Ellicott City

April 2, 2026 Happy Holy Thursday This has been a busy Lent between parish missions and talks and podcasts and spiritual direction and some writing projects. It has all worked out, but I am not really sure how. I am the celebrant this evening for the Mass of the Lord's Supper. Then on Sunday morning I will be helping out at a local parish in Davidsonville with two Masses. They get so many people that the Church and the hall are packed for Masses at the same time. Next week the friars will gather here in Baltimore for an assembly to get us ready for our provincial chapter this coming May. We have re-elected our provincial, fr. Michael Heine, by mail ballot, and the chapter will allow us to plan what the province will do for the next four years. Starting on Divine Mercy Sunday, I will head to the shore for some days of quiet. I always love listening to the waves rolling in. I have had my latest CT scan of my lungs and everything is good. I will have the next one in six months. I have finished some reading and listening: White Flag Down by Joel Ross This is a spy story which takes place in Switzerland during World War II. It is convoluted and it involves the Swiss, Nazi Swiss collaborators, American flyers and Soviet spies. The story was good, but not great. It gets a bit too involved and desperate to heighten up the suspense at times. Edith Stein: Philosopher, Mystic and Martyr by Alex Torego This is a short biography of Edith Stein, philosopher and martyr for the faith (both her Catholic faith given that she was a Carmelite nun and the Jewish faith in which she was born). The author gives good insight into her studies and her motivation for first becoming a Catholic and then entering the Carmel. She died in Auschwitz when the Nazi’s took converted Jews from the Netherlands in retribution for a statement by the bishops condemning their treatment of the Jewish people. Oceana: Our Planet’s Endangered Oceans and What We Can Do to Save Them by Ted Danson This is an account of the present state of the oceans and what humans have done to that environment and what can be done to repair some of the damage that we have caused. It deals with fishing and pollution and mining, etc. In spite of the fact that the author was an actor on Cheers, the book is well documented and insightful. Heidegger in 90 Minutes by Paul Strathern This short work reminded me why I did not want to study philosophy in university. Strathern tries to present the teachings and the personality of Heidegger, but he eventually boils everything down to the idea that he is all but impossible to understand. The Once and Future Threat of Smallpox by Jonathan Tucker This is an overview both of the fight against smallpox and how the disease was eventually conquered, but also of the danger of the use of the virus for warfare purposes (and especially of the cheating of the Soviet Union/Russia on the care of the few samples of smallpox that have been conserved. American Religious History by Peter Huff This is a Learn25 presentation on the history of religious movements in the United States from its Pilgrim days up to the present. The professor is very well informed and respectful of the various religious traditions. I would highly recommend this course to anyone interested in the topic. The Fall of Saigon by Hourly History This is a short history of the American involvement in the War in Vietnam and the eventual failure of its effort and the fall of the South Vietnam republic and of its capital Saigon. It also deals with the confusion of the attempt to evacuate Americans and Vietnamese who were in danger for having worked for the Americans. Revolution Song by Russell Shorto This is the story of various people involved in the American Revolution. One is the British politician who led the effort to control the colonies. one is George Washington, one a freed slave, and one a native American who fought on the side of the British, one a young woman forced to marry, and finally an Albany defender of states rights. The stories are well presented and very interesting. Taj Mahal by Diana and Michael Preston This is the story behind the Taj Mahal, including the people involved in its construction, the building itself, its history, and the fate of the Shah who built it as an act of mourning for his beloved wife. It is interesting, but is filled with too much detail about who fought against whom in this or that battle. Gratitude: A Catholic’s Guide to Grace, Gratefulness and Spiritual Growth by Anthony Ciorra This is a retreat which speaks of the various dimensions of the virtue of constant gratitude in the spiritual life. Ciorra has some good insights, but at times gets into a topic which he talks to death but never fully develops. Yet, I think this course (Learn25) is well worth the listen. Invisible Heroes of World War II by Jerry Borrowman This is a series of stories about people who fought or supported the allies efforts and who never received a proper recognition for their efforts. This includes stories on the African-Americans who fought (especially the Tuskegee flyers), the women who worked as Rosy the Riveter, the Navaho Code Talkers, the spies who worked behind enemy lines, etc. Francis I by Leonie Frieda This is a biography on the king of France during the days of Henry VIII in England. Francis was filled with energy, which he sometimes used in the proper way and which sometimes drove him into grievous mistakes. The book chronicles the influence of his mother and sister, both of whom were much more intelligent than he was The book is long, but a very good read. Happy Easter fr. Jude