Ellicott City - Bel Air

March 21, 2026 Peace and Good, I have finsihed the second of the parish missions which I have preached this Lent. This one was in St. Margaret's parish in Bel Air. It is a large parish with a mission chapel not far away. On Sunday morning I preached at 8 (at the church), 9 (at the mission), 10 (at the church), 11 (at the mission) and 12 (at the church). By the end of the morning, I was not quite sure if I was coming or going. The mission went very well. It lasted from Saturday evening until Wednesday evening. I have also done a couple of lectures here at the Shrine (on Heaven, Hell and Purgatory and on the Passion Narratives in the Gospels). They are live streamed, and can be found under the YouTube site for the Shrine of St. Anthony if anyone is interested. A lot of people have told me they like to attend the talk, but then listen to it later on to see what they have missed. I will be preaching a one on one ordination retreat this week here at the Shrine for a friar who will be ordained next month. Please keep him, fr. Edgar, in your prayers. I went to the hearing doctor this week and we decided it is time to get hearing aids. I especially have difficulty with high pitched noises. I finished some reading and listening: Seabiscuit and Secretariat by Charles River Editors This is a short biography of two of the most famous racing horses in the 20th century. The first, Seabiscuit, was a sensation because it was an odd looking underdog that triumphed during the depression. The second was a well bred horse that won the triple crown. The first section is much better since it includes some material about the owners, jockey and horse itself, while the latter part is mostly a collection of race track reports on races that the horse ran. The World Turned Upside Down by Tim Grove This is the story of the battle of Yorktown in the Revolutionary War. It gives a good introduction to the events that preceded it in the war, and also of the incredible luck that surrounded the decision to fight the battle when and where it was fought. Storm Clouds over the Pacific 1931-1941 by Peter Harmsen This is the first volume in a series of the Pacific theatre of World War II. It deals with what happened before the US entered the war, so most of the material deals with the politics of Japan which became increasingly militarized through the decade of the 1930’s as well as the tensions and then war with China. Classical Mythology: the Greeks: the Modern Scholar by Peter Meineck This is a Modern Scholar presentation of the main myths of the Greeks (including the works of Homer). The professor is clearly knowledgeable and knows how to present the material in a way that is informative and relevant. Buddhism by Malcolm David Eckel This is a Great Courses presentation on the history of beliefs of Buddhism. The professor is clearly fascinated by his topic and he presents difficult ideas in which most of us can understand. It is the type of course that I would like to listen to in the future to catch what I might have missed. The Judgment of Paris by Ross King Ross King is a genius when it comes to writing books on art topics. This one deals with the rise of impressionism in Paris during the 1860’s and 1870’s. It speaks of the tensions between the artists who adopted this new form of art and those who were defending the establishment. It also speaks of the influence of politics in the era and the art produced (e.g. the reign of Napoleon III, the Franco-Prussian war). King knows how to chronicle the ins and outs of relationships among artists. The Apostle Paul: Christianity’s Original Mystic by Harvey Egan This is a Learn25 presentation of the theology of St. Paul. Egan proposes that Paul was actually a mystic who applied his insights (largely found in his letters) to the concrete situation of the communities which he evangelized. I find many of his insights very valuable, but also that sometimes he takes individual verses out of context to prove his thesis. Light of Assisi: the Story of Saint Clare by Margaret Carney This is a very well researched, very well contemplated biography of St. Clare of Assisi. Today we speak of her as the co-founder of the Franciscan movement. In spite of the fact that she lived most of her life behind cloister walls, her spirituality has had a tremendous influence upon Franciscans throughout the centuries, and especially since she has become a topic of scholarly research in these recent years. 500 Facts by Chronicles of Curiosity This is simply a collection of 500 trivia factoids. Since I like Jeopardy, this kind of book is interesting to me. My favorite factoid is that a group of parrots is called a pandemonium, while a group of flamingoes is called a flamboyance. These are facts that are of no obvious worth except for someone who is interested in all around him/her. People of Darkness by Tony Hillerman Hillerman, both Tony and his daughter Anne, has written stories about various officers of the Navaho police. This one deals with a theft of a small treasure box that leads to an investigation to a series of mysterious death and the existence of a Peyote cult and a possible witch. Hillerman is a very, very good author, and very respectful to the Navaho beliefs and life style. Robert F Kennedy by Hourly History This is one of the short biographies of the Hourly History series. It gives a good outline of the life and career of Robert F Kennedy, both as it was lived for many years in the shadow of his older brother JFK and then what he did after his brother’s death up to his own assassination in 1968. Korea: A Very Short Introduction by Michael Seth This presentation is part of the very short introduction series. In the audio version, they tend to be from three to five hours and each presents a series of short topics (usually around 10 minutes) on various aspects of the larger topic. This one deals with the history of the Korean people and state from prehistoric times to the present day. Have a good week. Shalom fr. Jude

