Pollywog in a Bog

My kids' new favorite song, from one of my favorite bands.

St. Ambrose

My last post concerned the Immaculate Conception whose feast day is celebrated on my twin's birthday. I've often complained that my sister gets to be associated with the Virgin Mary while I, having been born on December 7, am forever linked to "a day that will live in infamy"--Pearl Harbor Day.

December 7 is also the feast of St. Ambrose, someone I've mocked for having been named, well, Ambrose. My friend Cory insisted that, in spite of his delicate name, Ambrose was in fact a "Bad- A" and bought me a print of a copy of the picture shown here to prove it.

This painting is called "St. Ambrose and the Emperor Theodosius" by Peter Paul Rubens*. It shows Ambrose facing down the Roman Emperor, Theodosius, after he massacred a bunch of women and children in Macedonia. St. Ambrose denied the emperor entry to the cathedral at Milan and refused to lift the emperor's excommunication until he made public penance. This might not be a bad policy to adopt with some of our more "ardent Catholic" politicians. . .

Ruben's disciple, Anthony Van Dyck, painted an almost identical painting to this one. It's this copy that I now have a matted and framed print of, thanks to Cory. I would have included it in the post, but the best version I could find had a digital watermark.

*not to be confused with Pee Wee Herman

"More Spacious Than the Heavens"

Our family had dinner at a Melkite Catholic church on Saturday night. Part of the evening included a tour of the church.

The Melkite Church is in communion with the Roman Catholic Church (they acknowledge the Pope as the head of their Church), but their liturgical traditions come from the East, not the West. Icons figure very prominently in the way they worship, especially icons of Mary, the Theotokos (the “God-bearer”).

The sanctuary of a Melkite church is very different from that of a Latin (Roman) church. Most notably, there is no crucifix behind the altar. Instead there is an icon of Mary similar to the one pictured here.

This type of Marian icon is known as Platytera, which literally means “wider” or “more spacious”. In the Eastern Church, Mary is venerated under the title, Platytera ton ouran. In English, this title is literally “more spacious than the heavens”. Mary is given this title because, unlike the heavens/universe, Mary, the Mother of God, could contain God and did for the nine months leading up to Christmas.

Yesterday was the Feast of the Immaculate Conception and Christmas is only 16 days away. It seems to me to be a fitting time to open our hearts to the one who was “more spacious than the heavens”. In doing so, we also welcome the One she carried within her.

The Saintmakers

The kids at Boola and Pepere's house. Thanksgiving 2008.

One Little Indian

Every year at the kids' preschool there is a Thanksgiving "play" put on by the preschoolers. It's the same thing every year. All the kids are divide into groups and deliver lines every time their characters are mentioned.

The narrator tells the story of the first Thanksgiving: there's a preacher ("Praise the Lord!"), pilgrim men ("Ahunting we will go!"), Indian men ("Brave and strong!"), turkeys ("Gobble, gobble, gobble!"), and pilgrim women ("Oh, my goodness!").

This year, our Francesca (nee' Annamaria Francesca) was spectacularly miscast as one of the Indian women concerned with keeping things quiet around their sleeping children ("Shhh! Baby sleeping!").

Cute and cuddly she is, but she couldn't sneak up on a buffalo to save her life.

BTW, the kid is much cuter than the picture.

What's Right With the World

From GKC via Nancy Brown, etc.

For at present we all tend to one mistake; we tend to make politics too important. We tend to forget how huge a part of a man's life is the same under a Sultan and a Senate, under Nero or St. Louis Daybreak is a never-ending glory, getting out of bed is a never-ending nuisance; food and friends will be welcomed; work and strangers must be accepted and endured; birds will go bedwards and children won't, to the end of the last evening. And the worst peril is that in our just modern revolt against intolerable accidents we may have unsettled those things that alone make daily life tolerable. It will be an ironic tragedy if, more

A Hope Deferred: Justin McRoberts

I stumbled upon this today. God has a funny way of sending messages...

What's Wrong With the World

h/t my buddy Scorrahood

‘Thou art indeed just, Lord, if I contend’

Justus quidem tu es, Domine, si disputem tecum: verumtamen justa
loquar ad te: Quare via impiorum prosperatur? &c.

