Once again, an episode of what I read during the year. Dan also wrote a couple blog posts on what he read (many of which he passed on to me to read); read his summaries here and here. 

We are studying Canadian history this year for school. In advance, I began picking up books on Canadian history and caught a bug. There are some treasures out there. I'll begin with them.

Shadows on the Rock
by Willa Cather

My father-in-law rescued a ton of old books a while back. I picked up Shadows on the Rock from this collection, remembering a brief mention from a friend. Set in Quebec during the late years of Samuel de Champlain and St Francois de Laval, the non-Catholic Cather captures poignantly the Catholic culture of the early settlement. Passages will stay with me forever, especially ones highlighting the saintly Laval and his devotion to his flock. 
 

Maria Chapdelaine 

by Louis Hemon

I read Maria Chapdelaine as an assignment for a course in Canadian Literature during my first year of university. As it was out-of-print at the time, the version we read had difficult typos. I'll chalk it up to that instead of my youthful lack of depth, but I didn't enjoy it half as much as it deserves. This is a treasure of Canadian beauty: life in the backwoods of Quebec, Catholic culture, and simple, youthful romance. 

Madeleine Takes Command

by Ethel C. Brill

Another Canadian history pick. One snowy weekend in November, we house sat for my in-laws and I read Madeleine Takes Command to the kids. We were all spellbound. I'd read it at least a couple times before, but it never gets old. The true story of Madeleine de Vercheres: with her two young brothers and a few soldiers, she commanded the defense of her family fortress on the banks of the St Lawrence in a week-long Iroquois attack. It is a gripping tale and one we'll never forget. 

Divine Intimacy 

by Fr Gabriel of St Mary Magdalen

Divine Intimacy was my daily spiritual reading throughout the year. I came to realize it was a necessity for my spiritual life - especially, dare I say - in 2020. Beginning with basics and tying everything in to the traditional liturgical year, Fr Gabriel brings the soul from the beginning of the spiritual life to the heights - that is the hope, anyway. When I began the cycle at the beginning of Advent again, I felt like I was back in familiar territory, right at the beginning of the spiritual life. 

Reclaiming our Roman Catholic Birthright: The Genius & Tradition of the Traditional Latin Mass

by Peter Kwasniewski

I'll admit, I haven't read Reclaiming from front to back. I read the sections on children at Mass. Kwasniewski gets it. He understands as a parent our difficulties in bringing children to Mass, especially of late. He provides practical advice and deep insight all in one. 

Christus Vincit: Christ's Triumph Over the Darkness of the Age

by Bishop Athanasius Schneider with Diane Montagna

Again, I didn't read Christus Vincit in its entirety. But I read Bishop Schneider's memories of his life under Communism as a young boy and his family's escape into "free" Germany. I read his take on the darkness of the age, especially in our beloved Catholic Church. His insights are prophetic and have the ring of truth. We are living in troubled times and we must hold fast to the truths of our faith, passed down through the ages. 

Fahrenheit 451

by Ray Bradbury

I'm a bit of a copycat when it comes to book reading. Many of my titles are books Dan passes on. This is one of them. What happens when you burn all the books? What does a socially engineered society without books look like? I read this book in early 2020. It's scary when I look at the world around me now and realize the stark truth of a society that is so out-of-touch with reality, clear thinking and reasoning, and simple living. 

Family Be Damned

by Kennedy Hall

Kennedy Hall is a Catholic writer and podcaster living in Ontario. Imitating C.S. Lewis' Screwtape Letters, Hall taps into a devil's temptations of a modern family during Covid lockdown. This is not Screwtape Letters. But it is very entertaining, thought-provoking, and chilling. Hall brings the story to the depths of (believable) spiritual despair and ends with a hope we can all use. We bought the Kindle edition; well worth it!

The Story of the Trapp Family Singers

by Maria Augusta Trapp

"How do you solve a problem like Maria?" Have you ever wondered whether Maria von Trapp really did cause such disarray in the convent as they sing? Spoiler: Yes. Sort of. One of my favourite films from my childhood (really, I'm sure we girls watched this 30+ times - sorry, Grandpa), The Sound of Music is really, the real life story. But this is so much better. Their beautiful and unconventional romance, their family escape from Nazis-invaded Austria, their poverty and first successes and failures in America, their family traditions and, above all, their unwavering faith - the Trapp family is a delightful read. 

Around the Year with the Von Trapp Family

by Maria Augusta von Trapp

The reason I read Story of the Trapp Family was because a Protestant friend saw this book on my piano and told me I had to read the original story. Around the Year is Maria recounting the their family traditions following the traditional Catholic calendar, ones they observed in Austria and brought with them to America. It is beautifully full of memories, meditations, recipes, songs, and advice. I refer to it often and keep it handy. 

