Silent Night

The last quiet moment.

AMDG

O Emmanuel

O Emmanuel, king and lawgiver, desire of the nations,

Savior of all people, come and set us free, Lord our God.

Nativity, Fra Angelico

AMDG

My Soul Rejoices/O King of the Nations

Image Source: Used by permission of the artist, Owen Swain,
all rights reserved 2014 (may not be reproduced for
personal or commercial use without written permission of the Artist)

I wish I had had time to contact Owen Swain, who drew this picture, before yesterday, because it would have been the perfect image of Mary for the O Rising Dawn antiphon. This is my favorite image of Mary pregnant.

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O King of all the nations, the only joy of every human heart; O Keystone of the mighty arch of man, come and save the creature you fashioned from the dust.

AMDG

O Rising Dawn

O Radiant Dawn, splendor of eternal light, sun of justice: come, shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death.

AMDG

O Key of David

Yesterday, I had a dental emergency, which turned out well, but took a large part of the already busy
day, so this is for yesterday.

O Key of David, O royal Power of Israel, controlling at your will the gate of heaven: Come, break down the prison walls of death for those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death; and lead your captive people into freedom.

AMDG

O Root of Jesse

O Flower of Jesse’s stem, you have been raised up as a sign for all peoples; kings stand silent in your presence; the nations bow down in worship before you. Come, let nothing keep you from coming to our aid.

AMDG

O Adonai

O sacred Lord of ancient Israel, who showed yourself to Moses in the burning bush, who gave him the holy law on Sinai mountain: come, stretch out your mighty hand to set us free.

Moses and the Burning Bush attributed to
Dieric Bouts

Here is a video of the chant for today in Latin with the score.

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This painting by Kay Eneim is called Mary with Child. Ms. Eneim was kind enough to give me permission to use it here. You can see more information about the painting, and more of Kay Eneim's work here.

AMDG

O Antiphon House: O Come, O Come Emmanuel

This is our O Antiphon House. The O Antiphons are those which are said with the Magnificat in Evening Prayer (Vespers). If you are not used to praying with antiphons, it goes like this.

Ant. O Wisdom, O holy Word of God, you govern all creation with your strong yet tender care. Come and show your people the way to salvation. 

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior
for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant. 

 From this day all generations will call me blessed:
the Almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his Name. 

 He has mercy on those who fear him
in every generation. 

 He has shown the strength of his arm,
he has scattered the proud in their conceit 

 He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,
and has lifted up the lowly. 

 He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty. 

 He has come to the help of his servant Israelfor he has remembered his promise of mercy,
the promise he made to our fathers,
to Abraham and his children for ever. 

 Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now,
and will be for ever. Amen. 

Ant. O Wisdom, O holy Word of God, you govern all creation with your strong yet tender care. Come and show your people the way to salvation.

Or sometimes, you might pray the antiphon between each verse.

The antiphons for the evenings between December 17, and December 23 always begin with an invocation of Jesus, each one addressing him by a different title. The song, O Come, O Come Emmanuel is basically a list of all these antiphons. As you see above, the one for tonight is "O Wisdom."

Behind each of the little doors on the O Antiphon House, there is symbol representing whatever the antiphon of the evening is, so we take one off each day during our prayer time, and we sing the part of the song that goes with the day, and then the day before, and the day before until on the 23rd, we sing the whole song.

A few years ago, I wrote a series on the O Antiphons here. Unfortunately, they will show up in reverse order.

AMDG

Gaudete!

The third Sunday is called Gaudete Sunday, which means Rejoice! We are rejoicing because we roughly halfway through our waiting for the Savior. Of course, the only time it is exactly halfway is when Christmas falls on a Sunday, and since this year it is on Tuesday, we are well over halfway.

Today we light the pink candle in the Advent Wreath, the priest has the option of wearing rose vestments instead of purple, and ours did. This was the first reading.

Shout for joy, O daughter Zion!
Sing joyfully, O Israel!
Be glad and exult with all your heart,
O daughter Jerusalem!
The LORD has removed the judgment against you
he has turned away your enemies;
the King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst,
you have no further misfortune to fear.
On that day, it shall be said to Jerusalem:
Fear not, O Zion, be not discouraged!
The LORD, your God, is in your midst,
a mighty savior;
he will rejoice over you with gladness,
and renew you in his love,
he will sing joyfully because of you,
as one sings at festivals. Zephaniah 3:14-18a

And I can't resist posting this, even though it is really about Christ being already born.