THOU art indeed just, Lord, if I contend
With thee; but, sir, so what I plead is just.
Why do sinners' ways prosper? and why must
Disappointment all I endeavour end?

Wert thou my enemy, O thou my friend, 5
How wouldst thou worse, I wonder, than thou dost
Defeat, thwart me? Oh, the sots and thralls of lust
Do in spare hours more thrive than I that spend,
Sir, life upon thy cause. See, banks and brakes
Now leavèd how thick! lacèd they are again 10
With fretty chervil, look, and fresh wind shakes
Them; birds build—but not I build; no, but strain,
Time's eunuch, and not breed one work that wakes.
Mine, O thou lord of life, send my roots rain.

--Gerard Manley Hopkins

Look Who's Four!

Annamaria Francesca turned four last Saturday! Hooray for Kecka!

Hope you can open this

Max and Papi talking about Boola in Flagstaff. Filmed with my new Palm Centro phone.

Silly Sisters - Geordie

My foray into bawdy folk music has lead me to the Silly Sisters. This song is performed by June Tabor. I am addicted to it. People are starting to worry about me.

I just want to be referred to as "my dearie" by Amy, is that so wrong? (I also think it'd be cool if she threatened to make the blood flow upon the green if she didn't get her laddie.)

Here are the lyrics, more or less, in "English":

There was a battle in the north,
And nobles there was many,
And they hae kill'd Sir Charlie Hay,
And they laid the wyte on Geordie

O he has written a lang letter,
He sent it to his lady;
Ye maun cum up to Enbrugh town
To see what words o' Geordie.

When first she look'd the letter on,
She was baith red and rosy;
But she had na read a word but twa,
Till she wallow't like a lily,

Gar get to me my gude grey steed,
My menzie a' gae wi' me;
For I shall neither eat nor drink,
Till Enbrugh town shall see me.

And she has mountit her gude grey steed,
Her menzie a' gaed wi' her;
And she did neither eat nor drink
Till Enbrugh town did see her.

And first appear'd the fatal block,
And syrie the aix to head him;
And Geordie cumin down the stair,
And bands o airn upon him.

But tho' he was chain'd in fetters strang,
O airn and steel sae heavy,
There was na ane in a'the court,
Sae bruw a Man as Geordie.

O she's down on her bended knee,
I wat she's pale and weary,
O pardon, pardon, noble king,
And gie me back my Dearie!

Gar bid the headin-man mak haste!
Our king reply'd fu' lordly:
O noble king, tak a'that's mine,
But gie me back my Geordie.

The Gordons cam and the Gordons ran,
And they were stark and steady;
And ay the word amang them a'
Was, Gordons keep you ready.

An aged lord at the king's right hand
Says, noble king, but hear me:
Gar her tell down five thousand pound
And gie her back her Dearie.

Some gae her marks, some gae her crowns,
Some gae her dollars many;
And shes tell'd down five thousand pound,
And she's gotten, again her Dearie.

She blinkit blythe in her Geordie's face,
Says, dear I've bought thee, Geordie:
But there sud been bluidy bouks on the green,
Or I had tint my laddie.

He claspit her by the middle sma',
And he kist her lips sae rosy:
The fairest flower o' woman-kind
Is my sweet, bonie Lady!

Theology of the Bawdy: Amy, Will You Let Me

Here's a little salt to go with the sweet of the last post...

Amy and I have been watching (and loving) the Sharpe videos starring Sean Bean as Richard Sharpe, a British soldier fighting in the Napoleonic Wars.

One of the best parts of the series is the music. Much of the music is composed and sung by Rifleman Dan Hagman, played by British folk singer John Tams. Tams' voice is amazing and the Napoleonic-era folk songs in the videos are wonderful. A song I particularly liked hearing was "The Spanish Merchant's Daughter" (sometimes called "No, John, No"). It's a bawdy song and I found it charming--so charming that I decided to try my hand at writing my own. What follows is what I came up with.

Imagine it being sung back and forth like "There's a Hole in the Bucket". I'll try to record this one later, too.

p.s. It's not really all that bawdy, but sing it to the tune of Tantum Ergo if you long for the thrill of scandal...

Amy, Will You Let Me?

Robert: See that girl there? Her name’s Amy—
She looks nice in panty hose.
I would like to have a look-see
Just how high them hoses goes.

