The Elena Kagan Mistake

In the initial days following the nomination of Elena Kagan, I found something deeply unsettling about the woman.  It had nothing to do with her own person, but rather the seeming lack of a substantive paper-trail for such a purported high-level intellectual.  How is it possible for a person to spend so many years in both academia and politics without having formulated a public opinion regarding the great issues of our times?  How is it possible to remain nothing more than an arbiter and a logic-box for the policies of other men?  It all seems so downright contrived as to be disturbing to no small degree.

Without being able to demonstrate any modicum of wisdom or substantive policy opinion, we're supposed to accept Elena Kagan to the most powerful post in the land because -- as liberals keep repeating -- "she's really smart."

Now, after days of questioning, we finally have the bombshell statement which should blow the hearing wide open.  In response to Sen. Tom Colburn's question regarding the fundamental right to bear arms, Ms. Kagan replied: "I don't have a view of what are natural rights, independent of the Constitution."

Yet is it the bombshell that nobody will notice?  While Kagan's statement should automatically disqualify her, we've come to a sad state in our society where 'Natural Law' - the very foundation of the American experiment - is no longer openly discussed.  Never mind that our "inalienable rights" proceed from Natural Law, and that Natural Law proceeds from our Creator.  When I recently asked a gay rights activist how he can possibly justify his silly arguments in the face of natural law, he responded: "if you like Natural Law so much, then go live in the jungle."

No, sir, I like Natural Law a great deal, which is why I live in the United States of America.  My free will and the right to express and defend it are given by God.  The defense of the Natural Law is America's unique role and purpose in history; it is our greatest justification to exist as a nation.  It matters little whether women like Elena Kagan see fit to uphold our inalienable rights, because they are absolutes, not "opinions."  No law can usurp what is objectively true and not cause irreparable social harm.  In America, we cannot deny the terrible legacy of legalized slavery or the holocaust of legalized abortion.  Both are examples of what happens when Natural Law is not fully considered.  Yet most of our elected officials remain either too clueless to make the correlation between Natural Law and inalienable rights, or too cowardly to press the point.

It seems that in Elena Kagan's world, the constitution is the only absolute under consideration in the American experiment.  In making such an assumption, she shows herself to be out of line with the American experiment, and completely unqualified to defend our inalienable rights as expressed -- not defined -- in the Constitution.

Somewhere out there, Joseph Stalin is giving a dusty, heartfelt cackle.  History has already shown us what happens to nations which ignore the mandates of natural law, and it is not a pretty fate.

The Pursuit of Beauty

There was a time when Irish monks and clerics held on to the last vestiges of Western culture in their monasteries, waiting for a time when people would once again be able to understand and cultivate their cultural and spiritual heritage.  What level of degeneracy forced these men into a social cocoon?  Are such times upon us again?

The times are so thickly dark that your critical spoon can stand straight up in them.  Engaging in social criticism becomes a more personally weighty affair when you cannot find anything positive to write about.  Recent months have brought me to the question:  On the macro-social level, are we really doing everything wrong?  It certainly appears that way.

I am starting to believe that many individuals choose to live in ignorance in order to protect their hearts.  When your eyes are open and your heart is attuned to truth, then just going into the world can be a heart-rending experience.  True love -- rather than being a vehicle for blind acceptance -- causes us to desire the ideal for each person.  We want men to live informed, beautiful, faithful, and inspired lives, and at the end we want their souls to peacefully drift into an ecstatic meeting with their Creator.  Certainly this isn't too much to ask?  Why can't every man be lead to the truths of his origin, potential, and destiny?

Yet with the sheer difficulty of life -- just dealing with administrative tasks alone can be spiritually crippling -- the urge for escapism can be great.  When what you escape to dwells in the lowest reaches beneath human dignity, the large scale social effects are soon to follow.

***

As a lifelong hockey fan, I journeyed joyfully into the streets of Chicago, happy to be here to celebrate the long-awaited Stanley Cup.  I came to celebrate and soak up the joy.  What I came away with was a sour feeling in my stomach.  While the parade was a joyous affair, it all degenerated from there.  As the masses pressed upon themselves and the alcohol flowed freely, joy was the last thing that people were feeling.  You could see it on people's faces as we inched closer to the main stage -- there was a real tension present.  People pushed and shoved and nearly stampeded at one point.  Many who did not show up already drunk struggled to catch-up to their belligerent compatriots.  One man joyfully climbed and defaced public property, while ten yards away from him some drunken college girls clambered upon a city vehicle, beginning a mock strip-tease.  The shirtless young men next to me yelled "take it off," while I couldn't help but marvel at their shallow, sunken, and clueless eyes.  These people weren't fans, and they were hardly people.  Through it all, the sheer joy of victory was forgotten, the greater spiritual lesson lost before it could even be considered.

