Flos Carmeli

Those Looking for the Perfect

Those Looking for the Perfect Gift Item

A bottle with essentially infinite capacity, depending on how your think about inside/outside. Offered to us by a Pilgrim here.

There are certain things that are fascinating beyond the possibility of words. Klein bottles and the entire field of topography is among them. I was really excited when I learned that a coffee mug was topographically equivalent to a sphere with one handle. If you really want to get a glimpse of the riches of the mysteries of God, you can't do better than to look into some of the discoveries of "deep" mathematics.

Prayer Reminder Prayer Requests and

Prayer Reminder
Prayer Requests and Reminders
Please remember the needs of:
-Gregg the Obscure and wife in a health concern
-Bishop Hoffman of Toledo
-a good friend who is making a recovery and going through a difficult patch,
-and yours truly and his family--for special needs of the day.

Prayer for Interecession of St.

Prayer for Interecession of St. Gaspar

Fr. Keyes C.PP.S. is so incredibly generous, and today I desperately needed a "lift me up prayer." And this is one if I've ever seen one. Thank you again Father Keyes.

This also gives me the chance to thank everyone out there that posts such resoundingly good material day in day out. I love the witness so many provide to the effects of God in their lives, and I love the humanity demonstrated. Thanks for all of your faithfulness.

A New Quiz Result You

A New Quiz Result

You can blame the blogmeister of Quenta Nârwenion. But this was utterly irresistable. Sorry.

The sixth book written, you're nevertheless the first chronologically. You not only describe the creation of Narnia and tell where the White Witch, the lampost and the wardrobe came from, you get to bounce between worlds with the help of Uncle Andrew's weird magic rings.


Find out which Chronicles of Narnia book you are.

Major Kudos to the People

Major Kudos to the People of HIlton Head, S.C.

Passing by an Exit to Hilton Head S.C. we so a billboard produced by the pro-life group at Hilton Head, featuring an unborn child, Jesus on the cross and the heading, "Father Forgive Them. . ."

This sort of thing is a fantastic advertisement for the city of HIlton Head, in my estimation. They should all be warmly applauded for speaking aloud the truth. It is sometimes a difficult thing to say properly, this billboard dd so properly and tastefully.

Blogging on AOL, so

Blogging on AOL, so I don't know how this will go. . .

Travel over, settled at my In-Laws and enjoying the ambience and quiet. I still have washes of road noise rumbling through my brain. After I get over being tired from the trip, I will be planning what to do in DC over the next few days. If anyone has any advice or hints, any such would be appreciated.

Expect blogging to be unusually light for the next couple of weeks as I won't have a lot of time at the computer. But I will try to make an appearance each day.

Peace in the Family You

Peace in the Family

You all were probably already aware of this site and it looks fantastic at the surface. If you have any feedback, please let me know. I've added it to the left-hand column while I continue to review. A partial list of contents:

+ Holy Poverty +
* Preferential Love for the Poor
* Social Justice Teachings
* True Liberation theology
* Social Peace and Justice
* The Eucharist & Justice
* Works of Mercy & Gospel
* Peace of the Christian
* Christian Hospitality for Poor
* The Poor and Jesus Christ
* The Sick and Poor of Jesus
* St. Catherine on the poor
* The Works of Mercy
* Those who endure mental suffering
* Poverty in America
* Dignity of Human Work
* Micro-enterprise & the Poor
* Madonna House
* Voluntary Poverty
* Distributism
* Sojourners / SoJoNet
* Holy Solitude
* National Catholic Register
* Catholics United for the Faith
* Live Webcam Monks of
Adoration Chapel
* Houston Catholic Worker
* Second Spring
* A Catholic Page for Lovers
* Our Sunday Visitor
* Touchstone Magazine
* Credo of Buffalo Homepage
(CUF chapter)
* Cardinal George's Columns
* Jacques Maritain Center
* Click for Pro-life News
* Arts and Letters Daily
* The New Criterion
* TCR Geopolitical Opinion &
Resource Page
* The Caelum Et Terra
Homepage
* Gray Friars Newsletter
* James Likoudis' Homepage
* Houston Catholic Worker on the
clergy sex abuse scandal
* Militarism
* Writings of Dorothy Day
* Christendom Awake
* Voice of the Faithful?
* Focolare Movement
* Communion and Liberation
* Communio Journal
* Traces: Communion and Liberation
* JPII Encyc: Faith and Reason
* Charles de Foucauld
* Church Fathers
* Leaflets of Faith
* Catholic League
* Holy Shroud info links
* Theotokos Web site
* Errors of Fr. Nicholas Gruner
* Fatima Apostolate
* Catholic Dossier
* Leadership U
* AD 2000
* Homiletic & Pastoral Review
* Denver Catholic Register
* Ressourcement: Links
* Social justice news
* Catholic Worker Movement
* Living His Life Abundantly
* Feminists For Life
* Christian Antropology and Homosexuality
* Society for Catholic Liturgy
* Antiphon (Liturgical Journal)
* Ecclesia Dei, JPII
* Fraternal Society of St. Peter
* Vatican Congregation for the Clergy
* U.S. Catholic Dioceses
* NCCB Weekly Movie Reviews
* Latest News US Conference of
Catholic Bishops
* US Bishops Peace Page
* Victim Souls of the Sacred Heart
* Living Monuments Of Reparation
* Hermanolen Clip Art
* Catholic Canada Directory
* Busy Christian's Guide to Catholic Social Teaching

I can't vouch for everything, but I'm pleased to see much gathered in one place, and it seems like a useful resource overall. It seems to point to places that are largely loyal to the magisterium. So go and check it out and please let me know of anything good or bad!

