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Sunday, February 27, 2011
The Lord hears the cry of the poor. How do we react to those who are not "contributing members of society?"
Sunday Snippets is brought to you each week by RAnn at This, That and the Other Thing.
It's been another busy week here at the Well. Music Monday we heard Patricia Routledge singing a very moving piece. On both Tuesday and Wednesday, the theme was blue butterflies.
We also looked at a Franciscan Call to Civility, Ten Important Things I've Learned and the scripture's call to be free from worldly influence.
Saturday, February 26, 2011
- He who practices virtue and speaks honestly, who spurns what is gained by oppression, Brushing his hands free of contact with a bribe, stopping his ears lest he hear of bloodshed, closing his eyes lest he look on evil--He shall dwell on the heights, his stronghold shall be the rocky fastness, his food and drink in steady supply.
- ~Isaiah 33: 15-16
Today, our culture is surrounded and indeed, infused with advertisements, which are nothing but lies in an attempt to influence us, not only to purchase certain products, but to have particular world views.
Instead we should cultivate peace.
In his letter to the Philippians, Saint Paul tells us,
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
~Philippians 4:8
Cultivate the peace and love of God by meditating on His Love and asking Him to allow us to be vessels of that love to others.
Friday, February 25, 2011
Lack of civility has recently reached epidemic proportions in the world. The Franciscan Action Network has recently developed a F.R.A.N.C.I.S. Commitment to Civility in Discourse. The 7 promises you take spell out the name Francis.
Take a minute and promise to work towards a greater degree of civility in discourse.
"I commit to:
FACILITATE a forum for difficult discourse and acknowledge that all dialogue can lead to new insight and mutual understanding.
RESPECT the dignity of all people, especially the dignity of those who hold an opposing view.
AUDIT one's self and utilize terms or a vocabulary of faith to unite or reconcile rather than divide conflicting positions.
NEUTRALIZE inflamed conversations by presuming that those with whom we differ are acting in good faith.
COLLABORATE with others and recognize that all human engagement is an opportunity to promote peace.
IDENTIFY common ground such as similar values or concerns and utilize this as a foundation to build upon.
SUPPORT efforts to clean up the provocative language by calling policymakers to their sense of personal integrity."
Look around the Franciscan Action Network website. They are committed to a consistent ethic of life for all and stewardship for God's earth. They promote peace, both individually and globally, and economic justice.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
I love the idea of being curious about life. I think it keeps us feeling alive and in touch with all that the Creator has put here with us.
Curiosity opens us up to share God's Love.
For example, if you feel ill from spoiled food, you may not learn to dislike that food in the future. Your brain may have learned to associate the nauseated feeling, not with the food, but with the song that was playing on the radio at the time you felt ill! You may still be able to eat that food in the future, but forever dislike that song.
Makes no sense? It does to your brain!
Find someone you like? There is probably something about yourself that you and that person share. You can learn a lot about yourself by finding out what you and that other person have in common.
Today's poem is Blue Butterfly Day by Robert Frost. Imagine the world being filled with blue butterflies like the one we saw in yesterday's post!
Blue-Butterfly Day
by Robert Frost
It is blue-butterfly day here in spring,
And with these sky-flakes down in flurry on flurry
There is more unmixed color on the wing
Than flowers will show for days unless they hurry.
But these are flowers that fly and all but sing:
And now from having ridden out desire
They lie closed over in the wind and cling
Where wheels have freshly sliced the April mire.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Today's Art and Beauty Tuesday is Blue Morpho Butterfly by Martin Johnson Heade.
The delicate blue butterfly is shown contrasted against an olive green background. The right hand side of the butterfly is a beautiful ice blue while the left side is shown in dark shadow, highlighting the metamorphosis that happens when it emerges from its chrysalis.
I can't help but wonder what the light source is in this picture. Because butterflies are sometimes used to symbolize resurrection, it makes me think of the blue of Mary's mantel, being illuminated by the light of Christ. Even the traditionally brilliant yellow is dwarfed by the beautiful blue in this picture.