Oh, Amy will you let me
see how high them hoses goes?

Amy: Yes, my Love, on one provision—
You must do just what I say.
Robert: But of course, dear. What’s my mission?
Amy: Wait until our wedding day.

Oh, Robert, patient Robert,
Wait until our wedding day.

Robert: Surely, Love you must be teasing—
what an unkind thing to speak!
Can you not just once appease me?
I will marry you next week.

Oh, Amy, will you let me?
I will marry you next week.

Amy: Since, my Love, you asked so sweetly,
You can see how high they go.
I’ll remove my hose completely--
Put them on and you will know!

Oh, Robert, patient Robert
Put them on and you will know.

Theology of the Body: Max's Song

I wrote a song this morning for my son, Max.

I wanted to express the idea that he is an unmitigated blessing to our family and that he is the result of our fruitful love. He's an absolute delight and everybody's favorite. The first two verses are sung to him as if he still in the womb. Verse three is after he's been born.

The "crying and the laughter" mentioned in the second verse is a reference to this. Olivia ("Ala" to Max) has since gotten over the fact that he's not a girl and Joseph is still especially fond of him because sisters can be wearying.

I'll put up a recording here once I figure out how to do it.

Max's Song

Verse 1:
Baby, do you know
That you are something special?
Even if you don’t,
I’m here to tell you truly,
That you are being waited
for with eagerness and joy,
The long anticipated
baby brother for our boy.

Chorus:
You were made by Love,
Conceived in love,
You were made for love,
We love you, Boy

You were made by Love,
Made for love,
And we welcome you with joy.

Verse 2:

Baby, can you hear
The crying and the laughter?
Just wait till you appear—
It’s silence you’ll be after.
The home you’re coming into
Is filled with kids and toys,
It’ll take some getting used to
Though, especially the noise.

Chorus

Verse 3:
Baby, can you see
Now that we’re together,
Now that you are here we
All love a little better?
You’re bringing out the best in us
It’s such a great surprise
To see our family’s happiness
Increase before our eyes.

Chorus

Happy Feast Day, Olivia!

When the little girl with the intoxicating smile pictured on the left was born, I quipped that the family martini finally got its olive. My mother-in-law thought I was being flippant. Then she realized I was just being unfunny. Anyway, today is one of the many days that we celebrate around here because today is the feast of Blessed Olivia.

Below is her entry on catholic.com's website. I don't know exactly how much about this Blessed is "pious fictional legend", but we're going to celebrate anyway. Our little lady does some pretty unbelievable stuff herself, so maybe it's something that goes with the name...

Bl. Olivia
Feastday: June 10

Olivia is a derivative of Olive whose feast day is June 10th. According to pious fictional legend, she was a beautiful girl of thirteen, of a noble Palermo, Italy, family who was carried off to Tunis by raiding Moslems. They allowed her to live in a nearby cave but when they found that her miracles and cures had converted many Mohammedans, she was imprisoned, tortured, and after converting her executioners trying to burn her to death, was beheaded.

When I read that entry to her, Olivia thought it was pretty cool. She said, "It's like the olive tree gets its head chopped off when it gets cut down." That's our Olivia. Very serious, very grave. She is the polar opposite of Sophia in that she has a pretty strong morbid streak. She's always asking to see gruesome things. Once she made us TiVo surgeries just so she could decide if she wanted to be a doctor. (She'd make an excellent doctor or nurse--she always takes care of her siblings and parents when they fall ill.)

Lately, Liva has been sleep walking. She wakes up completely distressed and comes to us muttering "it's just hard...it's just hard." We don't know if she's dreaming about math or Goldilocks' first mattress--maybe she's contemplating the challenges of converting the Mohammedans--but it's pretty entertaining.

On a side note, I can't believe how beautiful this kid is (the picture doesn't do her justice). Even when she's completely delirious, she looks gorgeous. I fully intend to send the names of any of her potential suitors to the vocations directors of multiple religious orders. I'm not sure I can part with her.

Smithlings

My two college roommates and I meet once a month for a group we call the Innocence Smiths (named after a Chesterton character, Innocent Smith, from Manalive, which you are commanded to read).

Last Sunday, we got our families together. We thought we'd call it a Smithlings meeting.

Here are some pictures from that event.

