“One of the most profound things a human can do”
May we look with gentleness on each other's becoming—and our own
Cancer turned this early bird into a sluggish sleeper, so apologies if you’ve been missing The Holy Labor’s usual 6:00 am arrival in your inbox. Someday I hope to become a morning person again. Till then, enjoy this week’s round-up of others’ holy labors: books, essays, podcasts, and music. Pass it on: Wednesday’s posts are always free, thanks to paid subscribers.
“Every week my sons stand in the pew at Mass. Like stairsteps, all five in a row by age and height. Or like a motley crew, mixed together by shapes and sizes. Five boys in the midst of becoming men. They are the reason why the short line tucked within the Nicene Creed catches me with a lump in the throat: ‘… and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and became man.’” Read or listen to my latest here at The Florida Catholic.
Near-perfect sports writing: How Does a Baseball Team Lose 120 Games? Every Way You Can Think Of. “To lose, and to deal with loss, is one of the most profound things a human can do.” (Let me know if you need a gift article to read behind the paywall.)
Might be a niche recommendation, but foodies and fellow writers will be fascinated by Emergence Magazine’s podcast on Fermentation as Metaphor. Had never considered connections between cultured food and culture writ large. This episode also finally got me drinking kombucha, so everyone can cross that off their “cancer advice for Laura” list.
Currently reading: The Sacraments: Historical Foundations and Liturgical Theology by Kevin Irwin, an excellent, readable explanation of the sacraments in relation to liturgy. Soil: The Story of a Black Mother's Garden by Camille Dungy, even more fascinating upon a second read for her explorations of humanity’s (fraught, muddled yet hopeful) relationship to nature.
My 13 year-old can play music by ear and recently discovered Ludovico Einaudi, a favorite contemporary composer. (He’s also on a Guns & Roses/Aerosmith kick, and I love it all.)
This post contains affiliate links, but please support local bookstores instead of billionaires whenever possible.
I just tried to leave a comment on your Florida Catholic post, but it wouldn't let me do so as a guest (technology sometimes). As such, I'll leave it here, noting that it's in reply to your post, "And became man."
Beautiful post. It's so moving to remember that Christ was Man and experienced ordinary things just like us. One thing that I did want to mention, however, is that Our Lady did not experience pain in childbirth. This traditional belief, which can be found in the writings of Church Fathers such as St. Augustine of Hippo, stems from her Immaculate Conception. We women experience pain in childbirth as a result of Original Sin; childbirth pain is one of the punishments that God gave Eve in the Garden after the Fall.
However, since Mary was conceived without Original Sin, she did not suffer this pain, which occurs only because of Original Sin. Furthermore, she remained a virgin even after giving birth to Our Lord, meaning that the birth itself was not only sacred but also miraculous. St. Augustine wrote that Our Lord's birth occurred as easily as "light passing through glass." That's a beautiful metaphor that I like to think about in meditating on the Third Joyful Mystery.
I love Einaudi! His music is so soothing! Give this one a listen - one of my top 5 favorite pieces of all time. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-HsW142T5g