Ellicott City

July 20, 2024 Peace and Good, I hope you are all well. I have been in Ellicott City these days. I am helping out quite a bit at the Shrine as I get more strength, and I am working on my podcast reflections on the daily readings. My latest book, Praying for Wisdom Every Day, has been published. I don't have any big writing projects right now, but I am sure something will come along. I have started doing spiritual direction for people who come to the Shrine. Fr. Gary, the director, asked me if I were open to the idea, and in a few days five people asked me for it. This is something I really like to do. The weather here is Baltimore has calmed down a lot. It is only in the 80's and not over 100. I have made plans to travel to South Korea at the end of August. I was the visitator of that province, and they are now getting ready for their provincial chapter, so it is good for me to be there to give them some feedback. Doing reports on countries where the culture is so different is touchy. I make it clear that my observations are coming from a different culture, and also that many of the things I am reporting are not my thoughts but what they said to me. I finished some reading and listening: Conviction by Denver and John Nicks This is the story of a poor African-American farmer in Oklahoma who was framed for a murder that he most probably did not commit. Officials in the state and area tried to railroad him to cover up the corruption that existed in the work release program in the local prison (from which a prisoner probably committed the murders). Thurgood Marshall is the lead attorney from the NAACP who fights the case. Ancient Gaza by Charles River Editors This is the story of the region to the southwest of Israel that was originally inhabited by the Philistines and then was conquered by every empire that passed by. The account is not all informative, relying in quoting some of the few references to the area in the Old Testament. The Industrial Revolution by Patrick Allitt This is a Great Courses presentation, a rambling account of the birth and growth of the industrial revolution (especially concentrating on Great Britain and the United States). The author is very good and his presentations cover an enormous amount of ground. He deals not only with the mechanical and economic dimensions of the industrial revolution, but also of its impact upon the people involved (workers, owners, people living in the area, etc.). The Mosquito by Timothy Wineg This is an account of how the most dangerous animals in the world (for more people are killed by mosquito bites and diseases carried in them than any other animal attack) and how it has interacted with humans throughout their history. The author speaks of the affects of mosquito infestations on a number of wars (including the American Revolution). He speaks of the discovery of the fact that mosquitos are a vector in the transmission of disease. He also speaks of the possibility of controlling their damage through some type of genetic modification. Bloodlands by Timothy Snyder This is a tragic account of the lands between the German-Polish border and the Ukrainian-Russian border during the 1930’s and World War II. It speaks of the horrific murders of entire populations first by Stalin (e.g. the Ukrainian famine) and by Hitler (the murder of the Jews, Slavs, Russian prisoners, etc.). Add that to the horrors of World War II (with the systematic attempt of the Nazi’s to kill off many of the Slavs to create land for their people). It is a difficult book to read because it is so painful to read what some humans could do to others. The History of Ireland by History Nerds This is a short history of Ireland and its people from pre-historic times up to the modern times. Because it covers such a large scope of time, and it is a relatively short presentation (a couple of hours of material), it is a very quick overview without much detail. What Science Knows about Cancer by David Sadava This is a Great Courses course on what cancer is, especially in terms of chemical and genetic foundations, and how it should be treated. The course provides so much, sometimes technical information that I know that I will have to listen to the course once again in the future (but I realize that it is well worth the effort to do that). This course takes more work than many of the Great Courses presentations, but it is well worth it. DNA by James Watson This is a book which speaks of the discovery and implications of DNA. The author is one of the discoverers of the double helix configuration of this genetic material. Watson is good at giving a narrative (but sometimes a bit parochial in his outlook). He is not always so good at seeing some of the dangers involved in the manipulation of genetic material (for crops, for animals, and especially for people). For as much as he mouths the dangers of DNA experimentation, he nevertheless seems to devolve into an attitude that if we can, we should. The Wailing Wind by Tony Hillerman This is a Tony Hillerman book about detectives on the Navaho nation reservation who must investigate a murder which has something to do with gold mining but also with the protection of a sacred area. The whole series of books are tremendous, and I find myself racing through each of them because they are so well written. This is no exception. Addicted to Mediocrity by Franky Schaeffer This is a screed written by an evangelical artist against the tendency to be satisfied with poor art by the Church (accepting it only if it serves for fundraising or proselytism). He argues that the Good God who created the universe in beauty expects us to continue His work in art of all forms. While the message is aimed at his own ecclesial movement, it could be applied to the Catholic Church as well which at times