Newlyweds

Newlyweds in Rogers, Texas circa 1900

More about this can be found at Traces of Texas, which never fails to brighten my day with the many Texas photos and quotes that are featured.
 

The End of the Affair by Graham Greene

Set in London during and just after the Second World War, the novel examines the obsessions, jealousy and discernments within the relationships between three central characters: writer Maurice Bendrix; Sarah Miles; and her husband, civil servant Henry Miles.

This is a book where the mere title has turned me away for ages. I don't like the topic and people endlessly moaning on about blighted love. However, my daughter, Hannah, listened to the audiobook where Colin Firth does a magnificent job. She couldn't stop talking about it and then made it her selection for our Catholic women's book club.

I scheduled it for Lent and began it early. Gripped by how good it was, I sped through the audio in four days so I finished before Lent even began. I've ordered the print version so I can reread it more slowly.

There hardly could there be a better book to read during that penitential time, with themes of looking for love and grabbing what we can, rejecting God's existence, and wrestling with what we believe and base our lives upon.

Both the prose and the novel itself are simply magnificent. Read it despite the topic. There is much more there than meets the eye so don't judge this book by its cover — or title.[The title gives away what seems to me to be the big theme of the book — it is about God himself ending our affair with the world and lesser things than Himself so we can return to our one true love and finally be happy. (hide spoiler)]

Almsgiving

 I have heard that there are some very creative ways to get money to the Ukrainians but I am falling back on the tried and true: Catholic Charities. They are on the ground in Ukraine and neighboring countries to help with food, shelter, clothing, transport, counseling, and more.

I am making this one of my Lenten almsgiving priorities. Give here.

Beautiful Winter Day

Beautiful Winter Day, Remo Savisaar

 In Texas, we clearly are out of winter which, thanks to La Niña, came in waves between unseasonably warm weather. I would love this image of the beauty of the trees covered with frost and snow anyway, but perhaps our odd weather makes me love it even more..

1984, Moses, and Memory

The Close Reads podcast is going to begin discussing 1984 by George Orwell. I don't follow along with everything they read but I do dip in regularly for some of their book discussions. I especially enjoy the lively discussion on their Facebook page. 

I remember reading 1984 many years ago to see what all the fuss was about. I hated the dystopian world so much that I read it at a run and, unsurprisingly, recall almost nothing of it. I figured that this is my chance to get some thoughtful commentary to help me through the book.

Moses Speaks to Israelites

Also, my daughter, Rose, read it last year and had been recommending it because it is so timely to consider for how our society is changing right now. I am combining the print book with the audiobook (a wonderful narration by Simon Prebble, which will surprise no one who has listened to him before). 

I read Part 1 and found the dreary world didn't capture my attention this time as much as the ways in which the protagonist, Winston Smith, experiences the totalitarian socialist world of 1984 in London. For me, the really interesting part is the way that the author zeroes in on memory. It is manipulated, revised, and managed in ways that seem all too familiar these days — albeit not in using the same methods or from a top-down source. No, ours seems, in many ways, to be more grass roots.

Pondering this, I read John Bergsma's commentary* for the first reading last Sunday and was dumbfounded at how it complemented my 1984 reading so far. I am including the scripture reading and the related section of Bergsma's commentary.

First Sunday of Lent

Reading I
Dt 26:4-10

Moses spoke to the people, saying:
“The priest shall receive the basket from you
and shall set it in front of the altar of the LORD, your God.
Then you shall declare before the Lord, your God,
‘My father was a wandering Aramean
who went down to Egypt with a small household
and lived there as an alien.
But there he became a nation
great, strong, and numerous.
When the Egyptians maltreated and oppressed us,
imposing hard labor upon us,
we cried to the LORD, the God of our fathers,
and he heard our cry
and saw our affliction, our toil, and our oppression.
He brought us out of Egypt
with his strong hand and outstretched arm,
with terrifying power, with signs and wonders;
and bringing us into this country,
he gave us this land flowing with milk and honey.
Therefore, I have now brought you the firstfruits
of the products of the soil
which you, O LORD, have given me.’
And having set them before the LORD, your God,
you shall bow down in his presence.”

And now the commentary which struck me.

