January 19, 2010
I’m going to consolidate this blog into Riparians. (Long story behind how I ended up with two blogs in the first place. Like most of the best things in my life, it just sorta happened.) In time I will get my links moved over and all that, but I’m going to go ahead and start posting only there. Same amount (chuckle chuckle) of Homeschooling, Castle News, Catholic Topics, etc., just over at the other place.
Happy New Year.
Jen.
January 18, 2010
Annual Reminder: The on-line Catholic Writer’s Conference is coming up again, Feb 26-Mar 10.
To review: It is free, it is helpful, it is open to any catholic writer, aspiring or accomplished. You can participate as much or as little as you want.
Great event, highly recommended. Go register.
January 11, 2010
Amid back-to-school busyness, a respectable dose of sadness (please pray for Hank Holder), and plenty of very good things, I would like to pause and report:
I love, love, love the “Happy Working Song” from the movie Enchanted.
Fun movie, by the way. But that song — wow, has to be one of my favorite movie scenes of all time. If you’ve ever struggled with conflicting emotions towards Snow White or Maria von Trapp, here is your scene.
(This version has a short intro you might not need, but it plays the whole song.)
January 3, 2010
I’m a new reader to Eric Sammon’s blog, The Divine Life. He recently compiled a list of his top-ten posts for the past year, and I thought this one was mighty enjoyable: Really Catholic and Uber Catholic. Too true, too true. Naturally I have to like any quiz that accurately paints me for the moderate that I am. Don’t mind the combox.
Enjoy. Happy New Year!
December 25, 2009
Whitewater Christmas here. The beat-and-retreat of driving rain on the roof and and stained glass punctuated this morning’s liturgy. The playground was a swimming pool; we sprinted to and from the car. (But not cold! Barefeet, very happy, taking the compost out after breakfast during a break in the rain. Window-fogging warm — very nice.) The grooves on the interstate were full of water — had to drive a foot to the left of usual to avoid hydroplaning.
We closed the Christmas Mass with “Joy to the World”: Let fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains repeat the sounding joy. I’ve been singing those lines my entire life, but I’m afraid I’ve always given more attention to the hills and fields. Today the floods finally got their chance. Hopefully they will not get carried away in their repeating.
Merry Christmas.
December 20, 2009
. . . because I am writing to you from my own computer. Rejoice with me. SuperHusband and the SuperFatherInLaw conspired to equip me with a shiny new Asus laptop all of my own. (Literally shiny — and: blue. My favorite color.)
So I suppose I’ll be having to do extra writing, what with my new appliance and all. I had been angling for a ping-pong/dining table for the front patio/driveway. I had been peering ahead to the day when my harvest gold sunbeam stand mixer would finally whip its last batch of real whip cream, and thinking perhaps I ought to put in for a replacement this Christmas. Visions of obligatory ping-pong or baking, depending on which one Santa delivered.
Instead, this. Totally a surprise. And with a proper numerical key pad to boot. Must . . . resist . . . attachment . . . to . . . things . . . of . . . this . . . woooorld . . .
Happy rest of Advent!
December 9, 2009
In case you didn’t see it, Requiem Press is having a $5 book sale through December 24th (while supplies last).
November 24, 2009
Mary, Mother of the Son, by Mark Shea – Three Volume Set
So I’ve been telling you since, oh, Labor Day, to go buy these books. It’s not just because I’m a Mark Shea groupie, though I’ll admit there is certain evidence of that. Here’s what I found, and what I liked:
Book 1, Modern Myths and Ancient Truth, opens with a hilarious and painfully-accurate portrayal of the usual misunderstandings between Catholics and Evangelicals concerning Mary. Shea then moves into a exploration of the “facts” behind The Da Vinci Code, as a study in how pseudo-history can be used to make bogus claims about hot topics. It’s a detour that lays out some principles for how to evaluate other historical claims. Nicely done, and gives you some bonus knowledge. The remainder of the book then turns to the common accusations against Mary — she is a pagan myth warmed-over, a medieval invention, catholics worship her as a goddess, etc etc.
–> I think Mark Shea convincingly makes his case, though of course, I am catholic, so that might have some bearing on my opinion. For a catholic reader, therefore,volume 1 presents some basic apologetics you really need to master. For an evangelical, here is your work laid out for you: the argument is moved to a new level.
Book 2, First Guardian of the Faith, examines how four essential doctrines about Mary relate to doctrine about Christ. Far from being a set of “extras” Christians can take or leave as they prefer, Mark Shea shows our beliefs about Mary are intimately tied to the reality of Christ. Certain truths about Christ cannot be properly understood unless we accept related truths about Mary.