accepts and promotes art and culture which is insipid. Joyce’s Ulysses by James Heffernan This is a Great Courses presentation on the famous book by James Joyce called Ulysses. The presenter explains that Joyce loosely based this account of one man’s life in Dublin at the turn of the 20th century upon Homer’s classic account of Ulysses’ return home after the Trojan war. It is a book of incredibly complicated language and plot, and I never wanted to expend the energy to read it. This course gave me the opportunity to know its content without having to do the exhausting work of reading it. St. Catherine of Siena by Sr. Suzanne Noffke This is a Learn25 course on the life and writings of Catherine of Siena. The author makes the point that while we think of her as a contemplative, she was most active in the world around her (care for the poor, politics involving even the Pope, city state politics, etc.). She died quite young, but yet left a richness of spiritual insights that had her declared a Doctor of the Church. The presenter does a good job of quoting from Catherine’s own writings without being overly laudatory or pietistic. Have a great week. Shalom fr. Jude

Ellicott City - Buffalo - Ellicott City

July 5, 2024 Peace and Good, I am writing this in a sweltering Baltimore, so much so that I am going to be taking my daily walks inside the house. I got to go up to my hometown of Buffalo to visit family and friends. This is the first time that I have been there in a couple of years. I love the friendlikness of the Buffalonians. The people are great, as is the food. The wweather and job situation could use a bit of work. I noticed at the airport how many people wore some type of clothes that publicized the Buffalo Bills. I don't think there is a city with better fans other than possibly Green Bay. I am back in Baltimore, working on some small projects and helping out at the Shrine. I enjoy celebrating Mass and listening to confessions there. We are doing the local parishes a great service becuase most of them don't have a lot of hours of confession available. We have two or three confessors on call for an hour before our noonday Mass. I am in the process of getting my faculties (permission to conduct public ministry) from the Baltimore archdiocese. I have been without faculties from anyone for the past year because I was in recovery, but now I am well enough to help out here and there as needed. I finished some reading and listening: FDR: the First Hundred Days by Anthony Badger This is a balanced book dealing with the attempts of FDR to face the financial crisis of the great depression, especially with a whirlwind effort in the first 100 days of his administration. The author finds middle ground in the account, admitting that some things could have been done better, but also that it was a time of crisis when something significant had to be done immediately. There are still some who argue that FDR’s efforts prolonged the depression, but they tend to argue that the government should never be involved in these things, that the market would correct itself (not thinking of those who were crushed in the mean time). Theology and Science by Matthew Ogilvie This is an interesting course from Learn25 on whether one can reconcile the finding of science with theology. He avoids the Galileo affair to deal with more modern topics such as evolution, genetics, eugenics, etc. The professor is well versed in Thomistic theology and science and he shares a number of invaluable insights. The Spies of Warsaw by Alan Furst I have read most of the books by Furst. He writes about the period just before World War II and sometimes during the war. His books have covered topics in Parish, Bulgaria, Greece, Hungary and now Poland. This one deals with a spy for the French who is trying to ferrit out German secrets from agents who pass over the border (a year or so before the war began). He has to deal with a bureaucracy which makes his job all but impossible. It is a must read. The Other Side of History: Daily Life in the Ancient World by Robert Garland This is a rather long (48 lectures) and very enjoyable course from the Great Courses that deals with ancient history, but most of all from the perspective of ordinary people (instead of the great names and great dates which are often the main content of histories). The presenter does a fine job of providing ample detail without ever being boring. I would recommend this course even to someone who is only slightly interested in the topic. The Boxer Rebellion by Charles River Editors This was a nativist rebellion at the beginning of the 20th century in China. The country had been sadly exploited by a number of imperialist nations as well as by its own corrupt aristocracy. This is a short account, but it does give quite a bit of information (but as usual, from a European perspective). Central Europe by Richard Hottelet This is a short presentation of the history of the central European nations throughout their history from prehistoric times to the post-communist era. The book is an overview without a lot of detail, but it is wroth reading. Modern Scholar: Shakespeare: Ten Great Comedies by Raphael Shargel This is a course on the comedies of Shakespeare. It is the kind of course that should be accompanied by a reading of the Shakespeare plays. The professor gives some brilliant insights into the action and characters of those plays. It has made me marvel at the insight of this great playwrite. The Gettysburg Gospel by Gabor Boritt This is the story of the short address that Lincoln made at the dedication of the cemetery in Gettysburg after the battle during the summer of 1863. While the speech seemed all but insignificant in comparison with the two hour speech provided by the main spokesman, Edward Everett. Yet, over time Lincoln’s