AMDG

Abiding

This is my last group of Nativity figurines. The shepherds are here where they always have been, and where they still are. Who spends more time waiting patiently than a shepherd, and now, the king whom they are about to meet, will be known as one of their number.

He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: He shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his arm, and gently lead those that are with young. Isaiah 40:11

 Not your normal professional performance, but I love this little flock, and so nervous soloist.



AMDG

Another Visitor

Today when I got home from the grocery store, I pulled part way into my driveway, and then quickly stopped, because I saw this hawk sitting in a tree right next to where we park. It was nice of him to sit still long enough for me to get a picture. I tried to ease the car a little closer, but he flew away. I think it is a red shouldered hawk. I hope he comes back, I could easily watch him from my porch.

Other good ornithological news is that there was a chickadee eating my bird food, which up until today had been scorned by one and all.

Today is the feast day of St. Lucy on which it is the custom in some countries--Sweden in particular--for the oldest daughter to dress in a white robe and to wear a wreath of lit candles on her head and serve breakfast to the family. We actually did this once, although I could not bring myself to set fire to my daughter's head. We are a very clumsy family. I saw a St. Lucy's wreath made of felt the other day on someone's blog, and thought that that was probably what we needed. 

Wait! I see now that today is the 14th and not the 13th! Oh well. A day late.

I got the recipe for St. Lucy's saffron rolls from this little book, which is full of good bread recipes for every December occasion, and probably goes all the way to the Epiphany. I see it is available for $1..99 used at Barnes and Noble, and would be well worth the price.

AMDG

A Shoot Shall Spring Up

Today, while I was getting out the rest of my Nativity figures, I found this book, which I bought several years ago and promptly forgot. The Jesse tree is based on Isaiah 11:1, "A shoot shall spring up from the stump of Jesse [King David's father]; from his root a Branch shall bear fruit," and a legend that Jesse had a dream in which he saw all of salvation history.

It is modeled after the Jesse Tree Window in Chartres Cathedral.

This is only part of the window, but it's hard to get a picture that shows the whole thing, and still allows you to see the detail.  This panoramic picture gives the best view of the individual images. You can click to enlarge it, and then scan up and down the window.

The book has 24 pictures which you color and attach to a large piece of paper.

As you can see, there is a paragraph about each of the pictures to read before you

attach it to the mural.

In the end, you get a mural like the one on the cover of the book, except much longer.

You could do one a day, or several each day, especially if you have more than one child involved.

Sad to say, this book is no longer in print, and I almost feel bad about posting about it, but it seems that given the availability of images online you could probably come up with you own--maybe not this year, but there will be lots more Christmases.

AMDG

Just a Bit Today

Yesterday I spent almost the whole day sitting at my computer, taking care of some business; therefore, today, I am not going to spend much time on my computer, so I will be brief.

It took me a while to figure out where Mary and Joseph were going to rest on their way to Bethlehem this year because I moved their regular sitting place. I finally decided that the center of the Advent Wreath would be nice. 

I've been thinking about their journey. It was about 80 or 90 miles, so it had to have taken several days, so where did they sleep on the way? All those people who were filling the inns in Bethlehem, must have been on the road, too. Did they sleep in tents, or just in the open? It must have been an incredibly hard journey for a 9 months pregnant woman. When we drive 500 miles to see our son in a comfortable truck, I feel like I have been run over by said truck when we get there. How tired Mary must have been, and how concerned Joseph must have been.

Today is the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, which I wrote about here. If you live in an area where there are a lot of Hispanics, you have almost certainly seen this image around.

We know that Mary is pregnant in this image, which appeared miraculously on the tilma or cloak of a Mexican peasant, by the black belt tied above her waist, which was the custom of women in that place. There is a lot more information in the post I linked to.

AMDG

Visitors

Last night, we were visited by Jack Frost.

But yesterday, we had more substantial visitors.

There were six altogether.

This one kept looking up to check me out, and I spent a LOT of time standing stock still and freezing in front of an open window so they wouldn't leave.

