FRIDAY POTPOURRI: BUT IS IT ART: THE BEGINNING OF A CURE

Want to do some Catholic reading for the summer?  Elizabeth’s Lev’s book, “How Catholic Art Saved the Faith; the Triumph of Beauty and Truth in Counter-Reformation Art” may the just the ticket for you.  Do you ever wonder why the Church invests so much of herself in art for the masses (or Masses I suppose.)  This book will give you a clearer insight as well as beautifully enticing you into paintings to understand what they are doing, a skill that will go a long way in helping you understand and judge liturgical art in general.

Best of all, while dealing with topics that many experts like to make as complicated and exclusive as possible, Lev makes accessible and exciting.  She does not give credence to tedious concepts of art or try to dazzle the reader with her great and lofty learning.  Rather, she invites you in to enjoy the wonder and awe of the art which is supposed to be the point of liturgical art to begin with.

She does for art what Dr. Scott Hahn does for theology.

Best of all, the chapters and descriptions, while lush and full, are divided up into short and easy to digest chapters.  Do you only want to read for 5 minutes?  Done!  Want to read for an hour?  Perfect!  Beware though if you have any love of art and faith.  I would think that I only want to read for 5 minutes and then start stealing time from other things in order to read more.

This book is the beginning of a cure for what ails the Church today when it comes to art.  I would make it mandatory reading for anybody responsible for the commissioning of art for a parish.  It gives insight to the artists and patrons who respected what was handed on from the past and what was completely innovative for its day (which now seems so much a part of our standard bag of tools for liturgical art) and inspires us to have that same responsibility and innovation - the mix of order and chaos - that inspired the people of the Counter-Reformation.

ROAMIN' THROUGH THE MISSALS

I realize that today might have limited appeal.  But there may be those who find it helpful.  This is a personal review of two of the new Roman Missals recently printed and put to the test.

The above book is from LTP.  It was our first choice back when we were only given a sample page or two from each of the companies.  I like very much that they used original art with a certain amount of symbolism involved and a vast step above the Playschool symbols to which we have been subjected over the past years.  The cover of the book looks noble, the paper was glare free and for the most part easy to read and follow.

However, as you can see above, the gold on the cover is severely worn off after just three weeks of use.  Below is a book that has been in hard use for three years and the cover, for the most part, is still in decent condition.  I found this very disappointing.  The book also does not lay flat and worst of all, the tabs meant for easy navigation of the book during the Mass are placed such that when one uses them to flip to the section that one desires, there is then need to flip BACK one page.  But not all of the time.  That is an annoyance and an inconsistency that prompted me to try another company.

 Below is the Catholic Book Publishers who did the above book.  I found the above book to be of the highest quality but lacked much (to my mind) in the way of beauty (which was why I originally went with LTP.)  I used the new one for the first time this morning at the school Mass.  The servers were present at the unwrapping and immediately liked it for various reasons.

For personal taste reasons I am not excited about the artwork on the cover though it does symbolize well what the book is about.  The tabs are much better placed and take you directly to where you need to go without any additional flipping. 

I've heard some guys complaining about the fancy first letter of each section but I like it.  If I should look away for a moment my eyes comes right back to where I need to be and it is due to the letters giving me a reference spot.

It is well laid out and there is no glare on the pages.  The font is easy to read.  I am not over excited about the artwork but it could be far, far worse. 

Below the CBP and LTP are placed side by side respectfully.  Notice that the LTP pages come all the way down almost to the edge of the cover.  This makes for the pages to be more easily damaged and indeed they were damaged in shipping even before we got our hands on it.  An edge also makes it easier for the severs to hold.  There is also the nice gold design on the inside edge that made the servers this morning ooh and ahh.

It is difficult to tell from the below picture but the LTP ribbons are quite thin compared to the amount of pages that they are required to turn causing them to slip out more easily than the broader ribbons in the CBP.

Below is a memorial Missal which we will use only a very special occasions.  It was given in memory of one of our parishioners by her friends.  (It was very expensive.)  It was put out by the Midwest Theological Forum.  They also put out less expensive volumes.  We have an all Latin text from them donated by Fr. M. in our chapel that they produced.  The bindings seems very good, the books lay flat, the have broad ribbons, the text, paper, and lay out make them easier to read.  The book has a noble simplicity about it and it has a goodly amount of space from the edge of the cover to where the pages begin.

If I had one complaint it would be that, although I very much like the art work and appreciate what they used, if I had my druthers I wish they would have used some current artists who are producing (IMHO) good liturgical art in order to support our artists and encourage new Catholic art to be produced.

