Who was the first American (US) saint?

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Don’t worry, I had no clue either. It was Mother Cabrini, who was Italian, but aren’t most Americans immigrants? (When was the last time you saw a native North American?)

At any rate, they made a movie about her -about time, for she was an amazing woman! The main problem with “Catholic” films is that they tend to be chronically underfunded, and it shows. Unless you are Mel Gibson and have access to Hollywood money, your production is going to be underfunded. See for example last year’s Santiago: the Journey within.

We can serve our weakness or we can serve out purpose, not both.

Cabrini

But Cabrini is not about production budgets, it is about the message of this tenacious, gritty, woman, who worked and worked and worked to help (initially) poor Italian immigrant orphans, but built a massive worldwide organization of schools, hospitals, and all sorts of charity work.

Apparently, one of the financiers of the film, Eustace Wolfington, is a Palm Beach resident, so they invited me to a prescreening at the beautiful Kravis Center, followed by a Q&A by the director Alejandro Monteverde, cinematographer Gorka Gómez Andreu and the phenomenal actor that plays Cabrini, Cristiana Dell’Anna.

The world is too small for what I am going to do

Cabrini

The next day, as I was making my daily coffee at the espresso machine, I was telling one of my students who happens to be of Italian heritage from New York, about the film. He knew about the patron saint of immigrants and told me that he would, in the future, love to have a relic of Cabrini… Later in the day, I was telling a colleague about the film. She opened her desk drawer and there, surrounded by paper clips, toothpaste, and assorted office material was, voilà … a relic of Saint Cabrini. I hear she has since given it to the student.

At any rate, the film is coming out March 8th, so book it to a theatre near you. Do not be a stickler for the production and just focus on the message. You are welcome.

We are bold, or we die.

Cabrini

Historia mágica del Camino de Santiago by Fernando Sánchez Dragó; lesser known myths of the Way of St. James.

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Yes, I might be mildly obsessed with the Camino de Santiago, the way of St. James, as you can see from all the posts on the Camino in this blog (go to the search feature and type Camino, I do not like to categorize the blog).

My sister, who knows me well, gave me the perfect Christmas present, a book: Historia mágica del Camino de Santiago by Fernando Sánchez Dragó.

Sánchez Dragó was a huge celebrity in Spain. For years he was a book reviewer on TV, so he was very famous. He was also a writer, winning, in 1992, the Planeta award, which is the top book award in Spain for La prueba del laberinto. “Sánchez Dragó died on 10 April 2023, at age 86, after suffering a heart attack at his residence in Castilfrío de la Sierra.” (Wikipedia)

But I had never read any of his work. My mind was blown.

The book is a psychedelic baroque explosion, dealing with all the “conspiracy theories” of the Camino. The Celtic origins of the Camino, druids, Romans, Egyptian gods, Freemasons, Solomon’s Temple, early church history, the Cluny monks, architecture, Crusaders, the walking stick used by early pilgrims, the meaning of the seashell, etc., etc.

The main argument of the book revolves around Priscillian, (in Latin: Priscillianus; Gallaecia, c. 340 – Augusta Treverorum, Gallia Belgica, c. 385, Wikipedia) Bishop of Avila who in 380 was the first heretic executed by the Church. Is he the one buried in Santiago de Compostela, and not St. James?

Of course, this is no way changes the Camino, you can think what you want about it, and, in fact all sorts of folks with all sorts of beliefs walk the Camino. This book is just a revelation as far as the history of the Camino, it brings together the early history of the region of Galicia and how the Camino came about. Like most things, the story is much more complex and nuanced than what meets the eye…

Build your community. One step at a time.

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The US seems obsessed with the concept of community, but with a few exceptions, it is a country notably devoid of community. Technology, i.e., smartphones and social media have killed whatever remnants of community the car and consumer centric society had not killed. It is up to us to build community, and it is a slow process that requires time and patience.

Community building is something I am rather keen on. Something I love to do. The first few minutes of our soccer team practice are always devoted to team building -sometimes with the most basic of games: name games; the other day I was shocked to learn that a new player did not know the names of all his teammates. Then we play team-building games, getting the players to know and trust each other. The result? We play better, so we won 4-1 against our Miami rivals.