I had been planning to post this painting by Mariotto Albertinelli of the Visitation of Mary to Elizabeth as one of the pictures of Mary while pregnant. When Gretchen posted an icon of the same event this morning, I thought today would be right day for it.

I love the intimacy of the gaze between these two women, who carry miraculous babies hidden within. How good it must have been for them to be able to talk to someone else who somewhat understood the work that God was doing in them. If you click once on the picture, you can see this better.

I love both paintings like this and icons. They can speak to us about the same event or person from different points of view. We can identify with this painting, and feel some of the emotions, joys, and worries that Mary and Elizabeth share. The icon, however, is a window from heaven. It is more idealized and helps us to see these events and people from an eternal perspective.

AMDG

We Saw His Star Rising

Today, I finally got out my next group of Nativity figures. This is our bedroom window, and it is as far east as you can get in the house. I set them up first because I figure it must have taken a lot longer for them to get to Bethlehem from Persia or wherever they were, than it took Mary and Joseph to get there from Nazareth.

We know very little about the Magi. We talk about three wisemen, and in the west we call them Gaspar, Melchior, and Balthazar, but we don't know where those names came from. We assume there were three because there were three gifts. In some places, the names are different and they believe that there were at least 20. At any rate, their main importance is that they were the first Gentiles to see Jesus. This was the moment when the Jewish Messiah was revealed as being the Saviour of the world.

My little Magi sitting on my bedroom window have no idea what lies ahead for them. If you told them, they had come such a long way to find a poor baby in a stable, they probably would have scoffed at the thought. None of us yet knows what surprises the might come at the end of our journey through Advent, all we can do is keep our eyes on the Light.

The earliest image of the Magi is found on a 3rd century sarcophagus. Images in catacombs and sarcophagi were the earliest Christian images. 

You can see this picture enlarged if you click on it once. You might notice that the gifts don't exactly look like gold, frankincense and myrrh.

I am going to departed a bit from my Advent Hymns, because somehow I just resist pointing you to this.

AMDG

There Hath Not Risen a Greater

Our gospel reading for the Second Sunday of Advent is Luke 3:1-6, John the Baptist crying in the wilderness, "Prepare the way of the Lord." This painting is from the Ghent Altarpiece by Jan van Eyck, which is one of the most complex and fascinating works of art in the world. Here, John is sitting on the left hand of Christ. He has on his heavenly robe, but his hair is still wild and bristling, he points to the Lamb of God, and he is wearing his camel hair clothing underneath the robe. I wish I knew what scripture that Bible is open to. I have looked at it very close up on a website where you can really enlarge the pictures, but I still can't tell.

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I'm going to keep it brief today because we are really busy. Instead of posting a video of a song, I'm going to link to a post that I did about six years ago with a list of the songs I recorded on a CD that I listen to during Advent. You can see it here

There are two versions of On Jordan's Bank on the list. We almost always sing this at Mass on the second Sunday of Advent.

And here is a reflection by a friend of mine on the second Sunday of Advent which features this song, and happened to appear on Facebook at just the right moment.

AMDG

Messengers

Meeting at the Golden Gate, Giotto
in the Scrovegni Chapel, Padua

In the Catholic Church, today, December 8, is the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. We believe that Mary, was preserved from original sin, which is a difficult teaching for most people who aren't Catholic, and about which I am not going to say much (although there is plenty out there on the internet if you interested) except that we believe this, not because of any merit of hers, but in preparation for her role as the Mother of Jesus.

The picture above, the work of Giotto di Bondone, is found in the Scrovegni Chapel in Padua. It is part of a series of paintings that illustrate the life of Joachim and Anne, the parents of Mary, as related in the Protoevengelium of James, which is an early apocryphal gospel. As such, it is not authoritative, and is likely at least in part in error. That, however, does not mean that it is entirely without truth, and the tradition that Joachim and Anne were the parents of Mary was ubiquitous in the early church, and they are honored as saints in both the Catholic and Ortodox Churches.

The story of Joachim and Anne is much like that of the parents of Isaac, Samuel, Samson, and John the Baptist. An elderly couple, is unable to conceive a child and one (or in this case both of them) is sent a heavenly messenger to announce that they will become parents. The picture above, represents the meeting of Joachim and Anne at the Beautiful Gate in Jerusalem after both have received the good news.

