Busy Pope Francis: Vatican Consecration, New Encyclical, and Canonization Approval

Many joyful tidings are coming from Rome today as Pope Francis joined forces with Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI to give us plenty of reason for joy and hope.

1.

Vatican Consecrated to Protection of St. Michael the Archangel

To the joy of Vatican City State workers, Friday morning Pope Francis was joined by Pope emeritus Benedict XVI in the gardens for a ceremony during which the Holy Father blessed a statue of St Michael Archangel, at the same time consecrating the Vatican to the Archangel’s protection.

Following a brief ceremony, Pope Francis addressed those present noting how St. Michael defends the People of God from its enemy par excellence, the devil. He said even if the devil attempts to disfigure the face of the Archangel and thus the face of humanity, St Michael wins, because God acts in him and is stronger.

Read it all here.

2.

Pope Francis' Encyclical to Be Released Today

Faith is the source of light, of guidance for the Christian life. “We walk by faith, not by sight,” wrote St Paul. In his highly anticipated first encyclical, The Light of Faith (Lumen Fidei), Pope Francis reflects on the meaning of faith, the beginning of God’s gracious salvation and the means by which man encounters the living God through Jesus Christ in the Holy Spirit.

In The Light of Faith, Francis draws on key themes of his predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI, who wrote encyclicals on charity and hope. He intended to complete the set with a reflection on faith, which would also have underscored the Year of Faith that he launched. Benedict’s history-making retirement meant he was unable to finish his encyclical. Francis took up the task, adding his own insights, themes and emphases to the work begun by Benedict XVI.

According to Francis, The Light of Faith is a “four-hand document.” Pope Benedict, Francis notes, “handed it to me, it is a strong document. He did the great amount of work.” Thus, although officially The Light of Faith (Lumen Fidei) is an encyclical of Francis’ and reflects his teaching ministry, it is also reflects the work of Pope Emeritus Benedict. It’s not only Francis’ first encyclical; it is also among the few encyclicals openly acknowledged to have been written by two successors of St. Peter.

Find the encyclical here.  I'm especially excited that Pope Benedict worked on this also ... I've got a soft spot for his writing.

I see that Ignatius Press will be releasing it in book form. I usually read new encyclicals in any way I can get them when they first come out. However, I have found that later readings are best for me in book form. So much better than those hastily printed out pages from the internet that I lose or forget about later.

3.

John Paul II and John XXIII to Be Canonized

No date announced yet, but this is exciting!

Friday morning, Pope Francis approved the promulgation of the decree and also convoked a special Consistory of the College of Cardinals to discuss the canonization of the Polish pope in depth.

Furthermore, he approved the favorable votes of the Ordinary Session of the Congregations Cardinals and Bishops regarding the raising to the altars of sainthood of Blessed John XXII.

This slightly unusual gesture was explained by Fr. Lombardi who told journalists that despite the absence of a second miracle it was the Pope’s will that the Sainthood of the great Pope of the Second Vatican Council be recognized.

Well Said

Going into my quote journal.

Favoring man-woman marriage no more "demeans" and "humiliates" other sexual relationships than favoring our Constitution demeans and humiliates the governmental systems of other countries.

Supreme Court Justice Scalia

Very true.

What demeans or humiliates other sexual relationships, it seems to me (and I'm no expert), is the "business" associated with marriage. If one lets the insured choose whoever they like for their beneficiary, if one lets the dying leave their worldly goods to whoever they like, and so forth, then much of the feeling of being a second class citizen would dissipate. That would leave a clearer view of what true marriage is and might make it able to simplify any remaining debate. To put it on a very simplistic level, obviously.

Caravans by James A. Michener

Caravans by James A. Michener

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I read one Michener book, The Source, long ago ... in fact, long before I became Christian ... just as a compelling way to travel through the history and people of a region. I still recall much of it vividly.

Michener was brought to my attention recently when I was looking through Kindle samples and reviews of more recent versions of geographical/gigantic historical fiction. As I discarded author after author, I found myself captivated by the couple of Michener samples I'd downloaded (specifically Caravans and The Source). I also realized I'd forgotten his shorter fiction such as Sayonara and The Bridges at Toko-Ri.