The First Readings during the first five Sundays of Lent are designed to provide an overview of salvation history, with a special emphasis on the Passover and Exodus from Egypt because from Holy Thursday to Easter we will relive these events in our own liturgy.

This First Reading at the beginning of Lent is particularly suitable because it provides a summary or overview of Israel's story from the time of Jacob (the wandering "Aramean," that is, Syrian) through the Exodus, to the conquest and settlement of the Promised Land.

In this passage from Deuteronomy, Moses commands the Israelites to come regularly to the central sanctuary in order to worship. When they come, they are to recite the history of salvation in order to commemorate it before the Lord.

This passage reminds us of the importance of memory in worship. To tis day, when we celebrate Mass, we do it "in remembrance of me," that is, the Lord Jesus. One of the enemies of the spiritual life is forgetfulness. We forget what God has done for us. We forget who we are, what we have experienced as God's people, where we come from, and where we are going. As they say, those who forget history are condemned to repeat it. Applied to the spiritual life, that means those who forget the bondage God has saved them from will side back into that bondage. Therefore the Church wisely requires us to co come to Mass weekly in order to remember God's salvation.

Furthermore, in the Bible, remembrance is not just mental recall. Remembrance involves a new saving act of God. God remembers Noah in the ark. God remembers the people of Israel in Egypt. In both cases, God's "remembrance" involves salvation. This is the reason the psalms frequently ask God to "remember " his people (Ps 20:3; 74:2, 18; 89:50, etc.). When we come into Mass to "do this in remembrance of me" we are asking God to pour out his saving power on us once again for the coming week.

Much of American Christianity has religious "amnesia." There is no remembrance of the saints, the councils, the persecutions, the missionary martyrdoms, or the history of God's people. Even the Old Testament often gets ignored. As a result, there is little sense of being part of one people of God through the ages. Memory creates identity. A person with amnesia forgets who they are. The Church in her wisdom constantly encourages us to remember so that we know who we are.

*The Word of the Lord: Reflections on the Sunday Mass Readings for Year C by John Bergsma. I will do a review of this series soon but I really love it.

Damon Runyon Favorites

Damon Runyon spun humorous and sentimental tales of gamblers, hustlers, actors, and gangsters, few of whom go by "square" names, preferring instead colorful monikers such as "Nathan Detroit", "Benny Southstreet", "Big Jule", "Harry the Horse", "Good Time Charley", "Dave the Dude", or "The Seldom Seen Kid". His distinctive vernacular style is known as "Runyonese": a mixture of formal speech and colorful slang, almost always in present tense, and always devoid of contractions. 

Having closed out 2021 by watching Guys and Dolls, it seemed perfect to begin 2022 by reading some of the stories that inspired the movie's style, if not the story.

I can't believe this is my first time reading Damon Runyon. I loved the narrator's voice, the comic twists (which made me think of O'Henry), and the world of the guys and dolls. My favorite story was Princess O'Hara, especially the part where the gang realizes that they have experience in stealing a lot of things like diamonds but no one knows how to steal a horse so they have to go to a rodeo to look for someone with experience.

This is perfect light-hearted reading along the lines of P.G. Wodehouse or, as I mentioned above, O'Henry. I will be reading more Runyon in the year to come. 

Maart

Maart, Theo van Hoytema

Mushroom Galette

Meatless Fridays are here! If you're looking for something different and meatless, try this Mushroom Galette which is sophisticated, delicious, and simple. I posted it today so you have time to get the ingredients for tomorrow.

What I'm Doing for Lent 2022 — Updated

 I was reading Joseph's post about his Lenten plans and liked his comments about fasting and abstinence on Ash Wednesday.

Fasting is eating much less food than you normally would; abstinence in this context is not eating meat. The point of this penance is not to punish yourself. It's to "acquire mastery over our instincts and freedom of heart." Rather than being led around by our appetites, we practice saying "no" to them so that we are free to focus on other, more important things.

I also was interested in his practice of giving up fiction for Lent and toyed with that myself. I'm not doing it now, but it is under consideration for Passion Week when I want to up the ante a little.

I also found The Curt Jester's post valuable as he realized, “Wow do I need to kick up my Lenten penance a notch.” More about that in a minute.

