Battle Hymn for Humanity

Happy Sunday everyone! I was thinking of my friend Hilary's excellent article on music during mass ("Have You Been Missing Out on a Centuries-Old Catholic Musical Tradition?")  as our parish is... not musically blessed. Sure, maybe we could complain about not understanding Latin - but I could not understand/ recognize the song being sung in a country twang while the collection was going on; it was definitely not liturgical.

It is very sad that so many parishes do not have the ability to provide people with more beautiful music to move their thoughts better towards Heaven and God. Since tomorrow is Labor Day, we sang a lot of America-centered songs during mass today, including Battle Hymn of the Republic.

Forgive my side eye (because I really do enjoy this song), but what a completely inappropriate song for mass. Julia Ward Howe wrote this song after visiting a battle field during the Civil War, and it epitomizes the American Protestant-Christian identity in the sense of America being chosen, blessed and called to that higher purpose through election. It's essentially a 19th century pump-up song for the anti-slavery/ women's suffrage movement which is fine for American Sing-Along Songs, but not for mass.

But this is not why I am writing. What I love about this parish is not its music, but the people. It's not a vibrant parish; it is a loving parish. The pastor knows us by name, asks about how things about going (specifically - today he asked how Grace's arm is doing, for example). Will's on night shift, so today I went to mass solo with Thing 1 and Thing 2. They were overall well-behaved, and part of that is because we sat in the back so if Grace wanted to loop around the pew, she could (and did).

On our way in, a lady helped me carry in the extra carseat I use for Laura (as my extra pair of arms). Halfway during mass, a lady came to sit in the pew with us to help with Grace. She offered to carry Grace, who then started using her upset face, so I carried them both to communion - Laura in the ring sling, which I had to put her in beforehand. On the way out, ladies and gents stopped by to say hello to the girls, wish us happy Sundays and talk to Grace. They held the door for me and always make me feel very welcome at the table. I'm always meeting new parishioners because they approach me. (Needed for this introvert!)

The welcoming of this parish is one reason we joined the parish; after the first mass, the priest gave a little talk about how all children are welcome in mass, and we should want to hear them, because it means our parish is alive. Pregnant me may have cried a little bit.

The stories I am reading and hearing about Germans welcoming Syrian refugees across the boarders is exactly right. Americans need to stop congratulation everyone else and start advocating for refugees here in our country as well. America is great because of we welcome the poor, the homeless, the searching. If we don't want people to take advantage of the system, then put them in the system. Stop oppressing people who would rather risk their lives being deported here than risk being killed in their own country. Put them through citizenship classes, give them temporary visas, let them work, and let them make our home their home too.

This is SO IMPORTANT; remember that these people do not have a choice either, unless they stay to
die - these are families, women, men and children:

 

Citizenship is precious, yes, and so is faith. But when we keep them bottled only for the true believers, we see the disillusionment and cracks more easily. When we sing the battle hymn and forget why we're fighting, we waste the opportunity to uphold our republic. To limit immigration so as to over-complicate the process as a means to discourage is not humane. We are immigration elitists. This isn't a new concept - the Chinese Exclusion Act was only lifted in 1943, after starting as a temporary act in 1882 - but we need to move beyond this thinking that this is someone else's problem. What we support as private citizens affects the State.

The WSJ reports:

ROME—Pope Francis responded to Europe’s burgeoning immigration crisis Sunday, asking every Catholic church on the continent to set an example of Christian mercy by taking in a family of refugees. 

“May every parish, every religious community, every monastery, every sanctuary in Europe host a family,” the pope told a crowd in St. Peter’s Square after reciting the traditional noon Angelus prayer. 

There are approximately 120,000 parishes in Europe, according to the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate at Georgetown University. The pope added that the Vatican itself would receive two families in the next few days. 

The pope has made migration one of the major social causes of his pontificate. Only a few months after his election in 2013, he visited the southern Mediterranean island of Lampedusa, a major entry point for undocumented immigrants to Europe, where he denounced rich nations’ indifference to the thousands who had died trying to cross the sea from North Africa. 

His latest gesture came as Germany and Austria received, via Hungary, one of the largest waves of displaced people since World War II: thousands of migrants, many fleeing Syria and other war-torn countries. 

Some 13,000 migrants had crossed Hungary’s border with Austria by Sunday afternoon. Most of them were already in Germany, which was working to distribute them across the country. 

... “In the face of the tragedy of tens of thousands of refugees fleeing death in war or hunger, and who are on the road to hope of life, the Gospel calls us, asks us to be near, the littlest and the abandoned,” the pope said. 