Such mass gatherings of people are a good place to gauge the state of a society.  Where do our general values lie?  What is our capacity to experience beauty, victory, and joy?  Can anything be done to reverse our cultural degeneration, or has it reached a terminal velocity on the path to social collapse?

At such times, I am reaffirmed in my mission as an artist.  I cannot be certain whether my music shall find mass appeal or a small niche audience, or whether it will ever be counted worthy of remembrance.  Yet the sheer audacity to follow the certain call of Beauty inspires me.  Beauty has been rejected by the modernists and twisted by popular culture, yet it still desires to be manifested truthfully.

What is Beauty, you say?  It is not subjective in the least.  It is not an opinion.  Beauty is Truth.  Truth is Love, and Love is God.  Beauty cannot be represented unless one is turned in the direction of God.  Some artists do this purposefully, while others -- in imitating nature -- do so inadvertently.  Yet there is no other way to Beauty, because Beauty is the person of divinity.

The creation and cultivation of Beauty is my part to play in this game.  Perhaps we are the vanguard of a revolution in Truth, where beauty, faith, and reason will once again be the ruling pillars of Western society.  Yet if these pillars erode entirely, our society will collapse.  The trial and cleansing by fire will come, as it has throughout history whenever man forgets his place.

The Irish monks truly did save civilization, preserving the blueprints to the pillars of western society.  The world around them was drunken, brutal, and indifferent.  Yet these men retained their sanity, preserved what was good, and prayed for a better day.  Regardless of what happens, we must do the same.

Poetry, Music, and Truth Intertwined...

Poetry, as the bridge between language and music, is uniquely capable of expressing the deeper truths of human existence. The following poem is not only a touching call from woman to woman, but also a call across the ages to all of humanity. Written by the American nun Sister Columba Guare, it also received a lovely musical setting by California-based composer, Frank La Rocca (himself a convert to Catholicism.) I share the poem and piece with you now, with the hopes of enriching your day.

O Eve!


My mother, my daughter, life-giving Eve,


Do not be ashamed, do not grieve.


The former things have passed away,


Our God has brought us to a New Day.


See, I am with Child,


Through whom all will be reconciled.


O Eve! My sister, my friend,


We will rejoice together


Forever


Life without end.


— Sr. Columba Guare copyright© 2005 Sisters of the Mississippi Abbey

What is musically proper for the Liturgy?

The below video is an excellent introduction to what is both proper and improper regarding music for the Catholic liturgy.  Rather than delve into "new-age" vs. "traditionalist" approaches, it illustrates the Church's aesthetic guidance while showing the way to new yet relevant musical expressions.  At only a few minutes in length, it is a valuable introduction to a quality Catholica aesthetic.

The "Laughing Stock" of Liturgical Music

James MacMillan, who was rightfully and famously quoted as labeling much new liturgical music a "laughing stock," will now have his chance to move history in a positive direction.   Word has it that the Pope's forthcoming visit to England will include a new Mass by MacMillan, written for the new English Missal.   (http://www.newliturgicalmovement.org/#1031895292903483179)

As one of those people who often find that having developed taste disqualifies me from being able to tolerate Masses in most parishes, MacMillan's statements -- and the Pope's choice of a composer -- offer great hope.  Furthermore, the Pope is clearly giving definitive stylistic guidance; our Bishops and local parishes should pay attention and follow suit.

The brief and tragic age of liturgical "kum-ba-ya" is coming to an end; a new renaissance in liturgical art and music is dawning, and the faithful are hungry to rediscover their traditions.


For those hungry for more, I suggest purchasing his heartbreaking and haunting Mass, available on the always wonderful Hyperion label.

New book on Art, Music, and Faith!

The Holy Father is set to release his next book, in which he will meditate on art, music, and the path of faith.  It promises to be a goldmine of contemplation.  Here is the most recent press release through CNA:

http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/holy_father_reflects_on_love_for_music_art_in_new_book/

Brilliant -- Holocaust: A Musical Memorial (Review.)

Juxtaposition is a powerful force when used with care.  In "Holocaust: A Musical Memorial" by director James Kent (first aired BBC-2 January 2005), the horrific visions of the decaying Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camps are put into stark relief against truly beautiful music.

The film deals with the topic of how music was used at the camps, including interviews with former "members" of the Auschwitz orchestra.  In a seeming effort to heal this rape of music as part of mass murder, Kent films some of the great performers of our time performing in the very same spaces which once housed such unspeakable tortures.

While all very moving, perhaps the most effective performances in the film include a stirring version the second movement of Henryk Gorecki's Third Symphony, filmed between a stark abandoned munitions plant and a snow covered Auschwitz.  (Youtube video below.)  The final movement of this film sees violinist Maxim Vengerov playing a Bach Chaconne as he slowly walks through the camp building, through the grounds, and finally out of the camp.  The ensuing silence is gripping.

