Blessed News

My wife called me at work today. She said she was shaking all over.







Then she sent me this picture:

No, not the teddy bear on the floor!

It appears that God has answered our prayers with a 'YES!'

Praise God for all His goodness!!

Whose library is bigger?

The parent's library:

I dug this out of my desk while cleaning it. My wife likes this quote.

Fr. Edmund Sylvia said that a wise editor said this:

"The modern world remains a fallen world.

Our present history is a time of struggle but

through the cross of Christ we have already died

to the world and been reborn in a new Creation.

"The evils which afflict us will continue to try our souls.

But in this New Creation they need no longer drive to

despair. In fact not only can we survive evil,

but we can actually thrive in its midst."

The chidren's library:

Birthday! ..and other more serious news

Tomorrow, the 19th of August, we celebrate the birth of our 10th child!

He will be SEVEN YEARS OLD.

He was our first child born after I got out of the Air Force; his recollection of Air Force life would only be in utero.

We named him after Pope Saint Cornelius, who was Pope for two years(251-253) before dying in exile. He recommended mercy for penitents who had renounced the Faith during an earlier persecution. He worked with St. Cyprian - so closely that I figured our next son would have to be named Cyprian!

Here is a black and white picture of him. They hadn't developed color pictures yet, I guess...

Of course, most people thought we named him after THIS HOLY MAN:

Perhaps it had something to do with what he said right after being delivered, while our obstetrician was still holding him:

"Get your hands off of me, you darn dirty O.B.!!"

Seriously...

A friend of ours died today. He had been ill for just a short while before dying. He received the Sacrament of the Sick, and has been in many people's prayers. Please join us in praying for the repose of the soul of Thomas.

Also kinda Serious....

The recessional hymn at last week's ordination struck me as familiar, and I figured it out this last week. The song, O God Beyond All Praising, is based on a work by Gustav Holst called The Planets(Opus 32). The melody is lifted from the 4th movement known as Jupiter: The Bringer of Jollity. It all seemed kinda funny to me in a serious way to have music about bringing jollity for the conclusion of an ordination.

Also...

Here is the site from Semper Fi Catholic about a young man joining the Franciscans. I could not load it a few days ago - too busy looking for animatronic bears singing songs by Oasis.

I found out he is joining the Franciscans of the Immaculate - St. Maximilian Kolbe's order. They have some good books, such as this one about St. Maximilian's spirituality:

A great little book about St.Maximilian Kolbe - showing that his offer to take the place of a man in the death chamber at Auschwitz was a natural progression of his life.

Discovered! Showbiz Pizza Characters in Las Vegas!

Or maybe Chuck E. Cheese characters?

Random Comments for August 16th

I got my boots back. Two pair, the ones to the rear, needed to be resoled.

We are so blessed to have an easier way to heal our souls than to drop them off at the shoe repair store and wait for them to come back in a week or two. Confession is available anytime for those who look for it, and is a lot cheaper than getting one's boots re-soled. All it costs is our humility.

But the soul free from sin is a wonderful thing, freed from the weight and guilt of sin; once again walking in friendship with God.

Elvis Presley died 30 years ago today. Please pray for the repose of his soul. I can't forget the day he died because on August 15, 1977, the Feast of the Assumption, the day before Elvis died, one of my brothers was the victim of a truly random act of violence which nearly killed him. He continues to suffer physically from what happened that day, and I am sure he suffers in other ways as well.

God can make good come from everything. This incident shook my family tremendously, but it was also the event that started me thinking about a medical career, and probably was the seed of a vocation to the priesthood for another brother. In a way, this was God's wake up call to our family - a brutally personal reminder that we are mortal creatures that are destined for Eternity - provided we start knowing, loving, and serving God.

Speaking of vocations...

Aaron, one of the 'Adopt a Seminarian/Religious' folks, has gone to join the Franciscans. See pictures HERE - OOPS LINK NOT WORKING...I WILL TRY ADDING THIS LINK LATER. Please keep him and his order in your prayers.

St. Maximilian Kolbe

Today we celebrated St. Maximilian Kolbe's Feast Day. We named one of our sons after him. St. Maximilian was apparently the original 'Mad Max' long before Mel Gibson came along. He was called that by other priests who thought he was a bit too intense.

Look what intensity for Jesus gets you: SAINTHOOD!

Book Reviews, Rantings, and Bad Poetry

I have read two books which I found to be OF QUESTIONABLE WORTH.





