Interesting idea

Who wants chowder?

Nothing like mutual respect to build up the nation.

"Lord, in the memory of all the saints who from their labors rest, and in the joy of a new beginning, we ask you to help us work for that day when black will not be asked to get in back, when brown can stick around. . .when the red man can get ahead, man; and when white will embrace what is right. That all those who do justice and love mercy say Amen. Say Amen. . ."

Olympic Instruments say that my new hurdy-gurdy will be ready in a few weeks!

St. Ita of Kileedy

Beside being the feast of Sts. Maur and Placid, January 15 was also the feast of St. Ita of Kileedy, aka "The foster-mother of the saints of Ireland." Born into the Irish royalty, she became a nun and eventually and abbess.

There is no doubt Ita excelled in the ‘Six Gifts" of Irish womanhood the ancient Celt looked for in the well educated girl - wisdom, purity, beauty, music, sweet speech, embroidery. She refused an offer of marriage as she wanted to consecrate herself completely to Christ. Her father refused her. She went at once to an aged priest she had known from childhood and publicly made her vows which she had already formed in her heart. She left her father’s house and the pleasant places round it and set out with some companions for the Ua Conaill territory in the West of Munster, the present Co. Limerick, to a place called "Cluain Creadhail" which some interpret to mean "Meadow of Faith" and which is now called Kileedy. Legend has it that Ita was lead to Killeedy by three heavenly lights. The first was at the top of the Galtee mountains, the second on the Mullaghareirk mountains and the third at Cluain Creadhail. Her sister Fiona also went to Killeedy with her and became a member of the community. (by Bridgid Haggerty)

She had a school for girls, and later, one for boys. Several Irish saints came under her instruction in their childhood and youth. There are several "visions" attributed to her that have been collected over the centuries. They are remarkable examples of Celtic religious poetry. Here is one called

Saint Ita sees Christ come to her in a vision as a baby to be nursed:

It is Jesukin ("Jee-su-kin" diminutive of Jesus)

who is nursed by me in my little hermitage:

though it be a cleric with treasures,

all is a lie save Jesukin. (One can imagine her addressing one of her boy students with this fond diminutive.)

The nursing I do in my house

is not the nursing of a base clown:

Jesus with the men of Heaven

under my heart every single night. (A description of her mystical union with Christ and the saints.)

Young Jesukin, my eternal good! (Absolutely!)

To heed him is a cause of forgiveness,

the king who controls all things,

not to beseech Him will cause repentance.

It is Jesus, noble, angelic,

not an unlearned cleric, ('Way too many of those even now.)

who is fostered by me in my little hermitage,

Jesus the son of the Hebrew woman. (St. Mary the Virgin)

Sons of princes, sons of kings,

though they should come into my country,

I should not expect profit from them;

more likely, I think from Jesukin. ("Put no trust in princes, in man in whom there is no help.")

Sing ye a chorus, O maidens, (She could be addressing her nuns.)

to Him who has a right to your little tribute,

who sits in his place above,

though Jesukin is at my breast.

Source: The Martyrology of Oengus trans. by Whitley Stokes, London, 1905

Brother Tobias DeSalvo, OSB, of happy memory

Father Prior David called me Sunday afternoon with the word that our beloved Brother Tobias had died. He had been battling cancer for a short while, and had received chemotherapy in Fort Smith. They brought him home Friday, but had to take him back to Ft. Smith Saturday because he was in great pain. The reality was that the chemo, because of his weakened condition, had seeped through his intestines into his abdominal cavity and caused septicemia (septic shock leading to death). Of course by being so weak, the intestinal walls could not hold back whatever was in the intestines.