Although I'm Seriously Late It

Although I'm Seriously Late

It never hurts to repeat the winner of the Annual Bulwer-Lytton Competition. And the winner is:

Bulwer-Lytton Competition Grand Prize Ms. Rephah Berg On reflection, Angela perceived that her relationship with Tom had always been rocky, not quite a roller-coaster ride but more like when the toilet-paper roll gets a little squashed so it hangs crooked and every time you pull some off you can hear the rest going bumpity-bumpity in its holder until you go nuts and push it back into shape, a degree of annoyance that Angela had now almost attained.

and we mustn't forget the Detective Category:

Winner Detective Category Matthew Chambers Chief Inspector Blancharde knew that this murder would be easy to solve-despite the fact that the clever killer had apparently dismembered his victim, run the corpse through a chipper-shredder with some Columbian beans to throw off the police dogs, and had run the mix through the industrial-sized coffee maker in the diner owned by Joseph Tilby (the apparent murder victim)--if only he could figure out who would want a hot cup of Joe.

Veritable masterpieces of bad prose. My thanks to the winners for brightening the day.

Prayer Needs Reminder Thanks to

Prayer Needs Reminder

Thanks to all who responded before, I just post this reminder of current needs:

(1) Gregg the Obscure and his wife as they battle medical problems
Prayers Needed
(2) Bishop Hoffman of Toledo
(3) a good friend who is making a recovery and going through a difficult patch,
(4) and yours truly and his family --safety in travel, security for house.

Thank you for your faithfulness.

What Does It Mean to

What Does It Mean to Be Catholic Green?

At least the way I define it. In a comment below, Therese articulated it precisely. I reprint it here for wider circulation as it deserves more notice.

Comment by Therese Would love to see a party focused on responsible citizenship by VOLUNTARY giving of one's self and ones resources to preserve life, liberty, and happiness for all from womb to tomb. A party truly dedicated to this can't help but create a governmental environment where it is natural and easy for citizens to freely choose to: --protect all human life as how can we hope to protect other species if we don't love our own? --nuture all humans -- not just the economically viable --treasure each human for the priceless gifts that they are --go the extra mile to help the woman in a crisis pregnancy, --feed the hungry, shelter the homeless and go the extra mile to provide the support that they need --compassionately care for -- not just sustain -- the sick --actively and lovingly accompany those who need help to make it through the day--mentally ill, elderly, sick, less skilled, etc --transform our economy by purchasing items with an eyes towards fair pay, social justice and environmental responsibility (is my good deal purchased at the price of anothers loss of livlihoood or enslavement?), --make the US a good neighbor of all, --preserve the environment as it contributes so much to health and happiness --permit people in their childbearing years to concentrate on child raising and to pass on a legacy of love and the value of human relationships --value the long term result as much if not more than the short term

We can't get there if it is mandated by the governement for then it becomes someone else's responsibility. We can't get there if civic responsibility means my self-sufficiency at someone else's expense. We can only get there if WE citizens make a choice to do whatever it takes to be a nation that freely chooses to be self givers for the good of all. When you get right down to it, that really was what the founders excelled at -- so many gave their lives and fortunes to the nation. Somehow, I think a nation of self givers is the kind of nation, Jesus would have us have. Or even a party dedicated to self giving would be the party he would want us to join.

This articulates in nearly every detail what I meant about "green" leanings. All of these things (along with several more repugnant to Catholic sensibilities--therefore the splitting into "Catholic Green") are part of the party platform. Of course, they are taken to some enormous extremes. But what is articulated here--grassroots Christianity as it should be, is my political credo.

Expect Blogging to be Light

Expect Blogging to be Light to Absent

For the next couple of days. I suspect my Father-in-Law would not take too kindly to me rushing into the house to do my blogging. But I do hope to post something each day.

Another Potential Member?

Another Potential Member?

Do I see an incipient member of the Glorious Seventeenth Century Poetry Society hiding within the blog of Quenta Nârwenion? I would be annoyed that someone had stolen my thunder, but this marvel by Dryden--set to music by Handel in 1739 (although you should also hear the Purcell Odes of 1683 and 1692--the Glorious Seventeenth Century) is welcome where'er it may appear. Look for the entry for today (Thursday 11/21/02) titled "Tommorow's feast." (Hear also the Hymn to St. Cecilia by Britten, and the Parry Cantata for the day. Marvelous music all.

Sorry, Guess this is just

Sorry, Guess this is just a "Joy of the Lord" Kind of Day

Suggested Therapy for a bad work day:

When you have an "I hate my job" day try this: On your way home from work, stop at your pharmacy and go to the thermometer section. You will need to purchase a rectal thermometer made by "Johnson and Johnson." Be very sure you get this brand. When you get home, lock your doors, draw the drapes, and disconnect the phone so you will not be disturbed during your therapy. Change to very comfortable clothing, such as a sweat suit and lie down on your bed. Open the package and remove the thermometer. Carefully place it on the bedside table so that it will not become chipped or broken.

Take out the material that comes with the thermometer and read it. You will notice that in small print there is statement "Every rectal thermometer made by Johnson and Johnson is personally tested". Now close your eyes and repeat out loud five times "I am so glad I do not work for quality control at the Johnson and Johnson Company. Have a nice day and remember there is always someone with a worse job than yours.

Donated by a generous colleague.

We Are Amused Sorry to

We Are Amused

Sorry to steal this from Mr. Gil's site, but it seemed necessary as direct links are really out of whack, and I want to be able to enjoy this again and again.

Several cannibals were recently hired by a big corporation.

"You are all part of our team now," said the HR rep during the welcome briefing. "You get all the usual benefits and you can go to the cafeteria for something to eat, but please don't eat any of the other employees." The cannibals promised.

Four weeks later their boss remarked, "You're all working very hard and I'm satisfied with you. However, one of our secretaries has disappeared.