Of course, there is much more to it than teambuilding, there are skills, and strategy, psychology, and game day decisions. But the key is to start with the basics, a community.

So, do not complain about the lack of community, build it. At every opportunity you get.

Fundación Masaveu, a great little (free) place to discover in Madrid

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In front of the Fundación Masaveu

Fundación Masaveu has a cute little exhibition space in a quiet street in Madrid where my sister took me to on a rainy afternoon this past Christmas.

The Masaveu family fortune started with a textile shop in Oviedo, but grew to build a cement factory, a bank, etc., etc. They are rooted in Asturias, but obviously have this outpost in Madrid.

They had a few exhibitions running which were fascinating. One was on 18th C paintings of flowers and a bigger one on Luis Fernández, a XX C Spanish painter. Beyond the exhibits, there is an intriguing massive Jaume Plensa statue in a tiny patio.

Unfortunately, they do not allow photos in the building, so I dutifully complied, you can see the photos from their website here.

Yes, I know I am always writing about how culturally enriching it is to live in a city. Here is another testament to my statement!

So, if you are in Madrid, and you want to discover a great little (free) exhibition space, try this one! You are welcome.

Go out, socialize, get involved, participate. A Bentley University event.

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Ah, the nice feeling of getting home after work, settling into your routine, going to the gym, writing your blog, getting on with your hobbies, whatever it might be. But occasionally it is nice to break out to your routine and do something different, push yourself outside of your comfort zone to meet new people, or reconnect with old classmates.

Last week, Bentley University, my alma mater, held an event in Fort Lauderdale. It is a traffic filled hour´s drive from Boynton Beach, but I pushed myself to go, not knowing who I was going to meet.

First off, I was surprised to see how much of a city Ft. Lauderdale is: big, tall buildings everywhere, not the cozy, cute, and quaint resort town, but an asphalt jungle! At any rate, apparently an older couple, Bentley alumni own the building where the event was held, and it was brand new and beautiful, if a little minimalist as is the horrible trend nowadays.

At any rate, I met parents of future students, alumni older and younger than me, and I reconnected with Annmarie, an old acquaintance, I chatted with a couple of alumni and recruiting folks as well as with President Brent Chrite, a sharp-as-a-tack fellow who spoke for a few, very intense and brilliant minutes!

The hors d’oeuvres were fantastic, the only glass of wine I had was nice, and the setting beautiful.

So, get out, push yourself outside of your comfort zone, even if it means suffering in traffic for an hour, who knows what you might learn and who you might meet! You are welcome.

The backside of paintings, “Reversos,” how to bribe your niece to go to a museum with you.

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Have you ever thought about what is on the other side of a painting? Well, the Prado museum read your mind and has an exhibition just on that! The back sides of the painting “Reversos.”

So, I grabbed my Amigos del Museo del Prado card and invited my niece to come. How did you get a preteen to go to a museum with you? You might ask. Very easily; first she is a sport, and second, I went ice skating with her the day before!!

The exhibit is a real revelation. From plain dedications to the subjects and patrons on the back, to sketches and drafts, to “real” backsides of the painting -paintings with two sides! Some insightful and beautiful, some a bit spicy. Walking around this exhibition felt very private, the public was not “supposed” to see what was going on behind the paintings, it was all a bit secret.

If you are in Madrid until March 3rd, make sure you check out this exhibit. You are welcome!

The Holdovers, an ode to Stoicism.

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One of the many blessings of Film Club, beyond the fellowship and deep discussions, is that every few months you watch a jewel of a film. This month’s theme was Boarding Schools, and the repertoire was: Louis Malle’s Au Revoir les Enfants (1987), Netflix’s version of Matilda (2022)(ok, not a boarding school, but it might as well be), Robin Williams’ classic Dead Poets Society (1989) and a film I had never heard of: The Holdovers (2023).

There are many factors that make The Holdovers a fantastic film -at least for me: it is filmed in two main locations I know and love well, New England boarding schools, and Boston, my beloved old Bostonia, Paul Giamatti, wonderful photography, and an insightful narrative.