One book begets another, it seems. I read one book, and all the time it reminded me of the second book. As soon as I finished the first, I found a copy of the second. I found the second one to be lacking as well, for a different reason.





Suppose that civilization as we know it has been destroyed, with the exception of a small group of monks who dedicate themselves to preserving the knowledge of the past.





This is the general idea of both books, although one is a work of science fiction, and the other a history book.





A Canticle for Leibowitz, by Walter M. Miller, Jr. takes place after a nuclear war has destroyed nearly all of the world. The survivors blame the 'Flame Deluge' on technology, and proceed to retaliate against any remnant of science, literature - any sort of knowledge. A man, a convert from Judaism, starts an order whose mission is to preserve the writings of those who were before the nuclear war. Thanks to the Order of St. Leibowitz, whose suffix is AOL(!!!), technology eventually returns, along with the same problems that led to the nuclear war.





All I could think of while reading Miller's book was this book:





Thomas Cahill's How The Irish Saved Civilization: The Untold Story of Ireland's Heroic Role from the Fall of Rome to the Rise of Medieval Europe presents the argument that the Irish preserved most of ancient civilization's writings while Europe and the Roman Empire were being overrun by various savage tribes. For a man of 100% Irish blood, nothing fills my heart with more pride. Unfortunately, Mr. Cahill fills the book with far, FAR too many tales of bawdiness and impropriety done by various Irish men and women. I got the impression that he lost sight of the purpose of his book.





Instead of reading about great things done by mine own people, I found myself disgusted by some of the stories I found in this book.





Mr. Cahill did have a great comment attributed to Sigmund Freud, to the effect that the Irish were the only people who could not be helped by psychoanalysis.



I wish this Catholic writer had written something to inspire the Irish Catholics everywhere to become modern-day St. Patricks. This thought came to me as we celebrated the ordination of ONE MAN for the Diocese of Dallas last Saturday. Perhaps our Irish Bishop Kevin Farrell, with his accent reminded me that I wrote a poem about Ireland and its lack of vocations HERE.





...and here as well:

The Island Is Sinking

Perhaps in some strange and far-off land


where my children's children live


they once again will take a stand


to preach, teach, and forgive.



For now my emerald isle home


once honored and renowned


is seemingly barren of the Faith,


the island is sinking down.



God promised that it would not see


the four horsemen's final call


rather it would founder, vanishing


not suffering at all.



The four green fields would slowly yield


and sink beneath the waves.


Where once my children's blood ran thick


the sea covers their graves.





Not long ago my children left


to spread the Faith worldwide.


Convents, seminaries fit to burst


were such a source of pride.



Today they are all empty,


none studying in their halls.


The barren womb has left no room


for a heart to heed His call.



So I look for where my children went


o'er centuries now past,


scattered over every land


and there my net is cast.





To every son and daughter


of Ireland, hear my pleading:


We lack for holy priests and nuns


it's saints that we are needing.



To all you men and women


who have God in their hearts,


add actions to affections


and strive to do your part.



I know someday my beloved isle


Will sink beneath the sea.


But I never thought my land


Would turn its back on Thee.



SMD


3.15.2007

Prayer to Our Lady

This is a prayer to Our Lady of the Mysterious Decapitation, featured in a blog entry way back when. Read about it HERE.

My confessor told me about how Mexican men always kissed the hand or hands of Our Lady of Guadalupe. It suddenly occurred to him one day that they were showing respect to Our Lady and asking her to take them by the hand.

My confessor recommended that I pray to Our Lady at the beginning of each day, asking her to lead me, to do what she has for me on her 'honey-do' list. This statue is conveniently located outside our front door, so I have started praying this prayer that I wrote below.

Mary my mother, take my hand today, and all days.

Lead me away from all occasions of sin.

Guide me in fulfilling your last words in the Gospel,

"Do whatever He tells you."

Amen.

Noisykid Kitchen Returns!

Real Men Cook With Fire. Even saints.

Today is the Feast of St. Lawrence, who was grilled to death under the Emperor Valerian. Legend has it that he joked that he was 'done' on one side and could be turned over.

The other story about St. Lawrence is that he brought together all the riches of the Church to show to the Romans. The riches that he showed them were the poor and needy that were helped by the Church.

So, in honor of St. Lawrence, we grilled tonight. Since it was Friday, we had fish.