Do any of you know what happened to her?" The cannibals all shook their heads no.

After the boss had left, the leader of the cannibals said to the others."Which one of you idiots ate the secretary?" A hand raised hesitantly, to which the leader of the cannibals continued, "You fool! For four weeks we've been eating Managers and no one noticed anything, then you had to go and eat a secretary!"

Thank you, Mr. Gil.

A Hymn for Dylan

A Hymn for Dylan

I offer this hymn setting (Lux in Tenebrae) from the recently discovered (for me) Gilbert and Sullivan Archive Site to Dylan, honoring his blog. See this for sheet music and lyrics. Also available here as a PDF.

An Irresistable Indulgence Please

An Irresistable Indulgence

Please forgive me as I regale you with the following. I am an absolute addict for Gilbert and Sullivan, and I fear you may be hearing more from these as we go along. Right now we treat you to one of the great songs from The Mikado. For those who may not know, Ko Ko is the Lord High Executioner.

from The Mikado Act I Lyrics by William S. Gilbert

Ko-Ko:
As some day it may happen that a victim must be found,
I've got a little list--I've got a little list
Of society offenders who might well be underground,
And who never would be missed--who never would be missed!
There's the pestilential nuisances who write for autographs--
All people who have flabby hands and irritating laughs--
All children who are up in dates, and floor you with 'em flat--
All persons who in shaking hands, shake hands with you like that--
And all third persons who on spoiling tête-à-têtes insist--
They'd none of 'em be missed--they'd none of 'em be missed!

Chorus:
He's got 'em on the list--he's got 'em on the list;
And they'll none of 'em be missed--they'll none of 'em be miss'd!

Ko-Ko:
There's the banjo serenader, and the others of his race,
And the piano-organist--I've got him on the list!
And the people who eat peppermint and puff it in your face,
They never would be miss'd--they never would be miss'd!
Then the idiot who praises, with enthusiastic tone,
All centuries but this, and every country but his own;
And the lady from the provinces, who dresses like a guy,
And who "doesn't think she dances, but would rather like to try";
And that singular anomaly, the lady novelist--
I don't think she'd be missed--I'm sure she'd not he missed!

Chorus:
He's got her on the list--he's got her on the list;
And he don't think she'll be missed--he's sure she won't be miss'd!

Ko-Ko:
And that Nisi Prius nuisance, who just now is rather rife,
The Judicial humorist--I've got him on the list!
All funny fellows, comic men, and clowns of private life--
They'd none of 'em be missed--they'd none of 'em be missed.
And apologetic statesmen of a compromising kind,
Such as--What d'ye call him--Thing'em-bob, and likewise--Never-mind,
And 'St--'st--'st--and What's-his-name, and also You-know-who--
The task of filling up the blanks I'd rather leave to you.
But it really doesn't matter whom you put upon the list,
For they'd none of 'em be missed--they'd none of 'em be missed!

Chorus:
You may put 'em on the list--you may put 'em on the list;
And they'll none of 'em be missed--they'll none of 'em be missed!

A midi-sequence of this patter song, which gives only the vaguest notion of how it might sound, may be found here.

Recent Periodical/Web Reading I've been

Recent Periodical/Web Reading

I've been on a jag of reading materials about Wahhabism and other aspects of Islamic Cultures. I cannot recommend highly enough two sites with some insight. Memri provides translations of selected Middle Eastern newspapers and dispatces. The Islamic Supreme Council of America adds a voice of reason and of warning to the mix of information we get from that part of the world.

One of our greatest enemies is ignorance. If we listen to the version of what we get through our own media we will never be able to come to terms or understanding of what we are witnessing in the world. With regard to Wahhabism, we need to understand what it is and what it means and how it relates to the rest of Islam. I have wavered back and forth over the entire question of Islam and what it means and whether it really is a "Religion of Peace." I seek to remedy my own woeful ignorance. Only in that way can I find the way to love and to pray for these brethren.

Prayers Needed Please remember in

Prayers Needed

Please remember in a special way in prayer today Bishop Hoffman of Toledo, Gregg the Obscure and his wife, a good friend who is making a recovery and going through a difficult patch, and yours truly and his family as we prepare to travel several hundred miles to spend Thanksgiving with our family in Fairfax, Manassas, and Winchester. Thank you for your faithfulness.

Note to Those Looking for

Note to Those Looking for Mary Sidney Herbert's Psalms

Five or six google searches for this item. If you want to see the most extensive collection I've found online, visit Luminarium (see left column) pick "Renaissance" and look for Mary Herbert. Good luck and thanks for visiting.

Prayer Request--Wife of Gregg the

Prayer Request--Wife of Gregg the Obscure

One of our parishioners, Gregg the Obscure, has asked for prayers for his wife who recently had a negative result on a test and is going in for a biopsy. Please remember Gregg and his wife in your prayers.

My Beef(s) with SOME of

My Beef(s) with SOME of the Pro-Life Movement

Ha! Thought that would get your attention. And I suppose it should be beeves, but let that go for now.

There are two sub-factions of the pro-life movement from whose philosophy I wish to divorce myself. I have no tolerance with the "we're fighting a war and abortion doctors who are killed are simply casualties" approach. This is not pro-life. You cannot end life to support life. There is no doctrine of double effect here--killing is killing. I also have little patience with the "love 'em and leave 'em" school of supporting the mother up to the time of birth and then cutting welfare benefits because she has more than two children. Another group, for which I have considerable sympathy but who I think are barking up the wrong tree are the "constitutional amendment" and "legislate it out of existence people." While I wish them well, and my heart goes with them, the fiercely practical side of my constitution says, "It ain't gonna happen."

