Thursday, August 31, 2017

Poetry Smackdown

"From Lack of Love, I Will Not Ever Die…"
by Jennifer Reeser
From lack of love, I will not ever die,
so may the stingy, cold, and lordly rage
imprisoned with pride inside his gilded cage,
conversing with a pretty, blonde, white lie.
And let them lift their glasses, raise a toast
to wish the whole world ill in ancient Greek,
forever finding fault. And let them boast
like Belshazzar who feasted, while the meek,
thin, ragged Daniel fed on yeast-free bread,
while understanding what the king could not,
interpreting what royals had forgot,
seeing the privileged one were good as dead—
that Love which made this vast, black Universe
his cure for any demagogue's blank curse.

Project BLACK MAMBA

'Tis the festival of Saints Joseph of Arimathea & Nicodemus (floruit first century): Saints-link, Saint-link Juliett & Wikipedia-link Juliett, & Saint-link November & Wikipedia-link November.

Commentary: Wayback Machine.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Aristedes of Athens, Confessor (died circa 134, A.K.A. the Philosopher), noted for the Apology of Aristedes: Saint-link & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link Apology.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Aiden of Lindisfarne, Bishop (circa 590-651), the "Apostle of Northumbria," founder of the Lindisfarne Priory: Saint-link & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link Priory & Wikipedia-link Holy Island.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Raymond Nonnatus, Priest, O. de M. (1204-1240): Saint-link ūnus, Saint-link duo, & Wikipedia-link.

Scripture of the Day
Mass Readings—Feria
The First Letter to the Thessalonians,chapter three, verses seven thru thirteen;
Psalm Ninety, verses three, four, & five(a); twelve & thirteen; & fourteen & seventeen;
The Gospel according to Matthew, chapter twenty-four, verses forty-two thru fifty-one.

Commentary: Reflection by Bishop Robert Barron (Word on Fire):
Friends, in today's Gospel Jesus urges us to be ready for his second coming. It reminds me of John the Baptist preparing us: "Make ready the way of the Lord, clear him a straight path." He is saying that his job is to prepare for the mighty coming of the Lord. A change is coming, a revolution is on the way, a disaster (the destruction of the old) is about to happen. Prepare the way of the Lord.

And what is the manner of preparation? It is a baptism of repentance. Baptism—an immersion in water—reminded first century Jews of the exodus, passing through the Red Sea, leaving the ways of slavery behind.

And repentance (metanoia), going beyond the mind that you have. How our minds are conditioned by the fallen world! How our expectations are shaped, stunted by what has gone before. The world of Tiberius and Pilate and Herod and Caiaphas has shaped our imagination. It's time, John is saying, for a new mind, a new set of eyes, a new kind of expectation. God is about to act!

Be ready!
Video reflection by Father Don Miller, O.F.M.: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.


Bible Study—The Bible Timeline: Divided Kingdom, Part 2 of 2
The First Book of Kings, chapter twenty (verses one thru forty-two);
The First Book of Kings, chapter twenty-two (of twenty-two, verses one thru fifty-four);
The Second Book of Kings, chapter three (verses one thru twenty-seven);
The Second Book of Kings, chapter six, verses eight thru thirty-three;
The Second Book of Kings, chapter seven (verses one thru twenty).

Commentary: III. Stories of the Prophets: Ahab's Victories over Ben-hadad (1 Kings, 20:1-42), Campaign against Ramoth-gilead (22:1-40), Reign of Jehoshaphat (22:41-51), & Reign of Ahaziah (22:52-54); IV. The Kingdoms of Israel & Judah: Campaign of Joram against Moab (2 Kings, 3:1-27), Aramean Ambush (6:8-13a), Blinded Aramean Soldiers (6:13b-23), Siege of Samaria (6:24-7:2), the Lepers at the Gate (7:3-13), & End of the Siege (7:14-20).