Friday night dinner

Cooks: 12-year old boy Noisykid, and 10-year old girl Noisykid

Grilled Mahi Mahi
Pasta
Marinara Sauce
Green Beans
Garlic Toast

A Man For All Seasons

Book Review: A Man For All Seasons, by Robert Bolt

Legend has it that when the late Bo Schembechler coached football at the University of Michigan, he would have the team watch the movie “Patton” before the Michigan-Ohio State Game. General George Patton, played by George C. Scott, apparently inspired the team to defeat Ohio State. Then Michigan would go out to the Rose Bowl and play on New Years Day.

Inevitably, Michigan would get squashed like a bug by some West Coast team.

Still, the movie is stirring….

In a similar way, I always think of Fred Zinnemann’s movie A Man For All Seasons as a spiritual version of Patton. For a Catholic looking for some inspiration to follow Our Lord and not the world, the story of St. Thomas More’s battle of wills with King Henry VIII is worth watching. St. Thomas More exemplifies Our Lord’s words that we need to be “as wise as serpents, and as gentle as doves.”(Matt. 10:6) as he works his way around the various legal traps set for him.

This is rather odd when you consider that Robert Bolt, who wrote the original play, was an agnostic. He was more interested in St. Thomas More as an example of one man standing alone against the crowd. Bolt used this theme in several plays he wrote. This idea or concept is summed up in this dialogue with the Duke of Norfolk from the play:

"What matters is not that it's true, but that I believe it; or no, not that I believe it, but that I believe it."

St. Thomas More’s faith was not as important; for all we know, Bolt may have been writing about a late-term abortionist.

I bought a copy of the play because there were several quotes in the movie that really stood out as worth remembering. One of my favorites is More’s discussion with Richard Rich. Rich wants a position at Court, and More advises against it. He recommends that he take a teaching position. Let’s listen in:

More: “…Why not be a teacher? You’d be a fine teacher. Perhaps, a great one.”

Rich: “And if I was who would know it?”

More: “You, your pupils, your friends, God. Not a bad public, that….”

Another great quote from the play is when St. Thomas More hears of an Oath, a Bill which he may have to swear to. More reminds his daughter Meg and her husband Will Roper that he may be able to take the oath. He speaks of Man’s purpose:

“God made the angels to show him splendor – as he made the animals

for innocence and plants for their simplicity. But Man he made to serve

him wittily, in the tangle of his mind! If he suffers us to fall to such a case

that there is no escaping, then we may stand to our tackle as best we can,

and yes, Will, then we may clamour like champions…if we have the spittle

for it. And no doubt it delights God to see splendour where he only looked

for complexity. But it’s God’s part, not our own, to bring ourselves to that

extremity! Our natural business lies in escaping….”

I have recalled this quote many times, especially when I don’t know what to do for my family and it looks as if there is no way out of our predicament. Something always comes up – either my wife or I figure something out, or else God provides.

Even better than Bolt's play are some quotes from the man himself, like this prayer:

Give Me Thy Grace, good Lord, to set the world at naught, to set my mind fast upon Thee,

and not to hang upon the blast of men's mouths.

To be content to be solitary.

Not to long for worldly company.

Little and little utterly to cast off the world, and rid my mind of all the business thereof.

Not to long to hear of any worldly things, but that the hearing of worldly fantasies may

be to me displeasing.

Gladly to be thinking of God.

Piteously to call for His help.

To lean unto the comfort of God.

Busily to labor to love Him.

To know my own vility and wretchedness.

To humble and meeken myself under the mighty hand of God.

To bewail my sins passed.

For the purging of them, patiently to suffer adversity.

Gladly to bear my purgatory here.

To be joyful of tribulations.

To walk the narrow way that leadeth to life.

To bear the cross with Christ.

To have the last thing in remembrance.

To have ever afore mine eye my death that is ever at hand.

To make death no stranger to me.

To foresee and consider the everlasting fire of hell.

To pray for pardon before the judge to come.

To have continually in mind the Passion that Christ suffered for me.

For His benefits incessantly to give Him thanks.

To buy the time again that I before have lost.

To abstain from the vain confabulations.

To eschew light, foolish mirth and gladness.

Recreations not necessary to cut off.

Of worldly substance, friends, liberty, life, and all, to set the loss at right naught

for the winning of Christ.

To think my worst enemies my best friends.

For the brethren of Joseph could never have done him so much good with their

love and favor as they did him with their malice and hatred.

These minds are more to be desired of every man, than all the treasures

of all the princes and kings, Christian and heathen, were it gathered and

laid together all upon one heap.

St. Thomas More

I recommend the play and (gasp!) the movie without reservation, but realize that the far better thing would be to read St. Thomas More's own writings.

I am rather upset that my picture was used for the cover of the book above. I thought those were 'practice' shots.