There are the occasional DVDs which merit a near universal viewing; James Kent's BBC special, "Holocaust: A Musical Memorial" is truly one of those films which everybody should see and own.  I waited for almost 8 weeks to receive this from the Auschwitz book store, and I suggest that you do the same.   Here is a link to the product at the Auschwitz-Birkenau bookstore.

Music and Pain: The Polish Tragedy at Smolensk

In preceding days I must have heard fragments of the Mozart Requiem and the Barber Adagio more times than I can count.  As Polish media outlets struggled to find music to frame the astounding events unfolding on their screens and a nation came to grips with their tragedy, a predictable thing happened:

They reached for the greatest music possible.

Inasmuch as terrible tragedies have a way of revealing truth for a short period of time, so too do they lead us to the greatest artistic expressions available to our society.  I couldn't help but feel, as I mourned along with my kin and country, that it was truly sad that this tenderness, mutual understanding, and outpourings of faith would soon be gone from the public square.  With nothing to sustain them in everyday life, such noble passions fade away in the onslaught of our modern relativistic culture.

It is also deeply unfortunate that a nation's collective good taste -- and mutual seeking after the infinite -- lingers only so long as the tragedy is present.  Can it be that the very music which we use to help us cope during difficult times can be -- by virtue of its unparalleled depth and expressive power -- capable of helping us retain the best sentiments brought about by tragedy?  I firmly believe that God calls artists to create works to help us penetrate more deeply into the fiber of reality, in the process seeking greater meaning and depth to each and every day.

Rather than write further on this impossible loss, I offer two more pieces to help us cope not only with an international tragedy, but to take with us into everyday life, to use as tools of deeper spiritual communion with the ultimate reality.

The first work, by Wojciech Kilar, is one of the most moving renditions of Agnus Dei I have ever heard.  It is written in the new contemplative spiritual style of other composers like Henryk Gorecki and Arvo Part.

The second work -- Memento Mori -- is from the progressive klezmer band the Bester Quartet.  Beginning in a modernistic noise sculpture meant to evoke a physical crash, a heartbreaking melody emerges from the wreckage to bring sense to the difficulty encountered.

As to the Poles lost, I can only say:  "Hail the Victorious Dead -- may Christ bring them to their eternal rest."

The Way of Beauty - A Great New Blog!

David Clayton -- head of the "Way of Beauty" program at St. Thomas More College -- has a new blog up, and it is well worth your time to become acquainted with. His latest entry, Creativity in Science through Beauty," explores the depths of classical beauty and modern physics. The gem of a quote below (from the afformentioned article) will give you an idea of what to expect:

...'Christian culture, like classical culture before it, was also patterned after this cosmic order; this order which provides the unifying principle that runs through every traditional discipline. Literature, art, music, architecture, philosophy –all of creation and potentially all human activity- are bound together by this common harmony and receive their fullest meaning in the liturgy…When we apprehend beauty we do so intuitively. So an education that improves our ability to apprehend beauty develops also our intuition. All creativity is at source an intuitive process. This means that professionals in any field including business and science would benefit from an education in beauty because it would develop their creativity. Furthermore, the creativity that an education in beauty stimulates will generate not just more ideas, but better ideas. Better because they are more in harmony with the natural order. The recognition of beauty moves us to love what we see. So such an education would tend to develop also, therefore, our capacity to love and leave us more inclined to the serve God and our fellow man. The end result for the individual who follows this path is joy.’

Great work! Please visit and bookmark David's blog at:
http://thewayofbeauty.org/

My Argument with a Pro-Abortion Journalist

It is difficult to respond with charity when "progressive" leftists show nothing but regressive disdain to their opponents.

There is a certain major journalist -- whom we shall refer to as "Mr. Z" for the sake of anonymity and my legal well-being -- whom I routinely challenge on his many false pro(re)gressive arguments. We have previously had an email exchange, while one of my numerous letters was published in his newspaper.

In Mr. Z's most recent tirade, he lambasts the pro-life agenda (whom he refers to under the misleading moniker of "anti-choice") for "not worrying about real babies" and "defending pseudo babies while not changing any diapers themselves." In what be one of the most ridiculous sentences in liberal journalistic history, Mr. Z writes:

"I, like most Americans, differentiate between actual, born-and-alive-in-the-real-world-now babies and the fertilized egg the size of the period at the end of this sentence that typically gets aborted."

This, my friends, is apparently what passes for a well-reasoned opinion piece these days. I could not resist a response. My first email to Mr. Z and his newspaper read:

It is interesting that Mr. Z would heap such derision on activists who care about the welfare of (in his own words) a "fertilized egg the size of a period." Mr. Z seems to forget that he also previously existed as a being no larger then the period which ends this sentence. Furthermore, when you deny an entire segment of our population its humanity, you find yourself on the very same intellectual slippery slope which has previously been used to justify the brutal murder of millions of other innocent "non-persons." I would think that a Jewish thinker would be more sensitive about making such unwarranted generalizations.

