Sour Cream Pound Cake

 I first ran this recipe in 2004 and all these years later it is still my go-to pound cake. It isn't fussy but it is simply delicious. Get it at Meanwhile, Back in the Kitchen!

Jesus Tempted in the Wilderness

Jesus Tempted in the Wilderness. James Tissot.

As soon as [temptation] presents itself to us we should turn away from it and direct our glance towards Our Lord, who lives within us and fights at our side, who himself has conquered sin. … In this way temptation will lead us to prayer, to union with God and with Christ; it will not be loss but gain.

B. Baur, In Silence with God

Notes on Mark: Word Study - Repentance

St. John the Baptist Preaching by Mattia Preti

MARK 1:4

Repentance
Metanoia (Gk): literally a "change of mind". The word is used 22 times in the New Testament for a conversion of one's entire life to the Lord. Based on similar OT concepts, it involves a twofold movement of the heart: one who repents turns away from sin (1 Kings 8:35; Ezek 18:30) and toward God (Hos 6:1; Sir 17:25, 26; Heb 6:1). This entails genuine contrition for past failings and a firm resolve to avoid them in the future, and it may be accompanied by bodily disciplines like fasting (Dan 9:3-5; Joel 2:12; 2 Cor 7:10). Because repentance is a gradual process of transformation, God is patient with sinners struggling to make amends and redirect their lives toward holiness (Wis 12:10; Rom 2:4; 2 Pet 3:9). Repentance is inspired by the eternal life offered in Christ (Mk 1:15; Acts 2:38), and its genuineness becomes evident when lives are changed in accord with the gospel (Mt 3:8; Acts 26:20; Gal 5:22-24).

The Gospel of Mark
(The Ignatius Catholic Study Bible)
by Scott Hahn and Curtis Mitch

Reading this I was really struck by the fact that "repentance is a gradual process of transformation". I tend to think of it as very cut and dried. I'm sorry, I won't do it again ... and then I should change my ways. Of course, often the sad fact is that I fail in changing my ways and lapse again. Thinking of it as a gradual thing is very helpful. A step forward here, a little improvement there ... and I am "in progress" rather than a total failure.

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Sources and Notes Index

The Curse of Chalion by Lois McMaster Bujold

I first read this in 2013 and then reread it six years later because it was the opening episode of Season 9 for A Good Story is Hard to Find. 

Here I am, rereading it yet another six years late. That must be my sweet spot for really getting a lot from this book. It was the perfect Lenten read, though I didn't plan it that way. Time to rerun my original review from 2013 in case you missed it or haven't reread it lately!

 

Two readers I trust, Will Duquette and Amy H. Sturgis, have strongly recommended both this author and book. I certainly am glad they did, although if Goodreads allowed it I would give it 4-1/2 stars instead of the full 5, simply because I feel the ending was rushed as if the author was ready to get this situation done and the book sent out. I felt this especially in the case of the romantic resolution for the protagonist.

However, overall I really enjoyed this tale of a bedraggled, galley ship survivor who, despite his best efforts to the contrary, finds himself in the middle of royal intrigue. If that weren't enough, he is also pulled into the the affairs of the divine as a result and this complicates his life as one might imagine. This is a land of various gods and strong, dark magic. It is, however, also a land where free will matters in the outcome of events.

I must admit that about 5 or 6 chapters into it I almost put this book down, thinking it was much of a muchness with other such tales. Luckily, Amy H. Sturgis picked that moment to comment that this was one of her favorite books. I was not going to be the one who quit on her after that. I respect her too much. I'd read to the end and either be bored by it or love it for the entire thing. Just about then was actually when it got more interesting, so if you find yourself in similar straits, just keep going.

The Curse of Chalion reminded me strongly in some ways of Barbara Hambly's Sun Wolf trilogy, especially in the author's examination of a mature man humbled by events and forced to learn who he is below the surface. However, Curse is altogether more layered and interesting.

How much did I like it? I gave the book's name to both daughters yesterday with the comment that I'd be looking forward to discussing it with them. 

Will Duquette's review of the sequel, Paladin of Souls, included this comment, which works pretty well for this book also:

See, this is a fantasy series, but it's almost what you might call theological science fiction. That is to say, Bujold has invented a theology (a very interesting one, I might add) and a religion to go with it--and then, having set up the rules, she's seeing where they take her.

Satan Tried to Tempt Jesus

Satan Tried to Tempt Jesus, James Tissot

Christ made us one with him when he chose to be tempted by Satan. … If in Christ we have been tempted, in him we overcame the devil. Do you think only of Christ’s temptations and fail to think of his victory? See yourself as tempted in him, and see yourself as victorious in him.He could have kept the devil from himself; but if he were not tempted he could not teach you how to triumph over temptation.