Pope Francis said taking in the refugees would be a “concrete gesture in preparation for the Holy Year of Mercy,” which begins Dec. 8.

Lord, may our hearts be opened to mercy of those looked over, at home and abroad. Let us not be so selfish to value our comfort over another person's life and forget our common humanity. Glory, glory, hallelujah! Let our music honor you, Lord, and our actions reflect you.

p.s. have a great Labor Day:

"America the Beautiful"

O beautiful for spacious skies,
For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties
Above the fruited plain!
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea!

O beautiful for pilgrim feet
Whose stern impassioned stress
A thoroughfare of freedom beat
Across the wilderness!
America! America!
God mend thine every flaw,
Confirm thy soul in self-control,
Thy liberty in law!

O beautiful for heroes proved
In liberating strife.
Who more than self their country loved
And mercy more than life!
America! America!
May God thy gold refine
Till all success be nobleness
And every gain divine!

O beautiful for patriot dream
That sees beyond the years
Thine alabaster cities gleam
Undimmed by human tears!
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea!

Bonus: What can I do for the European refugees?
Donate: Catholic Relief Services
Pray: St. Alban is the patron saint of refugees
Ideas: Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy

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#7QT: I Have Confidence In Me!

We're finally home and working off our colds... so I'm blogging away this headache post-putting bebe in her bed. Cheers to joining with Jen!

ONE

It's finally happened. Will's last residency interview. We've been talking a lot about ranking. He's been all over, and now it's coming down to what we want and what they're offering. The programs for emergency medicine are mostly similar; the differences really come down to shift hour lengths, research opportunities, moonlighting allowances, the level of trauma care, and location.

The last one is the one I struggle with - let's go on an adventure, says Will! I've been listening to a lot of Julie Andrews lately, and she's giving me a mantra to live by. Or, at the very least, a good reminder to have confidence in confidence alooooooone!

... Grace, in the mean time, is learning to blow more bubbles, drool extensively, sit, and help me grocery shop. We all have our own adventures, eh?

TWO

A week ago, we left New Orleans. Round trip was over 2k+ miles. We're burning our cars and never driving anywhere again.

Things to always pack on car trips:
- good book(s) on cd
- la croix sparkling water for me; gatorade for Will
-healthy snacks AND unhealthy snacks... because one can only eat so many kind bars.
-extra binkys for Grace
-extra everything for Grace
-pillow and sleep mask (if you're a light sleeper like me and equally desperate for a nap because "someone" has decided that she needs to eat every two hours starting around 3:30 a.m.)

Anything you can't live without? Besides the sound of Jim Dale's voice on the Harry Potter recordings?

THREE

Trip highlights included spending the weekend with Baldwin family members, the longest Hearts game ever, delicious food, hanging out with Will's college friends (and one of mine too!), seeing Will's alma mater, and having delicious catch-up time with dear Katie and her bebe {may we move close and spend lots more time together!}.

FOUR

And so it became clear, at Guantánamo, that the only work left for me to do was to heal my wound.
“What is grief?” I recently asked psychologist Steven Stosny, posing the obvious question I’d avoided for so long.
“It’s an expression of love,” he told me. “When you grieve, you allow yourself to love again.”
“How do you grieve?” I asked him.
“You celebrate a person’s life by living your life fully.”

-- "This Is Danny Pearl's Final Story" by Asra Q. Nomani, The Washingtonian

A beautiful, beautiful story and read; an ending to a modern tragedy.

FIVE

Newest favoritest food? Sweet potatoes. And wait for it.... roasted sweet potatoes with honey and cinnamon. Whaaaaaaaat. Eat your veggies, y'all!

SIX

Thank you, all you wonderful people! I was nominated for "coolest blogger" and "most underrated blog" at the 2014 Sheenazing Awards. Use your free will and vote here!

The Mirror Magazine got nominated too - "most underrated blog" and "smartest blog". Fist bump!

SEVEN

Julie driving, Will in the back seat, sitting next to Grace
Julie: What are you saying to her?
Will: I'm teaching her how to say my name ... say, "Your Excellency" Grace.
Grace:

Happy weekend!

What Are You Reading?

I'm back, after a loooong time. Can't promise consistency, but at least content. Volume 21, baby!

one

This week, I bought more books than my New Years' Resolutions allowed*. I said 3? Well, I meant 8! It's summer, does that count for anything?