Much to my chagrin, Mr. Z replied quickly:

"Like the baby metaphor, the abortion-equals-holocaust line of thinking only really works if you already believe it. I could just as easily point out that the tendency of pro-lifers to force their religious scruples through law onto the unwilling smacks of the Spanish inquistiion. But that would be insensitive, though I'm not sure how somebody standing in the street with a five-foot photo of mangled fetuses can talk of "sensitivity." Thanks for writng."

You're more likely to get cohesive arguments out of a high-school debate team than the average liberal journalist, it seems. While I elected to ignore Mr. Z's blatant lack of knowledge regarding historical events like the Spanish Inquisition (which were just about as religious as another more-political-than-religious event, the Reformation), I couldn't resist another response:

"Thanks for your response. I will only briefly tackle what you wrote, in all charity and respect, simply because I can see that you have not thought this issue through. I will only itemize the list to make it clear, not in the intention of being condescending.

1.) The word "baby" is not a "metaphor," but rather only a label, albeit an emotional one. Yet one my continue to ask: when is it a baby? When it is wanted? Only after it is born? It is a terrible burden to define the beginning of our shared humanity.

2.) I never said "abortion = holocaust." I clearly said that it is a philosophical slippery slope to remove the rights of our shared humanity from any segment of the population. The Nazis thought that the mentally ill and elderly were "undesirables" whose life was a social burden; they also had no qualms regarding abortion. Slippery slopes being what they are, itt was not a far intellectual leap to label an entire nationality as sub-human. Consider what manner of rationalization it took to allow otherwise cultured and mannered men to slaughter thousands of men with their own bare hands.

3.) I never mention religion, nor are you fair to assume that I am religious. I've always said that atheists and secular humanists should be the most vehement pro-lifers. To the Judeo-Christian mentality, there is at least an afterlife. To the secular humanist, you are robbing a unique human creature of their only chance at existence. This is a terrible crime to commit in the name of social convenience.

4.) The people who stand in the streets with pictures of dismembered fetuses are simply trying to express the truth about the abortion procedure; it is a truth that demands an insensitive expression, as nothing else seems to get through.

-I appreciate your return email, and hope that you take these points under consideration. You are far too intelligent of a man to write the manner of article which was published in today's paper."

Predictably, Mr. Z never responded to this, as those who are grossly in error seldom wish to confront the glaring failings of their arguments. Yet his most recent column betrayed either further disdain for his readership, or perhaps the presence of an editor asking him to "tone it down a bit."

This most recent column, after the vicious anti-life attack, was about muffins.

Yes, "muffins." . . .

John Lennon and Bags Full of Dead Babies

It is no secret that many people in our culture today would like to create a new society without religion. Specifically, many would like to relegate Christianity to the trash-heap of historical memory, to be no more significant than the religions which came before it.

One of the most popular expressions of this worldview came in the famous John Lennon song, Imagine. The song begins by discouraging religious thinking:

People in China demonstrating a world without religion...

Imagine there's no heaven

It's easy if you try

No hell below us

Above us only sky

It proceeds with a rather utopian wish:

Imagine all the people
Living for today

Of course Lennon never thought about what a world without objective standards (and the possibility of spiritual justice) looked like.  It never  occurred to him that -- rather than creating a hippy utopia -- a world without ultimate consequences would eventually lead to moral anarchy.

Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
No greed or hunger
And no religion too

John never tells us how a world without coherent structures of government could feed billions of people. Nor could a state of political anarchy support healthcare, welfare for the poor, or education.  As to "greed," it is a real human tendency, and will persist with us until the end of time.  Finally, once he's done pulling out every structure we need to survive, John takes away our religion as well.

Imagine all the people
Living life in peace

Yes -- clearly, a society with no governments to preserve the peace and provide for the economic structures necessary for human development -- along with a total lack of objective moral standards -- would lead to a peaceful utopian paradise.  It seems that our only problem would be finding enough flowers to plait into billions of shaggy heads of hair.

Clearly I have a great disdain for this song -- yet when you consider the colossal social damage it has caused, so should you! John Lennon wrote the anthem for the new irreligious culture, and it has echoed mindlessly through the unrefined intellects of millions.   This song should come free with every Hitchens or Davis atheism book sold; It could be a fitting background piece to the now famous atheist bus sign (picture, left.)

Yet it is no secret what such a pagan culture would look like, as there remain many parts of the world where Christianity has not become a dominant part of the cultural fabric. In recent world news, we hear of bags of dead babies being dumped into a river in China, or video games glorifying rape in Japan. It is not surprising that the majority of major human rights violations in our world take place in countries where the Christian ethos is not present.