We and Our Children: How to Make a Catholic Home

by Mary Reed Newland

Instagram, Facebook, and Etsy are full of Catholic wives and mothers' beautiful incorporation of our Catholic faith into all aspects of life. Newland is one of the original, if you will, Catholic mom bloggers. Newland deals with discipline, sacraments, morality, liturgical living, and much more in a simple and straightforward manner. I especially referred to her when teaching for sacramental prep this year and studying the Mass with my kids. I keep this book handy and refer to it often.

Defending Boyhood

by Anthony Esolen

I finally read an Esolen book. Dan might ask: Have you even lived until you read Esolen? Defending Boyhood lived up to everything I've ever heard and read about Esolen (and the snippets I'd already read). Esolen is deep and witty, a profound writer and filled with literary references. Here he taps into the essence of boys and, well, defends them as God made them; he instructs the ignorant on the proper care for a boys' true nature. 

By What Authority

by Robert Hugh Benson

My favourite read of the year! Benson is incredible. A master storyteller, a deep spiritual thinker, and an avid historian. It helps that my favourite genre of literature is historical fiction, but marry that with spiritual depth and what a winner! The novel is set in the Elizabethan reign of terror. Catholics risked their lives and all earthly possessions to profess their faith, even secretly. And yet, the martyrs abound. Benson gets to the heart of the ordinary man and woman. We might think of them as glorious and strong, but he reveals their hidden fears, sorrows, and temptations. 

Favourite Books of 2019

I'm titling this "Favourite Books" because I didn't read many this year and because I may have forgotten some and because I started and didn't finish others. Dan thinks it's because I'm embarrassed at having read so little. Maybe. Does anyone else have a problem getting some few hundred pages into a book and then just stopping? Yes? This was just one of those years to start and stop books: The Fellowship of the Ring (re-read), The Hobbit (re-read), From the Ashes. I'll get back to them eventually. Some of these are also my favourites of the many read-alouds to the kids.

Sword & Serpent Trilogy 
by Dr. Taylor Marshall

I bought this novel series for Dan for Christmas last year and in the early stages of pregnancy when I felt crummy and tired, I read the whole thing in a short matter of time. Early Christianity vs. Paganism. Saints vs. Roman Emperors. The characters are realistic and intriguing. I'd like to think this is how it really went down for St George & Co. This trilogy was engaging, thought-provoking, and inspiring. It's one of those that you can't wait for your kids to get old enough to read. Five stars.

A Mother's Rule of Life
by Holly Pierlot

I'm pretty sure I must seek after the magic formula for a perfectly well-organized life... at least, I like reading about such ideas, but I'm not as great at putting them into action. A Mother's Rule had lots to offer for a busy, homeschool mom. My favourite was probably creatively incorporating prayer into daily life and letting all other cares flow from it. Holly's idea of a daily schedule or "rule" was a little too confining for me, but brought greater clarity to my own life. Four stars.

Infiltration
by Dr. Taylor Marshall

Everything that's gone wrong with the Catholic Church in the last century and more, examined and analyzed. It's bad, really bad; but the scandal and horror must be exposed for healing. And Marshall leaves the reader with hope for the future and a desire to reach far back into our Catholic heritage and drink deeply from the Truth. I hope I've become a better Catholic by knowing the awful and embracing the Truth. For a deeper review, check out Dan's. Five stars.

Home Management: Plain & Simple
by Kim Brennaman

Whereas A Mother's Rule is written from a very Catholic perspective, Home Management is Christian and Christ-centered, but has a bit of a different and more approachable feel (I'm sure this is purely my quick, personal opinion). I'm not finished, but have been jumping from topic to topic and really, really like the perspective and practical advice. Something I never thought of: have kids take turns as "mom's helper" for a day; they get the coveted sit-by-mom for read-aloud, help in the kitchen. I'm hoping to make some practical changes to our routine. Five stars.

Anna Karenina 
by Leo Tolstoy

I picked up Tolstoy thinking I should really read this classic. Whew! It's a long one at over 800 pages. Morally flawed characters, especially in the area of marital infidelity, frustrate me - Anna was no different. But over time, rather than feeling disgusted and wanting to pitch the book, I've come to feel compassion for the characters and deeper insight into human frailty. There is such a lesson in reaping good or evil from your good or bad life choices. I'm still not finished, but trying to wrap this book up. Four stars.