As I mentioned the film starts in a New England boarding school (it was filmed in half a dozen of them, including a scene in Waltham, home of my alma mater Bentley College), so we have the whole school as the cast. Christmas break arrives and the cast is narrowed to five students who are stuck in school over break with a teacher (Giamatti) and the cook. The dad of one of these holdovers, the CEO of a helicopter manufacturer will eventually pick up his son and the rest of the boys -except one, Angus Tully (Dominic Sessa) to take them skiing. The brunt of the story is then the three holdovers: the student, history teacher Mr. Hunham, and the cook, Mary Lamb (Da’Vine Joy Randolph).

Yes, the film touches on the inequalities of the “legacy students” -children of wealthy alumni, family dynamics, class inequalities, etc. But those are accessory to the plot.

What could these three different people have in common? You might ask. Well, what we all have in common: our brokenness. And this is where the film shines. The big clue comes when Hunham, gives his two Christmas companions copies of Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations “For my money, it’s like the Bible, the Koran, and the Bhagavad Gita all rolled up into one.” At the end of the film, we will see a box full of the books, Hunham’s go to present, apparently.

Stoicism is less a philosophy and more of a way of life: understanding what is under our control, and if it is beyond our control, there is not much we can do about it but accept it. (I recently wrote about this here). Of course, it is difficult for us to become full, real stoics, it is a lifetime process. Our three protagonists -eventually only the two men in their “field trip” to Boston, struggle with their issues. Despite the obvious age difference, we see these two men are basically the same, a mirror image in their brokenness.

As any good film does, The Holdovers makes the viewer consider their lives and how to deal with their issues, and at the same time enjoy a wonderful cast, beautiful photography, great early seventies music and Paul Giamatti.

Enjoy the 70s style trailer:

70s style trailer is classic!

Authors (and characters) as adjectives a quiz, Niccolo Machiavelli a conference, revisiting the Renaissance

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Match the author -or character (extra credit)- to the adjective (answers below)

  1. Kafkaesque     A. In which political expediency is placed above morality, and craft and deceit areused to maintain the authority and carry out the policies of a ruler.

2. Nietzschean    B. As a striving toward love of spiritual or ideal beauty.

3. Platonic           C. Emphasizing the will to power as the chief motivating force of both the individual and society.

4. Orwellian        D. Extravagantly chivalrous or romantic; visionary, impractical, or impracticable.

5. Machiavellian E. Describing a fictional world teeming with characters from all walks of life and social strata.

6. Quixotic          F. Sacrificing spiritual values for power, knowledge, or material gain.

7. Faustian          G. Marked by a senseless, disorienting, often menacing complexity.

8. Dickensian      H. The totalitarian future described in his antiutopian novel 1984.

Fairly easy and short right? The reason is that very few authors -and even fewer characters- have reached the level of having their name become adjectives.

Although I am not a Renaissance specialist, I recently went to a fantastic conference on Machiavelli given by professor of Political Science at the Autonomous University of Madrid Fernando Vallespín at the fantastic Fundación Juan March.

Professor Vallespin was amazing, and his presentation was equally interesting. He obviously referenced the growing wave of Humanism that sparked and propelled the Renaissance, he commented on Giovanni Pico della Mirandola (1463–1494), he recommended Stephen Greenblat’s The Swerve, and he put Machiavelli in the context of his era. I had not read The Prince since high school back in the Pleistocene; so, it was very refreshing to re-visit Machiavelli. I remembered my Medieval Literature professor, the great Frank Dominguez mention that The Prince was written for king Ferdinand of Aragon whom Machiavelli admired. I wanted to ask Prof. Vallespin about that, but he did not stick around for Q and A…

If you are in Madrid, check out the conference cycles at the March, you will not regret it!

Answers:

1.         Kafkaesque     G. Marked by a senseless, disorienting, often menacing complexity.

2.         Nietzschean    C. Emphasizing the will to power as the chief motivating force of both the individual and society.

3.         Platonic           B. As a striving toward love of spiritual or ideal beauty.

4.         Orwellian        H. The totalitarian future described in his antiutopian novel 1984.

5.         Machiavellian A. in which political expediency is placed above morality, and craft and deceit are used to maintain the authority and carry out the policies of a ruler.

