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| Detail from the painted ceiling of Ely Cathedral, taken by Fr Lawrence Lew, O.P. |
O Root of Jesse, standing as a sign among the peoples;
before you kings will shut their mouths,
to you the nations will make their prayer:
Come and deliver us, and delay no longer.
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| Mosaic of Moses and the Burning Bush in the National Shrine in Washington DC. The Lord, with outstretched arms on the Cross, comes to redeem us. Taken by Fr Lawrence Lew, O.P., some rights reserved |
O Adonai [Lord], and leader of the House of Israel,
who appeared to Moses in the fire of the burning bush
and gave him the law on Sinai:
Come and redeem us with an outstretched arm.
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| St. Mary's Catholic Church - Praha, Texas courtesy of Jason Merlo Photography |
SHERLOCK HOLMES IS FICTION. AGENT SAI SRINIVASA ATHREYA IS ORIGINAL.Charming and delightful tale of a detective who learned everything from fictional detectives in books and movies. This gets off to a very slow start with a lot of establishing scenarios to Agent Athreya has a good detective's mind. Once he is thrown in jail the story turns into a legit twisty mystery which takes off much as a Hollywood movie would. In a way, it is a nice bookend to Knives Out in that it has a modern setting (albeit South Indian) but tells a classic noir-style tale. The star is really personable and charming. I would gladly see another of these so I'm glad to hear that a series is proposed.
Agent Sai Srinivasa Athreya is a brilliant, underrated detective from Nellore who runs an agency called FBI which sees no business. He gets more than what he asked for when a case happens to fall right into his lap out of nowhere.
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| Detail from a tapestry c.1500-20 from the Netherlands, and housed in the Cloisters Museum, NYC. Taken by Fr Lawrence Lew, O.P., some rights reserved |
O Wisdom, coming forth from the mouth of the Most High,
reaching from one end to the other,
mightily and sweetly ordering all things:
Come and teach us the way of prudence.
Ram and Leela, passionately in love with each other, realize that the only way to stop the bloodshed between their respective clans is to sacrifice their own lives.
So, right there in the description you can see that this telling of Romeo and Juliet takes a definitely Indian twist. It's all about family, all the time.
This was directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali whose movies are famously beautiful and this is no exception. Set in a town where two gangster families (another familiar Indian theme) openly war for dominance, Ram and Leela meet at a Holi celebration. It's clever because the colored powder partially disguises their features (instead of the masked ball of Shakespeare's writing).
I really enjoyed this adaptation, especially the chemistry between Deepika and Ranveer Singh. The way they interact, right up to the end, shows us how deeply and instinctively they understand each other ... and without a lot of sappy stuff. Melodrama - yes. Over the top theatrics - yes. Sexual attraction - yes. (Good heavens, that incense scene was amazing.) But not sappiness. Which I appreciate.
I didn't love the bit where each takes over running their clans. With the emphasis on family and town politics, it sagged some. It expressed the ending we expect in the most Indian of ways ... so much so that it made it a delight. Also, I've never seen family so examined in Romeo and Juliet, but to be fair - that's also very Indian. I loved those aspects a lot.
Overall this movie is a good adaptation. The songs and dances are really good and, of course, Deepika and Ranveer Singh are a delight for the eyes. So even if you don't love the rest of it, you can enjoy the show.
Rating — for advanced viewers. (You've got to be willing to let this one wash over you, enjoying the ride for what it is ... it also helps if you've got a basic knowledge of Romeo & Juliet, but that's not really necessary).
Scott and I discuss this at A Good Story is Hard to Find podcast.
Hannah and Rose discuss it in episode 44 of An American's Guide to Bollywood podcast.
The first three centuries of the Christian faith were a period of missionary zeal, deep thought, and tribulation. In The Early Church (33–313): St. Peter, the Apostles, and Martyrs, Catholic historian and biblical expert James Papandrea dispels what he calls common “mythconceptions” about the early years of Christianity. Tracking the challenges of heresy and persecution throughout the period, Papandrea shines a spotlight on the earliest saints and explores the growth and development of the new Church.I wasn't sure if I'd like this book as much as the next in the series, which I read first, by a different author. But I shouldn't have worried. This book is just as chock full of truthful Catholic history that's easy to read and that busts some of the ubiquitous myths about Catholicism. Even though I've read a fair amount about these early Church days, I still found new information. I especially appreciated that it was never assumed we knew basic information. This ranged from explaining the difference between numbering in plain years versus by century (the year 300 is the beginning of the fourth century) to outlining how the Church hierarchy came about.
When renowned crime novelist Harlan Thrombey is found dead at his estate just after his 85th birthday, the inquisitive and debonair Detective Benoit Blanc is mysteriously enlisted to investigate. From Harlan’s dysfunctional family to his devoted staff, Blanc sifts through a web of red herrings and self-serving lies to uncover the truth behind Harlan’s untimely death.I like the review from DarwinCatholic (go there and read it all):
The short review: yes, you absolutely must see this, especially if you are fan of Agatha Christie, big house mysteries, fantastic set decor, southern accents, Chekhov's gun, crazy families, donut holes, and whodunits that keep you guessing until the end.I was delighted to see that, a la Agatha Christie, there is an underlying moral grounding to the story. There's also a less underlying social message, which is nonetheless worked in without being too over the top. It is what makes the story feel modern and fresh despite being heavily grounded in the rich family whose patriarch was murdered genre. So it feels old and new, the actors are all obviously having a grand time, the mystery is told in an interesting way that keeps you guessing throughout and it is pure entertainment.
