Rome - Chicago - San Antonio

January 6, 2022 Peace and Good, Happy New Year to everyone, and happy Epiphany as well. I travelled from Rome to Chicago on the 29th. The 28th I had to get a PCR covid test, and waited 3 hours in line to get it. The flight from London to Chicago was delayed 3 hours, so it was a tough trip. I rested up in Chicago for a couple of days, and then flew down to San Antonio to preach a retreat to the post-novitiate students. The topic is on the Admonitions of St. Francis, 28 sayings attributed to him on how to live an everyday Franciscan life. This is a topic that I never presented before, so it required quite a bit of study and preparation, but it has been well worth it. The weather is uneven. It was very warm when I arrived, but a cold front has come in and now it goes between cold and warm throughout the day. We are on an Episcopanian camp about an hour outside of San Antonio. It is very nicely arranged, and we are all enjoying the property and the accomidations. It finish up tomorrow and head back to Chicago on Saturday. The retreat for the students in the Washington house of studies had to be cancelled because of covid. We were lucky so far. I finished some reading: The Kingdom of Alishiya by Charles River Editors This is a short study of the ancient kingdom of Alishiya. Most scholars believe it was on Cyprus. It is not clear whether it was the entire island or simply one portion of it. During its heyday, it traded with the most powerful empires in the area: Egypt, Mattan, the Hittites, etc. Their most valuable product was copper (which mixed with tin would make bronze). Its importance diminished in latter BC centuries, especially after the arrival of the Assyrians in that part of the world. New Seeds of Contemplation by Thomas Merton This is a presentation on the meaning of contemplation and an explanation of what it is and especially what it is not. The information is valuable, although Merton’s style at times is annoying (calling things stupid and foolish, etc.). I had read this book many, many years ago, but I don’t even know what I would have understood in that earlier reading given how much I have had to learn in the meantime. Shroud for the Archbishop by Peter Tremayne This is a murder story solved by an Irish nun who visits Rome to seek approval of her community’s rule in the 7th century AD. The story is clever and I suspect most of the details are accurate, but I did find a few that were questionable. In the background is the difference between the Roman and the Irish rite in these times. The War of 1812 by Jeffrey Hummel This is an audio presentation of a couple of hours on the War of 1812. It gives the background to the war, placing it in the context of the war between England and France, and how their fighting overflowed to the neutral countries. This volume is narrated by George C. Scott, so it is a very familiar voice. Roman Slaves: Facts about prostitutes, revolution, Spartacus and Roman Citizens by Ron Carver This is an odd second volume of a study of the Roman Empire. It is totally disorganized and the grammar is at best questionable. Yet, it does provide some good information, although one has to be patient with the odd style of writing. Hispanic America, Texas, and the Mexican War 1835-1850 by Christopher Collier and James Lincoln Collier This is the history of those areas of the United States that were under the control of Mexico and were eventually conquered or bought by the US. It gives a good overview both from the point of the view of the Hispanic community as well as the Anglo US republic. The Philippines by Joseph Stromberg This is a short history of the Philippine Islands, from prehistoric times to the present. It deals especially with the time that the islands were under the control of the Spanish Empire and of the United States. It is not extensive, but it gives a good overview. Keep safe. fr. Jude