Why I Love Jesus Meme

But first a little music. This piece of music was composed by Bedřich Smetana, a Czech composer. This piece is known as Vltava(more commonly known as The Moldau), part of a larger work entitled Ma vlast("My Country"):







It ends abruptly. Incomplete.



I just discovered Iwas tagged by the Roman Sacristan:

Those tagged will share 5 things they love about Jesus and must tag 5 other bloggers.

Those tagged must provide a link in the comments box here with their name so that others can read them.

Here goes:

1. Jesus died for us, opening Heaven to us.

2. Jesus gave us the perfect example of what He wanted us to do. Look at a Crucifix.

3. He gave us His precious Body and Blood for us to eat - to nourish our souls.

4. He called men so unworthy to head His Church on Earth. His first choice for Pope had gone so far as to betray Him, but Jesus forgave Peter and strengthened Him to lead the early Church. I share many of Peter's failings, so it is a source of consolation to me knowing that Jesus put so much trust in him.

5. Jesus must have had a sense of humor. Think of the time He ordered one of the Apostles to catch a fish to pay the temple tax. In the mouth of the fish he would find a coin. I can't help but think that Jesus was doing it for fun, nudging the closest Apostle, saying, 'Watch this!'


Now comes the hard part:

I tag

1. EEGAHINC at the B-Movie Catechism. Memes are not part of his format, but think of this as a plug for his blog.

2. Our friend Bridget at Our Magnum Opus.

3. Histor the Wise, my son, at Est Puzzlementum.

4. Raulito at Disciple of the Dumb Ox. I know he is busy, but his opinions are worth reading.

5. Antonia, who is exploring North America.


I was planning on publishing a review of this play and movie, but it will have to wait for some other day:

St. Jean-Marie Baptiste Vianney

A day late, but here is a picture of the Cure of Ars. He appears to be smirking. Most pictures and sculptures are of him with a very serene look on his face.

He is another hero saint of mine. He like boiled potatoes.



Happy Feast Day! Pray for all priests.

Since I have been showing pieces of music from Rachmaninoff, check out his version of Ave Maria. Not the best I have heard, but far far better than anything I could do. Enjoy:






Looking North toward Dallas, June 20, 2007.

The Third Movement

Here is the THIRD movement from Rachmaninoff's Concerto No. 3. At some point, the video seems to lag behind the audio feed. Just close your eyes and listen:

Gospel Commentary for Sunday, July 29, 2007

...but first, a little music(without hot dogs and donuts dancing about!)

Here is the second part of Rachmaninoff's Concerto No. 3, the 2nd movement

Vladimir Horowitz, pianist

Start playing it and enjoy the music while reading this posting:






Sunday's Gospel was from Luke 11:1-13


St. Luke and I have more than just our profession in common: we both also like scorpions.


Once Jesus was in a certain place praying, and when he had finished one of his disciples said, ‘Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples’.

He said to them, ‘Say this when you pray:
“Father, may your name be held holy,
your kingdom come;
give us each day our daily bread,
and forgive us our sins,
for we ourselves forgive each one who is in debt to us.
And do not put us to the test.”’

He also said to them, ‘Suppose one of you has a friend and goes to him in the middle of the night to say, “My friend, lend me three loaves, because a friend of mine on his travels has just arrived at my house and I have nothing to offer him”; and the man answers from inside the house, “Do not bother me. The door is bolted now, and my children and I are in bed; I cannot get up to give it you”. I tell you, if the man does not get up and give it him for friendship’s sake, persistence will be enough to make him get up and give his friend all he wants.
‘So I say to you: Ask, and it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you. For the one who asks always receives; the one who searches always finds; the one who knocks will always have the door opened to him. What father among you would hand his son a stone when he asked for bread? Or hand him a snake instead of a fish? Or hand him a scorpion if he asked for an egg? If you then, who are evil, know how to give your children what is good, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!’

Commentary:



This is one of two places in the Bible where scorpions play a pivotal role in understanding the Word of the Lord. A scorpion is known to be dangerous; in some cases its sting can be lethal. By using a scorpion as an alternative to an egg, Jesus has deftly impressed on His disciples the way that God will answer our prayers. There will be no nasty surprises from God; whatever He gives us is in some way for the good of our souls. This is the case even if the answer to our prayers is one of the least-used words in the English-speaking world: NO.

The other example of scorpions that comes to mind is also from Luke: 10:19, "I have given you the power to tread upon serpents and scorpions."