This book reminded me most of an H.V. Morton travel guide, but with a fictional veneer. Michener takes the reader through myriad facets of 1946 Afghanistan ranging from city life to nomad caravans. He simultaneously ponders civilization, faith, and man's essential nature. Written in 1966, this book also considers those who adhere to traditional thinking versus those who feel that progress means breaking away from civilization. Altogether a fascinating combination.

Bye bye Google. Hello Bloglovin.

Not sure yet, but I might like this better than Google Reader. At any rate, Bloglovin is where I wound up for now.

How Fortunate the Meek ...

A friend noticed my mention of meekness in my review of The Quiet Light last week. The thoughts on meekness came from Fire of Mercy, Heart of the Word and it deserves to be more than a brief mention on my part. Here is a longer excerpt.

Matthew 5:5

how fortunate the meek,
for they shall inherit the [promised] land.

The meek, the gentle, the kind: far from implying any attitude of contented passivity, much less the tameness of a cowering dog living in fear of the next beating, the virtue called [Greek word] connotes an ever-vigilant openness, a disposition of goodwill that is always ready to encounter a situation with a view to building it up and re-creating it. It is the same word Matthew will use in 11:29, putting it again in the Lord's mouth: "Bend your necks to my yoke, and learn from me, for I am meek and humble-hearted; and your souls will find relief." ...

Jesus praises an active meekness that does not return evil for evil but that always returns something positive--good for good or, more typically, good for evil. It is not content with a static indifference "in the name of God." The meek imitate Jesus' spiritual activity; they become vessels that transmit the goodness, mercy, and power of God, which Elijah found, not in the storm, but in the barely perceptible breeze. Such Christian meekness rests, not upon constraint and resignation, but upon the freedom of the person who knows he is always and everywhere loved by God. This knowledge liberates from the compulsion and the convention of using the violent means of the world for self-defence and aggression, the despairing struggle to maintain one's "place in the sun." The meek person has found his place in the Heart of God and has no time or interest for any other activity but that of reflecting the sovereign peace of God's nature.

... Jesus shows that the virtue of "meekness" in a special way reflects the nature of God by saying of himself: "I am meek and humble of heart," which is to say, "I have my effect by bestowing the goodness of my Father on the world. I do not fight with the world's weapons, because they are ineffective for the task I must accomplish."

It is no surprise to anyone who knows me that I continually need to ponder the true meaning of meekness. I am not too bad at having goodwill toward others, except when I suddenly feel that I am not being properly appreciated or understood. You get the picture.

Intertwined as it is with being "humble-hearted," true meekness is something I strive for and fail to achieve a lot of the time. It is a balance that I now think of St. Thomas Aquinas when I look for a model to imitate.

Yet Another Con: Black Heart by Holly Black

Black Heart: The Curse Workers, Book Three by Holly Black

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Girls like her, my grandfather once warned me, girls like her turn into women with eyes like bullet holes and mouths made of knives. They are always restless. They are always hungry. They are bad news. They will drink you down like a shot of whisky. Falling in love with them is like falling down a flight of stairs. What no one told me, with all those warnings, is that even after you’ve fallen, even after you know how painful it is, you’d still get in line to do it again.

That's Cassel Sharpe for you. He's stuck on Lila Zacharov and stuck good. It's a real shame that he's under duress to work undercover for the FBI and she's enthusiastically training to take a place in her father's crime family. If only that were his only problem.

As in the previous two books of the Curse Workers trilogy (White Cat, Red Glove), where certain individuals are born with the ability to curse others with the touch of a finger, we're working up to a big con job that will save the day. Meanwhile Cassel is continually attempting to become a better person, a good person, while navigating a gritty maze of gray moral choices.

He's given plenty of opportunities because his special curse working skill means that everyone wants to use him. Sorting through lures, threats, and blackmail from family, the mob, and the government becomes a way of life and gives author Holly Black plenty of room to weave plots.

Cassel's mother is held hostage, a long-ago diamond heist must be solved, a fellow student needs help against a blackmailer, the government needs him for a special mission that could end bigotry against curse workers, and his roommate has girl friend problems. And let's not forget the main attraction, Cassel's tumultuous relationship with Lila, who now hates him. Yep. It's all in a day's work for Cassel Sharpe.