The Rebel Black Dot Songs o' the Day: SKAugust


Reel Big Fish, "The '90s" (live) from Our Live Album Is Better Than Your Live Album, Disc 2: Move Fastly With the Fast Music (The Last Angry Rude Boy)

Skammentary: "The '90s" isn't a song, but a track of on-stage banter, apropos to SKAugust's purpose in its discourse on the 1990s. Our Live Album Is Better Than Your Live Album was recorded & released in 2006, a solid decade after the release of "Sell Out" & nine years after the Summer of Ska. The main dialogue is 'twixt frontman, singer, & guitarist Aaron Barrett & trumpeter & backing singer Scott Klopfenstein.
Barret: "We can't play 'Sell Out' 'til the end, it's our big hit. Shut up! O.K."

Klopfenstein: "Ladies and gentlemen—"

Barrett: "Wait. God damn it! Don't yell at me! You know who I used to be, ten years ago? During the Summer of Ska?"

Johnny Christmas: "That was the Nineties."

Barrett: "I had a moderately successful single. Don't yell at me! I wrote this song in the Nineties."

Klopfenstein: "You did, actually."

Barrett: "'Cause I was in a Nineties kind of mood."

Klopfenstein: "Yeah, I was there. It happened."

Barrett: "Remember that?"

Klopfenstein: "I do."

Barrett: "The Nineties. Those were different times, ladies and gentlemen."

Klopfenstein: "Those were totally different times, ladies and gentlemen!"

Barrett: "Hard, hard times!"

Klopfenstein: "Not everybody had a cell phone, we had these little things called pagers."

Barrett: "And it seemed like every other week a girl was leaving me for another girl."

Klopfenstein: "It's true! He'd always get paged—"

Barrett: "Now, that's kind of hot! That's kind of hot! But, you know, huh. Where does it leave me? Where do I fit in? I mean, I can imagine where I'd fit in, but, you know."

Klopfenstein: "Ladies and gentlemen, you may not realize it, but this men to my left, right—"

Barrett: "Stage right."

Klopfenstein "Stage right, is a very trouble individual. He's got a lot of inner pain, a lot of anguish, a lot of woe."

Barrett: "It's not easy being a child star!"

Unknown: "Whoaaaa!"

Barrett: *exaggerated stage weeping*

Klopfenstein: "Ladies and gentlemen, the one thing we in the Reel Big Fish realize is that we can make a hell of a lot of money off of pain."

Johnny Christmas: "Yeah!"

Klopfenstein: "We can also make a slightly humorous song out of mediocre pain."

Barrett: "And sex between two ladies."

Klopfenstein: "It's true! So, ladies and gentlemen, we'd like you for about, uh, three and a half minutes to sit back and enjoy the ride, 'cause this song is an emotional roller coaster of sexual tension and exploration."

Reel Big Fish, "She Has a Girlfriend Now" (live) from Our Live Album Is Better Than Your Live Album, Disc 2: Move Fastly With the Fast Music (The Last Angry Rude Boy)

Skammentary: Picking up directly from "The '90s":
Barrett: "Ladies and gentlemen, this is a song about a girl who left me for another girl, and it can happen to you, too, if you follow your dreams."

Klopfenstein: "Don't quit believing!"

Wednesday, August 30, 2017

Project BLACK MAMBA

'Tis the festival of Saint Margaret Ward, Martyr (died 1588), the "Pearl of Tyburn," martyred in the reign of the queen Elizabeth I, one of the Forty Martyrs of England & Wales: Martyr-link & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link XL.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Jeanne Jugan, Religious, L.S.P. (1792-1879, A.K.A. Mary of the Cross), foundress of the Little Sisters of the Poor: Saint-link ūna, Saint-link duae, & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link L.S.P.

Commentary: Wayback Machine.

'Tis also the festival of Blessed Esțfān Nehmé, Religious, O.L.M. (1889-1938, Anglicized as Stephen Nehmé): Blessed-link & Wikipedia-link.

