Christmas
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Though this is one of my favorite Christmas works, I hadn't heard it for five or six years. This year I'd been thinking about it, but didn't have a chance to hear it until a couple of days after Christmas, and then I listened to it twice in as many days. As we're still in
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Not exactly or only the nativity–the Incarnation, the boldness of it. Glorious the sun in mid career; Glorious th' assembled fires appear; Glorious the comet's train: Glorious the trumpet and alarm; Glorious th' almighty stretch'd-out arm; Glorious th' enraptur'd main: Glorious the northern lights a-stream; Glorious the song, when God's the theme; Glorious the
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I was working on a post earlier today but didn’t have time to finish it, and may not tomorrow, so, briefly: A remark from a priest seen on Facebook on Thursday: “I thought I was having an epiphany this morning but it was transferred to Sunday.” This evening my wife and I were shamefully late
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So Joseph Ratzinger aka Pope Benedict XVI has left us. It's an odd and not really very relevant association, but seeing his obituaries in the press makes me think of a remark by a non-Catholic friend of mine early in the pontificate of Pope Francis. His view was based on the appearance of the two
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MARCELLUS: It faded on the crowing of the cock.Some say that ever ’gainst that season comesWherein our Savior’s birth is celebrated,This bird of dawning singeth all night long;And then, they say, no spirit dare stir abroad,The nights are wholesome; then no planets strike,No fairy takes, nor witch hath power to charm,So hallowed and so gracious
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You'll notice that there's no cheery exclamation mark after that title. I bring you this appropriate counsel from St. Ephrem the Syrian (d. 373): God has determined the measure of man’s life, and the days divide this appointed measure into parts. Each day imperceptibly takes its part away from your life and each hour unrestrainedly
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To thee, O Christ, O Word of the Father, we offer up our lowly praises and unfeigned hearty thanks: Who for love of our fallen race didst most wonderfully and humbly choose to be made man, as never to be unmade more; and to take our nature as never more to lay it off; so
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…seems sadder every year. But it would be much sadder not to have one at all.
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Manifested in a local suburb in mid-December, towering over the houses. Our car was menaced by this gigantic entity.
Light On Dark Water 