Well Said: Comedy and Diversity

Jerry Seinfeld responding to a question about a lack of diversity in his online series, "Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee," on CBS This Morning, February 2014.

People think it's the census or something. This has gotta represent the actual pie chart of America? Who cares? Funny is the world I live in. You're funny, I'm interested. You're not funny, I'm not interested. I have no interest in gender or race or anything like that. But everyone else is kinda with their little calculating, "Is this the exact right mix?" To me, it's anti-comedy. It's more about PC nonsense than "are you making us laugh or not?"

Precisely.

Almost Brand New Puppies

These three baby boys came in overnight with no mom. The person who found them tried to care for them the best she could, but at just a few days old, they needed more care than she could provide. Thanks to your donations of heating pads, bottles, and formula they are still alive. It's touch and go, of course, but YOU are making a difference.

Dallas Animal Services Facebook page

This takes me back to the old days when my parents raised and bred Bulmastiffs for show. We sometimes had teeny tinies like this who needed extra care. I can still remember getting the feeding tube down a bitty baby and watching it suddenly go to sleep in my hands as I pushed the syringe slowly and it became ... full.

I've gotta say that no one uses Facebook to better advantage than Dallas Animal Services. They update it continually with pictures and stories that make me feel good, know their needs, and just generally keep them top-of-mind. Aside from our Boxer needs, we generally have adopted rescue pets from the SPCA. However, the next time we'll probably go to Dallas Animal Services. The SPCA has some very generous donors and now has a "no kill" policy but Dallas Animal Services doesn't have that luxury.

Jesus: A Pilgrimage by James Martin

Jesus: A Pilgrimage by James J. Martin

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I am a fan of Father James Martin's books, especially A Jesuit Off-Broadway. When Scott chose this book for our next religious book discussion at A Good Story is Hard to Find podcast, I was excited, having been interested since I first saw it mentioned at Amazon.

This is a much thicker and more substantive book than I expected. The bibliography alone makes one step back and realize there is more hard-core scholarship than in any of his previous books. Yet it is written in Father Martin's trademark style, interspersing personal experience with the main book text. It is accessible and interesting. It isn't dumbed down and isn't too scholarly. It's juuuuust right.

Martin's goal is to help us consider our answer to Christ's question to his disciples, "Who do you say that I am?"

This means we must consider what it means to be "fully human and fully divine." Martin does a very good job of presenting a lot of contextual information for understanding Jesus' life and ministry through this lens. As we travel through the gospels, so to speak, he intertwines the various stops (recruiting the disciples, healing demoniacs, etc.) with his own pilgrimage to Israel. He then stops to place everything in the context of our own lives and is extremely generous in sharing his own life changing experiences, whether flattering or not. I especially appreciate Martin's openness in sharing the spiritual experiences he had, most notably that in the Church of the Resurrection.

I especially appreciate the way that Father Martin approaches questions from all angles. For example, when considering Christ's healings of "demoniacs," Martin isn't afraid to discuss the idea of psychological or physiological illness as a cause. This will be welcome to those who like to get down to examining facts. However, he always does this in a thoughtful, thorough, Christian way that leaves no doubt we are reading about the Messiah and that miracles can (and do) happen.

Each chapter ends with Martin's deeper thoughts on how our own lives can be enriched with the aid of what Christ has shown us about this part of his life. This is where the rubber meets the road for most of us and Martin brings great sensitivity and understanding to these pages. In fact, I was enduring great inner turmoil about something when I read Martin's thoughts of what it means to take up your cross daily. The whole section spoke to me strongly, but nothing more than "wait for the resurrection" which I sorely needed to hear that very day.

This is the sort of book that used to be much more common. To Know Christ Jesus by Francis Sheed and Life of Christ by Fulton Sheen are just a couple of the older books I've read like this.  We have been sorely in need of a new one and I'm so pleased that James Martin wrote this book which is truly a treasure for reading and rereading. I'm beginning to feel that this book might be a "must have" for Christians who want a more rounded, personal experience of Christ. Or for those who don't understand the "Christian thing" and would like some general context of their own.

