January 16, 2004
Report from the Carmelite Congress
Staying at a neat hotel in Tampa that allows access to computers hooked to the internet for free. It's got great accommodations and is the kind of thing that might actually make me change my mind about Tampa in general.
Anyway, a long exhausting day of conferences by some of the major names in Carmelite studies. But more importantly than that they are by major scholars, they are by people who are committed to directing and to helping those who pursue the Carmelite path.
Started with morning prayer and a magnificent Votive Mass of St. John of the Cross--the homily of which alone was worth the entire price of the conference. This was followed by the first conference--Father Kiernan Kavanaugh--yes, the main translator of Sts. John of the Cross and Teresa of Jesus talking about "The Kingdom of God in St. Teresa of Jesus." Well planned, well considered and inspiring. I hope when I get back home and I can synch my palm I can post a better summary of what went on. It seems so long ago.
But suffice to say the essence of nearly every talk here is that prayer is not judged on how much we know but on how much we love. But I will try to get back tomorrow if possible. Sorry things are so sketchy, but I'm sure you all understand. I just wanted to share some of the excitement and the true movement of the Holy Spirit that appear to be going on here. (And I have committed the promised intentions to the care of my Carmelite Brothers and sisters here.)
Hope to write more tomorrow.
January 15, 2004
Noted Chez Father Jim
| The Big Five Personality Test |
| Extroverted | |||||| | 30% |
| Introverted | |||||||||||||||| | 70% |
| Friendly | |||||||||||||||||| | 72% |
| Aggressive | |||||| | 28% |
| Orderly | |||||||||||||||||| | 80% |
| Disorderly | |||| | 20% |
| Relaxed | |||||||||||||||| | 62% |
| Emotional | |||||||||| | 38% |
| Openminded | |||||||||||||||||| | 76% |
| Closeminded | |||||| | 24% |
Meaningful? Who knows--but here it is. Ask the bloggers who have acutally met me--for a start.
A Hiatus, Please Pray
Please pray for me and for my OCDS brothers and sisters as we gather this weekend in Tampa for a large-group meeting. I sha'n't be posting much (if anything) during the next few days as I do not have a traveling computer other than my PDA (and I don't do Web-stuff on it). So just a notice.
Prayer Request 1/15/04
Praise:
Franklin's father came through the angioplasty well. He'll be released to a rehabilitiation center shortly. Please continue to pray for Bill, Franklin, and the whole family.
Prayers:
A special request--por favor, le ruego una oracion por la proteccion de mis hijos Michael y Francis, que la Virgen los guie siempre y que me ilumine para ser una buena madre.Gracias con todo mi corazon. Antonia (I cannot translate this request in its entirety, but it appears to be a request for prayers for Antonia's sons Michael and Francis--further clarification would be appreciated. Does it request for guidance and illumination so that Antonia might be a good mother? I do know that we are thanked with all her heart.
Please pray for St. Joseph's youth group and their upcoming summer trip, including the planning. Please pray for all who God wants to come to fill our three buses and especially for Gina, Ann, Fr. Piche, Fr. Wilson and the other priest - for protection and for a fruitful trip.
For Father Benedict Groeschel, for complete recovery
For Linda who will have to have some surgery to help correct the problem that has led to so much illness.
For Audrey, who is battling anorexia, and to her family which is suffering through very difficult times.
For Grace Enriquez, director of my Carmelite community, for rapid and complete recovery from her surgery of 6 January 2004.
Continued prayers for Christine's father that he effect a complete recovery from his recent crisis.
For T.S. O'Rama's Grandmother who is experiencing a very difficult change in living arrangements
For Jeanetta's friend Mike who is battling non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma
For Dylan's return to health and return to us.
For Karen Marie Knapp as she recovers from her recent hospitalization.
For the men and women of the American Armed forces in Iraq and Afghanistan and for their families, may the Good Lord provide sustenance, support, compassion, and love that these separated families might continue to grow in strength and love.
Special Prayer Projects:
(1) Chris Keith, the young lady whose biopsy went poorly got the results of that biopsy--carcinoma of the liver. The cancer is metastatic from colon cancer. Surgery has taken place to treat the colon cancer.
I paraphrase her mother:
"We [members of the family] are standing on the Rock and are rock solid. We are all okay and we are looking for a few prayer warriors to help us in this battle." Because this mother means so much to me for the great good she has done for my friends, I plan to stand with her and her family in this battle, and I invite you all to join me. Expect to hear about this on and off over the next few months.
(2) For Katherine's Mom as she undergoes chemotherapy--that the treatment is successful and her mother comes through this ordeal with a deeper sense of God's abiding love for her.
(3) For Katherine and Franklin, Janet and Louis, Bill Doran, and for all who are seeking employment and suffering through difficult times as they wait.
