Steven Riddle: September 2004 Archives

First, please let me make it perfectly clear that much to Erik's eternal chagrin, I do have enormous respect for and love of the writings of some of the Puritan divines. I nevertheless can set that in the balances with the plain fact that on some issues they were simply wrong. They overcorrected a perceived fault and wound up in error themselves.

That said, I was amused by the following anecdote:

from God's Secretaries
Adam Nicolson

The words of scripture, and an intellectual consideration of them, were the essence of Separatist Christianity and in many ways of Protestant Christianity itself. Some separatist pastors took this one step further: if the Bible was the word of God, it was intended to be conveyed to men in its orignial languages. Every translation, however good, was bound to contain errors and so by defintiion could not be used. If God had spoken in Hebrew, Greek and Aramaic, then those were the lanugages in which he should be heard. John Smyth, originally from Gainsborough, but by 1608 pastor of the Brethren of the Separation of the Second English Church at Amsterdam, its congregation made of of Lincolnshire farmers, decided that they needed to hear the scriptures in the original. One can only imagine the effect on the poor exiles from Gainsborough: hour on hour of Smyth reading out passages of Hebrew and Greek of which they had not the fiantest understanding, desperately looking for the sanctity in this.

Smyth was an eccentric--after realising that no other ecclesiastical authority could be as pure as himself, he dunked himself in holy water and became famous as the Se-Baptizer or Self-Baptist--but his position is only a distortion and exaggeration of what everyone in Protestant Europe believed. (p. 181)

The book is full of vignettes like this. We get a sense of the times and of the people and of the conflicts of ideas that gave rise to the Authorized Version. What many protestants do not remember or even know is that the Authorized Version in its original translation included all of the deuterocanonical books. The KJV is a truncation of the full translation of the text of the Bible. This is an aside.

For those interested in the history of the most important translation of all time, this book is a remarkable and easy introduction. I don't find much to complain of by way of partisanship, and I think, on the whole Nicolson strives and attains a nice balance between Anglican and Separatist and between undue admiration and undue criticism. I love the way he gives us Lancelot Andrewes, pious, holy man weeping for his sins and Lancelot Andrewes, betrayer of a congregation beseiged by the plague. We get the portrait of a flawed man striving for holiness. We get, in miniature a portrait of ourselves--of the contradictions and contraindications each of us lives out.

First, and worst, it causes me to oversteep my green tea. Five minutes yesterday, seven this morning. As the tea is a green masala that tends to make it somewhat bitter--color the mood for the entire day.

Second, it gives me a distinctly negative impression of some parts of the legal profession who defend everything by the letter of the law and not by the spirit of justice. Unquestioning obedience to precedent is no better than those who stood by and let Jews be carted off in trains during the reign of Nazi Germany. The law needs to be more greatly concerned about justice and less concerned about its own rules and regulations. Yes, I know to some extent they serve hand in hand, but I also know that when one person dies because of the refusal of the law to look at anything beyond their narrow rules, the law has failed us.

Third, it makes me think ill of the people who have brought this plague to us. I try hard to pray for Michael Schiavo. It become progressively more difficult. I cannot fathom why he doesn't use the same legal system to work out an iron-clad contract to remand Terri to the custody of her parents while retaining control of the money that remains from her own settlement. Surely if the law can sentence an innocent person to death, it can find a way to justify this much more minor crime as well.

Fourth, it saddens me and takes away some measure of the peace I seek in God. I don't know why it does as this does not influence me personally and I do not know the family. But somehow, this one issue has captivated me and I must push one calling attention to the travesty of justice that is acted out in executing a woman who had the temerity to fall ill--even persistently ill.

Fifth, I'm afraid it gives me ample opportunity to display my profound ignorance about any number of things (the law included). However, I suppose I'd rather be ignorant and morally right, than fully informed and morally wrong. (Although ideally, I could be fully informed and morally right--that isn't going to happen here because I don't care to come close enough to the law to be that informed. It strikes me that some aspects of the law likely have a contaminating effect on one's life and you must be made of sterner stuff than I am to resist this pull. Thus, my profound admiration for lawyers who follow St. Thomas More and can at once practice law as it is meant to be practiced and maintain a reasoned and reasonable Christian view of the world.)

That's it. I pray for Ms. Schiavo, for her husband, for the warped legal system that allows this travesty to continue, and for the people of the United States that they will wake up and see this for what it is--one more inroad upon the sanctity of Life disguising itself as a civil liberty. God have mercy on us all, undeserving though we are.

Praise to the Lord!

That Jeanne is gone, and despite the destruction, things are not so bad as they might have been here in Florida. Please remember in prayer all whose houses were damaged, who are presently living without electricity, but most particularly those who died in the storm in Haiti and their families.

Prayer Requests

URGENT REQUESTS:
For the people of Haiti, those that died, and those threatened by the chaos that follows the storm.

For Smockmomma's sister Charlene, may God help her, heal her, and above all else hold her close in time of yet another trial.

Please continue to pray for Dylan until he returns to us.

A quick sale and an easy move for Tom and his family as they set out on another exciting adventure in life.

For a deeper understanding of and commitment to the strengthening grace of the sacrament of marriage, especially for those who are presently undergoing trials.

Please storm heaven for my friends in Louisiana, they've had a long string of misfortune and could do with some good news.

For a dear friend who is undergoing a troubling period in her life, beset with a number of problems, physical, financial, emotional. May God hold her close to His heart.

For a St. Blog's parishioner in need of work to forestall financial catastrophe, that the Lord provide all that is needed in both material and spiritual blessings.

For those struggling against self to attain holiness, that the Good Lord will raise up new Saints for our times, visible beacons that draw all people toward Christ.

Not that I need to say this, but I have recently deleted two comments for arrogance, rudeness, aggressive belligerence, and above all for simple discourtesy. No one has a right or an obligation to correct misconception with anything other than reasoned argumentation and courtesy. I will tolerate a great diversity of opinions. I will NOT tolerate in any way discourtesy to any who visit here.

If one feels the need to make discourteous comments about others, it were best that one started one's own blog where one might say anything one wished and where I might avoid one at all costs. All future such comments will also be deleted. "Freedom of the press belongs to him as has one."

I'm sorry to say I've abandoned Arturo Perez-Reverte's The Queen of the South. What looked to be an interesting riff on The Count of Monte Cristo turned out to be an endless, sordid, and needlessly vulgar tale of life among the drug-runners. Give it a miss and go back to the far better, far more interesting The Club Dumas if you think you need to read a work by the normally very fine author.

So, the primary fiction read right now is Anna Karenina and I have to admit to having been captivated by it. It shows the usual Tolstoy weaknesses--weaknesses that are relatively easy to compensate for. For example, he tends to digression and commentary on societal ills of his time. Dickens did the same, but it came off somewhat more smoothly. War and Peace had interminable essays that preceded sections of the story. Generally they were about history and how we interpret it, but they were definite roadblocks to absorbing the far more interesting story. I suspect that these digressions are shorter and more contained in Anna Karenina at least so far as I have discovered.

I'm still reading and approaching the end of Adam Nicolson's enlightening and fascinating God's Secretaries which claims to be the story of the translation of the King James Bible, but is really much more a reflection of Jacobean England and the environment and people that gave rise to one of great works of literature of all time.

I will return to Mandelbrot's fascinating study of markets and market forces The (MIs)Behavior of Markets once I've completed Nicolson's book.

Yesterday evening in the bookstore I stumbled upon a set of mysteries by Peter Tremayne set in Ancient Ireland. They feature one Sister Fidelma and may or may not be grinding an axe with the present configuration of the Roman Catholic Church. The historical introduction certainly suggests as much; however, I haven't started to read the book itself, so it would be premature to make such a determination.

Finally, I am once again reading and luxuriating in Wilfrid Stinnisen's magnificent Nourished by the Word. Pray that it sinks in this time and I might better encounter God's love in His word and share it with all around.

Praise to the Lord!

That Jeanne is gone, and despite the destruction, things are not so bad as they might have been here in Florida. Please remember in prayer all whose houses were damages, who are presently living without electricity, but most particularly those who died in the storm in Haiti and their families.

Prayer Requests

URGENT REQUESTS:
For Terry Schiavo (sp?) who was once again placed in harm's way by a "compassionate" court that washed their hands of blood in the same way as Pilate did--"we only interpret the law."

For Smockmomma's sister Charlene, may God help her, heal her, and above all else hold her close in time of yet another trial.

Please continue to pray for Dylan until he returns to us.

A quick sale and an easy move for Tom and his family as they set out on another exciting adventure in life.

For a deeper understanding of and commitment to the strengthening grace of the sacrament of marriage, especially for those who are presently undergoing trials.

Please storm heaven for my friends in Louisiana, they've had a long string of misfortune and could do with some good news.

For a dear friend who is undergoing a troubling period in her life, beset with a number of problems, physical, financial, emotional. May God hold her close to His heart.

For a St. Blog's parishioner in need of work to forestall financial catastrophe, that the Lord provide all that is needed in both material and spiritual blessings.

For those struggling against self to attain holiness, that the Good Lord will raise up new Saints for our times, visible beacons that draw all people toward Christ.

in posting while recovery from Hurricane Jeanne continues. Lot's more damage all around us, and yet the storm seemed mostly to pass us by. I'm very grateful and busy with work-at-home, home-schooling while Sam is out of school, and assisting the neighbors with clean-up and recovery. Next major investment--hurricane shutters. Pray that Lisa continues on her formally predicted path away from us.

Jeanne has mostly passed. Now we just have a steady 40-50 mph wind with gusts to 65. Something of a relief after 5:00 this morning. I'm told that overall it was somewhat worse the Frances but not as bad as Charley for those in Central Florida. However, now there is a considerable population in real danger from possible flooding. Please continue prayers.

Here we are in the midst of Jeanne. Tropical Storm winds. The sound is terrifying, and we aren't even near the very worst of it. You just hear that whistling winter sound (those of you in the midwest know what I'm talking about. The winds simply don't relent, and occasionally they increase sounding akin to train passing. I sure hope this is the last of these we have to endure this season, but Lisa doesn't look cooperative, particularly with the little loop-the-loops that this season has given us.

Will keep you updated because it mysterious helps me feel better. Please pray protection on us all. We need it.

Watching now as I see a shelter that needed to abandoned in Melbourne this morning. Please pray for these people. This was a special needs shelter and included heart patients, dialysis patients, those mobility impaired. Oh Good Lord, it is certainly a test of one's faith and hope. I suppose we fall back on love. Holy Mother of God, protect us all.

