One Catholic Life Blog

Books and Reading

Preparing for the 2021 Chapter-a-Day Read-along: The Hunchback of Notre Dame

We’re only three days away from beginning Victor Hugo’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame, the next book in this year’s chapter-a-day read-along. Published in French in 1831 and English in 1833, it was originally titled Notre Dame de Paris, referring to the great Notre Dame cathedral. Reading it this year is my tribute to the cathedral, which suffered a devastating fire in April of 2019. As I mentioned in an earlier post, I own an old paperback of the novel that I purchased new about thirty years ago that...

Homily

The Sending Forth – Homily for Trinity Sunday

I wonder if anyone here has ever felt under-appreciated, overlooked, or even forgotten. If so, then this homily is for you. Today we’re going to sing the praises of one of the most under-appreciated and over-looked parts of the Mass. Everyone always talks about how the scripture readings spoke to them, or how great the music is, or even sometimes how the homily touched them. But no one ever walks out of Mass saying, “Wow, that dismissal, it really hit me today.” The dismissal is often forgotten or...

Books and Reading

Quo Vadis Chapter-a-Day Read-along Schedule Change

For those of you who are reading Quo Vadis as part of the 2021 Chapter-a-Day Read-along, there is an important revision to the schedule. The original schedule was based on the freely available translation by Jeremiah Curtin which has 73 chapters and an epilogue. If you are reading Curtin’s translation then you have nothing to worry about. But if you are reading the translation by W. S. Kuniczak that I recommended, the original schedule will not work for you. Kuniczak broke the longer chapters into smaller segments, so...

Books and Reading

Divine Comedy Chapter-a-Day Read-along Wrap-Up

Today we have reached the final chapter of The Divine Comedy, the first book of the 2021 Chapter-a-Day Read-along. For the past 100 days we have accompanied Dante through Hell, Purgatory, and Heaven, and it has been quite the journey. I have to admit that this was one of the most challenging chapter-a-day read-alongs for me. There is so much depth to Dante’s poetry and there were so many footnotes that I feel I just scratched the surface of the poem. A daily read-along is probably not the...

Books and Reading

Preparing for the 2021 Chapter-a-Day Read-along: Quo Vadis

Tomorrow, April 10, is the one hundredth day of 2021, the day we finish The Divine Comedy in this year’s chapter-a-day read-along. I’ll post a wrap-up of The Divine Comedy tomorrow, but today we look ahead to our next book, Quo Vadis by Henryk Sienkiewicz. I have been looking forward to reading Quo Vadis ever since I began planning this year’s read-along. I’ve read it a few times before and even taught it to junior high students, but I am especially excited to read this newer translation by W. S....

Books and Reading

Preparing for the Aubrey/Maturin Chapter-a-Week Read-along: Book 2 – Post Captain

If you have been following the Aubrey-Maturin Chapter-a-Week 4 Year Read-along Schedule, then you have just reached the end of Master and Commander by reading a chapter a week for the last twelve weeks. Congratulations! While I haven’t been able to post weekly as I had planned, I do want to mark the end of the first book of our four-year voyage. Feel free to leave your thoughts, reactions, and questions about Master and Commander in the comments section below. And be sure to check out Brona’s amazing...

Books and Reading

Divine Comedy Read-along Update: Week 5

We’re on day thirty-four of the 2021 Chapter-a-day Read-along, which means we’ve finally reached the end of Inferno and made our way out of Hell. Tomorrow we begin part two of The Divine Comedy, Purgatorio. This post gives you an opportunity to share your thoughts, quotes, and questions about Inferno. Some Quotes from the Past Week “My Guide and I crossed over and began to mount that little known and lightless road to ascend into the shining world again…And we walked out once more beneath the Stars.” –...

Books and Reading

Divine Comedy Read-along Update: Week 3

I’m a few days late with this post, but it’s week three of the 2021 Chapter-a-day Read-along, and we’re twenty-four cantos, or chapters, into Inferno, the first part of Dante’s The Divine Comedy. We’ve only got ten more days in Hell, after which we will accompany Dante into Purgatory. This post gives you an opportunity to share your thoughts, quotes, and questions about the book up to canto twenty-four. Some Quotes from the Past Week “The man who lies asleep will never waken fame, and his desire and...

Books and Reading

Aubrey/Maturin Read-along Update: Master and Commander Chapter 3

Welcome to week three of the  Aubrey/Maturin Chapter-a-Week 4 Year Read-along Odyssey. This post gives you an opportunity to share your thoughts, quotes, and questions about chapter three of Master and Commander. Quote of the Week “He looked over those miles of sea to windward — perfectly clear. Not a sail, not the slightest break on the tight light of the horizon. The topgallant sail above him was suddenly golden: then two points on the larboard bow, in the mounting blaze of light, the sun thrust up its...

Books and Reading

Divine Comedy Read-along Update: Week 2

It’s week two of the 2021 Chapter-a-day Read-along, and we’re over a third of the way through Inferno, the first part of Dante’s The Divine Comedy. This post gives you an opportunity to share your thoughts, quotes, and questions about the book up to canto thirteen. Some Quotes from the Past Week “Men of sound intellect and probity, weigh with good understanding what lies hidden behind the veil of my strange allegory!” Inferno, Canto IX (Ciardi) “…the aim of malice is to injure others whether by fraud or...

Books and Reading

Aubrey/Maturin Read-along Update: Master and Commander Chapter 2

Welcome to week two of the  Aubrey/Maturin Chapter-a-Week 4 Year Read-along Odyssey. This post gives you an opportunity to share your thoughts, quotes, and questions about chapter two of Master and Commander. Quote of the Week “This was Jack’s first direct, fully responsible acquaintance with book-keeping, and he did not much relish it.” This quote reminded me of when I first became principal and had to start working on the school budget. Where are Jack and Stephen this week? Jack and Stephen are still in Port Mahon as Jack...

Books and Reading

Divine Comedy Read-along Update: Week 1

Welcome to the first of what I hope will be weekly updates for the 2021 Chapter-a-Day Read-along. The plan is to make a very brief post each Wednesday to give readers a place to post their thoughts, questions, or reactions to the chapters read in the past week. If you’ve read ahead or if you know the story, please refrain from any spoilers. Each week I hope to post some quotes that stood out to me along with a footnote or two that might be helpful. I may...