One of my biggest fears is that one day i would use “dad voice” and no one would listen. I dont know what the secret is, but i guess i dont have to worry about it until the time comes. Revered and feared is a good combination, at least compared to being neither. Maybe the edges can be smoothed out but anyway especially when teaching young kids, nuance can introduce more confusion than clarity. Start black and white—let grey be learned with age.
Perhaps the “dad voice,” along with the “mom voice,” comes from the sacramental graces of marriage that spouses have at their disposal in circumstances when they are needed. Until then, we can only admire them from afar and marvel at their efficacy.
I would encourage you to most definitely write Catholic materials in Spanish, or to have Spanish and English versions of what you write. I live in a small community (after growing up and living in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex, Abilene of 129,000 is small be comparison). It is a very blended group of English and Spanish speaking people, and I’ve many friends both at the Perpetual Adoration Chapel (such a blessing for such a small town, but the Catholic community is vibrant with five churches) and at my parish church.
But more especially at the Chapel, I have made the acquaintance of people who are bilingual, but who feel more secure reading in Spanish. I go looking for Spanish resources for them, ideally the classics of Catholicism, as well as nearer books that have made their impact upon me. It’s a desert out there, just like the photo that accompanies your smorgasbord today.
(I also find it very frustrating, a bias of a different sort, that Spanish materials are only presented in Spanish. Hello?! It is possible that a non-Spanish reading friends could be looking for a Spanish book or resource for another friend. Don’t make me go to Google translate to figure out what I’m looking at! I’ve written to some publishers and online stores that do that, and I need to take this issue up again.)
I would be thrilled to discover whatever you might write in a publishers online compendium of books for sale, because I have several friends who would really appreciate receiving that. And good for you challenging your brain to actually write in Spanish, instead of writing in English and translating it. I must do that for my articles that have been accepted for publication by the Diocesan newspaper, and fortunately I have several people who will help me in this area.
¡Escribe, amigo mío, escribe para llevar almas al Señor!
Write, my friend, write to bring souls to the Lord!
I find translations fascinating so I looked up the psalm (28 in traditional Catholic numbering) and it reads "divides the flames of fire" which perhaps reflects Pentecost better.
I sympathise on the tax thing - I have been making efforts to minimise the amount of money I give to the government to waste. But I definitely recommend relying on God for income - he always comes through for me.
As for languages Latin and French are my best. Italian and German less good, but no Spanish (Castilian or American) I'm afraid.
1. Sort of. I’ve been on three directed retreats at Jesuit retreat houses but none of them really followed the Exercises. I would love to make the full Exercises some day.
2. Pac-Man. Hey! I’m old!
3. Depends what you mean by speak. After English I can speak a bit of Italian (Neapolitan), French, and a very little Spanish. I can offer Mass in Latin and get the drift of the meaning. Same with reading French and Italian. But I’m only fluent in English.
3. 1. I know phrases of other languages and I’ve memorized most of the main prayers at Mass in Latin, but languages will never be my strong suit. I greatly admire bilingual people. And now, if I may, for the question I’ve always wondered about being bilingual: what language do you think in? What language does that little voice in your head speak in?
One of my biggest fears is that one day i would use “dad voice” and no one would listen. I dont know what the secret is, but i guess i dont have to worry about it until the time comes. Revered and feared is a good combination, at least compared to being neither. Maybe the edges can be smoothed out but anyway especially when teaching young kids, nuance can introduce more confusion than clarity. Start black and white—let grey be learned with age.
Perhaps the “dad voice,” along with the “mom voice,” comes from the sacramental graces of marriage that spouses have at their disposal in circumstances when they are needed. Until then, we can only admire them from afar and marvel at their efficacy.
I would encourage you to most definitely write Catholic materials in Spanish, or to have Spanish and English versions of what you write. I live in a small community (after growing up and living in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex, Abilene of 129,000 is small be comparison). It is a very blended group of English and Spanish speaking people, and I’ve many friends both at the Perpetual Adoration Chapel (such a blessing for such a small town, but the Catholic community is vibrant with five churches) and at my parish church.
But more especially at the Chapel, I have made the acquaintance of people who are bilingual, but who feel more secure reading in Spanish. I go looking for Spanish resources for them, ideally the classics of Catholicism, as well as nearer books that have made their impact upon me. It’s a desert out there, just like the photo that accompanies your smorgasbord today.
(I also find it very frustrating, a bias of a different sort, that Spanish materials are only presented in Spanish. Hello?! It is possible that a non-Spanish reading friends could be looking for a Spanish book or resource for another friend. Don’t make me go to Google translate to figure out what I’m looking at! I’ve written to some publishers and online stores that do that, and I need to take this issue up again.)
I would be thrilled to discover whatever you might write in a publishers online compendium of books for sale, because I have several friends who would really appreciate receiving that. And good for you challenging your brain to actually write in Spanish, instead of writing in English and translating it. I must do that for my articles that have been accepted for publication by the Diocesan newspaper, and fortunately I have several people who will help me in this area.
¡Escribe, amigo mío, escribe para llevar almas al Señor!
Write, my friend, write to bring souls to the Lord!
Thank you for the encouragement!
I find translations fascinating so I looked up the psalm (28 in traditional Catholic numbering) and it reads "divides the flames of fire" which perhaps reflects Pentecost better.
I sympathise on the tax thing - I have been making efforts to minimise the amount of money I give to the government to waste. But I definitely recommend relying on God for income - he always comes through for me.
As for languages Latin and French are my best. Italian and German less good, but no Spanish (Castilian or American) I'm afraid.
1. Sort of. I’ve been on three directed retreats at Jesuit retreat houses but none of them really followed the Exercises. I would love to make the full Exercises some day.
2. Pac-Man. Hey! I’m old!
3. Depends what you mean by speak. After English I can speak a bit of Italian (Neapolitan), French, and a very little Spanish. I can offer Mass in Latin and get the drift of the meaning. Same with reading French and Italian. But I’m only fluent in English.
3. 1. I know phrases of other languages and I’ve memorized most of the main prayers at Mass in Latin, but languages will never be my strong suit. I greatly admire bilingual people. And now, if I may, for the question I’ve always wondered about being bilingual: what language do you think in? What language does that little voice in your head speak in?
That is an excellent question. I started dreaming and having an internal monologue in English about a decade ago. Two years after I moved to the US.