An episode of Sponge-Bob Squarepants (could you guess I have a 6-year-old in the house) shows an anchor throwing competition between the inhabitants of Bikini Bottom. Each contestant throws an anchor, and the little fish judge runs around out in the field to avoid the anchor thrown. No matter where he runs the anchor falls on him. So with this season. Jeanne, by all rights should have been a distant memory of the tropical season that never so much as breathed on the United States. But no, it had to follow some weird perturbation of the atmosphere and go out of its way to make landfall in already storm-shocked East Central Florida.

You know, I guess it's kind of a privilege to witness a record season, but why couldn't it be a record season of Oyster recovery or of Pompano catch, or sea turtle recovery. I don't particularly like being in the middle of a meteorological high-water mark. (Pun intended.)

I ramble because I have time to wait and if I don't talk about it, I'll probably just internalize all the stress and let it cultivate over-producing acid cells.

The Worthy Communicant;
Or, a Discourse of the Nature, Effects, and Blessings consequent to the Worthy Receiving of the Lord's Supper, And of all the Duties required in Order to a Worthy Preparation: Together with the Cases of Conscience occurring in the Duty of Him that Ministers, and of Him that Communicates; As also Devotions Fitted to Every Part of the Ministration.
by Jeremy Taylor, author of the remarkable Holy Living and Holy Dying

Oh well, Jeanne is going to visit Florida. We don't know where it will make landfall, but none of the predictions is particularly good for Central Florida. Please pray that it comes quickly, goes quickly and does little damage.

I've noticed that people are so worn down by this season that there wasn't anything at all like the response to the first three. Of course, many people left their houses boarded up from Frances. Perhaps foolishly, I have not boarded up, so please pray for protection for the house and that the patch on the roof holds through the storm. (The roofers were supposed to be here and fix it this morning, but there didn't seem to be much point given the proximity of the next storm.)

Please pray for those in areas that have already been flooded, and pray that no further flooding will occur in this storm. They predict it to move through fairly quickly, which provides some comfort--but it's yet another storm. I'm hoping for merely 80-90 mph winds. Perhaps we will be even more fortunate and only at the fringes of the storm.

Nevertheless, I'd greatly appreciate prayers, particularly late this evening and early tomorrow. One track shows it going directly through Orlando, but I sometimes wonder if they don't just connect the cities with the most prominent names--as the NOAA forecasts show it moving to the west after entering near West Palm Beach/Melbourne.

Oh, we are tired here. Very tired. Not complacent, but I think weary beyond words of facing this yet again. We just had most of the major debris from Charley carted away and here we are facing another.

At any rate, God's will be done.

A statement from Life Matters on Terri Schiavo, along with the family's statement.

Math joke--very, very amusing, and I'm sure ancient:

from Oro et Laboro

Q: What is a topologist?
A: A person who cannot tell a doughnut from a coffee mug.

Via Dappled Things, a wonderful essay at Pontificaitons examining branch theory. An excerpt below, please go and read the whole thing.

Fr. Gregory Mathewes-Green on Pontifications

First, the fact that Anglicanism has fallen into heresy and apostasy is itself evidence that, even if the branch theory were valid, Anglicanism is not and was not one of the branches—probably not since the East-West split and certainly not since the Reformation. A community’s apostolicity is evidenced in that it continues to hold the apostolic Faith. There may be from time to time theological ferment and heated doctrinal debate, but when the time comes for decision making, that community which is apostolic insists on fidelity to that received Tradition. Anglicanism is presently not such a community.

Please remember the more than 700 dead in Haiti as a result of Tropical Storm Jeanne. I retain this opening prayer as the known death toll increases daily, today it is more than 2,000.

Merciful Father,
hear our prayers and console us.
As we renew our faith in your Son,
whom you raised from the dead,
strengthen our hope that all our departed brothers and sisters
will share in his resurrection,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen Prayer from All Soul's

Prayer Requests

URGENT REQUESTS:
For Terry Schiavo (sp?) who was once again placed in harm's way by a "compassionate" court that washed their hands of blood in the same way as Pilate did--"we only interpret the law."

For the families of people who have died in the course of Ivan and for all those whose homes and livelihoods have been damaged or endangered. Particularly for Lee Ann and whoever else found themselves in Alabama.

Please continue to pray for Dylan until he returns to us.

A quick sale and an easy move for Tom and his family as they set out on another exciting adventure in life.

For a deeper understanding of and commitment to the strengthening grace of the sacrament of marriage, especially for those who are presently undergoing trials.

Please storm heaven for my friends in Louisiana, they've had a long string of misfortune and could do with some good news.

For a dear friend who is undergoing a troubling period in her life, beset with a number of problems, physical, financial, emotional. May God hold her close to His heart.

For a St. Blog's parishioner in need of work to forestall financial catastrophe, that the Lord provide all that is needed in both material and spiritual blessings.

For those struggling against self to attain holiness, that the Good Lord will raise up new Saints for our times, visible beacons that draw all people toward Christ.

The Florida Supreme court has declared itself God once again.

I do not believe that God causes natural disasters in punishment for human sins. But I find myself persuaded that this expected, but nevertheless vile abomination and the forecast of Jeanne sweeping up the entire coast, does have a certain element of poetic justice to it. I just hate to be in the middle of the stanza.

An amazing, beautiful death-bed prayer:

from God's Secretaries
Adam Nicolson

Come Lord Jesus, and kiss me with the kisses of thy mouth, and embrace me with the armes of thy love. Into thy hands do I commend my spirit; O come now, and take me to thine owne selfe; O come, lord Jesus, come quickly. O come, O come, O come.

from God's Secretaries
Adam Nicolson

[referring to the Translators' notes on "The Song of Songs."]

That aching gap, between the ecstatic sexulaity of the poem and of the rather helpful and intersting notes which the Translators provide, might make us smile now, but it was clearly not a comic effect that the Jacobean Translators were after. The modern reaction to their binding of the religious and the erotic experience is a measure of what Eliot called the 'dissociation of sensibility' that occurred to English consciousness at some time later in the seventeenth century. We can no longer imagine that erotic passion and religious intelligence can be bound together into one living fabric. All we see in the commentary of Chaderton's company is what looks like their prudishness, their refusal to see the erotic and the passionate for what it is. But in doing that, we patronise them, we assume they were trying to conceal what they were so clearly and self-consciously making vital and present.

I have often wondered about this--about the lack of blood in the Crucifixion, that so easily got critics worked up about its violence, about the santization of religion, the removal from it, even in Catholic circles of some of the elements of sexuality. We tend to shy away from the overtly sexual imagery of the Song of Songs, to allegorize it before we have even absorbed it. The erotic and the passionate have little place in the sphere of modern religious sensibility. And perhaps that is the way the pendulum swings right now. At other times, it well could have been quite different.

But I recall an example in my own life, one that I occasionally still grapply with. I remember reading or hearing that the Chassidim, a group within Judaism that I do not sufficiently understand well enouogh to explain, were regarded among the very finest people for the diamond industry because of their strict scrupulosity in all money matters. And I remember upon first hearing it thinking, "How can turly religious people desire to make a lot of money?" For me their was a discrepancy between seeking money or wealth and religion. And yet, it is not money that is evil, it is the pursuit of money and the love of money above all else. I had somehow come by a generalilzation that suggested that money equalled a lack of a holy life. And certainly, that can happen. But didn't Jesus tell us "Seek ye first the kingdom of God." I would assume that if one's first goal were always the love and service owed to God, then it would be perfectly all right to work at whatever profession.

Judging by the number of comments, many have already seen this at Domestic Excellence, one bloggers aesthetic icon for the blogs she reads. If not, you would do well to stop by.

For my part, an image well chose--just a touch fractal with lots and lots of color, including my favorite end of the spectrum. In addition there is the sensation of cool flame--surreal and lovely. Thank you very much.

Perhaps you have asked yourself why I maunder on so about the Letter to the Philippians. And as it only just occurred to me the other night, I thought I might share a little of my motivation in reflecting on Philippians.

We all have greater or less interest or love for different books of the Bible. Naturally the Gospels hold pride of place in terms of their compelling interest in salvation history and our understanding of it. But there are some books we come back to over and over again depending on who we are and how God wants to speak to us.

Those who have seen my comments and who have frequented this place know that , in general, I tend to have a "Pollyanna" view of the world. This is not an expression of pride, nor of sorrow, but an attempt to describe how, in serenity, I like to look at the people and things around me. One of Pollyanna's chief attributes (at least as conveyed to us by the Disney movie) is that she was always playing "the glad game." That is, she looked into all events to try to find something good, something to rejoice in. For the most part, she was successful. Even at the end, where things are in doubt, we are shown the "good" of a very, very bad thing indeed.

Within my limited human capacity, that is how I like to operate. I like to take people at their word. I like to think the best of people and their motivations. I refuse to allow journalism to cloud my mind with their vague hints and dubious gossip. These things make headlines, but they rarely reflect the reality of the people they gossip about. Listening to too much of it turns one's head in such a way that it is extremely difficult to return to a state of appreciation for our fellow-travelers.

That, in part, leads me to Philippians. Paul is imprisoned in Rome while writing it. I don't know the order of composition, but I'm of the impression that this is near the end of his sojourn in Rome. And yet, he is thankful for his imprisonment, for the people of Philippi, for the praetorian Guard, for God's will, for everything. The joy that radiates from this letter is the joy of one who has recently stood (almost bodily one might think) in the throne room of the Lord and seen all the good that permeates creation. Paul affirms this good, and then encourages us to move beyond it to the Best. He tells us that "to live is Christ and to die is gain." He tells us that he longs to return home, and yet, for the sake of those who need Him, he is willing to remain behind. The depth of his faith, his love, his hope radiates out through all the ages again and again in verse after verse.

"Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will. . . . What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed; and in that I rejoice. " (Phil 1: 15, 18)

"So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any incentive of love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. " (Phil 2:1-2)

"Even if I am to be poured as a libation upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. Likewise you also should be glad and rejoice with me. " (Phil 2: 17-18)

"Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you is not irksome to me, and is safe for you. " (Phil. 3:1)

" But our commonwealth is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will change our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power which enables him even to subject all things to himself." (Phil 3:20-21)

"Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let all men know your forbearance. The Lord is at hand. Have no anxiety about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will keep your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. " (Phil 4:4-8)

Over and over and over again, we hear joy in the midst of adversity. Even addressing the central issues of the letter--a quarrel between two prominent church women, Paul is gentle in his admonishment and in joyful hope that the quarrel will see a rapid resolution.

So Philippians speaks to the way I see life most of the time and it is the model for how I would like to live my life all of the time. For me, it is one exemplar of the Christian Witness, a very attractive one, one likely to bring people flocking to Christianity with its love, joy, and hope.

While still only a tropical Storm, Jeanne proved to be the deadliest storm of the season so far. Despite Ivan's huge reach and incredible power, it is Jeanne that caused the greatest loss of life.