(4)Healthy Pregnancies and good and safe deliveries: From Davey's Mom: I am with child once again and could use prayers for a healthy pregnancy. For Suki, for a healthy pregancy and a safe delivery. For Ashli and her child that doctors may find a way to help her carry her young one to term.
January 14, 2004
For the Terminally Curious
I have replaced Ella Enchanted with a delightful (so far) little ditty by James McKean titled Quattrocento. Seems booksellers are having a brief renaissance theme of recent date. What with The Quarrel that Started the Renaissance, Michaelangelo and the Pope's Ceiling, The Passion of Artemesia, Quattrocento, and perhaps others I am unaware of, we are having a veritable renaissance boom.
The Responsibility of the Artist
I had previously reported reading a book by Jacques Maritain titled Art and Morality In fact, that is a single chapter of a larger work titled The Responsibility of the Artist which is available through the Maritain Center.
I share a brief reflection based on part of the text.
from The Responsibility of the Artist
Jacques MaritainArtistic value and moral value belong to two different realms. Artistic value relates to the work, moral value to man. The sins of men can be the subject-matter of a work of art, from them art can draw aesthetic beauty -- otherwise there would be no novelists. The experience of moral evil can even contribute to feed the virtue of art -- I mean by accident, not as a necessary requirement of art. The sensuality of Wagner is so sublimated by the operation of his music that Tristan calls forth no less than an image of the pure essence of love. The fact remains that if Wagner had not fallen in love with Matilda Wesendonck, we would probably not have had Tristan. The world would doubtless be none the worse for it -- Bayreuth is not the Heavenly Jerusalem. Yet thus does art avail itself of anything, even of sin. It behaves like a god; it thinks only of its own glory. The painter may damn himself, painting does not care a straw, if the fire where he burns bakes a beautiful piece of pottery. The fact matters to the painter, however, because the painter is not the art of painting, nor is he merely a painter. He is also a man, and he is a man before being a painter.
The last lines of this are the most stirring and dreadful. God will not judge us on fine writing or persuasive reasoning. He will judge us on right thinking, believing, acting on the truth, and ultimately right living that stems from these. Art, as fine and as consoling as it can be, does not save us. That is done by Christ alone, who can begin to be known by art, but who ultimately is known by Himself entirely. He makes Himself known through the power of the Holy Spirit to the person who, through whatever means, becomes aware of Him and seeks Him in fullness of heart and mind.
from The Responsibility of the Artist
Any man who, in a primary act of freedom deep enough to engage his whole personality, chooses to do the good for the sake of the good, chooses God, knowingly or unknowingly, as his supreme good; he loves God more than himself, even if he has no conceptual knowledge of God.
Praise God! I do not need a complete conceptual understanding of God, or even a particularly good one, in order to truly love God in my actions. True, more of these actions are inspired in greater love based on knowledge--but it isn't knowing that is the key--it is ultimately loving. Even if you do not know why you are obedient, obedience to the law of love is love of God.
(Interestingly the passage directly above comes after a demonstration of the "good love" Antigone demonstrates toward her brothers and toward her people through the rebellious act she commits.)
Ella Enchanted--Review
Ella Enchanted
Gail Carson Levine
Rating:***
Review:
I found the book delightfully written--the "backstory" to the fairy tale we know as Cinderella. It takes place in a land of magic, ogres, elves, fairies, and dragons and there is vivid imagination at work here.
But the book is intended for young people and as such it left me with a very strange aftertaste. I don't know if the author intended it, but there is a very strong whiff of atheistic nihilism in the story. When the heroine's mother dies (extremely early in the story--I'm not giving anything away here) the heroine laments about never, never, never, never seeing her mother again. This assurance remains undiluted throughout the narrative. The only sense of the supernatural that comes through is that fairies are apparently immortal.
The premise of the story, while clever, is also disconcerting. The heroine is enchanted with a "fairy gift" of complete obedience. If an order is given Ella must execute it no matter what the cost to herself or those around her. The idea here is to show how a good thing might not be so good. But it also suggests, it seems, that there are ways of being obedient that adhere to the absolute letter but not to the spirit--and as far as the author is concerned, that's perfectly okay because obedience is not what it's cracked up to be.
So, while I think it's a very fine book, well-written, clever and full of ideas, I cannot recommend it to the audience for whom it is intended. If you intend to allow your child to read this book or to see the movie made from it, you would do well to preview it yourself and be ready to discuss it with your child.
It is books like these, well executed but (perhaps unintentionally) filled with insidious messages that pose the real threat that people associate with the Harry Potter books. The Kingdom of Fairy is treacherous.
Prayer Requests 1/14/04
Bless the Lord, all you works of the Lord, praise and exalt him above all forever.
