Imprimatur agree with the contents, opinions, or statements expressed.

Un Lun Dun by China Mieville ... progress report

Un Lun Dun by China Miéville

I was looking around for a China Mieville book to try and discovered for every enthusiastic review I'd see another saying the exact opposite. This was the only exception, which is his only book for younger readers. I dipped into it this weekend and found it almost impossible to put down.

UPDATE
Thus far I am really enjoying this book. Although any modern book with "another London" inevitably calls Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman to mind (whom Mieville tips his hat to at the beginning), this feels original and is definitely inventive. For example, Curdle is an adorable character and I wouldn't have credited the concept alone with making for a loving relationship as is obviously developing in the book.

2nd UPDATE
About halfway through and am finding it still interesting but strangely slow at the same time. Not sure if this is an editing problem or just how the author writes but he seems to go on and on when we've gotten the point and are ready to move on. Also, major plot points are telegraphed ahead of time so the "twists" aren't really "twisty" at all.

I would say that last problem is possibly because I'm an older reader than the intended audience but, upon reflection, this isn't a problem I have had with the Harry Potter books, The Graveyard Game by Neil Gaiman, or Assam & Darjeeling by T.M. Camp ... all of which feature children in fantastical settings, to greater or lesser degrees of simplicity.

I will continue reading but feel this could have used another time or two through a big trimming machine.

Cherie ...

The newest cocktail to receive our approval ... and there's a movie connection for you too! At Meanwhile, Back in the Kitchen.

And Reamde Looked So Good ...

But this is why book bloggers you can trust are so important.

I had planned to abandon the book around page 160 or so. Other members of the Sword and Laser said "It gets better at page 300 when new characters are introduced." In a shocked sense of disbelief, I decided to press on to that point. And, okay, it really does get better at around page 300. In what universe is it okay for an author to not get to the good stuff until 300 pages in? My favorite parts of the book were from about page 300-700. The ending was not satisfying although all the ends are tied up.

Here's the thing. I am in awe of Jenny because when the Booker nominees list comes out, she goes out and gets those books ... and actually reads them! And that's just one of the book awards lists she does that for.

I simply do not have that sort of stamina (or maybe it is simply dissimilar reading interests).

Whatever it is, when the lady who does that gives that indictment to Reamde, I am crossing it off my list.

One down. 300 to go.

Once Upon a Time ... On TV

We were so interested in the premise behind Once Upon a Time that we did something almost unprecedented (except for football or the world series) ... we watched it real time with commercials and all.

Because with The Amazing Race and The Good Wife being taped, I had no other options.

In case you missed the pilot, here's the Wikipedia synopsis to help out.

28-year-old bail bonds collector Emma Swan is shocked when Henry, the son she gave up for adoption ten years ago, turns up in desperate need of her help. Henry believes that Emma is Snow White and Prince Charming's missing daughter, who was sent away from the Enchanted Forest to be protected from the Evil Queen's curse. Emma refuses to believe a word of Henry's story but soon finds that his hometown of Storybrooke, Maine may be more than it seems. Because it's in Storybrooke that all of the classic fairytale characters are frozen in time with no memories of their former selves – including the Evil Queen, who is Storybrooke's mayor and Henry's adoptive mother Regina.

It had highs and lows (among the lowest ... Snow White in our world's hair ... this really is a horrible place!).

But overall we approved of the premise, the originality, and most of the execution. I liked the idea of the dual timeline and looking at what the fairy tale characters are doing in "real life."

We shall see ...

You can watch the pilot at the link, btw.

Whoa Nellie! Joss Whedon's Much Ado About Nothing?

That sneaky fellow ... and here we thought The Avengers was the only thing he had going.

Nathan Fillion tweeted this. (via Scott Danielson)

And Huffington Post has more confirmation.

The Light Fantastic ...

The Light Fantastic by Terry Pratchett

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

In The Light Fantastic only one individual can save the world from a disastrous collision. Unfortunately, the hero happens to be the singularly inept wizard Rincewind, who was last seen falling off the edge of the world...

I thoroughly enjoyed this book which gives us not only Rincewind the wizard who can't do magic, but Twoflower the tourist and his Luggage (made of sapient pearwood so it can follow and protect him wherever he goes), Cohen the Barbarian, and many more memorable characters.

This is vintage Terry Pratchett which means that not only does he tell an amusing adventure story but he makes many a good commentary about people and society along the way using humor. I never would have looked for this book myself but must be grateful that my daughter Rose wanted to read about Discworld from "the beginning" and then highly recommended the book to me.

"I shall say it again: rejoice!" : Reviewing "Between Heaven and Mirth" by James Martin, SJ

Joy, humor, and laughter show one's faith in God. For Christians, an essentially hopeful outlook shows people that you believe in the Resurrection, in the power of life over death, and in the power of love over hatred. Don't you think that after the Resurrection Jesus's disciples were joyful? "All will be well, and all will be well, and all manner of things will be well," as the fourteenth-century mystic Blessed Julian of Norwich said. For believers in general, humor shows your trust in God, who will ultimately make all things well. Joy reveals faith.

