Ellicott City

April 20, 2020 Peace and Good, Like just about everyone else in the US and almost around the world, we are still locked down. This has been a restful time, being in the same time zone for weeks on end. My heart is staying in rhythm, which is very good. I don't know when it will be possible to return to Rome. I have e mailed my travel agent this morning to see if he knows anything. In the meantime, I have started writing a book of minute meditations on Franciscan spirituality. I have done two other of these books on other topics, so I know the style. Spring keeps coming and going these days. One day it feels like summer, the next like winter. But the flowers and the birds are beautiful. I finished some reading: The Dust Bowl by Charles River Editors This is the account of the ecological disaster that occurred when large regions of the West were plowed under during a historic cycle of wet weather, to be followed by a long and severe drought. With the land plowed (and therefore the cover of vegetation removed), massive amounts of dust and dirt was carried into the air on windy days which travelled for hundreds of miles and destroyed crops and killed people through dust pneumonia). This short account gives a good account of the tragedy that so many families faced and their attempts to survive this disaster. Dynasty: the Rise and the Fall of the House of Caesar by Tom Holland This is an excellent treatment of the Augustan dynasty from the time of Julius Caesar to the death of Nero. It gives a balanced account of what happened, informing the reader about rumors (such as the conduct of Livia, the wife of Augustus) without getting into gossip mongering. I would highly recommend this particular volume. The Philippines Campaign of World War II by Charles River Editors This is a short account of the capture of the Philippines by the Japanese at the beginning of World War II (especially concentrating on the capture of Corregidor and the Bataan peninsula). It then treats the recapture of the islands by allied forces in 1944 and 1945. The latter part of the book is a tedious account of the various battles fought in this campaign. Island of Vice by Richard Zachs This is the story of the two years that Teddy Roosevelt served as a commissioner of police in New York City. At that time, New York was under the control of a very corrupt administration. Roosevelt attempted to clean up the police force, but he also proved to be a pedantic enforcer of the laws against selling alcohol on Sundays (which was especially detested by many of the immigrants who were used to enjoying their Sundays at beer gardens in their home countries). The author is able to show the whole picture of Teddy, both his good intention but also his stubborn intransigence. The Vicksburg Campaign by Charles River Editors This is a quick version of the story of the siege of Vicksburg, the last city along the Mississippi that was in the hands of the Confederates during the Civil War. It was conquered by Grant, although after a series of frustrated attempts. The Olmec and Toltec by Charles River Editors This is the story of two early Meso-American cultures which were antecedents to the Mayans and the Aztecs. The story of the Olmec’s is somewhat clearer, even though there is very little written documentation. That of the Toltec is not quite as clear because much that was written about them was produced by the Aztec, and they tended to rewrite history (including the supposed story of the Toltecs) to make their own culture more important. Bad Ass Librarians of Timbuktu by Joshua Hammer and Paul Boehm This is the incredible story of the attempt to preserve a large trove of scholarly documents from the ravages of El Qaida which had captured the ancient city of Timbuktu in the country of Mali. Many of the manuscripts had been kept by families for decades to keep them out of the hands of those who would destroy them (including an Islamist invasion in the 19th century). The man especially responsible for this intervention also received funds from the West for the conservation of the documents which had not been treated kindly for a long time. The manuscripts give evidence to an incredible flourishing academic tradition in this desert city for centuries, an interesting story in itself. The Berlin Airlift and the Berlin Wall by Charles River Editors This is an account both of the Berlin Airlift to bring assistance to the city of Berlin when the Soviets cut of surface access to the city shortly after World War II, and the construction and maintenance of the Berlin Wall in the 80’s, and then the fall of the wall in 1989. It gives a good, balanced version of the events. Stay well! You're in my prayers. Shalom fr. Jude