As always, it comes down to an elaborate con which pulls everything together and wraps things up, while managing to stay plausible. Black has the courage to bring her trilogy to a definite end and I applaud her for doing so. The ending is not tidy, but I liked it that way. It managed to be satisfying while simultaneously reflecting the uncertainty of Cassel's life. And that is quite a feat.

Interestingly, this last book of the trilogy contained a spot where author Holly Black suddenly took a misstep in writing from a male perspective. In a love scene a guy would not be talking about his flat stomach and corded muscles ... that's a girl's turn on. He'd be talking about her ... ahem ... various attributes. Black did such a good job the rest to of the time that this rang particularly false and it isn't a big deal. Just ... interesting.

Audio Notes: As with the preceding Curse Worker books, Jesse Eisenberg's narration is perfect for conveying Cassel's awkwardness. I particularly enjoy the moments when he portrays other characters through slight alterations which manage to communicate a surprising amount about the people he is voicing. His narration is a big part of my enjoyment of the series. Would I read other Curse Worker books instead of listening to the audio? Probably not. Eisenberg is Cassel and I like it that way.

This review originally ran at SFFaudio who provided the review copy.

The Con is On ... Again: Red Glove by Holly Black

This review originally ran at SFFaudio, who provided the review book. 

Red Glove is the second book in Holly Black’s Curse Workers series, the first of which was White Cat.

As the book begins, we get more of a feel for the insecure world in which Cassel grew up. It is the end of summer vacation and he’s living with his mother in Atlantic City, drifting from hotel to hotel, helping her con a series of wealthy gentleman friends for support. It is an anxiety-filled existence, with the potential for exploding violence at any moment.

When his senior year at boarding school begins, Cassel is glad to reenter the familiar environment. That is derailed when Lila, the girl he loves but must avoid, begins school there as well. Inevitably, it seems, she becomes one of his circle of friends and the angst of seeing the girl he cannot have is constantly on his mind.

Just a few days into the school year, Cassel’s oldest brother is murdered and the Feds try to recruit him to help solve that case and investigate a possibly related string of unsolved murders. The only clue is video footage of a woman wearing red gloves but whose face cannot be seen. They also want Cassel to become an informant on the Zacharov crime family, with which his own family has long been aligned. Complicating matters, the Zacharov’s also want to recruit Cassel to use his transformation powers on their behalf. As if that weren’t pressure enough, the state government is heightening efforts to test everyone to identify curse workers.

As Cassel attempts to untangle the web of lies in which he finds himself, he must resort to a big con to both discover the truth and solve his problems about who he will work with. Naturally this is great fun and there are many plot twists and cliff-hangers along the way in the story which make it somewhat addictive listening. Only the final twist of the book was fairly predictable. However, it is fairly unimportant to the book overall as it serves to act as the bridge to carry the reader forward into the next book of the series.

Red Glove conveys more of the feel of Cassel’s age since much of the action takes place around classes or with school pals. However, as in White Cat, the key issues are still those of trust, betrayal, friendship, identity, truth, and true love, all on a higher level than the ordinary book set among this age group.
As in the first book, Cassel walks a tightrope between right and wrong in his world of gray ethics. The fact that he now has some close friends allows us to see him opening up to others and extending himself in their time of need. He will use his con skills when needed but is taking increasing chances by telling the truth to those around him. This allows for personal growth that makes his choices harder much of the time, but which we can see slowly building to a way out of the crime-filled, worker world he has always inhabited.

Black does us the great favor of not worrying much about back story or lengthy flashbacks. She will add a sentence or two when the stories overlap to be sure the reader is oriented and then moves on. This kept the story moving at a fairly brisk pace, although it did bog down a bit in the middle when Cassel goes hunting for who set up a particular murder victim.

As before, Jesse Eisenberg narrated the book with great skill, conveying Cassel’s emotions as the awkward high school senior longing for normalcy. Usually he would simply alter his voice a bit to portray other characters but occasionally would use accents to great effect, as in his portrayal of the head of the Zacharov family.