And it looks as though Jeanne will visit Central Florida after all. For a week, perhaps more, it seemed as if she would wander off into the Atlantic and like Karl be lost to all ken. But not so, after moving well north of us, she rounded on herself and current forecasts have her making landfall at Daytona and then skimming up the entire coast to South Carolina. Needless to say, this is truly monstrous. One prayer is that the course deflect yet again. Another is that if she must hit, she move quickly, like Charley, rather than slowly, like Frances.

Pray God's will in this as in all things, but also pray for the great many people along the eastern coast of the U.S. who need protection from this Hurricane.

While we're talking bizarre meteorological events, you may be aware that Ivan, after his journey inland, returned south, regrouped Tropical Storm strength and found his way up to the Texas/Louisiana coast. Pray for yet more people subject to Ivan the Terrible.

Finally, chances seem good that Lisa will miss all land interests. Please pray that it be so.

A very, very active season with four storms running about at once. (For a while, there was a fifth brewing, but I think it combined with Lisa, if I interpret the NOAA information properly.

Please remember the more than 700 dead in Haiti as a result of Tropical Storm Jeanne. I retain this opening prayer as the known death toll increases daily, today it is more than 1,000.

Merciful Father,
hear our prayers and console us.
As we renew our faith in your Son,
whom you raised from the dead,
strengthen our hope that all our departed brothers and sisters
will share in his resurrection,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen Prayer from All Soul's

Prayer Requests

URGENT REQUESTS:
For Protection for Franklin as he travels in a strange city; for help in bearing up under the burden he is carrying

For the families of people who have died in the course of Ivan and for all those whose homes and livelihoods have been damaged or endangered. Particularly for Lee Ann and whoever else found themselves in Alabama.

Please continue to pray for Dylan until he returns to us.

A quick sale and an easy move for Tom and his family as they set out on another exciting adventure in life.

For a deeper understanding of and commitment to the strengthening grace of the sacrament of marriage, especially for those who are presently undergoing trials.

Please storm heaven for my friends in Louisiana, they've had a long string of misfortune and could do with some good news.

For a dear friend who is undergoing a troubling period in her life, beset with a number of problems, physical, financial, emotional. May God hold her close to His heart.

For a St. Blog's parishioner in need of work to forestall financial catastrophe, that the Lord provide all that is needed in both material and spiritual blessings.

For those struggling against self to attain holiness, that the Good Lord will raise up new Saints for our times, visible beacons that draw all people toward Christ.

A few weeks ago I announced that for reasons of my own I was considering letting my subscription to Crisis lapse. It was prior to the revelation of the scandal.

Now the scandal has broken and it has added fuel to the fire of thought.

And the vitriol noted by TSO in various places about blogdom has spurred me to reconsider. I might not read it at all. I may just donate it to my Parish Church (which seems desperately in need of some enlightenment.) But Mr. Hudson's exemplary conduct in the face of a revelation that should have remained a private matter, has inspired me. I do not know all of the details. I know what I read from Mr. Hudson, and while I suppose it was necessary given the public nature of the revelation, even that was too much for me. However, it was what he chose to do. And in my estimation, he chose correctly. We are all sinners. He owes me no apology. The persons deserving an apology long-ago received one--he owed me nothing except a visit to the confessional, which I will believe he did as a matter of course. I have no claim to anything from Mr. Hudson. But his courage is inspirational.

So even if I don't read the magazine, I will probably renew my subscription as a way of saying thank you for a Christian witness in a world sadly lacking in such.

I have enormous respect for Scott Hahn and his work. But I just can't seem to get over his writing style.

I was looking for books on Scripture written by/for Catholics. I came upon Hahn's Scripture Matters, and it shows the same unfortunate propensity for bad puns that bedevils his other works. To its credit, it appears (at least in the introduction available at Amazon) to be a somewhat more scholarly and serious consideration of the material at hand. But I sure wish I could overcome my personal dislike of this style of things.

I know I am in a minority. I know that most people truly benefit from Hahn's articulations of central truths; I regret only that I cannot be part of that audience. I know I am missing out, but it is something about which I can do very little.

I suppose I can savor Mr. Hahn's work in the Ignatius Study Bible, where there is very little room for the more appalling linguistic displays I have seen in some of his full-length works.

And worst of all, I really like well-constructed, well-considered puns--they are a real art form when they are used to produce a fruitful ambiguity in a work of literature. Joyce and Shakespeare both used them to brilliant effect, as do a great many lesser writers. I'm afraid that they are a trope in Mr. Hahn's hands that serves only to grate on my nerves. Ah well, chacun á son goût!

Philippians 1:9-11

9: And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment,
10: so that you may approve what is excellent, and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ,
11: filled with the fruits of righteousness which come through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

I left off with approving what is excellent, a necessary but not sufficient component of Christian life and a chief reason for Paul's prayer for the Philippians, and for us. But the approval of what is excellent flows into the second reason Paul states for his prayer. "And may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ."

Paul prays for us and for our salvation. He prays that we can recognize and act upon what is excellent. Through the powers of discernment we are to choose what is BEST, not merely what is good. All creation is good, but much of creation is merely a way station on the path to God, and can be an obstacle to increasing holiness. What Paul calls on for us to do is to recognize the path to the One Thing Necessary, and through approving this path with our words, but more with our actions, to grow into purity and blamelessness.

Now surely, if so great a Saint as Paul lays this goal out before us, and certainly, if so great a Saint leads the company of Saints in praying for us, if we incline our wills the smallest amount, the spirit that is within us cannot fail to bring us a step closer. God desires the salvation of all, it is we who question whether we really want salvation or immolation in the goods of Earth. The acceptable sacrifice to the Lord is a humble and contrite heart, a life lived in approving what is excellent and transforming that approval into purity and blamelessness. We do none of this ourselves. Everything we do (other than sin) is aided by the power of God Himself. More--the prayers of all the Saints and the specific prayer that starts in this letter and resonates through eternity, are a beacon, a lighthouse, a strong signal that guides us home.

That the great Saint's prayer be not in vain, let us take one step closer today. One moment more reflecting on the Lord, one prayer more said in a calm moment, one sacrifice of love, one word of kindness, one helping hand, one moment of silence. Today we can pray for the people of Haiti who have suffered so great a disaster, we can pray that the storms out there still stay far from land and harming others, we can pray that those who do not know Christ come to know Him, we can pray through our actions and help someone in need, leading them to Christ not through words but through the corporal acts of mercy. We can love with hearts that long to see home, and we can join St. Paul in the dilemma he will express somewhat later in this great letter, "To live is Christ and to die is gain." One step at a time, we can move toward our Lord and savior. One prayer, one word, one action, one thought, one moment, any movement toward God is a movement away from the old life of separation and a step on the journey home.

Please remember the more than 700 dead in Haiti as a result of Tropical Storm Jeanne:

Merciful Father,
hear our prayers and console us.
As we renew our faith in your Son,
whom you raised from the dead,
strengthen our hope that all our departed brothers and sisters
will share in his resurrection,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen Prayer from All Soul's

Prayer Requests

URGENT REQUESTS:
For Protection for Franklin as he travels in a strange city

For the families of people who have died in the course of Ivan and for all those whose homes and livelihoods have been damaged or endangered. Particularly for Lee Ann and whoever else found themselves in Alabama.

Please continue to pray for Dylan until he returns to us.

A quick sale and an easy move for Tom and his family as they set out on another exciting adventure in life.

For a deeper understanding of and commitment to the strengthening grace of the sacrament of marriage, especially for those who are presently undergoing trials.

Please storm heaven for my friends in Louisiana, they've had a long string of misfortune and could do with some good news.

For a dear friend who is undergoing a troubling period in her life, beset with a number of problems, physical, financial, emotional. May God hold her close to His heart.

For a St. Blog's parishioner in need of work to forestall financial catastrophe, that the Lord provide all that is needed in both material and spiritual blessings.

For those struggling against self to attain holiness, that the Good Lord will raise up new Saints for our times, visible beacons that draw all people toward Christ.

Blessed be God who lives forever,
because his kingdom lasts for all ages.

. . . Bless the Lord of righteousness
and exalt the King of ages. Tobit 13

Prayer Requests

URGENT REQUESTS:
For Protection for Franklin as he travels in a strange city

For the families of people who have died in the course of Ivan and for all those whose homes and livelihoods have been damaged or endangered. Particularly for Lee Ann and whoever else found themselves in Alabama.

Please continue to pray for Dylan until he returns to us.

A quick sale and an easy move for Tom and his family as they set out on another exciting adventure in life.

For a deeper understanding of and commitment to the strengthening grace of the sacrament of marriage, especially for those who are presently undergoing trials.

Please storm heaven for my friends in Louisiana, they've had a long string of misfortune and could do with some good news.

For a dear friend who is undergoing a troubling period in her life, beset with a number of problems, physical, financial, emotional. May God hold her close to His heart.

For a St. Blog's parishioner in need of work to forestall financial catastrophe, that the Lord provide all that is needed in both material and spiritual blessings.

For those struggling against self to attain holiness, that the Good Lord will raise up new Saints for our times, visible beacons that draw all people toward Christ.

Summa Mamas announce that they're going to celebrate their first blogthday shortly.

Moreover, they announce that they are very close (probably by now over) 2,000 comments.

I have not yet made it to 2,000 comments. I've been at this for two? three? long years? What does this say?

Are blogs run by females intrinsically more inviting and more social that those run by men. Or is it on the contrary the quest for silence and solitude leaves these environs silent, if not alone. (I know you all are still reading--even if commenting is rather slow.)

I hope it is recognized that this is tongue and cheek, and I do wish the Mamas a very joyous celebration of their first complete year on line. They've certainly added style, panache, and a certain southern (Texan) tang to the parish. Thanks for a great year. And Smockmomma is still, still, still, my number one toprunner for President now that JCecil3 is no longer pursuing a National Catholic Party.

While my intention is only to comment on verses 10, it seems wise to provide the three verses that make up a single sentence of this note to the Philippians.

Before I go there though, the need to site three verses (a great many more in Ephesians and others) to account for a single sentence makes me wonder about the mysteries of how the divisions between verse were originally decided. I haven't enough biblical history to know the answer to this question--but if anyone has quick reference to which they could direct me, I'd be most interested. I understand why you might break a sentence in the middle of poetry--as they can ramble on forever; however, in the midst of a block of prose, I am left to wonder. Not to question so much as to want to consider the minds of those originally tasked with this project.

One further note: I realize that a reflection chopped up by verses must to some degree be recursive. And for this I do apologize because it become tedious to tread once again old territory. On the other hand, the composition of a coherent whole, even on so little a passage as three verses might entail too long a period of time. In other words, at least by commenting sequentially and frequently, I actually end up writing the commentary. Were I to wait until everything were distilled, gelled, and solid in my mind, there is every likelihood that I would not bother to say anything at all. (Which situation might, in fact, come as a relief to those three people who stop by once or twice a week. But so far, no one has been so cruel or kind as to say so.)