The Temperament God Gave You 
by Art and Laraine Bennett

I carried the Temperaments book with me in the purse to all my doctors appointments this summer. While I haven't been a fan of The Four Love Languages for understanding others, I can really get the temperaments. It's been really enlightening to have ah-ha moments about different members of my family and why they react or act the way they do. I feel more equipped to deal with others strengths and weaknesses and challenge my own. I did, however, find this book a little chunky and repetitive. Four stars.



Mother Love: A Manual for Christian Mothers

Finally, a devotional recommendation. I recently got this beautiful mother's prayer book. It's traditional, filled with prayers, litanies, advice for mothers, meditations for Mass, and chapters on the vocation of motherhood and marriage. I love it! Did I mention it also has beautiful, old black and white holy images? Such a gem! Five stars.

The Mitchells Series
by Hilda van Stockum

I am a huge fan of Hilda van Stockum! I read and re-read and loved this series as a kid. It was so exciting to re-read it to my own kids and have them fall in love too. Enter the Mitchell family: fun, adventurous, mischievous. Just like ordinary kids because the author based them on her own kids! A delightful read-aloud! Five stars.

  

The Winged Watchman 
by Hilda van Stockum

Another van Stockum favourite. Set in Holland during World War II, the Winged Watchman is the windmill home and working place of 10-year-old Joris Verhagen's family. This story has all the wonderful depth of van Stockum's characters, combined with war history, Dutch living and culture, humour and deep questions. At times the content and suspense was difficult for our easily frightened John Paul, but we were able to keep going and the kids thoroughly enjoyed the read. Five stars.

Francis and Clare: Saints of Assisi
by Helen Walker Homan

Another awesome read-aloud! In a world that gets St Francis all wrong as only an environmentalist or vegetarian or animal-saver, it's refreshing to read about the real-deal holiness of a saint who imitated the life of Christ so closely. Our kids were inspired, laughed, and will remember this one! Five stars.

Bishop Schneider's Christus Vincit: Uplifting, Indispensable, Timely

Following a week of lamentable meetings by the bishops of the USCCB, it is tempting to lose one’s hope that this Church crisis will ever end. The bishops, many of whom are spiritual offspring of Theodore McCarrick (though not all), discussed a plethora of secularist liberal issues such as gun control and diocesan taxes, all the while mingling behind the security-laden walls of the four-star Marriott Waterfront hotel in Baltimore - not exactly a Carthusian monastery. The most accurate description of the meetings perhaps came the week prior, as a Crux headline read: US Bishops have their plates full during next week’s USCCB meeting. No doubt their wine glasses as well. In the meantime, trust in the American bishops to act as defenders of the Catholic faith has long since dissipated, though it seems many bishops are tone-deaf to this reality.

Now would be an appropriate time to suggest that faithful Catholics are not entirely orphans, that there is a glimmer of hope. I speak of the recently released book, Christus Vincit: Christ’s Triumph Over the Darkness of the Age – Bishop Athanasius Schneider in conversation with journalist Diane Montagna.

I had initial hesitation reading Christus Vincit. Personally, I dislike books that are formatted as interviews; such is Christus Vincit. However, this hesitation soon evaporated. Montagna and Bishop Schneider collaborate to offer an exemplary book – smooth, eloquent, and in-depth. Indeed, it is unlikely I will ever meet Bishop Schneider, and improbable I will speak at length with him. This book gives the impression of the improbable becoming a reality. It is approachable, smooth, and profound. Montagna is to be commended for her successful work.

To the actual book, Christus Vincit begins with a section on Schneider’s life and background. I found this helpful. As Schneider continues to gain prominence, or infamy, as a key player in the Catholic counter-revolution, it is valuable to learn more about the actual man.

Many stirring must-read stories were shared of Schneider’s early years in Kazakhstan. He comes from a very devout family, and was baptized three times (not really!). Due to Communist persecution, he would sometimes go over one year without attending Mass. As he got older, his family would travel a full day to attend Sunday Mass. I personally found these stories compelling, for I often complain about having to spend an entire Sunday to take my family to a reverent Mass. It seems that things turned out favorably for the Schneiders, and perhaps there is hope for my family as well.

As his personal biography is laid forth for readers, it is striking to see Schneider’s abandonment to God’s plan for his life. For instance, his religious name, Athanasius, was quite providentially chosen for him. As was his area of academic specialization: Patristics. When Schneider was chosen to become an auxiliary bishop he was deeply saddened, but didn’t decline the selection when he found out that Pope Benedict XVI personally chose him to the ecclesial office.