As to the first school, the less said, the better. I repudiate them and all their glamours. Evil is evil. Murder in the name of a good cause is murder. I don't need to continue on this track, everyone who reads this could not but agree.

As to the second group--let's face it, the pro-life movement must be prepared to be sacrificial in giving. There may be some welfare moms who continue to have progeny to reap greater benefits; however, I doubt that is all that is happening. These people need serious help--counseling and deeply compassionate love. A woman who has five children by five different men must have some serious self-esteem issues. If she continually enters into relationships even for the momentary solace of sex, there is something fundamental missing at the core.

The welfare system of people depending upon the government for help is at best a flawed system, resulting from the fact that we have not been as responsive as we should have to the mandates of God's word. The Government should not have to care for the poor. We as individuals should be making sufficient provision for those around us that the government should not have to step in. Many of us do a great deal for the poor. But not all of us. Many of us have the attitude expressed by Pink Floyd's "Money." "Keep your hands off of my stash." While our first social responsibility is to ourselves and our families (thus not adding to the list of those needing help) our next must be outreach. In the case of a pregnant woman, it is outreach not only to the child in her womb, but to her. We must let her know that someone does care. And as I said, this can be a sacrificial act.

As to the legislate it out of existence crowd. I wish them well, and I hope with all my heart that they succeed. In the meantime, it seems we should be working hard to restore our society to a place where we have eliminated the root causes of abortion. In a certain sense we need to restore a sense of moral responsibility in which it is more desirable to have a lasting marriage that to entertain the notion of serial monogamies or endless one-night stands. We need education that helps young women know that it is right and proper to refuse the advances of any person, that it is right and proper to refuse to have sex until marriage, and that it is right and proper to accept children as the gift from God that they are. This is not taught through histrionics, endless shouting matches, and sturm und drang methods. It is taught by the way we conduct ourselves. It is taught when we turn off Friends and Ally McBeal; when we carefully monitor what we are watching, and when we choose to indulge in something that may present potentially morally difficult situations, we clearly discuss how we ourselves would handle such a situation. It is taught by how we treat others on a regular basis. It is taught when we do not casually accept those who have "chosen alternative lifestyles," but while we continue to love them, we explain why the actions are wrong. We love the person and hate the sin, and we really do that. Above all, it is taught by continual emersion in the life of prayer. Prayer must permeate all that we do however we choose to do it. Every moment of every day should be steeped in prayer, and thus in meaning. We should make clear that every decision, every action, should be preceded by, conducted in, and wrapped up with prayer. We have influence over a very small portion of the world. But it is the portion that we influence that becomes the tide that washes over the next generation. If we are not circumspect, caring, and involved in the lives of our children, we will never eradicate the scourge of abortion.

Weird Science I really loved

Weird Science

I really loved this article (found I think via Video Meliora. . .). Talk about arcane, nearly insane, Sir-Fred-Hoyle-esque reinterpretations of the universe. Mirror matter. I won't say it isn't so, but it is akin to superstrings--maybe there, maybe not--but what does it end up meaning. Physicists seem expert at manufacturing their own versions of reality.

Buy-Nothing Christmas This, orginally from

Buy-Nothing Christmas

This, orginally from the Mennonites, but inviting everyone. Thanks to Sr. Gonzalez at fotos del apocalipsis.

A partial list of alternatives:

1. Create coupons for a massage, spring cleaning, child-minding, manicure, etc.

2. Create a menu of various culinary delights (e.g., Tantalizing Thai, Mexican Fiesta, etc.) and have the gift recipient choose one of the options.

3. Collect meaningful photos for the gift recipient, make colour photocopies and create a collage.

4. Write and illustrate a book for the young people in your life.

5. Knit a stocking, hat, socks, etc.

6. Do something exciting and challenging together (e.g., long walk, bike ride, hike, art course).

7. Compile a list of memories and arrange them in a creative fashion.

This is something for which I can find profound sympathy and for which I feel a profound resonance. My favorite gift EVER from both my mother and my wife have been handmade things (a afghan and a bathrobe). (Buy the way, for all of you out there in blogland that were contemplating the perfect gift for me--edibles are very, very good. I just thought I'd let you know, to relieve the stress that I'm sure was weighing on your mind over it.)

Prayers for one of

Prayers for one of Our Bishops

Mr. or Ms. Drake at Catholic Point of View, points out the need for prayers for Bishop Hoffman of Toledo who has been diagnosed with cancer. Please remember him in your prayers.

(Direct link may not work. Please truncate URL or go to Catholic Point of View from side column and look for the 9:19 am entry for today to see more details.)

At the Request of a

At the Request of a Friend

My good friend Katherine asks that I bring this to everyone's attention, and as all things Papal appeal to me greatly, it is my pleasure to do so. The full article is available from Zenit News

His Holiness makes three very good points in addressing Brazilian Bishops on the sins of sterilization, abortion, and divorce:

First, he told the pastors that to fail to proclaim the truth about marriage and the family "would be a grave pastoral omission, which would lead people to error, especially those who have the important responsibility to make decisions for the common good of the nation."

Second, John Paul II called for the commitment of all Catholics, especially married couples, who "must be the first to witness to the grandeur of conjugal and family life," to respond with "a more incisive and constant catechetical and educational action, which will give incentive to the Christian ideal of faithful and indissoluble conjugal communion."

Third, he exhorted "those who are afraid of the exigencies that such fidelity implies": "Be not afraid of the risks! There is no difficult situation that cannot be addressed in an adequate way when a climate of consistent Christian life is cultivated."

I love particularly the last sentence, a motto rephrasing St. Paul, but powerful for our times--There is no difficult situation that cannot be addressed in an adquate way when a climate of consistent Christian life is cultivated. Or even better--There is no crisis that cannot be overcome when Christ is the mainstay. (I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.) Thank you, Katherine.

