Castro Valley, CA - Ellicott City, MD - Chicago, IL

December 8, 2021 Happy Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception I am continuing my trip with the Minister General, fr. Carlos Trovarelli, in the United States. He would like to visit each province a bit to get a sense of what is going on in each place before we celebrate our provincial chapters this coming April and May. From Castro Valley (Oakland) we travelled to El Paso, then Baltimore, and we are now in Chicago. Each place we go we meet with the Ministers Provincial and with the friars who can come to a gathering to meet him. It has gone very well. There has only been one travel glitch, a mechanical problem, but that only lasted an hour. Travel back to Europe has become challenging due to the changing rules on covid tests. In El Paso, fr. Carlos got to meet with the local bishop and also with two of the leadership team of the local tribe, the Tigua, who worship at our parish there. In Baltimore, we attended Mass at St. Casimir's Church and at the end there was a quick Christmas pagent. The very small children played the angels, the shepherds, and even the animals (donkey, sheep and cows). I was surprised that the lady leading the event used by Christmas book for the test of the pagent. I even read one of the last pages of the book to close the event. It was great. The Minister General is heading back on the evening of the 10th, and I will leave on the evening of the 12th. I will be staying in Chicago to attend the funeral of my nieces's husband. Please keep him, Reid, in your prayers. Also, please pray for Chrissy and her three children. I finished some reading: Five Days in London: May, 1940 by John Lukacs This is an account of the discussions and decisions made in London by the new Prime Minister, Churchill, and his cabinet. Belgium was surrendering, France was on the precipice, and the allied forces had begun to evacuate Dunkirk. This book runs from May 24 to 28. It deals with suggestions that negotiations be opened with Hitler or Mussolini, that the British recognize that they could not win, etc. The account is well done and well documented. The Byzantine Empire and the Plague by Charles River Editors The emperor Justinian had just reconquered many of the lands in Italy and Africa that had been lost to barbarian invasions. At that point, plague hit and devastated his empire and his army. Ironically, the barbarians were not as affected due to the looser societal bonds. The Church in Rome had to step forward and take control of events in the surrounding areas, all but ignoring the exarch of the Byzantines who lived in Ravenna (for he could provide no assistance). This short account gives a good overview of the tremendous impact this pestilence had upon society, government and religion. Emperors of Rome by Ron Carver This is part of a series of overviews on Roman topics provided by this author. The series is oddly disjointed, with no real time line. The writing style is so conversational that it is at times embarrassing. Overall, though, the individual sections are worth reading. The Zimmerman Telegram by Barbara Tuchman This is a book that I had read a long time ago, and rereading it was a joy. Barbara Tuchman is an accomplished history author. This volume deals with a telegram that the German foreign minister sent to Mexico and Japan during World War I to gain their assistance in the war (even if it meant going to war against the United States). He promised Mexico the lost areas of the southwestern US, e.g. New Mexico, Arizona, California, etc. The British were able to decode the message and shared it with President Wilson who desperately did not want to go to war. This and the unfettered submarine warfare eventually convinced Wilson to ask for war in April of 1917. Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee by Dee Brown This is an account of the relations between native Americans and the government and army of the US and Mexico. It is definitely from a native American perspective. In that sense, it is one sided, but since the story is most often told from the perspective of the manifest destiny to take over the continent, this is a good balancing account. It is troubling and leaves one depressed, as it was intended to do. War at the End of the World by James P. Duffy General McArthur is not my favorite person because I find him arrogant and pompous, but this account of his campaigns in New Guinea during World War II gives a different picture of him and his work. It deals with the attempt first not to allow the Japanese to conquer the entire island (lest they then take Australia or at least cut off it supply lines from the US) and then to roll back the Japanese tide on the northern part of the island. It is well written. The Basques by Captivating History The Basques are an ancient people who live in the northeast of Spain and southwestern France. They have their own language and culture. This short book is an account of who they are and their interaction with the various invaders who entered their territory and often sought to assimilate them, often with violence. It goes from their earliest origins to the present when the Basque territories in Spain have the status of autonomous regions. May the rest of you Advent be blessed. fr. Jude

