A LOVELY IDEA

A favorite passage from one of my favorite books is the quote below from Evelyn Waugh's Brideshead Revisited. Charles Ryder and Sebastian Flyte, two young Englishmen, meet at Oxford in the period between the two world wars. Charles is not a believer, and Sebastian is from an aristocratic Roman Catholic family. After they've been friends for a while, Sebastian brings up the subject of his faith and Catholicism. What follows is the dialogue between the two:

Sebastian: "Oh dear, it’s very difficult being a Catholic!"

Charles: "Does it make much difference to you?"

Sebastian: "Of course. All the time."

Charles: "Well, I can’t say I’ve noticed it. Are you struggling against temptation? You don’t seem much more virtuous than me."

Sebastian: "I’m very, very much wickeder," said Sebastian indignantly."

Charles: "… I suppose they try to make you believe an awful lot of nonsense?”

Sebastian: “Is it nonsense? I wish it were. It sometimes sounds terribly sensible to me."

Charles: “But my dear Sebastian, you can’t seriously believe it all."

Sebastian: "Can’t I?"

Charles: "I mean about Christmas and the star and the three kings and the ox and the ass."

Sebastian: "Oh yes. I believe that. It’s a lovely idea."

Charles: "But you can’t believe things because they’re a lovely idea."

Sebastian: "But I do. That’s how I believe."

I love the passage, because Sebastian's way is how I believe, too.  The entire Christmas story, including the virgin birth, is a lovely idea that points to God's choice to take on human form to become one with us in the person of Jesus Christ, God Incarnate.  Whether the precise details of the story are literally true, that Jesus, Son of God, was born of a young, unwed virgin in a humble stable, laid in a manger, and later visited by angels and shepherds, I choose to believe it, all of it. 

A number of my fellow Christians tell me that though they believe Jesus is God Incarnate, they simply cannot believe in the virgin birth, because such a thing is impossible.  To me, Mary's virginity is simply one of the details of the larger story of God become man in Jesus.  If I believe what seems to me in human terms even more impossible, that God became incarnate and dwelt among humans 2000 years ago and is still alive and with us today, why would I have difficulty believing in the virgin birth?

The picture shows the nativity set my mother made in her ceramics class some years ago.  I didn't put the figures on display this year, because I didn't want Scarlett the Cat to go near them.  Maybe next year.

THAT'S HOW I BELIEVE

Collect - Christmas Day

O God, who makest us glad by the yearly remembrance of
the birth of thy only Son Jesus Christ: Grant that as we
joyfully receive him for our Redeemer, so we may with sure
confidence behold him when he shall come to be our Judge;
who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, one
God, world without end. Amen.

(Book of Common Prayer)

A favorite passage from one of my favorite books is the quote below from Evelyn Waugh's Brideshead Revisited. Charles Ryder and Sebastian Flyte, two young Englishmen, meet at Oxford in the period between the two world wars. Charles is not a believer, and Sebastian is from an aristocratic Roman Catholic family. After they've been friends for a while, Sebastian brings up the subject of his faith and Catholicism. What follows is the dialogue between the two:

Sebastian: "Oh dear, it’s very difficult being a Catholic!"

Charles: "Does it make much difference to you?"

Sebastian: "Of course. All the time."

Charles: "Well, I can’t say I’ve noticed it. Are you struggling against temptation? You don’t seem much more virtuous than me."

Sebastian: "I’m very, very much wickeder," said Sebastian indignantly."

Charles: "… I suppose they try to make you believe an awful lot of nonsense?”

Sebastian: “Is it nonsense? I wish it were. It sometimes sounds terribly sensible to me."

Charles: “But my dear Sebastian, you can’t seriously believe it all."

Sebastian: "Can’t I?"

Charles: "I mean about Christmas and the star and the three kings and the ox and the ass."

Sebastian: "Oh yes. I believe that. It’s a lovely idea."

Charles: "But you can’t believe things because they’re a lovely idea."

Sebastian: "But I do. That’s how I believe."

I love the passage, because Sebastian describes how I believe, too. It's very much the stories, the myths (not myths in the sense of something that's not true - myths in the sense of universal truths) that are a great part of what draw me into Christianity.



A Blessed and Merry Christmas to all!

A SNIPPET FROM "BRIDESHEAD REVISITED"

 

From the 1981 BBC TV series, Brideshead Revisited, which I am now watching and enjoying yet again. Rex Mottram, who wants to marry Roman Catholic Lady Julia Flyte, is taking instructions from Fr Mowbray, a Jesuit priest and friend of Julia's family, before becoming a Catholic. Rex has no sincere convictions about converting to Roman Catholicism but wishes to do so only to smooth his path to marry Julia. Fr Mowbray recounts to the family a conversation with Rex about the attributes of God and the infallibility of the pope. The quote below is taken from Evelyn Waugh's novel of the same name, on which the series is based; the dialogue is repeated verbatim in the series. 

"Yesterday I asked him whether Our Lord had more than one nature. He said: 'Just as many as you say, Father.'

Then again I asked him: 'Supposing the Pope looked up and saw a cloud and said 'It's going to rain', would that be bound to happen?' 'Oh, yes, Father.' 'But supposing it didn't?' He thought a moment and said, "I suppose it would be sort of raining spiritually, only we were too sinful to see it.'"