Once again, the humble scorpion serves as an example of how God will provide for us. When we lived in San Antonio in a house that had been overrun with scorpions, I had an uncanny knack of knowing where a scorpion would be hiding, and I avoided multiple stings as a result. I attribute it all to Divine Providence; God has something more dramatic in mind for me, like myocardial infarction or a stroke or a horrible auto accident, when it is my time to go...but once again, as the prayer from the Chaplet of Divine Mercy says, the will of God is Love and Mercy Itself.



While I have lost the reference, I know for a fact that the egg in question was that of a duck, not that of a chicken.



Scorpion.



Duck.



Scorpion Stalking Duck.



Relevant.



Biblical.



On another note, I wrote a poem(more bad poetry!) inspired by this reading - in particular the comment about waking up a neighbor for bread. Here in North Texas this behavior is done at risk to one's life.

This is from August 1,1999:

The Neighbor's Bread

With confidence I knocked on your door.
You said you’d never ignore me.
Now I sit in your dining room,
a feast you set before me

Long ago, I asked you because
You said you always would provide.
And so now in the middle of the night
You bid me come inside

You gave me what I asked of you
And as I turned away
You said ‘just wait a moment.’
And bid me come and stay.

Within my grasp was all I wanted
And all I needed (I thought)
And yet you offered far more to me
Now in your arms I’m caught

I asked for life for my wife and children
To stay with you forever
But I never imagined what more you could give
- I’m not considered clever

For a loaf of bread I knocked on your door
To steal my life away
But now for the bread of life
I will always stay.

My good intentioned selfish plan
Was to gain a loaf of bread
But you gave me far more, the bread of life
Now I plan to stay instead

The banquet you lay before me
Is full of bitter and sweet
But all of it I must partake
For you and I to meet

Not only partake, but prepare and serve
Is what you call me to
For what you give I must pass on
To those I love so true

Here is the man who woke you up
For just a loaf of bread
Now let me stay and serve your table
And those who come for bread.

SMD
8.1.1999


Then there's this issue. I am a girly saint?

I was St. Joan of Arc.

It got in the way of the post below.

Another Classicl Music Interlude

Complete with Stop-action animation:



Wagner was not a friend of the Church, but did write some good music....

My six-year old took a look at the video and said, "What's the point of it?"

Ex Armariolo Impiliorum (was Ex Sock Insum)

I think that means 'from the sock drawer,' which is where these creatures have been living lately. If my poor translation has offended, let me know.

UPDATE: HISTOR THE WISE HAS CORRECTED MY POOR LATIN.

Life has been very busy this Summer, with work taking up most of the days. Today I got home in time to work on the lawn, and it rained as soon as I arrived.

Speaking of land....I apparently own another 0.3 acres. I am not sure where it is - I have to check that out - but it must be real because I got billed for three years back taxes. I owe $1.85!! I love land with an agricultural exemption.

I have been reading The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame. In the course of the book, Mr. Toad is offered a plate of 'bubble and squeak.' The odor of cabbage revives Toad's spirits. So I had to look it up at work today. One of my partners was looking over my shoulder as I did this before work began, and he suggested I look up 'bangers and mash' and 'haggis.' Next we looked up 'chorizo' and 'scrapple.'

I have memories, not really fond ones, of my parents getting scrapple from Philadelphia. Apparently scrapple is big in Philadelphia, where both my parents grew up.

Perhaps the Philly Steak and Cheese Sandwich was invented to make reparation for scrapple.

My mother would start with a block of raw scrapple in a frying pan, and in about an hour the scrapple would be shrunken down to the size of a matchbox, floating in a pond of grease. Yum.

Blogging has been at a minimum for two reasons: one is that I am busy. The other is that for 15 days in June I conducted an experiment in blogging. Without telling anyone at first, I made a commitment to STOP BLOGGING whenever my wife or children wanted my attention. I noticed my blogging dropped to an all time low, but I was more involved with my family. I like that.

So my blogging is less than it was before. I am reminded of some lines in the play A Man for All Seasons, by Robert Bolt. St. Thomas More advises Rich to become a teacher. He mentions that he might be a great teacher. Rich replies:

"And if I was who would know?"

More responds with words I take to heart:

"You, your pupils, your friends, God. Not a bad public, that...."

There won't be as many blog entries, and you will not read as much about the Noisykids as you have in the past. But the sun and moon doesn't revolve around us anyways.

It does revolve around me.

Check this out:

I like Rachmaninoff. Enjoy!

St. Charbel Makhlouf

Happy Feast of St. Charbel Makhlouf!