Red Glove is not as fresh and sparkling as White Cat, but it is a worthy successor. I definitely enjoyed it and am considering getting the print version for rereading. Recommended.

Worth a Thousand Words: Sommer

Sommer
by Edward B. Gordon

The Quiet Light by Louis De Wohl

The Quiet Light by Louis De Wohl

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Having finished G.K. Chesterton's The Dumb Ox for my book club, I thought it would be good supplementary material to read a more straight forward biography of this saint. Chesterton is amusing and clever and did a fine job of making me appreciate Aquinas, but he obviously was counting on the reader to already know the basics. As I know only a smattering of legends, I needed more! Based on reading de Wohl's The Restless Flame about Augustine, I thought he'd be a good source for Aquinas's life story.

I chose wisely, because I thoroughly enjoyed The Quiet Light, which spent as much time on the Aquino family and their Holy Roman Emperor problems as it did on youngest, determined son Thomas. My admiration for De Wohl only increased as I saw how he used both storylines to paint a full picture of the times. Thomas in Paris proved, as his teacher Albert the Great predicted, that "this dumb ox" had a roar that would be heard throughout the world, while English knight Piers headed off to (St.) King Louis's court in Paris. Simultaneously St. Bonaventure was being called upon to defend the Franciscans. I had no idea that all these saints were contemporaneous. I especially appreciated the rare mentions of Aquinas and Bonaventure's mutual respect and friendship, always coupled with how very different both were from each other.

On a personal level, I was inspired by Thomas's ability to let insults slide off, simply ignoring them. This goes hand-in-hand with reading Fire of Mercy, Heart of the Word about the beatitude discussing meekness. It said that meekness is not being a doormat but is the ability to always be open to the opportunity to do good, to turn evil into a work for God. Methinks there is a very powerful message for me in all this.

I am not sure when De Wohl wrote this in relation to his book about St. Augustine, but this one showed considerably more expertise in conveying information while keeping the reader engaged. Although St. Thomas is seen relatively rarely in the overall story, it has the effect of making the impact much greater. I may never forget the vivid description of him dismantling the opposition's faulty treatise in front of the board of cardinals. I read it three times for the beauty and clarity of the passages.

Highly recommended.

Catholic Writers' Guild LIVE!

From my inbox comes good news for Catholic writers.

2013 Catholic Writers Conference--LIVE
Tuesday, March 19, 2013 (17:49:10)

Registration is now open for the 2013 Catholic Writers Conference LIVE!

We're heading back East. This year, we return to the place of our first conference, Somerset, New Jersey, and back to a familiar time--the first week of August.

Mark your calendars! The conference runs August 7-9, in conjunction with the Catholic Marketing Network International Trade Show. As before, membership in CWCL provides you with entry to the trade show; however, there are special events that require tickets. We should have full pricing on those special items soon.

This year we are hosting:
•workshops on marketing and writing
•presentations on marketing and selling your work
•in-person pitch sessions
•group critique sessions
•national CWG Members meeting (guests welcome, of course)

We're still firming up our speaker list - so stay tuned!

Go here for more information or to sign up.

The Apathy of Leisure

Roy H. Williams hits the nail on the head. Again. Here's a bit, then read (or listen) to his Monday Morning Memo.

A person capable of creating is happiest when they are creating.

Artists create visual and auditory artifacts that affect our thoughts, moods and attitudes. Riddle-solvers perform feats of engineering and invention. Teachers create new understanding in the minds of their students. Entrepreneurs create businesses that offer us new and different experiences. Communicators create stories and speeches and ads.

Made in the image of God, humans are creators by nature. All humans.

Yes, that includes you.

What do you create? What do you change? What effect do you have on the world around you?

The Success Myth of our culture is an evil one. We are told that "the freedom to do nothing" is the reward provided by great wealth. Have you spent much time among the idle rich? Sadly, I have, and on many occasions.

Heads Up: $1.99 Kindle Daily Deal Today - 4:50 From Paddington by Agatha Christie

I love this book which in America was titled "What Mrs. McGillicuddy Saw."

When I began browsing Agatha Christie's other Kindle titles, I saw that "They Came to Baghdad," another favorite of mine, is also $1.99. It may or may not go away after today since it isn't listed under the daily deals.