I also have a feeling that a lot of readers are going to come away wanting to visit the Holy Land. Not me, but I appreciate Father Martin's descriptions as it helps me "feel" the place a bit better. And, to be fair, I've never especially felt the need to go to Rome or anywhere else on pilgrimage, for that matter.

However, what it did was help me feel a deeper familiarity, connection, friendship dare I say, with Jesus when I encounter Him in the gospels. It made me think of Father Martin's story about his spiritual director showing him a green tree and reminding him it would be red in autumn, without anyone ever seeing the gradual change. That's what happened to me. A step closer. All to the credit of this book, which is doing it without "wows" or "aha" moments. Truly that is a credit to this work.

NOTE
I also received the audiobook for review. I was eagerly anticipating this but was surprised to find that Father Martin's reading was extremely plain and without nuance or subtlety. In a sense, it was like a father reading to his children who is unused to reading aloud. I'm used to authors reading their work who are extremely good at it, such as Father Robert Barron or Neil Gaiman (yes, I know that is an unusual pair to put together but both are excellent at reading aloud).

That said, once I adjusted to Martin's style, or lack thereof, it actually worked fine for this book. In a sense, it took out any of his own personality and allowed the text to speak for itself. Which is actually just as it should be for a book like this. With that in mind, I can recommend the audiobook.

Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord

I was completely blank on today being a feast day of any sort. Thanks to Ingrid for pointing out to me that this is the Annunciation so I could join in celebrating the wonder of Mary's yes to God's messenger.

This actually makes me think about Tolkien's including March 25 as a significant date in The Lord of the Rings. (Yes, three podcasts and all that talking have left me with Tolkien on the brain.) 

I think of Tolkien mentioning in a letter that faithful Sam was truly the hero of the book. He humbly served Frodo for the love of his master. The hardships he went through as Frodo's companion were more than he'd have been able to imagine. And yet he never even considered turning back, though Elrond made it clear that anyone except Frodo could without any need to feel obligated.

Tolkien was such a devout Catholic that surely Mary's loving service and "yes" without understanding the cost to herself surely had to be part of the worldview that went into creating Sam's character. It surely helps me understand Mary just a tiny bit more.

And now with that lengthy thought out of the way, here is something from those who gave this celebration due consideration and which I last featured in 2012.

Leonardo da Vinci. The Annunciation.
Detail. c. 1472-1475. Oil and tempera on wood. Uffizi Gallery, Florence, Italy.

On today's feast the Church celebrates the mystery of the Incarnation and, at the same time, the vocation of Our Lady. It was her faithful response to the angel's message, her fiat, that began the work of redemption...

The setting of this feast day, March 25th, corresponds to Christmas. In addition, there is ancient tradition that the creation of the world and the commencement and conclusion of the Redemption all happened to coincide at the vernal equinox.

As the greatest proof of his love for us, God had his only Son become man to save us from our sins. In this way Jesus merited for us the dignity of becoming children of God. His arrival signalled the fullness of time. St. Paul puts it quite literally that Jesus was born of a woman. (cf The Navarre Bible, Romans and Galatians, note to Gal 4:4) Jesus did not come to earth as a spirit. He truly became man, like one of us. He received his human nature from Our Lady's immaculate womb. Today's feat, therefore, is really in honour of Jesus and Mary. That is why Fr. Luis de Granada has pointed out: It is reasonable to consider, first and foremost, the purity and sanctity of the Woman whom God chose 'ab aeterno' to give form to his humanity.