You can see the rest of the paintings in this series here.

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The gospel reading for the feastday was Luke 1:26-38, the visit of the Angel Gabriel to Mary to announce the coming of the Messiah, so I chose this song.

The angel Gabriel from heaven came,

 wings as drifted snow, his eyes as flame;

"All hail," said he to meek and lowly Mary,

"Most highly favored maiden." Gloria!

"I come from heav'n to tell the Lord's decree:

A blessed virgin mother you shall be.

Your Son shall be Emmanuel, by seers foretold,

Most highly favored maiden." Gloria!

Then gentle Mary meekly bowed her head;

"To me be as it pleases God," she said.

"My soul shall praise and magnify his holy name."

Most highly favored maiden, Gloria!

Of her Immanuel, the Christ, was born

In Bethlehem, all on a Christmas morn,

And Christian folk throughout the world will ever say, 

"Most highly favored maiden." Gloria!

AMDG

Little by Little

When I set up my crêche during Advent, I don't put everybody in the same place because nobody is there yet. Only the ox is in the stable, patiently waiting for someone to put something for him to eat in the manger. Well this poor ox doesn't even have a manger because Baby Jesus is glued into the manger, so He can't be there yet. I need to find a manger to put in there until Christmas.

Usually, Mary and Joseph and the donkey are somewhere on the road to Bethlehem in the living room. The shepherds are keeping watch over their sheep on the chest in the foyer. The magi and their camel are as far east as you can get in my house, which is on the sill of our bedroom window. And sad to say Baby Jesus and the angel are wrapped up in a drawer.

But actually, at the moment everybody except for the ox is still in the box. A few years ago, I read a book in which the main character put out one piece of her Nativity set each day during Advent. I thought that was kind of nice. It gives you a chance to think about all these people (and animals) individually. So this year I decided to get out one little group at a time.

This also gives me a chance to dust the places where they are supposed to be.

Aside from the crêche and a few garlands, I won't decorate much until right before Christmas. I haven't decided if I will have a tree. Maybe I should get a little one.

Here's today's Advent song. First, a simple version so you can hear (and read) the words . . .



and the Ely Cathedral Boys' Choir.


AMDG

Gold in Our Shoes and the Coming Messiah

I was planning to write something after dinner, but it just occurred to me that I have to leave for choir practice in just over an hour, so I will be brief.

St. Nicholas of Myra
by Jaroslav Čermák

Today is the feast day of St. Nicholas of Myra, who, unfortunately, has morphed into Jolly Old St. Nick. He was, however, a very real person, a bishop who was known for his defense against Arianism, and his generosity and good deeds. I don't have time to say much about him, but Gretchen Joanna has written a bit about him here.

There are many legends about St. Nicholas, which may or may not be 100% true, but which are surely underpinned by his real and renowned charity--charity both in the sense of giving to those in need, and the Christian charity of agape. One of these legends is that a man had three young daughters, but no money for their dowries, so as each one came of an age to marry, St. Nicholas threw a bag of gold coins into her window. 

It is the custom for children to leave out their shoes on the eve of December 6 so that St. Nicholas can fill them with goodies. When my children were young, I would give them candy: sometimes a candy cane, to remind them of his bishop's staff, a bag of gold foil-covered chocolate coins, and a small Santa ornament that looked as much as possible like St. Nicholas. I think that one time I found a tiny book about St. Nicholas, but I'm not sure. 

This year I was a little sad thinking about how there weren't any more little shoes in the house, so I fixed up a shoe for my husband. I gave him some chocolate coins, but they really aren't very tasty, so I also got him the kind of chocolate he really likes. My problem was that I forgot to do it last night, and only remembered when I saw Gretchen's post this morning, and he was already awake and reading in bed, but somehow I managed to sneak his shoe out without his knowing what I was doing.

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And another Advent hymn.

Advent Music and Mary Waiting

During Advent, I like to listen to Advent music. It's not that I don't like Christmas music, or have any objections to anyone else listening to it. I even sing along with it while shopping. (Now I know you will never go shopping with me.) It's just that there is some really great Advent music, and if you don't listen to it in Avent, when will you?