Commentary on the psalms by Saint Augustine, bishop

A (Time-Loop Thriller) Movie You Might Have Missed 93 — Maanaadu (Public Conference)

After flying in for a friend's wedding, Khaaliq stumbles across a plot to assassinate the Chief Minister  at a political rally (public conference). When he tries to stop it, Khaaliq is killed and unexpectedly wakes up on the airplane again. This second time around he's struck by a sense of deja vu and ultimately discovers that he's in a time-loop. Each time he comes across the plot from a different angle and struggles to stop the assassination attempt. And each time he is killed which returns him to the plane.

This is a really great time-loop thriller with fantastic action scenes and an unexpected twist that ratchets up the suspense and action.

As I was explaining this genre to my mother while we were watching, she asked, "But why is it happening?" And I realized that the time-loop genre doesn't bother to explain why. It is just how things are until the person is released. I mean, we all know why just from watching the story over and over. In Groundhog Day the person must mature. In Happy Death Day, she must figure out who murders her. And so forth and so on.

Maanaadu has an actual explanation that makes sense in the world of the movie (especially, one assumes, if you are Hindu). It gives all the more resonance to the reason Khaaliq wants to solve the problem and find his way to tomorrow.

I really enjoyed the pacing. Often time-loop films drag when they repeatedly show us what is happening or changing in each iteration of the day. This movie quickly gets you up to speed — and speed is the right word — because once we've gone through two or three versions of the day, the director begins each section right at the point where it went wrong before. It doesn't take long to catch on that this is happening and it speeds us right past all the repetitive bits.

The film is self aware enough to mention many time-loop movies and we especially enjoyed when one of the characters complained, "You are confusing me more than Christopher Nolan's Tenet." That Tenet was a confusing mess has never been more universally acknowledged than when it is zinged by a Tamil film. Thank you, Venkat Prabhu!

This is available now on Amazon Prime for $2.99 and it is money well spent.

Rereading — Art and Prayer: The Beauty of Turning to God by Timothy Verdon

I read this long ago, in 2014, and thoroughly enjoyed rereading it recently. I highly recommend this way of combining art and prayer.

There is an “art of prayer,” when faith and prayer become creative responses by which creatures made in the image and likeness of the Creator relate to him with help of the imagination. ... Richly illustrated, Monsignor Verdon explains that images work in believers as tools that teach them how to turn to God.

They had me at "richly illustrated." Over the years I have become more and more attracted to paintings as keys to helping me connect more honestly and deeply with God.

The book has many gorgeous pieces of art which are wonderfully explained and made personal by the text of the book. For example, looking at both the inset and whole painting of Piero della Francesca's Baptism of Christ, the author takes us through what the painter hopes to show us, the importance of the original setting for the piece and it's possible impact on the monks who would have seen it daily, and the importance of interior transformation for every one of us. He then uses the painting's landscape to segue into nature, Scripture, and imagination before moving on to the next piece for inspiration. All this is by page 6, by the way.

Needless to say, it is a thought provoking, eye opening, and inspirational gem.

The Church Window

"The Church Window" by Hans Baluschek, 1915.
Via J.R.'s Art Place

All we do know, and that to a large extent by direct experience, is that evil labours with vast power and perpetual success—in vain: preparing always only the soil for unexpected good to sprout in.

J.R.R. Tolkien, from a letter to his son Christopher in 1944

Linguine with Chickpeas and Zucchini

 The combination sounds odd but it is delicious — and meatless for Lent! Get it at Meanwhile, Back in the Kitchen.

There is great joy to being a penitent

 This is for anyone who has had to endure the lukewarm homilies or RCIA classes as Lent approaches. They talk about not worrying about giving things up, about just adding things on — hey, those aren't mutually exclusive, by the way. Anyway, they reflect the spirit of the 1970's which is trying to make the Church easier and more fun. What they forget, or perhaps don't know, is that these are all to help you get closer to God. There's often little spoken of about that goal.

As a convert, I was intrigued by the rituals, the symbols, the sacraments, and, yes, the sacrifices. All contributed to the glories of the Catholic faith in one way or another. I never look forward to Lent but I take the proscribed penances seriously and I always give full consideration to what I'm "giving up." When Lent hits, I'm always surprised at how the struggles result in clearing away the cobwebs, opening the way to greater faith and a more personal experience of God.

All that is an introduction to why I loved this piece from Ed Condon at The Pillar. It ran a long time ago but is pertinent throughout Lent.

Happy first Friday of Lent friends, And enjoy your day of penance. I mean that.

