The Feast of St. Lucy

Today is the feast day of St. Lucy. When the children were little, this day, like the feast of St. Nicholas, helped us celebrate Advent rather than just focus on how long it was 'til Christmas. How can you go wrong with a day that starts with sweet rolls, a real treat!

There is more information about this feast here at SchoolOfTheSeasons.com, at the BBC and at Catholic.org. Penitents.org has some historical information as well as recipes, as does SicilianCulture.com. In Mama's Kitchen has a recipe for saffron buns.

A Nocturnal Upon St. Lucy's Day

by John Donne

'TIS the year's midnight, and it is the day's,
Lucy's, who scarce seven hours herself unmasks ;
The sun is spent, and now his flasks
Send forth light squibs, no constant rays ;
The world's whole sap is sunk ;
The general balm th' hydroptic earth hath drunk,
Whither, as to the bed's-feet, life is shrunk,
Dead and interr'd ; yet all these seem to laugh,
Compared with me, who am their epitaph.

Study me then, you who shall lovers be
At the next world, that is, at the next spring ;
For I am every dead thing,
In whom Love wrought new alchemy.
For his art did express
A quintessence even from nothingness,
From dull privations, and lean emptiness ;
He ruin'd me, and I am re-begot
Of absence, darkness, death—things which are not.

All others, from all things, draw all that's good,
Life, soul, form, spirit, whence they being have ;
I, by Love's limbec, am the grave
Of all, that's nothing. Oft a flood
Have we two wept, and so
Drown'd the whole world, us two ; oft did we grow,
To be two chaoses, when we did show
Care to aught else ; and often absences
Withdrew our souls, and made us carcasses.

But I am by her death—which word wrongs her—
Of the first nothing the elixir grown ;
Were I a man, that I were one
I needs must know ; I should prefer,
If I were any beast,
Some ends, some means ; yea plants, yea stones detest,
And love ; all, all some properties invest.
If I an ordinary nothing were,
As shadow, a light, and body must be here.

But I am none ; nor will my sun renew.
You lovers, for whose sake the lesser sun
At this time to the Goat is run
To fetch new lust, and give it you,
Enjoy your summer all,
Since she enjoys her long night's festival.
Let me prepare towards her, and let me call
This hour her vigil, and her eve, since this
Both the year's and the day's deep midnight is.

Happy St. Nicholas Day!

Today is the Feast of Saint Nicholas, and a great feast it is indeed! A joyful day in Advent when we wake to find our stockings full of goodies. We have celebrated this day by hanging our stockings on St. Nicholas Eve ever since the kids were babies.

The picture above is a detail from the Perugia triptych by Fra Angelico. This section illustrates the story of Saint Nicholas providing financial means for 3 girls without dowries.

The relics of Saint Nicholas are located in the basilica in Bari.

Books for Saint Nicholas Day:

St. Nicholas and the Tub, written by Brian Burland, a Bermudan novelist, illustrated by Joseph Low, begins with "A Note to the Reader". It includes these words:

Exactly what Nicholas, Bishop of Myra, did, wrote or said, we do not know. But we do know that some poignant essence of the man and the life inspired, among other things, the happy tradition of giving in secret. We know also that the earliest paintings of St. Nicholas, some of which date back to the ninth century, depict him sstanding in a tub with three children at his side. We do not know why they are in the tub, although there have been various interpretations.

This story, which is meant to be read aloud, is a flight of fancy that relates a way St. Nicholas and the children may have got into that tub.

A Gift From Saint Nicholas, adapted by Carole Kismaric and illustrated by Charles Mikolaycak, has this description on the front dust jacket flap:

When Cecile sees the wonderful chocolate ship in Trinchen Mutser's candy shop, she dreams that it will be hers on Saint Nicholas Eve. Maybe, she thinks, if she can stay awake, she'll catch the ship as it sails down her chimney.

Alas, the chocolate Congo does not come to Cecile so easily. When Saint Nicholas and his assisant Ruprecht reach her house, they discover they have run out of presents...

