From Many Burdened Hearts... A Prayer Request

Not so long ago, one of my best friends sent me a recording of fifteen decades of the Rosary, in Psalter-style Gregorian chant. Of course, I was delighted - what a rare treasure to find on YouTube, of all places! The recording was beautiful, and I cannot express enough thanks to both my friend and the user who put the video up. But there was a catch. As is a bad habit I have, my eye came upon one of the comments on the video. The comment in question claimed that the Luminous Mysteries are not part of the Rosary and not to be honored as the rest. It also called Vatican II the "Judas Council," and claimed that a concern with sedevacantism was motivated by pride and ignorance, as well as being irrelevant. Of course, everyone knows that reading comments online, accidentally or not, is a bad idea because there are such things as trolls. But here's the catch - the comment in question was made by the maker of the video.

I was very confused when I first read the comment, of course - why would such a seemingly orthodox user almost pointblank deny the Pope's authority, as well as insult other devout Catholic listeners? Well, I scrolled back up to the information on the video, and found similar claims by the author contained within, including, even, a link to an essay claiming that St. Pope John Paul II could have been a heretic.

What a horror. Unfortunately, it's not actually that uncommon, this bizarre occurrence. In fact, it's rather become a trend in some traditional Catholic circles - not most, no, but there are a few where its roots are planted quite firmly. The root in question is a mindset which is mostly quite traditional and orthodox, but has two sometimes mortal flaws. Firstly, the more common and less mortal one, is to assume, in a matter where the Church allows open opinion (such as the death penalty, modest dress, movies, or prayer outside of Mass), that one single opinion is the written, de facto, absolute law. This is just snobbery - it's not pleasant, but it's not apostasy. The second flaw is a more serious one: the tendency to view anything given by the Church (including but not limited to the Pope, the councils, and the bishops) that is anything less than 100% traditional as heretical.

It is a terrible mindset. But why is it so terrible? It is terrible because it rips the Church limb from limb, and divides even orthodox Catholics among themselves in a time when unity is so, so very important, and allegiance to the Church even more so. This refusal to accept anything that is not gleaming with idealism is a refusal to accept the Catholic faith, which is not idealism, but, rather, an attempt to reach the immortal idea, and the immortal Good. A defense of Vatican II and its actual traditionalism, or an argument against the sedevacantist viewpoint is best left for another day - that's not the point.

Unfortunately, it takes some bitter medicine sometimes to get the real point to us - this is definitely the case with me. Call me uncharitable (as I can be), but my first thought, coming back to the YouTube user above, was not "Lord, help his soul, please," but, rather, "Oh dear... Why must you spoil this...?". Thank the Lord for memory... because my second thought was to remember something.

A friend of mine who was in the Tridentine Schola with me back when I lived in Virginia was one of the most devout Catholics I have ever met. He was reserved, kind, well-read, and had a devotion and intelligence quite rare. He was even discerning the monastic life... before something else happened. When more scandal broke out in the Church, including the sex abuses, Pope Francis' editing of the Catechism, and word of a few awry councils, my friend left the Church, determining that the seat of Peter was empty - there was no authority left. As far as I know, he is still a sedevacantist, and I have only seen and talked to him once since he left.

That was probably the only thing that connected me to the misled YouTube user - a friend who, despite all goodness and presence of mind, thought exactly the same way. I don't know to what extent the man on YouTube has fallen from the Church. I cannot judge his soul. I could not even tell you if, at this point, he has changed his mind about the statements he made on the video - I pray that he has. But this connection made me realize something: there is so much sorrow, so much suffering in the Church, from being led away by such views, and also, so much more, from the heretical spirit that inverts so many progressive churches, and gives these people so much doubt about the Rock of St. Peter. It is a terrible burden that the Church has, to bear sin upon its shoulders as Christ did, and it is far too easy to despair because of it.

Please, pray for my friend. Pray for the Youtuber. And pray for all those burdened hearts that have lost their grip on the Rock Christ built on. Because they who could be the life of the Church are struggling to live themselves.

