Abbey-Roads2

Shortly after 7PM little Therese died this very same evening in 1897. I was working tonight and forgot.

She died much like Our Lord, suffocating in great agony; the weeks and days leading up to her death, St. Therese suffered an ineffable darkness, “the trial of Faith”. Neither her own words, nor those of any other living person, can describe what it was like to share so intimately her Beloved’s death. Not even her sisters could comprehend it.

Therese is little, and yet great. Nevertheless she is always little…very, very little. I sometimes lament she has been declared a Doctor of the Church, resulting in many academics, intellectuals, and masters of theology and spirituality making a science of her “little way.” Many times they miss. They miss her “littleness” - her insignificance…

The only great theologian or mystic that I know of who best writes of her life is St. John of the Cross, the writer whose works Therese’s spirituality most perfectly embodies. John of the Cross was a little soul as well.

And the person who most closely lived Little Therese’s “little way” was even more little and insignificant that herself - Blessed Teresa of Calcutta.

Happy feast day little God-Mother!

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Did you ever have a recurring dream? Today’s reading from Mass seemed like that to me.

The responsorial psalm is the same as Thursday’s;

“Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain wisdom of heart.” Psalm 90

The first reading from Ecclesiastes speaks to man’s end…”Vanity of vanities!”

While our Lord warns his disciples, “Pay attention…the Son of Man is to be handed over to men.” Luke 9, 43.

The disciples “were afraid to ask him about this saying.” I believe this betrays a human fear of death, and therefore, something akin to a denial of death.

Few of us are prepared for death. We may think we are, yet I’m pretty certain we are afraid of it. I used to boast I had no fear of it. That is also a sort of denial…a vanity.

St. Joseph, patron of a happy death, pray for us now and at the hour of ours.

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Painting: Detail from “Milagro” by T. Nelson.

It’s a “greeting card” style painting I did of the phenomena of people seeing images of Mary in water stained walls and other things - I like the patina.

I might be using a scumbled and diffused version in our gift catalog - as a page bckground.

I’m busy doing the catalog - so blogging will be light.

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Painting by Chris Beaumont, 1988

“Vanity of vanities! All things are vanity!” Ecclesiastes 1

Our first reading from Mass today. Later in the reading, “All speech is labored, there is nothing one can say.”

In the responsorial psalm we pray, “Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain wisdom of heart.”

The Holy Spirit tells us about Herod in today’s gospel, “And he kept trying to see him.” Jesus. Yet out of curiosity.

In Magnificat, the commentary from Josef Pieper discusses curiositas in reference to custody of the eyes. Blogging in all of it’s forms is a vanity.

“All speech is labored; there is nothing one can say. The eye is not satisfied with seeing nor is the ear satisfied with hearing.” Ecclesiastes.

O Lord, teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain wisdom of heart.

On Spirit Daily, Brown had a post linked to a kid’s video inside St. Peter’s at Rome that showed a ghostly figure near the high altar. Curious. It struck me however, as indicative of how some people seek signs and wonders and apparitions and revelations to nourish and instruct their faith, while missing the presence of Jesus; in the Eucharist, in the Church, in the Scriptures. This in addition to not heeding the authentic Teaching Magisterium of the Church. In this, we all can be a little like Herod at times.

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September 28

Albino Luciani 1912-1978

The Servant of God, Pope John Paul I

Holy Father, pray for us, now and at the hour of our death. Amen

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Giovanni Bellini: “Allegory of Deceit”

Having grown up in an atmosphere of dishonesty and pretense, the product of alcoholic parents, since earliest childhood I decided two things, to always be honest, and not to care about status - oh, and there was a third - never to marry. (I never wanted to repeat the errors of my parents.) Today’s first reading reminded me of this, “Two things I ask of you, deny them not to me before I die: Put falsehood and lying far from me, give me neither poverty or riches; provide me only with the food I need; lest being full, I deny you, or being in want, I steal, and profane the name of my God.” -Proverbs

In my efforts to be honest I have often lacked tact. Once the owner of the company I worked for had me look at some artwork from a gentleman we both knew. He is a very good, devout man, the father of a priest. The piece he was showing us was by another very devout woman, a holy picture they hoped we would print and sell. When I looked at it I just said, “Oh, that’s nice.” Then they asked if I thought we could sell it.

I answered, “No, it is badly drawn.” I then constructively pointed out the defects, the lack of artistic merit, while going on to explain how sometimes, in our devotion, we are convinced God wants a commercial endeavor to prosper. I explained that could certainly be his will - but not at such an incomplete stage. One has to be able to market it. (And of course, one has to have talent for the enterprise.)

I always get myself in trouble for my candor - even more so when I attempt to couch it in humor - which few people understand. I just hate deceit…except when it’s jocose. (That is, when a statement is obviously absurd, ironic, or just ridiculous. I’m prone to do this in arguments or serious conversations that are going no place. I say something so ridiculous one couldn’t possibly believe it. It’s funny in a dumb way, and it breaks the tension - usually, or at least allows me to leave on a “high note” like George, from “Seinfeld.”)

Today, I ask the Lord once again, “Put falsehood and lying far from me.” And again, “Remove from me the way of falsehood, and favor me with your law.”

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Pictured:
An extraordinary minister of the Eucharist.

Don Marco, my friend from Rome is in the U.S. for a time. He must be helping out at various parish liturgies and has come to see how the American Catholic church operates. (He is currently chaplain to a community of Benedictine nuns.) In his latest post, he does not say where a recent experience of Eucharistic ministers occurred, but it spurred him to write about it. You have got to read it on his blog “Vultus Christi“. Many of us know all of this already and yet have had to live with it for decades - it’s nice to read a fresh take on the matter however. Good job Don Marco!

(When I left the novitiate at the Trappists, one of the most difficult adjustments for me were the liturgical goings on in the various parishes I attended Mass.)

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Pictured: Botero - “Self-Portrait On My First Communion Day.”

I was told that I probably had the devil on my shoulder when I wrote critically about the dress company selling modest dresses. The now unnamed website feels their clothes are fashionable, yet modest, for girls. I’ve been told numerous times the post was not nice. (Check out “Fashion Week…”) The fellow who showed the line to me also said he wished he had not. So do I.

A few days ago I was told I’m going to purgatory for thousands of years for the Warhol post. Others say hell.

So let them sell “Little House on the Prairie” fashions - if they believe in it, how does my opinion count? So what?

I also covered the woman’s breast on the Warhol photo for that post.

Inquisition anyone?

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The Holy Helpers.

The two physician saints are depicted here in one of their most famous posthumous miracles. They replaced the diseased leg of a man with the leg of another man who had died. It was obviously from a man of color. Hence, the worlds first leg transplant…probably not so astonishing for self-sufficient moderns, who have become accustomed to transplant surgeries. If you are going in for a transplant, I think I would pray to these two saints if I were you. If you’re waiting for a transplant, all the more reason to invoke their assistance.

Go to Don Marco’s site, “Vultus Christi” for everything you want to know about these two saints.

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