Summer time is really busy for me, with a lecture to present tomorrow.

Perhaps another post this weekend?

While I was working....

While I worked today, the blog passed a milestone.

Visit 10,000!

Time of Visit: Jul 18 2007 9:20:12 am
Visit Length: 0 seconds
Page Views: 1

This is normal for my blog. Most people don't stay for long, and a lot of people use my links as a jumping off point....

Time Zone: UTC+0:00

Visitor's Time: Jul 18 2007 3:20:12 pm
Visit Number: 10,000

Thank you all for visiting this blog. This picture, which was the inspiration for all this nonsense, has come a long way from the day I snapped it in San Antonio.

I am very proud of my little blog, because I have tried to make each and every one of these postings an original work. I especially am proud of the poetry which I have written here, especially the poems dedicated to my beautiful wife.

I suspect that it will take longer than twelve and a half months to reach the 20,000 mark. Work and the responsibilities of husband and father to the Noisykids have put a limit to my free time for blogging.

So Who Are the Carmelite Martyrs of Compiegne?

Martyred July 17, 1794

I found this information HERE!

They are:


1. Anne-Marie-Madeleine Thouret

2. Anne Petras

3. Marie-Geneviève Meunier

4. Rose-Chrétien de la Neuville

5. Euphrasia of the Immaculate Conception; aka Marie Claude Cyprienne Brard, or Catherine Charlotte Brard; born 1736 at Bourth, and professed in 1757

6. Madeleine-Claudine Ledoine (Mother Teresa of Saint Augustine), prioress, born in Paris, 22 Sept., 1752, professed 16 or 17 May, 1775

7. Marie-Anne Brideau

8. Marie-Anne Piedcourt (Sister of Jesus Crucified), choir-nun, b. 1715, professed 1737; on mounting the scaffold she said "I forgive you as heartily as I wish God to forgive me"

9. Marie-Antoniette or Anne Hanisset (Sister Teresa of the Holy Heart of Mary), b. at Rheims in 1740 or 1742, professed in 1764

10. Marie-Françoise Gabrielle de Croissy (Mother Henriette of Jesus), b. in Paris, 18 June, 1745, professed 22 Feb., 1764, prioress from 1779 to 1785

11. Marie-Gabrielle Trézel (Sister Teresa of Saint Ignatius), choir-nun, b. at Compiègne, 4 April, 1743, professed 12 Dec., 1771



There were also three lay sisters:


12. Angélique Roussel (Sister Mary of the Holy Ghost), lay sister, b. at Fresnes, 4 August, 1742, professed 14 May, 1769


13. Julie or Juliette Vérolot (Sister Saint Francis Xavier), lay sister, b. at Laignes or Lignières, 11 Jan., 1764, professed 12 Jan., 1789


14. Marie Dufour (Sister Saint Martha), lay sister, b. at Beaune, 1 or 2 Oct., 1742, entered the community in 1772



Two 'tourières,' who were not Carmelites at all but servants at the nunnery:


15. Catherine Soiron, born 2 February 1742 at Compiègne


16. Teresa Soiron, born 23 January 1748 at Compiègne both of whom had been in the service of the community since 1772.







Since they had not eaten for a while before their execution, they obtained some chocolate - hot chocolate? - to drink before going to the guillotine. The prioress did not want any of them fainting from hunger.



So, tomorrow I shall have some CHOCOLATE in honor of these women who offered their lives to God to end the Reign of Terror in France.

Feast of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel

Happy Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel!

"It is possible while sitting in your workshop stitching leather to
consecrate your heart of God. It is possible...for the person standing over
a pot cooking to make fervent and frequent prayer though it is not possible
to enter a church. For God takes no thought of place. This alone He
requires of us: a mind and soul that loves the things of God."

St. John Chrysostom

Commentary:

This sounds like a lot of St. Josemaria Escriva's writings. It indicates
that one of the recurrent themes of Opus Dei - sanctification through
whatever work one has - is not a new theme in the Church. Instead St.
Josemaria Escriva is repeating a worthwhile lesson to a world that
desperately needs to hear it.

Another Look at the Terror

Book Review:

To Quell the Terror: The Mystery of the Vocation of the Sixteen Carmelites of Compiègne, Guillotined July 17, 1794, by William Bush

Previously reviewed HERE.

July 17, 2007 marks the 213th anniversary of the execution of the Discalced Carmelite Nuns of Compiègne during the French Revolution’s Reign of Terror.

