An Easter Weekend Story American Media Isn't Mentioning

I was shocked and saddened to see the story of terrorists bombing a park and playground in Pakistan because Christians are known to gather there on Easter. I know this might seem like a stupid reaction but I can't help thinking, "what is wrong with these people?"

I was equally shocked to read reports that the Indian priest kidnapped by ISIS linked terrorists was crucified on Good Friday. (Though those reports are currently unsubstantiated.) I've been praying for him and the report unexpectedly brought tears to my eyes.

Mother Angelica died on Easter and that news seems so appropriate. I've never paid much attention to EWTN but I know the huge contribution it made and the big impact that Mother Angelica has had on so many lives.

These are all stories you see floating around news aggregators and social media.

Here's one, though, that American media has all but ignored. As reported by GetReligion,

Coverage in British newspapers [as opposed to BBC broadcast] has been much more blunt. Consider the top paragraphs in The Telegraph, which jump straight to the religious details that make this crime so dramatic.

A popular shopkeeper was stabbed to death by another Muslim in a "religiously prejudiced" attack hours after posting an Easter message on Facebook to "my beloved Christian nation".

Asad Shah, 40, a devout Muslim originally from the Pakistani city of Rabwah, had his head stamped on during a savage attack, according to one eyewitness.

Around four hours earlier the victim wrote online: "Good Friday and a very Happy Easter, especially to my beloved Christian nation. "Let's follow the real footstep of beloved holy Jesus Christ and get the real success in both worlds."

On Friday afternoon, police confirmed that a 32-year-old Muslim man had been arrested in connection with Mr Shah's death.

The victim had a history – in social media – of rejecting violence by radicalized Muslims and calling for peace and understanding between people of different faiths. His neighbors, of all faiths, immediately began raising funds to try to help his family.

My husband and I were just discussing this morning why more moderate Muslims weren't speaking up or otherwise helping to stop the radicalized terrorists. Of course, one answer was just the sad response that we see from the story above.

But I love that Mr. Shah didn't let that stop him, though the danger would be obvious. He is a real life hero. His courage deserves to be celebrated. Shame on American media for not even reporting the story.

Worth a Thousand Words: October and November again

October and November series
by Brian at the blue hour

Worth a Thousand Words: Dog's Head

James Ward, Dog’s Head
via Arts Everyday Living

That looks like essence of terrier, doesn't it!

Worth a Thousand Words: The Bow

The Bow
painted by Edward B Gordon

Well Said: Christ and the Interesting Life

There is no need to fear that living in Christ and working for him would be consigning ourselves to a drab, colorless life. The life stories of the saints are a refutation of that worry. As a general rule, the saints who lived and worked for God are seen to have highly interesting lives. There is an ancient Latin phrase that runs: cui servire regnare est — to serve him is perfect freedom — a freedom, one might add, that is not devoid of joy.

Monsignor James Turro

Worth a Thousand Words: Fin

Fin
painted by James Neil Hollingsworth

Worth a Thousand Words: Henrietta Ward’s Pet Guinea Pigs

James Ward, Double Portrait of Henrietta Ward’s Pet Guinea Pigs, 1843
via Arts Everyday Living

Mother Teresa to be Canonized on Sept. 4

This was announced with the upcoming canonization of four other saints. Having just finished Dante's Paradiso, I can't help thinking of all of them using that imagery: as part of the Empyrean (the celestial rose formed by Mary and the saints as they gaze on the face of God in the center, with angels fluttering back and forth like bees).

...  the Holy Father announced the upcoming canonization of five new saints, including Blessed Mother Teresa of Kolkata (née Anjezë Gonxhe Bojaxhiu), whose work among the “poorest of the poor” won her worldwide acclaim. Hundreds of Missionaries of Charity, members of the religious order founded by Mother Teresa, are expected to be in Rome for her canonization, set for 4 September 2016.

From Poland, Blessed Stanisłaus of Jesus and Mary (né Jan Papczynski) was a member of the Piarist Order. After leaving the Piarists, Bd Stanisłaus founded the Marians of the Immaculate Conception.

Blessed Maria Elizabeth Hesselblad of Sweden, a convert from Lutheranism, founded a new branch of Bridgettine sisters, dedicated to working and praying for the unity of Scandinavian Christians with the Church. She will be the first Swedish saint in more than 600 years.

The two northern Europeans will be canonized together on Sunday, 5 June, of this year.

The Holy Father also announced the canonization of Blessed José Gabriel del Rosario, from Pope Francis’ native Argentina, known as the “gaucho priest.” Like the famous Argentinian cattlemen, he travelled on a mule throughout the vast territory of his parish in order to be close to the members of his flock.

He will be canonized on 16 October 2016, along with Blessed José Luis Sánchez del Río of Mexico. Blessed José was just fourteen-years-old when he was martyred by the Mexican government during the Cristeros War, after refusing to deny his Faith.

Vatican Radio

Worth a Thousand Words: October and November once more

October and November series
by Brian at the blue hour

The Holly is Alive with Bees!

Stock photography

Idly looking out the window on Sunday I saw a lot of gnats flitting around our holly bushes. When I got out there it turns out they were actually bees. So many bees, all busily going from blossom to blossom. Even the occasional wasp was in the crowd. They had a very different style though. Instead of quick canvassing, the wasps were slowly and methodically covering each blossom thoroughly before moving to another.