Help Me Write a Song

I started writing a song this morning when Sophia was complaining about a stain on her pants. Basically, I told her that nobody really cares about her pants--the world is too narsissistic to notice your pimple. Anyway, I ad libbed something great and, unfortunately, unrepeatable. So, I'm enlisting your help. I'll give you the verses I remember and the chorus (which can be modified) and you go at it.

The main thing I want to capture is that the world is upside down. Right now I'm approaching it as a song that gives advice on how to live in our world from different people's perspectives. But there's also the voice of reason. Help me figure it out.

FYI, the song is no longer for Sophia ( it's playing out too mature for her). At some point I want to work in a line about humanity entering an insanity plea at the Last Judgment.

Welcome to the World You Live In
Chorus:
Welcome to the world you live in
it's broken, but at least it's spinning
we're stuck with it, there are no trade-ins
so we make due, with what we've got

The Workaholic
You've got to wake in the morning
When the neighborhood is still snoring
If you want to get ahead,
get started while your friends are in bed

The secret to increase your pay,
is only to work half a day:
12 hours and then you can play
with the toys from the sweat of your face

CHORUS

The Voice
Look at the folks in all these homes-es
They're trying to keep up with the Jones-es
they're (jokes/living dead), and they'll soon be bones-es
That's not the life for you

CHORUS

The Sexual Revolutioniary
My advice? If it feels good do it.
Don't think twice, if you want to, screw it
Hey, I don't think that Eve blew it,
She was bold. She made a choice.

Who says there's a master plan
that requires me to keep a man?
I'm happy just the way I am
go to hell if you think that I'm sad

CHORUS

The Voice
We give the Pill to all our women,
They're equal now, but who we kiddin?
Their "partners" know they can bed 'em and leave 'em
Alone and bitter and used.

We worship youth, but we kill our babies,
deny the truth and embrace the maybes,
Our sainted dead, we treat like crazies,
meanwhile the War rages on.



CHORUS

That's what I have so far. Feel free to suggest other advice-givers and more from the Voice. In my head it's a little Jamaican-sounding so if that helps, use it.

Why I Love My WIfe

This little email tells you a lot about Mrs. Drapeau.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Rob and Amy Drapeau <drapeau@mac.com>
Date: Fri, May 16, 2008 at 10:38 AM
Subject: Fwd: Enlightening
To: Rob Drapeau <rdrapeau@gmail.com>

we need to pray for this guy.

love you baby, and our punishments -

ae

Begin forwarded message:

---

Obama and Abortion

Is the Democratic Frontrunner Most Pro-Abortion Ever?

BY TOM MCFEELY

WASHINGTON — Veteran Democrat David Carlin knows what he's going to do if Illinois Sen. Barack Obama becomes his party's presidential nominee.

He's going to vote for the presumptive Republican nominee, Arizona Sen. John McCain.

"Any Catholic who takes the abortion issue seriously will not vote for Obama," said Carlin, who served as majority leader of the Rhode Island Senate in 1989-90.

Pro-life leaders describe Obama — who is now the heavy favorite to defeat New York Sen. Hillary Clinton for the Democratic presidential nomination — as the most pro-abortion presidential candidate in American history.

"Based on his record he appears to be the most pro-abortion candidate ever to seek the presidency," said David O'Steen, executive director of the National Right to Life Committee. "It's hard to be more pro-abortion than Hillary Clinton, but he seems to have managed to do that."

Obama has promised that his first act as president would be to sign the Freedom of Choice Act, a bill that if enacted would prevent any federal, state or local government entity from restricting access to abortion. O'Steen said this indicates that to Obama, "the most important thing facing America is to promote abortion."

Both Clinton and Obama currently have 100% ratings from NARAL for their pro-abortion voting records in the U.S. Senate. But unlike Clinton, Obama has opposed legislation to protect babies who are born alive following unsuccessful abortions.

In 2002, Clinton voted in favor of the federal Born-Alive Infants Protection Act, which was approved unanimously by the U.S. Senate. Obama was not sworn in as a U.S. Senator until 2005, but he opposed similar state legislation in 2001 while serving as an Illinois state senator.

Obama argued against such legislation specifically on the grounds that it might undermine the right to abortion-on-demand throughout pregnancy.