The Baker's Dozen, A Saint Nicholas Tale, retold by Aaron Shepard and illustrated by Wendy Edelson, tells how Saint Nicholas teaches a baker to count. from the dust jacket:

The honest baker Van Amsterdam gives his customers exactly what they pay for -not more and not less. He is noted for the delicious Saint Nicholas gingerbread cookies he makes for the saint's feast day in December. Van Amsterdam carefully counts out twelve cookies for each customer who orders a dozen -until the day when a strange old woman asks for a dozen cookies and insists that a dozen is thirteen. But the baker will not agree. "Your heart is small, and your fist is tight," she tells the ungenerous Van Amsterdam as she leaves the cookies behind. "Fall again, mount again, learn how to count again!" From that moment everything goes wrong in Van Amsterdam's shop -until Saint Nicholas himself sets things straight. The Dutch colonial tale of Saint Nicholas and the baker's dozen is one of America's oldest and most beloved legends.

There is a short life of St. Nicholas told in narration and pictures here:

Father Damien to be declared a saint

Today the pope will officially recognize Father Damien as a saint. The Maui News has information and links to resources. from the Honolulu Star Bulletin: "Hundreds of Hawaii residents are expected to be in St. Peter's Square in Rome on Oct. 11 when Father Damien De Veuster is finally named a saint." AmericanCatholic.org describes a bit of the process. President Obama says,

Father Damien challenged the stigmatizing effects of disease, giving voice to the voiceless and ultimately sacrificing his own life to bring dignity to so many.

More:

Catholic News Agency
Catholic News Service

A Man for All Seasons

The Husband picked this one for tonight's movie. A Man for All Seasons is a 1966 film adaptation of the Robert Bolt play that tells the story of the conflict between now-Saint Thomas More and King Henry VIII. The film is directed by Fred Zinnemann and stars Paul Scofield as Thomas More, Robert Shaw as Henry VIII, Susannah York (Mrs. Cratchit from the George C. Scott Christmas Carol) as More's daughter, Orson Welles as Cardinal Wolsey, Wendy Hiller as More's wife, Nigel Davenport (Scrooge's father from the George C. Scott Christmas Carol) as Duke of Norfolk, and John Hurt as Richard Rich. Vanessa Redgrave has a cameo as Anne Boleyn. Leo McKern makes a perfect Cromwell. I just love Leo McKern. He has his own Facebook page. You can read a script of the movie here. Watch it online here:


Our DVD has an interesting "special feature" on the life of Thomas More.

This movie is #27 on the ArtsAndFaith.com list of 100 most spiritually significant films. The New York Times says it is "a picture that inspires admiration, courage and thought." DecentFilms.com says, "This is a great film. I believe it is the most profound cinematic depiction of the life of any saint." Variety has a review. FerdieOnFilm reviews it in memory of Paul Scofield during the week of his death.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Today is St. Patrick's Day, the feast day of St. Patrick, patron saint of Ireland. Wear green in honor of St. Patrick. The Husband always makes green muffins for us, and those are waiting downstairs now. When the kids were little we decorated with shamrocks, played rhythm instruments in our own little St. Paddy's Day parade, read books about the holiday, listened to Irish folk tales and music and wore green jewelry.

Prayer for the Faithful by Saint Patrick

May the Strength of God guide us.
May the Power of God preserve us.
May the Wisdom of God instruct us.
May the Hand of God protect us.
May the Way of God direct us.
May the Shield of God defend us.
May the Angels of God guard us.
- Against the snares of the evil one.

May Christ be with us!
May Christ be before us!
May Christ be in us,
Christ be over all!

May Thy Grace, Lord,
Always be ours,
This day, O Lord, and forevermore. Amen.

Feast of Stephen

Today is the Feast of Stephen, first Christian Martyr. The picture above is of Rembrandt's The Stoning of Stephen. You can read more about St. Stephen here, and you can read the account of his stoning in the Bible in the book of Acts. A portion of that account is here:

Stephen, full of grace and power, did great wonders and signs among the people. Then some of those who belonged to the synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called), Cyrenians, Alexandrians, and others of those from Cilicia and Asia, stood up and argued with Stephen. But they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he spoke. Then they secretly instigated some men to say, "We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God." They stirred up the people as well as the elders and the scribes; then they suddenly confronted him, seized him, and brought him before the council. They set up false witnesses who said, "This man never stops saying things against this holy place and the law; for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and will change the customs that Moses handed on to us." And all who sat in the council looked intently at him, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel.

