Ellicott City

September 29, 2024 Peace and Good, This has been a quiet couple of weeks. I am settling into my new rhythm of activities. I celebrate Mass at the shrine on the property and at St. Joseph's Nursing Home (about a half hour away). I listen to confessions at the Shrine. I am giving spiritual direction to an increasing number of people. I am taping my podcasts and writing articles in the free time. It is keeping me busy, but not too busy. There are a lot of people talking to me about the upcoming election. I keep speaking of the advise of Pope Francis, to choose the lesser of two evils. Yet, the spirit of the campaign leave a lot of people unsettled. I continue to do my immunotherapy, which is really not all that bad. I had a little problem this week with a sinus infection, but that is passing. The annual inundation of stink bugs has arrived. My roon looks like a scene from the Exorcist with all the bugs crawling around it. They are not troublesome, just creepy and stinky when one catches them. I have finished some reading and listening: Unseen Diversity: the World of Bacteria by Betsey Dyer This is a Modern Scholar course on bacteria. The professor loves her work, but she doesn’t come across as nerdy. I have to say I learned a lot. One example is that for all the thousands of types of bacteria, only about 50 are pathogenic. Furthermore, many bacteria and viruses are actually helpful. I would recommend listening to this course if you have a chance. Edward III: the Perfect King by Ian Mortimer This is a thorough biography of the life and deeds of King Edward III. His father had been overthrown by a usurper and Edward II’s queen. Edward had to seize power and once he did, he proved himself to be a good king (according to the definition of his times). The author is a bit fawning in his account, but he does tell a good story. The Anglo-Saxon World by Michael Drout This is a study of the Anglo-Saxon world from the arrival of these German invaders and settlers into the Celtic and by now Romano-Britain world until the arrival of the Vikings and the Norman invaders under William the Great. The author clearly loves his topic, and he presents the various lectures with enthusiasm and respect. It is a good course (Modern Scholar) to give an overview on the topic. Cassender of Macedon by Charles River Editors This is a short biography of one of the leaders of the Macedonians who ruled parts of Alexander’s empire after his death. The whole period is filled with wars and alliances and betrayals. Maybe that is the most important thing to remember. At the same time, even though most things were chaotic, Greek culture was being diffused throughout the vast empire that Alexander had conquered. A House Reunited: How America Survived the Civil War by Jay Winik I have read Winik’s account of April, 1865, the end of the Civil War and the beginning of the healing that needed to take place after that disastrous cataclysm. This course from Modern Scholar is similar to the material that he presented in his book. The People’s Dynasty: Culture and Society in Modern China by Robert Shepherd This is a very well done study of the culture of modern China. The author has lived and studied there. He especially shows how some of the facile judgments made about China could just as easily be applied to the US (e.g. the insatiable desire for possessions, government surveillance of the internet). He speaks of efforts of some at a grass roots level to address problems like corruption and pollution (without ever criticizing the government or the party). The course is quite insightful. The Life and Times of Mark Twain by Michael Shelden This is an account of the life and career of Mark Twain. It speaks of his various careers as he gradually found himself as a writer. He is presented as the first American author to really write in American idiom (and not in a version of British high-class expression). He is seen in his relationship with his society, with his family, etc. He is even seen in his genius as he published his works on a subscription basis, thus multiplying their appeal, and as a failure in most business enterprises, losing vast amount of money on investments. In Michelangelo’s Shadow: the Mystery of Modern Italy by Joseph Luzzi This Modern Scholar course has nothing to do with Michelangelo. It is about Italy, its culture, its language, its food, its families, its regions with their own personalities, etc. The course is taught by the son of an immigrant from Calabria, thus someone who knew the tension between Italy as a nation and the local version of being Italian in one of the provinces. I would not say that the presentation is profound. It is more heartwarming and for me, who lived in Italy so long, familiar. High Seas, High Stakes: Naval Battles that Changed History by Timothy Shutt This is an overview of some of the major naval battles throughout history. It is not all that technical a presentation, more of a nice anthology to entertain the listener with a bunch of stories. Understanding Democracy in America by Ken Masugi