address has been recognized as one of the most significant speeches every written. Agent 110 by Scott Miller This is the story of the head of the OSS office in Switzerland during the war, Allen Dulles, who would eventually become one of the first directors of the CIA. He was a bit of an amateur who was playing as spy, making some mistakes but also providing valuable information on Germany and the German troops in Italty. The Waters of Siloe by Thomas Merton This is a book written by Thoams Merton when he was a young monk in his monastery in Gethsemane. This book was requested by his superiors and it is a quick history of the trappiest movement and an overview of their spirituality. One of the highpoints was the explosion of trappiest vocations right after World War II (partly because of the life changing experience of the war, but also due to the book, the Seven Story Mountain, that Merton had written). Paper by Marc Kurlansky Marc Kurlansky has written a series of brilliant books on various topics such as cod and oysters. This volume presents the story of the invention of paper and its manufacture first in Eastern countries, and then throughout Europe. It speaks of the end of the era of parchment and the rise of printing. The cook is very, very interesting. The Rise of an Empire by Stephen Dando-Collins This is the story of the career of Themistocles, the hero of Athens, who convinced the people to prepare for the coming Persian invasion by building a massive fleet which was able to defeat the Persians in the battle of Salamis. Ironically, this great hero was eventually rejected by the people of Athens who hated anyone who became too important and therefore presented a danger to the democracy (at least in their own view). Have a good week and keep cool. Shalom fr. Jude

Ellicott City

hJune 20 Peace and Good, Summer has arrived early in Baltimore. Today will hit the 90's. Of course, there is an irony that it is hotter in New England. The climate has been crazy this Spring. Floods, heat, fires, etc. I really believe that while part of the change might be due to natural causes, it is still true that our multiplication of Carbon Dioxide levels in the atmosphere is having a big effect. I have been in Ellicott City since my last blog. This Saturday I gave a presentation on prayer in St. Anthony at our Shrine. This is a year of prayer in preparation for our Holy Year next year, a year of a pilgrimage of hope. I outlined the ideas presented in St. Anthony's writings concerning how we come to a true prayer life. The talk went well, and at the end I invited whoever wanted to come to the conference room to ask any questions about the faith that they wanted. That was even better. I hope to do this more often in the future. This Sunday I will fly up to Buffalo to visit family and friends. I decided to fly because it is an 8 hour drive (a bit long for my energy level) and I have tons of frequent flyer miles on Southwest. I finished a project for our friars in Assisi. They are celebrating the centennial of the stigmata of St. Francis, and they prepared a demonstration based on a document that St. Francis himself wrote right around that time. It is a Praise of the Most High God on one side of a piece of parchment and a blessing for one of the friars on the other. I had my fourth immunotherapy on Monday. Eight more to go. This does not affect me as much as the chemo and radiation, but there are still some small side-effects (sleep, digestion, etc.). I finished some reading and listening: William Wallace by History Nerds This is the story of the famous Scottish hero who was portrayed in the film Braveheart by Mel Gibson. Admittedly, there are gaps in information given to the lack of documents in this era (which tended to be produced by monasteries, and also by the victors in the various battles). The Persian Invasion of Greece by Arthur Keaveney This is an overview of the relationship between Greece and Persia, between the West and the East over centuries from the golden age of Greece to the time of Alexander the Great. While not exhaustive, the book is well done and gives a very good outline of the various events. Sea Monsters: A History of Creatures from the Haunted Deep in Legend and Lore by Charles River Editors This is a short overview of many of the accounts of sightings of sea creatures. Most of the book is first hand accounts which tend to be repetitive and not all that informative. The author does speak a bit about scientific theories of what is being seen, but that part of the treatment is relatively light.+ The Incas: Inside an American Empire by Terence D’Altroy This is a tremendous course from Modern Scholar on the Inca people. The professor presents an overview of their history, a treatment of their religious beliefs, a sociological presentation on their culture, a study of their architecture, agriculture, etc. This is a topic of which I knew relatively little, and I feel fully rewarded in having listened to this course. Seven Skeletons by Lydia Payne This is the account of various archeological finds of human skeletons and how they influenced the public’s attitude toward archaeology and evolution. These include Lucy, Peking Man, Hobbit, etc. The account is presented in a light manner to the scientific element of the account is not overwhelming. The Napoleonic Wars by History Nerds This is just a short outline of the rise and fall of Napoleon and the various alliances he formed and battles he fought. The account recognizes his military genius, but also his cruel indifference to the sufferings of the people who were victims to his overwhelming ambition and pride. Pilgrims and Puritans 1620-1676 by Christopher and James Lawrence Collier This is an account of the arrival of the Pilgrims (religious exiles from England) and the Puritans (a group