Scripture of the Day
Mass Readings—Feria
The First Letter to the Thessalonians, chapter two, verses nine thru thirteen;
Psalm One Hundred Thirty-nine, verses seven & eight, nine& ten, & eleven & twelve(a,b);
The Gospel according to Matthew, chapter twenty-three, verses twenty-seven thru thirty-two.

Commentary: Reflection by Bishop Robert Barron (Word on Fire):
Friends, in today's Gospel Jesus launches a blistering attack on the scribes and Pharisees. What are the underlying problems that bother Jesus?

First, "They tie up heavy burdens hard to carry and lay them on people's shoulders, but they will not lift a finger to help them." Some religious leaders burden people, making demands that are terrible, exulting in their own moral superiority.

Secondly, "All their works are performed to be seen." They use the law and morality as a means of inflating the ego. A pious Jew would wear Phylacteries as a sign of devotion. Well, they think, why not widen them, draw attention to them to show people how pious they are.

Third, "They love places of honor at banquets, seats of honor in synagogues, greetings in marketplaces and the salutation, 'Rabbi.'" Titles, privileges, places of honor, marks of respect. Like any drug, these provide a rush. The trouble is that this drug wears off rather quickly, and then we want more of it. A greater title, more respect, more recognition. What is Jesus' recommendation for those caught in this dilemma? Be satisfied with doing your work on behalf of God's kingdom, whatever it is.
Video reflection by Jem Sullivan, Ph.D.: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.


God's Comic
Eye of the Tiber lampoons the un-Christian lack of charity at the Lakewood Church & the heresy of the Prosperity Gospel, "Joel Osteen Vigorously Attempting to Shove Camel through Eye of Needle": Tiber-link.

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the Day: SKAugust


Reel Big Fish, "One Hit Wonderful" from We're Not Happy 'til You're Not Happy (The Last Angry Rude Boy)

Skammentary: The Reel Big Fish have played the paramount if not dominant rôle in this SKAugust (providing nearly one-third of the R.B.D.S.O.T.D.) because no other band has so persistently & incisively commented on the Summer of Ska & its aftermath. This SKAugust is different from all the SKAprils because it's not just a showcase of the manifold splendors of ska, but an extended musing upon that golden moment in 1997, the Summer of Ska, & its afterglow over the twenty years since.

We're Not Happy 'til You're Not Happy was released in 2005, almost a decade after Turn the Radio Off, the album that contained R.B.F.'s one big hit, "Sell Out" (iconic music video pictured above). "One Hit Wonderful" opens radio promo samples for "flashback lunches" featuring their one hit, "Sell Out."
"Fourteen minutes and fifty-nine second into our fifteen minutes of fame,
When the luck runs out, I won't wonder who's to blame,
Because nobody ever said they had a guaranteed way
To win the hearts of the public who are easily swayed,
And just this time last year, I thought we had it made.

"We were one hit wonderful,
Livin' the life, playin' the rôle,
We were one hit wonderful,
Well, it can't last long,
They don't love you,
They just love that one song!

"Well, things don't last long in life; that's how it goes,
They'll smile and applaud, then turn up their nose,
Things will shrink as quickly as they've grown,
But it's perfectly normal for us to ask why,
Company wasn't untrue, they just didn't try,
A new career is born, it will eventually die.

"We were one hit wonderful,
Livin' the life, playin' the rôle,
We were one hit wonderful,
Well, it can't last long,
They don't love you,
They just love that one song!

"So many lovely melodies,
So many messages to convey,
But they don't care about any of these,
'Play that one damn song!' is what they say.

"We were one hit wonderful,
Livin' the life, playin' the rôle,
We were one hit wonderful,
Well, it can't last long,
They don't love you,
Oh, no!
We were one hit wonderful,
Livin' the life, playin' the rôle,
We were one hit wonderful,
Well, it can't last long,
They don't love you,
They just love that one song!"

Tuesday, August 29, 2017

Project BLACK MAMBA

'Tis the Memorial of the Passion of Saint John the Baptist (circa 1 B.C.-A.D. 30), martyred in the reign of the emperor Tiberius by the client "king" Herod Antipas: Baptist-link ūnus, Baptist-link duo, & Wikipedia-link.