Ellicott City

April 11, 2020 Peace and Good, I continue to stay in place at our provincialate in Ellicott City. It has been a peaceful time with a lot of reading, some study, and the beginning of a new book on daily meditations from Franciscan Saints. I am collecting sayings right now from the various saints and blessed throughout the ages. Spring has arrived down here in fits and starts. One day it almost feels like summer, and the next you need a winter coat. The flowers blooming are magnificent, especially the cherry trees. Audible has made a good number of books available for free streaming, and I am listening to the first Harry Potter book again. It really is well written. I know that some people find a book about witches to be dangerous, but I never saw it that way. I have finished some books: Jungle of Stone by William Carlsen This is the account of two explorers, one English and one American, who travelled to Central America in the 19th century and discovered the ruins of ancient Mayan cities. Stevens and Catherwood faced enormous difficulties in their task, partly due to the jungle nature of the area in which the cities were located, and partly due to the political instability of the area in those years. Their published accounts on their travels were enormously popular and led to much greater interest in this topic. The Hundred Years War by Charles River Editors This is a short account of the hundred years war fought between England and France in the 14th century. It actually was a series of wars fought over questions of how the king of England might also serve as a vassal of the king of France for those territories over which he had control on the continent. At a certain point, the king of England also claimed to be the king of France and fought for that right. This book also includes the story of Joan of Arc who rallied the French in order to allow the coronation of the dauphin of France. The Cambridge Five by Captivating History Captivating History is a series similar to the Charles River Editors books. They are short accounts of various historic topics. This book speaks about five Cambridge University students who became secret agent of the KBG during the 30’s, some of whom served the Soviets into the 60’s. Kim Philby was the most famous of all of them. They were responsible for the loss of many secrets throughout their careers, including the names of many Western agents and even Catholic activists in Nazi Germany who were killed by the Soviet secret services. Blue Mauritius: The Hunt for the World’s Most Valuable Stamps by Helen Morgan The blue Mauritius is a stamp that was one of the first issued in this island colony of Great Britain. It was a blue stamp with the image of Queen Victoria. It became a famous and very, very expensive stamp due to its rarity and the fact that there was a variance in its printed title in its first version. The book gives a history of stamp collecting as well as stamp frauds. It is quite good, but definitely a book that would be more enjoyed by someone who is involved in this hobby. Surrounded by Love: 7 teachings from St. Francis by Murray Bodo Murray Bodo is a Friar Minor who is also a poet. I read one of his works when I first became a friar and was quite inspired by his ideas. I recently came across this book on sale on Kindle and purchased it. It was well worth it. It gives a good overview of Francis’ spirituality without being overly scholastic. Great Battles of the Ancient World by Garrett Fagan Fagan is a great presenter of various ancient topics, and this is a series of lectures from the Teaching Company on great battles of the ancient world. It deals with the various societies, the causes of war, and the way that battles were fought. He gives good insights into how this topic is important to us today. The New Atlantis by Francis Bacon The is a type of Utopia story when a ship comes to a unknown country. There the people live their Christianity faithfully (for it was revealed to them by a supernatural revelation). Bacon, being an amateur scientist, describes how the sages of the country apply their energy to all types of practical science. Happy Easter fr. Jude

Ellicott City

April 7, 2020 Peace and Good, I certainly did not expect to be at Ellicott City all this time, which is what a lot of us are saying. This time has helped me get way ahead on daily reflections, and even to begin a new meditation book that the publisher asked me to consider. The community here is very good, and very supportive. My health problems seem to have been solved, at least for now. Spring has arrived in Maryland, and there is plenty of land to walk at the friary. I have finished some books: Beastly Things by Donna Leon I love the books written by Donna Leon. She writes about a police Commisario in Venice. Her read of Venetian society is perfect, and there are many hidden jokes and insinuations that can be understood only by someone who has lived in Italy. The Commisario is a decent man with a good family who treats others with respect, even when he has to face the maddening politics of Italy. The Spy and the Traitor by Ben McIntyre I have read a number of books by McIntyre, and this is one of his best. He writes especially about spy (true) stories. This one is about a KGB officer who defected to serve the British Secret Service. The most exciting part of the story is how the British were able to smuggle Oleg Gordiev out of the Soviet Union in the trunk of a car. He was eventually betrayed by a CIA traitor, Aldrich Aimes, who sold the KG the names of all those Russians who were serving the West. Haile Sailaise by Charles River Editors This is the story of the last emperor of Ethiopia. He is famous for his defense of his country during the invasion of it by the Italians just before World War II. He is also considered to be a God by the Rustifarians (their name being a version of a title that he bore, the Rustifar, which more or less means the Marshal). He started out as a reformer, but by his death he was an autocrat surrounded by his servants who failed to inform him of the real situation in his country (which included a famine which killed millions). Watergate: the Scandal that brought down a President by Charles River Editors This is an overview of the scandal of the Watergate. Ironically, Nixon did not need his dirty tricks to win the election over McGovern. Furthermore, the worst thing he did was not even the original crime as much as the cover-up. While some of the things that he did were already done by others before him (and after), nevertheless Nixon’s personality did not lend to sympathy. Catherine the Great by Robert Massie Massie has been a biographer of a number of important Russian figures such as Peter the Great. This biography is filled with important information. It explains the motivation of how someone who supported enlightenment ideas would end up being a sometimes cruel autocrat. While she supposedly supported a higher morality, she certainly did not live it in her personal life, having one lover after another. The book is well done. The Rosicrucians by Charles River Editors This is a short history of this secret mystical society founded in Europe in the early 17th century. It is an amalgam of Jewish, Christian and hermetical mystical ideas. At times, it has been associated with Freemasonry. It is difficult to say exactly what it is given its secret character. Some would associate it with famous modern figures. Anthony and Cleopatra by Adrian Goldsworthy This is a masterful account of the lives and times of the Roman Marcus Antonius and the Hellenistic Egyptian queen Cleopatra. Goldsworthy is a very good historian, and he uses all of his talent to outline what happened and why in these two figures. He deals with the fate of the decline of the Roman Republic and the murderous, incestuous death of the Ptolemaic rulers of Egypt. I would highly recommend this particular book. I am praying for you and your families. Shalom fr. Jude