That there is a great deal of Advent music would probably come as a surprise to most people. So, over the next few weeks I will occasionally post videos of some of my favorites. The first one is Maria Walks Amid the Thorn sung by Choralation.



Maria walks amid the thorn,
Kyrie eleison.
Maria walks amid the thorn,
Which seven years
No leaf hath born.
Jesus and Maria.

What in her heart doth Mary bear?
Kyrie eleison.
A little child doth Mary bear
Beneath her heart,
He nestles there.
Jesus and Maria.

And as the two are passing near,
Kyrie eleison.
Lo, roses on the thorn appear!
Lo, roses on the thorn appear!
Jesus and Maria.

Kyrie eleison is Greek for Lord, have mercy.

I first came across this song in a book called Around the Year with the Trapp Family, written by Maria Von Trapp of The Sound of Music fame. In it, she tells about the religious traditions of her family.

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Here is another painting of Mary while pregnant--perhaps even in labor. It was painted in 1359 by Vitale da Bologna, and is called Madonna nell'attesta del parto (Mary in waiting for the birth). If you click once on the picture, you can see a larger view. If you click twice, it will go back the normal size.

It appears that part of the wall on which it was painted is tearing away. You can see that there is a little seedling on the table beside her, a sign of new life. She seems to be staring intently at the new growth. There are three little holes in the planter. I'm not entirely sure, but when there are three of anything, it usually signifies the Trinity. In her lap, indeed, in the very spot where Jesus will soon appear, there is a book. In medieval art when there is a book in a picture with Mary, it is a Bible, and if it is closed, it is the Old Testament. The time of Old Covenant has closed, and the New Covenant will become visible at any moment. In the lower left hand corner, there is something that might be a little dog, but on looking at it closely, I believe it to be a demon, anxious to devour the new baby. Above the picture itself it says, Anno MDCXIX, which is year 1619. I'm not sure what that could mean. Vitale died in 1369.

The more closely we look at these old paintings, the more we see. They give us a lot to think about, a lot to wonder about. They help us to meditate on the miraculous moment that is at hand, and help us to wait along with the mother of Jesus.

AMDG

The Wreath

While my husband and I have been lighting the candles on the Advent Wreath since Sunday, we have been moving it back and forth from one place to another until now, because it's normal resting place, the dining room table, has been covered with papers concerning my husband's recent (yesterday) retirement. Today, I was finally able to put it in it's proper place--not that I'm finished with the papers.

I've been thinking about why the Advent Wreath is so important to me, and I guess it is because we had one in my home when I was little. I don't remember how many years we had a wreath, in fact, I wonder if we only did it once. At any rate, I'm pretty sure that it was the only prayerful thing--aside from going to Mass--that we ever did in association with Christmas.

Since I first learned about the Advent Wreath in my Catholic family, I always assumed that it was originally a Catholic tradition, but no, it originated in the Lutheran Church, and was eventually adopted by Catholics. There is a great variety of style in Advent Wreaths. There don't seem to be any official requirements except that it be round--it is a wreath, after all--and that there are four candles. Traditionally in the Catholic Church, there are three purple candles, and one pink (rose, really), one for each week of Advent. The colors mirror the colors of the vestments that the priest wears on the Sundays of Advent. The purple is for penitence, and the rose is for joy, and is worn on the third Sunday, Gaudete (Latin for Rejoice) Sunday, because we are halfway through our time of waiting.

Also traditionally, there is some kind of greenery on the wreath--it is a wreath, after all--but now many people use just plain wood or ceramic wreaths. We have always used holly, or, because I am lazy, artificial holly, but many people use other kinds of evergreens, and some add flowers and ribbons, and other things. Our wreath is simple, because I prefer it that way. In the midst of all the preparation for Christmas, I want there to be a quiet, uncomplicated space.

The reason I like holly is that somewhere along the way, I learned certain questions about the symbolism of the wreath that I always asked the children before we lit the first candle.

Why is this wreath round?
Because it represents God, Who has no beginning and no end.

Why do we have these green leaves?
Because green is the color of hope. We are waiting in joyful hope for the coming of our Saviour.