more Calvinistic in their approach of state and religion). They wanted to build a heavenly Jerusalem on the earth. Some of what they did was laudatory, some of it not so much. They were incredibly judgmental and cruel to religious dissidents (which is odd considering that they, themselves, were fleeing religious persecution). They did not always have a good relationship with native Americans. Blessed Fr. Solanus Casey: An Inspiration for Our Faith by Dan Crosby This is a learn25 course on the life of Blessed Solanus Casey, a Capuchin from the mid-west who was beloved by the people whom he served. He was famous for being willing to listen to anyone’s problems and offer spiritual advise, he helped to feed the poor, and he was responsible for many, many miraculous events throughout his life. Living History: Experiencing Great Events of the Ancient World by Robert Garland This is a Teaching Company course on individual events in ancient history from various nations around the world. The professor is entertaining, and the 24 lessons seemed to be too little given the talent of story telling that Garland has. Lotharingia by Simon Winder This is an interesting book that is difficult to classify. It deals with the portion of Europe that makes up Eastern France and Western Germany along with the territories in between. It is part travelogue, part history book, part a reader on the local cultures in this area. This is one of three volumes written in a similar genre (the others being Danubia and Germania). I enjoyed the book, even in the author’s ramblings which at times wandered here and there. C.S. Lewis: Christology and Cosmology by David Fagerberg This Learn25 course goes through the various writings of C.S. Lewis, especially his Narnia volumes, and describes the Christology contained therein. I cannot say that I am that interested in reading the Narnia cycle, but this short course provided me with the information I need to know what it is all about. The professor is extremely well informed about Lewis’ writings, and about their deeper theological significance. The Louvre by Charles River Editors This is a short history of the famous Parisian Museum. It began as a royal palace, but over the years evolved into a center for the collection of artworks of the royal family, and then as a museum open to all. The account speaks of its various collections of sculpture, paintings and prints and other documents. Have a good week. Shalom fr. Jude

Ellicott City

June 12, 2024 Peace and Good, I have some very good news. I had my CT scan this past Monday, and the doctors who examined the results said that I am in remission with my lung cancer. They cannot be sure that everything is complete, so I will continue immunotherapy for the next nine month, with CT scans every three months to see how things are going. But this was a very positive development. I also had a bit of a setback when I developed vertigo last Friday. I was taken to the hospital. This is the first time that I have suffered from it, so it was very confusing and, given my history of cancer, frightening. It turns out that it does not seem to be related to the cancer. It is strange, but I feel that it has given me one more thing by which I can emphatize with people who are suffering from this ailment. I finished my translation of the Italian Children's New Testament stories. I am now working on a presentation for Saturday on prayer in the life of St. Anthony (whose feast is tomorrow). His feastday is tomorrow, but we have a day of recollection on Saturday when more people are free in St. Anthony's honor. This is the year of prayer in preparation for the Holy Year in 2025. I have finished some reading and listening: Thebes: the Forgotten City of Ancient Greece by Paul Cartledge Paul Cartledge is a tremendous author on ancient topics. This book which speaks of Thebes is a good example of his work. Not as famous as Athens or Sparta, Thebes nevertheless played an important role in the history of ancient Greece. It was the legendary birth place of Oedipus. It was destroyed by Alexander the Great for rebellion and to serve as an object lesson to other cities that might consider opposing him. It was considered to be a city that did not play the proper role during the invasion of the Persians. Shadows in the Jungle by Larry Alexander This is an account of the Alamo Scouts during World War II. They were specially trained forces who infiltrated behind enemy lines to spy on them, occasionally to attack certain installations, and even to liberate prisoners of war. They served in the islands of the South Pacific including Philippines. The story of these scouts is well told and inspiring. Empire of Mud: the Secret History of Washington, DC by J.D. Dickey This is a history of the origin of the city of Washington D.C. from its origin to the beginning of the 20th century. The author deals with practical questions (buildings, sewage, paving of roads, hygiene) and with political questions (how the city lost most of its local autonomy in the aftermath of a series of scandals, and also as a way to crush the influence of the African American population of the city). The account is very informative. The Fall of Europe by Fred Majdalany This is basically a history of World War II, but from a European point of view, and from a mostly western point of view (the Soviets are only rarely mentioned). Oddly, the account takes into considerable consideration the period before the war, but then concludes the account with the period around the time of the attempted assassination of Hitler in the Valkyrie affair. Smoke Signal by Marie Benedict This is a novella about Bletchley Park (the secret site in World War II where the enigma code of the Germans was broken). Agatha Christie makes one of the characters a man with the last name of