Following the introduction on the life of Bishop Schneider, an expansive array of subjects are then broached, such as the death penalty, contraception, China, charismatics, reverence, McCarrick, angels, Amoris Laetitia, Fatima, and more. The book at times teaches like a catechism, yet a perennial catechism that does not change with the whims of a pope. Each and every issue discussed is explained clearly, and is of great interest.

The gloves come off early, so to speak, when the book turns to the topic of Islam and Pope Francis’ Evangelii Gaudium. The juxtaposition of Montagna presenting Pope Francis’ writings on diverse religions, and Schneider’s clear presentation of the Catholic faith, is salient. As Schneider explains the importance of Catholicism as the one true religion, and passionately dissects the arguments of those who champion false ecumenism, it is easy to see why Schneider refuses to let Pope Francis get away with the Abu Dhabi document’s claim that God wills a diversity of religions. Schneider is fierce when it comes to defending Catholicism.

As the book moves forward, Bishop Schneider’s thoughts on Vatican II are especially noteworthy, and I found balanced (though it can be argued that being “balanced” is not always the correct position). Schneider explains the problems with the Council, even going so far as to say that the current pontificate “is a logical consequence of the so-called ‘spirit of the Council’ and of the ambiguous elements in some of the Council texts” (p. 141). Schneider, while reminding readers that Vatican II is pastoral and not dogmatic, states that there are troubles with certain texts that need explanation, “or even amendments and corrections” (p. 123). Some might disagree with Schneider on this point, and say it is best to simply abrogate the entire Council. Still, it is refreshing to have a bishop examine the Council candidly and authentically.

On another point, Montagna asks Schneider if the Society of St. Pius X will ever come into full communion with Rome. He responds, “‘Full communion’ is not the correct expression in my view. They are already in communion with the Church, since they recognize the pope, mention him in the Canon, pray for him publicly, and pray for the local diocesan bishop. […] Regularized, that is better” (p. 149). A stimulating discussion ensues from this, including Schneider’s thoughts on Archbishop Lefebvre.

Regarding Fatima, a timely topic for today, Bishop Schneider presents a spiritual explanation of the third secret, such as the “big city half in ruins” being a symbol of the Church (he admits the third secret may be missing a written explanation from Our Lady). I leave it to Fatima experts to weigh in on his description of the secret, but I found it very enlightening nonetheless.

Perhaps the one critique of the book I have involves Schneider’s thoughts on the Novus Ordo Mass. He suggests, with an air of regret, that it seems improbable that the Novus Ordo Mass could ever be removed. Therefore, he argues for a step-by-step change in the Novus Ordo Mass so that it closer resembles the traditional Latin Mass. For instance, he argues the Novus Ordo Mass should eventually adopt the old calendar, readings, and so on. As I personally note the tremendous growth in the traditional Latin Mass, I see this issue differently. I have hope that the traditional Latin Mass be the Mass that Catholics increasingly turn towards, rather than simply working towards fixing the Novus Ordo Mass - a fix that perhaps would not adequately address the entire Novus Ordo paradigm. Ultimately only time will tell.

A general point evident throughout the book is that Bishop Schneider is not a punching bag for liberals to beat upon. At one point Montagna asks him about the strife he receives from various bishops. For instance, once Schneider was prohibited from saying a Pontifical Mass in a German diocese. The Vicar General wrote to the priest in charge and stated, “No, the diocese cannot give permission to Bishop Schneider to celebrate a Pontifical Mass because his presence causes division and tension. […] Dear Fr. Rector, in the future please invite to the shrine only bishops who are strong in faith.” Schneider replies ardently to this claim: “Strong in which faith? Perhaps the Protestant faith of this Vicar General? Surely not in the Catholic faith” (p. 45).

Also apparent in the book, and a fitting point to examine, is how Bishop Schneider, as a true shepherd, identifies with his Catholic flock. For instance, in regards to bishop meetings (such as the recent USCCB meetings), he explains, “To be honest, I am bored with episcopal meetings and synods. […] They are often sterile and give the impression of an enormous show of clerical vanity” (p. 113). For him, such meetings are a sign of a loss of supernatural faith, a faith all Catholic bishops expected to emanate. To illustrate, Schneider explains that once, following a beautiful Pontifical Mass, there was a picture-taking session. In one picture he was standing with a sharp looking altar boy of nine or so. Schneider relates, “Everyone took photos. Then from the crowd several parishioners shouted to the boy, ‘You will become a bishop!’ And he [the boy] was so serious and said, ‘I want to become a saint!’ […] One could have the impression that he contrasted being a saint with being a bishop!” (p. 114). Indeed, Bishop Schneider sees how the office of bishop does not guarantee staying faithful to Christ. The position is not something to boast in, but rather is burdensome.