With all of the major imperfections, hypocrisies, and potential troubles of organized religion, there remains the singular advantage of having an objective source of morality. These ideas -- observed in the Ten Commandments or the Beatitudes of Christ -- provide an immutable standard for morality while establishing the universal love of human dignity. This objective standard allowed for the creation of the United States of America. "In God we Trust" is not a political option, but rather the source of American freedom and success.

Before the Judeo-Christian worldview, there was no objective for human dignity.

So before you rush to embrace a secular view of the world, think of the grave injustices which have always followed on the heel of pagan regimes such as Nazism, or atheist regimes such as the Soviet Union. Think of the terrible world of ancient Rome, or the modern human rights travesties in China.

The pagan world was -- and remains -- a dark and terrible place. It is a place where goodness and common decency only exist until somebody stronger takes them away from you. Even those who choose not to follow a Judeo-Christian religion should be grateful that this worldview founded a new society where intellectual and religious freedom is tolerated. Your freedom not to believe is a property of the dominant belief -- if you lose the Christian culture, you will also eventually lose your freedom.

After all, do you think football is brutal?  You should read about what passed for typical weekend entertainment in the pagan superdome, otherwise known as the Roman Colosseum.

Yet another reason to show a healthy disdain for all the fruitful "thinking" that went on in the 1960's...

A solid defense of Pope Benedict XVI

It is relevant and necessary to briefly cover the recent media blitz surrounding Pope Benedict XVI.  I say "brief" because this is a shameful attempt by the New York Times which deserves little attention. The following article from the National Review aptly destroys the NYT's case:

National Review Article regarding Pope Benedict XVI

I can only ask why so many people remain unable to acknowledge the media (and deeper spiritual) war against Catholicism, especially in a decade where Pope Benedict XVI, Pope Pius XII, and Mother Teresa were all unjustly smeared in a coordinated media effort. As to why this war is taking place against Catholics -- as opposed to other religious groups -- one need not think too hard: the last things that relativists want is an objective standard of truth present at their international discussions of public policy and morality.

That sad sound you hear is the windblown tatters of the New York Times' credibility blowing away. Sadly, these accusations will affect many simple-minded people, only added further fuel to the unjustified stereotypes now being built around the Holy Roman Catholic Church.

God as the Practical Answer

Life with God is the easiest and most practical choice that man can make...

Thomas Paine wrote that "Heaven knows how to put a proper price upon its goods; and it would be strange indeed if so celestial an article as freedom should not be highly rated."  

Yet freedom, once earned, presents a quandary.  Is it possible that modern man has too many choices?  Furthermore, is it possible that he does not have the necessary spiritual formation to help him sort through the dizzying myriad of possibility before him?

Centuries after Paine, John Paul the Great said that "freedom consists in doing what we ought."  This is the quintessential truth about how to use our hard-earned freedom, and yet it is meaningless with an absolute reference point.  The freedom which Thomas Paine espoused -- and which John Paull II so perfectly defined -- needs God at its center.  To have any other reference point, be it a political ideal or a single man's will, can only lead to moral and aesthetic anarchy.  Our founding fathers understood this clearly when they used the phrase "we hold these truths to be self-evident."  Without God, nothing is self-evident.


Yet as elegant and clear as this idea is, so many modern men either ignore or outright reject their God.  I recently came across the blog of a former student, now blissfully wandering the world and glorifying hedonism.  Confusing old thoughts and values with recent hippy social disasters, he blissfully sums up his worldview with a quote from the American poet and author, Charles Bukowski:

“I am my own god. We are here to unlearn the teachings of the church, state, and our educational system. We are here to drink beer. We are here to kill war. We are here to laugh at the odds and live our lives so well that Death will tremble to take us.”

One would have to labor greatly to cram so much idiocy into such a short paragraph.  Little wonder that Bukowski led such a shallow and narcissistic life, exemplifying the utilitarian and anti-humanistic despair that his type of "un-religion" was designed to breed.  I say "designed" because the above quote from Bukowski -- and other world-views similar to his -- are not a modern invention.  They come from a far deeper malice and a far more clever deceiver than the average hippy could hope to contend with.  Notice that in Bukowski's own prose, "god" is spelled with a small 'g,' while "Death" becomes a capitalized personality.  Notice the appeal to un-education, as such a worldview requires a mind easily deceived.  Notice the appeal to anti-religion, as such a world-view needs an unformed soul to corrupt. These are not coincidences, considering the spiritual root of such a phrase, as well as the moribund destiny of anybody who would follow such a thought to its inevitable conclusion.

God, in the end, is the impractical practicality.  Belief in him is the only sensible answer.  It brings sense to our lives by giving us understanding of our world.  It explains suffering, giving us a way to use this inevitable pain in a redemptive fashion.  It puts history into an understandable perspective.  It gives us rules by which to live, while presenting an ideal by which no rules will be necessary.  It frees human love to be an infinite gesture.