On Integrists and Their Genesis

On Integrists and Their Genesis

A wonderful and insightful post from Gregg the Obscure on the origin of what he terms (rightfully so, I think) "integrists." Go and enjoy.

Blogger Again Okay, today has

Blogger Again

Okay, today has decided me. I'm either paying for blogger (undecided) or I'm taking my blog to movable type and to my own home somewhere. Those who have taken this step, I would appreciate any input you have--is it terribly difficult? Is it hard to transfer Archives? Is it even possible? What is your advice from experience?

And Now, For Something

And Now, For Something Completely Different

On the other hand, I have had the enormously good fortune of following the generally excellent advice of the music critic of Crisis, Richard Reilly, as a result I have been exposed to an endless variety of very fine music, access to which i might not otherwise have. Currently I am listening to Malcolm Arnold, Symphony Number 5, and while there is a bit of dissonance, it is certainly no more than marks the works of the early Twentieth Century Greats Stravinsky and Debussy. The chromatics and rather interesting and provide a lovely color to the work. If you have a chance, slip over to Crisis Magazine (here) and take a look at the music column. You may have the pleasure of discovering something wonderful for your listening pleasure. Oh, and the great thing about the Matthew Arnold is that it is available on Naxos, which means it costs between one-half and one-third the price of a normal CD.

Commentary on the Modern Music

Commentary on the Modern Music Scene

One might infer from this post chez Dylan that Dylan does not much care for the muscial stylings of the redoubtable (emphasis on the doubt) Eminem. While some of the sentiments are a trifle stronger than I would give rise to, particularly toward the end, the review is delightfully vitriolic and well worth your attention if you happen to agree with this line:

Eminem is a cancer-cell. His fans are cancer-cells. The genre in which he works is the epitome of all things cancerous and malignant.

We have neighbors who, from time to time, are kind enough to share with us their taste in music--usually at 5:00am or at the other end of the clock. It penetrates our house as a deep kind of throbbing--the only thing more potentially sonically devestating being the twin sonic booms of the returning space shuttle. I can, to some degree, sympathize with this sentiment, particularly as it appear to have been, as Kevin Kline says in that remarkable film, Fierce Creatures "sleep interruptive."

I would point out that the sharp invective is not for the faint of heart or easily perturbed. But, I do believe, shorn of its hyperbole (which is magnificent) it has targeted the bullseye.

Does Anyone Really Care. .

Does Anyone Really Care. . .
what I'm reading? I doubt it. But I see side columns at other bloggers places and I know I'm always interested. I used to maintain a side column here, but with my ever lengthening lists, and the possibility of new additions (Paleontology and Poetry), I think it is probably better for me to mention from time to time things I am reading.

Present reading includes: Suzanne Skees God Among the Shakers, Rohinton Mistry Family MattersIsabelle Allende Daughter of Fortune and House of the Spirits, and innumerable things into which I dip from time to time such as Chesterton's Heretics and Pearce's Wisdom and Innocence and Hawthorne's House of the Seven Gables. I'm anxiously awaiting the previously reported Italian Hours so that I can put it on my palm and have another Henry James to read along with the longstanding Portrait of a Lady. Naturally none of these proceeds very rapidly as I juggle from one to another between glimpses of the Extended Tolkien. But all in due time.

St. Gaspar from a Different Quarter

St. Gaspar from a Different Quarter

Fr. Keyes C.PP. S. often is the source of Gaspariana. Recently he made us aware of 31 maxims on Humility that St. Gaspar promulgated and encouraged his followers to post. John DaFiesole at Disputations(direct link not working as this is the most recent entry--look for "Humility 101") has repackaged these in an interesting, perhaps more useful form. Each to his or her own taste. The repackaging is a trifle abrupt for me, but it does provide a good synopsis and some excellent lessons on humility.

From a Blog I Obviously

From a Blog I Obviously Need to Visit More Often

From Peter Nixon's Sursum Corda this quiz. I need to visit this blog more often if only to figure out exactly what I think of it. There are so many enticing and puzzling thoughts and strands running through it. For example, I am unable to share the enthusiasm for Fr. Rolheiser's column as I am somewhat put off by reference to the diety as "she." (I suppose this is what was mean't when my professor said I was too "gender specified.") On the other hand, you may also encounter stirring passages such as the one that follows--available in its complete form here.

Prayer is not a question of insight, of being smarter than anyone else; nor of will, of being stronger than anyone else; nor of emotional restraint or sexual aloofness, of being less passionate than anyone else; nor of withdrawal, of being less exposed to temptation than anyone else. Prayer is a question of unity and surrender, of uniting one's will with someone else and surrendering one's will to that other. Prayer is the desire to be in union with someone, especially in union with that other's will.

There are other anomalies that set off the early warning radar in Mr. Nixon's blog, but also much good, clear, purposeful thought. Perhaps I just need to bestir myself out of the comfortable Orchid Room I have created and engage these ideas. Perhaps my discomfort stems from not choosing to engage in this conversation. Perhaps it stems from other, deeper sources, prejudices that need eradication rather than nurturing in my Wolfeian Orchid Palace. Perhaps I need the challenge of encountering these perspectives and wrestling with their proper place and understanding. No, all of these perhaps are not perhaps but true, I just don't have the moral courage necessary to face up to some of these things. With prayer and God's grace, it will come.

Now, on to the discovery I made at this blog: I have long since gotten over my Buffy fascination, when it moved out of monster-of-the-week into some bizarre brand of proselytizing I found I lost patience with it. But I do love quizzes, so, what can I say.

Moreover, if I may give vent to my latent Calvinism, it's right on target, I do have a destined calling, as I believe the vast majority of people have--heaven is calling me home.

