Flight Behavior, by Barbara Kingsolver.  Harper 2012.

   This book is marked a Novel, but it reads more like a companion to Genesis 1 and 2. There God gives mankind the earth as a gift and bids mankind to till the earth and care for it and for all the creatures, plants and animals. There is much emphasis on man's involvement in global warming, even though  there are many who deny that there is such a thing as global warming.
    Kingsolver weaves the story of an unhappy couple whose marriage is on the edge of break-up. The mother of their two children climbs a high mountain to meet another lover and instead comes across something like Moses' burning bush. She discovers that the light given off comes from misguided monarch butterflies who had missed their usual yearly visit to a section of Mexico. Scientists arrive to study this event and the mother becomes famous as she gets a job with the scientists.
   In studying the advent of the monarchs in her area, she is treated to much knowledge about recent changes in the earth's heating and cooling patterns, her marriage is put on a firmer basis, and she goes on to seek a college education, and in the process gives valuable teachings about God's great earth.

(Thanks to Sr. Irene Hartman OP for this review.)                                                             



St. Casilda (11th C.): April 9

   Some saints' names are far more familiar to us than others, but even the lives of obscure holy persons teach us something.
   And so it is with St. Casilda, the daughter of a Muslim leader in Toledo, Spain, in the 10th century. Casilda was herself raised as a Muslim and showed special kindness to Christian prisoners. She became ill as a young woman but was not convinced that any of the local Arab doctors could cure her. So, she made a pilgrimage to the shrine of San Vicenzo in northern Spain. Like so many other people who made their way there-many of them suffering from hemorrhages-Casilda sought the healing waters of the shrine. We're uncertain what brought her to the shrine, but we do know that she left it relieved of illness.
   In response, she became a Christian and lived a life of solitude and penance not far from the miraculous spring. It's said that she lived to be 100 years old. Her death likely occurred around the year 1050.
   Tensions between Muslims and Christians have often existed throughout history, sometimes resulting in bloody conflict. Through her quiet, simple life Casilda served her Creator-first in one faith, then another.



Letter from college

Dear dad,

$chool i$ really great. I am making lot$ of friend$ and $tudying very hard. With all my $tuff, I $imply can't think of anything I need, $o if you like you can $end me a card, a$ I would love to hear from you.

Love, Your $on.

*****************************************

Dear son,

I kNOw that astroNOmy, ecoNOmics, and oceaNOgraphy are eNOugh to keep even a hoNOr student busy. Do NOt forget that the pursuit of kNOwledge is a NOble task, and you can never study eNOugh.

Love, Dad.