Worth a Thousand Words: Embraced by the Raging Waves

Embraced by the raging waves
taken by Remo Savisaar

Well Said: Which path one chooses

As for me, I believe in a good God and in a life that is on the side of good, a life in which it is not a matter of indifference whether one takes one path or another.

Paul Claudel

Real Music by Anthony Esolen

Real Music

A Guide to the Timeless Hymns of the Church
by Anthony Esolen

I am writing this book to bring back the words of great Christian hymns, most of which are no longer heard anywhere. These hymns are not pious sentiments (or, worse, self-celebrating sentiments or social propaganda) set to a catchy tune. They are works of art. They are, at their best, profound meditations upon the meaning of Scripture, their artistry serving to help us to see truths we may have missed or to hear in our hearts, not only in our ears, the implications of the Word of God for our lives. they are verbal and melodic icons of Jesus Christ.

I'm lucky enough to be part of a parish which offers a rich variety of music and our choice is the 11:00 Mass, where we often sing same great hymns that Anthony Esolen writes about in this stellar book.

Esolen's translation of Dante and his commentary on the missal, The Beauty of the Word, are favorites of mine. His adroit connecting of poetry and prayer with underlying meanings have often opened my eyes and inspired me. Naturally I was eager to see what he would show me in some of my favorite hymns. (Without the music, it's hard to have a complete experience so a CD of 18 beautifully sung hymns is included with the book, though that is far from the complete number that Esolen examines.)

He begins with the psalms and how many classic hymns have come from them. Then he looks at how the English poet would focus on a particular aspect of a psalm and develop it as a bit of theology for us to sing.

I've loved these hymns for their rich imagery and meaning but never made the sorts of connections that Esolen points out. That is why it is so good to have Anthony Esolen for a guide. He clearly loves the theology, poetry, and meaning of each hymn.

Here's an example, from the chapter "Who is Christ?"

The glory of these forty days
We celebrate with songs of praise;
For Christ, by Whom all things were made,
Himself has fasted and has prayed.

The poetry is so straightforward that we might miss the artistry. Notice the word glory. That should surprise us. When Jesus went forth into the desert, what glory accompanied Him? No train of disciples, no fanfare, no parade, no earthquake. The glory, then, must subsist in the very absence of the manifestations of glory. It susbsists in loving humility—a glory the world misses.

Thus we can understand the first part of the stanza only in the context of the last part. This is what's glorious: Christ by Whom the world was brought into being (cf. Jn 1:3), Himself has fasted and has prayed. He Himself has done so. The pronoun is emphatic. The richness of the world's being—all things—is placed in contrast with Jesus' depriving Himself of food, and His attitude of complete openness, complete self-emptying, in prayer before the Father.

We sing These Forty Days all the time during Lent but until I read Esolen's explanation, the hymn never came fully alive.

Chapters range from The Psalms to the Nativity, the Cross and the Resurrection to Our Love for Jesus to The Glory of God, and, of course, much more. Not only does this book help us to enter into each song, it gives us spiritual food in helping us understand and grow closer to God.

I can't recommend Real Music highly enough. Read it and then go ask your music director to slip some of these classics into his regular repertoire. They're good for the soul.

Worth a Thousand Words: Projet d'aménagement de la Grande Galerie du Louvre

Hubert Robert - Projet d'aménagement de la Grande Galerie du Louvre (1796)
via Wikipedia

Perils of the Home Office

Political analysis pales when the kids pop into the room during a live BBC interview. And I thought it was bad when the dogs bark during a phone call.

(Video via The Guardian)

Well Said: Cornbread and Time

Shamelessly, I often opt to buy the boxed, inferior version of everything for the sake of time. Why is it that I utilize the most modern time-saving technology known to humankind and yet I never have enough time? I can't even find the time to make homemade cornbread. It's tragic.

Jacqueline Rhodes, The Soul of Soul Food
from The Spirit of Food

This is the modern curse and once we recognize it, we have to take determined steps to fix it in our own lives. A good way to start is to make a great batch of cornbread. I can help with that.