Which Buffy archetype are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

[You know, I've corrected technical and philosophical deficiencies in this entry something like eight times now--perhaps it is not meant to come to fruition.]

On Tolkien As with many,

On Tolkien

As with many, I have recently gotten the extended version of The Lord of the Rings and I started watching it a couple of days ago, going through much of the documentary stuff and about the first half of the film.

Something I have not much seen described in all the discussion of Tolkien is the reaction I have to him, either in the books or in the true-to-form video. Tolkien is one of the few writers who inspire in me a sense of longing and belonging. When I read or see Tolkien, I want to be in the world he has made, and I know is some ineffable sense I am. His work puts me in direct contact with at least a sense of supernatural realities. The same is true for certain parts of the Arthur Legend. When I read the Old French contributions, and even Mallory, the entire world is transformed in the light of these legends and works. So too with Tolkien. I cannot describe the reaction any further than to say that it is a deep longing, a strong belief that I am encountering the truth in ways that cannot otherwise be explained. I love Tolkien's work for this transformative ability. I agree with some critics and scholars who point out that there are certain awkwardnesses of phrasing and a lack of felicity in some of the writing; and yet, it makes no difference whatsoever in its impact.

I have seen people for whom Tolkien offers nothing whatsoever and they are impossibly enigmatic to me. I would like to understand them, but I have no grasp whatsoever on what drives them. I guess Tolkien incites in me that "romantic" fire in the original sense of the term. His work is steeped in a deep history which is often more interesting in its fragmented appearance in The Lord of the Rings than it is in the more detailed works.

For me, this then is the essence of Tolkien--he touches upon the mythic and supernatural in ways that only two other things do--King Arthur and the Passion and Resurrection of Our Lord. I don't know why these three take me to this different place, and of course there can be no equivalence between them, two being inventions and one being the Truth; however, they are part of the gracious way God has seen fit to make me and to the treat me. To me, they are the constant reminders of our eternal home, and they succeed always in calling me there, in making me aware that it is indeed a real destination, and reminding me that " There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, Than are dreamt of in your philosophy."

Courtesy of Mr. White Mr.

Courtesy of Mr. White

Mr. White wrote a comment below and connected to one of Russell Kirk's very fine essays. The following is an excerpt.

Cant and equivocation dismissed, it seems to me that there are three great bodies of principle and conviction which tie together what is called modern civilization. The first of these is the Christian faith: theological and moral doctrines which inform us, either side of the Atlantic, of the nature of God and man, the fatherhood of God, the brotherhood of man, human dignity, the rights and duties of human persons, the nature of charity, and the meaning of hope and resignation. The second of these is the corpus of imaginative literature, humane letters, which is the essence of our high culture: humanism, which, with Christian faith, teaches us our powers and our limitations -- the work of Plato, Virgil, Cicero, Dante, Shakespeare, and so many others. The third is a complex of social and political institutions which we may call the reign of law, or ordered liberty: prescription, precedent, impartial justice, private rights, private property, the character of genuine community, the claims of the family and of voluntary association. However much these three bodies of conviction have been injured by internecine disputes, nihilism, Benthamism, the cult of Rationalism, Marxism, and other modern afflictions, they remain the rocks upon which our civilization is built.

These seem to embody the most important traditions of Burkeian conservatism, a laudable thing indeed.

A Joke to Start the

A Joke to Start the Day
Because I don't much feel like laughing. It's been a difficult (fiscal) week and I fear things not much better loom on the horizon. The bright spot in all of this is that we shall be visiting Virginia for Thanksgiving. I'll get to see brothers and in-laws, which strangely is a real boost--now I have to dig out my winter wardrobe somewhat early.

An atheist was taking a walk through the woods, admiring all that the "accident of evolution" had created. "What majestic trees! What a powerful river! What beautiful animals!" he said to himself.

As he walked alongside the river he heard a rustling in the bushes behind him. He turned to look and saw a 7-foot grizzly charging towards him. He ran as fast as he could up the path. He looked over his shoulder and saw that the bear was closing in on him. He ran even faster, so scared that tears were coming to his eyes. He looked over his shoulder again and the bear was even closer. His heart was pumping frantically and he tried to run faster still.

He tripped and fell to the ground. He rolled over to pick himself up, but saw the bear... right on top of him... reaching for him with the left paw and raising his right paw to strike him.

At that instant the atheist cried out "Oh my God!...."

Suddenly, time stopped. The bear froze in motion. The forest was ever so silent. Even the river ceased to move. As a brilliant ray of light emerged from the sky and shone upon the man, a powerful voice spoke to him, "You have denied my existence for all of these years; you teach others that I do not exist and you credit creation to a cosmic accident. Do you expect me to help you out of this predicament? Am I to count you now as a believer?"

The atheist blinked directly into the light. "It would be hypocritical of me to convert to a Christian after all these years, but could you instead make the bear a Christian?"

"Very well," said the voice from above. The bright light disappeared. All of a sudden, life resumed around the man. The river ran again. The forest became alive once more with the gentle sounds of nature.

The bear stirred. Slowly, he lowered his right paw, brought both paws together, bowed his head and graciously spoke: "Lord, for this food which I am about to receive, I am truly thankful."

The moral of the story--better a hypocrite with a chance of heaven than food for a cosmic accident.

That Post On Politics Did

That Post On Politics Did Have Good Results. . .
It reminded me of Russell Kirk, one of the people I greatly admire as he was both a deep thinker and a writer of some incredible little dark fantasy/horror stories, the one coming to mind is the splendid "Lex Talionis." If you have been culturally deprived by education in the current multicultural/nocultural system, find this story and enjoy!