In short, it provides freedom.  He who seeks to be free must seek to "do as he ought."  In asking what we "ought," there is only one sure place to gain an answer.  There is no alternative path but the role of the aimless wanderer, and he is sure to get nowhere...

Listening to the Infinite

I have become increasingly conscious of the deeper relationship between an artist as creator and the experience possible when one listens to the final product in a deep and uninterrupted sense.  Perhaps this is an experience only quantifiable as a composer, but I think it brings great hope to the dedicated listener.

I've been aware, at numerous times in my life, of establishing a near connection with the composer of a particular piece.  When I met Henryk Gorecki a few years back in his home, somehow very little about the composer's personality was surprising to me.  I felt a kinship with the man, and felt spiritually linked to him by several of his most contemplative works (which, incidentally, had become a permanent and intimate soundtrack in my life.)

Lest this sound all too strange and (unfortunately) hippy-ish to you, I think that there is a way to quantify the experience.  As a composer, our pieces grow out of specific places.  There is a seed of thought which births the initial feelings and intents behind a piece of music.  When the piece is particularly inspired, we feel particularly moved to be able to even begin to participate in the act of bringing it to life.  As a Catholic, I cannot help but feel that the Holy Spirit has a direct input on these matters, and that many such pieces spring from a place where the temporal and eternal worlds meet.

A thoughtful listener, therefore, can access this place.  Yet this is not an understanding that can be accessed through a technical or theoretical understanding of the music.  Neither a piercing harmonic analysis or an advanced biographical knowledge of the composer will lead you to the place of a work's genesis.  Quite contrary to what music education may imply, the deeper experience must come from a more humble experience of the music.  While technical knowledge is always helpful, it must eventually be left far behind when a person truly submits to a piece.  The journey to the genesis-point of a work is as unpretentious a spiritual experience we can have, because no intellectual discourse can describe or quantify the experience.  Yet when we arrive there, we meet the composer once again, hovering near the place of inspiration, gently awaiting a whisper of the infinite to issue forth...

The Simple Arguments Against Socialism

When I am feeling especially strong of heart, I will occasionally listen to liberal talk radio. Upon turning the dial to a local Chicago liberal station, I was immediately assaulted by a man outlining a strategy to further advance the cause of socialism in America, as well as how to continue our deep trend of spending with a turn towards more progressive ideals.

I say that I must be "strong of heart" to listen to such things, because it is always painful to listen to otherwise intelligent adults discuss political theories which history has shown us to be destructive paths. Progressivism and Socialism are linked at the hip, because the first (when followed directly) will inevitably lead to the other. Yet there are simple arguments to remember for the next time you encounter a utopian-eyed progressive:

1.) Where big government and socialism are concerned, it is imperative to remember that any government which is strong enough to give you everything that you need is also powerful enough to take it all away.

2.) Every socialist experiment of the past 100 years has either collapsed (the Soviet Union) or resulted in a deeply oppressive system (China.)

3.) While also not desirable, brutal Theocracies are actually more humane than Socialist Systems: the over 90 million dead victims of 20th century Socialism bear witness to this.

4.) Economically speaking, Socialism only works until you've run out of other people's money.

5.) Socialism inevitably leads to intellectual and artistic repression: when you study the legacy of eastern-European socialism, you see that it had a knack for squelching genius and promoting mediocrity. Those who truly believe in intellectual freedom must promote the conservative line.

6.) It is true that certain socialist constructs in American work. The Police, Military, and Fire Departments are admirable institutions. But more complex systems requiring intellectual fluidity quickly stagnate. Look at our inability to create a globally competitive education system. Or take NASA, which has moved at a snail's pace ever since her initial innovations. Finally look at DMV's, Toll Roads, Social Security, and the nightmare system of Medicare, and you have ample reason to not let the entire country "progress" in such a direction.

7.) Liberals are quick to point out that there are other quasi-socialist experiments which are working well, and they are right to do so. Yet they never give you the details: These countries tend to have smaller populations (like Canada), and generally depend on innovation and protection from larger and more economically conservative neighbors (like the USA.)

8.) Modern economies are groupings of hundreds of thousands of complex sub-categories, such as agriculture and education and industry. Taken alone, any one of these systems is far too complex to be regulated by a central authority. In socialist Europe, agricultural yield often rotted away or was distributed incorrectly. An example of this was veritable breadbasket of Poland, which -- forced to work under a Soviet system -- would become incapable of feeding her people during any crisis, this despite being an enviable agricultural population.

There are hundreds of more arguments, but these are a good start. How any person or group of people can promote such a ridiculous ideology -- in the face of contrary evidence and the bloody witness of history -- is only evidence of a talent for self-delusion. Capitalism is indeed a flawed system prone to greed and corruption. Yet when mixed with democracy and a healthy press, it is also the only system capable of rapid reform and self-policing.