There are so many more words that could be spoken regarding Christus Vincit. I will simply end by saying that, though it is difficult for lay people to know which current books to invest time in, Christus Vincit is a must read. It is a book for the laity who sit by with despondent anger and watch dreary USCCB meetings. It is for families in need of assurance that true Catholicism is still possible. It is for men, and boys parading as men, who need to be challenged to take on the yolk of Christ. It is for academics unfamiliar with pre-Conciliar Church teachings, once called the Catholic Faith. It is for priests, especially the ones ministering in a spirit of fear caused by their bishops. And this book is for bishops, all bishops, be they seemingly lost, obsessed with power and prestige, timidly silent, uneducated, worldly, or even, deep down, intimidated by a lowly auxiliary bishop from Kazakhstan. For this book can be summed up in two words: daring clarity.

May this book be so for the Church, and all Her faithful.

A Necessary Book Reviewed: Defending BOYHOOD

First, a word of context. Dr. Anthony Esolen could write a cookbook, and I would read it with admiration - for the splendour of his words far surpasses anything our society could, or want to, produce. I imagine it would read, “Complement your sustenance with one trifle of salt, for “We have some salt of our youth in us,” sayeth Shakespeare, and so too should your meatloaf…”  Something like that. Now, on to the book review.

What happens when the best writer in the English language alive today writes a book on a topic I personally have a deep-seated interest in? The result is a book so astute, masterful, and essential, I have little hope of adequately sharing its impression on me. I speak of Dr. Anthony Esolen’s Defending BOYHOOD – How Building Forts, Reading Stories, Playing Ball, and Praying to God Can Change the World (TAN Publishing).

I have written before on my experiences dealing with boyhood’s clash with the world, particularly in the public school setting. Esolen’s book dissects this milieu rather thoroughly, using his trademark wit and insight. I am not surprised by this. What Esolen did, however, that I wasn’t expecting, was challenge me personally in my own family, particularly in how I am as a father for my boys (now three of them).

Why do I play hockey with my boys? Why am I happy that they invent and build things? Why do we homeschool? Why do we frequently drive 2.5 hours to a Latin Mass? Why am I very nervous that there are no good Catholic boys around for them to be friends with? Why do we regiment chores? Why pray the rosary together? Why plant a garden? Why and how do we raise these boys to become good Catholic men?

My wife and I do what we do because we innately know what our boys need physically, emotionally, and spiritually. But to understand the inherent reasons why? Esolen touches the depths of this mystery. Through personal examples, Scripture, literature, history, and everything in between, we are shown why boys are required to become men, and why so many are not achieving this requirement.

A lengthy, but worthwhile, quote:

“What attracts woman to the person of Jesus is not exactly the same as what attracts the boy. The woman wants from Jesus forgiveness and consolation. The boy wants – even if he does not know it – severity and commandments. The woman wants Jesus of infinite patience and mercy. The boy wants Jesus eager with a baptism that will set the world on fire. The woman wants peace. The boy wants war. They are both quite right to want what they want, and I do not say that the woman will never want Jesus the fighter or that the boy will never want consolation. But the woman who brings to the boy the Jesus of peace and patience and mercy brings to him, without perceiving it, a Jesus who will not throw open to him the doors of the world, and life. The boy does not want a domestic Jesus. He wants the Lord of the universe. He does not want to hold hands at the altar with a priest and an altar-girl. He wants to swing the thurible as if it were a sword” (p. 82-83).

Defending BOYHOOD must be read by all men; and by those who think they are men but really are self-absorbed males who have never entered the arena to live and fight. It must be read by women, such as the holy mother who understands her sons need to move, act, sing, and battle; and it must especially be read by the woman who thinks a boy is stupid for not excelling at 6 hours of desk work a day. It must be read by priests who train young boys for priesthood, fatherhood, and to swing the thurible as if it were a sword; and it must be read by the priests who subject such boys to effeminate liturgies that no true boy can rightly stand. 

Defending BOYHOOD is just that, a defence of boyhood, of which there can be nothing more important for the world today. If we do this, the boy becomes a man, the man becomes a noble warrior of God - a power for the world to fear: “And he shall be like a tree which is planted near the running waters, which shall bring forth its fruit in due season. And his leaf shall not fall off: and all whatsoever he shall do shall prosper” (Psalm 1:3).

“Dear Reader, may it be so for you and yours.”