The Pain of a Memory - Part XI

The previous part (with the rest of the links) can be found here.

***

Anwynne crossed her arms. Any minute now, Rogan could return and re-request her acquiescence to his proposition. And she was quite sure he would too. But she was quite determined not to give in. Anwynne would do whatever she had to, just to avoid giving Rogan any reason to think she was complying.

And just then, almost as though in response to her anticipation of it, Rogan and Ariff stepped into the cave room where Anwynne was. Speaking of..., thought Anwynne dryly. And sure enough, Rogan nodded to Anwynne. At this, Ariff went to Anwynne, and carried her back into the dark room of before, Rogan following. Once Ariff had set her down in there, he promptly left. And Anwynne was once more alone with Rogan. But she wasn't going to be afraid this time...

Rogan turned to Anwynne as the door closed behind Ariff. He smiled felinely. "I'm sure you know exactly why you're here, Queenship, so I'm going to save words, and cut right to the part where you finally make an answer to my little proposition."

Anwynne folded her hands determinedly. "Why don't you tell me something interesting, rather than boring me with your dull outlaw talk, Captain."
Rogan shrugged. Then his expression hardened a bit. "Why don't you tell me something interesting, Highness, since you're the one who already knows everything about me."

Anwynne nodded stubbornly. "Fine" She looked around, trying to think about something else she might have heard from Rogan and Ariff's conversation. She couldn't think of anything... So she would take another risk. "I have a story to tell you, Captain."

Rogan leaned against the wall in a leisurely manner and nodded to her swaggeringly. "Do tell me your little tale then, Highness."

Anwynne nodded coldly. "I will" She looked out. "There was, come time ago, a man who was alone. Whether he remained alone or not was never known to anyone else, though, because something happened. Something terrible happened to him, and he was taken a prisoner."

Rogan had lost a little bit of his swagger, but he still attempted a cool tone. "By whom, may I ask?"

Anwynne turned to Rogan coldly. "Someone he couldn't protect himself from. Much time passed of his imprisonment, but still he was not free. Soon enough, he lost all hope of ever being released or escaping, and he was locked away in a dark cave, where no one could find him. He was there so long, so, so long... He would even be there now if another thing had not happened."

She glanced at Rogan. Rogan had paled considerably, and his look was grim and stony. Good. At least I am getting to him more.

So Anwynne continued. "Yes, a thing happened which ended his lonely, miserable imprisonment. One day, he died. Alone, with no one to cradle, heal, or miss him. All alone, with only bitter memories to comfort him in his darkest hour. And no one ever missed him, and no one ever knew..."

Anwynne swallowed to prevent herself from choking a sob. When she spoke again, her voice sounded to her very harsh from her shakiness. "All alone... And there his story ended, because no one was there even caring to remember it."

Anwynne looked down a moment, closing her eyes. Then, once she felt herself more steady of countenance, she looked back at Rogan.

Rogan's face was pale, and the expression in his eyes was cold, but surprised. He glanced down at her keenly, with an air of stoniness and shock to his observation of her. He recovered himself quickly in his expression, but in his eyes there was still almost a certain measure of harsh curiosity.

Perhaps he knew of what her story was about... Perhaps she had actually gotten to him... Anwynne glared up at Rogan determinedly. He wouldn't gain any victory over her, nor even believe he had... not for a moment.

Anwynne nodded to Rogan coldly. "Well, I have told you a story, Captain. Now you tell me one."
Rogan shrugged, perhaps in an attempt to recover his easiness of stance, though the action was grim, and little easy-seeming. "Alright, Princess" His expression then turned very hard. "Since you so delight in such stories, I shall tell you one very similar to that one."

He started to pace a bit. "Once there was a boy, a very young boy. He was very similar, perhaps, to the man in your own story, Highness. Only a boy he was, only almost five and ten years. Once his fifteenth birthday arrived, though, a terrible thing happened. A war had long been raging, and it was at its peak at this point. The boy's birthday fell just at its peak, when it was calling men of fifteen or older to fight in the war. So the boy was forced to fight, in the same war that had raged for years, killing everyone he knew. He had wandered alone for so long..."