Creatures of the Abyss by Murray Leinster

Creatures of the Abyss by Murray Leinster

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I listened to the LibriVox free audio version, narrated by the wonderful Mark Douglas Nelson.

Radar expert and electronic engineer Terry Holt has been recruited by a scientific expedition in the Phillipines to make underwater listening devices. They won't tell him what his inventions are meant to investigate. And that makes him mad.

He has some ideas though. Orejas de ellos, the things who listen, have been the explanation by fishermen about strange catches of fish. Are they real or just superstition? What are the mysterious shooting stars that seem to fall with such frequency into the Luzon Deep? Why do mysterious swarms of fish gather in one specific area of the ocean?

Had Leinster been reading Jules Verne? Had he been reading H.G. Wells? Or is this a completely new creation? Those are the questions I repeatedly asked as I vacillated between three different theories about the mysterious "fish herding" and who is doing it. As Leinster always does, I was glued to this adventure story investigating what comes from the abyss, which may be deadly, especially to those who are set on discovering the truth. I will disclose only this ... I was very surprised by the end of the story. Bravo, Murray Leinster.

Reading Updates ...

From my Goodreads updates because, let's face it, I'm kind of addicted to Goodreads.

Just a couple of weeks until Google Reader shuts down ...

... and I still have no idea what I'm going to do. Curl up in a fetal position?

Actually I have updated my sidebar and will use that, at least for a while.

Tom told me that Digg is working on a reader (and if you want to know down to the second when the Google Reader shuts down, it's a handy link).

In which there is murder, mayhem, and a missing person in the night ... and a mysterious umbrella.

The latest chapter of Doan and Carstair's adventures in Mexico, The Mouse in the Mountain, is ready for your listening pleasure at Forgotten Classics.

ANGELA - Updated - You won 21 Ways to Worship by Vinny Flynn

Congratulations!

All I need is your contact info and I'll get your copy of 21 Ways to Worship in the mail!

You can email me: julie [at] glyphnet [dot] com

-----------

UPDATE
This notice has been posted for a week but I haven't heard from Angela. This is the last notice to claim the book.

If I haven't heard from Angela by next week, I'll do another drawing.

Quick Flicks ... and Some Dalek Trash Talk

Attack the Block

★★★-1/2

This one's been on my list for a couple of years and it was an unexpected delight in the same way that Pitch Black was. A good, solid monster movie with a basic puzzle to solve in order to rid oneself of the monsters. In this case, the twist is that the monsters are faced by a gang of young thugs in a council block (that translates to "the projects" in the U.S.). Thoroughly enjoyable if one doesn't expect too much from it and watching the young actors is a delight, many of whom were recruited from local acting schools.

I especially enjoyed the fact that you can tell the aliens are not CG. The young actors said that they were actually frightened during action sequences because they were acting with real, unpredictable "creatures" ... it both shows and enhances the film.

The director went to a lot of trouble to get the place right. He interviewed council block kids to find out what weapons they'd grab if aliens landed. They use real slang and at times I felt as if I were watching a foreign language film with the captions off. However, there was always enough understandable dialogue for context.

Cars 2

★★★

This was the only Pixar movie we hadn't seen so I finally bit the bullet and rented it. It wasn't bad, especially considering their true demographic is children and not me.

The animation especially was a delight, as always. We really enjoyed picking out how they had "auto-ized" famous landmarks in the cities around the world.

The plot was basic as was the dialogue, which was a disappointment considering the high standard Pixar has set for itself in those departments. However, for what it is, a movie for children, it is perfectly adequate.

Dr. Who - Doomsday (Season 2 finale)

We're gradually working our way through these and I was quite ready for Rose to be trapped in a parallel universe. She was fine, but I did get a bit tired of her. So it was all quite sad and so forth as she and the Doctor were parted.

But the real joy was watching the Cybermen face the Daleks. Hannah is far ahead of us in the show and had mentioned that the Daleks have some of the worst trash talk ever. Indeed. Here's a sample and I both loved it and cracked up simultaneously. Of course reading it just can't do the exchange justice since the Daleks continually scream their dialogue (in a robotic sort of way) and the cybermen have toneless robotic voices.