Bletchley. The crew at the Park try to discover whether the name was chosen by accident or purposely chosen. It turns out that Agatha has discovered a band of Soviet spies by accident and is trying to get the attention of the Secret Services to investigate them. Alexander the Great by Kelly Mass This is part of the very short biographies of great figures throughout history. This edition gives good information in a presentation that doesn’t last much more than an hour. The Real History of Witches and Witch Hunts by Thomas Fudge This is a Learn25 course that deals with the phenomenon of people being accused of being witches and put to death. He carefully documents the various trials and tendencies, including such things as torture to force a confession, evidence given by young children, fantastic stories that seem to have been invented to stop the torture, etc. The research is well done. The professor shows how this was both a Catholic and Protestant phenomenon, and he correlates the periods of the worse persecution to other outside factors (religious warfare, famine, etc.) which probably influence the search for a scapegoat. The American Revolution by DK DK is a series of books that are extensive explorations of a topic with a hundred or so somewhat independent essays (but all with the same texture and format). This volume on the American Revolution gives ample information on the causes, conduct and consequences of that war. It is a must read (or listen) for those interested in the topic. The Fever of 1721 by Stephen Cross This is the story of an epidemic of smallpox in Boston in 1721, along with the controversy about the new experiments in inoculation (not yet with cowpox but with a hopefully limited amount of material taken from smallpox pustules). One of the men involved in this was Cotton Mather, the famous Congregationalist preacher who helped in the convictions of the Salem Witch trials. Another was a young Benjamin Franklin who worked in his brother’s press shop. The Cambodian Campaign during the Vietnam War by Charles River Editors This short book speaks about the invasion of Cambodia (and Laos) during the Vietnam War. The author feels that the military has been judged harshly by the press (which by this point of the war were hostile to the governments of the US and Vietnam and the military). The author points out that most of the supplies and reinforcements for the Vietcong were being transported along the Ho Chi Ming trail or were being shipped into the port of Sihanoukville in Cambodia, and that the invasion cut off supplies of arms and food for many months. Eleanor of Aquitaine by Charles River Editors Eleanor is one of those historic figures who seems too sensational to be true. She was married to two kings: that of France and of England. She went on the crusades with her French husband, possibly committing incest with her uncle on the way. She ruled over a large territory in southern France. She rebelled against her husband (Henry) along with two of her sons. She was held under house arrest in a castle for much of the latter part of her life, eventually being freed when her son Richard the Lion hearted took the throne. The March of Folly by Barbara Tuchman Tuchman is a great historical author. This book speaks of a number of episodes in history in which the people engaging in a warlike policy should have known better, but they blinded themselves to some obvious truths because of pride or arrogance or illusion. She speaks of the war with Troy, the wars fought be the Medieval Papacy, the American Revolutionary War and the Vietnam War. In each case, she shows how those involved did have options which they chose to ignore. Have a good week. Shalom fr. Jude

Ellicott City - Pittsburgh - Ellicott City

June 1, 2024 Peace and Good, I hope you are all well. I am slowly feeling better as time goes on. I have received my third immunotherapy treatment (nine more to go). On the 10th of this month, I will have a CT scan that will tell me how well the chemo and radiation worked. I was able to travel to Pittsburgh (a four hour drive) to visit family and one of my spiritual directees. The trip tired me out a bit, but no where near what it would have done in previous weeks. The next test of my strength will be a trip to Buffalo to visit family and friends. I have been working on my podcasts for the daily readings, and recently on a translation from Italian into English for an exposition in Assisi. Next week i have some work to do for my publisher (Catholic Book Publishing Company). There are nice projects for me for there is no rush to get them done. I am also helping out a bit at the Shrine. That came in handy this week, for many of the friars went down to Charlotte for the ordination and installation of Michael Martin as the bishop of Charlotte. I finished some reading and listening: The Great Schism and the Western Schism by Charles River Editors This is a short presentation on the division of the Western from the Eastern Church (the Great Schism) and also the period in the Middle Ages when there were two, and then three men who claimed to be Pope (the Western Schism). Technically, the Great Schism was resolved when Paul VI and the Orthodox Patriarch renounced the mutual excommunications that marked the seemingly irreparable separation between East and West, and the Western Schism was resolved by a Church Council which convinced (with a bit of forceful persuasion) for all the popes to step down and to elect a new one. 1493 by Charles Mann This is the second volume in a two volume series. The first was 1491 which spoke about the Americas before the arrival of Columbus. This volume speaks about the after effects of his arrival, both within the Americas (e.g. indigenous slavery, the arrival of African slavery, etc.) and outside (the Columbian