Monday, February 21, 2011
Today's Music Monday features not so much a composer as a singer. Patricia Routledge is best known for her portrayal of Hyacinth Bucket, the annoying and over-controlling English woman who sings decidedly off-key.
It is a bit of a shock to hear Routledge in this album from sometime in the 1960's or 70's singing Jerry Herman's And I Was Beautiful. The lyrics are very touching and Routledge does a splendid job conveying the love that is being illustrated by this piece. Her gorgeous alto voice overcomes the saccharine strings and piano accompaniment and her annunciation is perfect, in keeping with her stated belief that the English language is a beautiful thing worth learning how to speak properly.
Enjoy this!
In case you have not seen Patricia Routledge singing in her role as Hyacinth, here is a taste of what she must do--sing off key while accompanying herself on piano. She has said this is not easy to do if you already know how to sing well.
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Sunday Snippets is brought to you each week by RAnn at This, That and the Other Thing.
Friday, February 18, 2011
Scripture Saturday--The Tower of Babel and Reliance on Technology
0 comments Posted by nonong at 9:40 PMFriday's first reading at Mass was the story of the Tower of Babel. God looks down on mankind and sees that they all speak the same language and are building a tower to heaven. The scripture says they want to make a name for themselves.
God realizes there will be nothing too hard for them to do and comes down and confuses their language and thwarts their plans.
It is amazing to me that mankind has been trying to use what arguably may be called "technology" since time immemorial, to overreach. Hubris, apparently, was something we acquired at the Fall. In our own lifetimes we have seen society put complete trust in man's ability to invent and "technologize away" any ill or misfortune that befalls us.
What invariably occurs, however, is that new challenges continue to confront us. As Jesus warned us, the poor are always with us, and death remains the great leveler.
What is necessary, what will remain a folly, a stumbling block and a scandal to many, is reliance on God--indeed, praising and thanking God no matter what befalls us is the key to living as a Christian (forgiving everyone everything being the other.)
Hat tip to Orthodox Father Stephen for his moving and articulate thoughts on thankfulness and forgiveness.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
This little dog is being prepped for the recent big dog show. I think he is thinking "step away from the scissors!" He does look a bit suspicious of whoever put rubber bands in his face.
In February 1942, when the Germans were being driven back from Moscow, Pravda published a lyric which immediately won the hearts of our troops. It was "Wait for me". Soldiers cut it out of the paper, copied it out as they sat in the trenches, learned it by heart and sent it back in letters to wives and girlfriends; it was found in the breast pockets of the killed and wounded. In the history of Russian poetry it would be hard to find a poem which had such an impact on the people as "Wait for me". It made the Soviet officer and Russian poet - Konstantin Simonov - world famous.
(Editor's introduction to Simonov's Selected Poems, 1964)
Wait For Me
Wait with all you've got!
Wait, when dreary yellow rains
Tell you, you should not.
Wait when snow is falling fast,
Wait when summer's hot,
Wait when yesterdays are past,
Others are forgot.
Wait, when from that far-off place,
Letters don't arrive.
Wait, when those with whom you wait
Doubt if I'm alive.
Wait in patience yet
When they tell you off by heart
That you should forget.
Even when my dearest ones
Say that I am lost,
Even when my friends give up,
Sit and count the cost,
Drink a glass of bitter wine
To the fallen friend -
Wait! And do not drink with them!
Wait until the end!
Dodging every fate!
"What a bit of luck!" they'll say,
Those that would not wait.
They will never understand
How amidst the strife,
By your waiting for me, dear,
You had saved my life.
Only you and I will know
How you got me through.
Simply - you knew how to wait -
No one else but you.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Today's Art and Beauty Tuesday is a bit of a departure in that it is a black and white photo and not a painting. This is dancer Eda Squire-Brown leaving her bombed home on the day of her wedding during World War II.
I decided to post this picture to accompany yesterday's 7th Symphony by Beethoven, which was played during the climactic scene of The King's Speech, set during the advent of the war.