Rogan turned his back to Anwynne. "He had but only one friend... A friend who was much older, who had found him wandering alone, and yet befriended him. When the boy was called away to war, his friend - his greatest friend - volunteered to fight also, only so that he might accompany the boy. The boy... he thought it would be alright, fighting in this war, since he had his friend with him..." Rogan's tone became bitter.

"He was only a boy, though, and boys have no sense. He knew very well all the terrors and desolations of war, and yet he allowed his own only friend to join him... He was a selfish, ignorant boy, who never thought once of the consequences of his friend's decision. His friend had a family, and was married... His friend had to support a wife... And yet, the boy thought nothing of it, only thoughtlessly allowing his friend to make that choice for his sake." Rogan's fists clenched.

"His friend's family even came to the boy's country, just so that they could see the boy's friend when the regiments were encamped. The very first battle the boy was to fight alongside his friend was not far from them... At that very first battle, against the brutal country that had started the war, the boy's friend..." Rogan's form stiffened.

"Well, the boy's friend died. He died in the battle, just feet away from the boy, right in front of the boy's eyes, leaving the boy all alone in the world. And the boy..." Rogan suddenly cut himself off, and turned back to Anwynne, a statue-like coldness upon his face. "Well, I believe you have most likely grown tired of hearing about the miserable boy at this moment, Highness. Perhaps now you will answer my question of earlier?"

Anwynne remained deliberately still and silent.

"Fine." Rogan turned away from her again, going to the door. "Then our audience is finished until tomorrow."

Then Rogan strode out of the dark room, his cape falling behind him as he took his leave.
Anwynne could not puzzle out the purpose of his story, but could only think of one thing... She had won another day for Errius and Elystra.

***

August Updates

I suppose it's been a while since I've done a general life update post, so I'll remedy that now. As always, I seem to have misplaced my time and written the post after an awkward silence has already arisen... which, also as always, I apologize for. One of these days, I'll get my head on straight and actually blog like a real blogger. Perhaps today will be the start. Anywho… I suppose I'll get onto books first, since that's what's important.

Books

The Lost Cause by E. A. Pollard

Because this book is as thick as a Tolstoy novel, I still have not finished it. It is, however, a highly commendable book from what I have read so far.

 The Lost Cause is a Southern history of the Civil War, and is mostly very accurate (except in battle statistics and a slight pro-Southerner prejudice, it has been quite infallible so far). While it is nonfiction, it reads very much like high fiction, and is extremely light of prose, if rather heavy of bulk. The way the war is characterized in it certainly makes you feel the tragedy that the war was - while it brought about a good thing, it certainly spared no cost to get there, in a "the end justifies the means" sort-of way. 

Overall, I would highly recommend it, providing you have a source of more updated battle statistics for the War to follow along with.

King Lear by William Shakespeare

I  am also still in the midst of this one, due to my policy of having an "at home" book and a "traveling" book. King Lear leaves with me because it's probably about the size of one chapter from The Lost Cause.

As far as Shakespeare goes, the prose (does one use the word "prose" for a play...?) is fairly easy to follow, and the vocabulary is mostly self-explanatory. The plot is, so far, extremely interesting, especially since, unlike seemingly everyone else I know, I actually do not know how it goes (because apparently my education on Shakespeare is very limited...). The characters come through very well, though it is hard to pick a favorite yet, as I am only about halfway through.

As it is Shakespeare, I would be a snob, not to mention egotistic, to give or withhold recommendation of the document to readers - it's a classic, so it should be read regardless. However - for my own opinion and those who have one of similar genre, I have certainly enjoyed the book.

The Slippery Slope by Lemony Snicket

Alas, I am still working my way through A Series of Unfortunate Events rather slowly, but every library trip brings me closer...

