Ellicott City

August 18, 2024 Peace and Good, Things have begun to get a bit busy in the last couple of weeks. I have been asked to be available to spiritual direction, and I have been asked by a good number of people to do that. It has been a real joy to me. I get to share spiritual ideas with people dealing with their concrete circumstances. It is such a privilege. Likewise, I have been assigned to listen to confessions in the Shrine quite a bit in these days. Some of those confession periods are amongst the best I have ever celebrated since I was ordained. On the Assumption, I was the celebrant at the Shrine. After Mass, we had a break out session for those who wished to attend on the Life of Mary as seen in the New Testament. It was followed by a question and answer period. It very very, very well. I submitted a possible schedule for other adult ed sessions this fall on the Gospel of Luke (which is the Gospel for Sundays of this coming year), the concept of the Holy Year, and the Book of Revelation. I have also been participating in a Bible Study group (on the readings of the coming Sunday) with a group from Alexandria, VA (by zoom). I am with them about an hour. It has been great, especially considering the rich Gospels these weeks on the Bread of Life. This Tuesday I am heading to South Korea for a pre-chapter assembly. I had done a visitation of the province for our Minister General, and now they are meeting to prepare the work of their provincial chapter. It is always good to listen to the observations of an outsider to get perspective on what is going on. I will fly to Oakland and stay at one of our friaries for a day to give myself a bit of a rest, and then fly off to Seoul. I will follow the same pattern on the way back. My strength has largely returned, but I don't want to push it too much. I finished some reading and listening: The Difficult Words of Jesus by Amy-Jill Levine Amy-Jill Levine is a professor who is Jewish in her background, and this provides her with ample information concerning the Jewishness of Jesus. She attempts to study some of the more difficult sayings of Jesus. At times, her insights are very useful, but at other times it comes down to the phrase that she wouldn’t like God or Jesus to be like this or that. Dante and His Divine Comedy by Timothy Shutt This is an overview of the Divine Comedy. The author begins his presentation by speaking of the life, career, and exile of Dante from his native city of Florence. He then goes through Dante’s epic chapter by chapter. It is a complicated poem, and Shutt’s study is also complicated. The Divine Comedy is almost the sort of book that one would have to study with the most ample number of footnotes to explain the subtle references Dante is making to theology, this own society, individuals, and references to other classical works. 1774: the Long Year of Revolution by Mary Beth Norton This book is by an author who wrote of the point of the British loyalists in America at the start of the American Revolution. This is clear in her portrayal of the reaction of people to the growing tension between the colonies and the mother country. In spite of our foundation myth, there was considerable pressure to resolve the issue peacefully and to find a way to lessen the influence of the more radical movement in the country. Conflicts that Shaped Pharaonic Egypt by John Darnell This is a history of Egypt from its earliest days and the first Pharaoh of a united kingdom until the end of Pharaonic power under Cleopatra and the conquest of the Romans. The professor works hard to show how upper Egypt (southern Egypt) was more influential in the development of the country than was lower Egypt (especially the Delta). He sees the Delta as a source of difficulties for it was where foreign invaders could enter. Now I Know Geography by Max Lewis This is only a short but entertaining presentation of oddities of geography throughout the world. There are towns that appear on maps that don’t exist, there are island nations that are all but destitute and survive on payments to adopt certain positions at the UN, there are sites of one state that are enclaves completely surrounded by other states, etc. The Invention of Russia by Arkady Ostrovsky This is an account of the period between the fall of the Soviet Union and the rise of Vladimir Putin and how plutocrats who owned TV networks shaped the dialog between those who wanted to return to a more secure era (Communism), those who wanted to profit on the confusion, and those who wanted to create a new Russia. The Dead Sea Scrolls: the Truth Behind the Mystique by Lawrence Schiffman This is a Modern Scholar presentation on the Dead Sea Scrolls. Like any course on this topic, it speaks of the discovery of the scrolls after World War II. It presents information about the culture of the Jewish world at the time that these scrolls were produced and placed in the caves around Qumran. It asks what the background of the Qumran community was. It speaks of the relationship between the origins of Christianity and these scrolls. Finally, the professor speaks of the silly conspiratorial theories that he has heard concerning the scrolls. Mind, Brain, Behavior by Kevin Corcoran This is a study from Learn25 on the role of the brain and how it relates to the mind and the person. Corcoran speaks of oddities of how the brain works and what these tells us. It asks question of whether the mind is simply the functioning of the various complicated parts of the brain, or whether the person exists even without the mind, and also whether there is a possibility of the mind and person existing after death. The Giants of Irish Literature by George O’Brien This is a study of some of the major Irish authors of the 20th century: Oscar Wilde, W.B. Yeats, James Joyce and Samuel Beckett. If anything, the presentation, while very informative, guaranteed that I will not spend the time and effort to read these authors’ works. Their use of language and writing is so complicated that it almost becomes an experiment in obfuscation. The Battle of Flodden by Charles River Editors This is the story of the climatic battle between the Scots and the English at the beginning of the reign of Henry VIII. The king was actually in France at the time, and he made Catherine of Aragon his vicar and she organized the army that proved tremendously victorious over the Scots who were allies of France at the time. This battle was the beginning of the end for the independence of the Scots. How to Believe: John Donne by Roz Kaveney This is a short collection of reflections on the person and poetry of John Donne. The author admits that he is a non-believer, so his Holy Sonnets are difficult for him to understand. Yet, this short book has made me want to read a longer biography and study of Donne. Unearthing the Past: Paleontology and the History of Life by Jeffrey Martz This is a study of the science of paleontology and also of its findings about the various eras of life upon the world. It is packed with scientific information, so it would probably be good to listen to it more than once. Yet, I enjoyed the presentation very much. Islam and the West by Seyyed Hossein Nast This is a bit of an apologia showing the importance of the cultural contribution that followers of Islam have made throughout the centuries. The professor gives good information, but he is also very prejudiced in his presentation (showing how Islam was always the victim, showing how the followers of Islam were just and kind conquerors while Christians were cruel and ignorant, arguing that the problems in Islam are results of Western colonialization). It would be a much better presentation if he could be more impartial in his presentation. Have a good week. Shalom fr. Jude