Then the high priest asked him, "Are these things so?"

And Stephen replied: "Brothers and fathers, listen to me. You are forever opposing the Holy Spirit, just as your ancestors used to do. Which of the prophets did your ancestors not persecute? They killed those who foretold the coming of the Righteous One, and now you have become his betrayers and murderers. You are the ones that received the law as ordained by angels, and yet you have not kept it."

When they heard these things, they became enraged and ground their teeth at Stephen. But filled with the Holy Spirit, he gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. "Look," he said, "I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!" But they covered their ears, and with a loud shout all rushed together against him. Then they dragged him out of the city and began to stone him; and the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul. While they were stoning Stephen, he prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." Then he knelt down and cried out in a loud voice, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." When he had said this, he died. (Acts 6:8-7:2a,51c-60, NRSV)

It is on this day that the events in the Christmas Carol "Good King Wenceslaus" take place. You can read a bit about the author and composer of the song here and hear it sung here:

Good King Wenceslaus looked out on the feast of Stephen,
When the snow lay round about, deep and crisp and even;
Brightly shone the moon that night, though the frost was cruel,
When a poor man came in sight gath'ring winter fuel.

"Hither, page, and stand by me, if thou know'st, telling,
Yonder peasant, who is he? Where and what his dwelling?"
"Sire, he lives a good league hence, underneath the mountain;
Right against the forest fence, by Saint Agnes' fountain."

"Bring me flesh, and bring me wine, bring me pine logs hither:
Thou and I will see him dine, when we bear them thither."
Page and monarch, forth they went, forth they went together;
Through the rude wind's wild lament and the bitter weather.

"Sire, the night grows darker now, and the wind blows stronger;
Fails my heart, I know not how, I can go no longer."
"Mark my footsteps good, my page. Tread thou in them boldly:
Thou shalt find the winter's rage freeze thy blood less coldly."

In his master's steps he trod, where the snow lay dinted;
Heat was in the very sod which the saint had printed.
Therefore, Christian men, rejoice, wealth or rank possessing,
Ye who now will bless the poor, shall yourselves find blessing.

St. Wenceslaus was himself a martyr. There is more information about him here.


(above photo from wikimedia commons)

St. Lucy

Today is the feast day of St. Lucy, a wonderful opportunity for celebrating the drawing ever nearer of the Light of the world in the person of Jesus. When the children were little, this day, like the feast of St. Nicholas, helped us celebrate Advent rather than just focus on how long it was 'til Christmas, and it helped us focus on the "reason for the season" -the coming of the Light into the world. How can you go wrong with a day that starts with sweet rolls, a real treat!

There is more information about this feast here at SchoolOfTheSeasons.com, at the BBC and at Catholic.org. Penitents.org has some historical information as well as recipes, as does SicilianCulture.com. In Mama's Kitchen has a recipe for saffron buns.

A Nocturnal Upon St. Lucy's Day

by John Donne

'TIS the year's midnight, and it is the day's,
Lucy's, who scarce seven hours herself unmasks ;
The sun is spent, and now his flasks
Send forth light squibs, no constant rays ;
The world's whole sap is sunk ;
The general balm th' hydroptic earth hath drunk,
Whither, as to the bed's-feet, life is shrunk,
Dead and interr'd ; yet all these seem to laugh,
Compared with me, who am their epitaph.

Study me then, you who shall lovers be
At the next world, that is, at the next spring ;
For I am every dead thing,
In whom Love wrought new alchemy.
For his art did express
A quintessence even from nothingness,
From dull privations, and lean emptiness ;
He ruin'd me, and I am re-begot
Of absence, darkness, death—things which are not.