Now I'd never even noticed the holly bushes had blossoms. They are tiny and nondescript to our eyes. But they have a heavenly scent. I'd wondered for years what was giving off  that scent as I'd go into our office or front yard. As I said, the blossoms are so nondescript that I never noticed them before.

When I walked onto our porch after bee watching I was hit with the scent which had accumulated under our eaves. Directly sniffing the blossoms (at my own risk from busy bees) yielded nothing. The scent had to gather, it seemed.

These holly bushes suddenly took on extra value. I'd always liked that they provided berries for sparrows, cardinals, and robins in late winter. I also appreciated that squirrels and small birds liked hiding in them. Now I could see they perfume the air and feed the bees!

It makes me look at those prickly leaves much more forgivingly. Once again, there is so much that we think we know all about but which has hidden dimensions, if only we open our eyes and see. (Or noses and sniff. Take your pick!)

Ours are Burford Holly bushes which you may read about here.

Worth a Thousand Words: Margin O

A face drawn inside the O on the title page
of Rye House Plot Trials, 1683-4.
Via Letterology

Well Said: Because of a Presence ...

"But a very little while" and a change we could never imagine will happen. The lowly will find joy and the poor will rejoice. Why? Because of a Presence that even a blind man can sense. "Have pity on us!" The Lord Jesus took compassion on us in order that he might call us to himself and not scare us away. He comes as someone gentle, someone humble.

Saint Ambrose

Beginning on Forgotten Classics: Talents Incorporated by Murray Leinster

Now beginning on Forgotten Classics: Talents Incorporated by Murray Leinster.

This is a light-hearted story about planetary invasion and misfits with oddball paranormal talents. Can Talents Incorporated information save Kandar from bloodthirsty conquest? You can depend on it!

When Watson Met Mary: The Sign of the Four by Arthur Conan Doyle

Jesse, Maissa, and I discuss the second of the Sherlock Holmes novels, one with unexpectedly exotic story lines, on SFFaudio.

Worth a Thousand Words: Let Sleeping Swine Lie

James Ward, The head and front leg of a sleeping swine

Slow Horses by Mick Herron

Slow Horses by Mick Herron

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Slow Horses builds from the idea that the punishment for spies who have failed at their jobs is to send them to Slough House where they do paperwork. The idea is logical but humorous at the same time. They spend all their time longing to get back in the field.

When a young man is abducted and his kidnappers threaten to broadcast his beheading live on the Internet, everyone from Slough House is intensely interested. Then they realize that they will simply be part of the viewing public since they aren't really spies anymore. Except, of course, that wouldn't make much of a story. River Cartwright sees this as an opportunity to redeem himself and soon the rest of the Slow Horses are pulled into the effort.

My favorite character was the Slough House boss, Jackson Lamb, who makes sure his crew knows they are mediocre, doesn't care a flip for them, and yet commands their respect because they all know he was a big field agent back in the day. His sardonic comments never failed to crack me up.

This was simply terrific. The humor is understated, the writing evokes London wonderfully, the plot twists like a pretzel but never loses you, and the suspense ratchets up so that by the end I was simply longing to see villains get their comeuppance.

I listened to Sean Barrett's reading, which was simply wonderful.

Well Said: Fighting error

Fight all error, but do it with good humor, patience, kindness and love. Harshness will damage your own soul and spoil the best cause.

St. John Cantius

Worth a Thousand Words: October and November

October and November series
by Brian at the blue hour

Well Said: Criticism and Authors

In a recent criticism on this position I saw it remarked that all this is reading into Dickens something that he did not mean; and I have been told that it would have greatly surprised Dickens to be informed that he "went down the broad road of the Revolution." Of course it would. Criticism does not exist to say about authors the things that they knew themselves. It exists to say the things about them which they did not know themselves.

G.K. Chesterton, Appreciations and Criticisms

of the Works of Charles Dickens

This Just In: When You Suffer by Jeff Cavins

When You Suffer: Biblical Keys for Hope and Understanding by Jeff Cavins

When You Suffer is a refreshing look at the mystery of pain and suffering and how to find meaning and even joy in the midst of it. Jeff Cavins discusses why we suffer and how our suffering can draw us closer to God. He explains that suffering is the greatest opportunity to love as Christ loves and how, by “offering up” our suffering, we join in Christ’s mission to redeem the world.

Lent does seem like the perfect time to read this book, especially as we draw closer to Holy Week. Reading a book about suffering, though, isn't normally my cup of tea. But all it took was the first chapter for me to change my mind.

By comparing an ideal day to a real day, Cavins reminded me that suffering often isn't on the grand scale of experiencing an earthquake. Plenty of small things add up to suffering in everyday life. None of us escape it. He uses that as a springboard to compare the classical idea of happiness (living as a good person) to the modern idea (feeling good). From there he examines the different types of suffering (physical, moral, etc.)

Our "ideal day" isn't ever going to happen because real life is messier than our dreams. So how do we live real life with meaning and even joy?

That's just the first chapter but the stage is set for us to discover more. It's all written in a personable, practical way that is easy to understand.

I can't wait for the rest of the book but since I've got a tall "to read" stack ahead of this, I wanted to give you a heads up on this one.