Okay Now, Let's Have a

Okay Now, Let's Have a Show of Hands

How many of y'all do blogging over the weekend? By that I don't just mean surfin' and readin', I mean hardcore writin' 'n' linkin'. I stopped by a bunch of your places and there were nary a thing there for me to read. Thank heavens for loyal good bloggers like Dylan and Mr. Gil who do their best to keep me entertained. But the rest of y'all. Well, I just don't know what to do about it. (long meaningful look).

Political Survey I got this

Political Survey
I got this via Dylan's Blog and doubt my ability to answer all the questions or even if it is a useful exercise.

Political Party/affiliation: None--leaning toward Green (Greens are like the Popular Front of Judea--they just keep splitting and spliltting--I'd go for the Catholic Green Party--dump those platforms that support abortion and other teachings counter to the church--keep environmental awareness (not Activism), a preferential option for the poor, and certain other aspects) with a large dash of libertarain (not of the obnoxious Randian variety).
Favorite Political, er, Person: George Will/Camille Paglia (is she political--don't know--but I really like her)
Favorite Political Quote:"I set out with a perfect distrust of my own abilities, a total renunciation of every speculation of my own, and with a profound reverence for the wisdom of our ancestors, who have left us the inheritance of so happy a Constitution and so flourishing an empire, and, what is a thousand times more valuable, the treasury of the maxims and principles which formed the one and obtained the other." Edmund Burke and
"[Re: French Revolution] I thought that ten thousand swords would have leaped from their scabbards to avenge even a look that threatened her [Marie Antoinette] with insult. But the age of chivalry is gone. That of sophisters, economists, and calculators has succeeded." (Edmund Burke-Reflections on the Revolution in France, 1790.)
Pet Issue: Pro-life
Ideal Presidential Ticket 2004: none
Ideal Presidential Candidate 2008: none
Who will the Democrats run in 2004? haven't a clue, couldn't care less--if they follow the party line I won't be voting for them
Favorite Gun: A flinklock without powder
Least Favorite Politico: Kate Michelman/Patricia Ireland (more like Plebia Ireland)
Favorite Political Periodical: National Review
Favorite Columnist(s): Peggy Noonan, (sorry, guilty secret here--Camille Paglia--when she is on, she is on!)
Favorite President: John Adams (distant past)//Theodore Roosevelt/Harry Truman (recent past)//Reagan (my lifetime)
Least Favorite President: Clinton
Favorite Supreme: Thomas hands-down, and of course Robert Bork, who should have been.
Favorite Senator: Rick Santorum
Favorite Governor: Jeb Bush (my Gov!)
Favorite Political Book: Reflections on the Revolution in France (Burke)/The Conservative Mind (Russell Kirk)/Slouching toward Gomorrah (Bork)

[long digression]
Kirk's Six Canons of Conservative Thought
"Belief in a transcendent order, or body of natural law, which rules society as well as conscience."
"Affection for the proliferating variety and mystery of human existence, as opposed to the narrowing uniformity, egalitarianism, and utilitarian aims of most radical systems;"
"Conviction that civilized society requires orders and classes, as against the notion of a 'classless society'."
"Persuasion that freedom and property are closely linked: separate property from private possession, and the Leviathan becomes master of all."
"Faith in prescription and distrust of 'sophisters, calculators, and economists' who would reconstruct society upon abstract designs."
"Recognition that change may not be salutary reform: hasty innovation may be a devouring conflagration, rather than a torch of progress."
[end digression]

Favorite Political Simpsons Episode: "The Austrailian "Booting" Episode"
Favorite Conservative Polemicist: Dinesh D'Souza
Have you ever been assaulted by a former Weatherman or Black Panther member? No.
Favorite Experience Being Oppressed By a Liberal Teacher/Professor: Having a professor comment that I was too "gender-specified"
Favorite out of the closet conservative/Republican celebrity? I don't do celebrities
Favorite Feminazi to Make Fun of: Tough one here--Susan Faludi/Catherine MacKinnon
Were you ever a member of the Communist Party? No.
Secret Political Shame: None
How Satanic is John McCain? Ignore him, perhaps he'll go away.
Political Organization(s) that Scares You More than Death, Spiders, and Death by Spiders: People for the American Way, NARAL and NOW

Okay, did this accomplish something other than mortify me beyond words? Did it help to clarify anything? Well, now you know a little more. And surprise, suprise, my favorite political book and president lived in the 18th century. Not quite so glorious as the 17th, but way up there.

Christina Rossetti I love Project

Christina Rossetti

I love Project Canterbury (see left column) they produce such wonderful Anglo-Catholic stuff. In this week's e-bulletin was a brief on-line biography of the poet who gave us the wonderful carol, "In the Bleak Midwinter." Go here to read it. An excerpt follows.

It is sometimes said that Christina Rossetti dwells overmuch on the physical aspect of death. Her poetry has, indeed, its sombre strain, but the trails of glory are never far away. Like that other singer of the Catholic Revival, John Mason Neale, it is for the dear, dear country that her eyes keep vigil. Beyond the dull street on which her bedroom window looks out is the vision of Urbs Beata:

I saw the gate called Beautiful
And looked but scarce could look within.
I saw the golden streets begin
And outskirts of the glassy pool;
On harps, on crowns of plenteous stars,
On green palm branches many-leaved
Eye hath not seen, nor ear hath heard,
Nor heart conceived.
I hope to see these things again,
But not as once in dreams by night,
To see them with my very sight
And touch and handle and attain
To have all Heaven beneath my feet
For narrow way that once they trod;
To have my part with all the saints
And with my God.

This biograpphy makes me think I have neglected the poet who gave us the wonderful "Goblin Market" overlong. I have a magnificent pre-Raphaelite illustrated version of that single poem, but it is evident that I will need to seek out a more complete "Works." If anyone knows of an on-line resource, please let me know in the comment box or send me an e-mail. Thanks.