This is a critical reading and application of the book Democracy in America by Baron de Tocqueville. The presenter comes from a particular point of view (less government, more individual liberty, allowing religion and values guide the nation and its citizens). The presentation, though, was well done and enlightening. The Life and the Writings of John Milton by Seth Lerer This is a Teaching Company course on the writings of John Milton. A couple of years ago I read Paradise Lost, more so that I could say that I had read it than to enjoy it. I do not like Milton’s style nor often his Puritanical and Patriarchal message. I felt I owed it to him and myself to listen to this course. I can’t say I like Milton any more after finishing it. The professor presenting it is a bit too fawning upon Milton and his writings. From Spinning Wheels to Steam and Steel by Jennifer Popiel This is a Modern Scholar presentation on the industrial revolution. What I liked about the presentation was that it was not only from an engineering point of view, but it also dealt with the social and political repercussions of this massive change in how society was organized. The Giants of the British Novel, Part 1 by Timothy Shutt This is an overview of the British novel from its earliest days to the time of Jane Austin (this is the first part of a two part presentation). Shutt, whose other courses I have listened to, is an excellent presenter. He gives enough material about the author’s life and perspective and about the ambient in which he/she wrote to help one better understand the message being presented. Have a good week. Shalom fr. Jude

September 19 Peace and Good, Last Monday I had my six month CT scan, and it went very well. The mass in my lungs has shrunk even more from the three month scan. I am still on immunotherapy for the next six months, but that does not have such a big effect on me as chemo did. In these weeks I noticed one of the lasting effects of chemotherapy. I have developed curly hair. I call it a chemoperm. I am helping out more and more at the shrine, and I am now getting quite a few requests for days of recollection and retreats. I have to be careful because I tend to say yes to everything. I finished a writing project for one of our magazines in Assisi. I checked with the Padua friars about where I stand with finished articles, and they told me I am set until March of 2026. So these days I am trying to get ahead with the podcasts on the daily readings. I am also working on initial ideas for some Good News Notes. I spoke to one of our staff about the possibility of doing a "what do you want to know about the Bible" question site on our Companions web site. I finished some reading and listening: God Wills It: Understanding the Crusades by Thomas Madden This is an excellent course (Modern Scholar) on the crusades from both the Christian and the Muslim dimension. The professor does not try to take one side or the other. He points out the mistakes of both sides in the conflict, as well as their successes (e.g. how could the Christians expect to hold the Holy Land with most of the crusaders deciding to go home to Europe after their time of service). Creating Humans: Ethical Questions Where Reproduction and Science Collide by Alexander McCall Smith This is a very, very good treatment of reproduction questions including the difficult issues of in vitro fertilization, abortion, birth control, surrogacy, gene engineering, sex choices, etc. The professor organizing the course (Modern Scholar) is very balanced and respectful. He does not attack one position or another, but rather weighs them on the basis of human dignity. The Battle of Sekigahara by Charles River Editors This is a major battle fought between war lords in Japan at the beginning of the 17th century in which the Tokugawa dynasty won the role of daimyo and ruled Japan (along with a figurehead emperor) until the time of the Meiji restoration in the 19th century. The Battle of Lepanto by Charles River Editors This is a short account of the Battle of Lepanto. This was a battle fought between the forces of Christian Europe and the Turks whose fleets were endangering even the ports of the Western Mediterranean. The Christians won a monstrous victory. It did not really disable the Turkish empire, for within one year they had rebuilt their fleet. But it did protect most of the western Mediterranean from Turkish depredation. Greek Legacy: Understanding the Overwhelming Contribution of the Ancient Greeks by Timothy Shutt This is a Modern Scholar quick presentation of some of the most important values of Greek society, why these values developed, and how they were passed down in their society and ours. It also deals with questions of government, culture, etc. Again, Shutt is a good presenter and he presents enough information without overwhelming one with trivia. The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World by Jennifer Tobin This is a Modern Scholar course on the seven wonders of the ancient world. Tobin presents how these were built, why, what