Golden Herrings

Alain Rouschmeyer, Golden Herrings, via Gandalf's Gallery
Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

What adds a whole new dimension is this description from the artist:

"When he discovered these golden fishes lined up on this newspaper, he did not imagine for a moment that they would be his school snack every time his grandmother came to babysit him. She made sure to convince her grandson of their nutritional and gustatory qualities. After a few hesitant bites, the young boy quickly agreed with her and the golden herrings became their ritual as soon as he had put his schoolbag on a chair and they were both at the kitchen table.”

Kaw-u-tz, a Caddo woman

Kaw-u-tz, a Caddo woman, 1906
Photographer: George Bancroft Cornish.
Via Traces of Texas who found this at SMU'S Degolyer Library

 My goodness, she is drop dead gorgeous! And the beading on her necklace must have taken forever.

Lagniappe: Error Message Haiku

Collected over time from error messages.

Chaos reigns within.
Reflect, repent, and reboot.
Order shall return.

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

Windows NT crashed.
I am the Blue Screen of Death.
No one hears your screams.

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

You step in the stream,
but the water has moved on.
This page is not here.

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

Serious error.
All shortcuts have disappeared.
Screen. Mind. Both are blank.

King Charles III, defender of persecuted Christians

 I wasn't aware of this but am glad to see that the new king has a long history of defending persecuted Christians — something which gets ignored a lot of the time. 

Here's a bit from The Pillar where you can read much more.

It’s hard to identify the precise moment that Charles publicly embraced the cause of suffering Christians. But he took a significant step in 2013, when the Islamist group ISIS was rampaging across Syria and Iraq.

The future king visited a Coptic Orthodox Church center and a Syrian Orthodox church that year in southeast England, before hosting a reception for Middle Eastern Christians at Clarence House, his London residence.

“The Prince has expressed concern about the current challenges facing Christians in some Middle Eastern nations and wanted to meet members of those communities resident in the UK to find out more,” his office explained at the time.

“The Prince of Wales wants to draw attention to the importance of harmony and understanding between peoples of all faiths.”

Charles met the Middle Eastern Christians with Prince Ghazi bin Muhammad, a coordinator of the “A Common Word” initiative, in which Muslim leaders reached out to their Christian counterparts following Benedict XVI’s Regensburg address. Through contacts like the Jordanian prince, the heir to the throne kept abreast of the deteriorating situation in the Middle East.

From 2013 onward, Charles began to speak out frequently and insistently on behalf of persecuted Christians.

Against the Sky

Against the Sky by Frank W. Benson, 1910
Via J.R.'s Art Place

Both heartless and good natured

The great family characteristic of the Stanhopes might probably be said to be heartlessness, but this want of feeling was, in most of them, accompanied by so great an amount of good nature as to make itself but little noticeable to the world. They were so prone to oblige their neighbours that their neighbours failed to perceive how indifferent to them was the happiness and well-being of those around them. The Stanhopes would visit you in your sickness (provided it were not contagious), would bring you oranges, French novels, and the last new bit of scandal, and then hear of your death or your recovery with an equally indifferent composure.

Anthony Trollope, Barchester Towers

I read this paragraph three times when I first encountered it. It was so funny and I couldn't imagine how it could be possible to have two such traits. Then I saw how Trollope fleshed it out in the story and my question was answered.

A Movie You Might Have Missed #74 — Gaslight

It's been 11 years since I began this series highlighting movies I wished more people knew about. I'm rerunning it from the beginning because I still think these are movies you might have missed.

After the murder of her aunt, Paula Alquist (Ingrid Bergman) leaves London for Italy to start a new life. While there, she falls in love with the charming Gregory Anton (Charles Boyer). They marry and return to London where Paula begins to notice strange goings-on: missing pictures, strange footsteps in the night, and gaslights that dim without being touched. As she fights to retain her sanity, her new husband's intentions come into question.

IMDB

A classic for a reason. If you only know the term "gaslight" but not where it came from, then you need to watch this movie. If, like me, you haven't seen it for a very long time, then you are overdue for a rewatch.

All the actors are simply wonderful at conveying mood and mindset through much more than words. The director's masterful use of light and shadow makes the most of the black and white format. Note the sequences outside the bedroom doors where the shadows of the railings fall across the people, looking like jail cell bars. And the clothes - by Irene - are glorious.

My favorite character was Miss Thwaites, the nosy old lady who lived across the square and was dying to get into the house where a murder had happened. She added much needed comic relief and we all adored her.

Walk of Mary Across the Mountains

Maximilian Liebenwein, Walk of Mary Across the Mountains

 I first saw this at Lines and Colors where there are links to bigger versions and Charley's previous post on Liebenwein.