I also was struck when he said, "I am over the age where it is no longer mandatory that I fast, but I do it anyway." Huh. Gosh maybe I am too. And it turns out that I am as the required age range is 19-59. However, at this point I don't need my "get out of fasting free card" and will save it for when I'm no longer in my usual good health. Also, I fast every first Friday for the Church, our priests, etc. and that has slightly gotten me into better shape for that sort of penance. (Hey, it is like finding you've strengthened a spiritual muscle! Woohoo!)

Now, about kicking up Lenten penance. I already had a specific spiritual fast planned that was going to be pretty challenging. However, I was turning over the idea that a physical fast challenges you in a completely different way. Both can bring you closer to God as you clear out more room for the Holy Spirit, obviously, but I've never done both before.

Then my daughter, Rose, mentioned that she was going to try to be heroic this Lent, in the fashion recommended by the Burrowshire Podcast. This turned my thoughts in a new direction which encouraged my thoughts about spiritual/physical fasting even more.

I have tended not to share this sort of thing on the blog, along the lines of following Jesus' advice about praying by myself and not boasting that I'm fasting. However, since I got a lot from these bloggers, I will follow suit!

• Spiritual fasting from criticizing others or attributing motivations to them.
   
• Physical fasting from lunch. If I've got a lunch commitment (and I've got two of them this week, believe it or not, made before I had this idea) then I will choose something I don't like. Ugh. I'd rather fast.
  
  
• Almsgiving will follow Bishop Barron's suggestion from a prior Lent. I will give to whatever groups solicit me in the mail. If I don't have much of that happening, then I will pick weekly donations from my parish's envelope packet and give to some that I usually skip. "The Church in Eastern Europe," I'm lookin' at you!
  
  
• Prayer will be added in the form of the Morning Prayer and Evening Prayer of the Liturgy of the Hours. I have the iBreviary app on my phone and use it daily to check out the 2nd reading in the Office of Readings (coming from a saint/Church father/Catechism, etc.). Since I did a silent retreat last fall I've been doing morning and evening prayer but I'm curious to see what it will be like in this structured form.
  
  
• Reading nonfiction is going to be Meditations on Vatican Art by Mark Haydu and The Sermons of St. Francis de Sales for Lent. Fiction is going to be a reread of The End of the Affair by Graham Greene. It is going to be our April book for my book club and I jumped the gun, listening to Colin Firth's excellent narration before Lent even began. It was so good that I got the print version and will be reading it slowly through March.
  
  
• Household fasting is going to take the place of having mostly meatless meals. Maybe two a week will have meat as a major component. We did this in July, following Kendra Tierney's suggestion from her excellent Catholic All Year Round book. It was an interesting challenge to have many meatless meals without making others feel as if they were living a dreary sacrifice, especially my mother who is not Christian. She never noticed. It was also good discipline for us in a housewifely way as it is very easy to have meat be the anchor around which all else dances. I'm actually looking forward to it.
  

March

March, Très Riches Heures du duc de Berry

The year's first farm work, sowing and ploughing and suchlike. The chateau in the background is that of Lusignan, one of the Duc's favourites.

University of Chicago

Praying for Ukraine

It’s not time to start "whining" so to speak, it's time for us to pull ourselves up. As spiritual people this is what we are supposed to show, hope: that God will provide, that everything is in His hands, and we believe in it.

Bishop Andriy Rabiy of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church

This is from an interview by The Pillar which is quite good, including some Ukranian history. 

I feel as if I am watching a rerun of past aggression like Hitler and the Sudetenland. We thought we were so modern and past all that, but here we are again. In many ways it's just like reading the books of Chronicles and Kings in the Old Testament.

As back then, the average person has little power. However, we can pray and that is taking action even if it might not feel like it. We pray for the victims, we pray for the aggressors to have changed hearts even if that eventuality seems unlikely. But as Paul pointed out we are fools for Christ's sake. So we pray for the unlikely, the miraculous.