"Whenever we define a pre-viable fetus as a person that is protected by the Equal Protection Clause or the other elements in the Constitution, what we're really saying is, in fact, that they are persons that are entitled to the kinds of protections that would be provided to a — a child, a 9-month old — child that was delivered to term," Obama warned during debate over three state bills that would have offered protection to babies who are born alive after unsuccessful abortions. "That determination then, essentially, if it was accepted by a court, would forbid abortions to take place."

Former U.S. Senator Rick Santorum (R-Pa.) is scathing in his assessment of Obama's opposition to born-alive legislation.

"That's pretty doctrinaire — that's about as pro-death as you can get on the abortion issue," said Santorum. "He's a candidate who is not just for abortion, but also for infanticide in order to protect the right to abortion."

Santorum said Obama is continuing to affirm his embrace of abortion on the campaign trail. He cited remarks the candidate made at a March 29 town hall meeting in Johnstown, Pa.

At that meeting, in response to a question about sex education for children, Obama argued in favor of educating young children about using contraceptives.

"Look, I've got two daughters, nine years old and six years old," Obama said. "I am going to teach them first of all about values and morals. But if they make a mistake, I don't want them punished with a baby."

Said Santorum, "To view a child as a punishment, under any circumstances, to me shows that this is not a man who values life, who respects the dignity of human life."

Obama's campaign office did not reply to questions about his position on abortion and other life issues that the Register submitted by e-mail.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that a child has a right to be considered as a gift, now as a punishment:

"A child is not something owed to one, but is a gift. … A child may not be considered a piece of property, an idea to which an alleged 'right to a child' would lead. In this area, only the child possesses genuine rights … [including] the right to be respected as a person from the moment of his conception" (No. 2378).

Judges

O'Steen said Obama's position on life issues is a stark contrast to McCain's. He noted that McCain has a 100% pro-life record on abortion in the U.S. Senate, has voted against a Senate resolution to express support for Roe v. Wade and has stated that he believes Roe should be reversed, supports parental notification and opposes the use of taxpayer funds to facilitate abortion.

Perhaps the most significant difference between Obama and McCain is their position on judicial appointments. Obama has indicated that if elected president he intends to make it a top priority to nominate pro-abortion judges.

In contrast, in a speech May 6 at Wake Forest University, McCain pledged to nominate only lawyers with "a proven commitment to judicial restraint." He attacked Obama's "judicial activism" and was

particularly critical of the Democratic candidate for voting against the confirmation of Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Samuel Alito.

While McCain did not refer directly to abortion in his speech, opposition among Senate Democrats to the Roberts and Alito nominations centered largely on fears that if confirmed, the two judges might overturn Roe v. Wade and other federal decisions supporting abortion rights.

Said McCain, "Somehow, by Sen. Obama's standard, even Judge Roberts didn't measure up. And neither did Justice Samuel Alito. Apparently, nobody quite fits the bill except for an elite group of activist judges, lawyers, and law professors who think they know wisdom when they see it — and they see it only in each other."

In response to the speech, Obama's campaign said McCain would nominate judges who would threaten abortion rights, Associated Press reported May 6.

"What's truly elitist is to appoint judges who will protect the powerful and leave ordinary Americans to fend for themselves," said Obama spokesman Tommy Vietor.

Santorum, who earlier in the campaign cycle was critical of McCain's pro-life commitment primarily because the Arizona senator does not oppose embryonic stem-cell research, said McCain's speech "was a home run from my perspective."

Said Santorum,"It hit all the salient points, and it should give a lot of comfort to pro-lifers."

Paying the Piper

Carlin predicted that Obama "would certainly" apply a pro-abortion litmus test on all judicial appointments if elected.

And Carlin said abortion is only one of a number of areas where Obama, even more than Clinton, is advancing positions that appeal primarily to the most liberal elements of the Democratic Party.

"His support is among the secularist wing of the Democratic Party," said Carlin, who teaches sociology and philosophy at the Community College of Rhode Island. "He's beholden to that wing of the party, the most extreme wing of the party, the "moral left" of the party. And if they put him in office, you know, 'he who pays the piper calls the tune.'"

Added Carlin, "So I think if he gets elected as president, it's going to be a very, very bad time for pro-life Catholics."