I shall miss him as a friend, beyond the loss to our monastic community at his passing. He was the only one who stood with me in the late unpleasantness, and actually suffered with me in the aftermath, although he did not go into voluntary exile as I did. We never saw eye-to-eye on a number of issues, but that did not stop us from being close. I drank his wine and enjoyed his company. He was always cheerful even in trials, and had a lot more energy than you could believe from looking at the picture to the left. He looks like an old man there, and I guess that years of hard physical labor and little sleep had taken their toll, but I will not remember him thus. (When he was in college at SLU at the time I was there, I can remember him falling asleep over his books, nodding off, waking up and trying to study again. It was kind of funny, but he was never absent from Morning Prayer, which is more than you can say for me.) You can see the beginning of a smile at the corner of his lips, and I'm sure that he thought that taking his picture was more to be endured than enjoyed, especially when there was work to be done.

When I came back for visits, if I had the time, I would try to take him over to the Sonic in Paris and get him a root beer float. He loved sweets, especially ice cream, so it was always a treat for him.

Today at 5:30 I shall say the Requiem Mass for the repose of his soul and the Officium defunctorum (Office for the Dead) during the day. May his memory be eternal, and may he rest in the peace he so justly deserves!

The King-Martyr, Louis, by the grace of God

January 21, besides being the feasts of St. Agnes, virgin and martyr, and St. Meinrad, monk and martyr, is the commemoration of the murder of King Louis XVI, the king-martyr, and savior of the American Revolution. The evil deed of evil me was 215 years ago: January 21, 1793. The more I study that whole period and the lives of the principal players, the more I come to see that the French Revolution was one of the most satanic events in human history. It has produced nothing but evil in its wake and the world still suffers from it. The noble king Louis, and his sainted wife, Marie Antoinette of Austria, are the most maligned persons that I have ever encountered. Almost everything that popular culture believes about them are, and were, malicious lies, the monstrosity thereof unfathomable. I truly believe that the king and queen are in the ranks of the martyr saints, and deserve our veneration and admiration. Louis' support for the American Revolution, albeit a totally political act to embarrass Britain, bankrupted France while it rocketed our nation to freedom. In so doing, the evil "thinkers" of France found their opportunity to create the first political holocaust of modern times. God save the king! Holy Louis, pray for us.

This is vocations awareness week

Have you noticed how often the call for freedom is made without ever referring to the truth of the human person? Some today argue that respect for freedom of the individual makes it wrong to seek truth, including the truth about what is good. In some circles to speak of truth is seen as controversial or divisive, and consequently best kept in the private sphere. And in truth’s place – or better said its absence – an idea has spread which, in giving value to everything indiscriminately, claims to assure freedom and to liberate conscience. This we call relativism. But what purpose has a “freedom” which, in disregarding truth, pursues what is false or wrong? How many young people have been offered a hand which in the name of freedom or experience has led them to addiction, to moral or intellectual confusion, to hurt, to a loss of self-respect, even to despair and so tragically and sadly to the taking of their own life? Dear friends, truth is not an imposition. Nor is it simply a set of rules. It is a discovery of the One who never fails us; the One whom we can always trust. In seeking truth we come to live by belief because ultimately truth is a person: Jesus Christ. That is why authentic freedom is not an opting out. It is an opting in; nothing less than letting go of self and allowing oneself to be drawn into Christ’s very being for others (cf. Spe Salvi, 28).

MEETING WITH YOUNG PEOPLE AND SEMINARIANS
ADDRESS OF HIS HOLINESS BENEDICT XVI
Saint Joseph Seminary, Yonkers, New YorkSaturday, 19 April 2008

Sts. Maur and Placid

Yesterday, the 15th of January, was the feast of Sts. Maur(us) and Placid(us), companions and students of St. Benedict. They had joined up with him in their youth, and became, in tradition, the quintessential disciples of the Master. The picture at the left, by Filipo Lippi at Monte Oliveto Maggiore (the home office of the Olivetan branch of the Benedictine family), shows St. Benedict telling Maur that Placid was drowning and that he should go pull him out of the water. St. Gregory, in his Dialogs, where this event is narrated, says that the obedience of Maur was so perfect that he hastened to the lake and, walking on the water, pulled Placid to safety. He doesn't explain why they all had to wear choir dress for this undertaking, but I suppose that was simply the artist's way of depicting them.
Legend says that Maur went to France and founded a monastery there. Placid and his companions were martyred in Sicily by the perfidious Mohammedan infidels.