Philippians 1:9-11

9: And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment,
10: so that you may approve what is excellent, and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ,
11: filled with the fruits of righteousness which come through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

The other day I commented on the need for discernment and how much the gift seemed to be lacking in the world today. But today my attention is focused on Paul's own explanation of why that gift is so critical and so necessary. He lists two reasons. There are undoubtedly a great many reasons, but Paul here refers specifically to two--(1) that you may approve what is excellent and (2) be pure and blameless for the day of Christ. This second reason has some further amplification in verse 11--what the expected fruits of that purity are to be.

The first of these reasons is the beautiful and lofty center of evangelical Christian life in the world. It addresses quite directly the task we are assigned and that we need to assume if our lives are to be a proper Christian witness. When we talk about "lifestyle evangelism," it is this essentially point that must be addressed--we must "approve what is excellent." I like this because it makes the point sharply. We do not merely endorse what is good. Paul knows this because all of creation is good--God made it that way. Good is, for anyone living the Christian life, the least common denominator. God made all things good so endorsing what is good does not really instruct or raise people to new heights from which to see God. Moreover, what is good is subject to endless subjective qualifications and discussions.

Approving what is excellent requires a good deal more. It requires that first we identify and name "what is excellent." And then we must approve it. How does this actually take place? We approve what is excellent by doing it. What is excellent is not a matter of aesthetic appreciation and approval is not a matter of verbal endorsement. What is excellent is what most directly leads us into closer union with God. Approval of what is excellent requires that we act on the knowledge of its excellence. We approve prayer not when we tell others to do it, but when we ourselves pray. We approve liturgy not by demanding that others attend, but when we attend and help rather than merely sit in our seats. Approval is not merely a stamp or a seal that indicates that something is good (at least not in this case), rather, it is a way of life.

The time I have for this today is done. I will return soon with further reflections on the second half of the verse.

from Carmel, Land of the Soul
Carolyn Humphreys

Dwight Moody gives these expressions of love: "Joy is love exalted. Peace is love in repose. Long suffering is love enduring. Gentleness is love in society. Goodness is love in action. Faith is love on the battlefield. Meekness is love in school and temperance is love in training."

Excerpted from a Sermon by Father John Sullivan, OCD

Quite aware of how adversity can erode one's willingness to be kind to others, he [St. John of the Cross] still was able to write the following piece of advice to a religious, a scant five months before he died four centuries ago: "Think nothing else but that God ordains all, and where there is no love, put love, and there you will draw out love." Here one has a reliable recipe for happiness: Instead of waiting for love to happen, put it to work and you will then harvest its fruits.

We can be bitter, suspicious, and dubious. Or we can choose to live the life Jesus has granted us to live.

I found this notion salutary as we enter our season of elections. We do well to bear in mind how our personal preferences affect our view of all parties contending in this election. And "where there is no love, put love," in the substantive form of ardent prayer for all of the people involved and for our nation. "And we will draw love out."

Present and Active:

Queen of the South--Arturo Perez-Reverte
God's Secretaries Adam Nicolson
Carmel, Land of the Soul Carolyn Humphreys

Warm-up

Anna Karenina Leo Tolstoy

I have others part finished, lingering about waiting for something to fall off the list. But right now, I think it is safe to say that these are the primary attention getters.

I did buy what seems to be one of an interesting series by Word Among Us Press. There were three volumes of lives of Saints/Christian Heroes. I purchased the one that had both Deitrich Bonhoeffer and Takashi Nagai (among others). I read through a couple of the biographies/stories and found them enormously engaging. These are like longer versions of what is offered in the Magnificat each day. If you happen to be in a book store that offers them, you'd do well to take a look.

I have friends who shudder at the thought of the Oprah Book Club. They look down their long slender noses at such middle-brow meddling in the great work of literature. And I think that they are much like many of my college professors, who despised Charles Dickens because he told stories that appealed to a great swath of the population.

I neither buy nor shy away from a book because it has Oprah's imprimatur. Of recent date, I had been ignoring Oprah's endorsement of Anna Karenina. That is to say, I was not tempted to by the book by the fact that it was a summer selection. On the other hand, it was very gratifiying to have it thrust into my face again.

I will readily admit, I have never read Anna Karenina. I've tried many, many times. But no matter how often I tried, I never got to the point in the book where Anna's name was first mentioned. I could not force my way through the weariness and dreariness of the domestic arrangements of the Oblonsky family. In truth, I regarded it as a "woman's book"--a sort of high-class romance gone awry.

Now, I have read War and Peace. By its very title you can tell that this is a man's man book. Bristling and macho from the word go (NOT). But something about the narrative in War and Peace drew me in and through the entire work, even though it took me forever to read it.

Well, I'm pleased to say that I bought the Oprah recommended translation of Anna Karenina and I have read to the point (and beyond) where Anna's name is first mentioned. It's amazing what difference a translation can make. This particular translation makes the book seem modern, a right now story of love and lust in Tsarist Russia. Okay, perhaps that's an exaggeration, but there is a freshness and a simplicity to this translation that is engaging. The table of characters is enormously helpful in sorting out who is related to whom and how. Moreover there are notes at the end that explain some of the more obscure elements of the text.

I'll let you know if I make it thorugh this time. But prospect are better, and I have Oprah to thank for it. Thanks Oprah, you do a great service to the community at large through promoting reading. Keep up the good work!

It is you whom I invoke, O Lord.
In the morning you hear me;
in the morning I offer you my prayer,
watching and waiting. From Morning Prayer, Psalm 5

Prayer Requests

URGENT REQUESTS:
For Protection for Franklin as he travels in a strange city

For the families of people who have died in the course of Ivan and for all those whose homes and livelihoods have been damaged or endangered. Particularly for Lee Ann and whoever else found themselves in Alabama.

Please continue to pray for Dylan until he returns to us.

A quick sale and an easy move for Tom and his family as they set out on another exciting adventure in life.

For a deeper understanding of and commitment to the strengthening grace of the sacrament of marriage, especially for those who are presently undergoing trials.

Please storm heaven for my friends in Louisiana, they've had a long string of misfortune and could do with some good news.

For a dear friend who is undergoing a troubling period in her life, beset with a number of problems, physical, financial, emotional. May God hold her close to His heart.

For a St. Blog's parishioner in need of work to forestall financial catastrophe, that the Lord provide all that is needed in both material and spiritual blessings.

For those struggling against self to attain holiness, that the Good Lord will raise up new Saints for our times, visible beacons that draw all people toward Christ.

Philippians 1:9

9: And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment,

Paul prays for the people of Philippi and, one assumes, in his place before the Lord for us as well. And the prayer--that our love may abound. With that abounding love, he asks as well a gift that is often given, less often unwrapped, and still less often actually used. He asks for knowledge and discernment. Now, a great many of us, myself among them, think we know a great deal more than we actually do. We credit ourselves with great learning. What those of us proud of our intellectual prowess seldom realize is that we know everything in the world about what does not matter and astonishingly little about "the one thing necessary." The gift that Paul asks for us is knowledge of the Lord and that knowledge is a deep understanding--an intimate view of Love. Thus knowledge deepens our own love, and knowledge otherwise directed, while always fruitful, is not at its most fruitful. What Paul prays for us is the most fruitful gift of knowledge.

This knowledge ends in discernment--because love, and particularly Love Incarnate, is the ultimate discernment. If there is any gift less used than knowledge, it must be the gift of discernment. I seem to be constitutionally incapable of choosing the greatest good. I can choose greater goods, but my will is weak, and I don't seem to be able to choose the very greatest Good, the one Good.

Discernment is sorely needed as we pass into the season of lies and counterlies, of half-truths, and of subtle traps (pun intended) that seek to persuade us to vote one way or another. But discernment is sorely needed for everyday activities. The art and grace of listening to the Lord is something that Christians have too long neglected, relying instead upon their own devices. Discernment is a faculty of the intellect inspired by grace and led by the Holy Spirit, but the intellect must be ready to be led, or discernment cannot occur. And discernment, valuing the greater good in its proper measure and thus choosing the greater good, is something whereby the entire community of God profits.

Prayer Requests

URGENT REQUESTS: For a young lady who is in a bad place and needs the light of grace and hope of heart to lift a great weight.

For a dear friend who is undergoing a troubling period in her life, beset with a number of problems, physical, financial, emotional. May God hold her close to His heart.

For a St. Blog's parishioner in need of work to forestall financial catastrophe, that the Lord provide all that is needed in both material and spiritual blessings.

For those struggling against self to attain holiness, that the Good Lord will raise up new Saints for our times, visible beacons that draw all people toward Christ.

Here are like some of the most awesome valspeak excerpts from recent postings.

My Motto in Val Speak:

Ignoring the imperfections of others, preserving silence and a continual communion with Gawd will eradicate totally awesome imperfections from the soul and make it the possessor of totally awesome virtues.
San Juan de la Cruz

From "A Modest Proposal"

If like we cannot choose our own label and totally have it respected, perhaps the same courtesy should be offered the opposing camp. Like, gag me with a spoon! And as regards the child in the womb, anti-life is totally nothing short of true.

From the review of Soulmaking

I am SO sure! Like, oh my gawd Like, these are unfortunately entirely too infrequent, and each time they occur, the Author choses to explicate them at such length that by the time one totally has finished the phrase "beating a croaked horse" totally has suddenly got a picture to put next to it in the dictionary. . . .

Like, he understands a bitchin' many of the trials like we all face. Like, the problem is totally that he is totally foundationally incapable of sharing that understanding with a person in a gnarly walk of lilfe.

From the Chaos Entry

Floridians all over the state anxiously check the NOAA site on the web to see where Ivan is totally heading. If they check with each update they see amazing swings in the five day forecast. Two days ago, Ivan was like, you know, on a crash-course for Appalachicola Bay; yesterday early morning, he was like, you know, coming straight up the penisula through the everglades; yesterday mid-morning he was like, you know, following a Charley-like course; yesterday evening he was like, you know, back in the gulf Anyway... Sooo, like, this morning he is totally crashing into Tampa/St. Pete and heading north.

Following on the strategy of those who "support women's rights" in properly staging our propaganda, I modestly propose renaming the group.

Pro-abortion suggests something positive. The pro-abortion group has caught on to this and their journalists commonly label pro-life people "anti-choice." This is a very strong piece of subtle propaganda and very well delivered. Anti- carries with it an enormous onus, and when one is anti-choice, well. . .