All others, from all things, draw all that's good,
Life, soul, form, spirit, whence they being have ;
I, by Love's limbec, am the grave
Of all, that's nothing. Oft a flood
Have we two wept, and so
Drown'd the whole world, us two ; oft did we grow,
To be two chaoses, when we did show
Care to aught else ; and often absences
Withdrew our souls, and made us carcasses.

But I am by her death—which word wrongs her—
Of the first nothing the elixir grown ;
Were I a man, that I were one
I needs must know ; I should prefer,
If I were any beast,
Some ends, some means ; yea plants, yea stones detest,
And love ; all, all some properties invest.
If I an ordinary nothing were,
As shadow, a light, and body must be here.

But I am none ; nor will my sun renew.
You lovers, for whose sake the lesser sun
At this time to the Goat is run
To fetch new lust, and give it you,
Enjoy your summer all,
Since she enjoys her long night's festival.
Let me prepare towards her, and let me call
This hour her vigil, and her eve, since this
Both the year's and the day's deep midnight is.

There is a short video here:

that shows scenes from her life in art and as represented by youth in tribute.

The painting above is by the Master of the Saint Lucy Legend, named after this altarpiece showing scenes from the saint's life life.

Feast of St. Nicholas

Today is the Feast of Saint Nicholas, and a great feast it is indeed! A joyful day in Advent when we wake to find our stockings full of goodies. We have celebrated this day by hanging our stockings on St. Nicholas Eve ever since the kids were babies.

The picture above is a detail from the Perugia triptych by Fra Angelico. This section illustrates the story of Saint Nicholas providing financial means for 3 girls without dowries.

The relics of Saint Nicholas are located in the basilica in Bari.

There is some music specific to the day. In 1948 Benjamin Britten wrote Saint Nicolas, which tells the life of Saint Nicholas in nine scenes. The wikipedia entry on him is here.

Anonymous 4 has a CD Legends of St. Nicholas: of Medieval Chant and Polyphony. There is some old English here but most is in Latin. There are readings as well as chants and songs. The booklet included with the CD has the words, explanatory text and some beautiful pictures.

Books for Saint Nicholas Day:

St. Nicholas and the Tub, written by Brian Burland, a Bermudan novelist, illustrated by Joseph Low, begins with "A Note to the Reader". It includes these words:

Exactly what Nicholas, Bishop of Myra, did, wrote or said, we do not know. But we do know that some poignant essence of the man and the life inspired, among other things, the happy tradition of giving in secret. We know also that the earliest paintings of St. Nicholas, some of which date back to the ninth century, depict him sstanding in a tub with three children at his side. We do not know why they are in the tub, although there have been various interpretations.

This story, which is meant to be read aloud, is a flight of fancy that relates a way St. Nicholas and the children may have got into that tub.

A Gift From Saint Nicholas, adapted by Carole Kismaric and illustrated by Charles Mikolaycak, has this description on the front dust jacket flap:

When Cecile sees the wonderful chocolate ship in Trinchen Mutser's candy shop, she dreams that it will be hers on Saint Nicholas Eve. Maybe, she thinks, if she can stay awake, she'll catch the ship as it sails down her chimney.

Alas, the chocolate Congo does not come to Cecile so easily. When Saint Nicholas and his assisant Ruprecht reach her house, they discover they have run out of presents...

The Baker's Dozen, A Saint Nicholas Tale, retold by Aaron Shepard and illustrated by Wendy Edelson, tells how Saint Nicholas teaches a baker to count. from the dust jacket:

The honest baker Van Amsterdam gives his customers exactly what they pay for -not more and not less. He is noted for the delicious Saint Nicholas gingerbread cookies he makes for the saint's feast day in December. Van Amsterdam carefully counts out twelve cookies for each customer who orders a dozen -until the day when a strange old woman asks for a dozen cookies and insists that a dozen is thirteen. But the baker will not agree. "Your heart is small, and your fist is tight," she tells the ungenerous Van Amsterdam as she leaves the cookies behind. "Fall again, mount again, learn how to count again!" From that moment everything goes wrong in Van Amsterdam's shop -until Saint Nicholas himself sets things straight. The Dutch colonial tale of Saint Nicholas and the baker's dozen is one of America's oldest and most beloved legends.