Commentary: Wayback Machine. Quoth the Holy Redeemer bulletin:
The Church, having celebrated the earthly birthday of St. John the Baptist on 24 June, today honors the anniversary of his martyrdom. Besides Our Lord & Our Lady, St. John the Baptist is the only one whose birth & death are thus celebrated. Today's Gospel relates the circumstances of his execution.
Quoth the Holy Family bulletin:
Scripture tells us that many [persons] followed John looking to him for hope, perhaps in anticipation of some great messianic power. John never allowed himself the false honor of receiving these [persons] for his own glory. He knew his calling was one of preparation. When the time came, he led his disciples to Jesus: "The next day John was there again with two of his disciples, & as he watched Jesus walked by, he said, 'Behold, the Lamb of God.' The two disciples heard what he said & followed Jesus" (John, 1:35-37). It is John the Baptist who has pointed the way to Christ. John's life & death were a giving over of self for God & other people. His simple style of life was one of complete detachment from earthly possessions. His heart was centered on God & the call that he heard from the Spirit of God speaking to his heart. Confident of God's grace, he had the courage to speak words of condemnation or repentance, of salvation.
'Tis also the festival of Blessed Richard Herst, Martyr (died 1628, also spelt Hurst), martyred in the reign of the king Charles I: Martyr-link & Wikipedia-link.

'Tis also the festival of Blessed Dominik Jędrzejewski, Priest & Martyr (1886-1942), martyred in the reign of the Führer Adolf Hitler, one of the One Hundred Eight Martyrs of World War II: Martyr-link & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link CVIII.

Scripture of the Day
Mass Readings—Feria
The First Letter to the Thessalonians, chapter two, verses one thru eight;
Psalm One Hundred Thirty-nine, verses one, two, & three & four, five, & six;
The Gospel according to Mark, chapter six, verses seventeen thru twenty-nine.

Commentary: Quoth the missalette: "The Gospel for this memorial is proper," meaning the same Gospel passage is read for both the weekday & the full observance of the memorial.

Reflection by Bishop Robert Barron (Word on Fire):
Friends, today's Gospel tells of the death of John the Baptist. Herod had arrested John, from whom Jesus had sought baptism, and put him to death. The arrest and death of John the Baptist were signals for Jesus.

Immediately after the arrest Jesus withdraws to Galilee and commences his own ministry of preaching and healing. Are these two events just coincidentally related? Hardly. Jesus read the arrest of John as a kind of signal that he was to begin.

We must remember that Jesus, like any Jew of his time, would have read the world through the lens of the Sacred Scriptures. They were the interpretive framework for everything. It was a commonplace of the Prophets and the Psalms and parts of the Torah that the era of the Messiah would be preceded by a time of tribulation, when the opponents of God would rise up to counter God's purposes.

Jesus saw this in the arrest of John. This great national figure, this prophet to Israel, was arrested and eventually killed by the enemies of God—and he took it as a signal that his own Messianic work should begin.
Video reflection by Father Pat O'Keefe: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.


Mass Readings—Memorial of the Passion of St. John the Baptist
The Book of Jeremiah, chapter one, verses seventeen, eighteen, & nineteen;
Psalm Seventy-one, verse fifteen(a,b);
The Gospel according to Mark, chapter six, verses seventeen thru twenty-nine.

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the Day: SKAugust


Nothing for Something, "Ska Kids" courtesy Sergeant Ska (The Last Angry Rude Boy)

Skammentary: Not long after the Summer of Ska, the broader public moved on, searching for the "next big thing" to embrace & then abandon. But ska had touched the souls of a few of us, who eventually recognized ourselves as ska kids, even as we became old farts. I will always be grateful for the Summer of Ska, for the fleeting spike in ska's popularity, because otherwise I might never have learned of this most treasured of musical genres, but it made altogether more sense for ska to go back to being a wacky, obscure subculture.
"Well, many guys will leave the show tonight
With a little girl in tow (alright),
For us it's always just dance, dance, dance,
And we never will get a chance.