Why do the leaves have little thorns?
To remind us of the nails that pierced Jesus's hands and feet.

Why these red berries?
To remind us of the blood that he shed for us.

Why purple?
Because we repent during Advent.

Why pink/rose?
Because we are rejoicing that we are halfway through our waiting.

Then my husband would say a simple prayer blessing the wreath, and I would light the candle, and we all said a short prayer, and sang Advent songs. Often when the children were young, we would have some sort of craft or activity.

Now that there are only the two of us, I don't ask the questions, but we light the candles and pray and sometimes sing. We are also watching a series of Advent reflections.

Oh, and the bowl. I started putting that in the center one year when I was reading Caryll Houselander's wonderful book, The Reed of God. If you are interested in what that is about, I wrote about it here.

AMDG

Those Who Wait for You Will Not Be Disappointed

"'Those who wait for you will not be disappointed.' (Ps. 25.3) Despite this gloomy time, with a certitude about life and faith, we have set up the Advent wreath, even though no one knows how long it will stand or whether all four of its candles will be lit. The course of the liturgical year and the message continues, and we keep on doing things -- but not for the sake of custom and tradition. It comes from a sense of certitude about things and humankind and revelation -- things that are fixed and valid in and of themselves. These give humankind the right to light candles and believe in the light and brightness of existence." Alfred Delp, SJ, "Homily for the First Sunday of Advent, November 28, 1943." He was arrested by the Gestapo in July 1944 and executed in February 1945, on the Feast of the Presentation.

I found this quote in my Facebook newsfeed this morning and decided it would be perfect for my blog today. While none of us in the United States today is in the desperate situation that prompted this homily from Fr. Delp, most everyone lives through Advent seasons during which we feel surrounded by gloom. There have been years when I felt it was just too difficult to make the effort to get out the Advent wreath, and when I felt like the Jews in Babylon who could not sing the Lord's songs in a foreign land. 

I cannot, in fact, remember if there was a ever a time that I succumbed to this temptation. I think it likely that there must have been at least one year. However, what I do know is that I was never sorry when I made the attempt, because those gloomy seasons are ones during which we most need to await in hope, even though we can't always summon up the joy.

Well, I didn't intend to write all that when I sat down. What I had planned to say that is that several people who are friends of mine on Facebook have posted updates about Fr. Delp (about whom I know nothing) lately, and when I saw this, I decided that the book quoted above, Advent of theHeart: Seasonal Sermons And Prison Writings 1941-1944, might be just what I was looking for to read this year. I haven't had time to begin yet, but I will write more about it as I go along.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

I thought that I would post some picture of Mary pregnant during Advent and here is the first one. I will attribute them if possible, but all I can find out about this one is that it is in Liegieghaus, Germany. All the images on Facebook are either on Pinterest or somebody's blog, so I don't know who took the picture.

AMDG

Beginning Again

Not this year but not much different.

It has been a long time since I thought much about writing on this blog, and I have thought many times that I ought to shut it down; however, I've never been able to make myself do it. I often think about things that I would like to write about, but somehow never get around to doing it.

But now it is Advent, and if I have written about anything on the blog, it is Advent. It is, as I have written before, my favorite time of the year, and the time, even more than Lent, when I am able to make a quiet space in my life. Anyone who knows me personally will probably think it's strange that I have a hard time finding that space. I quit my job at the end of January, and have very few commitments, but somehow, I am way busier than I want to be. Many of the things that keep me busy are things that I love like traveling to see my children and grandchildren, or having a house full of company for Thanksgiving, or my three book clubs. Some are downright frustrating, for instance trying to deal with making sure that my husband and I have insurance now that he is retiring.

As a result of all these things, this year we stumbled into Advent exhausted and unprepared. I had visions of having everything neat and organized, my Advent wreath on my purple tablecloth on the dining room table, and our purple dishes in the kitchen cabinets. (Yes, I know it's kind of over-the-top to have Advent dishes, but I really like Advent.) Instead, the desk in my living room is still covered with Thanksgiving decorations, and my dining room table is covered with papers, and we finally got the Advent wreath down right before dinner.

Still and all, we did light the first candle this evening and prayer for a bit, and I do have a sort of plan for Advent. For instance I am going to stay away from Netflix, etc. and use that time for reading and writing, and I have downloaded the Domincan Compline App, so that I can listen to the friars pray and sing compline every night, which I am about to do right now.