Mother's Day

My mother-in-law doesn't like Mother's Day. I think she resents the fact that the greeting card industry has made it too easy to neglect one's mother for 364 days of the year and still feel good about yourself as long--as you buy mom a box of chocolates, brunch, and, of course, a greeting card on one Sunday in May. I think she has a point.

Honoring one's mother and father is not optional. It's a full time gig. And, as unpleasant and difficult as it can be, we've got to do it. In fact, we're commanded to do it. So the notion that we can neglect our parents all year and then make good on one particular day seems pretty feeble to me. I don't have time to explore the reasons for this mindset--we can also see it at work in CAPE Catholics* and dying Rockafellers--but I'll say I think it's indicative of a particularly American, materialistic view of the world, which is a species of the sin of presumption.

I resent Mother's Day because it's just another way the Market tries to sell you something you can, and should, do for free. It smacks of formula companies selling their product to third world mothers.

BUT, there's something to be said for feast days and it should be obvious that that's what Mother's Day is--a secular feast day. Just as the therapist's couch replaced the confessional, Mother's Day is an attempt to fill the void in our lives from not having feast days. In a sense, it's a move in the right direction. It demonstrates our profound need for ritual and celebration. At our house, we're always inventing reasons to feast. We celebrate birthdays, baptismal days, saints days, the dogs' birthdays, whatever. It's wonderful; it gives the kids a sense of the gratuitousness of the world.

I have to go now...I'll try to revisit this topic again. Meanwhile, post some comments, start a discussion.

Peace!

*Christmas Ash Wednesday Palm Sunday Easter

Sophia's First Communion and Confirmation

One of the many things that I've neglected to write about is my daughter Sophia's First Communion and Confirmation. She received both sacraments on April 26th, 2008. She was so beautiful and so excited, it was truly inspiring.

I'm thrilled that our bishop has lowered the age of Confirmation. As a former high school teacher, I can confirm that our young people need as much grace as they can get. Going into adolescence equipped for battle just makes sense to me.

The ceremony was pretty funny. The Dean, Fr. Chuck (who confirmed the children on behalf of Bishop Olmsted) had such a hard time getting decent answers from the kids when he questioned them that I wanted to ask him how long he had been in dentistry.

"What do we receive when we're confirmed? Bobby?"
"The gift of Confirmation!"
"Good, Bobby, but when we get the gift of Confirmation what do we get?"
"Confirmed!"

It went on like that forever. He finally got them to start listing the gifts of the Holy Spirit and some were dubious. I don't think St. Paul mentioned the gift of Niceness.

Sophia chose St. Josephine Bakhita as her confirmation name. Here's what she wrote about her on the prayer cards we made as party favors:

St. Josephine Bakhita was born in the Sudan, captured by slave traders at
age 10, and lived most of her life as a slave. She was tortured severely—beaten, burned and forced to work very hard. Despite all of this, she saw the wonderful works around her and wondered what master could have made them.

Although she did not know the name of God, Bakhita always knew He existed. She was sold many times and eventually ended up with nuns in Italy. It was there that she learned the name of God: Jesus Christ, her "Good Master." She was so happy to know Him that she served Him with her life. She forgave her kidnappers and torturers and had great love for everyone she met.

I chose St. Josephine to be my confirmation Saint because of her bravery, her
longing to know Jesus, and her great love for Him.

St. Josephine Bakhita, pray for us!

Heigh ho, Snappy!

I feel like I have to reacquaint myself with my readers (both of them) because I haven't written in such a long time. There really is no excuse for not writing, especially since I'm supposed to be a writer/wordsmith (at least that's what is says on my business cards). The truth is, I'm a lot like this guy, and well, that's just sad. Nevertheless, the secret to success is getting up one more time than you fall off, so here I am, back on the turtle again.

My hero says if a thing's worth doing, it's worth doing badly. Ultimately, I think this blog is worth doing: my life is pretty interesting, my kids are pretty funny, my wife is pretty, and I'm a pretty good writer, so I might as well keep going. I just want everyone to have real low expectations. I'm too tired to wring the life lessons out of the unwashed loads of laundy laying around our house--I have a hard enough time putting on pants before I go to work in the morning.

Happy Feast Day

Today is the feast of Madonna Della Strada, Our Lady of the Way. She is the patroness of the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits). I've never heard Mary addressed under this title (despite all my years in Jesuit education).