"'Cause ska kids, we never get laid (Hey!),
And ska bands, we never get paid (Hey!),
Oh no, oh no, oh no…"

Monday, August 28, 2017

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the Day: SKAugust


Mustard Plug, "Brain on Ska" from Skapocalypse Now! (The Last Angry Rude Boy)

Skammentary:
"Drinkin' in the pub just the other night,
This girl comes up to me, said, 'What would ya like?'
I said, 'Another beer, another pitcher or two,'
Drank a few more rounds and the night was through.

"This is your brain,
This is your brain on ska,
This is your brain,
This is your brain on ska!

"Dancin' on the floor just hoppin' and skankin',
D.J. on the mic, won't stop crankin'
Gimme any music that will move my feet,
Gimme any music with a 2-Tone beat!

"This is your brain,
This is your brain on ska,
This is your brain,
This is your brain on ska!

Pork pie hats and Fred Perry shirts,
Drinkin' cheap beer and chasin' skirts,
But what it's really all about is plain to see:
Simply having fun and unity!

"This is your brain,
This is your brain on ska,
This is your brain,
This is your brain on ska!"

Project BLACK MAMBA

'Tis the Memorial of Saint Augustine, Bishop & Doctor of the Church (354-430, of Hippo): Doctor-link ūnus, Doctor-link duo, & Wikipedia-link.

Commentary: Wayback Machine. Son of St. Monica [27 August]. Quoth the Holy Redeemer bulletin:
The story of the life of Saint Augustine is different from almost every other saint story, because it is taken from his own words & not from what has been said about him. He wrote a wonderful book called The Confessions of Saint Augustine, & in it we find all that he thought & did from the time he was a little child. He was a famous Catholic writer & started to the Augustinian order. He became one of the greatest saints who ever lived.
Quoth the Holy Family bulletin:
A Christian at thirty-three, a priest at thirty-six, a bishop at forty-one: Many people are familiar with the biographical sketch of Augustine of Hippo, a sinner turned saint. Born in Tagaste in modern-day Algeria, the young Augustine distinguished himself in studies but rejected the Scriptures. His mother St. Monica prayed for his conversion which occurred at the age of thirty-two when he heard a voice say "take & read" [in Latin, Tolle lege]. Augustine took the scriptures & read the following passage from St. Paul's letter to the Romans: "Let us live honorably as in daylight; not in carousing & drunkenness, not in sexual excess & liust, not in quarreling & jealousy. rather, put on the Lord Jesus Christ & make no provision for the desire of the flesh" (Romans, 13:13-14).
'Tis also the festival of Blesseds James Claxton & Thomas Felton (O.F.M.), Priests & Martyr (died 1588, Claxton A.K.A. Clarkson), martyred in the reign of the queen Elizabeth I: Martyr-link Juliett Charlie, Martyr-link Tango Foxtrot, & Wikipedia-link Tango Foxtrot.

Commentary: Bl. Thomas Felton was the son of Bl. John Felton [8 August], also martyred by the bloody "Good Queen Bess."

'Tis also the festival of Saint Edmund Arrowsmith, Priest & Martyr, S.J. (1585-1628), martyred in the reign of the king Charles I, one of the Forty Martyrs of England & Wales: Martyr-link & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link XL.

Scripture of the Day
Mass Readings—Feria
The First Letter to the Thessalonians, chapter one, verses one thru five, eight(b), nine, & ten;
Psalm One Hundred Forty-nine, verses one(b) & 2; three & four; & five, six(a), & nine(b);
The Gospel according to Matthew, chapter twenty-three, verses thirteen thru twenty-two.

Commentary: Video reflection by Monsignor James Vlaun: U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Mass Readings—Memorial of St. Augustine
The First Letter of John, chapter four, verses seven thru sixteen;
Psalm One Hundred Nineteen, verse twelve;
The Gospel according to Matthew, chapter twenty-three, verses eight thru twelve.