Perhaps, then, following the leads of our confrères in this regard we should consider a more appropriate, more astringent label for those who "support women's rights" while depriving the unborn of all, even life itself. Perhaps a more appropriate name for the ardent pro-abortionist pack would be "Anti-life." In this manner we may use the appropriate censuring tone, while stating our own displeasure and disapproval of being labeled. If we cannot choose our own label and have it respected, perhaps the same courtesy should be offered the opposing camp. And as regards the child in the womb, anti-life is nothing short of true.

Mostly--a dreadful muddle. While the book claims to be a propounding of the faith of the desert fathers, it is, in fact, and endless rumination on the conjunction between psychotherapy and religion--elementally a revelation of what happens when good Christians become inextricably lost in their modernist and postmodernist paradigms.

Spirituality is the central purport of this work. Unfortunately the author lives entirely in the world of his head. His heart has long since been taken in thrall by a mind that has been cultured by the works of Jung and Freud.

The main problem with the book is not so much what it teaches as that everything the author touches is semi-obscured by prose that is thick as a London pea-fog. Occasionally, as yesterday's entry reveals, there is a sparkling, wonderful, insightful revelation--something that really spotlights an important aspect of our spiritualilty. These are unfortunately entirely too infrequent, and each time they occur, the Author choses to explicate them at such length that by the time one has finished the phrase "beating a dead horse" has suddenly got a picture to put next to it in the dictionary.

I suppose the author speaks to a certain kind of very intellectual, very rarified faith. He speaks largely to people whose faith is lived in their heads. He spends much of the book contradicting himself--at one point being "horrified and disgusted" by the dogmatic faith of fundamentalist interpreters of the Bible who have no notion of the expansiveness of God. Then later we are told that he doesn't judge these spiritual pinheads who have no notion of the God before whom they stand because it would damage his own standing with God.

The overall effect is that one comes to believe that Mr. Jones really has his heart in the right place. He does understand what it means to be Christian. He understands a good many of the trials we all face. The problem is that he is foundationally incapable of sharing that understanding with a person in a normal walk of lilfe.

I hope I do not need to say--NOT recommended.

We are celebrating the feast of the cross which drove away darkness and brought in the light. As we keep this feast, we are lifted up with the crucified Christ, leaving behind us earth and sin so that we may gain the things above. So great and outstanding a possession is the cross that he who wins it has won a treasure. Rightly could I call this treasure the fairest of all fair things and the costliest, in fact as well as in name, for on it and through it and for its sake the riches of salvation that had been lost were restored to us. from a Discourse--St. Andrew of Crete

Prayer Requests

Please continue to pray for Dylan until he returns to us.

For a dear friend who is undergoing a troubling period in her life, beset with a number of problems, physical, financial, emotional. May God hold her close to His heart.

For a St. Blog's parishioner in need of work to forestall financial catastrophe, that the Lord provide all that is needed in both material and spiritual blessings.

For those struggling against self to attain holiness, that the Good Lord will raise up new Saints for our times, visible beacons that draw all people toward Christ.

Today I stumbled across one of the few good things I have found in a book by Alan Jones.

from Soulmaking
Alan Jones

The device of the vocal quartet, becoming a quintet, becoming a sextet, and on and on--until everyone is singing is a vivid metaphor for the truth that each of us sings our own unique melody, and all contribute to one great and glorious sound: all sounds mix and rise together to become unending music. It is thus that I find my "home" in harmony with all other creatures. . .

The Christian understanding of God is concerned with holding together unity and diversity. And the belief in God as the Holy and Undivided Trinity speaks directly to our desire to be one without being swallowed up. . . .

The other day I read a blog post--either a post or a comment in which the commenter suggested that our goal as Christians is to all become one and thus lose any individual identity we would have. I had a number of thoughts about this. For example--then why create individuals? Wouldn't it do just as well to create some sort of syncitial organism (with respect to souls) that incorporates all in one? Doesn't God cherish each of us individually, as we love each of our children for their own unique personalities and aspects? Somehow the idea of being blended together in a big grey mass of personality doesn't seem particularly heavenly or delightful. And why would it entail a resurrection of the body? If one were to simply become one in Christ without identity, what point?

But this notion of oneness--the idea of individual voices all singing the individual melodies that blend together to make a joyful noise unto the Lord. This seems (pardon the pun) sound and accurate. The Saints--those whose lives more closer mirror oneness in Christ than does my own--they are each unique, individual, separate. Each one has a distinct personality, each one distinct talents, each one a special mission.

So perhaps becoming one in Christ is harmonizing with all around--singing our own God-given melody in such a way that it unites those around us and corporately moves all of us closer to salvation. In Calvinist theology, salvation is a very lonely, one-on-one business. And to some degree that is truth (I think). My own salvation necessarily impacts others, but it does not necessarily "save" them. And yet I think there are ways of thinking about salvation that are not so lonely, and the Church has long recognized the communal aspect to salvation. Our actions do affect one another (one of the reasons for the sacrament of Penance/Reconciliation) and we can be effective instruments of grace to our traveling companions. We harmonize with those around us. We learn our own parts, and coach others in learning their's in such a way as to make the greatest sound of joy to the Lord. Imagine the glorious sound of a octogiga-et, a sound, that ironically could be channeled back to the beginning of time (as suggested by the Ainur at the beginning of The Silmarillion and sing creation into being. A truly wonderful ouroboros.

Sorry, the last entry was reference to a review that has somehow vanished into ether of Diana Wynne Jones's The Time of the Ghost. I'll try to reconstruct it in the near future. Suffice to say right now for dedicated fans only.

The Queen of the South by Arturo Perez-Reverte looks to be the usual tightly written suspense/mystery that one has come to expect from the author who produces mysteries for the Eco-reading set. While the narratives tend to be complex and multifaceted, there is a smoothness to the writing that really draws the reader in. I haven't even really started the book at this point, and yet I am drawn in by references to The Count of Monte Cristo and other evidences that the heroine of our title moves from hunted to hunter throughout the pages of the book. I'll let you know when I'm done.

And after all, there is something about the phrase and title "Queen of the South" that is vaguely portentous. When I read it in the Gospels, I have always wondered why this name rather than Sheba (to whom it refers). I don't know, but it adds to the beauty and the literary mystery of the Gospels.

This seemed mordantly appropriate for the terrible storm that so many face:

The waters have risen and severe storms are upon us, but we do not fear drowning, for we stand firmly upon a rock. Let the sea rage, it cannot break the rock. Let the waves rise, they cannot sink the boat of Jesus. What are we to fear? . . . I have only contempt for the world's threats, I find its blessings laughable. I have no fear of poverty, no desire for wealth. I am not afraid of death nor do I long to live, except for your good. I concentrate therefore on the present situation and I urge you, my firends, to have confidence. from a homily--St. John Chrysostom

Prayer Requests

Please continue to pray for Dylan until he returns to us.

For a dear friend who is undergoing a troubling period in her life, beset with a number of problems, physical, financial, emotional. May God hold her close to His heart.

For a St. Blog's parishioner in need of work to forestall financial catastrophe, that the Lord provide all that is needed in both material and spiritual blessings.

For those struggling against self to attain holiness, that the Good Lord will raise up new Saints for our times, visible beacons that draw all people toward Christ.

Five Sonnets in Memoriam September 11, 2001

Comparing the texts - Shakespeare in quarto

Yes, you can see some of the orginal Quarto editions of Shakespeare's work! Wonderful! Magnificent! Exciting! Even for people who are not Shakespearian Scholars. This is one of the reasons I love the web!

Read the entire, informative entry here

But this excerpt speaks volumes:

Excerpted from Dappled Things
Father Jim Tucker

Fifth, while it's useful to compare and contrast the traditional Roman Mass with Paul VI's version and with the various Eastern Liturgies, it is obnoxious to make disparaging comments about any of them. The excellence of one or another of these Liturgies doesn't require anyone to criticize the rest.

As with the preference for Macintosh or PCs, there is a strong subjective strain to our preference of one form of celebration over another. We do well to bear this in mind as we recognize that they are all approved of God through his Bride.

Floridians all over the state anxiously check the NOAA site on the web to see where Ivan is heading. If they check with each update they see amazing swings in the five day forecast. Two days ago, Ivan was on a crash-course for Appalachicola Bay; yesterday early morning, he was coming straight up the penisula through the everglades; yesterday mid-morning he was following a Charley-like course; yesterday evening he was back in the gulf. This morning he is crashing into Tampa/St. Pete and heading north.

Why can't they seem to decide what he's doing? This, in large, is the central difficulty with any weather forecasting beyond the most immediate future. Weather, like a great many other natural phenomena is essentially a chaotic system. The truth of this was uncovered by the mathematical models of Edward Lorenz in the 1960s. His work gave rise to the dictum that "The flapping of a butterfly's wings over Peking will change the weather in Washington three days later."

What chaos theory tells us is that most natural situations are weakly deterministic. That is, they are not merely random occurrences, but that what happens today has roots that go back days, months, years, perhaps even to the very beginnings of time. And this is part of what I love about Chaos theory--because whether they recognize it or not, scientists who ascribe to it, ascribe to a reasonable proof of the existence of God.

Chaos theory, in some small part, reflects on the question of free will and determinism. I have not considered deeply enough what the ramifications of such a reflection are, but I find them both intriguing and worthy of consideration. God wishes that all will be saved, there is every possibility that some, perhaps many will be lost, but the driving dynamic of the system is the vector toward salvation. The "unknown" factor in the equation, the variable as it were that introduces the chaotic dynamic, is free will. God may know the outcome, but those of us on Earth see a violent lurching first toward and then away from Home and Heart. These erratic motions make no sense unless we understand them as the motions of free-will on a body already in motion sending it into currents and eddies that are not predictable to the human mind; however, God knows everything. Everything we say can't be known--the famous Heisenberg uncertainty (you cannot know both the velocity and the position of an electron or sub atomic particle)--even the outcome of the day's weather is known and has been known by God from the beginning.

Nothing is uncertain with Him and our hope lies in the fact that He is the dynamic system behind it all. It is His will that is the driving motivation behind all of our motions. Now, we can go with the flow or spin off in any of seven million directions (Strait is the gate and narrow is the path that leads to salvation, but that unto destruction is broad and wide and smooth). Nevertheless, at each stage, at each point along the way, the overriding dynamic comes back into play. And at any point we can choose to abandon our own willfulness and allow the dynamic of Love to carry us Home to Him who drives all things toward salvation.

And so the bridegroom is one with the Father and one with the bride. Whatever he found in his bride alien to her own nature he took from her and nailed to his cross when he bore her sins and destroyed them on the tree. He received from her and clothed himself in what was hers by nature and gave her what belonged to him as God. He destroyed what was diabolical, and took to himself what was human, and conferred on her what was divine. So all that belonged to the bride was shared in by the bridegroom, and he who had done no wrong and on whose lips was found no deceit could say: Have pity on me, Lord, for I am weak. . . .

