My brain is still processing my current novel. At a crucial moment I have a whole set of incidents that are not in the proper order, so that’s where my analytic energies are concentrated. So a few links today to articles I enjoyed reading…

First up, an article from Suburban Banshee.
https://suburbanbanshee.wordpress.com/2024/08/11/our-lady-makes-a-joke/ This post contains a fascinating discussion of parallelism between famine in Egypt when Joseph was Pharoah’s trusted vizier, and the wedding feast at Cana, with Jesus and Mary. Suburban Banshee says,

——Well, when there was a famine in Egypt, and the Egyptians “cried out for bread” to Pharaoh, the Pharaoh famously told them to go to Joseph and “Do whatever he says to you.”——

Besides the obvious parallel command given by Our Lady to the servants at Cana, the blogger posits that when Jesus was a child, Mary might have sent him to Joseph, his foster father, with the command, “Do whatever he tells you.” To a person with the knowledge of Scripture, which Mary and Joseph are considered to have had, this would be a funny parent/child joke. There’s a lot more dissection of this idea in the post. Fun read.

Back in January, Suburban Banshee posted an entry about the passage in John’s Gospel where John the Baptist tells the disciples to look at the Lamb of God as He passes by. (It’s part of the readings.)
https://suburbanbanshee.wordpress.com/2024/01/14/what-are-you-looking-for/
She points out that John uses five different Greek words, synonyms for look — just in this short passage. She explains the fascinating differences.

eidou — I learned Behold. It’s John the Baptist saying {‘look’ or ‘behold} the Lamb of God.’
theaomai — Jesus turns around and gives the disciples a very sharp look
Zeteou — Jesus asks the disciples what they are looking for (or asking for)
horao — Jesus tells the disciples to come and see (where he lives)
emblepou — When Andrew goes and gets Peter, Jesus ‘looks’ at him with yet another Greek word meaning to observe or consider.

As a side note she also points out that the word Eureka gets used in this passage. “Eurekamen tou Messian!” says Andrew to Peter.

https://life-craft.org/maturity-focus-in-a-distracted-world/ John Cuddeback discussing staying focused on our own concerns, the ones that are in fact our responsibility, and being careful about taking on too much worry about the outer world.

I don’t remember where I found this prayer, most likely in comments somewhere. It’s lovely. I changed the grammar, adding periods where it helped me to understand the prayer.

I know thee as the protection of my life and most safe fortification, O Virgin. Disperse the horde of my many temptations, [and] put to silence demonic audacity, unceasingly I pray to thee. From corruption of passions deliver me. Wherefore, O Virgin, do thou intercede with Him, who is in truth thy Lord and Son, to redeem me from the enemy’s wickedness. Old Greek prayer