I have to agree with a friend's thought, that most saints who wear the martyr's crown did not receive it accidentally. Instead, martyrdom came as the culmination, or completion, of a life committed to the practice of 'death to self.' Saint Maximilian Kolbe is one saint who comes to mind. His volunteering to take the place of a married man who was to be starved to death was characteristic of a priest who had spent his life praying and working for the greater glory of God. The crowns of purity and martyrdom that he chose as a child were well-worn by the time he accompanied his fellow inmates into the cell where they were to be starved to death.

The Carmelite Nuns of Compiègne are a group of martyrs who also practiced 'death to self' as they went about a life of poverty, chastity, and obedience. The French Revolution and its subsequent Reign of Terror, combined with a prophetic dream of a nun more than a hundred years before, inspired them to make their deaths an offering, or holocaust, to end the Reign of Terror.

William Bush has written a thorough and inspiring book about the Carmelite Nuns. He describes the lives of the nuns at Compiègne (including a short biography of each) as well as describing the events which were taking place outside of the convent. These two stories connect the day that the nuns were ‘liberated’ from their cloister.

The most interesting part of Bush’s book is where he relates a mysterious vision experienced by a nun who lived at Compiègne approximately 100 years before the French Revolution. In the nun’s description of her vision, she told of a group of sisters she had never seen before who were called to ‘follow the Lamb.’ In this case the Lamb is presumably the Lamb of God, or Jesus Christ, and the nuns were to be martyred. This vision influenced the prioress to initiate the cloister’s offering up their lives to end the suffering of the people of France during the Revolution’s Reign of Terror.

William Bush wrote this book to correct the historical inaccuracies that have crept into the story of the Carmelite Martyrs of Compiegne. In particular, Gertrude le Fort’s book The Song at the Scaffold modified a lot of the events that took place during the Reign of Terror. George Bernanos, who wrote The Dialogue of the Carmelites, also romanticized some of the details of the story. The play by Poulenc, Dialogues of the Carmelites also changed the story in order to make a more dramatic opera. All three of these works presented the French Revolution in a romantic, sympathetic light, and that was one of the key things that Bush wanted to correct. The revolution was not a wonderful and liberating change in the history of Man. The people of France suffered tremendously under the new government which wanted to eliminate the influence of the Church in France. Many people – not just religious – lost their lives during the Terror.

This book is not just a history book. Mr. Bush makes some rather pointed comments about Divine Mercy, and how the nuns considered their martyrdom to be an offering accepted by God:

“Their final song at the scaffold…was Psalm 117, Laudate Dominum omnes gentes, which proclaims the mystic truth couched at the heart of the Christian experience of salvation: God’s mercy is at the center of all things, even of being guillotined.

Oh praise the Lord all ye nations!
Praise him all ye people!
FOR HIS MERCY IS CONFIRMED UPON US
And the truth of the Lord remaineth forever!
Praise the Lord!"

Pages 14-15.

This aspect of the book is what touched me the most, and makes this book one which I recommend without reservation. As a latecomer to praying the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, I was always struck by the last line of the final prayer, which refers to the Will of God as ‘Love and Mercy Itself.’ This prayer, and the final song of the Carmelites, remind me that whatever suffering comes my way should be looked upon as a gift from God – a cross to be accepted as necessary for my salvation.

This quote - and the final prayer of the Chaplet of Divine Mercy - have been a rich source of consolation for me during this past year.

As an aside, the cover of this book shows the opening scene from Poulenc’s opera Dialogues of the Carmelites. It always reminds me of the ordinations I have been to, where the candidates for priesthood start by lying prone on the altar – certainly symbolic of their death to self.

My strongest prescription

For best results, take at least once a day!

Sunday Night Delayed Flight Thoughts

Band of Brothers

I spent the weekend at my brother the priest's parish.

Some thoughts were generated....

One is that weekends are very busy for priests. Father brotherofdadwithnoisykids was in meetings with the Legion of Mary, hearing confessions, and of course celebrating the holy sacrifice of the Mass. On top of this, he had to deal with Mr. High Maintenance Himself, dadwithnoisykids.

His assistant pastor was just as busy, and the seminarian assigned to the parish was assisting both priests.

An other observation is that despite what appeared to be a busy schedule - during ORDINARY TIME - both priests were obviously happy serving Our Lord and His people. There was no complaint about a schedule which stretched longer than mine. These priests, and the seminarian, also maintained a good sense of humor about the events that fill their days. That was the best part of the weekend: hearing these 'alter Christuses' talk about what makes their jobs so fun.

