Ellicott City

December 30, 2024 Peace and Good, I have been helping out at the Shrine and St. Joseph Nursing Home in these days. There is really not all much going on in the area at this time of year. We had tons of people come to our three Masses for Christmas. I was asked to write a short article on the Canticle of the Three Young Men in the furnace from the Book of Daniel. This was the inspiration for St. Francis' Cantile of the Creatures. I did not intend to do it so quickly, but on Christmas morning (a day after I was asked), it all came together very quickly. It was a great spiritual meditation for me. The image I really liked was the idea that the dominion over the earth that God gave us was not intended to allow us to exploit creation, but rather to invite us to be the choirmaster for a praise of God by all of creation. I have to work on a bunch of daily reflectons in these next couple of days. I am a little behind. When I finish them, I have to start on a series of articles for a magazine in Kenya. I finished some reading and listening: Where God was Born by Bruce Feiler This is the second book by Feiler that I have read. The first one was about his reflections upon Abraham as the founder of three religions (Judaism, Christianity and Islam). This book is more of a travelogue into Israel, the West Bank and Iraq. I was not overly impressed with it. The Epistle of Barnabas This is the first time that I have read this early apostolic writing. It was probably contemporary with some of the writings of the New Testament. There is not a lot of content in the letter. It is mostly exhortation and it follows the exegetical techniques that would later be used by the Fathers of the Church from Alexandria (taking passages and ideas from the Old Testament and showing how Jesus has given these texts a new meaning). Plato in 90 Minutes by Paul Strathern Even though this is a very short presentation of the life and teaching of this great philosopher, Strathern (who is a tremendous history author) manages to give a good treatment to topics such as the forms and Plato’s ideas concerning government (and how his ideas could easily be used by totalitarian regimes). Astrobiology by Andrew May This book deals with the topic of whether there is life on other planets in the universe. It deals with the question of why we have no clear signs of that life if it exists. It raises the question of what type of life we could expect: intelligent or primitive. It also deals with the possibility that life exists but in a form that is totally different from our own (e.g. not using DNA, or possibly having 8 amino acids in their DNA and not 4 as we have). The topic is well developed without becoming sensational. Stories by Garrison Keillor This is a series of 14 stories by Garrison Keillor about life in Minnesota and life in general. He has a great style and is quite entertaining as he rolls out his characters and their quirky, down to earth circumstances. The Medieval World by Thomas Madden This is a Modern Scholar presentation which actually has two volumes to cover the history of the medieval world as well as its culture, religion, etc. Madden has produced a good number of courses on the Modern Scholar series, and he is completely trustworthy. The lectures are informative and presented in a very understandable manner. How to Read and Understand the Gospel of Luke by William Burton This is a Learn25 presentation of the Gospel of Luke and a bit of the message of Luke’s second volume, the Acts of the Apostles. Like almost all of the Learn25 presentations, this is thoughtful and presented at a level which is reasonable for most adults (not overly technical, not overly simplified). It gives a good treatment to the major topics found in the Gospel and what they meant to the audience to which the Gospel was presented. The Appalachian Trail by Charles River Editors Like all of the Charles River Editors productions, this is a short presentation of the topic: the Appalachian Trail. It begins with a history of the trail and its importance to those who use it. Much of the book is actually an account of the various portions of the trail in each state where it is found. This section is great for someone investigated a journey along the trail, but terribly boring for those who are interested in a more generic approach to the meaning of this enterprise. A Distant Mirror by Barbara Tuchman Tuchman is a great popular historian. This is a book which speaks of Europe during the 14th century. That century saw the time of more than one pope, the black death, the Turkish invasion of the Balkans, the hundred years war, endless wars in Italy, etc. Tuchman brings the story and the complicated details to life. I would recommend any of her books (e.g. The Zimmerman Telegram, the First Salute, the March of Folly, etc.). What Christians Believe by C.S. Lewis This is a series of apologetic presentations produced by C.S. Lewis concerning the existence of God and the importance of the Christian Church as the fulfillment of God’s will for us. It is done in his usual thoughtful but also understandable fashion. Christian Writing Decoded: the Didache by Wyatt North The Didache was one of the first writings after the production of the New Testament. It is a book of exhortation mixed with liturgical instructions. As such, it is the earliest testimony to liturgical practices in the early Church. Does God Exist? by Robert Kuhn Kuhn has produced a series of very thoughtful explorations into questions of philosophy and theology. His format is to speak with experts on both sides of whatever question he is addressing. The series is very well done. One can hear the arguments from both sides presented in a respectful manner. Have a Happy New Year, fr. Jude