remains of them, etc. It is not a deep study as much as a pleasant overview. Fundamental Cases: The Twentieth Century Courtroom Battles that Changed our Nation by Alan Dershowitz I don’t especially like Alan Dershowitz, but this Modern Scholar course is tremendous for it gives good insights into various important American courtroom cases. He deals with the Scopes trial, the Rosenburgs, O.J. Simpson, the Gore/Bush election decision by the Supreme Court, etc. It is a wide range of topics, but Dershowitz’s original view of what occurred has made me reflect upon what I believed about the cases. Moby Dick: America’s Epic by Timothy Shutt This is an overview of this American classic from Modern Scholar. Shutt is one of the main presenters with this company, and even though his presentations have an extremely wide range of topic, he seems to do all of these courses well. One ends up with a tremendous insight into the personality of Melville and how it was expressed in the main characters of this novel. The Making of Martin Luther by Richard Rex The author of this book is not especially a fan of Martin Luther. He outlines the early days of his rebellion against Catholic authority and teaching. Luther does not come across as a very virtuous character. Touchy, self-righteous, argumentative, etc. would be adjectives to use for Luther according to this account. I think I enjoyed the account because it did not present Luther from a worshipful point of view, but showed what he really was like. The Iliad and Odessey of Homer by Timothy Shutt This is an overview of these two great sagas by Homer (if there was an historic Homer). He gives insight into what is playing out in the reaction of Achilles (pouting and all but betraying his fellow Greeks because of what he considers to be an insult) and the cleverness and scheming nature of Odysseus. This study is very helpful to more fully understand these works. The Dawn of Political History: Thucydides and the Peloponnesian War by Fred Baumann This course from Modern Scholar is not so much on the Peloponnesian War as the account of that war written by Thucydides. Why did he say things the way that he did? Why did this Athenian author write his account in Sparta? We see that, at heart, he still considers himself to be Athenian, but he is not above criticizing them for their failures to live up to their greater values. Vatican II by John O’Malley This is a Learn25 course on the Second Vatican Council. John O’Malley was a Jesuit professor at Catholic University. He is tremendous on history topics. This course gives one an inside view on the political/religious movements which guided the council. I strongly recommend this course and his other courses. Religions of the East: Paths to Enlightenment by Stephen Prothero This is a Modern Scholar course on the history and beliefs of some of the Eastern religions such as Hinduism, Sikhism, Buddhism, Jainism, etc. It shows the differences between the beliefs and practices, including of the various form of Buddhism found in the countries where it became important. The professor knows his material and is able to communicate it well without being a proselytizer of any particular belief. Have a good week. Shalom fr. Jude

Ellicott City, MD - Castro Valley, CA - Seoul, Korea - Castro Valley, CA - Ellicott City, MD

September 5, 2024 Peace and Good, As you can see in the title of this blog, I have been travelling a bit. I went to South Korea to be with our friars during their pre-chapter assembly. Before I finished my role as Assistant General, I did a canonical visitation of that province. This means I spoke with every member of the province and produced a report on how I saw things going. They are now getting ready for their provincial chapter, and they discussed all of the reports (including mine) to get some ideas of the topic which they had to treat at the coming chapter. The trip is very long, so I broke it up a bit, coming into Castro Valley (Oakland) and staying a there on the way out and the way back. This was a very good idea, because the trip from SFO (San Francisco Airport) to Seoul was 12 1/2 hours on the way in and 11 hours on the way back. I am in the midst of jet lag right now. There is a 13 hour difference in time zones between here and there. Covid is breaking out badly there, but I don't think I have contracted it. The next couple of days will tell, but I did get a booster before I headed out. It was hot, hot, hot there as well as humid. I ended up doing most of my daily walks in the dining room in the retreat center where we met. The friars were great to me. I really like them and the work that they are doing. They have a good variety of work - parishes, retreat centers, school for handicapped children, home for mentally challenged men, home for the elderly, etc. I finished some reading and listening: Maimonides: the Life and World on One of Civilization’s Greatest Minds by Joel Kraemer This is a long and detailed account of the life and career (doctor, leader of the Jewish community in Egypt, compiler of the law of