When God decided to create the first man, he first took care to create a fitting environment for him, which was the Garden of Eden. It makes sense, then, that when god made ready to send his Son, the Christ, he likewise prepared for him a worthy environment, namely, the body and soul of the Blessed Virgin. (Life of Jesus Christ, I)

As we consider the significance of this Solemnity, we find Jesus very closely united to Mary. When the Blessed Virgin said Yes, freely, to the plans revealed to her by the Creator, the divine Word assumed a human nature: a rational soul and a body, which was formed in the most pure womb of Mary. The divine nature and the human were united in a single Person: Jesus Christ, true God and, thenceforth, true Man; the only-begotten and eternal Son of the Father, and from that moment on, as Man, the true son of Mary. ... (J. Escriva, Friends of God, 274)

In Conversation with God,
Vol. 6: Special Feasts: January to June

Have you ever noticed how many annunciation paintings have Mary interrupted at her reading? This is because of Mary's association with the Word. I never noticed this myself until I had to look through many paintings on the subject for a book I was laying out.

Also, it's a feast day, y'all! No fasting. That means no Lenten sacrifice. So Tom can have some ice cream! It's the little things, right?

St. Peter's Bones by Thomas J. Craughwell

St. Peter's Bones: How the Relics of the First Pope Were Lost and Found . . . and Then Lost and Found Again by Thomas J. Craughwell

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

In 1939, while reconstructing the grottoes below St. Peter's Basilica, a workman's shovel struck not dirt or rock but open air. After inspecting what could be seen through the hole they'd made in the mausoleum's roof, Pope Pius XII secretly authorized a full-scale excavation. What lay beneath?

This book was interesting and well written as one would expect from Thomas J. Craughwell. However, it had a major structural flaw. What I was interested in was the discovery of St. Peter's bones by the archaeologists excavating the catacombs. Every time the action reached a peak moment the next chapter would stop and drag us back into Christian history, completely stopping the momentum and eventually frustrating me to the point where I just would skip the history in order to get back to the main story.

It is a fine thing, one supposes, to educate as one goes, but in this case it not only messed with the book overall but felt as if one were being forced to have a history lesson.

You won't be wasting your time in reading this book but a far better telling can be found in The Bones of Saint Peter by John Evangelist Walsh (my review here). He just tells the exciting story with historical bits wound in only as necessary for understanding.

St. Peter's Bones has a small amount of updated developments since the 1982 publication of The Bones of Saint Peter so there is that going for it.

NOTICE: This book was provided by the publisher for me to review. I think it's pretty obvious I didn't let that influence me.

Person of Interest: "/" "Root Path"

Holy moly the last episode knocked me out.

I was so surprised to see several threads all woven together with one big message presented from different angles: each person matters, the ends don't justify the means, and there is a big plan for each of us. These came from unexpected sources in the show also.

I especially love the way that The Machine is putting Root's personal good over it's own survival. If ever there was a Catholic theme in this show, this show had it.

The Value of Reading Exodus, a Chapter at a Time

I'm not sure how I fell into this habit.

I come home from work, fix a cuppa Joe, the dogs whisk around me excitedly as I add the milk and sugar (they know what's coming next) ... pick up my Bible from the hearth and open the patio door, the dogs race to the bottom of the yard together, and I go out to sit in the sun.

I sit in the sun and open up my Bible to Exodus to slowly read the next chapter.

I must have begun this two or three weeks before Lent began. For some reason, I'd been wanting to read Exodus for a while. Maybe because I'd read Genesis several times in the last couple of years for various reasons. (Surprisingly, you can have various reasons to read Genesis. I'd never have believed it in my pre-Christian days.)

I tried also reading commentaries but it turned out that what I wanted, deep down, was to just read the words ... and see what I found there for myself.

Maybe that's why I like the Ronald Knox translation I have been using. The lack of subheads, unobtrusive placement of verse numbers, the paragraph structure, the relatively few explanatory notes ... all these things lend themselves to simple reading. It's restful to simply sit and read.

Maybe that's also why things in the text stand out and surprise me.

I was surprised to find it dawning on me that all Moses asked of Pharaoh was to let the Hebrew slaves go worship in the desert for a few days. Not to "let my people go" out of slavery. Just to go worship ... and then they'd come back.

I guess I really absorbed more of The Ten Commandments than I realized.

Then I was bemused by Pharaoh's stubbornness. Yes, I know God said he'd harden his heart, but this looked like a familiar pattern. Something we all understood.