The book is in three parts, concerned respectively with the nature of nature, the nature of God, and the nature of divine Wisdom. It opens in Part One with some reflections on the history of science and cosmology, using the metaphor of "light" to suggest a bridge between scientific and religious thought. Part Two, about our conceptions of God, is largely concerned with the notion of the Trinity, which makes Christianity so unique among the religions of the world. Part Three explores the intimate relationship between God and man — man viewed as the link or mediator between God and the rest of creation.This is my latest book crush. The way that Stratford Caldecott honestly and unsparingly looks at the nature of science and world religions (which is as far as I've gotten) and sees where they might show us something new about the Catholic faith has been mind blowing. And, never fear, just when you think he's tipping over the edge into something that doesn't agree with the faith, he pulls up and reorients everything so that we see the orthodox faith shining through. Really extraordinary.
The doctrine of the Trinity ... makes sense of human life as a whole. It is the Key that opens every lock, an insight that reveals the center of the universe. It shows us the pattern that underlies physics, history, psychology, economics, and the arts. It is the most beautiful, elegant, and simple doctrine in the world — a true "theory of everything.
Holman Hunt's picture is full of symbolism, all of it taking us more deeply into Advent reflection. There are three light sources in the painting, but they all cluster around Jesus. Behind him is the dawn light, struggling to make its way through the dark woods, towards that central figure. Then there is the lantern that Jesus is carrying, a bright, homely light to welcome wandering travellers. And finally, there is the light that shines around Jesus' head, his own inner brightness, from which the other lights take their meaning. Behind Jesus are threatening, twisted trees, shedding rotting fruit to the ground. They are the trees that Adam and Eve ate from, and the tree on which Jesus dies, and all our long family trees, waiting to be lit up and filled with life again. The lantern that Jesus is holding throws a reddish light back on to his cloak, which makes it look similar to the wood of the door. After all, Jesus said that he is the door or the gateway (John 10:7). So we have two doorways, facing each other, as we wait to see whether one will open to the other. ...
Much of the time we think we are loving and free when in reality we do not even know what these words imply. for example, the whole world currently seems to believe that freedom grows with the number of options placed before us. But God's love teaches us something different. "Perfect freedom is the total inability to make any evil choice," says Thomas Merton. "Therefore, the simplest definition of freedom is this; it means the ability to do the will of God."
Stratford Caldecott, The Radiance of Being
Perhaps they [clergy explaining the Trinity] feel a bit like quantum physicists, trying to explain to laymen how light can be a particle at the same time as being a wave.From my newest book crush.
But the doctrine of the Trinity does not just make sense of a few experimental observations in a laboratory. It makes sense of human life as a whole. It is the Key that opens every lock, an insight that reveals the center of the universe. It shows us the pattern that underlies physics, history, psychology, economics, and the arts. It is the most beautiful, elegant, and simple doctrine in the world — a true "theory of everything."
Stratford Caldecott, The Radiance of Being
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| 14-month old Jeanne Anne Evans kisses her horse near Marfa, Texas, in 1955. Traces of Texas |
Fortitude is the virtue that helps us to confront bodily and spiritual dangers. Often while citing an intention to be kind and benevolent, some have extinguished genuine Christine fortitude. Jesus tells us that we are the salt of the earth, not the sugar of the earth!
[...]
Jesus himself tells us: "You are the salt of the earth; you are the light of the world." What a responsibility! What a commission! To give up being the salt of the earth is to condemn the world to being insipid and flavorless; to give up being the light of the world is to condemn it to darkness. We must not be persuaded to do that. It even happens that some pastors, wishing to "meet the world," deliberately neglect this faith perspective in order to adopt a profane view. What a loss!
Cardinal Robert Sarah,The Day is Now Far Spent
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| Turkey in a Courtyard by John Singer Sargent, circa 1879-1880 via J.R.'s Art Place |
Sharing food with another human being is an intimate act that should not be indulged in lightly.Having just rewatched Babette's Feast and with Thanksgiving on the horizon, I could not agree more.
M. F. K. Fisher
Billy Byrne is a low class American born in Chicago's ghetto. He grows up a thief and a mugger. He is not chivalrous nor kind, and has only meager ethics - never giving evidence against a friend or leaving someone behind. He chooses a life of robbery and violence, disrespecting those who work for a living. He has a deep hatred for wealthy society.As I said, this book takes an interesting and unusual turn in telling about a man with no redeeming qualities whatsoever whose participation in a kidnapping leads to a change of perspective. We expect Billy's redemption when he crosses paths with a millionaire's daughter, but she loathes him as much as he hates everything about her. And for a very good reason which is one I never could figure out how they would get past. Their exotic adventures together, thanks to fate, make great escapist reading.