Do not destroy the whole Christ by separating head from body, for Christ is not complete without the Church, nor is the Church complete without Christ. The whole and complete Christ is head and body. --Sermon--Blessed Isaac of Stella

Praise

Frances is gone and the damage done is not so fearful as might have been. Pray hard to keep Ivan at bay and far from all human habitation. As much as Frances may hurt us, the Bahamas were far more battered and bruised. So too with any hurricane--what scares and frightens us for a while means life and death for many hundreds living in shelters less secure than our own.

Prayer Requests

Please continue to pray for Dylan until he returns to us.

For the continued recovery of Katherine's mother, for her spiritual awakening and well-being, and for the will to put herself right with God.

Please pray that Ivan, whose course is yet quite uncertain misses everything it possibly can miss.

Please pray that I might find a roofer quickly, who will repair my house correctly the first time.

A quick sale and an easy move for Tom and his family as they set out on another exciting adventure in life.

Pour out prayers on the people of Florida who have lost their homes, their livelihoods, and their lives in this storm.

For a deeper understanding of and commitment to the strengthening grace of the sacrament of marriage, especially for those who are presently undergoing trials.

Please storm heaven for my friends in Louisiana, they've had a long string of misfortune and could do with some good news.

For a dear friend who is undergoing a troubling period in her life, beset with a number of problems, physical, financial, emotional. May God hold her close to His heart.

For a St. Blog's parishioner in need of work to forestall financial catastrophe, that the Lord provide all that is needed in both material and spiritual blessings.

For those struggling against self to attain holiness, that the Good Lord will raise up new Saints for our times, visible beacons that draw all people toward Christ.

Robert Browning--G.K. Chesterton

The Vanity of Human Wishes and Rambler Papers--Samuel Johnson

Hills and the Sea--Hillaire Belloc

In reading the Gospel of Luke, I happened upon several passages that were intriguing and worthy of much more comment than I am likely to give here. But one thing that crossed my mind is God's apparent obsession with free will in creation. How much more harmonious a world might He have established if He had just done something about Free Will.

It also brought into sharp focus the plight of the fallen Angels and of humanity. In fact, we both committed the same sin for the same or similar reasons. Pride says distinctly non serviam. When Adam took a bite of the forbidden fruit, he was saying, in essence, I shall not serve. When we get up each morning to face the day, immediately after our morning offering or morning prayer, many of us begin to say, "I will not serve."

But why was the sin of the Angels so much greater than our own? Why will we be forgiven and saved, but the fallen Angels cast away from God's presence? The answer lies, I think, in the fact that the choice of the angels was made with much more information at their disposal. That is, the angels directly experienced the Beatific Vision. They saw and understood precisely what it was that they were rejecting. Even in our clearest Human sight, our faulty forefather did not engage in this direct experience of God. Yes, communion was far closer than it is today. Adam and God walked in the Garden together. But we are spirits trapped in a body of flesh. Angels are pure spirit experiencing pure spirit. They knew what they rejected. They knew with long knowledge.

But another passage in the Gospel of Luke makes me wonder about the fate of the Angels. I know that the Church teaches that they will be cast out--I will hold to that faith regardless of the tantilizing suggestions that led to the "heresy" of Universalism in the west. (I'm given to understand that the Eastern Church does not regard universalism as a heresy.) The passage I find intriguing in this regard is the story of the Gerasene demoniac. When Jesus is ready to cast out the demons, they plead with HIm and beg not to be cast into the abyss, but into the bodies of a nearby herd of swine. Jesus acquiesces nd allows this to happen. How so? Why should Jesus pay attention to the pleadings of demons?

No matter how disobedient the children, I think it is very hard even for a human parent to completely repudiate them. It can be done, but it is difficult. The fallen Angels are also God's children. Even if their crime was serious, and their sin more deeply injurious because of greater knowledge and responsibility, God still sees them as part of His creation which flowed out of pure love. When they beg "for a loaf of bread" He does not "hand them a stone."

I don't know what all of this means, but it opens my eyes to the wonder of the love of God. He is gentle even with the worst and blackest of his creation. What does it mean? Honestly, I don't know, but it does seem to reinforce St. Paul's magnificent paean to love--"Love is gentle, love is kind." Surely here, we see it enduring all things and exercising tremendous forebearance.

[from Yesterday's Office of Readings]

The first stage of contemplation,my dear brothers, is constantly to consider what God wants, what is pleasing to him, and what is acceptable in his eyes. We all offend in many things; our strength cannot match the rectitude of God's will, being neither one with it nor wholly in accord with it; let us then humble ourselves under the powerful hand of the most high God and be concerned to show ourselves unworthy before his merciful gaze. . . from a Sermon--St. Bernard

Praise

Frances is gone and the damage done is not so fearful as might have been. Pray hard to keep Ivan at bay and far from all human habitation. As much as Frances may hurt us, the Bahamas were far more battered and bruised. So too with any hurricane--what scares and frightens us for a while means life and death for many hundreds living in shelters less secure than our own.

Prayer Requests

Please continue to pray for Dylan until he returns to us.

Please pray that Ivan, whose course is yet quite uncertain misses everything it possibly can miss and is sent harmlessly into the Atlantic to spin away and die.

Please pray that I might find a roofer quickly, who will repair my house correctly the first time.

A quick sale and an easy move for Tom and his family as they set out on another exciting adventure in life.

Pour out prayers on the people of Florida who have lost their homes, their livelihoods, and their lives in this storm.

For the continued recovery of Katherine's mother.

For a deeper understanding of and commitment to the strengthening grace of the sacrament of marriage, especially for those who are presently undergoing trials.

Please storm heaven for my friends in Louisiana, they've had a long string of misfortune and could do with some good news.

For a dear friend who is undergoing a troubling period in her life, beset with a number of problems, physical, financial, emotional. May God hold her close to His heart.

For a St. Blog's parishioner in need of work to forestall financial catastrophe, that the Lord provide all that is needed in both material and spiritual blessings.

For those struggling against self to attain holiness, that the Good Lord will raise up new Saints for our times, visible beacons that draw all people toward Christ.

I know that St. Blogs is filled with inveterate readers and so I thought I'd pose this question that niggles at me from time to time. If I am such an inveterate reader, why do I not read scripture with the avidity with which I approach Walker Percy, Flannery O'Connor, and others?

The Gospels are far shorter than the novels we read. They are, in fact, easily read in one sitting, were we so inclilned. So why is it that we seem to be so little inclined? Why is it that I do not read the Gospels through at least once a month. (One a week for four weeks.)

I can make all sorts of excuses and suggest reasons why I do not spend time in the scriptures, but the reality of the matter is that they do not mean to me what they should mean. They are not as important in my life as they should be to a person who purports to follow the leadership of the One whose life they describe.

I become more convinced through time that immersion in scripture and Tradition is what helps to make saints. Avoidance of this immersion is part of what holds us back. How can we be like Christ if the only time we hear anything about Him is at Sunday Mass? How can we hope to imitate, indeed become, Him, if we don't know who He is? And more importantly, who WE are? Because the scriptures, like any great work of literature, but par excellance, are a mirror for the reader. We read them and they accuse us of our faults and failings. They point out how we fail to be what God calls us to be. I know that in real life I avoid mirrors at all costs. I do not like to look at myself--I don't much care for what I see. (One of the chief advantages of being me is that I am on the inside looking out.) How much more then will I dislike looking in the mirror of the soul. How much less likely I am to like what I see there.

The pain of the mirror may be one reason for avoiding Scriptures, on the other hand, it is also one of the most compelling reasons to frequently visit and revisit them. This pain is a purifying pain, it is God's word of love. Just as we would not allow one of our own loved ones to go out into the world in deshabille, so too God wants us to internalize the fact that, to quote the young people of today, "You're not all that." Once this happens, perhaps we are closer to realizing that God is "all that."

So scripture reading, for those of us who love to read, seems to be de rigeur. And as we are a people set up on a hill, a lampstand to light the world, perhaps we would do well to act the part.

Mr. Core celebrates this day as the day John Bannister Tabb, poet and priest ws received into full communion with the Catholic Church.

This radiant and manifest coming of God to men most certainly needed a joyful prelude to introduce the great gift of salvation to us. The present festival, the birth of the Mother of God, is the prelude, while the final act is the foreordained union of the Word with flesh. Today the Virgin is born, tended and formed, and prepared for her role as Mother of God, who is the universal King of the ages.

Therefore, let all creation sing and dance and unite to make worthy contribution to the celebration of this day. . . . Today this created world is raised to the dignity of a holy place for him who made all things. The creature is newly prepared to be a divine dwelling place for the Creator. from a Discourse--St. Andrew of Crete

Praise

Frances is gone and the damage done is not so fearful as might have been. Pray hard to keep Ivan at bay and far from all human habitation. As much as Frances may hurt us, the Bahamas were far more battered and bruised. So too with any hurricane--what scares and frightens us for a while means life and death for many hundreds living in shelters less secure than our own.

Prayer Requests

Please continue to pray for Dylan until he returns to us.

Please pray that I might find a roofer quickly, who will repair my house correctly the first time.

A quick sale and an easy move for Tom and his family as they set out on another exciting adventure in life.

Pour out prayers on the people of Florida who have lost their homes, their livelihoods, and their lives in this storm.

For the continued recovery of Katherine's mother.

For a deeper understanding of and commitment to the strengthening grace of the sacrament of marriage, especially for those who are presently undergoing trials.

Please storm heaven for my friends in Louisiana, they've had a long string of misfortune and could do with some good news.

For a dear friend who is undergoing a troubling period in her life, beset with a number of problems, physical, financial, emotional. May God hold her close to His heart.

For a St. Blog's parishioner in need of work to forestall financial catastrophe, that the Lord provide all that is needed in both material and spiritual blessings.

For those struggling against self to attain holiness, that the Good Lord will raise up new Saints for our times, visible beacons that draw all people toward Christ.

Does anyone know of some well-researched books on these two from a Catholic Perspective. Too often, it seems, we get one side of a story. I think of this particularly with respect to Galileo who was censored less for his astronomical speculations as for his unbearable arrogance and insulting demeanor. (Neither constitutes a good reason for censorship, but it becomes more understandable when one analyzes the whole event from an interpersonal rather than a theological perspective.)

One of the great "black marks" on the Catholic record is the persecution of men like Wycliff and Tyndale in their attempts to translate the Bible. These men are often made out to be martyrs to the truth, but I suspect there is something more to the tale that does not often emerge in partisan retellings. So if you all have any recommendations, they would be welcome.

Do you really want to be? Some chillingly direct commentary at Disputations. Well said and sobering.

