Ellicott City - Baltimore

April 26, 2025 Peace and Good, These weeks of Lent and Easter have been very good but busy. I preached two parish missions in these weeks, and also had Easter Masses at a parish about 50 minutes away, a place called Davidsonville. The Easter Masses were great. The parish only has one priest, and we had two sets of simultaneous Masses in the main church (c. 650 people) and the hall (c. 350 people). The pastor and staff were very welcoming. I had thought it through, and if I had stayed home at the shrine, we would have had a few concelebrants at the altar, but this way i was able to help in a place where they really needed assistance. I have finished my adult ed classes for the Spring. The Fall schedule is already set. I will speak on the prophet Isaiah, the Acts of the Apostles, and the Gospel of Matthew (since that is the Gospel we will be using in the next liturgical year). I feel a bit relieved that the lord called Pope Francis home. He was suffering so much in these months. As we say in our province, he died in the saddle, still working for the people of God til the last moment. I will be giving a retreat to a group of sisters this week, starting on Sunday evening. The run the nursing home where we celebrate Mass every day. I finished some reading and listening: What Darwin didn’t know: the Modern Science of Evolution by Scott Solomon This is a Modern Scholar course that deals with genetics and its effects upon evolution. Although Gregor Mendel had published his theory of genetics before Darwin finished his works, Mendel’s work was limited in distribution and Darwin was not familiar with it This course studies various dimensions of genetics (mechanisms, chemistry, tendencies, etc.). It is very well prepared, and the professor presents the material in a very understandable way. The Gospel of Mark: Revealing the Mystery of Jesus by William Anderson This is one volume of the Liguori Bible Series and it is intended to be a guide for a Bible study course (for individuals or groups). The material is introductory, but it served as a good refresher course for me on the topic. Cosmos by Carl Sagan This is a series of meditations on the cosmos by the famous scientist Carl Sagan. It is a written version of the television program that he sponsored on the topic. His awe of the universe and how it works is extraordinary. What I did find troubling is his constant need to attack any form of religious belief. His religion is clearly science, but any good scientist (and theologian) should recognize that there are limits to what one can know using various techniques. A Bridge to the Future: Understanding Nanotechnology by Deborah Sauder This is a Modern Scholar course on nanotechnology. The professor presents a lot of chemistry and physics, but at the end of the course I am not sure that I understood that much about the topic. Part of that is my fault, for this is the first work on nanotechnology that I have studied, so this is a first exposure to the topic. Part of the problem, I believe, is that of the professor for she seems to talk around the topic a lot, presenting tons of preliminary knowledge and possible applications, but not really nailing down the dynamics. The Wisdom of Solomon by A. Peter Hayman This is an exegesis of one of the last books of the Old Testament to have been written, probably in the century before the birth of Jesus. It was written in Greek, and it thus is not part of the Jewish or Protestant canon. It shows heavy influence from the Greek culture, even as it tries to portray Jewish wisdom as being on the same par if not superior to Greek philosophy. The Aviators by Winston Groom This is the story of three of the major aviators of the period from the earliest aviators to the end of World War II: Jimmy Doolittle, Eddie Rickenbacker, and Charles Lindberg. The author gives a good overview of their lives and centers in on certain key moments of their flying careers. Groom is the same author who wrote numerous war accounts (the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, and especially World War II). Dark Invasion by Howard Blum This is the story of a German plot to sabotage shipments that the US was sending to Britain during the First World War, before the US even entered the war. While the US was officially neutral, Britain was able to blockade shipments to Germany. Thus, the food and pack animals and munitions that the US turned out were all being shipped to Germany’s enemies. A group of spies and German ex-patriots living in the US devised means of destroying those shipments. A group of detectives from New York and the Secret Service battled their plots and eventually destroyed their ring. Killer Year by Lee Child (ed.) This is a series of crime stories by new authors introduced by veteran authors. The stories run the gamut of styles and characters, and are entertaining and occasionally troubling (which one would expect of good crime stories). Tintoretto by Delphi Classics This is an overview of the life and painting career of the Venetian artist Tintoretto. He was half of a generation after Titian. Most of his work was religious paintings or portraits. He is said never to have turned down a stipend for one of his projects, no matter how little he was being offered. His art is a bit Baroque for me, not my favorite period of art. 24 Hours in Ancient Egypt by Donald Ryan This is part of a series of how it must have been to live in the ancient world. The author gives 24 stories of people in all ranks of life and how they would have lived. The book is informative and very helpful to get a more realistic picture of real life in ancient times. In this case, the author deals with ancient Egypt. Rather than give stories of pyramids and pharaohs, this book speaks about dancers and brickmakers and embalmers and officials, etc. Life in the World’s Oceans by Sean Todd This is a 30 lecture Great Courses series on life in the oceans, from the smallest plankton to the largest fish and mammals to be found there. I watched the video version of this course, and it is extremely well done. The lecturer knows how to explain scientific concepts in very understandable language. He spends considerable time speaking of sea mammals (his own specialty). I would highly recommend this course. As with all Great Courses presentations, though, it is best to wait til they are on sale (which they often are). Archaeology from Space by Sarah Parcak This is the account of archaeology done through pictures and x-rays done from space and then interpreted and studied at a ground level. It is a whole new science which has helped archaeologists discover many, many new sites which were previously unknown (e.g. covered by jungle, buried underground, etc.). The author is herself an archaeologist, and she speaks of projects upon which she worked as well as future possibilities for this technique. She has a great sense of humor which makes her work most readable and enjoyable. Have a good week. Shalom fr. Jude