There is a short life of St. Nicholas told in narration and pictures here:

St. Matthew

Today is the feast day of St. Matthew the Apostle. Appropriately for the times we find ourselves in, St. Matthew is the only patron saint of accountants, stockbrokers, tax collectors, money managers and financial officers and is one of the patron saints of bankers. Here's a suitable request:

Dear publican become a Saint, after once gathering taxes and tolls how wonderful was your conversion by grace when discarding your earthly possessions you followed the Poor Man of Nazareth. The Mammon of Money is still worshiped. Inspire bankers with kindness and with the desire to help where they can; for what is done to the least, to the poor, is done to Jesus, the Son of Man. Amen.

St. Matthew is traditionally held to be the author of the New Testament Gospel of Matthew, which can be read online in numerous English translations.

The story of the calling of Matthew by Christ is in the book of Matthew, chapter 9, verses 9-13:

9 As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector's booth. "Follow me," he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him.

10 While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew's house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples. 11 When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?"

12 On hearing this, Jesus said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 13 But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners." (NIV)

The Golden Legend includes the story of St. Matthew, including an episode with dragons. There is a biographical sketch at this Anglican site.

The picture at the top of the post is Rembrandt's Matthew and the Angel, sometimes called The Evangelist Matthew Inspired by an Angel. There are three works depicting St. Matthew by Caravaggio in the San Luigi dei Francesi church in Rome: The Calling of St. Matthew, The Inspiration of St. Matthew, and The Martyrdom of St. Matthew.

Bach's St. Matthew Passion sets part of Matthew's gospel to music:
part 1

more here

The Gospel According to St. Matthew is an award-winning 1964 Italian film directed by Pasolini. It is #4 on the Arts and Faith list of Top 100 Spiritually Significant Films. Here is a 3-minute clip:


There is another, more recent and less artistic, film based on Matthew's Gospel:
part 1 of 29 [gone as of 2/17/2010]

Martyrs of Memphis

Today is the day set aside to honor the courage and sacrifice of the Martyrs of Memphis, who stayed in Memphis during the Yellow Fever Epidemic to care for the sick and dying.

We give thee thanks and praise, O God of compassion, for the Heroic witness of Constance and her companions, who, in a time of plague and pestilence, were steadfast in their care for the sick and the dying, and loved not their own lives, even unto death. Inspire in us a like love and commitment to those in need, following the example of our Savior Jesus Christ; who with thee and the Holy Spirit liveth and reigneth, one God, now and for ever.

from A Sermon preached upon the Occasion of a Eucharistic Commemoration of the Clergy and Sisters Who Fell Victims to the Fever in the South:

Moving softly among the ranks of sick and dying, performing those last offices for which man's hand is too rough, comforting the bereaved widow, and upon her death, caring for the homeless orphaned children, went those Sisters of Mercy, whose organization in our American Church had been so timely and providential. "The Sisters of St. Mary! God bless them," we doubt not is the thought of many a living one to-day, as it was the thought of many a dying one, over whose last hours they ceaselessly had watched. They brought the light of woman's loving care to many who else had been denied it; and in their vocation and ministry they counted not their lives dear unto themselves, for willingly and gladly they yielded themselves victims, and many left their healthful home on the Hudson to find death on the Mississippi.

It is these Priests and Sisters of the Church who gave their lives for the testimony of the Gospel of the grace of God, and whom God honored by taking. These are they whom we commemorate to-day.

The picture above is from St. Mary's Episcopal Cathedral's Flickr set.

Feast of the Assumption

Father in heaven,
all creation rightly gives you praise
for all life and all holiness come from you.
In the plan of Your wisdom
she who bore the Christ in her womb
was raised body and soul in glory
to be with Him in heaven.
May we follow her example
in reflecting your holiness
and join in her hymn of endless life and praise.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.

(from ChurchYear.net)

More info:
saints.sqpn.com
wikipedia and a separate article here on the Dormition
Catholic Encyclopedia
Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America
Orthodox Family Life

The picture at the top of the post is of Bartolomeo Vivarini's The Death of the Virgin, (Padua, 1484).

What do you love?

