Ellicott City

February 26, 2025 Peace and Good, I have been home these past couple of weeks, but things have been quite busy. I have been on call at the Shrine for a good number of Masses and Confessions. I have also been out at St. Joseph Nursing home a couple of times. This past Sunday fr. Tim and I anointed all of the residents which was very nice. We also led them in the requirements for fulfilling the plenary indulgence for the Holy Year. I have been writing a series of articles for our magazine in Nairobi. I have gotten 8 done, but I think the topic (Pentateuch) will require at least 20 more. No rush, though, so I will write them when the inspiration hits. I will be giving a workshop on Job and the question of suffering this weekend. It looks as if there will be a good turnout. I am spending these days in studying and reflecting upon ideas for the presentation. I have been reading a book on Rumi, the Sufi mystic/poet. I really, really like it. I find I do much better reading about poetry rather than actually reading the poetry itself. It is just the way my mind works. I had my last immunotherapy this past Monday. While these treatments were nothing like the Chemo, these last couple of immunotherapy treatments left me quite tired and even a bit loopy. On March 10 I have my one year CT scan. If that is good, then I begin follow up care which means a CT scan every three months for one year. I finished some reading and listening: Decision in Philadelphia: the Constitutional Convention of 1787 by Christopher and James Collier This is an account of the meeting in Philadelphia which produced the constitution. It deals with the issues but also the background to those issues. It gives a good idea of the personalities involved, and the various political moves made by individuals. This is part of a longer series of presentations on the history of America presented by the Colliers. Their goal is to present the essentials of history without getting caught up in small details. Religions of the Axial Age by Mark Muesse This is an account of the religions of Asia which arose during approximately the same period of time (between 900 and 300 B.C.) which would include Buddhism, Hinduism, Confucianism, Daoism, and Zoroastrianism. It is a Great Courses presentation. One can hear the great respect that Muesse has for these Asian religions. Bismark by Edward Crankshaw This is a long account of the brilliant yet flawed politician who manipulated Europe to give birth to the German Empire in the 19th century. Bismark is shown as unscrupulously clever, lying whenever it was convenient, concerned most of all with the accomplishment of his dreams and the growth of his legend. He sort of reminds me of Kissinger: able to get his objective realized but always leaving one questioning who ethical he was. Lexington and Concord by George Daughan This is a very good account of the growing tensions between Great Britain and its American colonies that led to the Boston Tea Party and then to the battle of Lexington and Concord with its famous shot heard around the world. The author has clear opinions on various matters which he does not hesitate to express. Boudica: Warrior Woman of Roman Britain by Caitlin Gillespie This is a presentation of the 1st century British woman who led a rebellion against Rome and almost expelled their forces from the island. Relatively little is actually known of her, so the author pads the account with background material of how women were treated in Rome and England, how the Romans colonized, other rebellions against Rome, etc. Needful Things by Stephen King This was a book that took me a long time to finish (I listened to it). The reason is that from its middle to near its end it becomes incredibly violent and negative. It ends with a bit of a victory for truth and goodness, but barely. It involves a demon who shows up in a small town and “sells” the one thing each person treasured to people in return for favors (which turn out to be cruel tricks on others to ignite violence). His power is all illusion, and the only way he is defeated is for the sheriff to turn the illusion on him. Tallulah Bankhead by Charles River Editors This is one of those short biographies presented by Charles River Editors. Tallulah Bankhead who acted in film and on the stage was incredibly eccentric, in her drinking, her speaking, and her sexual behavior. She comes across as a bit of a sad figure who sought comfort here and there but never seems to have found it. Masterpieces of Medieval Literature by Timothy Shutt This is an overview of literature before the 12th century, especially that in the Northern countries such as the Vikings and British and the Germans. I have listened to many of Shutt’s presentations in the Great Scholar series, but this one did not come together as well as his other courses. Bloody Mohawk by Richard Berleth The Mohawk River runs along the northern part of New York State from the Hudson toward the Great Lakes. It was the scene of tremendous tension and horrific warfare in the early days of its European colonization. This was especially true during the Revolutionary War when the Iroquois Federation splintered, with most tribes fighting with the British and some with the Patriots. The Man Behind Narnia by A.N. Wilson This is an odd short biography of C.S. Lewis. The author had written a biography of Lewis years ago, and this presentation is a shortened version of that. The presentation is odd because the author goes out of his way to speak of how he does not agree with Lewis any longer, and he goes on and on as to why he thinks that Lewis fell short as an apologist and author and professor. I am not sure that I have ever read a book whose author had such a large ax to grind. Vasily Grossman and the Soviet Century by Alexandra Popoff This is the story of an author who survived the Stalinist era but who was persecuted as many authors were in the Soviet Union. He was Jewish, which was enough to get him in trouble, but he also tended to tell the truth from an objective perspective, which was not considered to be socially acceptable for it did not always emphasize the role of the Communist Party. He was not a saint (as seen in how he treated women). Yet, the author draws a sympathetic portrait of him. Biblical Wisdom Literature by Joseph Koterski This is a well presented, thorough outline of Biblical Wisdom Literature. It deals with such stories such as the Book of Job, the books of Wisdom and Sirach and Qoheleth, the Psalms, etc. He not only gives the background and theology of the text but he often has asides in how one could pray a text. I can’t say I agreed with his presentation 100% of the time, but I probably did more than 90% of the time, and even the other 10% gave me things to think about. Have a good week. Shalom fr. Jude