There are times for progress.  Yet when the progress is towards an abyss, regress becomes the only sane option.

The Brother of Christopher Hitchens finds God.

Taken from a spiritual perspective, atheism is no more than a juvenile rebellion against your Father.  Sometimes prompted by real-life tragedy or betrayal, atheism nonetheless remains intellectually untenable and politically dangerous.  It is shocking that such a worldview could continue to hold water -- and attract believers -- after the bloody century of relativism we have just left behind.

This new atheism is truly a bigoted fundamentalism in disguise; as an anti-religion, it attempts to enshrine the very things which almost ended our society over the past 100 years.  When otherwise intellectually sharp people like Christopher Hitchens stubbornly insist on a doctrine that has led to nothing but heartache and tragedy, we can only wonder about their sanity.  


A fascinating article was recently penned by other Hitchens -- Peter -- about his tenuous journey back to the faith of his fathers.  Considering the strong climate of anti-religion in Europe, he writes:


   "Why is there such a fury against religion now? Because religion is the one reliable force that stands in the way of the power of the strong over the weak. The one reliable force that forms the foundation of the concept of the rule of law.  The one reliable force that restrains the hand of the man of power. In an age of powerworship, the Christian religion has become the principal obstacle to the desire of earthly utopians for absolute power."


And yet Hitchens give us hope in the fact that he is able to reconcile with his fundamentally atheist brother.  As far as the faith goes, history has taught us a lesson:  Either cultures and civilizations return to their faith, or they collapse tragically.   The faith, when chased away, always finds a new home and a willing ear.  Civilizations are mortal, the faith is imperishable.  In our overly anthropocentric age, it is important to realize that the faith is paramount, and that the faith will always survive, whether the rebellion be a single juvenile act or an entire society's folly.


Already, I feel, the tide is turning back towards the faith.  This latest attack, it seems, is fizzling away...


I highly encourage you to read what Peter Hitchens has to say:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1255983/How-I-God-peace-atheist-brother-PETER-HITCHENS-traces-journey-Christianity.html

What the Olympics can Teach us about God

What can the Olympics teach us about God?


Everything we do -- every human institution, every tradition, every major event -- relates directly back to our status as spiritual beings.  As the children of an eternal God, we are creatures with a spiritual origin and the capacity for an eternal destiny.  As such, everything we do in life resonates from this spiritual fact.  The echoes of origin and destiny can be seen in every part of human experience.

The Olympics are a glowing example of this "echoes of origin and destiny."  We watch sports we would otherwise not be interested in -- some watch even though they are not interested in sports at all -- all because of our hope for victory.  While there are strong elements of national pride involved, it all boils down to our innate sense of victory.  As spiritual creatures, we are hard-wired to desire the ultimate victory, and therefore even those living hedonistic and atheistic lifestyles cannot avoid the reverberations of what God so certainly has fused within them.  When we revel in the possibility of human achievement -- when we embrace utter strangers in the stands while joyfully celebrating a championship victory -- we are acting on that key spiritual impulse.  And yet the joy of even the most hoped-for and improbable of victories is short-lived, and no more than a brief echo of what eternity can promise us.

The spiritual person will revel in an event like the Olympics, but also see the deeper meaning behind it.  They will take the lessons learned from such dedicated athletes, and "run the race to win."  There is no coincidence that holy scripture compares the life journey to a race, as life is an event with both winners and losers.

...and when the winners cross the finish line, the celebration will exceed our wildest dreams and fulfill our deepest hopes.  God is desperately rooting for you to "run the race to win," and is waiting to joyously welcome you home.

Gorecki Fourth Symphony Postponed

The London premiere of Henryk Gorecki's much-anticipated Fourth Symphony -- scheduled for April -- has been postponed. The website lists the reason as "prolonged illness.  The composer does indeed have a long history of illness, going back to health problems experienced as a small child.  This aside, private word reaches me that the composer was indeed quite ill, though in typical fashion he is not advertising his current state.

Having met Henryk Gorecki in his home almost three years ago, I fondly remember both his crochety nature and his buoyant personality.  It became immediately clear to me that he was a man who wrestled with the violent powers which surface in all true composers, yet he gave freely of his time and presence to the young admirer who had visited him.

The cancelation of the Fourth Symphony is a bitter disappointment to fans of Gorecki's work; it would have been truly fascinating to see his long overdue response to the iconic -- and dare I say eternal? -- reverberations of his magical Third Symphony.

Let's keep Henryk in our prayers.  For this who are unfamiliar with his Third Symphony, I'm providing a link to a video of the second movement, filmed for a DVD commemorating the victims of Auschwitz.

Be healthy, Mr. Gorecki, and give us more music!