I had no intention of posting anything today but Karen over at Some Have Hats posted a little blurb about today's feast day and I thought I would, too.

I confess I am charmed by this title. It seems like a very first century name for Mama Mary. I can imagine the Apostles, who referred to the early Church as "the Way", naturally thinking of Mary as the Lady of the Way.

I also think the image of Our Lady of the Way is quite lovely. I might even take to calling Mama Mary "Della". That has a nice ring to it.

h/t Karen

The Distributist Review: A Request To Our Readers

The Distributist Review: A Request To Our Readers

Easter Break in Mexico

Easter Photos

My friend Joseph is a published movie reviewer!!

Check this out: Obscure Russian Movie review.

 

Jackie Moon Old Spice Commercials *All 8*

Ridiculously funny.

Chesterton on You Tube, part 2

Chesterton on You Tube

"Un-freaking believable!!"

 

 

Sent to you by Rob via Google Reader:

 

 

"Un-freaking believable!!"

via The Blue Boar by chestertonian on 2/8/08

Well this is stunning. The St. John's Valdosta blog says that chess grand champion Bobby Fischer was familiar with G.K. Chesterton through Dale Ahlquist's book, The Apostle of Common Sense.

According to the blog, when Fischer, who died January 17 in Iceland, was arrested in Japan in 2004 for allegedly attempting to travel on a revoked passport. "San Diego attorney Richard Vattuone, a Catholic, flew to Japan to act as counsel for Fischer. After his release, Fischer emigrated to Iceland." The blog says further:

Vattuone is intrigued by Fischer's final act. "When I met him in Japan, I gave Bobby a book about G.K. Chesterton, The Apostle of Common Sense. The book covered many matters of culture and religion. I know Bobby had read at least some of the book. Chesterton was a convert and the book contained an article about his conversion. We had also discussed religion." While Vattuone makes no claim that he "converted" Fischer, he can't help but wonder if he played some role in moving Fischer towards the Church.

A January 23 article from the Catholic News Agency confirms that Fischer had a Catholic funeral, which he had requested before he died. However, Church officials in Iceland could not confirm if he died a Catholic, though "that doesn't mean he didn't," the CNA article quotes a priest as saying. Fischer was notoriously guarded about his private life.

By a small miracle I just reached Apostle of Common Sense author Dale Ahlquist, who is in Seattle giving a series of lectures, and gave him this news. His calm and measured reaction: "No way!! Un-freaking believable!!" Chaa! This is HUGE!

Yeah, I know that Fischer had some unsavory opinions. Though a Jew, he was known for harboring anti-Semitic opinions and even, I've read, expressed support for the 911 attacks. Reprehensible though that may be, we are all sinners. Has any of us had even a day when we did not play in the muck? And if Bobby Fischer did find solace at the end of his life, the kind of solace that leads to one only place, Chesterton's "ultimate inn," the inn at the end of the world, then let us raise our glasses in joy, and raise a prayer of thanskgiving to Heaven for G.K. Chesterton, who is the Apostle of Common Sense, and yet more prayers for the soul of Bobby Fischer. Checkmate, Professor Lucifer.

And good going, Dale.

EDIT: Robert Kumpel, from whose blog I got the original story on this, also has a comlete article here.

 

 

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Took my lady to a show...

You, too should go.

Gemini Trumps Cancer

This is so unbelievably cool.

Happy Birthday to Amy

I love my wife. Love her. (That's her on the left.)

She's great. She's greater than great--she's super great.

She makes me feel like a s'more. She's just terrific.

Today is her birthday so I bought her the song below on iTunes. Everyone in the whole wide world knows it from the Mac commercials. There are many things to like about the song, but I like it because it's like Amy--delightful and it makes you smile when you think of it.

I dare you not to smile when you hear this song or when you think of Amy. It can't be done.

Advice for Angela

Angela, one of my co-workers is getting married soon. When her fiance arrived to take her home, Paul--the only other male on staff at St. Max--and I seized the opportunity to pontificate a little about married life.

My advice (to the fiance) was "If you think about it, you're not all that attached to your opinion." I owe my life of bliss to following that proverb, and I don't care who knows it. Consequently, my recommendation to every engaged man is "Surrender. Resistance is futile."

Paul's wisdom was directed toward Angela: "You have three years to train him. If you don't like how is by then, it's your own fault."

