Ellicott City

September 13, 2026 Peace and Good, This has been a very good period of writing. I have been able to write 6 articles for the Messenger of St Anthony, the magazine from Padua for which I have written since 1982. I am writing a series of recent archeological discoveries which shed some light on the content of the Bible. The other activities of these weeks have mostly been normal: confessions, celebrating Mass at the shrine and St. Joseph Nursing Home, spiritual direction, taping reflections on the daily readings, etc. The one unusual thing is what we friars did on Friday. The mother of one of our friars, fr. Michael Heine, passed away. Friday was his funeral in Spring Lake, New Jersey. All of us in this friary and a large number of other friars all travelled up there for the funeral. Please keep her, Patricia, and her family in your prayers. I will be quite busy these next couple of months with weekend retreats, week long workshops, zoom classes, etc. I really love doing these kinds of things. I have finished some reading and listening: Augustus Caesar: The Life and the Legend by Dan Wilson Dan Wilson has written a ton of short biographies and non-fictional studies on various topics including historical figures and scientific concepts. This book was an hour and a half study of the times and life of Augustus. It does not have the time to go into depth on the topic, but it is a very good intro. Introduction to Islam by Gabriel Reynolds This is a short, well produced course from Learn25 on the origin, theology and impact of Islam. The author is very respectful, and does not lean over too much to praise Islam. One could say that he is an impartial, but well researched observer. This is one of those courses that I could easily recommend. The Spy Who Knew Too Much by Howard Blum This is a long and convoluted story of a CIA agent who sensed that there was a Soviet mole in the agency due to the failure of various plans and strategies. He worked for a couple of decades, often at the price of being accused of paranoia, to identify that agent. After the fall of the Soviet empire, he was able to travel to Moscow and confirm that man’s death. Creation Stories of the Ancient World by Joseph Lam This is a short course from the Great Courses on a series of creation stories found in Egyptian, Mesopotamian and Hebrew culture. It deals with two of the main forms of creation, one which deals with the creation of the universe with words or simple actions, and the other with warfare (which is even found a bit in the Genesis story which emphasizes God’s separation of one element from another (e.g. dry land and water, light and dark). Isidore of Seville for Beginners by Massimo Tucci St. Isidore wrote what amounts to the first encyclopedia, fusing ancient learning with new ideas from various cultures and schools of thought. He is the patron saint of the internet. This short biography is quite fawning in its text, but it does provide a good amount of information on a character who is little known in modern times. Tiny Blunders/ Big Disasters by Jared Knott This book examines any number of disasters in politics, war, etc. due to the fact that only a small mistake had been made. It also deals with individual decisions and deeds that had enormous, unexpected consequences. Cahokia: Ancient America’s Great City on the Mississippi by Timothy Pauketat This is the story of a mound city located near St. Louis, Missouri, which was the home to thousands of people from the 11th century and beyond. It deals with their culture, the archeological excavations done at the site and nearby, and the probable influence of their culture throughout the Midwest upon other tribes. The House of Wisdom by Jim Al-Khalili This is a very good book on the history of a type of renaissance in the Arab world in the 8th and 9th century centered in Bagdad. The movement began as a library and translation center for books from Greece, Persia, China, etc. It slowly grew as a center of medicine, astronomy, mathematics, philosophy, etc. The author deals with its demise when a more fundamentalistic version of Islam gained control. The Art of War by Andrew Wilson This is a Great Courses presentation on the ancient Chinese book by Sun Tzu and how its lessons are applicable today both in warfare but also in business policies. The Fall of the Ottomans by Eugene Rogan This is the story of World War I and the fall of the Ottoman empire, especially concerning the attempt of the British to destroy its power at the Suez and Israel, at Gallipoli in Turkey and in Iraq. The book deals quite a bit with the Armenian genocide which is painful to hear but important to remember. It also deals with the duplicitous political and imperialistic aims of Great Britain and France. The City of Ephesus by Sandra Glahn This is a short history of the city of Ephesus from around 100 BC to 100 AD. It is especially tied with its New Testament connections. It provides some good information, but is not as comprehensive as one would wish. 5 Lessons from Henry David Thoreau by Oswald Sobrino This is part of a series of books on the thought of important figures in the past centuries. This one deals with topics such as sociology, mindfulness, politics, and ethics. Sobrino is very good at presenting various ideas and drawing their modern consequences. The Rule of Threes by Jeffery Deaver This is the story of a state investigator working with a very efficient local police force in order to track down a possible mass murderer. There is also a subplot about a native American treaty that is going to court that might dispossess locals. The story is very twisted, but well written. Ripples in Time: Mysterious Artifacts that Challenge the Consensus Views of Human History by Charles River Editors This is the account of a number of objects that have found over the years that do not seem to fit into the period of time of the surrounding objects, e.g. footprints in rocks that are millions of years old, a spark plug found in very old rock, an object that seems to be a possible computer found in a wreck from ancient times, etc. Diary of an American Exorcist by Stephen Rossetti I read this book because some people at one of my talks referred to it. It speaks of the experiences of a Church sanctioned exorcist. I find this book to be very imprudent, for now so, so many people are going to believe that their normal temptations and difficulties are demonic. It deals with a lot of the spectacular and strange. I would not recommend this book to anyone other than someone who is deeply concerned about things which seems to be of an over worldly source. Have a good week. Shalom fr. Jude