Water, Water, Everywhere

Many people think Wally Lamb’s novel, We Are Water, “eh”. But I liked it.  But of course I like Wally Lamb because he also has a prison and God discussion.  Two of my favorite subjects.

We are Water we see a dysfunctional family even though the father is a psychologist.  The mother keeps a big dark secret.  She’s an artist and divorces her husband of 27 years for another woman.  At first, the family is shocked but by the end, they’re OK with it.  I guess the purpose of the story is to portray that lesbian couples are good people, like straight ones.

I was thinking of giving this book to a friend to read but thought again.  There’s too much sex in it.  But it’s not gratuitous, though.  It’s necessary for the plot.  It begins with child molestation to sadistic machoism, masturbation, to lesbianism.  It’s not as crude as my sentence.  The molestation is shown to lead to the other perversions. 

The characters are wounded people but good people, even when they sin.  And I think the novel is a good attempt to portray a lesbian marriage, and how child molestation leads to adult sexual dysfunction.  But there is always hope.  

T.S. Reads Journey of the Magi

Notice how T.S. Eliot focuses on the journey.

So You Think Children at Mass are a Distraction

Some grouchers complain about children in church.  They're distracting, that's for sure.  One answer is that children need to learn how to behave in Mass and how will they learn how to do that if not by going?

You may think this odd, but when my children were little I didn't push bringing them to church.  My oldest was very well behaved.  Well, if staying quiet is the criteria, she excelled; she always fell asleep.  The second one always had to be carried out of Mass because she was so disruptive.  Finally, hubby said that getting all dressed up to go to church was a waste of time because he never made it to the Eucharistic Liturgy.  He refused to go.

Of course, once they reached the age to go to religious education, they had to go.  But it still was a distraction.  At this age, you don't need toys and food to keep the kids busy, they should understand what's happening.  It's still a struggle.

Why do they always have to go to the bathroom at the consecration? 

I thought of this as I was trying to watch a hockey game.  We were watching the Candy Cane Classic.  The team players were around 8 years old. The audience was full of the players' parents, grandparents, and other relatives, plus little brothers and sisters.

Worse than little children at Mass! The parents had brought backpacks full of toys, books, crayons, coloring books, food, and digital gadgets to keep the little ones busy. The kids dumped the contents of these backpacks all over the floor, and under the seats.  And then the kids were left to their own devices to entertain themselves.  Yes, the parents are right next to their little ones but hockey is intense and fast, and you need to stay focused on the game (not on the little ones).  At least at Mass, the parents pay attention to their children.

And these kids go to the bathroom, too.  And just like at Mass--at the most important part!  They'll be a power play and with a couple of seconds left, little junior will start jumping up and down holding himself.  Afterward, they want something out of the vending machines (Funny how vending machines are near the restrooms.) 

Why do parents bring children very young to sports?  One answer is that having the family all go to the game together is an activity everyone can enjoy as a family or will enjoy when the little ones are old enough to understand what's happening.

Oh?  Like going to Mass?

Artum Examen?

Since I've been teaching Lectio Divina, I've been noticing things I've never noticed before.  Lection Divina has slowed me down to look at things deeper. I find this happening in poetry.  I see the words form an idea in a certain way to form a theme.

Pictures work the same, too.  I look at painting more deeply to see details and what idea these details were trying to convey.

What is the Latin word for Examining?  Examen?  Artum Examen?  Lectio Examen?

My Additions to Ransom's Poem

Survey of Literature
by John Crowe Ransom

In all the Greek of Plato
I lack my roast beef and potato.

A better man was Aristotle,
Pulling steady on the bottle.

I dip my hat to Chaucer,
Swilling soup from his saucer,

And to Master Shakespeare
Who wrote big on small beer.

The abstemious Wordsworth
Subsisted on a curd's-worth,

But a slick one was Tennyson,
Putting gravy on his venison.

What these men had to eat and drink
Is what we say and what we think.

The influence of Milton
Came wry out of Stilton.

Sing a song for Percy Shelley,
Drowned in pale lemon jelly,

And for precious John Keats,
Dripping blood of pickled beets.

Then there was poor Willie Blake,
He foundered on sweet cake.

