Friday, December 30, 2005

Recommended Reading

The Lord of the Rings is of course a fundamentally religious and Catholic
work; unconsciously so at first, but consciously in the revision. That is
why I have not put in, or have cut out, practically all references to anything
like "religion," to cult or practices, in the imaginary world. For the
religious element is absorbed into the story and the symbolism.--J.R.R.
TolkienLetters 142


This is a story that tells us things we need to know. It cannot
be taken in all at once. It is one of those that we have to grow into;
stories that deal with the way the world is made, and the way the self is
made. These stories are like dreams, but dreams that can be shared by an
entire culture; wholesome dreams that restore a balance to the psyche by turning
our energies and our thoughts toward truth; dreams that resemble an oasis in the
desert. Reading them can be a meditation.--Stratford Caldecott

The Power of the Ring: The Spiritual Vision Behind the Lord of the
Rings


Caldecott's book is an interesting thematic/literary analysis of Tolkien's trilogy. He starts by establishing that Tolkien was a Catholic of deep convictions. In fact, Tolkien was orphaned at twelve and raised to maturity by a priest. More interestingly, Tolkien's mother converted to Catholicism before her death and was effectively disinherited by her family. Tolkien himself believed that she had died of poverty.

Not surprisingly, death is one of the common themes in the trilogy and Caldecott goes to great lengths to explore death and Tolkien's spiritual relationship to it. He also investigates the many ways in which Tolkien's theology shines through his work both consciously and unconsciously. In particular, there is a fascinating passage which compares Galadriel to the Madonna.

If you have the time and inclination, this is a book worth reading. The points are a bit strained at times, but the ideas underlying the book are fascinating.

Sunday, December 25, 2005

Christmas Wrap Up

(ED: Excerpted from another of my blogs.)

The nicest part of the holiday, though, was our Christmas Eve. We all attended the 5:00 p.m. Mass. My wife was a Eucharistic Minister, both boys were altar servers, and I served as Lector. The Mass was crowded, but comfortable.

Saturday, December 24, 2005

Merry Christmas!

The anticipation of Advent is nearly done. In a few hours, in union with Christians around the world, we'll be celebrating the Nativity of Christ.

Wishing you a Happy Holiday surrounded by friends, family, and good food!

Merry Christmas

Sunday, December 04, 2005

Second Week of Advent

Here we are in the Second Week of Advent. Christmas is rushing towards us with frightening speed and our preparations are keeping pace, but just.

Advent is a time of preparation, reflection and penance. Not really a time for celebration. Accordingly, we generally don't put up our decorations until just before Christmas.

We do put our the Advent Wreath, of course. Each night we light the appropriate candles and share a family scripture reading and devotional moment. We also have an Advent Calendar which is a Nativity Scene. The figures are all magnetic and each day we add a new figure to the metal backdrop.There are two other "decorations" that go up early.

Cathy puts up her Department 56 Nativity and I put out my Christmas Village.

In keeping with Tradition, CAC doesn't put the Holy Family in the Nativity until Christmas. So, in a way, this too becomes an Advent symbol -- a place prepared for the coming Christ child.

CAC started collecting pieces about four years ago when the first piece caught her eye and I bought it for her. Over the years, she's been gifted with new pieces until the village has reached its present size. The good folks at Dept. 56 seem to be less than enthused about continuing this particular line, so our version of Bethlehem is probably as big as it will ever be.

My village, on the other hand, is ever changing. It started back in '00 when I went to Lowe's and and found that they had their village pieces on sale for 50% off. (It was only a couple of weeks before Christmas.) I started with a lighthouse, a church, the Parson's house, a coffee shop, a hotel, train station and a flower shop. Each year I've added two or three buildings, but the buildings are selected because they have some connection to us.We have a lot of nautically-themed items -- boat shops, sailing academies, seaside resorts...you get the idea. We also have a bookstore (with an acting studio on the second floor), an English pub, a Shakespeare-themed inn, and a tea shop.

Part of the fun of the village is recreating it in different ways each year. I typically use between eight and ten buildings and each year the village is unique. This year (as you can see from the pictures above) I chose to go with a landlocked village. It was a departure, but I'm happy with the results.

Sometime during the week before Christmas, the rest of the decorations will go up.

Sunday, November 13, 2005

Good Reading

For your consideration, I give you:

Epic by John Eldredge is a thin tome which casts the Christian life in heroic terms. It's more an inspirational book than a serious treatment of the subject, but it does raise some intriguing ideas.

Looking for God in Harry Potter is written by a classics scholar who is (I believe) also a member of the Greek Orthodox church. With amazing care, he builds the case that Rowling has intentionally filled her books with Christian imagery. After reading the book, I am pursuaded and any who worries that the books are an un-Christian influence should read Granger's book (and, of course, Rowling's books) before passing judgement.

Finally, this isn't a book, but I found the following on-line articles interesting. Both deal with a Jesuit who is also a Ph.D. Enjoy!

Sunday, April 24, 2005

Welcome Pope Benedict XVI

The Cardinals met and, in a very short conclave, elected Cardinal Ratzinger as our next Pope.

By all accounts, Pope Benedict is a man of great intellectual gifts and committment to the core teachings of the Church. Monsignor Bonnell (my pastor) says that we are all in good hands. I think he's probably right.

If you'd like to get some insight into Pope Benedict, you can read the homily he delivered at his inaguration Mass.

Saturday, April 02, 2005

In Pace Requiscat Frater

Earlier today Pope John Paul II, the leader of my Faith, passed from this life into the next. I am a convert to the Catholic church and so John Paul II was the only Pope I've ever had.

I am sorry to see him go, but I am also happy for him. He lived his life well, advanced the Faith, refused to compromise on the truth, reached out to people of other faiths, and (in the end) showed us how to accept earthly suffering and die well.

The Saturday Mass at St. Rose was especially well attended. None of us (CAC, the boys, nor myself) were scheduled to serve. At the last moment I was asked to be the lector. I count it an honor. The readings were particularly appropriate -- especially the reading from First Peter.

I pray for his Holiness as he enters his eternal reward. I pray for the Church as the Cardinals meet to identify the new Pope. And I pray for all believers (of any faith) that we all might be inspired by the life of John Paul II.

Sunday, February 20, 2005

First Steps

It's the second week of Lent. As part of my Lenten observance I've putting pursuing a project I've meant to pursue for a number of years. Let me explain.

I serve as a Lector at St. Rose of Lima Parish in Layton, Utah. That means I get to read from the Old Testament and Epistle at Mass. (Please note that the linked article is historical and -- at least in my experience -- the modern Lector is defined as "the person we can get to volunteer".)

One dear woman from the parish has often asked me to record the scriptures. This request sets me at war with myself. I try to remember that being a Lector is about sharing God's word -- not about me. My constant paryer when I serve at a Mass is "Lord, let them hear your words and not my voice."At the same time I must confess (ha!) that I get an ego boost from reading.

Yet I do read reasonably well. God has granted me some Grace to read.

I'm still not sure about whether or not I should record anything, but for my Lenten observance I've decided to assemble a script. Using the Hero's Journey as a model, I'm assembling a script of the Journey of Christ. For copyright reasons, I'll use the KJV. My goal is to have a completed script by Easter.

Will I record it? I don't know.

The script is the first step in my own journey...in the words of the Hero's Journey, it's a threshold crossing.