Top 100 "Faith" Films

Arts & Faith has posted their list of the "Top 100 Faith Films" of all time. I'm guessing that all but the biggest film buffs will find ample temptation to upgrade (or reinstate, in my case) their netflix membership.

http://artsandfaith.com/t100/



Of the films I have seen on this list, I particularly recommend "The Decalogue," a ten part series of films by the luminous Krzysztof Kieslowski, centered loosely on the themes of the Ten Commandments.

The late Kieslowski is responsible for creating some of the most spiritually arresting films in history; yet his work would not have been possible without the great (and still living) composer, Zbigniew Priesner. Here is a great example of their work, from the film "The Double Life of Veronique."

The Answer to Everything

We live in a society where the answer to everything is only moments away. Whether it regards tweaking the visual settings on my blog, getting a new piece of software to integrate seamlessly into my studio setup, or finding the quickest route to Toledo, the internet answers any question I can throw at it.

So how is it acceptable to ask a question and not answer it?

What if this question can change the course of your entire life?

Such is the problem with many fallen-away Catholics in our culture. They'll come up with a few "objections" to the faith, and subsequently use them as an excuse to water-down or even stop practicing their religion.

These objections are usually far from legitimate concerns, and rather questions that people haven't taken the time to find an answer for yet. Some of the examples I hear most often:

"Why can't I just confess my sins to God? I don't think confession to a Priest is necessary."
"Why can't Priests marry? I don't think the Church is being fair."
"Why do I have to attend weekly Mass?"

Unfortunately the people who utter such questions tend to regard them as legitimate arguments, rather than intellectually lazy self-justification. Such questions are usually followed by a cynical or defiant facial expression, and the attempt to feel self-satisfied for being "modern" or "clever" enough to dupe the Church.

You haven't fooled anybody, friend. The beautiful Catholic answers -- spiritually full and intellectually satisfying -- are only a few clicks away. Just as easily as you can find the fastest route to Toledo, you can also find the fastest and fullest answer for your faith. It's all there, in unforgiving black and white.

Be it laziness or the fear of finding the right answer, you no longer have an excuse not to find the answer to your question.

Will God be willing to accept our lazy half-objections? In an age where the answer to everything is only a click away, will ignorance still be a tolerated excuse?

Catechizing Culture through Ice Dancing?

I truly did not expect one of the most memorable moments of the 2010 Winter Olympics to come from Ice Dancing, yet the glory of the gold-medal winning performance is undeniable.

I had numerous reflections come out of my repeated watching of this performance, as I am not sure that I have seen a more truthful expression on the mass-media screen in many months. Here was an elegant meditation on love, on the beauty and truth and singularity of the male-female relationship, and of the epic journey of married life (which, incidentally, the music is legendarily claimed to have grown out of.) In a world where the very fabric of marriage is being absurdly challenged by relativistic thought and perversion passing for normality, such a stunning show of male-female complementarity only proves how viable the arts can be to catechize our confused culture.

The Catholic world should take note: truth must not only be proclaimed, but must be expressed. That is why God has given us the arts.

(Here is an older version of the same performance... hopefully the gold-medal winner will soon be available on youtube:)



My only disappointment is that -- after hours of banal music choices -- the announcers did not announce the title and composer of the piece with which Virtue-Moir skated to victory. The gutsy musical choice was that of the Adagietto from Gustav Mahler's Fifth Symphony. I label it a "gutsy" choice because the music, slow moving as it is, demanded a thorough listening to be understood and conveyed. The ignorant listener might be bored by "slow" music, while Virtue-Moir expressed the intense energy embodied in Mahler's masterpiece.

Unfortunately the piece was edited to about half-length. Those curious in the entire meditation can listen to the following clip:



I also highly recommend the following DVD of Mahler's Fifth, with Daniel Barenboim leading the Chicago Symphony Orchestra:

http://www.amazon.com/Mahler-Symphony-No-Barenboim-Chicago/dp/B00004UEE5/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1267295641&sr=1-2

Bravo to Virtue-Moir -- once again, we see how beatiful, tasteful, and edifying mass media could be. There is no reason that all of television should not have such depth.

The Catholic Maestro

Here is a beautiful article from the NY Times, about the very Catholic conductor of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Manfred Honeck.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/21/arts/music/21honeck.html?ref=arts

A New Blog, a New Beginning

It was last year during the Lenten season when I decided to give up blogging, seeking to reevaluate my writing style as well as my use of the digital medium.

Since then I have pursued other writing opportunities, all while keeping this blog in the back of my mind. Recently I decided to reestablish my blog under a new name. I have ported my favorite writings of old to this new format, hoping for a fresh start and a new creative outlet.

As the title implies, this blog will focus on aspects of public faith and culture, as well as what it means to hold and continually develop a Catholic aesthetic. I dedicate this blog to Our Lady of Czestochowa, who has ever guided my steps and remained in my field of vision.

Mater Dei, Ora Pro Nobis.