God have mercy on the sinner
Who must write with no dinner,

No gravy and no grub,
No pewter and no pub,

No belly and no bowels,
Only consonants and vowels.

ADD

Rhyming to Billie Wyllie
Is singing with an oldie.

Deep in  lore is Sue Wade,
Ravishing a Scottish maid.

All the good words of Clarice
Lead everyone to reminisce.

Kathy S. is going to the dogs,
She's tired of the ideologues.

A good man is Joe Ewald,
K of C and St. Vincent de Paul.

No one tries harder than Alice Judge,
Who deserves a piece of fudge.

The influence of Carol Beecher
Inspires the rapporteur.

Pat Winiarski works too hard,
But still held in high regard.

And for missing Sue Bliven,
Our poet equestrienne.

Then there's smooth voice Pete,
Who'll steal your heart in a beat.

Writers all, poets struggling,
Language artists assiduously aspiring.

A New Beginning

One stressed filled day at work, I had had it with Christmas gift giving.  It had been decided that we would have a Secret Santa gift exchange. We couldn’t spend more than $ 20.

All this is fine and dandy but I’m a joiner and a pretty social person and all my clubs, organizations and groups were all doing the same thing.

My Secret Santa gift was bubble bath.  Just what I don’t need.  Bah humbug!  I shower, not take baths.   But I couldn’t complain; that the exact gift I gave, too.   

Isn’t it silly?

I give you some junk under $ 20 and you give me junk under $ 20.  Not that I’m proposing to spend more.  I don’t want to spend anything; I don’t want a gift exchange at all.  Every year I have too many little under $ 20 gifts:

Two books clubs Yankee swaps under $ 20
work gift exchange under $ 20
my work cubby-mate, whatever I can spend
walking group gift exchange, around $ 10
hairdresser, around $ 20
women’s club ornament swap $ 15-20
Bible study gift, under $ 20
paperboy, $ 10
monthly dinner group, under $ 20

I was exasperated and let my harangue spill out on my poor friend who happened to have the misfortune to be listening to my tirade. 

Then something happened that is scorched into my memory.  My friend stood up nice and straight with a pained look on her face, as she opened her bag and took out a Christmas gift, and threw it at me.  “Well here’s one more piece of junk for you.”

I-I-I-I-I didn’t know what to say.  I remembered feeling my neck get red.  I don’t remember if we talked.  I don’t remember if she was angry.  I don’t remember how she left.  I don’t remember anything.  (I probably repressed the memory.)

But I learned a lesson.  At first, I was embarrassed, that was a given—more than embarrassed—I was humiliated.  My soul had been bared before me; I learned that I was selfish, overbearing, thoughtless and a..a.a..monster.  Bah Humbug!  I was worse than a Grinch.

This Christmas season was a period of soul searching self-reflection.  I contemplated the purpose of giving gifts. 

Gift giving should express love—even gifts under $ 20.  Gifts of love have thought put into what and why you buy them.  You tailor the gift for the receiver. 

Why would I buy bubble bath when I didn’t know whether or not the receiver took baths?  I wasn’t thinking of others at all.  I just wanted to be rid of the obligation and purchased whatever was on sale and I had a coupon for. 

My New Year’s resolution is to be more aware of others.  I will think of the needs, wants, and likes of others, especially when it comes to gift giving.

Catholic as an Adjective

A discussion arose on Facebook regarding the use of the Nicene Creed or the Apostle's Creed.  I've often wondered myself why sometimes we pray one and sometimes the other.  The dilemma wasn't solved but the commentary was interesting, I thought.

A question for my Catholic Facebook friends. Why do some priests insist on saying the Apostles Creed at Mass, never the Nicene Creed? Do they have an objection to the latter?

One poster commentated that the Apostle's Creed was something every Christian could pray since the word Catholic was used with a small "c", meaning the universal church, meaning universal Christian faith. Every tenet in the Apostle's Creed was acceptable to all Christians so the prayer is ecumenical.  

I always knew that the word catholic meant universal but I never noticed before today's Mass (Feast of Mary, the Holy Mother of God, January 1) that in the church missal, the word catholic had a small "c".  I thought we prayed the Apostle's Creed because it was shorter than the Nicene Creed.  Of course, that may very well be true, too.