BOOK REVIEW: HEAR MY VOICE

It is an outstandingly good idea to read and discuss the Gospel reading with your children during the week before the Mass at which it will be read. Actually it is an outstandingly good idea for anyone to read and discuss the Gospel reading during the week before Mass at which it will be read. It helps the Gospel come alive, gives it more meaning, helps you stay in tune. It is alive in you already, have been mulling it over, have come up with some concepts, and then get to compare it with what the homilist is saying. Try it for a week or two and see if you are not more tuned in.

But how does one discuss it with your children? How can you be sure that you have the correct readings (without stealing a missalette?) How do you simplify it for younger minds? Jonathan Stamph wondered the same thing. He wanted something that would help him make the Mass for accessible for his two daughters. So he wrote a book (and hopes to write three.) It is called, “Hear My Voice; A Children’s Adaptation of Gospel Readings of the Catholic Mass for Year C.” The book is useful in several respects. First it has the reading as it will be heard on Sunday, a good thing for an adult to read through themselves. Next to that is a simpler version of the reading more on a child’s level. Lastly there is a page sized picture with a caption from the Gospel fit to ask children what they see, perhaps having them explain what they just heard by referencing the picture. There is also a calendar in the front of the book that will help keep you on track.
Mr. Stamph sent this book to Adam’s Ale for a review. There is no imprimatur and I have not read every single children’s version of the Gospel reading, but those I have read seem to be well in keeping with the Gospel. They are not tiny tot versions however. Below you can see an image from the book to see if you like the graphics.

If interested you can order this book from http://www.prayerpress.com/.

BOOK A DATE WITH THE HOLY FATHERS

BOOK REVIEW

When you think of Christmas reading you may think of, “The Night Before Christmas,” or some other fictional yarn, perhaps one concerning the plight of an unpopular antlered fauna who finds shame and then glory in his luminous nasal passages. Rarely does someone look forward to digging out the writings of popes to read once more under the glow of the lights of the Christmas tree. For much of Christmas we just want to be entertained. But we have a certain obligation to spend some time in reflection and prayer about this holy season. As John Paul II said, “The lights on the streets remind us of one aspect of this Feast, the most external, which although not negative in itself, nevertheless risks turning us away from the true spirit of Christmas.”

Well, thanks to the my friends at Paraclete Press who occasionally sends books to Adam’s Ale to review for you, this year you can add to your reading list that depth of meaning to this season by sharing time with the Holy Fathers in, “Christmas with the Holy Fathers” Compiled by Peter Celano and Thomas Howard. Now, if this at first does not sound appealing to you hold on! I was not too thrilled at first either. When they offered to send the book I mistakenly thought it was going to be writings of the Early Church Fathers. When it arrived in the mail I saw the picture of Pope Benedict on the cover and thought, “Oh, those fathers. Shucks.” Now, I love reading what the popes put out but usually find it work. John Paul II was a labor of love for me. I knew anything he wrote would benefit me to no end and was always glad that I read him. But I had to prepare myself for the task. There must be quiet, coffee, and plenty of time to sit and think, “Okay, what did I just read?”

Fortunately this book is compiled in such a way as to make digesting the words of the popes easy while preserving that which is thought provoking. We are given little snippets that are rarely longer than a page in length. But the flavor packed morsels are worth chewing on for awhile like this one from Pope Pius X in 1904:

“Therefore all we who are united to Christ, and as the Apostle says we are members of His body, of His flesh, and of His bones, (see Ephesians 5:30), have issued from the womb of Mary like a body united to its head. Hence, though in a spiritual and mystical fashion, we are all children of Mary, and she is the Mother of us all. Mother, spiritually indeed, but truly Mother of the members of Christ, who are we.”

Also for those who are historians it is interesting to make note of the years from which each of the passages were chosen. World and Church events call forth the facet of Christ’s message most pertinent to the day and it is interesting to call each epoch to mind as you read the particular passage.

It is short book, about 120 pages and will provide you some focus as we enter into advent when most of the world is celebrating Christmas, and will stay with you during Christmas when the rest of the world is already gearing up for Valentine’s Day.

For more information on this book, look here for the Paraclete Press site.

IS IT CHRISTMAS AGAIN ALREADY?

BOOK REVIEW

A priest friend of mine and I were having coffee yesterday and both of us sighed when it was mentioned that advent is just a few miles down the road. “Give me lent!” he said, “I’ll take it over advent any day.”