This particular episode of Mr. Snicket's was definitely one of the best ones I've read. Honestly, as light and comically-inclined as Lemony Snicket's writing is and all, I have rarely read such a brilliantly simple presentation of the question of evil. Mr. Snicket, through the tale of the Baudelaires and their misdemeanors, asks us all a question that is fundamental to human existence - "What is evil?". And, wordlessly, he gives us the answer as well. While many different characters in the series have many different answers, including evil as a necessary balance to good, evil as an entity all its own, evil as an ignorance of reality, and a good few others, he continually shows us that evil is the crack in a broken glass - a distortion of something that could have been good. While many other running themes in the story definitely bear mention (such as "the ends do not justify the means," suffering as a basic part of life, and the beauty of classical reason), this is probably the one best illustrated in the series.

The whole series is recommended - and this installment no less.

The Grim Grotto by Lemony Snicket

Coming directly after The Slippery Slope, I was slightly disappointed by this one, which was not quite as good. It was, nonetheless, good writing, and an intriguing update to the series. Overall, I think I didn't like it as well just because of the general setting and the side characters, both of which were personal preference, I suppose. As a whole, it continued Mr. Snicket's sterling plot with a razor-sharp suspense that left one roaring for the next edition. The theme could have used a little more fleshing-out as opposed to the book's predecessors, but it was a small detail in light of the plot development. 

Barnstormers by Megan Chappie

If you have not heard of it yet, I suggest looking it up on her blog, here (as I am very bad at summarizing other people's works). Barnstormers, so far, has had a potent flavor and beautifully rustic prose - enough to make one's mouth water in literary awe. I would wholeheartedly recommend it.

(The cover is Catherine's.)

The White Rose by Catherine Hawthorn

Poor Catherine... She's had to put up with one of the slowest (and probably least helpful) alpha readers ever, but has been a doll about it. I am still not even halfway, though I picked up this wonderful book almost a month ago... *cough cough procrastination cough* Anyways, though, so far the work has been quite refreshing - new ideas, thorough setup, and classic romance. What more could a reader ask for?

As a whole, I would certainly recommend it, though I also recommend looking it up via Catherine's blog (here) rather than Belle's ranting. 

***

Unfortunately, as a whole, I did not get in nearly as much reading as I would have liked (so I apologize for the short list) - hopefully this month will be better.

Movies

The Egg and I (1947)

My best friend set to her work with educating both me and my dear friend, Megan Chappie, on the beauty of the Murray and Cole pairing. The Egg and I was her very first attempt, and I'd say it met with fair success. I mean, cute romance, chaotic chicken farming (with screwball comedy), and loveable old movie side characters - how much better can it get?

No Time For Love (1943)

Starring Claudette Colbert (It Happened One Night) and Fred MacMurray (The Happiest Millionaire), the movie was a romantic comedy chronicling an eccentric photographer (Colbert) accidently losing a grouchy ditch-digger (MacMurray) his job, and trying to make up for it by hiring him as an assistant. It was utterly hilarious, with a thrilling climax wherein Colbert is nearly drowned in the very tunnel MacMurray worked in, trying to get him his job back. The movie was another one of my first "Murray and Cole" experiences (shocking, I know, but apologies to any Murray-Cole fans out there), and I must admit I found the pair delightful - the oh-so-feminine and oh-so-clever Colbert with down-to-earth, ultra masculine MacMurray was a paragon of the saying "opposites attract." Aside from a cheesy dream scene, the movie was certainly recommendable.

Family Honeymoon (1948)

This was the top of the Murray and Cole streak for the month. This one was screwball comedy at its best - a widowed mother of three (Colbert) marries a young bachelor (MacMurray) and then finds out that there is no one to keep the children whilst the two are on their honeymoon... chaos ensues. The movie came just a week too late to be added to my movie block of pro-family movies, unfortunately, but I would definitely add it as an honorable mention for its beautiful pro-family theme. The need of a father for children was illustrated both comedically and deeply in it, and the strength of marriage was a theme to save the story. This was easily the best of the Murray-Cole bunch.

