Dear Misfits,
We had another wonderful evening last
Wednesday discussing another 5 chapters in Lucy Beckett's great
book, In the Light of Christ. The book is a
remarkable survey of "Writings in the Western Tradition" as described
in the sub-title to the book. We have now read 10 chapters and have
unanimously decided to continue reading the remaining 14 Chapters. We
have found that each chapter is or could be a "stand alone" in that
the insights Beckett draws from Western literature beginning with the Greeks
and extending through writers in our present age illustrates how the Grace of
God acts upon the human mind in the authors she examines. Some of her
insights can only be described as breathtaking.
So, we will continue to read and be inspired
by our Lucy Beckett, a woman we have found to be of great brilliance
and inspiring faith. Therefore, we will read Chapters 7-11 and discuss
those chapters at our next meeting on Wednesday, May 13th at 7:00 pm, the
Church of St. Michael. (We always meet in the St. Thomas More Library
room).
But here is a twist. Our readings for next
month discuss the writing of William Shakespeare. Therefore,
have decide to let Beckett rest a bit in our minds and read and discuss
Shakespeare's The Tragedy of Macbeth for our June book. We have
been wanting to read another work from Shakespeare for sometime
now. So this seems a good time to do it. Macbeth is
considered one of Shakespeare's darkest and most powerful works. Set in
Scotland, the play dramatizes the corrosive psychological and political effects
produced when evil is chosen as a way to fulfill the ambition for power.
(Do you think we might find some modern parallels in this work? I'll just
bet we do!)
Finally, it is such a great pleasure to read and discuss
with you, the truly great novels, biographies, and plays that make up our
Catholic literary tradition. We've been reading these literary
classics for almost 15 years. And we've barely scratched the surface!
God bless each of you. He is risen!
Misfit Buzz
****************************
"The good, the true and the beautiful—it is for these
that our souls long. Though they reside in unity and perfection in God alone,
the written word is one place we can discover glimmers of divine
light. The writings of great souls can turn our gaze toward
God as he is revealed in Jesus Christ. Even authors who do not know Christ or
who reject Christ can still point to him, for anyone who seeks the truth finds
it; and any one who turns his back on the truth turns away from a someone whose
presence can often be more keenly felt in his absence."
----Lucy Beckett
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