This photograph shows the beauty of the human spirit, where people continue to marry and have families even during the darkest of historical times, in the hope and knowledge that things will improve and that life is worth living. The generation who came of age during World War II showed a remarkable resiliency of spirit and are a model for us all.
Monday, February 14, 2011
The second movement of Beethoven's 7th Symphony was recently used to great effect in the movie The King's Speech. This piece is played while King George VI walks the long walk to give the speech telling his country that they are at war with Germany and continues playing in the background as he gives the speech.
The movie shows his heart wrenching struggle with a severe stammer, making it impossible for him to speak in public or use the newest technology, live radio. He is helped by an unconventional speech therapist who stands directly in front of the King as he confronts the dreaded microphone.
The piece is very ceremonial and processional, but in a mostly understated way.
It is also quite a poignant piece, and very dramatic--perfectly suitable for the climactic scene in the movie.
So, sit back and let the music take you where it will.
Edited to add: I see there are many alternatives on YouTube of this piece in relation to the King's Speech.
Click here to listen to the real King George VI giving the actual speech, with the 7th Symphony in the background. Chilling to think what England would be enduring very shortly after this speech was broadcast.
Here is the 7th Symphony as it is played (without Colin Firth's speech, sadly) in the original soundtrack of the movie.
Hat tip to Catholic Key.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
He prays always for the Holy Spirit to pour out on us His Gifts and His Graces.
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Sunday Snippets is brought to you each week by RAnn at This, That and the Other Thing.
This week, we listened to John Michael Talbot's Prayer of St. Theresa, looked at some Ancient art, and listened to Dame Judi Dench read Elizabeth Barrett Browning.
I also wrote two posts, Modern Culture--The Narcissistic Legacy and Catholic--An Immigrant in One's Own Country.
Friday was Our Lady of Lourdes and this weeks' Scripture Saturday talked about Living as Christ.
This important passage from Ephesians admonishes us to change our lives in keeping with our vocation as Christians. It is something we all need reminding of frequently and it is something we need to keep front and center in our prayer intentions--that we respond to the grace we are given to live out our lives in Christ.
Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body. “In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold. Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
Ephesians 4:25-27, 29, 31-32
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Today is the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes. Mary said very few things to Bernadette at Lourdes.
She did tell Bernadette to pray to God for sinners, and that she didn't promise Bernadette happiness in this world but in the next.
This is one of the great paradoxes of Christianity. There is much suffering in the world, but it serves a purpose. God uses it for our good and for others' good. Romans 8:28 tells us "Everything works together for good for those who love the Lord and are called according to His purpose."
The feast day of Our Lady of Lourdes is also World Day of the Sick, instituted by Pope John Paul II (who will be Blessed John Paul on May 1) in 1992 as a "special time of prayer and sharing, of offering one's suffering."
Pray today for all those who are suffering that God may give them consolation.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
This is one of my favorite poems read by one of my favorite actresses, Dame Judi Dench.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
This is a fascinating look at ancient portraits. The modern artist here regularizes some of the features of the ancient faces so that they look even more individual.
Monday, February 7, 2011
It is a well known phenomenon that children of immigrants with a minority language, culture and religion will lose that language, culture and religion within the first 2 or 3 generations in a new country.
Many aging parents blame themselves for the religious choices of their offspring and wonder what they could have done differently to influence those choices.
What is often missing is a realization that the very culture we live in puts Christianity and in particular Catholicism, in the position of being an unsupported minority religion within an alien culture.
One hundred years ago, parishes were local and in many cases, ethnic. People lived within walking distance of their church, parochial schools were affordable even to those with large families, and a majority of the parishioners came from the same ethnic background, which influenced and colored the feasts and festivals throughout the year.
Lack of modern transportation and communication technology meant that many raised their children in the same neighborhood in which they themselves grew up. To leave the religion of one’s childhood meant leaving an entire cultural and familial experience.
Today things are so different as to be almost unrecognizable. Church shopping is de regueur with the ease of transportation and internet research possibilities. At the same time, it is often difficult to find a comfortable parish home in part because of the lack of common cultural ties among its parishioners.
