Ellicott City

July 27, 2024 Peace and Good, This has been a rather normal week with various doctors appointments (which have gone well) and helping out at the Shrine. I have begun to do some spiritual direction, and I quickly acquired a number of women and men who have asked me to accompany them. This is something that I enjoy doing. It requires an intense listening to the story being presented and a respect for the way which the other interprets reality, but at the same time the courage to challenge the other to see things in a different light. Most people involved in it would not really call it spiritual direction any more, but rather spiritual accompaniment. I am also accompaning a Bible study group over zoom. This week we looked at the Gospel for tomorrow, which is one of the riches in the entire New Testament. I think this was one of my favorite sessions in all the adult ed I have done over the years. I have been asked to do a month of reflections for one of our magazines in Assisi. This will be the second time that I do this for them. I write the reflections in English, and they translate them into Italian. This means I am writing for three magazines now, one in Padua, Italy, one in Assisi, Italy, and one in Nairobi, Kenya. I have finished some reading and listening: The Five Civilized Tribes by Charles River Editors This is a presentation of Charles River Editors that seems like the binding of five separate books into one presentation (e.g. there are obvious repetitions throughout the presentation). It deals with the tribes of Native Americans in the Southeast of the US. These are tribes that mostly tried to enculturate, but given their fertile land and the gold found on it, they were pushed out of their ancestral, treaty guaranteed lands during the Jackson administration (certainly a case of ethnic cleansing). The Mohave Desert by Charles River Editors This is a short overview of one of the large deserts in the Southwest United States (which includes Death Valley). The book speaks of the geography of the area, its inhabitants (especially the Native Americans), its fauna and flora, and its history in the days of exploration from Spanish times to the American entrance into the area. The East African Slave Trade by Charles River Editors This is an outline of the slave trade in the east of Africa, especially by the Arabs who would kidnap (or buy) slaves to carry ivory to the coast, and then sell them as slaves. The entrepot of this activity was the island of Zanzibar, which was a dependent state of Oman. British missionaries fought the trade without great success, but eventually the British government stepped in and stopped it in the late 19th century. Six Wives by David Starkey This is a long account of the six wives of Henry VIII. The author especially emphasizes the stories of Catherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn. He also deals at length with the issue of Henry’s first marriage and its dissolution. The account is good and thorough. John Henry Newman by Philip Bochanski This was a topic that I wanted to investigate. It is the story of the great Anglican theologian who converted to Catholicism and eventually became a cardinal during the so-called Oxford movement. This is a Learn25 presentation, and the professor gives a good outline of his life, the reasons for his conversion, and his theology. I would recommend the course, even if it might be necessary to listen to some parts more than once to get its full value. Ax by Ed McBain The detective books of Ed McBain are definitely dated, but they provide and entertaining narrative about detectives in the big city who have to work out the “who did it.” The language would be considered a bit racist and patriarchal today, but it probably was not the case when the books were first written. Freedom at Midnight by Larry Collins and Dominique Lapierre Like all of Lapierre’s books that I have read, this is a monumental account of the push for independence of India, dealing with what occurred before, during and shortly after that momentous event. As I read it, I was surprised that one of the heroes of the process was Lord Mountbatten, the last viceroy before independence, and the first representative of the British government after. It speaks of the process of gaining independence, but especially of the disastrous consequences of the division of the land between India and Pakistan, with the igniting of dormant religious tensions. The Battle of Borodino by Charles River Editors This is a well written account of the invasion of Russia by the Grand Armee of Napoleon. It speaks of the delaying tactics of the Russians and their scorched earth policy which kept the French in Russia much longer than they intended, and how that had disastrous consequences for the army due to the weather, disease, hunger and sniping by the Russian cavalry. The Battle of Lepanto by Charles River Editors This is an overall account of the famous naval battle which slowed the advance of the Ottoman forces in the eastern Mediterranean. It was one of the few moments in which Christian forces in Europe agreed to work in tandem. The Ottomans were able to rebuild their fleet quickly, but the battle caused them to be much more cautious in their attempts to extend their naval influence. Brilliant Blunders by Mario Livio This book speaks of scientific investigations that proved to be on the wrong track, but nevertheless provided the impetus for others to find the right answers to the mysteries. It deals with physics, genetics, etc. Great Pharaohs of Ancient Egypt by Bob Brier This is a Great Courses 12 lecture course on the pharaohs of Egypt from the first, Narmer, to the last, Cleopatra. The presenter chooses individuals and situations that were unique and important, such as the pharaohs who built the pyramids, those who conquered to the south and east, those who tried to change the religion of the nation, etc. Notorious London: A City Tour by Paul Deslandes The is a Great Courses presentation on the strange things that one can find in the city of London. It is an entertaining account of these sites and their history. Have a good week. Shalom fr. Jude

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