San Antonio, Texas - Rome

October 21, 2021 Peace and Good, I spent last week in San Antonio for a meeting of the provincials and custodes and delegates of our federation. The meeting went from Tuesday to Thursday. After that, we spent a few days exploring the area around San Antonio, including the Alamo, the riverwalk (which I highly recommend), and Panna Maria (the first site of the friars' work in America). Tuesday I flew from San Antonio to Rome. The trip was uneventful, which in these days is a real gift. Passing through passport control was remarkably easy. The weather here in Rome is quite cool, much more so than I encountered in Texas. I will be here for the next few weeks, travelling to the States again on November 6th. I finished some reading: The Man who made lists by Joshua Kendall This is the story of Dr. Peter Roget, and Englishman of Swiss descent, who developed the thesaurus that is most famous in the English speaking world. He had a difficult childhood and an impossible mother. His pain led him to an obsessive need to categorize things and words. His obsession served him well when he working as a secretary of various societies of higher learning. One gets the feeling that he was a functional victim of Asperger’s syndrome. He came out with his thesaurus only when he retired from his other activities, which included being a physician. The Bloody Mohawk: The French and Indian War and the American Revolution by Richard Berleth This is an account of the European settling of the Mohawk Valley in upper New York State and the tension between the native American population and the Dutch, German and English settlers. The most important of the English settlers turned out to be Sir William Johnson who served as a liaison with the Iroquois in that area. The history of the era is bloody and savage. Lincoln’s Gamble by Todd Brewster This is the story of how Lincoln came to first of all write and then later issue the Emancipation Proclamation. We see a Lincoln who is anything but firm in his ideas about slavery and its abolishment. The author shows the pressures that he was under (e.g. the danger of the loss of the border states). The declaration truly did not end slavery as such, for it was only valid in those states that at the moment of its issuance were still in rebellion. The author gives a good give and take on the whole story and the book is worth reading. Hitler’s Final Push: the Battle of the Bulge from the German Point of View edited by Danny Parker The author states that this is from the German point of view, but I didn’t realize how seriously he meant that. The book is filled with technical details about the planning of the offensive and the various points of view of how it should develop. The actual battle itself is almost a second thought. What information it gives is interesting, but most people would find its detail overwhelming and frankly boring. Vikings by Frank Donovan This is a medium size book on the history of the Vikings. It gives detail on how they spread and influenced areas from Russia to Sicily, Ireland to Iceland and Greenland and even the New World. The author gives just the right amount of detail. The book moves along nicely. It is not a comprehensive study, but a great introductory presentation. Voodoo River by Robert Crais This is about a detective from California who is hired by an actress to find out the truth about the family which released her for adoption. The detective is opposed by many in the town because there are secrets that they want to remain hidden. There is, in fact, a sinister side to the whole affair with people being killed and grossly illegal actions taking place. The dialog of the detective is a bit smart alecky, and the villains are stereotypes, but if one is in the mood for some light reading, it is fine. Tapestry of Spies by Stephen Hunter This is a story of an MI6 agent who is searching for a Soviet spy, an ex-Cambridge alumnus who is fighting for the communists in Spain. It was a time when Britain was more concerned in fighting communism than fascism, something that changed very rapidly in the coming years. There is the normal account of fighting and intrigue, but the author knows how to give twists and turns that one would not have expected. It was quite good. Have a good week. Shalom fr. Jude