I also renewed two subscriptions (First Things and The New Criterion) and took out a third (Touchstone, because its price was blessedly and severely reduced). I sadly am letting one of my newspapers go, though, and am happy to still have my Wall Street Journal, National Catholic Register, Financial Times, and The Magnificat.

Have you bought any good reads lately? Are you supporting excellent writing and the advancement of intellect?

two

Elizabeth is always marveled by how much I read. I thought I'd share the five books I am currently reading (yes, at the same time; I like multitasking):

I got this one for Christmas and am loving it:

Edith Stein and Companions On The Way to Auschwitz by Father Paul Hamans

This thick one will be finished before the summer is out - fantastic and meticulously written and researched:

From Dawn to Decadence: 500 Years of Western Cultural Life by Jacques Barzun

This one is really interesting and insightful:

Philosophy 101 By Socrates by Peter Kreeft

B. lent me this one, and it is hil-arious:

A Practical Guide to Racism by C. H. Dalton

I am listening to this one in the car, and it is, of course, just wonderful:

The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien

In July, I'm going to start Brighton Rock by Graham Greene for my long-distance book club with Tessa and Brenna! Excited to read more Graham Greene - I love The Heart of the Matter and The Power and the Glory. Highly recommend both as well, if people are looking for summer reading recommendations.

Up next: Christopher Dawson, Zora Neale Hurston, Pope Benedict XVI and some Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

three

Here is my blog referral of the week: Born After Reagan

My friend Logan started it a few months ago, and now I am excited for the 2012 election just so I can read what he has to say about it!

Why yes, we did meet Ron Paul together three years ago:

CPAC 2008

four

The topic for next week's Bright Maidens' post is picked! Next Tuesday, please join us in discussing "Catholic Modesty."

If you're a first time participator, all you have to do is write on the same subject and post your response to the topic on our FB wall. Wa-la! If you're not on FB but still want to participate, e-mail it and we will post it for you to share with the group. If you're on Twitter, our hashtag is #brightmaidens (with an 's' on the end!) to share posts and tweets.

Also, Bright Maidens refers to we three girls, but we have both males and females participating. The male hashtag on Twitter is #cathdudes if you want to read some some cool Catholic dudes.

A re-cap of last week's topic, a response to Max Lindenman's article on "Dating Nice Catholic Girls":
Elizabeth: On Reading Confused Catholic Writers
Trista: Please Don't Call Me A Prude
Julie: Help! Help! I'm Being Repressed!

Elizabeth makes a list of all the contributions too, so please check our FB page later for that!

five

I've been home for a week, and am still actively learning to adjust to a new sleep schedule, being back at work, and hearing people talk to me in English. As happy as I am to be home, South Korea was an amazing experience. I'll give you a sneak peek from my weekend in Busan:

This is a kimbab, and the best thing I ate in South Korea (stay tuned!)

Best bathroom sign EVER.

The Eastern Sea, a.k.a. The Sea of Japan. But they don't like the Japanese, so don't call it that, please.

The Busan fish market. I'm going to have a whole post on food.

six

I'm also going to have a whole post on drinking in South Korea. Here's me trying authentic Korean beer for the first time:

So innocent.

There are so many patron saints of beer; they obviously did not invoke any of them!

seven

I bought Adele's latest album, 21. I seriously do not know why I waited so long. It is wonderful, soul-filled and beautiful.

Here's "Someone Like You" with Adele talking about why she wrote the song. Warning: I teared up a bit.



She's a two months younger than me, too. Gives a girl perspective!

Okay, one more, this one upbeat: "Set Fire To The Rain"



SHE IS SO AMAZING. Buy her music. Make her famous and wealthy, she deserves it. I want her singing forever and ever.

Happy Friday, friends! See Conversion Diary for more. Also, say a prayer for Jen! She's having her baby on Wednesday!!

*I've been miserably failing to follow most of my New Years' resolutions, actually, which is why I take the book buying limit one so seriously!

Have You Filed Your Taxes?

I almost didn't write one this week but, nonetheless, here is my volume 20:

one

Today is not, I repeat, not Tax Day. Tax Day was moved to Monday, because there is a holiday of some sort happening in Washington, D.C. Or, if you work at a tax law firm like I do, then every day is Tax Day!

two

Something I read for class, by Catholic Moral Theologian David Bohr:

The Christian life is like this. Faith is not usually a sudden inspiration that comes out of nowhere. Faith is a habit built up over time by doing faithful actions. Faith, as it was for the ancient Israelites, is not just a feeling or interior assurance, but is constituted in the real, material world by concrete practices. Faith is skillfully and wisely dealing with strangers, loved ones, money, genitals, and pots and pans. Faith is not usually something that comes in a flash of blinding light, but is built up over time by small actions like saying a prayer for a friend, cutting vegetables at a soup kitchen, putting one's rear end in a pew every Sunday morning. If faith takes hold, these sort of actions and a thousand others become second nature.

three

Spring is here, finally! Still cold-ish sometimes, but at least I can walk outside with my shoes off again, feet squishing against the grass and cool mud.