London

October 23, 2020 Peace and Good, I am still in London. I did my two weeks of quarantine, and now I am allowed to leave the house. I take my daily walk along the shore of the Thames (on the south side of the river, not all that far from the ferris wheel called the Eye. It is strange, however, with many people wearing masks and everyone trying to avoid close contact. Coved has gotten worse in the UK in these days, especially in the western cities of Liverpool and Manchester. They are classified at the 3rd level of isolation, while London is only at the 2nd level. The weather has been horrible with it raining almost every day. I like to walk in this city, but between covid and the weather, I have not done too much outside. I have had a great opportunity to do some writing work. I have finished editing my meditation book on Franciscan Spirituality, and today I will finish the first draft on my new children's Bible. I leave tomorrow for Chicago where I will be for a couple of weeks. I have finished some reading: Pompei by Robert Harris This is one of many books by Robert Harris that I have read. It deals with the explosion of Mount Vesuvius toward the end of the first century AD. The hero of the story is an acquarius, a man responsible for the care and maintenance of the aqueduct that brings water into this part of Italy. The action is very well written, and the characters are memorable, as in all of Harris’ books. Death at Beggar’s Opera by Deryn Lake This is one of a series of books written about an apothecary working in London named John Rawlings during the 18th century. He works part time as a detective for a magistrate famous for his crime solving ability nicknamed the Blind Beak. The action takes place in a privileged society and is filled with attitudes which are better read within their historic context. The morality of that particular era, at least among the privileged class, seems loose at best. Yet, the book comes together well and was a pleasant read. The Battle of Berlin by Hourly History This is a short outline of the warfare that led up to the fall of Berlin during World War II and some of the episodes during the fall itself. It does not give anything new, but it is a good review of the topic. Winter Moon by Dean Koontz This is a science fiction story of how a family who flees the violence and insanity in Los Angeles (especially since the father is an injured police officer who lost two of his partners in the past couple of years). They end up in Montana where they come into contact with a horrible extra-terrestrial monster which threatens humanity. The story is well told. The Young Turks by Charles River Editors This is a short history of the movement that moved the Ottoman empire from being an inward looking, dying entity to the modern state of Turkey. It did not occur easily, and there were many twists and turns along the way. It was finally Ataturk who was able to suppress the Caliphate and to create a single culture (by suppressing many of the minorities) in today’s Turkey. Augustus by John Williams This is one of the books which I purchased from Chirp Books. It is a discount outfit which allows one to listen to books (but not download them). This biography is written in the form of a series of letters and memorials on the various topics. A lot of attention is given to Augustus’ relationship with his daughter Julia whom he had exiled because of her adulterous conduct. The book proposes that this was an attempt to save her life from Augustus’ successor (and her husband) who would have had her killed. The book is well done. Must History Repeat Itself: the Great Conflicts of this Century by Joseph Nye This series from the Teaching Company studies the great conflicts of the 20th century and gives insights into how to respond to the situation in which we find ourselves today. It is one of the older series for it deals with the fall of Communism but does not deal with the rise of militant Islam and terrorism throughout the world. Keep safe. fr. Jude

Canterbury - Whitstable - Canterbury - London - Baltimore

June 30, 2013 Peace and Good, This past week I was up on the coast of Southern England at a small retreat house giving a retreat to some of our friars from Canterbury. They are students who are preparing for the priesthood. The topic was the Letter to the Hebrews. This letter, written sometime around 70 A.D., speaks of Jesus as our High Priest and it offers many useful insights into ministry today. Even more than that, though, is the fact that it presents reality as existing on two different levels: that which we see everyday and the supernatural, eternal meaning of all of that which surrounds us. As friars, we are living for something more than the everyday, but often we can get caught up in it like everyone else and let it get us down. This was one of the themes that I emphasized at the General Chapter - that we have to look beyond what we can see to that which we believe. I finished on Friday and came to London yesterday. This afternoon I head to Baltimore and then I have to play it by ear. My travel agent made a reservation for me to fly to Los Angeles on Monday, but I realized last night that he never sent the actual ticket. I don't know if I will be flying out on Monday or not. That is OK, though, because if I don't, I can spend a week at Ellicott City and get caught up with writing and taping projects. Either way, it works out fine. I finished a few books: Restoration: Charles II and His Kingdoms, 1660-1685 by Tim Harris This is a book that speak about King Charles II of Great Britain. His father was killed and he was exiled to the continent while Cromwell ruled. When Cromwell died, Charles was invited back to be king. He was able to navigate through difficult times by currying public opinion, playing one side off against the other, telling his nobles just what they wanted to hear, and finding alternative sources of support. He was king during an era when kings on the continent tended to be absolute monarchs (e.g. King Louis XIV, the Sun King). He was an absolutist in his own way, especially in Scotland where he allowed a system of persecution against his religious opponents. His brother, James II who succeeded him, was not as successful in handling all the opposing tensions and was overthrown after a few years of reign. The book is incredibly well documented, too well. It reminds me of a doctoral thesis that made its way into print. In other words, it is not an enjoyable read, even if it is informative. Van Gogh’s Room at Arles by Stanley Elkin This is not exactly what the title says that it is. It is a series of short stories (actually long enough to be called novellas). The first one is about a professor whose wife has just left him and who must arrange for a party with his students that he doesn’t really want to have. The professor is caught in self-pity and makes a very unlikable character. A second story is told in the context of a young woman selling her story to the tabloids. She recounts her engagement to the heir to the throne of England. A third story is about a young man who received a grant to spend time in Arles, and is actually housed in Van Gogh’s room there. He has never travelled before, and all is new and threatening to him. He is a teacher at a community college in Indiana, while most of the other fellows staying at Arles are great figures of one or another field. In all three stories one gets a sense of people not quite fitting in and not knowing how to address it. The President is a Sick Man by Matthew Algeo This is the story of a secret operation that was performed on President Grover Cleveland on a boat in Long Island Sound to remove a cancerous tumor from his mouth. This was only a decade after President Grant had died of cancer of the throat. The country was going through its worst economic downturn up to the time of the Great Depression. Cleveland was worried if the public knew about his illness, there would be a panic. He had a reputation for being an honest man, and he used that reputation to hide his operation and, when a newspaper reporter ferreted out the truth, to deny it and allow the reputation of the reporter to be ruined. There are some books that are sweeping in character, dealing with many people and many different situations. This is not one of those books. It deals with one small (but important) situation and its aftermath, and in that it does a good job. Hope you have a great Fourth of July. Growing up in Buffalo, we used to say that it was one of the two seasons in Buffalo: winter and the Fourth of July. Shalom fr. Jude

