Starry Night over the Rhone

Starry Night Over the Rhone, 1888. Vincent van Gogh

Out for the Holiday!

Back next week!

Ladder of Divine Ascent

The 12th century Ladder of Divine Ascent icon (St. Catherine's Monastery, Sinai Peninsula, Egypt).

Via Wikipedia, where you may read much more about this icon, including what each rung of the ladder represents.

For me, I'm just fascinated by the imagery and surrounding elements ... demons pulling people off the ladder, the people on earth and in heaven all praying for those on the ladder. It is not only beautiful but makes us dig deeper, which is the point in the first place.

White-backed Woodpecker

White-backed Woodpecker, taken by Remo Savisaar

Homage as an act of self-realization

It is "meet and just" to do homage to Him who is the supreme greatness and glory; at the same time this act of homage is an act of self-realization for him who performs it. Man's real world is, as it were, above him. Praising God means ascending into that homeland of our spirit where, it might be said, we truly live.

Therefore we should practice giving praise to God. This discipline widens and edifies the spirit. The whole day assumes a different character. ...

Romano Guardini, The Art of Praying

I love this book and have been reading it (for the 3rd time, maybe?) very slowly as a devotional. The sections are very short so it is perfect, especially when I need that extra push to stop and pray (which is practically always, let's be honest). Taking this bit to heart yesterday changed my day, just as Guardini said.

Devoting life to proving there is no purpose

Those who devote their lives to the purpose of proving that there is no purpose, constitute an interesting subject for study.

A. N. Whitehead, The Function of Reason

Fog

Taken by Scott Danielson

I feel as if this would have been more appropriate for Halloween but I love the atmosphere no matter when it was taken.

Library Cat

Library Cat, Belinda DelPesco

Belinda says:

My trusty studio assistant, Scout. He’s all about being helpful, especially if you need things like fur in the paint, shoe laces untied while carving details on a block, paint brushes scattered to the floor, or a lap warmer.

She's always got interesting information about how each piece was created. Click on the link to go to Belinda's blog.

Camel and Rider

Unglazed camel and Sogdian rider, taken by I, Sailko

I love the realism in this with the camel trying to bite the rider and the rider's arm out to protect the child behind him.

Birch Forest

Gustav Klimt, Birch Forest, 1903
via Arts Everyday Living

The bitterness of boyish distresses lies in the fact that we do not know that they are small.

The bitterness of boyish distresses does not lie in the fact that they are large; it lies in the fact that we do not know that they are small. About any early disaster there is a dreadful finality; a lost child can suffer like a lost soul.

It is currently said that hope goes with youth, and lends to youth its wings of a butterfly; but I fancy that hope is the last gift given to man, and the only gift not given to youth. Youth is pre-eminently the period in which a man can be lyric, fanatical, poetic; but youth is the period in which a man can be hopeless. The end of every episode is the end of the world. But the power of hoping through everything, the knowledge that the soul survives its adventures, that great inspiration comes to the middle-aged; God has kept that good wine until now. it is from the backs of the elderly gentlemen that the wings of the butterfly should burst. There is nothing that so much mystifies the young as the consistent frivolity of the old. They have discovered their indestructibility. They are in their second and clearer childhood, and there is a meaning in the merriment of their eyes. They have seen the end of the End of the World.
G.K. Chesterton, Dickens

Water Lilies and the Japanese Bridge (Giverny)

Water Lilies and the Japanese Bridge, 1897–99, Claude Monet

We can see here what Claude Monet made of the bridge we saw him on yesterday.

Monet in his garden at Giverny

Monet, right, in his garden at Giverny, 1922

You live in an age that is twisted out its true pattern

...you must work to earn your salvation, in anxious fear. Both the will to do it and the accomplishment of that will are something which God accomplishes in you, to carry out his loving purpose. Do all that lies in you, never complaining, never hesitating, to shew yourselves innocent and single-minded, God's children, bringing no reproach on his name. You live in an age that is twisted out of its true pattern, and among such people you shine out, beacons to the world, upholding the message of life.

Philippians 2:12-15, Knox translation

This phrase, You live in an age that is twisted out of its true pattern, really struck me. Because there is nothing new under the sun. Paul lived in those times and so do we. I needed that reminder and also his encouragement, do all that lies in you, never complaining, never hesitating. Good stuff.