Ellicott City

August 5, 2024 Peace and Good, I hope everyone is well. The big news here is the heat. It has been in the 90's for over a week now, and Baltimore tends to be very humid. It does cool off enough in the evenings for me to get my walk in. I have been taping a number of reflections for the scripture readings. I managed to finish a month's worth this past week, which means that I am well into October. That is good, because the friars in Assisi have asked me to write some meditations for them (which I did once before last year). I write them in English and they have them translated into Italian. I am helping up at the Shrine with confessions and the noon Mass, and at St. Joseph's Nursing Home with Mass about once a week. I really enjoy both of those assignments. Tomorrow we are having a meeting to speak about the future of the Shrine (how to improve its facilities, its program, etc.). I will bring up some suggestions that I have seen over the past months. fr. Gary, who is the director of the Shrine, is very open to new ideas. At the end of this month, I am flying to Korea for a meeting of the friars of that province. I did the canonical visitation of the friars, and they are now preparing for their provincial chapter. This will be the first really long trip since I was sick, so I am planning to break up the trip in San Francisco for a day going and coming back to rest up a bit. I finished some books (reading and listening): Bethlehem and Nazareth by Charles River Editors This is a short presentation of the two towns which were so important to the life and ministry of Jesus. It gives background historical information, what happened in the days of Jesus, and then what has happened to them throughout the centuries (e.g. under Rome, the Byzantines, the Ottoman Turks, the British, etc.). Shakespeare: The Seven Major Tragedies by Harold Bloom This is an overview presented by the Modern Scholar course on the seven tragedies of Shakespeare. The professor gives extensive examples of what he is trying to say with passages taken from the plays. He provides background information which helps one better understand the plays. At times, though, there is the feeling that he is quoting a bit too much, going on and on. Upon this Rock: A History of the Papacy from Peter to John Paul II by Thomas Madden This is a Modern Scholar course on the papacy. The professor is honest about the strengths and shortcomings of individual popes and eras in the history of the papacy, he does not use his information to attack anything. His presentation is straight forward and informative. Behold the Mighty Dinosaur by John Kricher This is a Modern Scholar presentation of dinosaurs, both in their historic and biological sense, but also in their impact upon culture with modern presentations of dinosaurs in forms that run from science fiction films to cartoons. The professor has a very, very good style of presentation, and I look forward to listening to some of his other courses. How Catholic Art Saved the Faith by Elizabeth Lev This is a study of how the Counter-Reformation used art in all of its forms to present its dogmatic message and to combat what it believed were heretical positions proposed by the Protestant reformers. The author speaks of the roles of particular artists, of their overall messages, of their techniques and of the end product of their efforts. 24 Hours in Ancient China by Dr. Yijie Zhuang This is part of a very good series which deals with the everyday life of people in a particular area at a particular time. It speaks of those in privileged positions, but also of those who are on the outskirts of society. These studies are very entertaining, but also incredibly informative. Scotland Yard by Charles River Editors This is the story of the foundation and development of Scotland Yard, the crack detective force in London. It gives an historic outline, but most of the material is the study of a few major cases, including the study of the Jack the Ripper murders. History Myths Exploded by Jeff Webb and Christopher Fee These two professors study the various set beliefs of people about individuals or history (e.g. that Lincoln set the slaves free, the role of JFK, etc.) and shows how they are either trustworthy or at other times more spin than reality. The pair prove to be equal opportunity challengers, never holding a set social or political agenda, but rather seeking for the truth as much as we can truly know it. Old Bones by Preston Douglas and Lincoln Child An archeologist seeks out the remains of a camp left by the Donner party (and a possible fortune in gold coins) while an FBI agent investigates the strange disappearance of bodily remains of the members of a certain family. While the two parties don’t especially like each other, they prove to be an inventive team for solving the mystery. From Augustine to Chesterton and Beyond by Michael Higgins This is a Learn25 course based on a series of autobiographical accounts of the spiritual life of important Christians from the time of Augustine (and his Confession) to the Second World War and the martyrs Dietrich Bonhoeffer and the Jesuit Alfred Delp). The presenter is very respectful, although occasionally a bit too effusive in his praise of individuals and their teaching and actions. I would recommend this course highly. Blitzkrieg by Charles River Editors This is a short overview of the use of blitzkrieg by the Nazi’s during World War II, especially in Poland and France and Russia. The book speaks of the rearmament of Germany (often in violation of treaties established after World War I), of the governance of the army and Hitler’s growing control of it, of techniques of coordination during the battle between infantry, tanks and air forces, etc. The Sumerians by Charles River Editors This book speaks of one of the first civilizations to exist in Mesopotamia. They lead the cultural foundations for the cultures that succeeded them (Akkadian, Babylonian, Assyrian, etc.). They invented writing and operated an extensive system of irrigation. They were mostly governed as city states (or at times an amalgamation of city states). Have a good week. I will be praying for you all tomorrow on the Feast of the Transfiguration. Shalom fr. Jude