Dublin - Wexford - Dublin - Barton - London - Rome

May 26, 2013 Peace and Good, Yes, I visited all of those places in just one week. I have been on planes or trains most of that time. We had out meeting for friars in Ireland in Wexford which is on the south coast. We take care of a shrine church which is situated between two huge diocescan parishes. The people love the friars for confessions and spiritual direction. The next day I had off and I did some writing but I also visited Dublin. It is not a big city, but there is more than enough to see. The only problem was that the weather was not all that good. It was cold and rainy most of the time. A group of us then flew to Manchester and two of us stayed at Barton for the night (just outside of Manchester). This used to be the novitiate, and it is being used for prining a magazine that the friars distribute free of charge. They receive enough donations to pay for the magazine and then some. Friday evening I took the Virgin Train to London (the same company that owns Virgin Atlantic). When I booked the ticket, it cost 74 pounds for a 2nd class ticket and 51 pounds for a first class ticket. I kept looking at the screen to make sure I was reading it right. Sure enough, that is what it was. There was hardly anyone in the first class car, so that must be why they put it on sale. It was a beautiful ride into London, a little over two hours long. Everyone in England was very shocked at the brutal murder of the soldier on the street. It must be similar to what the Bostonians felt after the bombs during the Marathon. I do not know why the networks insisted repeating the murderers rant over and over again. This is exactly what he wanted, the publicity. Then Saturday I flew back to Rome. The weather is much, much better here. Tomorrow we start our meetings which will go all week long here in Rome, and then we move up to Assisi for another week of meetings. I finished a few books: The Book of Genesis by Professor Gary Rendsburg The is one of the teaching company’s courses. Rendsburg is a Rabbi, and it is always interesting for me to hear how books of the Old Testament are interpreted by Jewish scholars. It just a whole different perspective. He deals with the text as it is found (and does not speak of various sources which went into the composition of the book). Some of his literary insights are brilliant. I am not sure about some of his historic suppositions (e.g. the date of Abraham the patriarch, the date of Joseph going down to Egypt). He is thoroughly familiar with the Hebrew text, so he can notice various allusions and alliterations that we miss in our English translations. Overall, this was a very good course. The Retreat by Michael Jones This is a historical account of the retreat of the Nazi forces who were investing Moscow at the beginning of December, 1941. They thought that they had thoroughly defeated the forces of the Soviet Union, but Stalin and Marshall Zuchov had been secreting a number of fresh divisions (newly formed and those brought from Siberia) to launch an offensive against the Germans when they were most fully extended. The offensive was incredibly successful, pushing the German back many, many miles with horrendous casualties and incredible losses of material. It could have almost ended the war if the Soviets had not themselves overreached allowing the Germans the time that they needed to launch a counteroffensive. Complicating this all was the Russian winter for which the Germans were woefully unprepared (although they had been fully warned long in advance). Their machines wouldn’t work, their canons and machine guns would not fire, the men suffered from frostbite, etc. This book also outlines the almost bestial attitudes of the Germans and the Russians toward each other and even toward civilians and prisoners. The book is well written, but it is a painful subject. Absolute Friends by John Le Carre Like most of Le Carre’s books, this is quite well done. It tells the story of two men, one the son of a cashiered army officer and the other the son of a German pastor who come to know each other in Berlin during the Cold War era. In the early years, they both work on peaceful anarchist projects to fight the imperialist powers, but especially the US. Later, Ted (the Brit) and Sasha (the German) join forces to spy against the government of East Germany. The books carries them along into the post cold war period when they become involved in a strange, potentially dangerous plot. The personalities of the two men characters are well developed, and even though they are both deeply flawed, one can’t help liking them. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Hope you have a good week. Shalom fr. Jude