exchange which saw new crops like potatoes change diets across the world. The presentation is well done, but the topic possibly a bit to wide reaching. Charlemagne: Father of Europe by Philip Daileader This is a Great Courses presentation on the history of Charlemagne (both in terms of his reign and in terms of his influence upon later Europe). The author goes out of his way to separate fact from legend. Many of the questions asked about Charlemagne receive the answer “yes and no” for he was a complicated figure, and later authors and historians tend to overly simplify his meaning to history. Warfare by DK DK is a producer of long, extensive topics. It is almost that each book is an amalgamation of a hundred or so Wikipedia articles. The topics do not always precisely follow each other, but each provides insight to what was going on. Obviously, when the topic is as large as warfare from prehistoric to modern days, one is covering a lot of information. Yet, one never feels overwhelmed by the presentations. American Religious History by Patrick Alllitt This is a history of the main religious movements in the country from the time of the Puritans to the present day. Allitt treats both the original movements (e.g. the Mormons, some millennialist movements, etc.) and the traditional religions (Protestant, Catholic and Jewish). He speaks about how other religions are now spreading in the country (Hindu, Muslim). He is respectful to the various faiths and gives a balanced account of their positive and negative dimensions. Packing the Court by James MacGregor Burns This is a history of the Supreme Court and how presidents have used their appointments to shape the politics of their time (and for a considerable period afterwards, due to the fact that the appointments are for life). The term “packing the court” is usually applied to FDR who had a plan to expand the very conservative court which was blocking his New Deal reforms, yet Burns shows how this was done in slow motion by many of the presidents. The book is very, very interesting. Masterpieces of Ancient Greek Literature by David Schenker This is an excellent Modern Scholars treatment of the various forms of literature from the time of Homer (if he existed) up to the time of the Hellenists after the death of Alexander the Great. The professor describes both the author and his times and the content of his writings, whether it be comedy or tragedy or epic or poetry. I especially appreciated the historic background to help me understand why they ancient authors said things the way they did. The British Subjugation of Australia by Charles River Editors This is a history of the British discovery and settling of Australia. From being a penal colony, it because a place of settlement for many English who otherwise could not have afforded a plot of land. The gold rush led to rapid settlement. The sad side of the story is how the local Aborigines were treated. The Double Agents by W.E.B. Griffin This is basically the story of the plot of the English to dump a body off the coast of Spain with plans for a false invasion of Sardinia or Greece in order to take the Nazi attention off of Sicily. The author adds in other details about skullduggery both in Sicily and Britain. I don’t especially like Griffin’s other books, but this one was OK. The Early of Montenegro by Charles River Editors This is a history of the small land of Montenegro, along the Adriatic coast alongside of Serbia. The book delivers what it says, but in excruciating detail. There is story after story of invasion, overthrow of a king or a duke, etc. Unless one is very, very interested in the topic, I would suggest avoiding this book. Winston Churchill by Hourly History This is a short biography of Churchill. It is really not much more than an outline, but it is a good tool for remembering those parts of his life that are often not treated too well (e.g. his years in exile early in his career, his later years). Bogie and Betty by Charles River Editors This is the story of the lives, careers and love of Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall. They met on set after Bogart had already been married three times, all to women who had serious personal problems (especially drinking). Bacall was twenty-five years younger than Bogart, but the marriage was very successful. Furthermore the films in which they starred together proved to be magical for some of their real love for each other was transferred to the screen. Have a good week. Shalom fr.Jude

Chicago - Ellicott City

May 23, 2024 Peace and Good, I hope you are all well. Since I have been back from Chicago, I have been at home. I had my third immunotherapy treatment this past Monday. I have some small aches and pains, but none of them is serious and I bring all of them to the attention of my treatment team at the hospital. I cannot describe how kind and compassionate they have all been at Johns Hopkins. I really feel as if they see me as a person and not another anonymous patient to care for. I am beginning a translation of a short Italian children's New Testament for my publisher. It should only take a week or two to finish the text. I am now well ahead in daily scripture reflections (up to early July). I have been helping out more at the Shrine with confessions and Masses. I am still limited in what I can do in terms of energy. After an hour of confessions and celebrating a Mass, I have to rest for a while to do anything else. I am getting more and more concerned with the strange weather we have been experiencing over these past months. It is clearly a sign of climate change. One can argue whether it is a natural pattern or at least partially man made, but something is happening. While our country can probably deal with it for a while, some poorer countries will be devastated