Penance is one of those things which, at least in the West, has become an almost uniquely Catholic concept. The idea of a day of penance, let alone marking a whole season of it, strikes our wider society as maudlin, weird, and full of “Catholic guilt.”

And while it is neither maudlin nor weird, guilt — especially in the context of Lent — is a good thing, something to be embraced.

We all have a lot to feel guilty about, I am sure. Not just in the superficial sense of “I was so bad when I did that,” but in the much fuller sense of living in the light of an informed and well-formed conscience which is, or should be, our internal impulse to convert, to reorient ourselves to God, and to embrace the better nature we are called to have.

Penance, with its works of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, is uncomfortable, for sure. But it’s not meant to be miserable. Little actions, small offerings (or large ones) attune us to a right understanding of who we are, and who we need — God.

Modern social media psychobabble is full of talk about “mindfulness” and “being present,” which are themselves vacuous terms. To the extent they ever scratch the surface of human existence, they usually concentrate on “centering yourself in the here and now” to distract from the chasmous void at the heart of a human experience that knows not God, the unbearable weight of our imperfections without hope of redemption.

For us, Lent is the celebration of a great gift: the knowledge that our flaws, our jealousies, our petty vanity, and even what some might call our astonishing hubris, merit a great savior — one who is coming with power over the fear of death which rules and directs our baser natures.

Finding our place relative to that cosmic truth, and preparing to accept it, may not be a comfortable experience, but it can be joyful.

There is great joy to being a penitent when we are sure of His response, when each act of penance isn’t so much a plea for clemency before a wrathful master as a gesture of faith in the love of a Father whose nature we are striving to imitate.

In this sense, Lent is a time of relief, of rest, of remembering who we actually are, and for what purpose we were actually made — to know Him, love Him and serve Him in this world, and be happy with Him forever in the next, as we used to say.

I think the Meghan Markle crowd would call this “self-actualization,” or maybe “resting in your truth.” The Church calls it “conversion,” and it’s great.

Special Fish Fridays During Lent

A little help for those who aren't used to meatless Fridays during Lent.

Aw Shucks and Big Shucks Oyster Bar will be offering a weekly grilled tilapia special, featuring two fillets with rice and vegetable medley for $9, available on Fridays from February 16 through March 29. They'll also have soups: Maria's Clam Chowder, a New England-style chowder topped with bacon and parsley, or Caldo de Mariscos, a fish and head-on shrimp concoction with vegetables in a spicy broth. At all locations in Dallas, Richardson, Lewisville, and Frisco.

Dallas Culture Map

My Lenten Plans — 2024

I used to do a post like this every Lent and then gradually fell out of the habit, figuring that it wasn't really important to anyone but me. However, I recently found myself inspired to take up a few new practices by reading of others' plans, so I'll share mine in case it is similarly helpful to anyone.

As we mentioned last week, the marks of Lent are prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. I began Ash Wednesday by realizing I wasn't really taking Lent seriously. My reaction to remembering the all-day fast was an internal tantrum over the fact that I had to actually do it, not just think about it.

That made me realize just how much I need Lent.

• Prayer — I always intend to do daily intercessory prayer but often give myself a pass. JD Flynn at The Pillar talked about St. John Henry Newman's intercessory practices in a way that made me vow to fulfill my intention daily. I want to remember the people I'm praying for in a more personal way than I often do.
  
  I'm also going to try JD's idea of hand-copying Scripture. I've never heard of this before. I'm trying to figure out where I will incorporate it in my schedule. It may be a good addition to my morning prayer. As to what I'm going to copy, it will be Baruch. I'm not excited about this selection but when you aren't sure what to copy and flip your closed Bible open to see what pops up, sometimes you wind up with Baruch. (Especially when you flip to the same page two times in a row. Yeah, I tried to get out of it, but I also can take a hint.)
  


• Fasting — I've got two fasts this year. First, no between-meal snacking. I've slid into having something "just a little something" here and there in a practice of self-indulgence and comfort. I've noticed the trend lately in homilies for priests to act as if giving up something like ice cream or snacking as childish or not deep enough. Hey, sometimes we need grounding in the basics to remind us of how to make space for God. I need the spiritual discipline of not coddling myself so that I have the habit of making a small sacrifice when the need arises.
  
  I'm also going to fast from criticizing people to others. There are a lot of people that I can view charitably even when they annoy me — so I've made some progress over the years. But just recently I realized that, again, I give myself a pass on that for certain other people. It was a humbling realization and from my thoughts about how hard it is going to be I can see that it is much needed. I recently had occasion to remember my "Lord have mercy on me and bless [insert name here] prayer. (Read about it here.) I feel as if I'm going to be busting that out a lot.