When he finally began to relent, Pharaoh said, well ok but you have to worship here. No leaving the country.

More plagues.

Then Pharaoh relented. A little. Ok, but who's going with  you? What? You want to take the women, children, and livestock? Absolutely not. Just the men can leave.

More plagues.

Ok, I'll let you take the women and kids. But not the livestock. No way. They stay here.

More plagues ... and the death of all the firstborn and Pharaoh's famous full relenting.

How many times have we done that? We try to work deals with God. We'll give in, a little, but we want to maintain control, have things on our own terms as much as possible. We're not fooling anyone, certainly not God. Just like Pharaoh. To think I'd never have come across that if I hadn't been just sitting and reading a little at a time.

Right now I have been working my way through the liturgical instructions that come along with receiving the tablets of commandments written "with God's own finger."

I had no idea that after hearing the commandments, Moses was sent back down the mountain to round up the top 70 elders and bring them back up as witnesses for more in-depth coverage of just how the laws would apply.

As God worked his way through all the circumstances and applications of law, I kept thinking of how these people were just like us. And they were in circumstances just like the ones that we find ourselves in. What a tangible connection between me and those long-ago people.

Even in the lengthy chapters about how the tabernacle was to be constructed, how the priests' garments were to be woven, how the poles would go through the altar, I found fascinating tidbits. I thought about how God selected the craftsmen by name, saying that their creative spirits were given by him to be used for this purpose.

I could picture the tabernacle and how the men would carry it, based on the careful description of making holes for the poles to go through. It also gave me a sense of just how deeply the connection went for the Hebrew people to their temple. If God cared so much about these details, they surely would carry over to everything connected to him. I felt it in a deeper way than merely "knowing" the facts.

I'm not always fascinated. But I read it anyway and there is always something that I stop and think about. This is truly a different sort of Bible reading for me.

After I'm done I will most probably pick my Navarre Bible and read through the commentary. But for now, experiencing the Word without a filter is a truly enlightening and inspirational journey into the desert.

DVD Review: The Faithful Traveler in the Holy Land

This review is by Scott Danielson, my podcasting partner over at A Good Story is Hard to Find podcast.

I haven't made a trip to The Holy Land, but would like to go. There's got to be something special about walking where Jesus and his contemporaries walked. The escape from day-to-day life into a world that's very different (for me) yet very familiar. I imagine contemplative moments taken after stepping away from the groups, where one can really process the fact that one is truly and actually in the Holy Land. I imagine that such a trip would be faith affirming, and... well, there's no need to imagine what it would be like because Diana von Glahn took us along with her on a tour.

The Faithful Traveler in the Holy Land is a joyful, personal, and informative travelogue. Diana is the host and her husband David shoots and directs the show.

I thoroughly enjoyed all six episodes. The tour starts at Mount Carmel and ends with the Via Dolorosa and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. On the way, Diana shows us the Dead Sea, Bethlehem, Jerusalem's Walls, the Sea of Galilee, and many other places.

On of the reasons for my enjoyment is that Diana not only explains the historical significance of the art and architecture she encounters, but she also shares her faith. Sometimes clearly moved, she shares her personal thoughts at several of the sites. In turn, I come away from this series moved myself. I'm both thankful for the experience of having watched and am more eager to take a trip myself.

But whether I take that trip or not, I appreciate and agree with what Diana said near the end of the series as she muses about whether or not the contested sites along the Via Dolorosa are the actual path that Christ took to Golgotha:

What matters is what's in our hearts and what we bring to these windy streets. Whether we meet Jesus along them, I think, depends on our willingness and desire to do so. Our frame of mind. And the openness of our hearts.

Amen.

The Faithful Traveler is available on DVD and is also airing on EWTN. For more information, visit The Faithful Traveler website.

PILGRIMAGE
Diana and David von Glahn have organized a pilgrimage to the Holy Land for this summer. I've got to say that were I ever to go on pilgrimage, this is the group I'd want to go with. Who wouldn't want to hang out with Diana? (Probably with David too, but I haven't seen him on screen ... so I've got nothin' to work with here.)

