I rarely, in reality, most likely never have, written an end of the year post. I have no thought out reason for the absence of end of the year posts, my years simply finish, usually surrounded by some configuration of family members in some corner of the world, and more often than not, I spend the last day of each year baking something. This year, on the contrary, has ended quite differently, after a year of many unexpected changes in job and place of abode, it began quite differently from how it is ending. And that is exactly what I needed at this point in time. So I am not baking nor am I in some family members home in some of the world, rather I am in my home, in my corner of the world…..and my brother is doing most of the cooking. God is always surprising and we must do our best to not reduce Him to our size. We tend often to see things as we think God would see them but in reality it is our way of viewing life and those around us calling it God’s way when in reality what we are doing is bringing Him to our level. What He calls us to do it to let Him elevate us to Him and let Him grant us a vision of things and people as He sees them, has created them, has dreamt them. Each situation carries with it this need of us rendering it to Him to avoid reducing it to much to our size.
Today we went with the family on a short day outing to a nearby town called Puente la Reina, an obligatory stop for any James Way pilgrim doing the French route through the North of Spain. After a very gray and slightly wet morning the clear skies and spells of sunshine were very welcome. The main church dedicated to St James is a romanesque beauty with large golden triptic, definitely recommended it to any visitors, but more than anything excursions like to today’s allow me to come home with my inner book worm ready for the favourite corner in the sofa and the two books I found at the local Re-Read that reflect a certain nostalgia for Oxford and the two corners of Catholicism that have formed such an important part of my Oxonian life. So, imitating an old friend but in a much more modest way, these are the two books that are accompanying my life in this last month of 2023.
Evelyn Waugh’s Life of Ronald Knox and Clare Cumhail and Rachel Wisemann’s Metaphysical Animals.
I had been trying to find an affordable copy of Metaphysical animals of several months while Waugh’s biography of Ronald Knox was a completely unexpected find, I had no idea he had written such a biography. One was found in English while I am, contrary to habit and missing out on Waugh’s wonderful English, reading in Spanish. Needs must. Metaphysical Animals tells the story of four women philosophers, amongst whom we find Elizabeth Anscombe and Iris Murdoch, who study and become friend’s in Oxford at a point in time when philosophy in the anglo-saxon sphere is attempting its best to leave behind any notion of metaphysics and how these women, so often overlook by mainstream philosophy, manage to keep metaphysical roots that give hope to both philosophy more specifically ethics in the tumultuous years of the 20th century.
Waugh’s biography of the one of the former Catholic Chaplains of Oxford University is the epitome of nostalgia for anyone, who like me, is a former student, in my case also former resident, of the Oxford University Catholic Chaplaincy. It adds knowledge of families that were the core of the British empire, particularly its missionary society, into the mix, to create the ultimate type of Oxonian historical nostalgic reading.
Conclusion: our end of the year readings don’t necessarily need to be of the extremely edifying type. These of course have some edifying aspects but the personal history of its characters are really what draw you in.
I hope you all have a lovely new years eve/day celebration and 2024 brings many blessings and joys!
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