for they do not have the extra resources to tide them over. I have finished some reading/listening: Lex Talionis by Michael Prescott This is a novella about a man who loses his wife giving birth to a child, and then the child’s death at the hands of an inattentive driver. He is losing his mind until one night he meets a mysterious figure in his bedroom who promises to bring back his daughter if he kill someone in the next forty-eight hours. This leads to terrible qualms of conscience and a creative solution. Louis Pasteur by Charles River Editors This is the biography of the great French scientist Louis Pasteur. We still use his name in the term pasteurization which is used for the treatment of raw milk and beer. He invented the vaccine against rabbis, and worked on many practical problems that plagues French agriculture. The Kassites by Charles River Editors This is a little know people who conquered Mesopotamia and held it for around two hundred years in the period after the great Babylonian state and before the conquest of the Assyrians. I have often heard of this people but never knew much about them. This short book was very helpful. The Reconstruction Era by Hourly History This is the story, somewhat tragic, of the south from the end of the Civil War until a decade later when the federal troops were pulled out of those states. It especially deals with the problem of violence and intimidation against the blacks in the south which effectively prohibited them from voting and which subjected them to Jim Crow laws which established segregation. Myth in Human History by Grant Voth This is a Teaching Company Course of myths across the world. The professor establishes certain patterns that one would expect to see in myths. These, for example, include the stories of the jester who breaks all the rules, but who yet manages to assist humankind, even if that was not the jester’s main purpose. This overview provides some insight into the books of Joseph Campbell and Mircea Eliade. The Ancient Libyans by Charles River Editors The book speaks about the ancient tribes who came to be known collectively as the Libyans. They lived to the west of Egypt during the ancient era, almost ever as a danger and even invading and conquering the land for a while. Eventually, many of them became incorporated into Egyptians culture (as seen by the names of some Egyptian officials). The Mosque of Cristo de la Luz by Charles River Editors This is a short book on a church in Spain that was transformed into a Mosque, and then when the land was reconquered by Christians, remade into a Church. One of the most important elements in this story is the cross which had been hidden behind a wall during the time of the conquest, but which revealed itself by shining a light through a crack in the wall. Pet Sematary by Stephen King This is a typical Stephen King book, full of suspense and even horror, but also filled with tremendously good writing. The story is of a man who finds a cemetery which can bring pets back to life, but they are somehow changed in the process. His young son dies, and he buries him in the cemetery with horrific results. Brother of Jesus, Friend of God by Luke Timothy Johnson This is a series of essays collected by Luke Timothy Johnson on the Letter of James. Some deal with authorship and dating. Others deal with the literary form and the moral lessons found throughout the text. Some, unfortunately, are highly specific and not especially interesting except for those who are interested in a particular verse or two. Overall, it is a good resource. Defiance by C.J. Redwine This is the story of a large group of Jews who fled the ghettoes of Belarus and lived in the forests. The primary purpose was survival, but they also served as partisans, especially when they came under the authority of the Soviet government. Unlike other partisan groups, this one accepted the poor, the young and old, women, etc. – people who in general could not fight. The book is a bit repetitive at times, but the story is great. In Distant Lands by Lars Brownsworth This is an account of the various crusades in the Middle East. The author is very honest about the motivation of many of the crusaders (at times salvation, at times adventure, at times plunder). He is honest about the deviations that caused great scandal even in those days (the sack of Constantinople, the murder of Jews along the way, etc.). He shows how the hold on conquered territory was always tenuous due to the shortage of men and women who would settle there. He also speaks of some of the bone headed mistakes made by Christian and Muslim forces. The Modern Scholar: Hebrews, Greek and Romans: Foundations of Western Civilization by Timothy Shutt This is a quick overview of the influence of the Hebrew, Greek and Roman cultures upon our modern culture today. That is an incredibly large amount of material to cover in one single course, and the best the professor can do is give highlights here and there. The course is good, but superficial. Have a good week. Shalom fr. Jude

Ellicott City - Chicago

