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