We compared the practice of medicine with that of the priest. Imagine a priest stopping a confession in order to call the other priests - plus any seminarian - so they could take a listen:

Penitent: "Anyway, Father -"
Priest: "Hold that thought.(opening door) HEY FRED! COME AND LISTEN TO THIS!"

Of course it didn't happen.

Visiting my brother fills me with hope for the Church. The example these priests give of men loving Our Lord and serving His flock is tremendous.

Now I have to catch a flight. Motu proprio to you.

July 4th Thoughts

Happy 4th of July.

Today we celebrate our independence.

What are you going to do about it?

First, get rid of your TV. I blogged on this a year ago. Today we celebrate the 12 anniversary of getting rid of ours.

I only wish I had destroyed it rather than given it away.

Another deeper thought:

On July 2, 1999, we lost our first child, whom we named Anastasia Innocent. The icon above is that of St. Anastasia.

Wifeofdadwithnoisykids was about 8 weeks along when she stopped having those nausea-filled days that indicate that another Noisykid is developing normally. An ultrasound confirmed what we feared.

We had a follow-up ultrasound later that week which showed the absence of the 'sac' which had been present a few days earlier. This sac is usually the first sign of a baby growing, and along with some blood tests, everything indicated that we had lost one of our little ones.

Because of constant bleeding, our obstetrician suggested a D & C. We were convinced, based on the ultrasound and the lab results, that our unborn child was dead, so we agreed to go ahead with the procedure.

Knowing our Faith - I had given him a copy of Humanae Vitae and both of us had explained the Church's teaching about abortion and contraception to him - he offered to have a priest present to 'do whatever could be done for us.'

I assumed he meant baptize the baby. We had already blessed my wife's belly, and earlier that day we conditionally baptized what turned out to be just a blood clot. I told him that no, it is obvious our baby is already dead, and so nothing more could be done for her.

Maybe it is wishful thinking, but we already thought of this child as a girl.

It was then that it hit me that I could not do anything more for this child. Unlike all my other children, this one had slipped away, unable to be held or caressed, or protected. This painful realization and the sorrow that accompanied it were too much to bear, and I recall crying like a baby.

Somehow I pulled myself together, and while my wife was in the operating room I went down to the hospital chapel. This was at the military hospital I was stationed at, and the chapel had a separate room for reservation of the Blessed Sacrament. I spent some time in prayer, then went to the gift shop and bought my wife a single yellow rose. I went to my office and waited.

My partner who anesthetized Wifeofdadwithnoisykids came to get me. He said very gently, "I think [she] needs you now." In the midst of her tears, my wife thanked my partner, and told him that she had offered up her suffering for him and his wife, since they were trying to have a baby at that time.

We have not forgotten our little lost Noisykid. We still have parts of that yellow rose, pressed into a picture frame along with her name. She is remembered at the Church of the Holy Innocents. We mention her name during Night Prayers when we ask God to bless each member of our family by name.

I think about her whenever I hear the song 'San Antonio Rose:'

"Moon in all your splendor,
know only my heart.
Call back my Rose,
Rose of San Antone."

But for us there is no calling her back.

For us this was a firm reminder that God truly is the Author of Life, and that even a couple who have had 8 healthy children are not guaranteed that children will just keep coming. We have tried to not take this gift God has given us for granted.

Three years later, we had another scare which landed us in the emergency room. This time, the ultrasound not only showed a little sac, but when color was added to the picture, we saw the beating heart of another little Noisykid. That Noisykid is the one who went on to inspire me to take the pseudonym 'dadwithnoisykids.'

Today, We Celebrate God's Blessing

On July 1, 1989, 'Herself' and 'Annoying' were joined in Holy Matrimony in front of friends, family, and the Roman Catholic Church.

The blessings that God has showered upon us are sometimes overwhelming when we stop and think about all that we have received.

The greatest gift we have received from God are the 12 living - and one deceased - children we have been given for this short time on earth. We pray that they become Saints, knowing, loving, and serving God in whatever vocation they are called to.

Another tremendous blessing for me is the friendship of such a wonderful woman, one who strives to love God more each day. I believe it is because of her love for God that she finds the grace and strength to love me and to live with me.


After changing out of their wedding clothes, and honeymooning in Northern Michigan - here they are by a lighthouse - the happy couple lived in Michigan for 7 years before gettting to Texas as fast as they could.


While I never stopped being 'Annoying,' the name Dadwithnoisykids is the name I prefer to use, as it reminds me of my vocation. 'Herself' became Wifeofdadwithnoisykids for the same reason.