I can't tell you how many times I've had people ask me, "How can you be a Happy Catholic?" They then go on to cite the problems currently in the Church, how hard life is in general, and so on and so forth.

My answer is that happy does not mean cheerful. I'm not talking about a Pollyanna-ish insistence on always seeing the glass half full. I'm talking about a deep, underlying joy that comes from the peace of mind in knowing Jesus really has overcome the world, really is real, really does love me personally. Except in times of deep trouble or sorrow, when no one in their right mind would be able to say that they are happy, I have happiness as a foundation of my days. I must add that even in those times of trouble there is a peace lurking in the background reminding me that "all manner of things shall be well."

I suppose that I am asked that because even the best of us tend to think that faith and religion aren't real unless they are sober, serious, and definitely not amusing, humorous, or joyful. This never made sense to me because I have had too many times when God makes his point to me using a "virtual" nudge in the ribs and a chuckle. There is that stunning moment when I realize what I've gotten very wrong and then that hilarious moment when I realize just how ridiculously wrong I am ... and somehow, you know, I wind up howling with laughter and things just never seem too bad after that.

James Martin has written a book all about that very thing. He writes compellingly that holy people are joyful people, providing numerous examples of the people, their joy, and their levity ... up to and including Jesus. The main premise is that joy, humor, and laughter help us live more spiritual lives, relate to others better, and connect with God more easily.

Martin's examination of scripture and Jesus' humor will be especially valuable to those who hesitate to think that humor and playfulness have a place in faith. His case studies in scriptural joy look at a psalm, the visitation of Mary to Elizabeth, and 1 Thessalonians. It gives us a fresh look at the familiar passages and perspective on the way the hearers would have understood it when the scripture was new.

I also really appreciated the chapter where Martin addressed the problem of living joyfully when life is difficult. He discusses the fact that joy doesn't mean one is happy all the time, how to find joy during times of pain, what to do if you are not a funny person, and what to do when working or living in a joyless environment. This section is almost a primer on how to look at our lives with both gravity and lightheartedness. It is one that more people than Christians would benefit from.

Naturally in a book of this sort, anecdotes and jokes are larded throughout the text. They always are illustrations of the point that Martin is making and yet, in themselves, contribute to helping look at things just a touch less seriously or from a different point of view. My favorites were the ones that came from real life, as those are the sort that are most genuinely funny. Those are often the sort that help us in painful times, as Martin points out.

Then she recounted the story of two friends whose mutual friend had died. "They missed her terribly," said [Margaret] Silf. "They planted what they thought were daffodil bulbs on her grave and grieved all winter. In the spring they returned to the grave to pay their respects and discovered a wonderful crop of ... onions! They laughed until they cried--and they are convinced their friend was right in there laughing with them.

There were a few places where Martin was going so fast that he skimmed on providing all the information we needed for the book to be as solid as it could. The primary place I noticed this, and the one that kept bothering me, was his lack of distinction when he compared Zachariah's doubt at the promise of a son after many years of childlessness (who would become John the Baptist) and Mary's reasonable, straight-forward question about how she could become pregnant if she'd never "known" a man. Zachariah, the experienced priest who should have known better than to doubt, is struck mute by the angel. The simple question of the young girl, Mary, is answered. Martin's joke in the footnote that Gabriel is gentler with women was amusing but completely inaccurate and that made me a bit wary of other such confident assertions about Scripture when they came up.

Happily, there are not many instances of those problematic points. Those aside, this book is informative, engaging, and makes a solid argument for the case that joy and humor are integral parts of being human and the spiritual life. Certainly this book is much needed to help lighten the mood of those who believe that only serious attitudes will gain us the kingdom of Heaven. It most definitely is appreciated by those of us who occasionally must defend our faith because of our joy.

Highly recommended.

Heavenly Habits: Fortitude

The last but not the least of the cardinal virtues.

Fortitude is the ability to persevere in times of trial and tribulation -- the ability to hang in there when the going gets tough. It's courage to do the right thing no matter what the cost.

It's not enough to be fair, use self-control, and be prudent and know what, when, and how to do something. The virtue gives you the strength to fulfill your commitments to God, family,and friends...

When practiced faithfully and consistently, fortitude empowers people to remain courageous and overcome even the fear of death in order to help others and/or do the right thing for the right reason.

Catholicism For Dummies by John Trigilio

Recommended reading: Back to Virtue by Peter Kreeft. He examines the virtues in depth and also looks specific virtues and Beatitudes as antidotes to each of the seven deadly sins. Not a new concept but one that he writes about superbly (as always).

Next, we'll look at the seven deadly sins, including how the virtues counteract them.