More things I like about spring: driving with my windows down again, bare legs, shorts, spring skirts, playing and running outside with the family dog, weekend croquet matches, no more cold weather, birds singing, warm breezes, anything nautical, sunshine.

What are things you like about spring?

four

One of my best friends from college/ Kappa is at culinary school in New York and I miss her a lot. Fortunately, she keeps a blog. Even for a non-foodie like me, I enjoy it. She's also been tying in Scripture verses to the beginning of her posts lately too, which gives new perspective. Check it out!

Vivy and me running down a hill in Georgia

five

My best friend (Bear-Bear, to those unawares) has an incredibly talented younger sister, whom I call Old Sport. Listen to her beautiful song here:

six

Doesn't this song just make you happy? This website on St. Augustine makes me happy too-- many thanks to Emina at Illumination for posting it! The libertarian allegory from the Mises Institute of Rebecca Black's song "Friday" is worth a chuckle too; and, as always, are you reading WSJ's James Taranto?

seven

We Bright Maidens had another lovely response to our post this week: saving sex for marriage. I must admit, I was rawther nervous about posting mine, but the responses, either public or private, were overall so gracious, that it made me feel very happy to share my stories and view point. Many thanks to Tito Edwards for featuring mine on National Catholic Register and The Pulp.It as well! AMDG!

In case you missed it:
"The More Things Change, the More They Stay the Same" by Julie Robison
"Cut to the Chaste." by Elizabeth at Startling the Day
"Three Strikes, I'm Out!" by Trista at Not a Minx

This next week's topic is finally to be revealed.... REVERSION STORIES! How three cradle Catholics "re-discovered" the Church, and why we've stayed Catholic. Being friends with Trista and Elizabeth, I can assure the audience that y'all will be in for a treat.

After Lent, we'll take a one week break, and then resume posts every two weeks. We'd like to invite anyone interested to write alongside us, and post it on our Facebook page! Or e-mail us the link, and we'll happily post it for you.

Happy Friday, folks! See Conversion Diary for more.

The Blissful Burden of Proof

The summer I spent in Washington, D.C. was a huge learning experience for me, especially outside my internship. I went to Philly for a conference and met a guy who also happened to be in D.C. for the summer. When we got back, he invited me out to dinner with a couple of his friends. I remember God coming up in the conversation, for some really random reason. They went around the table: Agnostic, Atheist, Agnostic. Then came me: Roman Catholic! I mostly listened, making a few comments when appropriate, but felt out of my element. All three did not grow up with any type of formal religion (unlike my own very structured upbringing), but, knowing that did help me better understand their thought processes.

At my internship, religion would just come up. I didn't even need to bring it up-- people would ask me what I thought, which is one of the highest compliments one can bestow on another. My cold little office had frequent visitors who liked to chat with me about politics, government, their day, music, growing-up and "the good old days" and yes, even religion. People knew I was Roman Catholic through general conversation, and thus confided in me: my editor was Jewish; the letters editor minored in Religion in college but aligned his beliefs closer to Christopher Hitchens'; the managing editor was a traditional Catholic; one of the editorial writers was Episcopalian but married to a Catholic; even the (now former) VP of editorial once felt the need to explain himself to me- he used to former Catholic- how he wanted to get married- how he wanted to have kids- how, yes he was dating someone, but had never met the One.

I'll never, however, concede to the notion that there is no proof for the existence of God.

This post was inspired by an article in yesterday's WSJ, "A Holiday Message from Ricky Gervais: Why I Am An Atheist" by British Comedian Ricky Gervais. It was shared via two friends of mine, both Atheists, and "liked" over 32,000 times, which I admit troubles me deeply.

Ave, Maria!

Today is the Feast of the Immaculate Conception! This feast day is a holy day of obligation for the Catholic Church. It is the solemnity celebrating the conception of Mary (not Jesus in Mary) because she, by the grace of God, was born without original sin so that she would be worthy of hold Jesus in her womb.

Our Lady of Perpetual Help, pray for us!