We just can't stop talking about The Lord of the Rings ...

... so we watched all the movies (extended editions, 12 hours well spent) and went on talking! Catch it in episode 79 of A Good Story is Hard to Find podcast.

Good Pope, Bad Pope by Mike Aquilina

Good Pope, Bad Pope: Their Lives, Our Lessons by Mike Aquilina

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Of course, we all know about Pope Francis.

Even when he became a bishop and then a cardinal, he was in the habit of walking rather than riding, fasting, staying up all night to pray, and in general acting more like a humble servant than like a prince. But now that he was a pope, he was surrounded by imperial pomp. Would it change him?

The people knew right away that this pope was different. He gave his gifts to the poor.

The change of tone did not stop there. He lived in the magnificent palaces built by his predecessors, but he lived like a man who had taken a vow of poverty. He would visit the bedsides of the sick, minister to lepers, and wash the feet of the poor.

Except this isn't about Pope Francis.

It is about Michele Ghisleri, elected pope in 1566, who became Pope Pius V. (I changed just a bit of the wording to avoid mentioning Pius's name, or the Borgias and Medicis ...) When I read this, though, it was obvious that our good Pope Francis was not unique and would have been easily recognizable to Catholics in 1566. That's just one of the interesting things I found out when reading Good Pope, Bad Pope.

I was intrigued by the idea of reading about some bad popes (aside from the usual acknowledgement of their existence and then ... let's never speak of them again). As it turns out, this book was unexpectedly inspiring. The good popes, of course, one expects to be inspiring. However, by placing bad popes firmly in context of their time and without making apologies for their terrible moral qualities, Mike Aquilina shows that these men's shortcomings actually helped keep them from damaging the Church.

Pope Alexander VI, born Rodrigo Borgia, who was roundly hated by the people of Rome sowed the seeds of much needed reform with his appalling behavior. Pope Virgilius worked like a dog to become pope so he could lend support to his favorite heresy. But once he was installed he seemed to lose interest and actually became quite orthodox. I found this not only fascinating but inspiring as a record of the Holy Spirit's safeguarding of the Church under even the worst leaders.

This was a great, quick read and it fills in a gap in Catholic history that we would rather sweep under the rug. Highly recommended.

Mere Christianity by C. S. Lewis

Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

C.S. Lewis explores the common ground upon which all of those of Christian faith stand together. Bringing together Lewis’ legendary broadcast talks from World War Two, Mere Christianity provides an unequaled opportunity for believers and nonbelievers alike to hear this powerful apologetic for the Christian faith.

I recall reading this some time ago and really liking it. Having grown to think of Geoffrey Howard's narration as C.S. Lewis's voice when listening to Out of the Silent Planet and Perelandra, I was interested to hear him read this nonfiction.

I also was interested to reread this because one of the most common critiques I see of this book is that it isn't easy for modern minds to relate to it. That puzzled me because I didn't recall anything that was particularly specific to the 1940s, other than perhaps an occasional reference to Nazis as examples of evil doers. And those sorts of references are easily understood even in these "modern" times if one gauges the matter from TV and movies.

Having read the book, I don't understand that critique. I suspect that those who have such complaints are not being fully honest with why they might not approve of some parts of what Lewis is saying. They need not agree, but what he says is actually the way Christians see the world.

I enjoyed this immensely as an extremely logical and understandable explanation to which anyone can relate. One need not agree with the author about Christianity or God, but one gets an excellent description of how a Christian understands the world. And that is a valuable thing these days, it seems to me. It is also a good devotional as I was reminded of many of the basics upon which my life is based and to which I aspire.

When the owner's away ...

The dog is not allowed on the bed. The owner set up a camera to see what happens when he is gone. This made me laugh. It is just what Kaylee would do ...




Via Miss Cellania (language warning for some entries on her blog).