Of course, Chesterton, who wrote "Marriage is a duel to the death that no man of honor should refuse," is far more poetical in his advice:

"Every woman has to find out that her husband is a selfish beast, because every man is a selfish beast by the standard of a woman. But let her find out the beast while they are both still in the story of 'Beauty and the Beast.' Every man has to find out that his wife is cross -- that is to say, sensitive to the point of madness: for every woman is mad by the masculine standard. But let him find out that she is mad while her madness is more worth considering than anyone else's sanity."
-- G.K. Chesterton, "Two Stubborn Pieces of Iron" in The Common Man

Angela, may you and John's domestic safari be as wild and fun as mine has been.

HT to Chestertonian at the Blue Boar for the Chesterton quotation.

Fr. John Becker, S.J. (July 9, 1925 – January 19, 2008)

May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.

The first class of my high school career was Fr. John Becker's 6th period English class. Over 20 years later, some of the most influential books of my life are the ones that came from his assigned reading list.

Fr. Becker was my favorite teacher and the best I've ever had. He is likely responsible for whatever writing ability I display and definitely to blame for my love of really, really bad puns.

When we worked together at Brophy, Fr. Becker became a close friend and mentor. He always insisted that the purpose of a Jesuit education was to prepare young people for an "eyeball to eyeball" meeting with Jesus Christ. As a teacher at Brophy, I always did my best to stay true to that ideal. In spite of my many shortcomings, I think I can say that I did that much.

I will always cherish the man who introduced me to Chesterton and nurtured my latent natalist tendencies with stories of Suzie Schmotts and books like Cheaper by the Dozen. I'll write more about Fr. Becker when I'm not like the butcher who backed into the meat grinder--a little behind in my work.

Rest in Peace, Old Priest.

Obituary

Feel Free to Patronize Me

I would really like to go to this and could use some a$$i$tance getting there...

Volunteer Children

This woman must be a lost relative of mine.

"Jesus, here is John the Milkman"

When St. Josemaria was a young parish priest, there was a milkman who entered his Church every morning for a few seconds. "Jesus, here is John the milkman." To the young priest, that prayer seemed simple and beautiful (Weekly Video: 01'21'').

Click Here for the Video

I found this video clip and was charmed by the story. I like how St. Josemaria shounds like heesh lishping.

Olivia's Version of Our Family

Olivia is quite an artist and has quite an imagination. This image of our "famley" includes a mysterious dark-skinned girl and a dis-armed Joseph ("the better to NOT hurt you with, my dear...").

From left to right the figures are (I think): Mama, Sophia, Baby Max, Black olive Olivia, BANANAMARIA FRANCESCA, Armless Joseph, Beardless Papi.

One Wild Place...

The Chesterton quotation I have in my header says:

For a plain, hard-working man the home is not the one tame place in the world of adventure. It is the one wild place in the world of rules and set tasks.

This afternoon, Chesterton was proven right yet again.

I came in from my office to get a glass of water and I spied my little Olivia talking to her mother in the hallway. From the waist up Liva was the pretty Catholic school girl I had just brought home from Kindergarten; from the waist down she looked like Eve shortly after the Fall of Man.

Why are you in your underwear?
Because.
Because what?
Because we're having an underwear picnic on the trampoline.
Ah. Of course.

Milady tells me that's also the reason the baby was diaperless and crying when I came in. Thank God we don't live where they actually have Winters...

Chesterton Monologue

I just saw a link to this on the blog of the American Chesterton Society.

Mancold

This is pretty funny.

Our Recent Trip to the Zoo

My cousin Andy and his family came down from Denver to visit over the holidays. We loaded up our 5 kids and his 6 kids and went down to the zoo. Next time we'll have to remember to bring passports because the park rangers almost didn't let us out with some of the more wild kids...

The Star of Bethlehem

Probably the best Christmas present I received was a DVD about the Star of Bethlehem. Check out the Web site associated with the film. It is a truly amazing video that shows what great lengths God goes to to reveal himself to us.

Here is the link: The Star of Bethlehem

Below is a short promotional video about the DVD.

Grow The Heart of a Man

Grow The Heart of a Man

Here is a new blog from my friend, Michael. I've got a link to his other blog on the left. He wanted me to pass it on. So, please go check it out.