Feast days are no longer a time for bringing parishioners together because many are on the road travelling to visit far off family members, and feeling out of place worshipping in their parishes, or, often, desperately Googling Mass times for a strange city, hoping to get to Mass with a minimum of “good-natured” teasing from family members.
Catholicism today is becoming a minority religion in America. Culturally it is an accepted practice to publically demonize the Church either in a veiled way through humor or in a more direct way through endless posting, forwarding and discussing the bottomless pit of negative stories about the Church in the media. This would be unthinkable in the same circles with other religions.
Pope Benedict XVI has said that he thinks the future of Catholicism will be stronger but smaller, and I agree. The cultural supports that held it in place a century ago just do not exist anymore, and the current challenges are many and severe. Christianity is a way of life. Those who cannot abide its precepts will not stay in the Church merely out of respect for its culture. Those who do stay must do all they can to follow the teachings of Christ and become Christ to others.
What we need to guard against, though, is the temptation to become more aggressive as we feel more isolated. The challenge will be to insist upon respect for our beliefs while still giving respect to others for theirs. Jesus would do no less and expects no less of us.
To make Christianity into a political weapon is to enter into dangerous territory that Jesus never intended for His followers. Individual political issues should be pondered thoroughly and debated calmly and rationally. To use coercion of any kind as an excuse for converting others is dangerous and decidedly anti-Christian.
I read an article this morning which quoted Peter Hitchens, brother of the famous atheist Christopher Hitchens. The quote is from his book, The Rage Against God. In this quote he explains a bit about the mentality of the Baby Boomer 60's generation (of which I confess to being a member) who rebelled against their World War II era parents, and, who continue to shape politics and culture in the U.K. and the U.S. today.
We were differentiating ourselves from our parents--the denizens of a worn-down, seemingly defeated post-war generation, a crumbling empire, burdened with ancient and unexamined premises, weighed down by old songs and bored with ancient psalms, eager to cast off the dreary dross we associated with the glum burdens of adulthood. By rejecting our parents' half-hearted beliefs, and refusing ourselves to be parents, we were staving off in our own minds the march of time, the fact of aging, the grim biological fact of our own mortality. By remaining forever rebellious adolescents, we imagined that we need never grow old and die. Having children in itself is in some sense an admission that we must replace ourselves--because we were replaceable. And that is something our narcissistic generation could not admit. And so we didn't.The entire culture today, with its in-your-face sex and its crude and aggressive stance against Christianity and especially Catholicism is in part, a result of the Baby Boomer generation's obsession with rebelling as a way to avoid the inevitable decline and death that comes for all of us.
This mind-set is ubiquitous; for years, the 60's generation have been making our movies, writing our songs, and filtering our news. We are surrounded by one generation's sad attempts at living forever in this flawed and sinful world.
Today, there are few "stars" in their own right in the U.S. People are famous for being famous. Being on a reality show has become a goal and an aspiration. Much baggage accompanies this new career.
We mustn't look old. We mustn't let our children, if we have them, get in the way of our "lifestyle". The many alternate "lifestyles" so aggressively advocated by today's media are, in part, a response to and a defense of the lives already being lead by many who followed the Greatest Generation.
We must consciously avoid buying the lie that happiness and fulfillment exist in this life. We must stop focusing on our own personal feelings and begin to live out the Gospel and spread the Good News to all.
Christ has no body on earth but yours. How do we reflect Christ's love to a troubled world?
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Sunday Snippets is brought to you each week by RAnn at This, That and the Other Thing.
This week, we listened to Hildegard Von Bingen, looked at the gorgeous 9' monstrance made by Stefan Niedorezo, and read poetry by Mechthild of Magdeburg. We also read scripture on the Presentation and Hospitality. Also this week, we talked about Candelmas, my new Catholic Twitter feed, and watched a video that illustrated what it would look like if other planets were as close to the earth as the moon.
All in all a very productive week!
Friday, February 4, 2011
Do not neglect hospitality,
for through it some have unknowingly entertained angels.