-         final line

Originally posted at www.bravestthing.com

What I Read in 2018

It would be way too much work to rewrite this because I would have to upload all of the pictures again. Therefore, I link to my What I Read in 2018 post at Bravest Thing. Please read it HERE.

Hint: Oscar Wilde makes the list.

Conference Notes: The Garden, The Desk, The Village

This past weekend the Rebuilding Catholic Culture group in Saskatoon put on a mini-conference featuring well-known Catholic professor Dr. Ryan Topping, as well as local academics Dr. Celene Sidloski (organizer) and Dr. Charles Robertson.

Although Becca and I had to miss the Friday talk by Ryan Topping, which we heard was excellent ("Oh man, his talk yesterday was like... um... I can't even begin to describe how it was... he talked about jabberwockies and... it was so good..."), we were very fortunate to leave the kids at home with their visiting Ontario grandparents on Saturday morning and make the early morning trek to Saskatoon for the main day event.

And so, arriving at the event we immediately noticed a lady and several kids who looked familiar. "What in the world... no way..."

We were brought back to visions of this:

That was at the Whistlers' park while camping by Jasper. Our last night at the park a couple of families showed up. Becca and I immediately decided they must be Catholic. They were dressed rather classily (a little too much for camping?... or maybe they had just been at an event...). The ladies in skirts. The boys had comfortable collared shirts. The kids were playing at the park. I called to my oldest boy Joseph, and immediately one of the other boys perked up as if I was calling him. There were other names... Catherine... I think John Paul... you get the idea. And scapulars hanging around necks. They seemed very happy and full of life. Becca and I commented about them later that night:

"Ohhhhh they were Catholic! Big time! Did you see the scapulars! And they sure gushed over their little sister! Just like we do with Emilie."

"I wanted to introduce myself... but they were talking with others!"

"I guess we'll never have Catholic friends... poor us. God's just quoting the Ten Commandments (movie): 'Did you think I showed you them as a sign of what you will get? No, I showed you them to let you know what you'll be missing...'"

Anyway, where was I? Oh yeah, the conference! So we walked in and, of course, there was the family we saw in Jasper. Yep. That was the Topping family. They were visiting another family that night in Jasper. I was kicking myself. I'm a bad Catholic. While I've read much of what Topping writes, including books and blog posts, I've only ever seen tiny pictures of him. In other words, I didn't recognize him in Jasper. Blah.

So we made sure to introduce ourselves to him and his wife. "Hi Dr. Topping! Pleased to finally meet you! You know, we've been following you around all summer!" We told them the story, of which they laughed in a creeped out sort of way. Interestingly, after many boys (six I think), the Toppings finally had a little girl (Catherine). The boys apparently were initially unsure of how to handle a girl. "Mom!... what if she wants to wear a bikini when she's older?! What'll we do?!" Clearly they love having their little baby sister.

- - -

Now for the talks. I will give points that I gleaned from each talk.

The first was by Dr. Topping on homeschooling as a means to restore Catholic Culture.

- To renew culture you must fortify the family. Hence socialism/Marxism loves to split up and control families. For Marx the family was the original cell of slavery. For instance, that women would have babies makes them unequal to men. They then must leave jobs (productivity) to raise the babies. Marx would approve of universal daycare as a means to fight this inequality.

- Homeschooling is a chief work of one's marriage. However, families are not to be isolated islands. Islands are meant to be populated. In other words, having large families and homeschooling them will attract others. I couldn't help but think of how we first saw the Toppings in Jasper. There was something different about them. Something attractive, in a transcendental way as if the goodness of God was present. I see this in other large families as well. Openness to life by its very nature produces an openness and attractiveness to others.

- Topping gave a longish definition from Gaudium et Spes on culture (par. 53) but then said it could be easily shortened to: "Catholic culture is a community which makes it easy to be good." Culture is to be everything whereby man improves himself. In other words, culture must always point to our eternal end. This can be seen in the ends of homeschooling versus what end a public Catholic school might have. Topping did not say that homeschooling is always better (though statistically, it blows any other schooling out of the water), but the end of homeschooling usually keeps the eternal in mind.

- A comparison was made between the four marks of the Church and, in a sense, the four marks of the family. Families are One by the sacrament of Marriage. They are Holy, that is set apart, in that families do things others can't, such as have babies. A family can be an island of holiness within a corrupted world. Holiness is the key though. A family cannot be Catholic (universal) and Apostolic without first being holy. One can't give what one doesn't have.

- The talk was excellent. Topping provided many startling statistics to back up his points. There's a reason why he is so highly regarded in the world of Catholic education.