I will admit my love affair with advent and Christmas ended many, many years ago. I attribute this coldness between me and this season to my upbringing. My family was involved with the arts and so preparations for Christmas usually began around August. On my Mom’s side there were all kinds of concerts and performances to help others get into the Christmas spirit and my Dad was secretary of his lodge and so there was the Christmas party to prepare for. At church and school and places of employment every organization had Christmas parties which of course actually took place in advent. This, the market place frenzy that began with K-tel commercials that also began in August, and the fact that I had several friends who are Christmas freaks, completely turned me off to wanting to celebrate Christmas. By the time it actually arrived I was sick of it and looked more forward to putting it away in boxes than I had looked forward to getting it out.

These liturgical seasons need healing. We need healing. Santa at the mall does not work for anyone out of training pants. It takes time and you have to work at it.

Every once in a while something will catch me that will remind me once again the magic that advent and Christmas can have. There is something that will pull me out of the work of the season and into feeling the electricity in a dark, crisp, starry night that the best Christmas-out-too-soon decorations cannot capture.

“God With Us; Rediscovering the Meaning of Christmas” is a wonderful tool for the healing of the sense of this holy and fully mysterious season. Greg Pennoyer and Gregory Wolfe have compiled a series of writing by six noted names in the Christian world. For every day of the advent and Christmas season one of these authors make comment on the day’s readings. These are not dry, ethereal, or analytical lessons, but engaging reflections. They are short, thought provoking doses of soothing medicine and inspiration that is accessible to busy, Christmas frantic persons. Each day is accompanied by a short prayer and gorgeous artwork. For each major feast day there is an explanation of the origin and nature of the feast.

When finished with my copy I had intended to pass the book along to one of my sisters but instead it will remain on my shelf as an excellent prayer and reflection resource. I am just sorry that I had to read it in one fell swoop for this review. But I do plan on engaging it again as we enter advent this year. Get this book especially if you have any reservations about the upcoming season or if you think that your focus might be off just a tad and share it with those who you think might be in the same boat. As stated in the preface, the healing of the season will not happen in one day, but something remarkable might happen when celebrating an entire season well.

For more information on this title from Paraclete Press please look here.

COME FLY WITH ME

A certain panic invades my bones as I near the end of a good book. I stretch out the time left together as long as possible and start searching the shelves for a new one to fill in once the inevitable happens.

Recently it seems more and more difficult to find a book that causes me to want to stay up late or carve out a precious few moments during the day to fit in the few extra pages. It is even more difficult to find such a book in the mainstream that is Catholic friendly or at least that which a priest with his collar on would not be embarrassed to read in public.

Well summertime readers, I think that here may be a treat for you. A while back I wrote you a review of a book by Mary Doria Russell called, “The Sparrow.” Now, let me be the first to assure you that I loath science fiction books almost as much as eating fish (and that's saying something), but that book was a winner, one of the few books that this reviewer has read more than once. Part of the fun is that the story begins just down the street from this parish in a town called University Heights. But the true thrust of the book dealt with questions of faith. The author places views not squarely in any camp so characters voice opinions that span the Catholic playing field and then some. It is done so well and even handedly that challenging thoughts are not in any way threatening while still being throught provoking.

Now Mary Doria Russell (a Clevelander by the way) has written a sequel entitled, “Children of God”. There are some adult themes and again perhaps some readers will find some challenging thoughts about the faith, but she has created a more than worthy follow up to her award winning first book. The theme as she puts it, “is about the aftermath of irreversible tragedy, about the many ways we try to make sense of tragedy.” She exposes our human frailty and dependence and the role that faith can play in this exciting story that makes you keep thinking long after you have set the pages down.

Intelligently written, well balanced, and thought provoking, it is on my list for summer reading. It is not strictly necessary to read the first book in order to read this one, but I highly, highly recommend that you do so.

YOU CAN BOOK ON PADRE PIO

Computers are wonderful tools but sadly they are quickly deteriorating one of the greatest accidental historical archives of our present age: that of the handwritten letter. Some might wish to point out that there are such things as blogs and other electronic bits of data that will exist forever out on the Internet and perhaps that brings with it its own advantages, but there is still something special about having that piece of paper in someone’s own handwriting in which they share intimate thoughts with a trusted other.

Once I bought an antique desk and underneath a drawer I found a letter written in a very precise female hand talking about a flu epidemic and her concern for her family. For me this was history flying up off of the page and slapping me in the face. Such is the power of the letter.