Apparently King James himself developed fifteen rules for the translation of the Bible that he ordered. In these rules we see a remarkable wisdom, indeed, in one so vain and so full of himself, we see the light of the Holy Spirit Himself, assuring a translation that would guide His people for a great many years and resonate throughout all of our literature for four centuries and more. Much of what we read after this translation of the Bible was deeply influenced by its cadences and its beauty.

There are two major points of these fifteen precepts I want to touch upon. One serious, and one quite humorous.

from God’s Secretaries
Adam Nicolson

4. When a word hath divers Significations, that to be kept which hath ben most commonly used by the most of the ancient Fathers being agreeable to the propertie of ye place and the analogies of fayth.

The Church of England, like the Church of Rome, but unlike the more fully reformed churches of Europe, relied for its understanding of the often complex texts of scripture on the ancient inherited traditions of Christianity, the statements and resolutions of the councils of the early church and the great body of patristic scholarship, in particular those church fathers—above all Jerome, St John Chrysostom, Augustine, and Origen—of whom sixteenth-century English scholars, including several of the Translators, had made a particular study. This instruction is part of that widespread Reformation phenomenon, the search for primitive authenticity, for avoiding all hint of dreaded ‘innovation,’ looking for true meaning in the most ancient and hence most reliable texts. This too is a mark of the moderate: a historical consciousness and a sense that the world now has fallen away from the more perfect state in which it once existed.

Whether we like the fact or not, the King James Version of the Bible was guided by very “Catholic” understandings of the meaning of Scripture. We tend to think of the times as Puritan, and because the translation was eventually embraced by the Protestant Church, we tend to regard KJV as somehow “sullied” by its Protestant provenance. However, if one were to judge objectively on the base of guiding principles, the notion of interpreting scripture by Tradition is very, very Catholic.

This, coupled with another James’s edicts (7) that there should be no marginal notes beyond those required to clarify linguistic difficulties, actually resulted in a translation that was far from partisan. To quote Nicolson, “ The words of this translation, then, could embrace both gorgeousness and ambiguity, did not have to settle into a single doctrinal mode but could embrace different meanings, either within the text itself or in the margins. This is the heart of the new Bible as an irenicon, an organism that absorbed and integrated difference, that included ambiguity and by doing so established peace. “ The resultant work could reflect both the difficulties of translation and the multiplicity of meanings inherent in written language in such a way as to create both a profound work of literature and a meaningful instance of the Word of God. What is most interesting is that the tension between the Puritan Translators and the Anglican Translators forced the Anglicans into a more “high church” mode resulting in adherence to Catholic Traditions (which, of course, they insisted were “reformed” by the true Church founded by Henry VIII). Whatever the cause, James’s edict for the translation resulted in a deep, meaningful, and fruitful translation that has yet to be equaled in beauty, if not in clarity. (I will point out though, that it was clear enough to my grandfather and his generation—my Grandfather himself having graduated only 8th grade. (This could be likened today to having graduated from a junior college at least.)

Anyway, now for the more amusing point, which was actually a side note to the main body of the text. One of James’s rules stated that the names of persons in the Bible should remain as names and not be translated into what they meant. Thus, Timothy was to remain Timothy and not be translated as “Fear of God.”

Bancroft himself had written about the absurdity of calling your children ‘The Lord-is-near, More-trial, Reformation, More-fruit, Dust and many other such-like.’ These were not invented. Puritan children at Warbleton in Sussex, the heartland of this practice laboured under the names of Eschew-evil, Lament, No-merit, Sorry-for-sin, Learn-wisdom, Faint-not, Give-thanks, and the most popular, Sin-deny, which was landed on ten children baptized between 1586 and 1596. One family, the children of the curate Thomas Hely, would have been introduced by their proud father as Much-mercy Hely, Increased Hely, Sin-deny Hely, Fear-not Hely and sweet little Constance Hely.

Now, would that I had only known this before we had Samuel. Then we could have “The-Lord-is-My-Shepherd” Riddle. Or perhaps If-Thine-Eye-Offend-Thee-Pluck-it-Out Riddle. Can you imagine bubbling THAT name in on those stupid standardized test forms? Maybe we should have a Puritan name-giving contest for our next goldfish or turtle.

I assured you my brothers, that even to this day it is clear to some that the words which Jesus speaks are spirit and life, and for this reason they follow him. To others these words seem hard, and so they look elsewhere for some pathetic consolation. Yet wisdom cries out in the streets, in the broad and spacious way that leads to death, to call back those who take this path. from a Sermon—St. Bernard

Praise

Frances is gone and the damage done is not so fearful as might have been. Pray hard to keep Ivan at bay and far from all human habitation. As much as Frances may hurt us, the Bahamas were far more battered and bruised. So too with any hurricane--what scares and frightens us for a while means life and death for many hundreds living in shelters less secure than our own.

Prayer Requests

A quick sale and an easy move for Tom and his family as they set out on another exciting adventure in life.

Pour out prayers on the people of Florida who have lost their homes, their livelihoods, and their lives in this storm.

For the continued recovery of Katherine's mother.

For a deeper understanding of and commitment to the strengthening grace of the sacrament of marriage, especially for those who are presently undergoing trials.

Please storm heaven for my friends in Louisiana, they've had a long string of misfortune and could do with some good news.

For a dear friend who is undergoing a troubling period in her life, beset with a number of problems, physical, financial, emotional. May God hold her close to His heart.

For a St. Blog's parishioner in need of work to forestall financial catastrophe, that the Lord provide all that is needed in both material and spiritual blessings.

For those struggling against self to attain holiness, that the Good Lord will raise up new Saints for our times, visible beacons that draw all people toward Christ.

Please pray for those still in the path of Frances. Please pray that she speed up greatly and move swiftly through the remainder of her path. Pray for all those who suffered damage or total destruction of their homes. Pray that all other tropical storms this season avoid Florida and the United States entirely--that they take the more predictable routes that send them back out to the Atlantic.

The main body of the storm had some effect. But the trail rains are devastating to everyone. I have two large patches of ceiling in the family room that show signs of leaks in the roof. and we have one long rain band that has yet to fully have passed through. Pray that the ceilings do not leak.

More importantly, please pray that Ivan, which is a fast-moving powerful storm does not follow on the same track and take up residense in Florida and the East Coast. Right now that looks so improbable as to be ludicrous. You look at the map and it seems to be skirting the Brazilian/Venezuelan coast. Yet, the predicted courses all come up through that narrow corridor into the Caribbean, somehow keeping the storm in the Atlantic proper. We could really do without even the minimal side effects of such a storm.

And we still have power, internet access, water, and all other commodities. The predicted 20 inches did not arrive (praise God). We still have some of the far side rain bands to endure. So far the roof has stood up to the storm (and we have a contractor on line already to come out and fix it). No water flooded into the house (as I had been led to fear, even though we are well out of the 100 year flood plain. Nevertheless, you can never tell about these things. ) Everyone is getting cabin fever, I sure hope tomorrow is better so i can get out of here!

Hope you all had a better Labor Day weekend.

It's amazing--the storm has come ashore, and the winds continue unabated at the locality of entry. (Winds declined from 105 mph to 100 mph.) Here we have constant winds of about 55-60 m.p.h with rain harder at some times than at others. So far the patch on the roof is holding--in part, I think because the winds are from the opposite direction. However, when the storm passes and the winds are from the other direction we may not be so fortunate. Continue to pray--the storm moves exceedingly slowly--we have a curfew until at least 9:00 am and it may be longer, so I suspect we shall not be able to make it to Mass. Pray for us if you are able to receive the Lord and join your communion to those of us unable to get out of our houses.

At this writing (6:46 am) the storm center is just north of Lake Okeechobee which is quite a bit south of us and the rain is constant in this particularly arm or band. Pray that it all can flow away and spare us a flood. I can't see outside yet, so I don't know the state of the land around me.

It is all in God's will, and I suppose it could be much worse (and is in the path of the very slow-moving eye). Please keep praying.

Thank you.

Frances approaches, relentlessly and slowly. As in Andrew Marvell's "vaster than empires and more slow." She's a huge and slow behemoth. We experienced one rain band about 11:00 it dissipated in about 15 minutes. Strongish winds now, but nothing most of you haven't experienced in the course of a normal thunderstorm.

Frances is supposed to come ashore between West Palm Beach and Melbourne. The eye is so large and disorganized it may span much of that stretch. So eventually we will get hurricane winds (so the scientists tell us, I remain hopeful that God will ameliorate the worst of these possibilites. Prayer has been powerful in reduding this storm thus far.

So my message, keep praying. The Weather Channel is a good source of info, but they do tend toward the sensationalistic.

Thank heavens Florida Officials had the wisdom to clear people out of places that were likely to be most highly affected. We should not blame officials for taking all necessary action, nor should we become complacent and allow this to affect future actions. For one, I think I'll be looking into investing in some heavy duty installed shutters ASAP after the storm. They may provide only minimal protection, but then I will at least have the comfort of feeling that I have done as much as I can.

All I can say is that clear though it is now, please keep praying and praising God for the great good that is in His will as He breaks this storm apart. Flooding is still a real possibility, and we wait. . . .

Hi All,

Keep praying. So far much has happened that has been utterly unexpected. The danger still includes flooding for many areas, so prayers are desparately needed. Thank you all so much for all that you have already done.

Pray that those poor coulds in Punta Gorda and Port Charlotte receive nothing like what is predicted. The Lord can continue to diminish this storm. They are predicting strengthening over the course of the day, but let us insist on its gradual destruction. Let the Lord work His will, may He preserve His people from this storm.

Nothing so far in Orlando. One of the worst things is waiting for something to hapen. Those nearer the coast are having rain bands, so by noon we should start getting whatever will happen. I'm praying for tropical storm force (or less) winds.

People will be disgruntled at having been moved because of this, but let me say right now that the evacuation was absolutely right. Remember it threatened us as Category 4 with a possibility of strengthening to 5. The Lord in His Mercy has weakened it to this extent.

Now pray for the people of the severely damaged Bahamas, people far less able to recover and rebuild from such a terrible storm that has lingered so long over the islands.

At any rate, keep praying! And thank you so much for your prayers.

With enormous thanks to Neil.

All quiet so far--tomorrow the fun begins. Pray the roof holds and ward off any flooding. This slow-moving storm is bad news for a great many. It's a mixed blessing--more time to prepare for those things that can be prepared for, but subject to those things one can do nothing whatsoever about.

