Ellicott City

August 4, 2025 Peace and Good, I hope you are all well. Here in Baltimore we are enjoying several days of beautiful weather after a very long stretch of uncearable heat. I have been at home helping out at the shrine and the nursing home. A good number of friars are on vacation these days, so the needs of those two sites are a bit more than is usual, but I really don't mind. I have been doing a lot of spiritual direction, and I have had to hit the pause button a few times in these months to ask people to wait for a couple of months before I would begin with them. The reason is that I tend to get a rush of new people, and I don't want to start new people too soon lest I get confused about their story. At this point I am asking people to get in touch with me at the end of October. I always feel a bit guilty about saying this, but I have to keep remembering that I cannot save the whole world all by myself. I hope to start of bit of writing in the next couple of days. I have to revise some of the Good News notes for reprint. I also have a project to do a guided tour of a series of panels which speak of the life of St. Anthony. That one is going to take more time than I expected, but I find I can only really write things when I am in the mood. I finished some reading and listening: Medieval Christianity by Christopher Bellitto Bellitto is proving to be one of my favorite professors. This is a Learn25 presentation, and Bellitto manages to present a good overview of the history and customs and religious movements of Medieval Christianity. He is very balanced in his approach, and very, very informative. I would recommend any of his courses to anyone who would ask. The Enduring Genius of Frederick Law Olmstead by Adam Rome This is a short Great Courses presentation on the designer of Central Park in New York City. I also found out in this presentation that he did quite a bit of park design in my native city, Buffalo. The professor speaks especially of Olmstead’s theories concerning the city’s obligation to provide a proper living space for people to gather beyond class divisions. His theories of park development have much more to do with the need of people for breathing room in a chaotic environment than anything else. Revolutionary Summer by Joseph Ellis Ellis is one of the preeminent authors about the revolutionary period, and this book deals with the summer of 1776, from the situation in Boston and the evacuation of British troops there, to the defeats that Washington suffered in the New York area, to the movement toward independence at the Continental Congress meeting in Philadelphia. His treatment of the topic is masterful. Great Masters: Stravinsky by Robert Greenburg This is a great courses presentation of the great composer Stravinsky. The professor is well verses and funny, but I cannot say that I enjoy Stravensky’s music. I find it too modern for my taste and strange. Greenburg is a big fan of his music, but I just don’t get it. Saint Peter: Upon This Rock by Raymond Collins This is a Learn25 presentation of the role of St. Peter, especially as seen in the writings of the New Testament. I had greater expectations than were met in listening to this course. Too much of it is simply a recitation of relevant verses. There are a few good insights, but not all that many. Strong Men Armed by Robrt Lackie This is a history of the battles fought by the Marines during the Pacific theatre of World War II. There is an overview of the Marine’s role and the American plans for the war, but also there are considerable first hand accounts of what happened. It runs from Guadalcanal to Okinawa. Resurrection and the Afterlife by Candida Moss This is the presentation by an English theologian about early beliefs in the resurrection and the afterlife (before, during and after the time of Jesus). I did find this treatment quite useful, especially in terms of the apocalyptic movements in scripture and in the Jewish community at the time of Jesus (which helps us understand how his listeners would have interpreted his message). Nature Watching: How to Find and Observe Wildlife by Casey McFarland This is a Great Courses video presentation on the practice of tracking wildlife. I listened to it to get general ideas about the practice and not necessarily to be able to track deer or bear in the woods. McFarland is very excited about his material, and he presents his insights in an almost religious atmosphere (without exaggeration). It was quite good. The Scorpion’s Tail by Lincoln Child and Douglas Preston This is the story of the discovery of a dead body and a treasured golden cross that leads to greater discoveries on a Native American reservation and an Army base in the middle of nowhere. The action is good and convoluted (in a good way). The one flaw I saw in the novel was the need of the authors to throw in the presence of Inspector Pendergast. He has nothing to do with the story at all except that he is the mentor of Cory, the lead FBI agent on the investigation. Yet, he shows up in the last scene to make a discovery that no one even knew was there. Liberty and Crisis: The History of the American Revolution during 1776 by Charles River Editors This is a short (100 page) presentation on the beginning of the revolutionary war, dealing especially with what happened in the Boston area at the start of the war, the production of the declaration of independence, and the New York campaign. Cave of Bones by Anne Hillerman This is part of a series of books about police officers in the Navaho police force and their attempt to solve crimes on the reservation. In this case, there is a confusing array of the disappearance of a guide, the illegal sale of native artifacts, tribal politics, etc. The series was begun by Anne’s father, and she has carried on the story with a slightly different spin. Both authors are good and worth reading. Opium by Martin Booth This is a study of the use of opium throughout the ages. Booth speaks of its chemistry, of the various products that can be obtained (e.g. heroin, opium powder, codeine, etc.). He also speaks of attempts to limit or spread its use over the ages (think of the opium wars in the 19th century when the British empire fought for the right to sell its drugs in China). One of the elements of the story that was very interesting was how governments and spy agencies (including the CIA) have been involved in its growth and marketing (at times actively, at other times by ignoring its promulgation). Boss Tweed by Charles River Editors This is a short presentation on the career of the head of the Tammany Hall group in New York city who governed politics in the city for a couple of decades after the Civil War and who used their political and juridical power to rob the city of millions and millions of dollars, as well as fixing elections during that period of time. Have a good week. Shalom fr. Jude