Review: Today We Saw the Face of God

This little documentary tells the story of the final day of a medical team visiting Haiti to provide regular medical care to villagers near Port au Prince. Just as they are ready to leave, the catastrophic 2010 earthquake happens and they are thrust into the center of the disaster.

I enjoyed the way this documentary didn't only focus the medical team's experiences after the earthquake but also gave us a good idea of what it  was like beforehand. We got to see the Haitians as regular people, coming for medical treatment in everyday life. We also got to know the mission team members a bit as they told about their reactions to Haiti before the disaster. This made the impact of their story afterward all the more interesting.

I have to say that for a movie with the title "Today We Saw the Face of God," there was remarkably little talk about faith in the film. That was rather surprising and led to a bit of a shallower feel than I'd have expected. Why were these people moved to make the medical mission? It seemed clear from remarks made at the end that they were moved by their faith but we were left to put that together ourselves. There were some other moments where we were left to connect of the dots ourselves more than I'd have liked also, most of them seeming to do with faith.

Those quibbles aside, the documentary is worth watching as this team seemed to be the only stopgap in place before the emergency teams got to the island after the disaster. It is a view into a situation that is blessedly unimaginable for most of us.

FULL DISCLOSURE
This is a documentary that Rose, our youngest daughter, edited when she was a senior in film school. I don't think it swayed my reaction. But there's always that possibility.

Book Bingo 4 - A Book With Mystery

Now this is an easy one. I'd finished an audio book and was wanting to get back to my favorite back-up audio, something featuring Sherlock Holmes read by Derek Jacobi.

In this case, the audiobook I turned to is the last collection of Holmes short stories: The Casebook of Sherlock Holmes.

Nothing could be more splendid than the way Jacobi characterizes Holmes, lightly and with a touch of playfulness ... almost like a seriously minded Bertie Wooster. It lightens up the Holmes-Watson relationship quite a bit and makes these a sheer delight. I'm on the third or fourth story and they do seem to be more of a mixed bag than the usual lot, but Jacobi's narration makes me simply enjoy the ride no matter where it takes us.

Best Kept Secret in Dallas: Sorolla and America

We went to the Meadows Museum at SMU yesterday to see the Sorolla and America exhibit. Sorolla has long been one of my favorite artists. The opportunity to see 150 of his paintings up close was too good to be true, especially in this venue which rarely seems to have anyone in it. (The Meadows Museum - best kept secret in Dallas).

And Thursday nights are free! Better and better.

I swiped the above photo display from lines and colors which had a notice about this show some time ago. It includes some of my favorites from the display. I especially loved the portrait of Louis Tiffany in his garden. Color was so important to Tiffany's own art that it must have been irresistible to include all those blossoms around him.

The show will be in Dallas for another month and then is moving on to San Diego and Madrid.

The Meadows Museum in Dallas, in cooperation with the San Diego Museum of Art and Fundación MAPFRE, has assembled over 100 works by the Spanish master Joaquín Sorolla y Bastida for an exhibition titled “Sorolla and America“. 

The exhibition will be on display at the Meadows Museum until April 19, 2014; it then moves to the The San Diego Museum of Art (May 30-August 26, 2014) and Fundación MAPFRE in Madrid (September 23, 2014-January 11, 2015).

Well Said: The manner in which one lives

… what is important is less the environment in which one lives than the manner in which one lives there. Adam was lost in Paradise and Lot saved in Sodom.

Virgil Georghiu

Oy. Veh. Sobering words. How am I living right where I was planted, here in Texas?

Just Married by Dr. Greg and Lisa Popcak

Just Married: The Catholic Guide to Surviving and Thriving in the First Five Years of Marriage by Gregory K. Popcak

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This is now the book I'm going to give newlyweds. I wish we'd had it when we got married. I wasn't religious at all then and my husband was not a practicing Catholic. Nevertheless, I stand by that. It would have helped us tremendously.

I don't like self-help books generally but this one is spot-on for issues that we've encountered in our 30 years of marriage and after helping with our parish's marriage retreat for seven years.