Another one of many delicious conversations from the book and the series that I savor with delight.

CHAIM POTOK AND "BRIDESHEAD REVISITED"

From The Writer's Almanac:

It's the birthday of Chaim Potok (books by this author), born in the Bronx (1929). His parents were immigrants from Poland, and he grew up in a strict Orthodox Jewish culture. When he was about 14 years old, he happened to pick up a copy of Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh, and it changed his life. He said, "I lived more deeply inside the world in that book than I lived inside my own world."

How amazing that the novel would have such a profound effect on an Orthodox Jewish boy.  That the book had the same effect on me, with a background in the Roman Catholic Church, is not so surprising.  Of course, I was much older when I read the book.  Waugh has a way of writing that makes his characters come to life, and we are drawn into the lives of the characters and care about what becomes of them. 

I loved Potok's novel, The Chosen, and I just now placed the sequel, The Promise, on my wish list to buy in the future.  I may have already read the book, but, as with The Chosen, which I've read more than once, the sequel may be well worth another read.

IT'S STILL CHRISTMAS - 2

 

A favorite passage from one of my favorite books is the quote below from Evelyn Waugh's Brideshead Revisited. Charles Ryder and Sebastian Flyte, two young Englishmen, meet at Oxford in the period between the two world wars. Charles is not a believer, and Sebastian is from an aristocratic Roman Catholic family. After they've been friends for a while, Sebastian brings up the subject of his faith and Catholicism. What follows is the dialogue between the two:

(Sebastian) “Oh dear, it’s very difficult being a Catholic!”

(Charles) “Does it make much difference to you?”

(Sebastian:) “Of course. All the time.”

(Charles) “Well, I can’t say I’ve noticed it. Are you struggling against temptation? You don’t seem much more virtuous than me.”

(Sebastian) “I’m very, very much wickeder,” said Sebastian indignantly.

(Charles) “… I suppose they try to make you believe an awful lot of nonsense?”

(Sebastian) “Is it nonsense? I wish it were. It sometimes sounds terribly sensible to me.”

(Charles) “But my dear Sebastian, you can’t seriously believe it all.”

(Sebastian) “Can’t I?”

(Charles) “I mean about Christmas and the star and the three kings and the ox and the ass.”

(Sebastian) “Oh yes. I believe that. It’s a lovely idea.”

(Charles) “But you can’t believe things because they’re a lovely idea.”

(Sebastian) “But I do. That’s how I believe.”

I love the passage, because Sebastian describes how I believe, too. It's very much the stories, the myths (not myths in the sense of something that's not true - myths in the sense of universal truths) that draw me into Christianity.

(Edited and reposted from 2007.)

IMMERSION - 'BRIDESHEAD REVISITED'

Regarding blogging, I've been pretty much out to lunch, or dinner, or tea with English folks. For several days now, I've been watching episodes of Brideshead Revisited, which I've seen a number of times before, but one more time is never too much. The 1981 Granada Televison series is superb. Of course, the episodes were meant to be viewed a week apart, but I'm cramming them into several, days taking the occasional time-out away from the screen for daily life. I feel as if I'm in another world, the world of Oxford, Brideshead, London, Venice, France, and coming up is Morocco.

On the journey, I lost my way a bit, what with real life interruptions, having to stop in the middle of an episode and trying to mark my place on the DVD, and then missing out entirely on Venice and having to go back and view one of my favorite parts of the story.

The video above is of a deliciously camp lunch party in Sebastian's rooms at Oxford. If you've seen the series, you know it. If you haven't, then think about watching.

The video below is a conversation between Charles Ryder and Cara, Lord Marchmain's mistress, during Charles and Sebastian's visit to Venice. This post is mainly for those who are familiar with the series. Sorry.

BRIDESHEAD REVISITED - ONCE AGAIN

Last night I watched the first of the four DVDs of the 1981 version of the TV series, Brideshead Revisited, yet again. Oh my! How splendid! Since I have my new larger screen monitor, I decided to watch on my computer rather than on TV, and it worked out quite well. With my old monitor, I didn't care to watch movies on my computer, but I'm reconsidering now whether I want to subscribe to one of the movie sites like Netflix. I have a comfortable padded desk chair for my computer, and if I moved a footstool in place, I'd be all set.

Anyway, back to Brideshead. For the first time, I was able to watch the series with the closed captions for the hearing impaired. I could never get the captions to work when I watched the DVDs on my TV, although the notes on the container box said the captions were there. I was able for the first time to get all of the brilliant dialogue and voiceovers. What a pleasure! I've 3 DVDs to go, and I will go. Thanks be to God, my new computer screen, and the CC function that worked.

I love Evelyn Waugh's book, which I've read countless times, and the TV version is one of the few translations from book to screen of a favorite of mine that truly works for me. The scenes of Oxford University brought tears to my eyes as I remembered my first visit and my awe at actually seeing the 'city of dreaming spires' with my own eyes. Later, I took week-long summer courses on three occasions and stayed in student rooms at Brasenose College. On one of my visits to England, I visited Castle Howard, which is the location of the scenes which take place at Sebastian's ancestral home, and it was lovely to see the amazing castle again.