- - -

The next talk was by Dr. Celene Sidloski on imagination and literature. Well now, this lady is brilliant, engaging, humble, and a treat to listen to.

- Imagination is one of our most potent powers, and forms images of what is not present, what will come, or simply creates images.

- The root of imagination is the Latin imago, or imitare - to imitate. In other words, imagination is to be rooted in something (the Divine).

- To the world there is no downfall to imagination because there is no moral context (no God). It is an iconoclasm of the past. The post-modern world says to not build imagination on what has been. Hence most literature university students, when writing stories, write terrible fantasy stories. The students have no basis for writing (not to mention terrible grammar - Sidloski pointed out). Only to create drab worlds with no morality. She even sang a bit from John Lennon's "Imagine". This song leaves us with only sky, just living for today, in some sort of brotherhood of man. Marx would be proud. What a drab existence. How ironic that the world's unbridled imagination is so deficient.

- Plato - images are intermediary. They are only put to use, for better or for worse. Think of the allegory of the cave.

- Saint Thomas Aquinas - All virtues require prudence. But prudence requires memoria, that is, memory that is true to being. Memory must be true before we can have prudence. We must discipline our memory. Sidloski did a great job of illustrating how a person can have a distorted sense of the past. So many people have a sense of injustice about that past. That, say, their childhood was terrible. This is often not the case (just ask siblings, she said). An undisciplined memory makes people live in the past.

- She spoke on how four o'clock in the afternoon, in May, with the smell of bread, makes her overcome with happy memories. It triggers memories of her getting off the bus as a child and having her mom's fresh buns. So often we try to recreate memories. This is wrong. Instead we must recognize the transcendence of the memory. That the goodness we remember was the good Lord present. Don't trust the memory. It is the transcendence we must instead long for. Ultimately though we are created in the image of God (immaterial), we cannot imagine heaven. Our Christian imagination must draw us upwards. And here, then, is the crucial point: Imagination must reveal meaning, not create it. The difference between Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter is startling. One reveals the transcendence. The other distorts what is real.

- Imagination is a garden which must be tended (referring to literature). You reap what you sow in a child. It cannot die, but only be maimed or distorted. So tend the garden of your child's imagination well, and they will recognize the transcendence of God.

- - -

The final talk by Dr. Charles Robertson was more of a technical, Thomistic overview of what was learned.

- Wisdom requires order according to Aristotle. And Aquinas adds that true wisdom is ultimately ordered to our eternal end.

- The modern utilitarian world considers speculative knowledge, wisdom, as worthless. Wisdom is priceless.

- Children must first be ordered in the wonder of God's creation (nature). The home must be an extension of the Holy Church.

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Some final notes:

Book recommendations that I have read included Lord of the Rings, The Great Gatsby, Brideshead Revisited, The Republic, Nicomachean Ethics, Summa Theologica. Some books I need to get my hands on: Dicken's Hard Times, C.S. Lewis' The Weight of Glory and Abolition of Man, Pius XI's Divini illius Magistri, and even Michael O'Brien's Landscape of Dragons.

- Sidloski explained how Golem of the Hobbit/LOTR is a word used in Jewish languages referring to matter without form. Thus since Golem becomes a creature separated from what he is supposed to be, he is void of goodness.

- Overall the mini-conference was excellent and reinvigorating. We cannot wait to have more like this!

Book Review: Breaking Bread 2018

For the modern enlightened Catholic, one steeped in the decades-old tradition of discernment, mercy, feelings and accompaniment, the latest Breaking Bread 2018 hymnal is sure to strike a spiritually enlightened chord, or even as many as four chords. Speaking of chords and accompaniment, guitars are a must, drums optional, and a circle church with a prominently-featured choir most desirable. For Catholics not so sophisticated in the movement of the spirit (lowercase s intended), Breaking Bread 2018 can still provide utility if one ponders hard enough. If having a brown paperback with a picture of fish falling from the sky (or are they jumping to the sky?) fails to ignite your soul, perhaps the same brown paperback could help ignite any campfires you may desire to have. Alas, let us spark the conversation and note some of the highlights of the latest Breaking Bread. And I accept the title only insofar as we speak of bread as Christ's flesh via the communicatio idiomatum. A topic undoubtedly the editors of Breaking Bread discerned while accompanied by a devout Thomist.

Speaking of Bread, we have Bread for the World. There is no fear of losing the significance of the Sacred Mysteries here, because bread, of course, refers to us. "May we who eat be bread for others." Hmmm. I always understood it that the grains of wheat symbolize how we all are, well, crushed and sifted while becoming part of the Body of Christ. Not so fast. We are bread that is shared with others. For on the night he betrayed the Christ, Peter, after partaking of the bread, said to his fellow apostles: "Take, eat, I am bread for you." Perhaps this song might not be best suited for a Catholic Mass...

