Friday Favorites: May 10

Books: I picked up Taylor Marshall's Thomas Aquinas in 50 Pages: The Layman's Quick Guide to Thomism. It is a very easy read and it certainly delivers as promised--Thomistic philosophy and theology presented in a concise and accessible manner. 

Podcasts: I loved Patrick Coffin's recent interview with Anthony Esolen on the attack on boyhood so much I ended up ordering Esolen's book Defending Boyhood.

Music: My daughters recently introduced me to K-Pop (Korean pop music) and their favorite band: BTS.  Some of their lyrics are in Korean and I expressed a bit of dismay over not knowing what the lyrics might be saying, but our 26 year old reassured me she had looked up the translations and had done some research on the K-Pop genre. The Korean music industry is very strict and holds their musicians to high standards of conduct and morality. The song lyrics reflect this and are clean and fairly innocuous. This is Katerina's favorite BTS song: Spring Day

Articles: It's Confirmation season and I thought this article by Peter Kwasniewski was an excellent explanation of the ofttimes confusing sacrament. 

Videos: PBS has been airing a new production of Les Miserables that is quite good. It's a six part miniseries that is very well cast and acted and of course the costuming and set are authentically on point.

Shops: I own a silver Miraculous medal but I felt I needed a gold one as well. I've been perusing and watching Etsy for one that is unique but also not terribly expensive. I found this one and ordered it. It is really lovely, dainty, and not overpriced. The Mary of Magdala shop has some really lovely handmade Catholic products.

Food: One of my very favorite celebrity chefs is Christopher Kimball, who founded Cooks Illustrated, Cooks Country, and America's Test Kitchen. Several years ago he parted ways with the Cooks Illustrated family and started a new magazine and website called Milk Street. I get their bimonthly magazine and I really love the more international direction he has taken.  The Tuesday Nights section is always filled with great, simple, and quick dinners that make weeknight cooking a complete breeze.

Prayer: I've been reading Carrie Gress' Marian Consecration for Children to my little guys. At the end of each day there 2-3 Marian prayers, many I'd never seen before. I absolutely love the inclusion of this prayer (the earliest known prayer to Mary):

Beneath your compassion,

we take refuge, O Mother of God:

do not despise our petitions in time of trouble:

but rescue us from dangers. 

Amen