We cannot help conforming ourselves to what we love.

- Francis de Sales

from God's Politics

This is a good day to die?

Lots of people died on this date. Here's my post from last year:


Actors, authors, artists and saints who died on this date:

Cameron Mitchell, Buddy Ebsen, Roy Rogers, Kenneth Grahame, who has works online, including The Wind in the Willows illustrated, Guy de Maupassant, William Faulkner, Odilon Redon, Louis Armstrong, St. Maria Goretti, Sir Thomas More.

opening credits for The High Chaparral, starring Cameron Mitchell:

Cameron Mitchell had an established film career before his TV work on this western.


The picture at the top of the post is Redon's Flowers.

Nativity of St. John the Baptist

Today is the celebration of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist.

Luke 1:5-25,57-80

THERE was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth. And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and they both were now well stricken in years. And it came to pass, that while he executed the priest's office before God in the order of his course, According to the custom of the priest's office, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. And the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the time of incense.

And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him. But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John. And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth. For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb. And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God. And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. And Zacharias said unto the angel, Whereby shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years. And the angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak unto thee, and to shew thee these glad tidings. And, behold, thou shalt be dumb, and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed, because thou believest not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season.

And the people waited for Zacharias, and marvelled that he tarried so long in the temple. And when he came out, he could not speak unto them: and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple: for he beckoned unto them, and remained speechless. And it came to pass, that, as soon as the days of his ministration were accomplished, he departed to his own house. And after those days his wife Elisabeth conceived, and hid herself five months, saying, Thus hath the Lord dealt with me in the days wherein he looked on me, to take away my reproach among men.

...

Now Elisabeth's full time came that she should be delivered; and she brought forth a son. And her neighbours and her cousins heard how the Lord had shewed great mercy upon her; and they rejoiced with her.

And it came to pass, that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child; and they called him Zacharias, after the name of his father. And his mother answered and said, Not so; but he shall be called John. And they said unto her, There is none of thy kindred that is called by this name. And they made signs to his father, how he would have him called. And he asked for a writing table, and wrote, saying, His name is John. And they marvelled all. And his mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue loosed, and he spake, and praised God.

And fear came on all that dwelt round about them: and all these sayings were noised abroad throughout all the hill country of Judaea. And all they that heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, What manner of child shall this be! And the hand of the Lord was with him. And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying,

Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people, And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David; As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began: That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us; To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant; The oath which he sware to our father Abraham, That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear, In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life. And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways; To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins, Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us, To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.

And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his shewing unto Israel.

KJV

The picture at the top of the post is The Birth of John the Baptist by Tintoretto.

Joan of Arc

Today is the anniversary of the death in 1431 of Saint Jeanne d'Arc, martyr. There is a short biography at the Catholic Encyclopedia. There are links here to biographies online, texts of the trial documents and more. My post from last year includes several links, including a link to a film on her trial which is available both online and as a Criterion DVD. There is a wikipedia article listing depictions of her in literature, theater, operas, oratorios, vocal works, paintings, sculpture, films, music, television, video games, computer games, comics and animation. Joan of Arc has been a popular figure through the years.

Here's Joan the Woman, a 1917 Cecil B. DeMille silent, in 2 parts:




The picture at the top of the post is Entreé de Jeanne d'Arc à Orléans, painted in 1887 by Jean-Jacques Scherrer.

Saint Brendan the Navigator

Today is the feast day of Saint Brendan the Navigator, who died around the year 577. I first heard of him when I heard of Tim Severin's re-enactment of Brendan's Voyage and the book he wrote telling the tale. The story of the original voyage is online here. More about St. Brendan: Patron Saints Index (he is the patron saint of whales) and the Catholic Encyclopedia.

