Fecundity...and Knives...and Freaky Mass Music

"fecundity - the state of being fertile; capable of producing offspring"

- from the free online dictionary

Fecundity has been on my mind lately, because I suspect we are at the end of our time of being fertile.

My suspicion does not leave me with a sense of relief, or expectancy, or joy in any way, shape or form. Instead, I think that this is a part of life which would have occurred at some point. When our time for having children would stop was never really considered; it alway seemed as if it would be in the DISTANT future. Unfortunately, the future seems to have arrived sooner than we would have expected.

That is what brings this thought:

Fecundity, like any other gift from the hand of God, is to be used rather than pushed aside for use when it suits us. Those who have been given the gift and choose to not use it will have to answer for neglecting one of the greatest privileges we have been given: to participate in the creation of an immortal soul formed in the image and likeness of God.


It really does seem as though you don't know what you got 'til it's gone!



Knives

Copied from this blog, by Father Stephanos, OSB:


Back in the sixth century, monks wore knives at the belt like everyone else. The knife was a multi-purpose tool for both eating and working. At some point during the one and a half millennia since the life of St. Benedict, monks discontinued the wearing of a knife.

How cool it would be if the Benedictine habit still included a knife at the belt!

Make mine a Ka-Bar!

Actually a short medieval dagger would be more in keeping with the habit.Here’s what St. Benedict had to say about monks and knives:

Chapter 55: On the Clothes and Shoes of the Brethren.... And in order that this vice of private ownership may be cut out by the roots, the Abbot should provide all the necessary articles— hooded garment, tunic, stockings, shoes, belt, knife, stylus, needle, handkerchief, writing tablets— that all pretext of need may be taken away.

Chapter 22: How the Monks Should Sleep.... Let them sleep clothed and girded with belts or cords, but not with their knives at their sides, lest they cut themselves in their sleep.

Whenever St. Benedict expressly prohibits or discourages something, I’m sure he does so because he finds it necessary. From experience.

Respondio:

Make mine an Air Force Survival Knife, complete with sharpening stone.

FREAKY SUNDAY MASS MUSIC:

Then today there was the Offertory Hymn(or was it the second Communion Hymn) which sounded like this:

My wife took some of the other children to Novus Ordo Latin Mass, while I went elsewhere because there was sickness in the house.