We do not lose hope for a glimmer of conscience on the part of those who hold in their hands the fortunes of the world. And we continue to pray and fast – as we shall do this coming Ash Wednesday – for peace in Ukraine and in the entire world

Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Holy See Secretary of State

We all reflect the light

Use creatures as they should be used: the earth, the sea, the sky, the air, the springs and the rivers. Give praise and glory to their Creator for all that you find beautiful and wonderful in them. See with your bodily eyes the light that shines on earth, but embrace with your whole soul and all your affections the true light which enlightens every man who comes into this world. Speaking of this light the prophet said: Draw close to him and let his light shine upon you and your face will not blush with shame. If we are indeed the temple of God and if the Spirit of God lives in us, then what every believer has within himself is greater than what he admires in the skies.

Saint Leo the Great, Pope, from a sermon

This was from the Office of Readings for Feb. 11. That's the one bit of the Liturgy of the Hours I reliably do daily. It struck me that through this focus we see the world lit with God's glow. Nature and we are all like the moon, reflecting the sun.

Psalm 32 — Happy Those Who Are Forgiven!

When you see people being baptized and ransomed
out of a generation that is perishing,
and you are in wonder at the loving kindness of God toward the human race,
then sing to them Psalm 32.

Athanasius, On the Interpretation of the Psalms

It is really impossible for a Catholic to read this psalm without thinking of what a blessing the sacrament of reconciliation is. We all know the feeling of wracking guilt. It is part of the human condition. Likewise, we all know the sublime relief and joy in confessing our offense and being forgiven. This psalm speaks to all those feelings while giving good advice in the beginning and end as to how we should strive to live.

David's Joy Over Forgiveness; as in Psalm 32;
illustration from a 1903 Bible card

Pope John Paul II looked at the connection with the sacrament of reconciliation when he discussed Psalm 32 in his series of homilies on the psalms and canticles of evening prayer in the Liturgy of the Hours.

At this point it is the Lord who speaks in order to promise to guide the now converted sinner. Indeed, it is not sufficient to have been purified; it is necessary to walk on the right path. Therefore, as in the Book of Isaiah (cf. Is 30: 21), the Lord promises: "I will instruct you... the way you should go" (Ps 32[31]: 8), and invites docility. The appeal becomes solicitous, "streaked" with a bit of irony using the lively comparison of a mule and horse, symbols of stubbornness (cf. v. 9). Indeed, true wisdom leads to conversion, leaving vice and its dark power of attraction behind. Above all, however, it leads to the enjoyment of that peace which flows from having been freed and forgiven.

In the Letter to the Romans St Paul refers explicitly to the beginning of our Psalm to celebrate Christ's liberating grace (cf. Rom 4: 6-8). We could apply this to the sacrament of Reconciliation.

In light of the Psalm, this sacrament allows one to experience the awareness of sin, often darkened in our day, together with the joy of forgiveness. The binomial "sin-punishment" is replaced by the binomial "sin-forgiveness", because the Lord is a God who "forgives iniquity and transgression and sin" (cf. Ex 34: 7).

St Cyril of Jerusalem (fourth century) uses Psalm 32[31] to teach catechumens of the profound renewal of Baptism, a radical purification from all sin (cf. Procatechesi, n. 15). Using the words of the Psalmist, he too exalts divine mercy. We end our catechesis with his words: "God is merciful and is not stingy in granting forgiveness.... The mountain of your sins will not rise above the greatness of God's mercy, the depth of your wounds will not overcome the skilfulness of the "most high' Doctor: on condition that you abandon yourself to him with trust. Make known your evil to the Doctor, and address him with the words of the prophet David: "I will confess to the Lord the sin that is always before me'. In this way, these words will follow: "You have forgiven the ungodliness of my heart'" (Le Catechesi, Rome, 1993, pp. 52-53).

An index of psalm posts is here.

The High Crusade by Poul Anderson

In the year of grace 1345, Sir Roger Baron de Tourneville is gathering an army to join King Edward III in the war against France. A most astonishing event occurs: a huge silver ship descends through the sky and lands in a pasture beside the little village of Ansby in northeastern Lincolnshire.

The alien Wersgorix are quite expert at taking over planets. But this time they're encountering something new; they've launched their invasion against free Englishmen! Sir Roger becomes inspired. He intends for the aliens to fly the ship to help vanquish the infidel. Unexpectedly, they find themselves where no man has gone before.