Teacher's Pet (1958)

This one was a re-watch, but since it's been a while, and I don't believe I've blogged about it for a while, it's worth bringing up. While definitely a slightly more adult movie as far as Golden Hollywood goes, it's a splendid romantic comedy with splendid acting, courtesy of the star-studded cast of Clark Gable (It Happened One Night, Gone With the Wind), Doris Day (The Thrill of it All!, Young at Heart, The Winning Team), and Gig Young (Young at Heart). Gable plays a cynical newspaper editor who attempts to play a prank on night-school journalism teacher, Doris Day, and gets the butt end of the joke in the end. With Gig Young playing the teacher's best friend, an amiable, know-it-all psychologist as a side character, the comedy was played to perfection. For anyone over the age of twelve who enjoys romantic comedies, I would certainly suggest this one.

The Black Swan (1942)

This one's another re-watch. Tyrone Power (The Mark of Zorro, The Razor's Edge) and a young Maureen O'Hara (The Quiet Man, The Parent Trap) head the action/adventure movie's cast with some swashbuckling splendor. Telling of some of the escapades surrounding the infamous Cap. Morgan's rise to the government of Jamaica, the movie is refreshingly unprejudiced and honest concerning piracy. Neither English nor Spanish is favored or libeled in the movie, and Catholicism is not butchered... *glares at Errol Flynn movies* Likewise, piracy is not really romanticized except by a couple of the pirates themselves, and the movie shows it for exactly what it is - drunkenness, debauchery, thievery, and mercenary violence. It is not at all portrayed as desirable. *glares at The Pirates of the Caribbean movies* And even aside from the splendid figure cut by Mr. Power, the movie is worth watching.

The Black Rose (1950)

I'm sensing a theme in the titles of Tyrone Power movies... Anyways, though, Tyrone Power stars in another action movie here, set in late medieval England, Mongolia, and China. (Other honorable mentions in the cast include the inimitable Orson Welles.) On a whole, it's a slightly odd movie, with the exotic Oriental feel through most of it, but the quality is sublime, and the story is unbiased and truthful... even on the dreaded topic of Normans vs. Saxons, which is unusual even for old movies. 

King's Row (1942)

As the final movie of August, I explored a famous movie of Ronald Reagan (The Winning Team). King's Row was a historic suspense/drama uncovering a sequence of strange and tragic events in a town of the same title, with Robert Cummings (It Started With Eve) and Reagan heading the cast. The movie was about as suspenseful as I could stand - it was all I could do to keep watching. So, as my form of recommendation... a warning - to those who are faint of heart, hesitate before watching. To those who enjoy suspense, have at!

Music

As far as artists discovered in August go, the only one of note was Clamavi de Profundis, a chant/polyphony/fantasy music group that wrote some splendid musical renditions of many of Tolkien's poems. I highly recommend looking them up, especially their take on the Song of Beren and Luthien. 
As for my own music, I have been fairly inactive except for the binge-reading of a few songs over in Lia's corner.

Other General Life Events

This past weekend, I just arrived back home from Amish Country in Northern Ohio. Amish Country was beautiful, with hearty food and hearty society, making one's heart ache for days of yore. It was a beautiful trip, and I hope to visit there again at some point. 

School also started up for me as of today, which will make blogging a bit harder... though I intend to try nonetheless, of course... 

I also recently met the splendiferous Catherine Hawthorn in person, which was a wonderful experience. The authoress of one of my reads above was a pleasure to meet, and I only wish that the visit had been longer.

On a whole, as usual, I have been busy, but relatively unproductive - a horrid combination, if you ask me ("We didn't ask you!"). Anyhow, though, this post is horrendously long, so I suppose I shall sign off despite that rather unfortunate note...

And what of my beloved readers? What have all of you been up to? Listening to any good music? Watched any good movies? Read any good books? Any life updates at all? Chat with me - tell me all about what's up and down with you!