AMDG

Thinking and Friendship in Dark Times

 What [Arendt] called “the banality of evil” was the inability to hear another voice, the inability to have a dialogue either with oneself or the world, the moral world. 

Recently, it seems as if everything I read or hear has to do with the the need for an overarching belief or consensus for a culture or government to be able to sustain itself. And I have spent much of the past weekend talking about how impossible it appears to be for disparate parts of our culture to have any real discussion--how determined people seem to be not to hear one another. Coming home from church Sunday I heard an interview on On Being with Lyndsey Stonebridge about her essay, Thinking and Friendship in Dark Times, which touches on the difficulties and the necessity of the conversations that we aren't having. I think it is well worth listening to if you can find an hour to do it, or you could just scan through the text interview.

I see from looking around the internet that there is a renewed interest in Arendt at the moment, and that some people think other people are misusing her. Well, I don't know enough about that to comment one way or another, but I do think that some of the points made in the interview are worth thinking about.

AMDG

P.S. I cannot find that essay anywhere.

Terracotta Warriors

Ever since I first saw a picture of the terracotta warriors that guard the grave of Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of China, I have hoped that I could see them in person one day. My interest was peaked even more about 15 years ago when I read For the Time Being by Annie Dillard. Dillard had visited the site of the excavation and describes seeing,

. . . a man swimming through the earth. His head and shoulder and one raised arm and hand shot from the dug wall. His mouth was wide open, as if he were swimming the Australian crawl and just catching a breath.

What an image this is! And how strange it is to think of farmers walking over this massive army for 2000 years without knowing what was buried beneath their feet.

I would love to see the warriors in situ. Dillard says:

For it is in our lifetimes alone that people can witness the unearthing of the deep-dwelling army of Emperor Qin — the seven thousand or the ten thousand soldiers, their real crossbows and swords, their horse and chariots. (The golden smithies of the emperor!) Seeing the open pits in the open air, among farms, is the wonder, and seeing the bodies twist free from the soil. The sight of a cleaned clay soldier upright in a museum case is unremarkable, and this is all the future generations will see. No one will display those men crushed beyond repair; no one will display their loose parts; no one will display them crawling from the walls. Future generations will miss the crucial sight of ourselves, as rammed earth.

I would so love to see this, but I can't imagine that I ever will, so when my daughter-in-law suggested that we might want to go to Terracotta Army: Legacy of the First Emperor of China at the Cincinnati Art Museum while we were visiting, I jumped at the chance. Cleaned and upright in display cases they certainly were, but remarkable to see all the same.

This is a picture of a general with my husband standing behind in the shadows.

I had to laugh when I saw the (unplanned) similarity in their stances, especially when I saw this.

My son with the hands a bit different but the exact same expression on his face as the soldier.

If you click once on the picture, you should be able to see this better.

The fact that each face has its own very definite expression, is one of the most impressive thing about these warriors. There are, after all, about 8000. This is my favorite expression.

He is so intent, so watchful. That is the expression I want to see on the face

of someone who is guarding me.

I don't know who that is driving the horses. Maybe just an anonymous driver.

This is my favorite of the statues. You will notice that his isn't a warrior

and he isn't as detailed as the other statues. He is a servant,

and he was found in a tomb with the bones of the royal horses.

His job is to care for them in the afterlife.

I was also excited to see these:

If you have watched Asian movies or even just seen pictures of Buddhist temples, 

you will be familiar with this roof construction that has long circular tubes 

with round tiles at the end. These are the tiles.

As you can see in this picture, which was taken at the Memphis zoo, it is hard

to get a look at the detail of the round tiles,

so I was happy to see the tiles in the exhibit.

There were many other artifacts in the exhibit. Here are a couple.

If you click on the picture, you can see the detail of the inlay better,

although you won't be able to see the tiny writing on some of the pieces.

I can't imagine how long it must take to make something like this.

This is a silkworm. It could sit on a half dollar.  The reason I like it

is because it reminds me of this guy.

If you are going to be in or around Cincinnati before August 12, 2018, I would highly recommend checking out the exhibit.

AMDG