6.         Quixotic          D. Extravagantly chivalrous or romantic; visionary, impractical, or impracticable.

7.         Faustian          F. Sacrificing spiritual values for power, knowledge, or material gain.

8.         Dickensian      E. Describing a fictional world teeming with characters from all walks of life and social strata.

*All definitions from Dictionary.com with thanks

Happy New Year! and the resolutions that come with it

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It is time to reframe and write down our new year’s resolutions. How is that working out for you?

Our main issue with new year’s resolutions is that we try to change either one thing, quit smoking or everything: quit smoking, lose 10 lbs., go to the gym, save a million dollars, etc. Usually neither one of these approaches works long term. TV, social media, hyper processed foods, etc. they are all engineered for you to lose that battle. The solution? A lifestyle change, Stoicism, a gradual approach. Let me break that down.

A lifestyle change means that you change your outlook on life. Under ideal circumstances that requires more motivation than a change in a number in the calendar, for example a breakup, a heads up from a doctor, something nice and traumatic. Another hack, this time from British Philosopher Alain de Botton, is the importance of repetition. De Botton sets the example of religions, which are particularly good at making us repeat things. So, make yourself repeat things until they become second nature -but beware of staying mindful of your actions, do not let them become rote.

A key component to succeed with your New Years resolutions lies in balance, in equilibrium, the Middle road as the Buddhists say, or moderation, the motto of the Stoics. You can´t kill yourself in the gym only to get drunk every night, or you cannot eat super healthy if you are not exercising. You cannot work all day and not have a moment of recollection; you get the idea. What I propose is to take stock of all the distinct aspects of your life: physical, mental, spiritual and see how and where you can improve.

Last year one of my online tutoring students gave me a wonderful book: Diario para Estóicos*, daily reflections from the Stoics. I loved it and incorporated it to my evening version of “Lectio Divina” when I read and meditate.

The problem with the current Stoicism is that you are reading a quote from Marcus Aurelius on Social Media, you smile to yourself, think that is a good one, maybe even do a screen shot, and then keep scrolling. You are lacking the repetition and the action components necessary to exercise Stoicism. Reading a daily prompt incorporates that repetition that de Botton talks about, and I believe that after a year I have become more Stoic. Of course, for any self-improvement to happen, you must be conscious of who you are, and that, my friends, is the hard bit.

So good luck with your fitness and your diet, your prayers and meditation, your yoga and community service, your sleep and your work, your reading and socialization. But most importantly good luck with your consciousness.

“begin in philosophy is this: a clear perception of one’s own ruling principle.”

Epictetus

As for me, I said goodbye to 2023 running my 6th San Silvestre Vallecana 10K. Where are you on your path to wellness?

* The Daily Stoic Journal: 366 Days of Writing and Reflection on the Art of Living by Ryan Holiday and Stephen Hanselman.

Museo Arqueológico Nacional MAN

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When one of your best friends is a noted fine antique art restorer and he invites you to walk around the Museo Arqueológico Nacional, something you had not done since you were a schoolboy, you drop everything and go!

First, what a wonderful job they have done renovating it! The museum shares building with the National Library -One side Library, one side Museum. In it you will find everything from prehistoric bones to early 19th C artifacts. Of course, the main exhibits are from Spain’s first inhabitants, the íberos, with their rich sculptures, like the Dama de Elche -the museum’s undisputed jewel, and their falcata swords feared by the Romans… (Jaime restored a bunch of these curved swords and told me everything about them).

The room of Roman mosaics is mind blowing, the Greek room, the Romanesque room also, and on and on. The whole museum is jaw dropping! And if that was not enough, under the garden, they have recreated the Altamira caves with their prehistoric paintings, it is literally a cave with the painting on the walls and ceilings.

Jaime even introduced me to some of his colleagues and showed me the labs and workshops, even the library where he works when he collaborates with them.

So, if you are in Madrid, do not miss the Museo Arqueológico Nacional, also, it is on Calle Serrano, a main shopping street so you can kill two birds with one stone!!

You are welcome!