The inspired richness of human experience and the Bible

We can say with Aquinas that "grace does not destroy nature, but perfects it." The Bible is a book of human authors as well as of the Holy Spirit. Consequently, it is the product of a vast human religious culture with its internal traditions, external influences, occasional crises, and its moments of intellectual resolution. It is this richness of human experience that is inspired, not a magical world of human authors removed from normal human life and circumstances. As Austin Farrer once noted, the Bible is like a love-letter written by a soldier fighting in the trenches on the battlefield. There is some blood and dirt on it and the paper is torn, but the message is beautiful and we can understand it. The divine word speaks to us truly, but does so through the gritty reality of human historical life.

Thomas Joseph White, OP, The Light of Christ

Beautifully put and so very true.

Two Idlers

"Two Idlers" by Robert Frederick Blum, 1889
via J.R.'s Art Place

It's like a lovely Labor Day dream isn't it?

Praying the Rosary Like Never Before by Edward Sri

This is an amazingly thorough book on the rosary which includes so much for meditation. I knew a lot of the information in the front half of the book — history, prayer techniques, why pray the rosary — but it was well put and easy to read.

The second half of the book, focusing on the mysteries, was simply amazing. It has Edward Sri's trademark excellent Biblical connections which lead us into salvation history. It pauses for moments of reflection which open the heart of the person praying. I really appreciated the fact that Sri used St. John Paul II's teachings as touchpoints throughout this book. I have always loved JPII's apostolic letter on the rosary and Sri not only used this but mined other homilies and works for deeper meaning from this saint.

I also loved the way that Sri didn't focus on just one moment for each mystery but would look at it from many angles. For example, in the Presentation we are shown how Luke is pointing us toward the story of Samuel, how Simeon is responding to the Holy Spirit, and how Simeon's phrasing has special prophetic resonance.

The cherry on the sundae, so to speak, was when I found a scriptural rosary guide included at the end. Each mystery is given ten short verses from the Bible, one for each bead of the decade. These can be used in a variety of ways — simply for reflection before beginning the decade, to help keep focus on the mystery, to be said before each bead, or other options as they strike the person praying. I only recently came across this idea but really like it a lot and Sri's selections are more thorough than others I've seen.

I will add here that I rarely pray the rosary myself, but I like to read different meditations on the mysteries just to use for my own contemplation. This is an excellent resource for that as well as saying the rosary.

I read the Kindle version which is fine for reading but which doesn't have chapters linked from the book's TOC or have the footnotes linked, which is a major problem for moving around inside the book. I'll be getting the print version at some point because I want it around for anyone in the house to pick up.

It wasn't perfect and there were a few things I didn't love. None of these are deal breakers but I wanted to mention them.

First, the reader is never instructed in how to pray the rosary, with the actual prayers. I realize this book is high level, but it wouldn't have taken that much space. There was an illustration under the heading How to Pray the Rosary but it simply showed the order to say the prayers with the beads. As someone who is a convert I can say that you simply have to put these prayers in an easy to find place for the eager beginner who picks the book up.

Second, I read the Kindle version which is fine for reading but which doesn't have chapters linked from the book's TOC or have the footnotes linked, which is a major problem for moving around inside the book. I'll be getting the print version at some point because I want it around for anyone in the house to pick up. 

Lastly, the group study questions sounded as if they were written by someone giving a quiz to be sure the readers paid attention and then jammed in at the end of the chapters. Ugh. The author gave plenty of prompts through the material and these questions really broke the mood for me.

Morning Awakening

Morning Awakening, Eva Gonzales

This painting is of Eva Gonzales's sister Jeanne who was in over 20 of her paintings. I love that she painted her sister so much.

Speaking ill-naturedly of others ...

Considering how much we are all given to discuss the characters of others, and discuss them often not in the strictest spirit of charity, it is singular how little we are inclined to think that others can speak ill-naturedly of us, and how angry and hurt we are when proof reaches us that they have done so.

Anthony Trollope, Barchester Towers

Fritillaries in a Copper Vase

Vincent van Gogh, Fritillaries in a Copper Vase, 1887

 Vivid. Bright. Full of life. Like a flame captured in a vase.

A Movie You Might Have Missed #73 — Midnight (1939)

It's been 11 years since I began this series highlighting movies I wished more people knew about. I'm rerunning it from the beginning because I still think these are movies you might have missed.

When out-of-work showgirl Eve (Claudette Colbert) arrives in Paris with no work in sight, she asks taxi driver Tibor (Don Ameche) to drive her from club to club. But the more time she spends with Tibor, the more Eve realizes that he is falling for her. Unwilling to accept his feelings, Eve escapes to a charity concert, meets the charming Georges (John Barrymore) and disguises herself as a Hungarian baroness. But love-struck Tibor is not willing to let Eve go without a fight.