Collect: Lord our God, you have filled us with wonder by the example of monastic observance in the lives of blessed Maurus and Placid. As we follow in their footsteps, may we come to share in their reward. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, on God, for ever and ever. Amen.

If you can watch through all of this, you have more control than I do

Oh, Andy

China�s Andy Rooney Has Some Funny Opinions About How Great The Chinese Government Is

From Epiphany to Ordinary

With the Feast of the Lord's Baptism we move from the Christmas-Epiphany liturgical cycle to the weeks of "ordinary time." These are so-called because they are ordered from week one to week 33. They are interrupted by the Lent-Easter cycle that begins with Ash Wednesday. In the Liturgy of the Hours, we begin week 1 today. (Baptism of the Lord is in the Advent-Christmas book.)
I am planning to teach on the sacred liturgy and liturgical music during these Sundays before Lent. During Lent, our "Tuesdays in Lent" series will be on basic Catholic Apologetics which I am going to teach. I get requests for this every now and then so I thought that this year it would be a good thing to do.

Someone sent me the very nice 3-d-like image of my coat of arms that I've added to this post. It shows a nice way to make a flat-2-dimensional rendering into something with more zip. I'm not sure who sent it to me, though, as I opened it here in my house, and the name doesn't ring a bell with others in my address book. An old friend or an anonymous admirer? We'll see.

Butch and Brice are resting this afternoon after spending yesterday evening and this morning visiting their friends. I wish Brice would get over all the chewing up of stuff. Butch out-grew it, I'm still waiting for little Brice.

It's in the 50's and cold, but quite sunny here in old El Dorado today. I've been invited to someone's home for dinner this evening. I need to start on my garden soon.

Pilgrimage Reunion

Those who went on the EOHSJ pilgrimage to the Holy Land and Rome in November with me are having a reunion here in El Dorado this weekend. Pictures will be shared, memories enhanced, notes revised and general fellowship all around. They will attend Mass tomorrow for the Feast of the Lord's Baptism as a group. It should be a great reunion.

Successful Bishop's Pastoral Visit

A very happy pastoral visit by our Bishop concluded after the lunch after the Spanish Mass. Bishop Anthony B. Taylor of our diocese of Little Rock arrived Saturday at noon. Following lunch he began a series of scheduled meetings with the finance committee, planning committee, Hispanic community, St. Agnes Guild, K of C, Catholic Daughters, among others.

He presided and preached at Solemn Vespers of the Epiphany Saturday evening, which was followed by a pot-luck supper in the parish hall. During desert he took the microphone and filled us in, in a kind of state-of-the-diocese presentation. He then responded to questions and as supper finished stayed around to kibbutz with the people.

On Sunday morning, the Solemnity of the Epiphany (observed) he presided at Adoration, Morning Prayer, and Benediction at 8 o'clock. Following that he visited with the Lay Missionaries of Charity and other parishioners.

At 10 we celebrated the Pontifical High Mass where the Bishop preached. The choir sang my setting of Videntes Stellam. Following the Mass, he taught the RCIA class in the library (see picture). Then, we celebrated the Pontifical High Mass in Spanish at 12:30. All of the liturgies went very well, and I was especially pleased with the work of our acolytes.

The Hispanic community had a wonderful soup, menudo with pork and vegetables upon which we feasted with gusto. Again during the postre (desert) Bishop Taylor gave the same presentation that he did after the Saturday evening meal in Spanish.

Finally, about 3:30, all was finished and we bade our pastor godspeed as he returned to Little Rock. It was a blessed weekend for us, and we are thankful for Bishop Taylor taking the time to visit us.

Uncle Jay Explains the News

My favorite chorus from Bach's Christmas Oratorio

And English version by Americans

Nothing like a German Christmas

It's getting to be time to let 'er rip!

Confession