~Hebrews 13:2
Friday's Gospel tells us the importance of hospitality, hearkening back to the story of Abraham and his wife, Sarah entertaining the three young men who turned out to be angels from God.
Hospitality is very revered in the Middle East, where the climate is harsh and unforgiving. It could literally be life-saving if a person offered a traveler hospitality and it was expected of all--even if the person was a stranger. Today, true self-giving through hospitality is rare, I think. How many of us are truly hospitable without any attachment to the outcome for us?
In addition to the common vows of poverty, chastity and obedience, the Little Sisters of the Poor take a fourth vow of hospitality. They promise to serve their elderly residents, paying attention not only to their physical needs but their spiritual needs as well. 
St. Jeanne Jugan founded the Little Sisters in Saint-Servan, France in 1842 at the age of 50. She began taking in elderly women who needed care into her 2 room apartment. Today there are Little Sisters in 31 countries serving the elderly poor and modeling hospitality to us all.
As Lent draws near, let's think of the ways in which we can show our hospitality to those in need this year.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Mechthild of Magdeburg was a 13th century German nun who had a life-changing spiritual experience at the age of 12. Afterwards she understood that "all things are in God and God is in all things". She wrote mystical love poetry that is considered among the best ever composed.
It is thought that the author Dante based his character Matilda in The Divine Comedy on her.
This poem is called A Fish Cannot Drown in Water.
A fish cannot drown in water,
A bird does not fall in air.
In the fire of creation,
God doesn't vanish:
The fire brightens.
Each creature God made
must live in its own true nature;
How could I resist my nature,
That lives for oneness with God?
Hat tip to Poetry Chaikhana.
Today is the feast with many names. The Presentation of Christ in the Temple is also known as the Feast of the Purification of the Virgin, because traditionally, women went to the temple on the 8th day after birth of a son to be purified. In Eastern Orthodoxy, it is known as Hypatante which means "Meeting" in Greek.
Today's feast is also known as Candlemas because, traditionally, it is when the bees wax candles are blessed for use in the church year. Many parishes ask parishioners to bring in their own candles and have them blessed for use in the next year.
If you can't get to Mass today to have your candles blessed, or even if you can, light a few candles today and say a prayer in honor of Christ, His Mother, and of Candlemas.
My eyes have seen your salvation,
which you prepared
in the sight of all the peoples:
a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
and glory for your people Israel.
~From the Gospel for Candlemas;
the Book of Luke
God bless you all!
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
This gives us the image of Our Lady of Sorrows and of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, pierced by a sword.
Has your heart ever been pierced by a sword? The sword of sadness or disappointment so commonly pierces our souls today. The world has become a crass and vulgar place where persecution of believers is popular entertainment and having deeply held religious beliefs is seen as passe.
Like Mary at the foot of the cross, we undergo much pain and suffering in this life. Let's join our sufferings with hers and ask Christ to give us the strength to endure.
Our Lady of Sorrows, pray for us!
Hat tip to John Michael Talbot.
I just discovered this beautiful monstrance located in St. Stanislaus Catholic Church in Chicago. It is the largest monstrance at 9 feet and 700 lbs and is front and center of the church.
It was hand carved by Stefan Niedorezo, who is a Polish Catholic artist, and uses both Eastern and Western Catholic, as well as Jewish symbolism. The style of Our Lady is seen on Byzantine Icons--red symbolizing kingship. The use of a monstrance itself is of Western origin, and it is placed within Our Lady, for she carried Jesus both in her womb and in her heart. The moon under her feet is from Revelation 12:1's description of "a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and on her head, a crown of 12 stars."
The rectangular box with the angels is taken from Exodus 25's description of the Ark of the Covenant, which held the 10 Commandments and the manna God sent from Heaven to feed the Israelites in the desert. The Ark would have been in the Holy of Holies in the Tabernacle, where no one but the priest could enter. In Christianity, Mary is the Ark of the Covenant, for she held Jesus, the Bread of Life, within herself.
This monstrance is a modern example of the centuries-old tradition of Catholic art that inspires, teaches and unifies.