This is an animated short film telling the story of Brendon's life:


Here's a folk song celebrating the voyage:

Julian of Norwich

Today is the feast day of the Christian mystic Julian of Norwich, who died in about the year 1416. There is information about her at this Saints Index, the Luminarium, Umilta's site and the Catholic Encyclopedia. The Episcopalians have lectionary resources but celebrate her feast day on May 8 (see here also) along with the Lutherans. The Episcopal Church has a religious order named for her. There is a shrine in Norwich. Her writings are readily available both in hard copy and online at the Luminarium and at CCEL and other sites.

from Showings (the Classics of Western Spirituality series edition):

And so I saw that God rejoices that he is our Father, and God rejoices that he is our Mother, and God rejoices that he is our true spouse, and that our soul is his beloved wife. (p. 279)

I saw and understood that the high might of the Trinity is our Father, and the deep wisdom of the Trinity is our Mother, and the great love of the Trinity is our Lord; and all these we have in nature and in our substantial creation. (p. 294)

For prayer is a right understanding of that fulness of joy which is to come, with true longing and trust. The savouring or seeing of our bliss, to which we are ordained, by nature makes us to long; true understanding and love, with a sweet recollection in our saviour, by grace makes us to trust. And in these two operations our Lord constantly regards us, for this is our duty, and his goodness cannot assign any less to us than it is our obligation to perform And when we do it, still it will seem to us that is is nothing. And this is true. But let us do what we can, and meekly ask mercy and grace, and everything which is lacking is us we shall find in him. And this is what he means when he says: I am the foundation of your beseeching.

And so in these blessed words with the revelation I saw a complete overcoming of all our weakness and all our doubting fears. (pp. 252-253)

Catherine of Siena

Today is the feast day of Catherine of Siena, who died on this date in 1380. There is more information on her in the Catholic Encyclopedia, the Society of Archbishop Justus, the Catholic Information Network and nndb. The Dialog of Catherine of Siena can be read online here.

The picture above is by Tiepolo.

St. George

Today is the feast day of Saint George of Merry England of Dragon fame. He is the patron saint of many groups, including lepers, Palestine and Palestinian Christians.

A Novena in honor of St. George:
Say once a day for 9 days, especially beginning on 14 April and ending on 22 April, the eve of the Feast of St. George.

Almighty and eternal God! With lively faith and reverently worshiping Thy divine Majesty, I prostrate myself before Thee and invoke with filial trust Thy supreme bounty and mercy. Illumine the darkness of my intellect with a ray of Thy heavenly light and inflame my heart with the fire of Thy divine love, that I may contemplate the great virtues and merits of the saint in whose honor I make this novena, and following his example imitate, like him, the life of Thy divine Son.

Moreover, I beseech Thee to grant graciously, through the merits and intercession of this powerful Helper, the petition which through him I humbly place before Thee, devoutly saving, "Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." Vouchsafe graciously to hear it, if it redounds to Thy greater glory and to the salvation of my soul. Amen.

O God, who didst grant to Saint George strength and constancy in the various torments which he sustained for our holy faith; we beseech Thee to preserve, through his intercession, our faith from wavering and doubt, so that we may serve Thee with a sincere heart faithfully unto death. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Faithful servant of God and invincible martyr, Saint George; favored by God with the gift of faith, and inflamed with an ardent love of Christ, thou didst fight valiantly against the dragon of pride, falsehood, and deceit. Neither pain nor torture, sword nor death could part thee from the love of Christ. I fervently implore thee for the sake of this love to help me by thy intercession to overcome the temptations that surround me, and to bear bravely the trials that oppress me, so that I may patiently carry the cross which is placed upon me; and let neither distress nor difficulties separate me from the love of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Valiant champion of the Faith, assist me in the combat against evil, that I may win the crown promised to them that persevere unto the end.

My Lord and my God! I offer up to Thee my petition in union with the bitter passion and death of Jesus Christ, Thy Son, together with the merits of His immaculate and blessed Mother, Mary ever virgin, and of all the saints, particularly with those of the holy Helper in whose honor I make this novena.

Look down upon me, merciful Lord! Grant me Thy grace and Thy love, and graciously hear my prayer. Amen.

The picture at the top of the post is of Raphael's painting of St. George.

Father Damien

Today is the anniversary of the death in 1889 of Father Damien, whose cause for canonization is ongoing.

I have seen one movie based on his life. There are some photos of the island and the church here. The Catholic Encyclopedia has a short biography, as do the National Park Service and EWTN.