After reading Three Hearts and Three Lions, I went looking for more from Poul Anderson. This highly entertaining adventure is really imaginative. At the same time the English characters adhere to the correct cultural standards and thoughts of medieval times. It's a nice juggling act, facilitated by having a village priest narrate the story. 

In one sense this is a kissing cousin to A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court by Mark Twain but with a lighter hand and a comic tongue in cheek. For example:

"We have one prisoner who speaks Latin -- "

"I would not say that, sire," I interrupted. "His declensions are atrocious, and what he does to irregular verbs may not be described in gentle company."

A fun romp all round!

Mother Teresa in America

Mother Teresa was one of just a few people to be made an honorary US citizen, and Tom and Noëlle Crowe tell us how this modern saint gave her truly Christ-like witness to divine love and the dignity of every life to all Americans–including the the most influential and powerful–on several occasions.

I have enjoyed the American Catholic History since it began. Tom and Noelle Crowe talk about saints old and new and their connection with America. They range from the North American discovery to modern topics like John Wayne, Lawrence Welk, and the making of the movie The Lilies of the Field.

This is a really superb episode, with several lengthy sections of Mother Teresa herself speaking. This link takes you to the website where you can download the podcast or see where else to find this episode which is from a few weeks ago.

Portrait of Helen Gow

Alexander Mann, Portrait of Helen Gow

 

I love this in general but what I really love is that dress. I can't get enough of looking at it. Gorgeous!

Experience is such an honest thing

What I like about experience is that it is such an honest thing. You may take any number of wrong turnings; but keep your eyes open and you will not be allowed to go very far before the warning signs appear. You may have deceived yourself, but experience is not trying to deceive you. The universe rings true wherever you fairly test it.

C.S. Lewis, Surprised by Joy

This makes me think of young Russell in Up who says, "I didn't expect the wilderness to be so ... wild!" Theory is fine but until you get out there and live some you don't know what is real or honest.

Portrait of a Man

Portrait of a man by João Timótheo da Costa, 1928.

Do we want to be rough stones or part of the heavenly Jerusalem?

You know that you are the living temple of the Holy Spirit. You are to be placed as so many living stones by the God of love in the building of the heavenly Jerusalem. You must expect then to be hewn and cut and chiseled with the hammer and chisel of the Cross. Otherwise you will remain as rough stones that are good for nothing but to be despised and thrown away.

Don't wince under the hammer that strikes you. Have an eye to the chisel that cuts you and to the hand that shapes you. The skillful and loving Architect may wish to make of you the chief stones of his eternal edifice and the fairest statues in his kingdom. Then let him do it. He loves you. He knows what he is doing. He has had experience. All his blows are skillful and straight and loving. He never misses, unless you cause him to by your impatience.

St. Louis de Montfort

We see this sort of message all the time from different saints but the way this is put really hit me just right. I especially love the last point that God won't miss unless we cause him to by our impatience. Yes. That's definitely something for me to keep in mind.

TV You Might Have Missed 1 — Crash Landing on You

A sudden storm leads to a successful South Korean businesswoman and heiress crashing her paraglider in the North Korean portion of the DMZ. She meets an army captain in the Korean People's Army who decides he will help her hide. How will she get back to her own life and escape prison in North Korea? Over time, they fall in love, despite the divide and dispute between their respective countries.

I came for the accurate depiction of North Korean life. I stayed for the charming actors, the romance and the drama itself. Granted, the drama can be pretty sparse in some episodes when the romance is front and center, but there are some genuinely bad guys and interesting dramatic tension. 

We're only halfway through but have learned some fascinating things about North Korean life. The writer interviewed North Korean defectors to get those details right.

Also it is sweet in the same way that I like in Indian movies. The romance is winning, the side characters are fun (the four Korean soldiers are great, as are the village women who interfere in the captain's life). 

Rose has seen enough K-dramas (Korean dramas) to clue us in to typical behavior or plot devices, but you don't need that to enjoy this. You do need to have time to watch a 19-episode show with each episode lasting between 1-1/2 to 2 hours. We often split them up in order to fit them in our schedule.

 It definitely is worth trying.