For catholics, again, this reading will shore up your faith and help you better explain your beliefs to others. (If you are a catechist, it may influence your multiple-choice test questions, too.) For protestants, here is where Mark gets into the big hurdles — not just Perpetual Viginity and Mother of God (“Theotokos”), but the real doozies of the Immaculate Conception and the Assumption. If you haven’t accepted the arguments in book 1, you aren’t ready to be convinced by book 2; but regardless, it will help you understand the catholic point of view. Once again, the protestant-catholic debate is advanced another step.
Book 3, Miracles, Devotion, and Motherhood, leaves the halls of church history and apologetics, and tackles the thorny issue of what catholics actually do in their devotional life. Again, you need to have at least accepted the possibility that the arguments in book 1 are true. Mark Shea devotes the opening chapter to probing the sheer uncomfortableness of marian devotion for evangelical converts and would-be converts. Don’t skip this, even if you are already quite fond of Mary.
He then moves into a chapter on the Rosary, and if it weren’t for this book review program, he would have undeservedly lost me. The truth is, sometimes I haven’t got much patience for other people’s prayerful medidations on this or that mystery of the rosary. But free books were at stake, so I made myself go back and read. Book-lust rewarded: Shea’s reflections are as sturdy as the rest of his work, taking surprising turns through humor, history, apologetics, and inspiration that actually inspires.
After this is a short chapter on private revelation and Marian apparitions. Shea covers essential points such as the basics of how private revelations are investigated, the bit about how you don’t have to actually believe in them, and what role they might or might not play in your life. He then gives a very moving personal account of his own private encounter with Mary. There is an overview of the major approved Marian apparitions in the appendix.
The book closes the series with a final chapter on how Mary might belong in both the catholic and evangelical words. My favorite line: “the simple fact is, I’m just not one of those people who usually has strong feelings about Mary.” Written by a man who just wrote three books about her — that’s classic Mark Shea in a nutshell.
***
So I may have mentioned once or twice that these are excellent books. The type is not the big fluffy stuff you see in entry-level popular evangelical books — I think there is something in the sacrament of confirmation that confers a maximum type-size on all catholic literature — but the prose is fast, readable, and entertaining. You do need to be able to follow arguments that build over chapters and that pull together many strands of evidence. Not difficult arguments, but ones that are treated in depth, rather than with pat one-line, or one-chapter dismissals.
Each book has a generous bibliography, as well as footnotes for controversial claims. Many of the footnotes are to websites, which are uncomfortably emphemeral-feeling, but in reality make it more likely you’ll actually try to find the source. So I’m not sure which I’d prefer. Regardless, for someone wishing to engage in debate on the topics, the resources are provided to keep you moving in your work.
The target audience is both catholic and evangelical readers, and in my opinion Mark Shea effectively writes for each. I came away edified, informed, and inspired, and would willingly lend my copy to both catholic and protestant friends, and really think both types were getting something good out of it. (I’m not sure whether non-Christian readers would enjoy the books or not, though I’d hate to discourage anyone from giving them a try.)
I received my copy as part of the Catholic Company review program, which you might consider joining. New applicants are still being accepted, and I can say after a year’s experience that the program is well-run, and has always been stocked with top-notch titles. I’ve never reviewed something I would not have gone out and bought myself, mostly because when I go through the product list, there is always something there that I’ve been meaning to read. Highly recommended.
Also, FYI, the Catholic Company is offering free shipping this week, though of course you will patronize your local catholic bookstore if you are lucky enough to be able to visit one. But it’s a good week for mail-order for all of you who are not so fortunate.
November 15, 2009
Must go bring in children to feed and send to bed. Then I’m back to work on my book review of Mary, Mother of the Son, 3-Volume Set. Which you should buy.
–> So if we are lucky, the SuperHusband and hunting partner have actually shot a deer (bowhunting), and they will thus be out late tonight tracking and cleaning and whatever else it is you do after such events, and I will finish the review tonight while he is out. If the deer are lucky, SuperHusband will be home sooner, I shall leave the computer and have dinner of a non-venison kind with him, and we shall have the review some other day.
November 7, 2009
Please pray for the repose of the soul of Shelly McKinney.
Thanks.
We have a green castle in our back yard. We named our school after the castle. (We were required to name it something -- I don't know why, it was on the form.) And then I named my blog after our school. Since this is, after all, my homeschooling blog.