O God, Master of this passing world, hear the humble voices of your children. The Sea of Galilee obeyed your order and returned to its former quietude; you are still the Master of land and sea. We live in the shadow of a danger over which we have no control. The Gulf, like a provoked and angry giant, can awake from its seeming lethargy, overstep its conventional boundaries, invade our land and spread chaos and disaster. During this hurricane season, we turn to You, O loving Father. Spare us from past tragedies whose memories are still so vivid and whose wounds seem to refuse to heal with the passing of time. O Virgin, Star of the Sea, Our Beloved Mother, we ask you to plead with your Son in our behalf, so that spared from the calamities common to this area and animated with a true spirit of gratitude, we will walk in the footsteps of your Divine Son to reach the heavenly Jerusalem where a storm-less eternity awaits us. Amen.

--found on Belief.net

Thanks to all of you praying. Keep it up. Prayer will yet prevail and keep a great many from harm.

Keep praying. Much change in Frances (category 4 to category 3--slowed progress, different entering point (bad for east coast, but perhaps those already ravaged by Charley will be spared the worst of this), and let us pray for continued weakening. The forecasts are still uncertain, and a storm from the east is much worse than one from the west for us. But prayer availeth much and hope strengthens in the wake of such an outpouring of prayer. Thanks to everyone who is praying. I will attempt to keep you updated as the day goes on.

This may be the last you hear from me for some time--at least until after the storm passes, if it follows the track most commonly predicted. (There is consolation in the fact that Charley did not follow predictions, so there is some hope).

The more I read the more terrified I am of the potential harm, even inland, of this storm. St. Therese said that all of our sorrows are in yesterday and tomorrow, and yet there is something anticipatory about the human animal.

Both the winds and the rains stand in position to do tremendous damage to my own house to those of ourneighbors. If as much rain falls as is predicted there could be flooding such that the entire Orlando/Kissimmee metroplex becomes one large lake. (Or so the doomsayers say. I suppose it is possible, I don't really know.)

I've already got a "blemish" on the roof, these winds will exacerbate it and if this rain falls, the ceiling in one of my rooms will come down as well.

In addition, the debris on the streets makes for powerful projectiles to go through windows and even our concrete block. If you've never experienced a hurricane, I don't think you can imagine how really very frightening it may be.

Please pray for protection and safety of all of the people of Florida and for those already hit hard by Charley. I am in a relatively good place compared to my neighbors. Even so, I have been unable to eat for the last two days and don't anticipate any improvement in this condition until after the crisis passes Sunday evening.

I need the consolation of knowing that some small group is holding us all up in prayer. I need to internalize that God's will is done in this as in all things. I'm just not certain I want to see the outcome of this aspect of His will. Pray particularly for Samuel and his protection. With his father a basket case, he needs protection both from the physical elements and any lasting harm such a traumatic event might wreak on him incidentally from his father's weakness.

Jaime's comment below provoked my interest and I thought I would scrounge around for more information. The following is an excerpt from an article available at EWTN by John Saward.

from " The Grace of God in Courtesy"
John Saward

Courtesy is not strictly distinct from the other virtues, but rather
a quality to be found in them all. It has something to do with
reverence, humility, and chastity. It is shaped by charity, the form
of all the virtues, into the quality of mercy. It is the beauty of a
brave and generous life.

Courtesy is, first of all, reverence for one's fellow man. In the
Christian knight, it is a habit of seeing made possible by faith and
charity, an eye which sees in every man, great or small, the shining
image of the Trinity, the brother for whom Christ died. The courteous
person has an attitude of "worship" toward his fellows: by small
deeds of kindness, he acknowledges their worth, their dignity, as
human persons. In the Sarum marriage rite, the husband vows reverence
and thus courtesy toward his wife in the very acts of married love.
"With my body I thee worship." Chivalrous respect is of the very
essence of husbandly love.

Secondly, courtesy is closely tied to humility. In fact, Chesterton
defined courtesy as "the wedding of humility with dignity" and gave
us an example of the Black Prince, who waited like a servant on a man
who was his own prisoner (). The courteous
man has dignity, but he does not stand on it. He does not lose his
throne, and yet he is ready to leave it. There is something in
courtesy that deserves to be called self-emptying, the noble refusal
of self-worship. The proud or self-centered man may be polite, but he
can never be courteous, because he refuses to serve. is
the defiant cry of the prince of death and discourtesy.

Thirdly, courtesy is the first cousin of chastity, what the Middle
Ages called "cleanness." A man blinded by lust cannot see his lady as
the fitting recipient of his courtesy. She has become a thing to be
used rather than a person to be served. Malory's Sir Lancelot does
not consort with paramours "for dread of God." The debauched knight
will not only be distracted in the short term, but disappointed in
the long: "Knights that are adventurers should not be adulterers or
lechers, for they would not be happy nor fortunate in wars." (Sir
Thomas Malory, Works.)

The whole article is worth your attention. And I find this notion of courtesy very evolved and quite appealing.

from God's Secretaries
Adam Nicolson

These were moderate and distinguished men, suggesting moderate changes. But James--and Bancroft who seems to have been in an excitable state at the theatre unfolding around him--was treating them like extreme schismatics from the outer reaches of Anabaptist lunacy. . . .

Reynolds, who had never married, said he didn't like the phrase 'with my body I thee worship,' which formed part of the marriage service. James couldn't resist a vulgarity: 'Many a man speaks of Robin Hood', he said, 'who never shot his bow; if you had a good wife yourself, you would think that all the honor and worship you could do her were well bestowed.'

The picture one gets of King James in reading this book is utterly fascinating. One intimately involved in Church affairs, vain, vulgar, sometimes profance. The times themselves were interesting in their hopes and horrors. But most interesting of all is that providence would lead me to so pointed a passage on the anniversary of my own marriage.

God bestows His blessing when and as He will. We need only keep our eyes open to see them.

This link courtesy of Mr Perry's new blogsite that is shaping up to be a fascinating place to venture.

Because human ignorance is slow to believe what it does not see, and equally slow to hope for what it does not know, those who were to be instructed in the divine traching had first to be arooused by bodily benefits and visible miracles so that, once they had experienced his gracious power, they would not longer doubt the wholesome effect of his doctrine. from A Sermon on the Beatitudes--Pope St. Leo the Great

Praise Report

Yesterday was my twentieth anniversary--married to one of the most wonderful and frustrating women on Earth--alternately heaven and well at least purgatory--and I wouldn't for a moment consider having it any other way. May the Lord continue to strengthen our marriage and our family and may the grace of the sacrament support us both on the way to salvation. Please pray for us today in praise and thanksgiving to God for forging so wonderful a family.

Prayer Requests

Please continue to pray for Dylan

For a dear friend who is undergoing a troubling period in her life, beset with a number of problems, physical, financial, emotional. May God hold her close to His heart.

For a St. Blog's parishioner in need of work to forestall financial catastrophe, that the Lord provide all that is needed in both material and spiritual blessings.

For those struggling against self to attain holiness, that the Good Lord will raise up new Saints for our times, visible beacons that draw all people toward Christ.

Hurricane Frances has taken a notably Eastern Jog over the course of the day. This could be very good news. Keep praying that it follow a course to the East of the Bahamas and that meterological interevention force this monster out to the middle of the ocean where it can roil about harmlessly. Nothing is beyond God's power and nothing can compare to the virtue of hope when faith seems very, very weak.

(The problems of a rational, modernist-shaped, mind. I repudiate the modernist heresy, but I have to admit to being influenced by it.)

Linda and Steven Riddle are delighted to announce the celebration of their 20th anniversary TODAY! (loud cheers, some coughing, a few hiccoughs)

You are all cordially invited to contribute to your own spouses and loved ones all prayers, well-wishes, and any individual expressions of congratulations you wish to offer. May they rise up and become a sweet smelling incence in Heaven, which I am certain rejoices with us in this celebration of continued sacramental union.

May our day of blessing bless all who are married with moments of peace, tranquility, and ardent love. God bless you all.

If Frances were the only storm to have reached Florida this year, it would be bad news. Following less than a month after Charley if comes as particularly difficult news.

I speak from reports of people who have visited their properties in Southern Florida and from what I presently see around me. If Frances were to decide to take a direct route through the already damaged areas of Florida, the potential for harm would be greatly multiplied. We have not yet begun to recover from all the downed trees and removed shingles. While many of these have been picked up from the lawns, etc. and piled carefully to be taken away. In a storm with any sort of wind at all, these objects become projectiles--ready to plunge through glass, or given a high speed wind, even through concrete block.

Some people I know have only this week seen a return of power and water to their houses. (Admittedly this is because of massive bureaucratic bungling, however, it is the reality they face, regardless of the reason. Countless houses near me have had roofs stripped to bare wood. Some have had the wood stripped from the roof. This is to say nothing of the trailers and houses that were completely destroyed or rendered uninhabitable because of the previous storm. We are not in the position to take even the heavy rains that accompany the outer bands of a hurricane.

Naturally, I am quite beside myself with concern about the Storm. The present track seems to have it visiting southern Florida. This is terrible news considering the enormous population of the south, but if it deviates even a little from the course it could bring really bad news to people already hard hit. A friend of mine reported that in areas like Port Charlotte and Punta Gorda, there are long lines of tent cities near the major roads--residences for people whose homes were destroyed in the wake of Charley. Presumably the shelters would handle these people and keep them safe from the storm; however, the wreckage is would be unbelievable in its extent.

Please pray that the storm track in the course of least damage to all people, wherever it may go, and remember in your prayers those who have lost their homes and their lives in these terrible storms. God's hand redeems. God's will rules completely. "If you have the faither of a mustard seed you can say to this mountain, 'Go, be uprooted and plunged into the sea' and it shall be so." Let us count on this as we pray and God's guiding hand shall protect all those around us from harm. There are a great many natural means by which this storm can weaken, pray that it be sheared, pummeled and reduced to insignificance before it touches any land. Pray especially for those most immediately in its path.

For the third day will dawn upon a new heaven and a new earth when these bones that form the whole house of Israel are raised up on the great day of the Lord, when death had been defeated. So the resurrection of Christ, accoplilshed after his suffering on the cross, embraces the mystery of the resurrection of his whole body. from a Commentary on John-Origen

Praise Report

Today is my twentieth anniversary--married to one of the most wonderful and frustrating women on Earth--alternately heaven and well at least purgatory--and I wouldn't for a moment consider having it any other way. May the Lord continue to strengthen our marriage and our family and may the grace of the sacrament support us both on the way to salvation. Please pray for us today in praise and thanksgiving to God for forging so wonderful a family.

Prayer Requests

Please continue to pray for Dylan

For a dear friend who is undergoing a troubling period in her life, beset with a number of problems, physical, financial, emotional. May God hold her close to His heart.

For a St. Blog's parishioner in need of work to forestall financial catastrophe, that the Lord provide all that is needed in both material and spiritual blessings.

For those struggling against self to attain holiness, that the Good Lord will raise up new Saints for our times, visible beacons that draw all people toward Christ.