Montreal - San Antonio

October 11, 2021 Peace and Good, I finished the extraordinary chapter in Canada where things went very, very well. Then on Saturday I went to visit a summer camp which the friars run about 200 km outside of Ottawa. They open it up for Polish people, and it is well used. It is about four hours each from Montreal and Toronto. Yesterday I flew into San Antonio. Travel is tough, but I was very glad I was not flying Southwest this time due to all of the cancellations. I went from 60 to 90 degrees. The center at which we are meeting this week is beautiful, about a 20 minute walk from our friary. After this meeting I will head back to Rome. That will be this coming Tuesday. I finished some books: Lexington and Concord by Hourly History This is a short account of the battles of Lexington and Concord. It gives a sufficient amount of background information about what led to this battles. There is not a lot of depth in the account, but that is not the intend of books by this publisher. Heart of a Dog by Mikail Bulgakov This is a strange account of two doctors in 1924 in Moscow, which had only shortly before become Communist, who are working with animal parts transplanted into human beings to treat various illnesses. They are considered to be brilliant. One day they find a stray dog whom they take home, and shortly afterward transplant the testes and adrenal glands of a criminal who died shortly before into the dog. It becomes more and more human, but it also shares in many of the tendencies toward dishonesty and criminality of the human donor. To save matters, they eventually take out the human parts and transplant the dogs original organs back in it. It returns to a state of happiness as it lives a contented life in their house. The story is almost a cross between The Island of Doctor Moreau and Young Frankenstein. Trade in the Ancient World by Charles River Editors This short book deals with the growth and extent of trade in the ancient world (especially the Mediterranean world). It speaks of trade in copper and tin, oil and wine, wheat, precious metals, spices and amber. It deals with shifts in the currents of trade due to political circumstances. It is not an exhaustive treatment, but a good first look at the topic. The Miami by Charles River Editors The Miami were a tribe of native Americans living in the Ohio and Kentucky area. They were caught up in the various Anglo wars (French and Indian War, the Revolutionary War) and suffered as a result. Most of them were deported to reservations to the west of the Mississippi during the presidency of Andrew Jackson. The Slave Ship: A Human History by Marcus Rediker This is a rending account of the slave trade as seen from the slave ship itself. It speaks of the misery of the slave trade as well as the time that slaves spent on what was called the middle passage. Many of them died of disease and mistreatment. All of them were horrified at their dislocation and dehumanization. The author also treats of the horrible treatment of the crews of those ships. The end of the book also speaks of the campaign to end the slave trade in Great Britain (which then served as a bastion to effect an end to the trade in the Atlantic). The Cold Ground by Adrian McKinty This is an interesting novel set in Northern Ireland during the days of the hunger strikers (Catholics in prison who starved themselves to death to fight for the right to be treated as combatants and not as criminals). There has been a couple of murders of homosexual men by what appears to be a serial murderer. A Catholic constable in the province’s police force investigates the crimes and others, eventually discovering a rather unpleasant surprise. Drunken Fireworks by Stephen King This is a very comical novella on a dissolute family who live their summers at a resort lake in Maine. Their cottage is across the lake from a wealthy Italian family from Providence, Rhode Island. Almost by accident, they start a contest as to who can explode the better fireworks for the celebration of the Fourth of July. Have a good week. Shalom fr. Jude

London

August 12, 2021 Peace and Good, I have been in Great Britain since the beginning of the month, and will only be leaving here on the 17th. This week I took a quick trip to our friary in Barton, which is just outside of Manchester (only a couple of hours by train from London). I have been meeting with friars and talking. There is no special agenda, just giving the friars a chance to share with me whatever they would like. This is especially important given how closed we were during the pandemic. The weather has been miserable. There has not been one sunny day since I arrived. It has rained, at least for a while, every single day. I have been helping out a bit in our parish (very, very small) near our custodial office in London. It is good to have Mass with the people. That is something I don't often get when I am in Rome. The regulations concerning mask wearing have been somewhat lifted here, but many people are still wearing it inside of stores, and almost every on mass transit. A good number of people still wear them outside. I finished some reading: Coal: A Human History by Barbara Freese This is a history of the use of coal from the earliest days of its exploitation in China and England to the present. The author deals with its mining, the pollution it causes, the problem of Carbon Dioxide and Sulphur Monoxide, etc. She speaks of its present use to generate electricity, especially in the US and China. The work is well presented, and somewhat balanced in its approach. A History of India by Michael Fisher This is a series of lectures from the Teaching Company that runs from prehistoric times to the present day. It speaks of the Indian subcontinent, meaning the modern states of Pakistan, India and Bangladesh. It speaks of the influence of the Hindu, Muslim and other faiths (e.g. Christianity, Jainism, Sikes, etc.). It deals with colonialization and the fight to obtain independence. The courses are very informative and well done. Nicholas II by Captivating History This is a short biography of the tragic figure of the last czar of Russia and his family. It deals with his desire to retain an autocratic system even when history was moving against that tendency. Of course, it also deals with the influence of Rasputin. Toussaint L’Ouverture and Jean-Jacques Dessalines by Charles River Editors This short work is an overview of the lives and careers of two of the leaders of the Haitian Revolution at the beginning of the 19th century. The led what turned out to be an incredibly violent revolution, a reaction to an incredibly violent exercise of slavery. Toussaint comes across as a stabilizing factor, while Dessalines is much more violent and ruthless. Lincoln’s Last Trial by Dan Abrams and David Fisher This is the story of how Lincoln and Stephen Logan defended a young man on a charge of murder. He had been attacked by another man from the village along with his brother, and the much smaller young man defended himself with a knife, killing the man attacking him. The trial is one of the first cases to have a full transcript, produced by Robert Hitt. Lincoln is shown as clever, wise, personable and brilliant in his presentation. The book is very good. Nat Turner by Charles River Editors This is the story of a slave rebellion in Virginia in 1831 led by a man named Nat Turner. It was especially brutal, both for what the slaves did to the whites and the revenge that the whites enacted upon the slaves. It was the nightmare of the slave owning class for the next decades. The Kill Room by Jeffery Deaver This is one of the Lincoln Rhymes books. The paraplegic forensic investigator is called to investigate the assassination of an anti-American activist in the Bahama Islands. The assassin is from an obscure intelligence agency whose task is to kill dangerous enemies of the US. The book is filled with twists and turns. I especially like these books because they involve flawed characters, including Lincoln Rhymes. Fly Girls by Keith O’Brien This is an account of the role of the US women who were the pioneers of flight in the 1920’s and the 1930’s. This includes Amelia Earhart as well as other female flyers who faced terrible prejudice. This was a dangerous time to fly, and not a few women and men died in plane crashes in these days. Have a good week. Shalom fr. Jude

