7QT {v. 12} - we happy few

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Finally, back to the blog. It's been a while - a much-needed hiatus, if you will. Every now and then it's a good idea to take some time and refresh your mind, your spirit. So, I thought, what a great day to return to blogging - St. Crispin's Day!

Also known as, An Excuse to Put Tom Hiddleston On My Blog Day

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At last, The Furlough has ended! Things can kind of go back to normal around here... It was a wake-up call to have the rug pulled out from under us like that; everything you depend on can be taken away just like that. Politics has always involved a certain amount of theatre (the Tudors, anyone?) but this was really too much. 

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Speaking of monsters, completely coincidentally, Ignatius Press is releasing a new edition of Bram Stoker's Dracula that coincides with the premiere tonight of NBC's "Dracula" series. Though I think this new series is more about sex than ancient pagan rituals, it's striking to me how obsessed with the occult and/or demonic our culture has become. Movies, books, TV shows, etc. - for a society that has decided religion is medieval hogwash, they are awfully obsessed with it.

Not your grandpa's Dracula...

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“The world, and men for whom His Son die, will not be given over to monsters … we go out as the old knights of the Cross.” -Van Helsing, Dracula

What's not included, notably, in many (if not all) of these depictions is any sign that the forces of good in this world stand a fighting chance against evil. Should we, as Christians, be dwelling on this as much as our culture is wont to do? Of course not. (“…there are things old and new which must not be contemplate by men’s eyes.”)  But we do have a role to play. In this brief article on the new Ignatius edition, the author notes how Bram Stoker accords this vampire the exact right silliness he deserves, and the exact right seriousness. Maybe we have something to learn from this. Maybe we shouldn't get too cozy with this strange, uneasy alliance. What do you all think? Agree, disagree, confused?

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Is it just me or do you feel like Pope Francis is speaking right to you? Lately, reading reports of his daily homilies, I have been so convicted by his words. 

 "The royal road the Lord paved for us 'is not a path to poverty for poverty’s sake' but rather 'an instrument so that God might remain God and the only Lord of our lives."

"For idolatry is a form of impiety...What is lacking is the sense we all have within us to adore God ... we all need to adore, because we have God's very imprint within us” and “when we do not adore God, we adore creatures”

"To hear the voice of God in one’s life, one needs to open his heart to surprise. Otherwise, one can start 'fleeing from God."

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And one more amazing quote from another awesome pope:

via Cassie Pease Designs

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Fall is slowly fading into winter; you feel the new cold snapping at your skin in the air now. What I love (among other things) about these fall-winter months is finding a good, long book or two you can really sink your teeth into. I just picked up the much-hyped, Man Booker-nominated book, The Goldfinch, by Donna Tartt, because it was shiny and new in the library.

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via pinterest

So far so good. But I'm think of finally tackling War and Peace or Middlemarch this winter, and finishing up an Austen novel. Has anyone read these before? What is your favorite curl-up-with-a-blanket-and-cocoa book for this season?

7 quick takes {v. 10}: lobsters, gungors, & harry potter

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What a week! World Youth Day came to an end and we were all left to read and ponder and pray over Pope Francis' messages. If you can read Spanish, here's a handy little compendium of all his messages from World Youth Day. If not, please do yourself a favour and read them. All of them. Chew on them for a while. I promise, it'll change you. I mean, come on, 3 million+ young people, on a beach, in Eucharistic adoration? Listening to a pope say Mass? That is nothing short of a miracle.

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On a similar note, I've been seeing people really trying to understand his supposed comment to "make a mess", given to his impromptu meeting with the Argentinian youth. As an Argentinian youth myself, I want to put it out there that this is a MIStranslation. The phrase in Spanish is, "¡Hagan lío!" It's hard to directly translate into English but it really comes closer to "stir the pot" or "make trouble" or "cause a ruckus". I love having a papa Argentino!

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In other, less global news, it was my birthday last Friday. I celebrated by heading up to Maine for some lobstah and coastline. There is nothing like fresh, seasonal Maine lobster! It was so wonderful to just relax with my family and hang out by the water. I don't think I could ever live anywhere away from the ocean again...

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As part of this awesome birthday, my parents got me tickets to a New England Christian music festival where I had front row spots to see Hillsong Live and Gungor! In case you don't know, I'm an all-things-Hillsong superfan. It was so awesome not just being close enough to touch the main singers, but just because there's nothing like a live music experience. Check these bands out if you haven't already!

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 On top of all the other cool things happening, this month is the 15th anniversary of the publication of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. I don't think I'll ever get tired of Harry Potter! Scholastic debuted some new covers for the books; what do you think? I personally like the originals better, but that's probably because those are the ones we grew up with. There's also a list of 28 things that happened after the series ended, according to good old J.K. (or Robert Galbraith, if you please) herself. (Thanks for the link, Julie!)

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 If you were watching the Saturday night vigil at World Youth Day, you may have spotted Matt Maher, Catholic music extraordinaire playing for El Papa himself!

 
His song, "Lord, I Need You" is a beautiful take on an old hymn. Here's Matt talking about it: 

 

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"I hope that a UK buyer comes forward so this simple but elegant ring can be saved for the nation." 

Once upon a time, Kelly Clarkson anonymously purchased a rare piece of jewelry owned by Queen Jane Austen herself. After a quick Wikipedia search, the British auctioneers/Austenites realized this Clarkson character was an American(!) and was trying to pull a Wickham and run away with the family goods! If only there was a gallant, British Darcy out there to save the day....

Have a good weekend, everybody!