I just don't understand — and I probably never will

Once again we face great evil, this time in the slayings at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh. I wonder at my own simplicity as each time something horrific like this happens, my first thought is, "What is wrong with this person (perpetrator)?"

I really cannot understand.

Again it leads to serious questions of the sort we have seen throughout the Old Testament in particular as the people tried to make sense of evil, turning to God for answers that often were not forthcoming.

Just like people through the ages, maybe God can see the causes of evil, but we usually can't. Even when we can see an ostensible cause, it is often incomprehensible. The one thing we don't have over these situations is control. Of course, understanding and control are what we'd like because then we could possibly head these things off. Stop the evil, heal the potential perpetrators, save the victims.

But here we are in the imperfect world where we are often buffeted by chaos. Jesus' death on the cross shows he understands our pain and bewilderment and suffering more than we know ... and that he can use it to bring about victory over evil.

But, that's hard to see from our human standpoint.

So what do we do?

We help directly if we can.

We pray, always. For the souls of the victims, for their families and friends in the midst of shock and grief, and even for human soul who did evil's work. (That last is a hard one, but necessary for my own soul. I don't know how God metes out justice but I know that I'd be terrible at it. So that prayer is necessary for me to be able to trust God with it.)

We live our own lives fully and with confidence in Christ and for Christ. Every ripple for good we make in our own bit of the world helps Jesus enter the world with healing, making lives whole again. And it helps defeat evil.

Saint Michael Archangel,
defend us in battle,
be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil;
may God rebuke him, we humbly pray;
and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly host,
by the power of God, cast into hell
Satan and all the evil spirits
who prowl through the world seeking the ruin of souls.
Amen.

Couch on the Porch, Cos Cob

Couch on the Porch, Cos Cob, Frederick Childe Hassam

Doesn't this look heavenly?

At the Seaside

At the Seaside, Edward B. Gordon

"Why me, Lord?"

I remember storming into the chapel one morning. I looked up at the Blessed Sacrament and said, "Today is not the day for problems, Lord. I've got a lot of pain and I can't take any more."

I was silent for a while. The Lord was too.

"Why me, Lord?" I finally cried out. "Why me?"

Then I just stared at Him. My eyes were fixed on the Holy Eucharist as if to say, "Well, answer me!"

There was a strange silence.

Then, after a few moments, a gentle Voice answered.

"Yes, Angelica," He said. "And why Me?"

Mother Angelica's Answers, Not Promises

Bends of the Emajõgi river

Bends of the Emajõgi river, Remo Savisaar

Click through to see the picture larger and drink in the full beauty.

A Catholic Introduction to the Bible: The Old Testament

A solid, up-to-date overview of contemporary scholarship's understanding of the language, literature, history, and culture of the ancient Hebrews; how the Old Testament is seen in the light of the New; and how each book is cited in the modern 3-year lectionary.

This book isn't for beginners, despite the title. This isn't a Bible basics overview for those who have little knowledge of the Bible. It is for those with scholarly interests or needs. I could see it being an excellent class text. As well as literary structure, cultural context, and historical perspectives, we get a look at how each Old Testament book was understood and used by New Testament authors.

Perhaps most valuable, and certainly unexpected by me, was the consideration of modern Biblical scholarship versus traditional teachings of authorship and when the books were written. Granted, these topics will not be of interest to everyone, but having recently come across statements in Wikipedia that David probably didn't exist except as a sort of King Arthur legend and that authorship of his psalms was likewise doubted, I wanted to get an informed opinion from a trustworthy source. The respectful, even-handed look at these questions, as well as that of Moses's authorship of the Pentateuch let me see the scholarly reasoning and counter-arguments and weigh them for myself. And left me admiring this book even more.

I advise looking at Amazon's sample and using the "surprise me" button to get a feel for the writing and thoroughness. You'll get to see large sections from deep within the text to give you a good idea of what's there. That's what made me take the leap and get it.

These two authors have done their readers a real service with this fine work. Definitely recommended as a resource and, if you are like me, for fascinating reading all the way through.