This is a lovely bit of hilarious farce, beautifully acted by big stars in a script by Billy Wilder and Charles Brackett.

Supposedly Wilder hated last minute script changes so much that he began his own directing career so no one would do that to him again. We can thank this movie for giving us Wilder the director whose movies I love so much.

This particular movie has fire-cracker dialogue, a delightfully twisty farcical plot, and tons of charisma. Perfect for viewing any time but especially perfect for our current anxious times.

If you like this, try It Happened One Night for more of Claudette Colbert or Trouble in Paradise directed by comic genius Ernst Lubitsch (a major influence on Billy Wilder) for a couple pulling cons on the rich in witty style.

Till we can become divine ...

Till we can become divine, we must be content to be human, lest in our hurry for change we sink to something lower.

Anthony Trollope, Barchester Towers

I love that Padre Pio never quits on anyone — Shia LaBoeuf's conversion

This is a wonderful story. I will be praying that Shia La Beouf's conversion takes deep root. Here are the basics, but do go read the whole thing.

LaBeouf said he believes God used his eagerness to resurrect his lagging movie career to put him on a path to healing and personal peace.

The turning point was an offer to play the lead in Abel Ferrara’s new film, Padre Pio — which premieres in Venice next week.

Though he knew little if anything about the famous Italian saint, or Catholicism in general, LaBeouf lept at the chance.

As it turned out, it wasn’t his career that God wanted to save, LaBeouf believes.

The Franciscan friars he spent time with to prepare for the role made him increasingly curious about the faith that inspired Padre Pio.

A Retreat for Lay People by Ronald Knox

I now can see why C.S. Lewis called Ronald Knox the wittiest man in Europe. At times I kept forgetting I wasn't reading Chesterton but was reading a collection of Monsignor Knox's talks he'd given on many retreats for us regular folk - a.k.a. lay people.

These are really wonderful because Knox seemingly effortlessly combines practical advice, inspirational thoughts, and unexpected ways to think about God and our relationship with him. I got a kick out of the times when Knox would say "my own translation of this Scripture might give a better sense" and I'd remember that, of course, the Knox Bible was done by this priest who had such a chatty, friendly style in these talks.

I read a chapter each morning with my coffee and it was the perfect start to my day. Here's a sample of some of the down-to-earth yet utterly surprising images that delighted me and have stuck with me.

Being alive to God means something a little more complicated; it means that the thought of God is at the very apex of our unconscious minds all the time, overflowing all the time into our conscious thoughts, our conscious acts. ...

We read of the patriarch Enoch, that he walked with God. We usually, I think, get the wrong idea of that word "walked in the Old Testament. We think of it as if it meant going on a kind of pilgrimage, laboriously plodding on and on, along a path that has been mapped out for you, but of course it doesn't; it means walking up and down, strolling about at your leisure, taking a turn up and down the front lawn—that is the sort of picture we want to have in our minds when we hear about people walking with God. Enoch walked to and fro, went about his daily business and his daily pleasures, but always with God.

If only we were more like that! If only we could walk through the world at God's heels—so close to him, so alive to his presence, that we could share everything with him, refer to him every moment of sunshine, every shadow of uncertainty in our lives; accept everything he sends with conscious gratitude; obey the least whisper of his call! Even if it is sitting in a room where its master is at work, see who the dog, though it is half asleep on the floor, is awake all the time to him; he has merely to throw a word to it and you will hear it rapping its tail on the floor, for very pleasure that some notice has been taken of it—if we could be grateful, instinctively grateful, for every breath of grace that passes over our souls, and acknowledge it, at once, as God's gift!

Letter

Letter, Okada Saburōsuke

Barchester Towers by Anthony Trollope

Trollope's comic masterpiece of plotting and backstabbing opens as the Bishop of Barchester lies on his deathbed. Soon a pitched battle breaks out over who will take power, involving, among others, the zealous reformer Dr Proudie, his fiendish wife and the unctuous schemer Obadiah Slope.

I listened to Timothy West's narration on Audible, which is wonderful. This is one of the last of my self-assigned books to read for my 2022 book challenge.

No wonder this is one of Trollope's best loved books. It is a lot of fun and perfect light reading. It makes me think of Thackeray's Vanity Fair although this book is gentler than that but it has the same vibe for me. He carefully builds a complicated tangle of characters who come clashing against each other quite naturally as each works toward a single-minded goal.

I grew quote fond of almost every character as we followed their trials and travails in doing things seemingly as simple as throwing a summer party — which is not simple at all as it turns out. Even the few people you love to hate have their moments of humanity as comeuppances are delivered.

I can foresee reading the entire series.