Ellicott City, MD - Ocean City, MD - Ellicott City, MD

July 15, 2019 Peace and Good, I am on vacation these weeks. The first week back in the States I spent some time at Ellicott City at our provincialate. This past week I have been staying at the friars' condo in Ocean City. I feel myself relaxing quite a bit which is good because this past year was a bit too busy. Today I will be flying out to California for the investiture of our new novice class (this is the beginning of the novitiate year and the reception of the habit). I will be flying back to Ellicott City on Saturday morning. I have finished some reading: The Macedonian Dynasty by Albert Vogt This is the story of a dynasty that rules the Byzantine empire for a couple of centuries. Reading the story makes one realize why the word Byzantine came to be applied to messy situations, for that was exactly what this dynasty experienced. There are tons of names and situations that are not all that interesting, but the general story does give one a sense of how a royal family can come to ruin. Trusting God with St. Therese by Connie Rossini This is a book based on the spirituality of St. Therese of Lisieux which speaks about learning to trust in God’s providence. The author is quite traditional in her approach, but her spirituality his quite advanced. I was impressed on her realization that she could not rely upon external platitudes, but rather had to learn to surrender to God’s will in her life and that of her family. I would (and already have) recommend this book to others (even if at times the vocabulary makes me cringe a bit). The Kingdom of Yugoslavia by Charles River Editors This is a short account of the Serbian kingdom which became the base state for the establishment of Yugoslavia between the two world wars. The minorities were often mistreated, and that led to estrangement during the war (with horrible war atrocities) and the need for a figure like Tito after the war to hold the nation together (which lasted only until his death). The Quartet by Joseph J. Ellis This is the story of how four American patriots led the process for the production and approval of the Constitution. They were George Washington, John Jay, Alexander Hamilton and James Madison. The Articles of Confederation were not working. The government had no way to pay its bills, there was no central authority to mediate between different factions and there was no way to establish a federal army or navy. The convention which produced the constitution was not quite legal, for the delegates had been told to revise the articles and not write a new document, but they had to do it or condemn the new nation to impotence. The last part of the book speaks about the Bill of Rights. The book is very well done, and I would highly recommend it. The Great Voyages by Prof. Velas Liliutevicius This is a Great Courses series of 24 lectures on various voyages of exploration from ancient times to the modern attempt to explore the depths of the oceans and the limitless heights of the skies. The professor who did this course is very informative and has a good narrative style. He speaks of how an initial voyage often led to others which dared even larger risks. St. Peter: the Life and Legacy of Jesus Christ’s Most Important Disciple by Gustavo Lozano and Charles River Editors This is a very good and quick presentation of the life and ministry of St. Peter. Unlike most treatments such as this, the treatment of scripture is really quite good. The author is very respective of the Church and its spirituality. I enjoyed this treatment. Munich by Robert Harris This is a fictional account of the negotiations between Chamberlain and Hitler to “solve” the Czechoslovakia “problem” in 1938 which became a synonym for appeasement. The story revolves around two men, an Englishmen and a German, who work in their respective foreign offices and who were friends in university days. I have read a number of Harris’ books and all of them are well developed and written. Have a good week. Shalom fr. Jude