One of many servant songs. This one actually is unique. It has the line "I___________ am__________ your song." Many people criticize the banality of modern sacred worship music. It was refreshing to see a new zinger of a line. I want to be a song too now. I've never been a song.

Oh yes, the other Servant Song. In this worship song we don't even so much as pretend to be singing to God. This song is actually directed at the others in the church! Thus it is not a worship song but a... um... of course... a Servant Song! Did I mention yet that Breaking Bread 2018 is intended for Mass? In this song I would also like to give honourable mention to the presumption that we will make it to heaven together, where God will surely delight in our singing in harmony.

"This is my fight song. Take back my life song..." Sorry. Wrong song. Just: "This is my song." Pour yourself a drink. Close your eyes slowly. Let this sink in: "And sunlight beams on clover leaf and pine; But other lands have sunlight too, and clover." Now open your eyes. You'd better pour yourself another drink. And no, as far as I can tell that line was not written by the fictitious Bertie Wooster. For even if Wooster did in fact pen such a poetic nonsense, surely Jeeves would conspire one of his fish-brained devices to have said poetic nonsense destroyed before any evidence of its existence would leave Wooster's flat, save for the mandatory entry into the archives of the Junior Ganymede Club, whereby all Gentlemen's Personal Gentlemen could delight in the poetic nonsense while sipping a brandy and quipping that there is, indeed, sunlight in Paris and Berlin.

What could go wrong with a song from the year 1966 and published by a company called Vernacular Hymns Publishing Co.? Here's a question though for you. Have you ever seen someone, besides Jesus, who is the light of the world and shines this light so well that you see the good and give glory to God? Perhaps a saint. Here's a follow up question: Have you ever seen a saint sing about how he shines light so well that all people see his or her good and give glory to God?

This song is rather witty. The words speak of rain, while the melody falls in pitch. It is as if the words are justified by the melody. And the song fits the cover of the Breaking Bread 2018 book. I recall vividly the picture of fish raining down from heaven. Bravo.

A hymn inspired by Pope Francis' encyclical Laudato Si. I'm still waiting for a hymn inspired by Humanae Vitae. Now that would be interesting. Back to this... hymn? I question the gender-neutrality of this song, however. Is the Sun male? The moon female? Perhaps Prime Minister Justin Trudeau should invest some money into revising this.

Finally a very appropriate Lenten hymn. I am quite famished at the moment. Wait, I thought people had enough to eat? Was our being bread not good enough for them?

It's not the "Sing a new church into being" that gets me, though by all means some people should simply go start their own church. But to see the word "diversity" in a hymnal...

"In the land there is a hunger. In the land there is a need. For the sound of the word of God upon every word we feed." Sounds like a mouthful to me.

I criticized the Servant Song earlier for being a song intended to be sung to other people and not God. Now we have the infamous Mary Mother of God/Jan. 1 recessional hymn. There isn't even an attempt to sing this song to others. We actually are singing to ourselves. Astounding. Reminds me of Gollum of Lord of the Rings. Judging by every time I've heard this song sung I would wager that Gollum would do a better job of singing it.

I can try and forgive much of the silliness and, as my friend the late Fr. Kenneth Walker would call: "theologically ghetto" words from Breaking Bread 2018. But I cannot and will not attempt to forgive this last song. The song steals the structure of St. Thomas Aquinas' Pange Lingua/Tantum Ergo and replaces it with more social justice soldiering to better humankind. Aquinas' name is then mentioned, as if to suggest that he would approve of, or worse created, such meandering. St. Thomas Aquinas! The Angelic Doctor himself! Well here, Breaking Bread folks, is a real snippet of how Aquinas composes sacred chant for the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. From Pange Lingua:

"Word-made-Flesh, the bread of nature by His word to Flesh He turns;wine into His Blood He changes;-what though sense no change discerns? Only be the heart in earnest, faith her lesson quickly learns."

And so, Breaking Bread 2018. Now remember that every song has all rights reserved, so you cannot use my pictures in order to learn and perform these hymns. In all seriousness, I pity the fools who spent money on this book, all for the sake of weakening the faith in the Real Presence in their parish. They are like fish out of water. Falling from the sky. Or jumping to the sky? Simply put, they know not whether they are coming or going. I will stick to "Word-made-Flesh, the bread of nature, by His word to Flesh He turns." Amen.