Neistat & Newman

As of recently, I have been captivated by the daily vlogs (video log) of illustrious Youtuber Casey Neistat. At least ten minutes of my day for the past 7 months have been set apart to view the captivatingly curious content on his channel. It has become a small frivolous thing that I have enjoyed allowing to leech into my day.

Spiritual reading is something else I set time aside for daily. This month, my wife and I have been reading through Blessed John Henry Newman's (read more here) "Meditations on the Litany of Loreto, for Month of May" (start reading here). We were reading the selection for May 7 about The Mystical Rose and my wife stated that Newman uses some flowery language (no pun intended). So we started to talk about it...and through our thinking and discussing, I had an epiphany.

Daily Meditations are the equivalent to a small Youtube clip back in the 18th century. Short, sweet, and to the point.

Neistat uses videos as his medium. In his vlogs he captures observations, meditations, ethical issues, pop culture, company promotions, and he does this through telling a story. Neistat has undertaken the discipline of daily vlogging to become a better videographer. He uses the best equipment and software at his disposal to produce the best content possible, to entertain and inspire.

Newman uses writing as his medium. In his writing he captures observations, meditations, ethical and moral issues, pop culture references, promotes holiness, and he does so through telling a story rooted in the holy scriptures and patristic thought. Newman undertook the discipline of daily spiritual reading, daily writing and thinking to become a better Christian. Newman uses the best imagery, wording, analogies, and thought he had at hand to best communicate the depths of who God is and to inspire others to grow in holiness.

Neistat & Newman, more alike than not.


Respectfully,

Chris+

A good friend from seminary wrote an encouraging article on "The Writing Life."

Tyler's post stirred inside of me, the desire to become a better writer, and in turn, a better thinker.

It's interesting to consider my desire to think and write better.

I have never considered myself as such, but again, my dear friend has encouraged me with his words.

Now that I think of it, writing is something that has been part of my family for some time.

Both my grandmother, and my mother  have published works.
 (Shameless plug, Hi mom and grandma.)

For better or for worse, welcome to the re-grouping of my initial efforts of the discipline of "The Writing Life."

St. Francis De Sales, Ora Pro Nobis.

Working in 'pockets' of time.

I am currently sitting in my classroom, waiting for all the students to pour in from breakfast for a Church History lecture, utilizing one of the 'pockets' of time that the business of life here at Nashotah House provides us with.

The audio soundtrack for this morning:

• The Divine Liturgy as composed by Metropolitan Hilarion Alfeyev.

 Nashotah House recently had the privilege of hosting His Eminence, Metropolitan Hilarion, of the Russian Orthodox Church, during our Annual Convocation.  It was a pleasure to have him among us!

The album is such a beautiful arrangement of music, with the Divine Liturgy spoken over top it. It is utterly breathtaking (it's also completely in Russian).

This morning before leaving the house, I flipped open the case of the CD album and read this in the booklet:

"Archbishop Hilarion composed this setting of the Divine Liturgy in the first ten days of June 2006. With reference to the circumstances in which the music was written, he writes, 'With the various duties that preoccupy me, including an intensive travel schedule, I do not have the opportunity to devote myself to composition on a regular basis. I worked on my setting of the Liturgy during and between trips from Budapest to Moscow and from Vienna to Geneva. Much of it was written whilst traveling. The Beatitudes, for example, was written in the departure lounge of Sheremetevo Airport, Holy God during a flight from Moscow to Budapest, the Great litany and the Litany of fervent supplication at Geneva's airport."

Epiphany. Regardless of where we are, no matter what we are doing, and regardless of what stage of life we are in, we will always only have 'pockets' of time. It's what we do with those 'pockets' of time that matter.

May you be encouraged and be of good cheer!

"...let us work as Jesus meditated,--as He drew on the life-springs of the Father to pour out on the world." 

A.D. Sertiallanges, O.P.

The Intellectual Life, p. 14