Israel, philosopher, etc.) of the Jewish sage who was born in Spain, fled to Morocco when there was a persecution against the Jews by some Muslim conquerors, and then to Egypt where he became one of the personal physicians to Saladin and other Muslim rulers and their families. The book is very informative but at times a bit technical when it comes to questions of Jewish law. Who was Jesus by N.T. Wright I think a better title for this book is “Who Jesus wasn’t.” The author examines a number of theories that have come out in recent years concerning Jesus, and he basically tears them to pieces. He is a middle road theologian who reasons very well both from the text and from what is logical. I would very much like to read some of his other books. A History of Ancient Israel: From the Patriarchs through the Romans by Eric Cline This is an overview of the archaeology and history of ancient Israel. It is a course from Modern Scholars. Cline is very respectful to the text of the Hebrew Bible, but he allows archaeological discoveries to question what is written (in a very respectful manner). This is a fine course for someone to better understand why things were written as they were and what probably actually happened in those days. Rome Last Citizen: the Life and Legacy of Cato by Rob Goodman This is a well written biography of Cato the Younger. He followed the example of Cato the Elder, his great grandfather. He was a Stoic, famous for his asceticism (and yet he was known to have been a significant drinker). He was the voice of ancient virtue, but he was incapable of compromise, so much of what he argued was lost by his intransigence. He was a sworn enemy first of Pompei, and then when he came to view Caesar as the more dangerous enemy, of him. Margaret Thatcher: A Modern Leader by Amy Edwards This is a short teaching company course on the life and career of Margaret Thatcher. She was a formidable woman. In fact, it was said of her government that she was the only true man in the cabinet. Some of her economic reforms in Great Britain were sorely needed, some were heartless and poorly planned. She did mark a turning point in the way the country was governed. The Ancient Lydians by Charles River Editors This is the story of a tribal unit from ancient Libya who threatened and eventually blended with the Egyptian land. Their story shows how complicated the determination of where one people began and the other left off could be. Emperor Maximilian I of Mexico by Charles River Editors This is the tragic story of a prince of the Holy Roman Empire who allowed himself to be talked into becoming emperor of Mexico by the Emperor of France, Napoleon III. He was told that he would be well accepted, but these were lies. After a couple years of civil war, he was overthrown and executed, while his empress, Carlotta, lost her mind for most of the rest of her rather long life. The Passover Haggadah by Vanessa Ochs The Haggadah is the book which is used for the celebration of Passover. Ochs gives a history of the book, especially when they came to be accompanied by artwork. She speaks of various Haggadahs that were produced for special purposes (e.g. to commemorate the Holocaust, for feminists, for gays, etc.). The book is OK but not much more than that. One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic: A History of the Church in the Middle Ages by Thomas Madden This is a Modern Scholar presentation of the Church from the time of the Roman until the 15th century. The professor gives a very balanced presentation, neither exaggerating the holiness of the Church nor letting it be seen as a constant cesspool of corruption. I would recommend this course. The Spanish Mystics: Ecstasy and Communion by Peter Tyler This is a relatively short presentation on the mystical theology of St. Theresa of Avila and St. John of the Cross. Rather than presenting them as people who were constantly in ecstasy, Tyler shows how they tied their experiences to a strong commitment to service (especially of the poor). Interesting is Tyler’s mention of the Muslim and Jewish belief of one’s spiritual life as a type of castle, an image used in Theresa own book. The World of George Orwell by Michael Shelden This is a tremendous presentation on the life and writings of George Orwell, the author of 1984 and Animal Farm. The professor teaching this course (from Modern Scholar) does not use stereotypic ideas about him, but carefully investigates his beliefs and how others twisted what he believed and wrote. I would highly recommend this course to anyone who is interested in Orwell. Viracocha by Charles River Editors This is a short presentation on the major god of the Inca people and how they caused the peoples they conquered to worship him (while they were allowed to keep their own deities. It speaks of the history of the Inca empire, from its earliest days as little more than a city state until it had become an enormous rich empire. Finally, it speaks about the Spanish conquest of the empire through the conquistador Pizzaro. Have a good week. Shalom fr. Jude