May 6, 2024 Peace and Good, I hope you are all well. As you can see above, I have travelled for the first ime in months. I am in Chicago until this afternoon, having offered a workshop on the writings of St. Paul to our postulants. (Postulancy is the first year in the process of becoming a friar, and it is followed by novitiate.) I very much enjoyed this time, and was able to speak to some friars whom I had not seen for quite some time. The presentations went well, but I do feel a bit wiped by the effort of the travel, etc. It is clear to me that while I am getting better, it will be a while before I can give a retreat or a parish renewal. I have to take it step by step. I have been given a new project by my publisher, to translate an Italian children's Bible. I love doing that kind of work, and I can do it at my own pace. When I get back to Ellicott City, I will be helping out more with daily Mass and convessions at the shrine. It is only one more month before I get the big CT scan to see how the radiation and chemo worked. It will be good to know where I stand. I finished some reading, listening and viewing: The Modern Scholar: Six Months that Changed the World by Dr. Margaret MacMillan This is a truly tremendous coverage of the Paris Peace Conference at the end of World War I. The professor makes clear how complex the negotiations were (especially with the establishment of new nations and new borders). She speaks of the influence of the various main negotiators. She speaks of how an open conference became one held in small meetings with the major countries making decisions for everyone. She speaks of the successes and failures of the conference, especially of the fact that Germany was not even invited into the negotiations and thus considered the harsh conditions imposed upon it to be unfair (a slogan that was used in the leadup to World War II). Lincoln by Edwin Grosvenor This is an American Heritage short biography of Lincoln. The audio was only a couple of hours long, so the presentation is, at best, sketchy and rushed. The American Revolution: 1763-1783 by Christopher and James Lincoln Collier This is part of an American History series done by the Colliers to present history in a way that does not overwhelm students of these topics. The presentations are clear and incisive. Enough information is given to get a good sense of the topic without overwhelming those using the books. The Body and the Blood by Michael Lister This is the third volume by Lister I have read. His protagonist is a chaplain, former policeman who is in the 12 step program for alcoholism. He is a chaplain at a prison, and is often called upon to do law enforcement investigations as well. He is very introspective, and often speaks of how he is torn by the various elements of his complicated life. The Black Death: New Lessons from Recent Research by Dorsey Armstrong A few years ago, I listened to a Great Courses presentation by Dorsey Armstrong on the Black Death. This shorter course is a type of corrective of the original course based on the latest medical/archaeological/historic evidence. While most of Armstrong’s original theories were seen to be acceptable, some had to be corrected significantly. Also, since this course was taped during the covid pandemic, Armstrong was able to speak of how we could better identify with what happened in a pandemic which killed 80% of those infected – as opposed to covid that killed around 2 %). Patriotic Fire: Andrew Jackson and Jean Laffite at the Battle of New Orleans by Winston Groom This is an account of the Battle of New Orleans during the War of 1812. Groom is a good author of war topics, and this book is well written and informative. Judges (The Two Horizons Old Testament Commentary) by David Beldman This is a tremendously good commentary. I had never studied the Book of Judges, and the superficial views I had on the stories contained therein were confronted to a much more profound treatment of the topics. The judges (leaders) of Israel proved to be very flawed men and women. Rather than being a book which approved of the coming monarchy, it proves to be a call to have Yahweh as the only king of Israel. This was especially important because it was written after the Babylonian exile when it appeared that the Jews would never again have their own king. Grave Descend by Michael Crichton This is a short book about a man who is hired to dive into a sunken boat to recover a couple of precious items. The hire is a set up that only slowly unfolds. The diver and his friend are put in a very, very dangerous position as they are being used as pawns to be sacrificed to the Mafia. The Judas Gate by Jack Higgins This is the first volume of a series by Higgins (his pen name – his real name is Henry Patterson). This one involves the IRA along with the Islamist movement in Afghanistan but also in Great Britain. His books are always entertaining, but not too deep. A Franciscan Retreat by Michael Crosby This is not the first course by Crosby that I have listened to, but I hope it is the last. He has many good things to say, but they are often couched in politically correct and relevant vocabulary. He is also an expert in economics, so he feels he has to use economic vocabulary all throughout his presentation. The Life of Moses by Stephen Reid This is a learn25 course on the life and career of Moses. It gives a good outline and deals with some critical moments and their importance, but it is not especially profound in its treatment of the topic. The War of Three Gods: Romans, Persians and the Rise of Islam by Peter Crawford This is the story of the Byzantine Empire, the Persian Empire and the rise of the Arabs. The Byzantines and Persians were wasting their energy on pointless wars between themselves and within each of the empires (usually having to do with succession issues). This book explains how the Arab invasion could be so spectacularly successful within such a short period of time. The Utah War by Charles River Editors This was an area about which I knew hardly anything. It speaks about the birth of the Mormon Church and how it was persecuted in its early days, having to flee when neighboring communities attacked them (because of their cultish status, and especially the practice of polygamy). Just before the Civil War, President Buchanan sent troops to attack them in Utah. Through some fortunate turns of fate and the good office of some men who risked their life to prevent a disaster, the possible war was stopped before it blew up. Have a good week. Shalom fr. Jude