One of these days, I will develop a knack for consistency. For now, it’s great to be back! Here are my 7 Quicks Takes to bring y’all up to speed on what is going on in my life.
What I’m doing. Tomorrow, I will be road-tripping it very early in the morning to pay a visit to the Carmel of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph in Elysburg, PA. As some of my regular readers no doubt remember, my close friend and sister-in-Christ Channing Dale is slated to enter this community of Discalced Carmelite nuns on July 13, so tomorrow she and I will be making a visit to the monastery for 8 AM Mass, prayer, and hopefully a visit with Mother Stella-Marie. I’ve been looking forward to this trip for months, and I am SO EXCITED that it is finally here!!! Over the past six months I’ve kind of fallen in love with this community of nuns from afar, and I’m sure visiting their monastery will only cement the place they have in my heart and prayers.
What I’m reading. One nice thing about the arrival of summer is that I finally feel like I have time to spend on some light pleasure reading, i.e. I so desperately needed a break from a diet consisting solely of academics and spiritual reading that I’m plunging into the fun stuff whether I have the time or not. But I do. 
Right now my novel of choice is Shadowplay, the second volume in Tad William’s Shadowmarch quartet. I had previously read his standalone novel The War of the Flowers, which was superb and if you’re any kind of fan of good fantasy literature, you need to read that book. So far, the Shadowmarch series has measured up that other work. It is an excellent epic of adventure, intrigue, and awakening magic which manages to finely straddle the line between low and high fantasy. Where the novel finds its real strength, though, is in its players. Williams populates his world with a magnificent cast of fully-realized, three dimensional characters, ranging from the quietly heroic to the comically foppish all the way to bone-chillingly evil. The world of Shadowmarch is one in which one can totally immerse oneself, and after all, isn’t that what one looks for in a sprawling fantasy epic?
On the comic book front, I took a break for a couple months from my regular series, but I swung through my local last week and cleaned out half of my reserve box. One series worth noting: Grant Morrison’s run of DC’s Action Comics came to an end with Issue #18, and looking back on his contribution I have…mixed feelings. Don’t get me wrong, Morrison is a superb storyteller, and I loved the voice he gave to a Superman who was shown right at the start of his career as a superhero. However, the overarching plot was almost painfully complex. There were five-dimensional entities and altering timelines and a couple instances of “Wait, who ARE these people?!” that were never fully answered, and even when I went back and read all eighteen issues in one go, it still made my head hurt a little to try and keep everything together. It is a testament to Grant Morrison’s skills that the story arc wasn’t a total disaster; a lesser writer likely would have imploded from trying to keep everything straight, but as it was he crafted an enjoyable tale of the first months of Superman under the malevolent gaze of a god-like entity bent on his total destruction. Still, with Andy Diggle (whose work on “The Laughing Magician” story arc of Hellblazer I greatly admire) taking the helm, I’m hoping to see the Man of Steel in some adventures that are just a tad less cerebral.
What I’m watching. The big new show that has me hooked is SyFy’s latest original series, Defiance.
If you make your way over to Episode 120 Stephanie Weak’s TV Rewind podcast, you can hear her read my review of the series premiere. Long story short, I’m loving it. It’s science fiction that feels like a western, set in a mid-21st century Earth that has been invaded, terraformed, and warred over and now plays home to half a dozen or so alien races living more or less harmoniously with the native humans. The eponymous town of Defiance is a microcosm of this new Earth, and like the old it has got more than enough problems to keep the town’s new Lawkeeper Joshua Nolan, played to the hilt by Australian actor Grant Bowler, busy using his gun, his fists, and his wits to keep the peace and save the town from destruction by shadowy outside forces. Well-written, compelling character driven driven series.
Oh yeah, and it also stars TV veteran Julie Benz (of Buffy, Angel, and Dexter fame), who plays Mayor Amanda Rosewater and who strides around the set like she owns not just it, but the entire concept of television.
What I’m listening to. There were three major CD releases in the past few weeks that have been dominating my iPod of late.
The first is Catholic artist Matt Maher’s latest album, All The People Say Amen (Live), which as the title would suggest, consists mainly of live cuts of some of his most popular songs, with a few others tracks thrown in to mix things up. Even though I’ve heard a number of the songs before, this is still an incredibly fun album that really hits you with the life and energy that Matt Maher brings to the stage as a performer. If he comes on tour in my area, I definitely want to hit up one of his concerts; based on the album, it would be a total blast!
Next up is album by some folks who I know I’ll never see on tour, because they’re cloistered Benedictine nuns! The Benedictines of Mary, Queen of Apostles released their second album of sacred music, Angels And Saints At Ephesus, and it is indescribably beautiful. The tracks consist of mostly Latin hymns with some English selections scattered throughout, and every single one has the effect of transporting the soul. The first track, “O God Of Loveliness”, makes me want to weep for joy. This CD is a genuine treasure and a wonderful part of the Catholic Church’s beautiful and millennia-long musical tradition. Plus by purchasing, you can play a role in supporting these nuns in their vocation!
Oh, and WATCH THIS VIDEO!!
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Finally, on a secular note, my favorite indie rock group Vampire Weekend put out their third album this week, Modern Vampires Of The City. It’s too early to say if this is my favorite album of theirs, but I definitely like the direction their sound has taken since Contra came out several years ago. The past couple of days I have been mildly hooked on the third track of the album, “Step”. Good stuff.
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What I’m playing. I am decidedly not a gamer, but I do enjoy it as an occasional diversion. So when I saw this trailer for Leviathan: Warships, I had to purchase the game solely on how hilariously awesome its trailer was. No regrets.
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Who I’m looking to for intercession in prayer. I’ve been looking to two new heavenly intercessors lately. The first is Saint John Vianney, the Curé of Ars, who is the patron saint of parish priests. School remains…challenging, and with the disappointing way the end of this past semester unfolded, I have been really struggling to hold onto hope and keep working towards whatever future God has in store for me. At times it seems like I am never going to be able to bring myself where I need to be, and that no matter what God is calling me to do with my life, I am going to wind up falling short and disappointing Him. Looking to the example and asking the assistance of St. John Vianney, who only completed seminary by the intervention and under the tutelage of an older priest, yet went on to become a model of excellence for the priesthood, is both a comfort and an encouragement to continue to place all my trust in God and to keep striving towards Him.
My second intercessor is Blessed Elizabeth of the Trinity who, like St. Thérèse of Lisieux, was a nineteenth century French Carmelite nun who after a short life of profound holiness passed away in her twenties due to illness. I’ve been encountering her through her writings, both the letters she wrote while a nun and some meditations she composed while she was dying, and have become quite captivated. Her kindness towards everyone just about radiates off the page, and one cannot help but smile at the beautiful love and joyful longing she possessed for Christ. I feel as if she and I would have been great friends had we known each other in life, and I can sense a spiritual friendship beginning to flourish. A couple weeks ago I was praying in the Adoration Chapel and was having a very difficult time settling my thoughts and really entering into a prayerful state. I had been reading some of her letters a short time before, so acting on some interior prompting, I asked if she would kindly help me, and then with the image of her standing over my right shoulder, I bowed my head and started again to pray. All difficulty instantly disappeared.
Remember, the saints are not just our patrons and examples, but our friends as well. Befriend them!
What I’m wearing. A beard! My Razorless Lent ended up turning into an entirely new look.
Have a blessed Friday!
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