Fortunately for us the relative recent history of the Church finds that a good number of the faithful have written letters and diaries. Many have survived and are giving us an exciting insight into the thoughts of those we now call saints. Now we can ask the questions with purpose, “What were they thinking?” and “Were they really all that different from me?”

Recently a friend who sometimes guest blogs on this site said that she was rather relieved to read that Mother Theresa, when she was invited to speak in Las Vegas, wrote that she might die of fear and shyness. When faced with having to share her own faith in public she gained strength in knowing that even those we now consider great were burdened with the same fears that we “common folk” have.

To this end Fr. Raniero Cantalamessa has pulled together excerpts from the letters of Padre Pio that give us a unique insight into the thoughts of this modern saint. We find here not a man who finds the faithful Catholic life a walk in the park, but a man who struggled like we struggle, who had doubts like we have doubts, but who, in spite of it all, who remained loyal to God. In fact, his entire life seems to have been a living out of Psalm 13.

The unique aspect of this book is not that it presents you with the letters of Padre Pio which are many (and are already available to you in other books), but that this author has selected gems from many letters, about a paragraph or two each, sorted them into thirteen categories such as “I Do Not Wish to Offend God Again,” and “The School of Virtue,” and gives a short preface for each.

The author repeatedly emphasizes that this book will not give you a complete picture of the saint but does allow you, particularly those familiar with him already, a chance to hear him speak on his own behalf. Besides, who cannot resist wanting to know what it was like discovering that you have the stigmata from the man himself? In excerpt 117 he writes, “Yesterday evening [7.9.1911], something happened to me that I can neither explain nor understand. In the middle of my palms there appeared a spot of red almost in the shape of a penny, accompanied by a sharp and strong pain in the spot’s centre.”

The translations of the letters are extremely easy to read. The way the book is designed allows the reader to take in a short passage and set the book down and contemplate, a method I highly recommend to the cover-to-cover method I used in order to review this book for you.

Particularly if you already know and love Saint Pio, you might find this book fascinating. Others might gain spiritual strength in knowing that you are not alone in your struggles even among the saints.

WHAT: Words of Light; Inspiration from the Letters of Padre Pio
WHO: Compiled and with an Introduction by Fr. Raniero Cantalamessa

GENERAL INFORMATION: Paraclete Press; Brewster, Massachusetts; 2000 – www.paracletepress.com

BOOK REVIEW: THE SHEPHERDS' PRAYER

From time to time I recommend books on this site but this is the first time I was asked to do so I thought I’d warn you by announcing, “BOOK REVIEW.”

Years ago one of the jobs I had included having to go to yard sales (can you believe it?) and from time to time personal treasures would be purchased. One of these treasures was an ancient, leather bound book by the title, “Night Scenes in the Bible.” In it, the author used his imagination to fill in gaps in the Biblical stories with pious fiction to lead the reader deeper into the mysteries of otherwise well known passages. One story in particular that really stayed with me over the years was “The Road to Emmaus.” I was in the seminary making a private holy hour and reading this book and was transported so deeply into the story that from that point on it became one of my favorite accounts from Scripture. It helped me see the story from different angles and place myself squarely in the prose.

“The Shepherds’ Prayer; A Christmas Novel” by Richard M. Barry does much the same thing. I must say that it never occurred to me that good citizenry of Bethlehem may not been overly thrilled about the Messiah being born in their town. Barry says of it, “. . . there was also great sadness that resulted in Bethlehem when Herod ordered the killing of all the male babies. Not much has been written or is ever said about that traumatic event and how it must have impacted the people of Bethlehem and their attitudes about the poor Galilean child who was the target of Herod’s wrath.” Don’t worry though; it is not a gruesome tale but one full of hope and joy, a tale truly for the Christmas season.

The term “novel” however might be a bit of an overstatement. When I was contacted they actually wanted to send two different books and when I heard the term “novel” I recommended they send only one as I would not have time to read and review two before Christmas. Well, as it turns out it is much shorter book than anticipated and the average reader could knock it out in a sitting or two. It is definitely not a literary masterpiece by any stretch of the imagination, but it is a good contemplative story. I would probably recommend it more for younger readers who enjoy reading or for families that read and listen to stories together. If I had a family I would probably enjoy reading them a chapter at night (there are eight chapters) but as it is, I do think I’ll send copies to my Godchildren. There is a nice gift plate inside the book for such purposes.

If you go to their website HERE you can find out more about the book, read the first two chapters to make sure you would like it and if so, order copies of it or of the audio version.