On-Line Proofing and Henry James

On-Line Proofing and Henry James

After encouraging everyone to share in this endeavor yesterday, I was able to go over and enjoy the proofing of about a half-dozen pages of Henry James's very fine travelogue/art history/social commentary Italian Hours. Henry James has of recent date become something of a weakness for me. For the longest time I simply couldn't understand what anyone saw in his work. After the list of the 100 best novels of the twentieth century was issued from the Modern Library group, I determined that because his name was on the list three times, I must truly be missing out on something. I started with he most recent of those three entries, and by far one of the most challenging books I had ever read--The Golden Bowl it took me weeks of nibbling and note taking, a little here and a little there, until finally I was able to get through the entire thing. While I'm not certain I agree with the critics in calling this his best novel, it certainly opened the door into his works for me. In James, as in Conrad, and to some extent Hawthorne, it is not so much the arrival that matters as the journey. You don't read James to find out what happens in the traditional sense of tracing a story line. You read James to find out why anything happens. All of the stories center around characters and actions that are highly psychologically motivated. Thus the confusion of many when they reach the end of "Turn of the Screw" and they say, "So, what exactly was going on here?" Nevertheless, read properly, slowly, truly savoring the prose and the winding labyrinth of the tale, "Turn of the Screw" is one of the most effective and horrifying ghost stories you will read.

The breakthrough with James opened other doors that had hitherto been closed. I've become a major fan of Joseph Conrad and Nathaniel Hawthorne, both of whom I had considered too windy and somber before. Hawthorne, you might be surprised to learn, has quite an engaging and delightful sense of humor.

For those who have no so challenged themselves, I would recommend taking up a book by James--though I wouldn't recommend The Golden Bowl as a starting point. Perhaps Daisy Miller or even Turn of the Screw would make for an interesting and entertaining beginning to expanding your acquaintance with this unjustly neglected key figure in American Literature.

As Threatened--Rohinton Mistry A Review

As Threatened--Rohinton Mistry
A Review of A Fine Balance with sundry comments on other works.

As you may already have heard, Rohinton Mistry, a Canadian Writer, recently cancelled a book promotion tour here in the states due to the harassment he received at each airport he went through. The press made this out to be some big political statement about profiling, but I suspect Mr. Mistry was simply annoyed at being searched twice and three times in a day. I neither know nor care about his view of this matter. What I do care about is his superbly crafted fiction.

He has, to my knowledge, four books, each wonderful in its own way. The first, Swimming Lessons is a set of short stories which have as their unifying theme the apartment complex in which they take place. Each story presents interesting characters and situations and provides a great deal of insight into a culture and religion little known in the west.

There followed three novels. I will speak only of the second novel A Fine Balance. This was selected as a Oprah Club Book, which belies the usual stereotype one might see portrayed of such books. Ms. Winfrey's choices largely centered around thematic elements--dysfunctional families or cultural views. A Fine Balance falls into the latter category and it is a domestic epic. The story concerns the lives of four characters brought together because they all live or work in the same flat. The principle character is a Parsi woman whose husband has died some time ago, leaving her the meager rent-controlled flat in which she lives and from which her landlord wishes to evict her so that he can make it another high-priced condominium. To retain her apartment and support herself, the widow takes in a border, a student from the Himalayas. This student is Sikh. In addition, she retains the services of two Hindi itinerant tailors, Uncle and Nephew, who have left their village in search of better money and to escape the shadow of their past. Both of them started lives as the lowest of the low--leather workers, untouchables.

The story centers around the lives of these people during the middle seventies in India during an "internal state of emergency." In the course of this wonderful novel you get glimpses of the practices of three religions, and a real insight into the struggle to retain dignity in a truly oppressive, impoverished country.

Along the way you meet such characters as the Beggarmaster who guards and cares for the thousands of beggars in his area, collecting from them a majority of what they take in and providing for them some measure of security and food. You learn that it is common practice to take small children and make cripples of them so that they will collect more in begging. You also meet a man who collects human hair to send to the great wig factories for ultimate export to the west. From him you get some of the most amusing and insightful lines in the book. Paraphrasing a line that stuck in my mind, the hair collector responds to one of the tailors, telling him why he collects hair to make wigs. "Because people in the west are afraid of going bald. People in the west have so much money they can afford to be afraid of very silly things." For reasons that elude me, that really opened my eyes to the privileged way in which I live and of the real horrors of the third world.

Mistry presents to us characters that are nearly all likeable. (The single exception being the Town Leader who precipitates most of the crisis and trouble for the two tailors). We come to understand and love each of these characters and we follow them through good times into bad, and at least a little way back out again. The novel rings true through and through and it is compassionate and eye-opening. I would highly recommend it to all readers as an exercise in developing compassion and deepening the understanding of what the third world is like.

His most recent novel is called Family Matters and I've only just started it. So far, it is set in a completely different milieu than A Fine Balance. The family involved is considerable better off than the protagonists of A Fine Balance. The set-up of the story has intriguing similarities to Jonathan Franzen's The Corrections in that the patriarch of a dysfunctional family has Parkinson’s disease. The story seems to be about the resolution of the internal conflicts in the family, just as, to some extent, Franzen's book is. However, the writing is so much less contrived, so much more immediately engaging. Mistry is a story-teller whereas Franzen is a self-styled "raconteur." Franzen's tales, as he made clear in his childish gaffe over being selected by Ms. Winfrey for her book club, are not meant for everyone. Only the intellectual elite will "get it." ("Stuff and nonsense" is the kindest reaction one can muster for such absurdity.) I'll let you know later about Mistry's book, but I expect it to be a very fine read.