Ellicott City

Peace and good, April 12, 2025 These past couple of week have been quite busy with Lenten practices. We are getting tons of people coming to Confession in our chapel. I preached a parish mission in one of our local parishes, and the next night I had a presentation in another. I enjoy the ministry, but I have to find some time to get caught up with my podcasts and to write the text of the children's book on Carlo Acutis. The weather here has been cooler than one would expect at this time of year. We have gotten some rain which was badly needed. All of nature is coming to life. The birds are singing and squaking like crazy. I have been teaching a series on the Gospel of John these past few weeks. Just one more class to go. This morning I had a session on the liturgy and readings for Holy Week. I have finished some reading and listening: Lost Scriptures: Books that did not make it into the New Testament by Bart Ehrman This is a long collection of those books which did not make it into the Bible, especially the New Testament. The author gives an overview of both what we know about the books’ authors and composition and also content. He then gives long excerpts from those books. Many of the books (and letters and acts) come from the Gnostic tradition and it is clear why they were not incorporated into the New Testament for they portray a Jesus different from what is found in the Gospels. Others are apocalypses which can be strange and very violent. Still others are inspirational works which the Church did not accept for they did not have apostolic tradition or for some other reason. World War II: Carrier War by Stephen Sears This is an overview of the movements of aircraft carriers (both Japanese and American) during the Pacific theater of the Second World War. It does not bring any revelations, but it is a good outline of what happened and why that was important. Caught in the Revolution by Helen Rappaport This is a book which covers the Russian Revolution (both that which overthrew the czar and then the communist revolution) told from eye-witness accounts of foreigners who were living in St. Petersburg and Moscow at the time. The account is filled with the sense of something great but at times terrible happening all at once. World Heritage Sites by Justin Jacobs This is a Great Courses video presentation on 24 World Heritage sites throughout the world. Jacobs gives the history of the site, its importance to ancient and modern culture, and its use and at times abuse in modern times. The sites range from the Taj Mahal and Persepolis to the Great Barrier Reef and the Redwoods. The presenter is very good, and the series is quite enjoyable. Prisoner in the Castle by Ben Macintyre Ben Macintyre has written a series of very good books about spies. This one is slightly different for it deals with the prisoner of war camp that the Nazi’s established in Colditz, a castle in Germany. The camp was for officers who had tried to escape from other camps. The book recounts their escape attempts, their interaction among themselves (for they were from different nations) and with the camp personnel, and their eventual liberation at the end of the war. The Demon Next Door by Bryan Burrough This is a disturbing story of a young boy and later young man who rapes and kills several women. He is at first defended by those who knew him, and the victims are even blamed for what he did. It was only after he was caught after some terrible deeds that everyone realized that they had a monster hiding in plain site. The American West: History, Myth and Legacy by Greg Allitt This is a great courses presentation of the American West during the 19th century. It deals with historic events, different social groups (cowboys, explorers, women, outlaws, etc.). The presenter is English, which actually helps in giving a more objective presentation of the material. Allitt is entertaining and informative in his presentations. Extraction by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child This is a short story about FBI special agent Pendergast growing up in New Orleans and a nasty man who collected the teeth of children (instead of the lost tooth man). It is filled with suspense and magical overtones. Constantine the Emperor by David Potter This is a good study of the emperor who granted religious liberty to Christians in the Roman Empire (but did not make it the official religion – that was done later in the 4th century). He was only baptized as he prepared for his death. But his political and religious movements had a great influence on the next centuries of the Roman Empire (in the west and especially in the east). He valued harmony in his reign, and this is why he intervened in various crisis of dogma in the Church (against Donatism and Arianism) which ended in the proclamation of the Nicene Creed. The Bill of Rights by Carol Berkin I always thought that the Bill of Rights were passed right after the ratification of the constitution without any difficulty. This study shows that this was not the case. Madison, who was the author of the Bill of Rights (compiling and evaluating suggestions from various state conventions to ratify the constitution) had to push his ideas through a very skeptical Congress (including those who did not the constitution and even the Federalists who had supported the constitution). Through a Glass Darkly by Donna Leon This is the story of Comisario Brunetti in Venice who must investigate a mysterious death on the island of Murano (where Venetian glass is made). The plot involves strained relationships and the treat of pollution from the industrial parts of the region and from Murano itself. I find these stories completely entertaining and even though the author is Spanish, she is able to capture the culture of Venice very well. Have a good Holy Week. Shalom fr. Jude