Ellicott City

March 10, 2026 Peace and Good, I have been quite busy in these weeks with spiritual direction and the classes which I have offered at the Shrine in Ellicott City. I finished a four week course on the life and writings of St. Paul. I was very pleased with how it turned out. We had a good number of people each session (around 50). They had a good chemistry in their interest, their questions, and their appreciation of the topic. I also had a one time class on the meaning and customs of Lent. I have a couple more classes before Easter, and then a few between Easter and the end of June. I have preached a couple of parish missions in these weeks. The first was at the Catholic Community of Southern Baltimroe, an amalgamation of two parishes. In these days I am preaching at St. Margaret's parish, which is north of Baltimore, near the Aberdeen Proving Grounds. This is a big parish with a mission church. Deacon Herman has been a tremendous help in setting everything up, driving me from the Church to the mission, etc. On Sunday, I preached at the 8, the 9 (at the mission), the 10, the 11 (at the mission) and the 12. My latest Good News Note should be out very shortly, How to offer and receive correction. I have some preliminary ideas about future topics, but have to get caught up on some projects that are already in the hopper. Spring has finally arrived, and the last of the snow mounds are melting which feels great. I finished some reading and listening: Understanding the Periodic Table by Ron Davis This is first of all a study of the development of the periodic table and its meaning. Davis then examines the characteristics of various groups of elements on the table and why they react that way (often determined by their electron arrangement, the intensity of the bonds of the protons and neutrons in the nucleus, etc. It is a bit technical, and something that I will want to listen to again in the future to catch more of what is being shared. Eruption: the Untold Story of Mount St. Helens by Steve Olson This is the story of the before, during and aftermath of the eruption of Mt. St. Helens in the state of Washington. There is a lot of attention to the precautions and lack thereof which allowed quite a few deaths during the eruption. While scientists had a fairly good idea that an eruption was to be expected, hardly anyone thought that the eruption would blow out the mountain sideways (which led to a lack of regulations in the direction of the pyroclastic flows). Celtic Mythology by Philip Freeman Freeman is an excellent author on ancient history. In this volume, he collects a series of Celtic myths (both Irish and Welsh). I have to admit that these stories are horribly violent and void of what we would call morality. The warrior is highly esteemed, while others are all but ignored. There is a heavy influence of magic and other worldly influences. These myths remind me a lot of many of the Nordic/Viking myths. The Astorians: Bold Endeavors in the Quest for Empire by Bill Wiemuth This is a short book which deals with the effort of John Jacob Astor to create a fur trading colony in the Pacific northwest at the beginnings of the 19th century. He sent two expeditions there, by sea and overland. Both of these were only somewhat successful given difficulties of travel, personalities, and the outbreak of the War of 1812. The Aeneid by Elizabeth Vandiver This is a Teaching Company course on the Aeneid, the formation epic poem produced by the Roman poet Virgin in the days of Augustus Caesar. Vandiver is very balanced in speaking of various theories concerning the work. She shows how the poem relates to Homer’s works. She further deals with the current affairs of the Roman world when the Aeneid was written. This course is very well organized and presented. Ordinary Americans in the Revolution by Richard Bell This is a Teaching Company course on a series of normal people and how the American Revolution changed their lives. Bell tries to include those who written history often ignores, e.g. workmen, women, Tories and blacks. This course is a great supplement to the histories of the Revolution usually produced which emphasize the famous men and the battles. Conquistadores: A New History of Spanish Discovery and Conquest by Fernando Cervantes This is an account of some of the famous Spanish adventurers who conquered first the islands of the Caribbean, then Mexico and finally the Incan Empire. The author tries to give a portrait of the individuals involved as well as their good and selfish motives. The author does not white wash either what they did, nor how the lands they conquered were either well governed or not. The Ancient Greek World by Jennifer Roberts and Tracey Barrett This is a short presentation (around 3 hours) on the history and culture of ancient Greece. Although it is so short, it is a good overview of the topics which it treats. I would recommend it as an introductory study of the topic. Crassus: the First Tycoon by Peter Stothard This is the story of the richest man in Rome in the days of Julius Caesar. He was part of the Triumvirate (with Caesar and Pompey). He started his career by buying up properties of those condemned to prescription during the reign of Sulla. He founded a fire company in Rome when fires were dangerous due to the fact that most buildings were made of wood. He died while trying to acquire military fame by invading the Parthian Empire (Persia). Medical Myths, Lies and Half-Truths by Dr. Steven Novella This is a Teaching Company course (24 lectures) by a doctor who examines various questions of how to avoid and fight diseases, and what effect various treatments might have (e.g. acupuncture, hypnosis). He examines folk wisdom and why it is helpful or less so. His presentations are thoughtful and very helpful. 5 Lessons from Pope Francis by Oswald Sobrino This is the second book in the series by Sobrino that I have read. The first was on Augustine, and I thought that Sobrino was using Augustine to get his own points across. In this one, I found him to give a thoughtful examination and application of some of Pope Francis’ social teaching (as proclaimed in Fratelli Tutti). He does have specific, timely application to the present day political situation in the US. Adolf Hitler by Hourly History This is a short biography of Hitler. It is very scanty at times, covering the whole World War II period in a few pages. I did not find it worthwhile reading. Have a good week. Shalom fr. Jude