• Almsgiving — During Covid we got out of the habit of picking up things for the food pantry every week. I'm going to start that up again. This is something that Zombie Parent's Guide reminded me of.
  
  
• Reading — Fiction: Last year I read 22 pages a day of The Lord of the Rings for my lectio divina. It was powerful in a way I didn't anticipate. In fact, I wound up reading fiction a lot of the year during lectio divina because of that — and it was also very fruitful. So I'm doing it again this year, of course!
  
  Nonfiction: I always read something spiritual in the morning after looking over the paper. This year I'm focusing on Lent with The Power of the Cross: Good Friday Sermons from the Papal Preacher by Raniero Cantalamessa. I really love his writing anyway, but Joseph at Zombie Parent's Guide reminded me of it in his 2024 Lenten post. Be sure to click through his link to his review.


• Movie watching — I haven't rewatched The Mill and the Cross or The Passion of the Christ for years. This is the year!

This looks like a lot of things but most of them fit a spot that's already in my schedule.

The Firefly

Shoen Uemura, The Firefly, 1913

King Cake

 Traditional for Mardi Gras this is only easier than I thought it would be, but it is absolutely delicious. Try it at Meanwhile, Back in the Kitchen. 

I haven't remembered to get photos in previous years, but will do so this year. 

Tunnel of Roses

Anna De Weert, Tonnelle de rosiers (Tunnel of Roses, 1920).

This is just so gorgeous. I can only imagine how delightful it would be to stroll through it with the dappled sunlight and scent of the roses. Click through on the link to see it bigger.

The Mirror

Robert Reid, The Mirror, c. 1910

Gorgeous. It draws me back over and over to see the way the painting "reflects" the woman.

A Scarlet Tanager and the Glory of God

The red and black of a scarlet tanager almost elevates me physically; registering it in the midst of wet, green foliage that surrounds it as a cloak of mist and mystery does something to me that I don't have the verb for. Behind that coloration, in that multi-dimensional, infinitely patterned web of life, I witness God's eye for color, God's rejoicing in beauty, God's generosity in sharing that beauty with me. I return home from birdwatching bouncing with love and renewed vigor. I have received. I want to give. I re-experience my own life.

Danusha Goska, God Through Binoculars

Yes. Those moments are ethereal and yet solid. Goska puts flesh on the framework of my favorite psalm.

The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
Day to day pours out speech,
and night to night reveals knowledge.
There is no speech, nor are there words,
whose voice is not heard.
Their voice goes out through all the earth,
and their words to the end of the world.

Psalm 19:1-4

Bacon, Pea, and Goat Cheese Frittata

This is absolutely delicious and makes a simple but taste-filled dinner. It's also darned good when heated up in the morning for a flavorful breakfast if your taste runs to goat cheese early in the day.

Of course, it's at Meanwhile, Back in the Kitchen!

West 11th Street Fence

West 11th Street Fence
painted by Andrew Jones

How to make an everyday thing lovely.

Notes on Mark: The Beginning of the Good News

Beginning of the Gospel of Mark in Minuscule 1689

MARK 1:1

The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ [the Son of God]

The first verse of the Gospel is a title to the whole work. Like Matthew and John, Mark opens with an echo of the book of Genesis. The beginning recalls the first line of the creation narrative in Gen 1:1, and  suggests that the good news that Mark is about to tell is a new beginning, a new work of God as original and stupendous as the creation of the universe.

[...]

Mark's opening line resonates with his excitement at the glad tidings he is conveying. He sees the coming of Jesus, preceded by that of John the Baptist, as the turning point in history, when God decisively acted to accomplish all that he had promised for so many centuries. At the time Mark wrote, the good news was beginning to explode upon the Mediterranean world, as the apostles and other Christians traveled throughout the empire, evangelizing in synagogues and town squares. Lives were being changed as people who had been lost in spiritual darkness and moral confusion came to know the living Christ and experience his love. Mark's evident joy at the tidings he has to share prompts the questions: Do we realize how good the good news is? Do we recognize that this news fulfills and far surpasses all the deepest longings of the human heart? Or have we settled of a diluted version of the gospel that has little power to impact our daily lives? God's entrance into human history in the person of Jesus Christ is news that is inexhaustibly new, as fresh and potent as on the day it was first proclaimed.

Gospel of Mark, The
(Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture) by Mary Healy

This really made me take a new look at just what Mark was really saying. I have intellectually known for some time that the good news of Christ is exciting and explosive, but how long has it been since I really resonated with it? It also confirms what our priest has long said, that Mark is not the simple book people like to say it is, but rather is intricately constructed. We will see more proof of that as we move through the book. 

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Sources and Notes Index