Greg and Lisa Popcak are at very good putting issues in a way that both opens our eyes and makes us want to do better. These three tidbits were in the same section, although not connected by the authors in the way I'm going to do below. They are a sample of what stayed with me from the book. And, to be honest, they stayed with me months after I read the book.

The biggest contributor to marital problems and, eventually, marital breakdown is that husbands and wives tend to love their own comfort zones more than they love each other.

Ow. Recognize anyone? I did. In the mirror.

With that in mind, consider this.

The fact that marriage is a sacrament means, at least in part, that marriage is all about getting you and your spouse out of your comfort zones in order to create a unified couple.

Woah. That elevates our marriage and my feelings about my place in it. It's more important than just me and my husband.

And now, to the practicalities.

Learning to love your spouse more than you love your comfort zone means being willing to be loving to your spouse in ways that make absolutely no sense to you but mean everything to your mate.

Ok. It doesn't have to make sense. And that in itself, in a funny way, does make sense.

Make no mistake. This is a self-help style book. It has lists, it has exercises, it has "Lisa says" and "Greg says," and so forth and so on.

However, also make no mistake about this: it's a treasure for every newly married couple and for those who have been married much longer. Definitely recommended.

Worth a Thousand Words: Chestnut in Blossom

Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1841–1919), Chestnut in Blossom
via Wikimedia Commons

Inspired by lines and color's post featuring many of Renoir's landscapes.

Well Said: If I really believe Christ is in control ...

I realized, in the end, that if I really believe that Christ is in control then he is also in control of the Catholic Church, knows what he is doing there and always has. … The Bible does not give leaving and founding one’s own church as an option during difficult times—to do so is a direct contradiction of scripture. On the contrary, we are to stay put, keep our eyes on christ, and refuse to get caught up in division and controversy. Our job is not to run the Church or run away from the Church, but to love the Church and each other in the Church, and Christ above all, as one, and stay put in the Church. …

Historical Christian blog

Yep. This is a truth that goes back to the very beginning, never mind 1500 years after it was all founded. Do we believe what He told us or not? Do we trust Him or not? 

I'm lucky because this has been something I chose as an adult and it has been a joy for me to be Catholic. That doesn't mean it has always been easy. But we weren't promised "easy." We were promised that true followers will have to pick up their cross and follow Him.

Win a "CATHOLICISM" trip to Rome and Paris

I'm a real fan of Father Robert Barron's book Catholicism (my review here). When my husband and I helped with RCIA last year, they were using the DVD series to supplement the classes and we fell in love with those as well.

I am delighted to see how well the book has done (over 100,000 copies sold!). I'm even more delighted to see that this has prompted a sweepstakes for a trip to Rome and Paris. Wow, talk about a dream coming true for the winner of that sweet deal.

So here are all the details below ... quick, go sign up!

(And if you haven't read the book, grab yourself a copy. It is a sweet deal on its own. One that keeps giving every time you pick it up.)

========================================================================

How would you like to go to Mass at Sacre Coeur Basilica in Paris, explore the home of St. Therese of Lisieux, and attend a Papal Audience at St. Peter's Basilica?  One lucky winner and their guest will have the chance to do all this and more with Catholicism Sweepstakes sponsored by Image Books and Word on Fire.

Fr. Robert Barron’s book Catholicism has sold over 100,000 copies and has deepened the faith of Catholics around the world. To celebrate, Image Books and Word on Fire are partnering to send two people on the trip of a lifetime.

One winner and a guest will travel to Rome and Paris with 206 Tours to view firsthand some of the marvelous places explored in the book.

The sweepstakes runs from March 11 to May 2, 2014 and is open to legal residents of the contiguous United States, including the District of Columbia (excluding Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico), who are the age of 18 or older at time of entry.

Twenty-five (25) runners-up will each receive a copy of Father Robert Barron’s DVD box set, Catholicism(valued at $99.00).

Official sweepstakes rules can be found here. 

To view package specifics, visit the 206 Tours website.

To enter the Catholicism Sweepstakes, go here.