Cyber Leader: Daleks, be warned. You have declared war upon the Cybermen.
Dalek Sec: This is not war. This is pest control!
Cyber Leader: We have five million Cybermen. How many are you?
Dalek Sec: Four.
Cyber Leader: You would destroy the Cybermen with four Daleks?
Dalek Sec: We would destroy the Cybermen with one Dalek! You are superior in only one respect.
Cyber Leader: What is that?
Dalek Sec: You are superior at dying!

Worth a Thousand Words: Monk Parakeet

Monk Parakeet (Myiopsitta monachus) in the Ibera Marshes, Argentina on 2 April 2006
via Wikipedia

Just a little something to continue yesterday's theme of our new neighbors.

What's Goin' On ...

A few little things that I wanted to share ... and they just might add up to a blog post.

Two Great Podcasts - Myths of Ancient Greece and Legends of King Arthur
Paul Vincent began retelling the Greek myths to his children and then, luckily for us, he began recording them for a podcast, Myths and History of Ancient Greece. Now that he's finished the myths and begun on Greek history, he has begun a new podcast about Legends of King Arthur and His Knights. When those are done he'll follow them up with the corresponding British history.

These are great not only for the entire family but for adults as well. Paul Vincent's storytelling style brings a smile to my face because he manages to communicate so much, so simply but so well. If you have any interest in either subject, give these a try. Get them through iTunes or the links above.

Vocation is a Lack of Obstacles
Scott mentioned this to me once and I think it is a valid criteria. Certainly, we were all wondering what the deciding element would be to whether Rose stays in L.A. for a while. Until a couple of days ago, we were planning to drive out and help her move when her lease was up in August. That was all any of us had to go on in the fluctuating world of free lance work, apartment leases, and week-to-week uncertainty.

Then, suddenly, within a few days everything began to fall into place. Free lance work lined up for several months, a friend in need of living quarters replaced a departing roommate ... and so forth and so on. Ok, that's not vocation. But it certainly was an answer to prayer about "a sign, Lord, any sign..." and so we will not be driving across Death Valley in August (which I take to be another very good sign).

The Stars My Destination and Alfred Bester
I was telling my mother that Scott and I recorded our Demolished Man podcast this morning and we began talking about Alfred Bester's novels. As I've mentioned on the podcast, I read them because my parents had them sitting around the house when I was a kid. Which always seems to surprise people. Hey, my parents were sf fans from waaay back...

My mother told me that she keeps a copy of The Stars My Destination in her purse. Whenever she's stuck in a line she pulls it out to read. And when she gets to the end, she begins it again. She said that there's so much in there, you always see something new each time around.

Love it! I want to be like my mom when I'm her age.

My New Favorite Pen
I was picking up some yarn at a craft store and happened across the sketching section. I'm always looking in vain for a decent pen and suddenly realized that if there would be one anywhere, it should be here. I found Paper Mate InkJoy pens and I must say they are a smooth, satisfying writing experience.

Juvenile Grackles
Morning walks are extra fun these days because there are lots of juveniles out and about. Slender, skittering robins, mockingbirds, squirrels, and more can be seen everywhere. A special favorite of mine are the young grackles who are seen squawking, fluttering wings, and opening mouths wide to their mothers ... who are unconcernedly grabbing food and using it to entice the babies to feed themselves. After an attempt has been made, mom stuffs something into the wide open mouth, flutters somewhere nearby, and the whole routine begins again. It makes me smile every time.

Speaking of Squawking - Monk Parakeets / Quaker Parrots
I have mentioned before that we have wild parrots living near the neighborhood, thanks to nearby White Rock Lake. We were charmed this weekend that some were spending time in the neighbor's tree. I wondered if perhaps there were a nest and hatchlings. A few days later and we are considerably less charmed with the continual squawking. Flying, roosting, eating, or whatever ... all seem to require a lot of conversation. Tom feels as if our outdoors has turned into a large pet shop since the noise is reminiscent of one. However, I still enjoy trying to see if there's a nest up in that live oak tree. I can't think of any other reason that some of them would suddenly settle down there.