What We've Been Watching: Dietrich, Hepburn, Chess Playing, and a Big Shipwreck

Creature Comforts
★★★★★

Stop-motion animated series with a cast of animals, sound-biting on specific topics such as sporting adventures, Christmas, and visits to veterinarians. The show satirizes modern man on the street and documentary interviews, responding to unseen questioners. The voices of the characters are supplied by everyday people speaking varied regional accents, credited as The Great British Public. The creatures are portrayed in their own habitats. Creature Comforts was originally a short film, then a series of highly popular commercials, later a U.S. series. - Written by David Stevens, IMDB

We've been watching the American series which the library had in dvd format. These are surprisingly charming and funny. The animators did a great job of matching animals with recurring interview subjects and you feel as if you know them by the time they come around in different episodes. A gentle and humorous antidote to a stressful day!

The Scarlet Empress 1934
★★★★

Sophia Frederica (Dietrich) is minor German royalty who is is brought to Russia by at the behest of Empress Elizabeth (Dresser) to marry her half-wit nephew (Jaffe) and refresh the blood line. Sophia, renamed Catherine by the Empress, is a virtuous and innocent girl. Unfortunately nothing remains pure for long in the Russian court. We see sweet Sophia become Catherine the Great in a film that is a tour de force for both Dietrich and legendary director Josef von Sternberg.

The images from this movie may remain seared on my mind forever. Marlene Dietrich is completely believable in the range from pure innocence to the disillusioned empress who is subverting the mad tsar's army man by man. The surreal set designs reflecting the decadence and inner corruption of the court, making the spaces seem immense while simultaneously cramming everyone practically on top of each other. The direction which makes me finally see why this director was so acclaimed. I'm pretty sure I'll never watch it again but I know I'll never forget it.

A Night to Remember 1958
★★★★★

On April 14, 1912, the "unsinkable" Titanic struck an iceberg. In less than three hours, it had plunged to the bottom of the sea, taking with it more than 1,500 of its 2,200 passengers. In his unforgettable render­ing of Walter Lord's book of the same name, the acclaimed British director Roy Ward Baker depicts with sensitivity, awe, and a fine sense of tragedy the ship's last hours.

I got this for my husband because it is supposed to be one of the most historically accurate movies made. I didn't expect to be so involved that the time flew by, that I would be moved to tears, that I would long for history to be rewritten. I know I will watch it again so I can track characters better through the story. A great film.

Queen of Katwe 2016
★★★★½

Living in the slum of Katwe in Kampala, Uganda, is a constant struggle for 10-year-old Phiona (Madina Nalwanga) and her family. Her world changes one day when she meets Robert Katende (David Oyelowo) who coaches soccer and teaches children to play chess. Phiona soon becomes a top player under Katende's guidance. But she must learn more than the game as she is exposed to life outside Katwe. — Wikipedia summary


Oh the difference a director makes! In lesser hands than Mira Nair's this would have been an ordinary "family film." Instead we got a work with subtlety, nuance, and a definite sense of place.

It was a touch long. By the time we got to the final chess tournament I felt as if I'd been to two too many. However, in the long run that is neither here nor there.

The Philadelphia Story 1940
★★★★★

Katharine Hepburn is the daughter of a wealthy family and about to marry for the second time. In walks her cunning ex-husband Cary Grant with tabloid reporter James Stewart in tow and disrupts everything.

Casting, witty lines, examination of class, marriage, and judging others ... this film is practically perfect in every way.

I especially like the way they continually introduce typical comic misunderstandings or secrets upon which plot points would normally turn - only to clear them up almost immediately by having someone tell everyone what's really going on. It's a nice way to point out this is playing at a higher level than the normal comedy.

Worth a Thousand Words: Early Spring-Bluebonnets and Mesquite

Julian Onderdonk, Early Spring—Bluebonnets and Mesquite

Lenten Friday Meatless Meal: North African Eggs

Eggs poached in a flavorful tomato sauce make a wonderful meatless meal and are a lot more filling than you would think. Get them at Meanwhile, Back in the Kitchen.

Worth a Thousand Words: Anna Pavlova

Anna Pavlova by John Lavery

Well Said: Knowing Another Soul

Fred fancied that he saw to the bottom of his uncle Bulstrode's soul, though in reality half what he saw there was no more than the reflex of his own inclinations. The difficult task of knowing another soul is not for young gentlemen whose consciousness is chiefly made up of their own wishes.

George Eliot, Middlemarch

What I'm Reading: Strangers in a Strange Land by Charles J. Chaput

Or, as I've begun calling it around here, the anti-Benedict Option book. So I just thought I'd give y'all a heads up.

Strangers in a Strange Land: 
Living the Catholic Faith in a Post-Christian World
by Charles J. Chaput

A vivid critique of American life today and a guide to how Christians—and particularly Catholics--can live their faith vigorously, and even with hope, in a post-Christian public square.