Angels of the Lord, bless the Lord, praise and exalt him above all forever.
You heavens, bless the Lord, praise and exalt him above all forever. (Dan 3: 57-59)
Praise:
Franklin's father came through the angioplasty well. He'll be released to a rehabilitiation center shortly. Please continue to pray for Bill, Franklin, and the whole family.
Prayers:
For Father Benedict Groeschel, for complete recovery
For Linda who will have to have some surgery to help correct the problem that has led to so much illness.
For Audrey, who is battling anorexia, and to her family which is suffering through very difficult times.
For Grace Enriquez, director of my Carmelite community, for rapid and complete recovery from her surgery of 6 January 2004.
Continued prayers for Christine's father that he effect a complete recovery from his recent crisis.
For T.S. O'Rama's Grandmother who is experiencing a very difficult change in living arrangements
For Jeanetta's friend Mike who is battling non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma
For Dylan's return to health and return to us.
For Karen Marie Knapp as she recovers from her recent hospitalization.
For the men and women of the American Armed forces in Iraq and Afghanistan and for their families, may the Good Lord provide sustenance, support, compassion, and love that these separated families might continue to grow in strength and love.
Special Prayer Projects:
(1) Chris Keith, the young lady whose biopsy went poorly got the results of that biopsy--carcinoma of the liver. The cancer is metastatic from colon cancer. Surgery has taken place to treat the colon cancer.
I paraphrase her mother:
"We [members of the family] are standing on the Rock and are rock solid. We are all okay and we are looking for a few prayer warriors to help us in this battle." Because this mother means so much to me for the great good she has done for my friends, I plan to stand with her and her family in this battle, and I invite you all to join me. Expect to hear about this on and off over the next few months.
(2) For Katherine's Mom as she undergoes chemotherapy--that the treatment is successful and her mother comes through this ordeal with a deeper sense of God's abiding love for her.
(3) For Katherine and Franklin, Janet and Louis, Bill Doran, and for all who are seeking employment and suffering through difficult times as they wait.
(4)Healthy Pregnancies and good and safe deliveries: From Davey's Mom: I am with child once again and could use prayers for a healthy pregnancy. For Suki, for a healthy pregancy and a safe delivery. For Ashli and her child that doctors may find a way to help her carry her young one to term.
January 13, 2004
Prayer Requests 1/13/04
Blessed are you who look into the depths from your throne upon the cherubim, praiseworthy and exalted above all forever. Blessed are you in the firmament of heaven, praiseworthy and glorious forever. (Daniel 3:55-56)
Praise:
Franklin's father came through the angioplasty well. He'll be released to a rehabilitiation center shortly. Please continue to pray for Bill, Franklin, and the whole family.
Prayers:
For Father Benedict Groeschel, for complete recovery
For Linda who will have to have some surgery to help correct the problem that has led to so much illness.
For Audrey, who is battling anorexia, and to her family which is suffering through very difficult times.
For Grace Enriquez, director of my Carmelite community, for rapid and complete recovery from her surgery of 6 January 2004.
Continued prayers for Christine's father that he effect a complete recovery from his recent crisis.
For T.S. O'Rama's Grandmother who is experiencing a very difficult change in living arrangements
For Jeanetta's friend Mike who is battling non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma
For Dylan's return to health and return to us.
For Karen Marie Knapp as she recovers from her recent hospitalization.
For the men and women of the American Armed forces in Iraq and Afghanistan and for their families, may the Good Lord provide sustenance, support, compassion, and love that these separated families might continue to grow in strength and love.
Special Prayer Projects:
(1) Chris Keith, the young lady whose biopsy went poorly got the results of that biopsy--carcinoma of the liver. The cancer is metastatic from colon cancer. Surgery has taken place to treat the colon cancer.
I paraphrase her mother:
"We [members of the family] are standing on the Rock and are rock solid. We are all okay and we are looking for a few prayer warriors to help us in this battle." Because this mother means so much to me for the great good she has done for my friends, I plan to stand with her and her family in this battle, and I invite you all to join me. Expect to hear about this on and off over the next few months.
(2) For Katherine's Mom as she undergoes chemotherapy--that the treatment is successful and her mother comes through this ordeal with a deeper sense of God's abiding love for her.
(3) For Katherine and Franklin, Janet and Louis, Bill Doran, and for all who are seeking employment and suffering through difficult times as they wait.
(4)Healthy Pregnancies and good and safe deliveries: From Davey's Mom: I am with child once again and could use prayers for a healthy pregnancy. For Suki, for a healthy pregancy and a safe delivery. For Ashli and her child that doctors may find a way to help her carry her young one to term.