Cortina

September 18, 2020 The Feast of St. Joseph of Cupertino Peace and Good, We have been in the north of Italy, in a valley in the Dolomites, all this week. We have tried to balance work (our definitories) with time in the country. This area is incredibly beautiful. We are surrounded by medium size mountains. The weather here has been magnificent, compared to Rome where we hear there is a heat wave. Tomorrow we head back to Rome, and then on Sunday I head out to Chicago for a province assembly. I have finished some reading: Patrick Henry by Charles River Editors This is a short biography of the famous author of the saying, “Give me liberty or give me death,” a line that he probably stole from another author. It follows his career, coming out of nowhere to become a patriot of the first order. It also deals shortly with his opposition to the constitution of our country, for he felt that it produced a government that was too centralized and too powerful. Interestingly enough, he fought against the proposal of a couple of states that would have allowed them to negate federal laws whenever individual states did not agree with them. The Han Dynasty by Charles River Editors This is one of the short books on a particular topic by Charles River. Unfortunately, this one is packed with so much detail about the intrigues of various emperors and their courts that is all but unintelligible except for an expert on the topic. Carl von Clausewitz by Charles River Editors This is a short biography of the famous author of a course book on how to wage warfare (compiled by Carl and then edited and published by his faithful wife). While he was never in charge of great numbers of troops, he studied the various aspects of fighting and produced a work that is still considered a classic on the topic. The Tree of Life by Roland Murphy This is a very good overview of the Wisdom Literature of the Old Testament. It is a book that I intend to read over and over again every couple of years, for it was packed with good information about the books themselves and also other wisdom literature from ancient Mideastern cultures. Soapy Smith by Charles River Editors This is a short account of a flim flam man in the West. His career was mainly in the mining towns of the West, such as Denver and Skagway, Alaska where he met his end. He set up an entire gang which controlled the towns in which he dwelt. Wilberforce by OpenLearn This is a short account of the career of Wilberforce, the great hero of the battle against the slave trade in Great Britain. The course centers on his initiative to purify the morals of the country. He wrote a compendium of the spiritual life from a Methodist point of view in order to address the lack of religiosity that he found in society. The Fall of Saigon by Charles River Editors This is an account of the final battle of the Vietnam between the forces of the North and those of the dying republic in the South. It goes into great detail, more than I would have wished to read. Have a good week. Shalom fr. Jude