A kind Happy Catholic reader gave me this book. It only took reading the introduction and first chapter to make it clear that this is the anti-"Benedict Option" book:

But we can't simply withdraw from public affairs. Saint Benedict could retreat to the Italian countryside, but Augustine was a bishop intimately tied to his people and their society. For Augustine, the classic civic virtues named by Cicero — prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance—can be renewed and elevated, to the benefit of all citizens, by the Christian virtues of faith, hope and charity.

Gauntlet thrown. Interesting-er and interesting-er. I'm really looking forward to reading this.

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

UPDATE - chapter 2 brings the third mention of not hiding away:

All of which underscores a simple fact: The surest way to transform a culture is from the inside out. And the surest path to doing it isn't through reasoned debate (too tedious) or violence (too costly) but by colonizing and reshaping the culture's appetites and behaviors.

Bam.

Well Said: Perfect and Bulletproof

Perfect and bulletproof are seductive, but they don't exist in the human experience.

Brené Brown, Daring Greatly

Worth a Thousand Words: At the Edge of Canyon

At the Edge of Canyon
another gem taken by Remo Savisaar

Genesis Notes: Ishmael's Resume

Ishmael is usually a character who gets eclipsed by the dramatic tale of Abraham and Isaac. And yet I always feel sorry for that favored, much loved son who is suddenly cast out into the desert. No wonder he cried, despite his years. Everything he knew had been ripped away from him.

This resume shows us the whole picture so we can get perspective on Ishmael.

Hagar and Ishmael in desert, Grigoriy Ugryumov

Much of what happened throughout his life cannot be blamed on Ishmael. He was caught in a process much bigger than himself. However, his own actions showed that he had chosen to become part of the problem and not part of the solution. He chose to live under his circumstances rather than above them.

Strengths and accomplishments:

• One of the first to experience the physical sign of God's covenant, circumcision 
•  Known for his ability as an archer and hunter 
•  Fathered 12 sons who became leaders of warrior tribes

Weaknesses and mistakes:

• Failed to recognize the place of his half brother, Isaac, and mocked him

Lessons from his life:

• God's plans incorporate people's mistakes

Vital statistics:

• Where: Canaan and Egypt
• Occupation: Hunter, archer, warrior
• Relatives: Parents - Hagar and Abraham. Half brother - Isaac.

Key verses:
"God heard the boy crying, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, 'What is the matter, Hagar? Do not be afraid; God has heard the boy crying as he lies there. Lift the boy up and take him by the hand, for I will make him into a great nation'" (Genesis 21:17, 18).

Ishmael's story is told in Genesis 16-17; 25:12-18; 28:8, 9; 36:1-3. He is also mentioned in 1 Chronicles 1:28-31; Romans 9:7-9; Galatians 4:21-31.

All quotes from Life Application Study Bible. This series first ran in 2004 and 2005. I'm refreshing it as I go. For links to the whole study, go to the Genesis Index. For more about the resources used, go here.

Well Said: The danger ...

The danger is not lest the soul should doubt whether there is bread, but lest, by a lie, it should persuade itself it is not hungry.

Simone Weil

Worth a Thousand Words: Roosters

Ito Jakuchu, Roosters

Well Said: No Time for Being

When I am constantly running there is no time for being. I will never understand the silent dying of the green pie-apple tree if I do not slow down and listen to what the Spirit is telling me, telling me of the death of trees, the death of planets, of people, and what all these deaths mean in the light of love of the Creator, who brought them all into being, who brought me into being, and you.

This questioning of the meaning of being, and dying and being, is behind the telling of stories around tribal fires at night; behind the drawing of animals on the walls of caves; the singing of melodies of love in spring, and of the death of green in autumn. It is part of the deepest longing of the human psyche, a recurrent ache in the hearts of all God’s creatures.

So when the two messages, Listen to the silence. Stay open to the voice of the Spirit, and Slow me down, Lord, came, I was forced to listen, and even to smile …

Madeleine L'Engle, Walking on Water

You could hardly ask for a better reason to embrace Lent could you? Lord, slow me down, help me listen.

Worth a Thousand Words: In The Blossoming Bower

Marie Egner (1850–1940), In The Blossoming Bower

Worth a Thousand Words: Ships. Evening Sun.

Konstantin Bogaevsky, Ships. Evening Sun., 1912