January 12, 2004
Fr. Groeschel
Rumor has it that Fr. Groeschel was hit by a car this weekend and suffered some extensive injuries. I haven't been able to verify this independently; however, prayer for Fr. Groeschel's health and well-being would certainly not be out of order even if the rumors prove untrue.
Reading List Revisited
Presently in addition to the list of last week I have added:
Abbot Vonier A Key to the Doctrine of the Eucharist available from Zaccheus Press
Gail Carson Levine Ella Enchanted
Robin McKinley Spindle's End
Gerald Vann O.P. The Aquinas Perscription
Joel Giallanze CSC Questions Jesus Asked
Jacques Maritain Art and Morality
All very fine books. I am also looking into the "Redwall" series of Brian Jacques, although with a bit of trepidation--I've not cared for Animal centered books post Wind in the Willows. I found Watership Down obnoxious and wearisome--though I must confess a weakness for Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of N.I.M.H. so it's possible that the Jacques book may be to my liking. I couldn't find the first in the series (Redwall? ) so I've got a copy of Mossflower.
Shadows over Baker Street--Review
Rating: ***1/2 (out of *****)
Summary: About twenty short stories that combine the world of Arthur Conan Doyle with the cosmos of H.P. Lovecraft.
Review: While a pleasant walk down nostalgia lane, revisiting two of the most frequented sites of my youth, still not a particularly strong anthology. As one would expect with pastiche or hommage stories, there is much here that is slick and superficial and that fails to get at the depth of the appeal of either author.
Possibly one of the reasons for this is that it wasn't particularly the world of the authors that was appealing in itself--it was that world and the language that created it. Thus, present the world without the language and there is much to be desired in the writing.
Still, if you enjoy both characters this is worth a look for a couple of stories, most particularly the final one in the anthology. Also there are a couple that elaborate on Watson's Afghanistan experience that are fairly interesting. Still and all, nothing that really recaptures the sense of awe and dread of H.P. Lovecraft, and the usual slick Holmsian surface without the resonance of Doyle's presentation.
Prayer Requests 1/12/04
Blessed are you in the temple of your holy glory, praiseworthy and glorious above all forever. Blessed are you on the throne of your kingdom, praiseworthy and exalted above all forever. (Daniel 3:53-54)
Praise:
Prayer Project Praise One of the unemployed for whom we were praying, Shirley, got a job! Louis got a temporary job and Gordon has a formal job offer! All praise and thanksgiving to our merciful Lord!
EMERGENCY PRAYER REQUEST: For wisdom, fortitude, and prudence as Gordon has yet another interview and potential offer that would keep him in our area. (Please pray hard on this one as the choices are very difficult for him.)
Prayers:
For Linda who will have to have some surgery to help correct the problem that has led to so much illness.
For Franklin's father, Bill, who is having angioplasty today. For his mother who isn't bearing up well under the stress. For Franklin as he travels to visit his father, and for Katherine as she contends with single-motherhood for a spell.
For Alicia and her relicensing issue (if it still exists)
For Audrey, who is battling anorexia, and to her family which is suffering through very difficult times.
For Grace Enriquez, director of my Carmelite community, for rapid and complete recovery from her surgery of 6 January 2004.
Continued prayers for Christine's father that he effect a complete recovery from his recent crisis.
For T.S. O'Rama's Grandmother who is experiencing a very difficult change in living arrangements
For Jeanetta's friend Mike who is battling non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma
For Dylan's return to health and return to us.
For Karen Marie Knapp as she recovers from her recent hospitalization.
For the men and women of the American Armed forces in Iraq and Afghanistan and for their families, may the Good Lord provide sustenance, support, compassion, and love that these separated families might continue to grow in strength and love.
Special Prayer Projects:
(1) Chris Keith, the young lady whose biopsy went poorly got the results of that biopsy--carcinoma of the liver. The cancer is metastatic from colon cancer. Surgery has taken place to treat the colon cancer.
I paraphrase her mother:
"We [members of the family] are standing on the Rock and are rock solid. We are all okay and we are looking for a few prayer warriors to help us in this battle." Because this mother means so much to me for the great good she has done for my friends, I plan to stand with her and her family in this battle, and I invite you all to join me. Expect to hear about this on and off over the next few months.
(2) For Katherine's Mom as she undergoes chemotherapy--that the treatment is successful and her mother comes through this ordeal with a deeper sense of God's abiding love for her.
(3) For Katherine and Franklin, Janet and Louis, Bill Doran, and for all who are seeking employment and suffering through difficult times as they wait.
(4)Healthy Pregnancies and good and safe deliveries: From Davey's Mom: I am with child once again and could use prayers for a healthy pregnancy. For Suki, for a healthy pregancy and a safe delivery. For Ashli and her child that doctors may find a way to help her carry her young one to term.