Just so we're on the same page: Roman Catholics do not worship Mary. We venerate her and seek her as an intercessor. Per Jesum ad Mariam-- to Jesus through Mary. She is worthy of our praise (not worship, she is not divine) because she is the Mother of God the Son. This is not to say that we cannot go to Jesus directly ourselves, but it is just another way of getting to know him. When you are getting to know a guy (or really, any person), don't you want to meet his family?

This is a really great video explaining the importance of Mary through Scripture:



Today is also the 30th anniversary of John Lennon getting shot and killed. I am not a huge fan of him or Yoko Ono, but The American Conservative ran an article on him today called "Stop Imagining" which is quite good.

First batch of Christmas cards were sent Monday, but the next batch will have to wait: 1031 position paper due asap, article due next Monday, the galley proofs for The Key's winter issue just arrived in my inbox and I am helping my cousin pack up her apartment this weekend. I'm also seeing Narnia with a group Saturday and taking a good friend out for a belated birthday dinner. Is it seriously the middle of the week? (The time has come, the Walrus said, to talk of many things...!)

Oh, and James Taranto e-mailed me back. If you do not know who he is, he runs a section of the WSJ and is fantastic (he writes the best headlines too!). I enjoyed yesterday's "Birther of the Nation" so much that I sent him an e-mail telling him so, because I am a big believer in giving feedback. He e-mailed me back today. BLISS.

A final thought: My friend Joy asked in a FB status what Beowulf would say in a toast. I wrote: Beowulf's wedding toast, as translated by Julie Robison: "May your fate be better than Grendel's, and your bride a better temperment than Grendel's mother's; may your mead always be abundant and your mead hall always merry; and may you have no fear when time demands it, and courage when others need it. Here, here!"

Then that got me thinking-- if you were to give a toast (wedding or otherwise) in the voice of a literary character, whom would you imitate and what would you say? (And if you give me a good one, I'll post it in tomorrow's poem of the week post!)

Happy Wednesday! Stay warm folks!

Does jelly count as a fruit?

Today is Friday and I am so glad. I am working on fixing my book review and am re-editing my friend's personal statement for her med school application. I did it yesterday, but then the computer did not properly save it. I was peeved, to say the least, since I did a super thorough job, but I'm doing it again purely out of love for Schubes.

The office feels slow, but there's lots going on.

Last night Matt and I got a beer at the Hawk 'n Dove, and it was great to just sit at the bar and enjoy our brews. Tonight is going to be busy, but uber-fun. Actually, I think that about sums up the weekend-to-be.

Great article in the WSJ by Peter Berkowitz called "Conservatism and the University Curriculum." Very excellent read.

And I think this about sums it up:
Brain: Pinky, are you pondering what I'm pondering?
Pinky: Are you pondering cheese sticks?

Newest Intern in the Mail Room

My editor is not coming in till later because she had to take her son to his wisdom teeth consultation. I finished my work for her, and then I went down to the mail room to pick up the books which had yet to be delivered, so that I could open them and put them in the boxes outside her office. I think I may have found two books to review. One is on the history of Iraq, and the other is on modern science and where it is going. We'll see what the editor is thinking. I can tell she feels bad for turning me down, but she shouldn't. I'm still a lowly intern.

Anyways, I pushed the mail cart up to Books, did my job, and pushed it back. On the way back, I stopped to tell my friend Aaron that a few of us (i.e. the Hillsdale interns) were going to lunch at 1, and he was free to join us. Anyways, so he asks about why I'm pushing the mail cart around, and then Carleton (the guy in charge of us interns) asks me in a concerned voice if I am now working in the mail room, to which I then explained to him of course not, I'm just doing extra work for Books. He seemed relieved, to say the least, although I do not think working in the mail room would be that bad. They have parties where they grill out. I want Editorials, Books, and Commentary to grill out too!

I've been paling (is that a word?) around with the Letters Editor today, which has provided much entertainment and keeps me from getting bored. I (along with the rest of campus) also found a great article in the WSJ on why Hillsdale is better than Harvard. No, really. Check it out.

I'm hungry, but still have to wait until 1. Hmph. Will now find other toady tasks to distract myself with until my editor returns. Rich, who is one of the heads in Editorials, has a special project for me, but he wants to wait until Carol (my editor) is back until he gives it to me. I am feeling like I am in Limbo until Carol gets back! Coooome baaack! Maybe I shouldn't get my work done so fast; oh the ironies of being efficient!

I am coffee-less today. I'd like to see how long I can go for (so far: two days), but I know I'll need it tomorrow. Maybe I shall start this over on Thursday.