Commentary: Reflection by Bishop Robert Barron (Word on Fire):
Friends, on this feast day of St. Augustine, we reflect on the development of Catholic teaching. In one very real sense, the Father speaks all he can possibly speak in his Son, rightly called the Logos. There is no more to be revealed, no more to be said, than what is expressed in Jesus. Nevertheless, the fullness of that revelation unfolds only over space and time, much the way that a seed unfolds very gradually into a mighty oak.

A lively mind takes an idea, turns it over, considers it, looks at it from various viewpoints, questions it. Then, in lively conversation, that mind throws the idea to another mind, who performs a similar set of operations.

This “play of lively minds” goes on over the centuries. St. John throwing the idea of the Incarnation to St. Polycarp, who threw it to St. Irenaeus, who threw it to Origen, who threw it to Augustine, who passed it to Thomas Aquinas, who shared it with Robert Bellarmine, who spoke it to John Henry Newman and others, who have given it to us.

Now who guarantees that this process moves forward? The answer is the Holy Spirit whom Jesus promised to the Church.
Bible Study—The Bible Timeline: Divided Kingdom, Part 1 of 2
The First Book of Kings, chapter seventeen (verses one thru twenty-four);
The First Book of Kings, chapter eighteen (verses one thru forty-six);
The First Book of Kings, chapter nineteen (verses one thru twenty-one);
The First Book of Kings, chapter twenty-one (verses one thru twenty-eight);
The Second Book of Kings, chapter one (of twenty-five, verses one thru eighteen);
The Second Book of Kings, chapter two (verses one thru twenty-five);
The Second Book of Kings, chapter four (verses one thru forty-four);
The Second Book of Kings, chapter five (verses one thru twenty-seven);
The Second Book of Kings, chapter six, verses one thru seven;
The Book of Hosea, chapter one (verses one thru eight);
The Book of Hosea, chapter two (verses one thru twenty-five);
The Book of Hosea, chapter three (verses one thru five).

Commentary: III. Stories of the Prophets: Drought Predicted by Elijah (1 Kings, 17:1-6), Elijah & the Widow (17:7-24), Elijah & the Prophets of Baal (18:1-46), Flight to Horeb (19:1-18), Call of Elisha (19:19-21), & Seizure of Naboth's Vineyard (21:1-28);

IV. The Kingdoms of Israel & Judah: Ahaziah Consults Baalzebub (2 Kings, 1:1-8), Death of Two Captains (1:9-12), Death of the King (1:13-18), Elijah & Elisha (2:1-8), Elisha Succeeds Elijah (2:9-18), Healing of the Water (2:19-22), the Prophet's Curse (2:23-25), the Widow's Oil (4:1-7), Elisha & the Shunammite (4:8-37), the Poisoned Stew (4:38-41), the Multiplication of Loaves (4:42-44), Cure of Naaman (5:1-27), & Recovery of the Lost Ax (6:1-7); &

I. The Prophet's Marriage & Its Lesson: Marriage with an Unfaithful Wife (Hosea, 1:1-8), Israel's Punishment & Restoration (2:4-7, 10-15, 8-9, 16-25), & Triumph of Love (3:1-5 & 2:1-3).

Sunday, August 27, 2017

The Explorers' Club, № DLXIV

Operation AXIOM: The World War—The Russian Revolution, Part IV
August 1917: The Kornilov Affair—Kerensky ordered the commander-in-chief of the army, General Kornilov, to garrison Petrograd with loyal troops to quell pro-Bolshevik troops in the city, then accused Kornilov of plotting a putsch, freed Trotsky & armed the Red Guards, & arrested Kornilov; Lenin's Bolsheviks were rearmed & revived mere weeks after being disarmed & discredited in the July Days.





Lest we forget.

Project BLACK MAMBA: XXI Sunday in Ordinary Time

'Tis the Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time: Wikipedia-link.

Scripture of the Week
Mass Readings—Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time
The Book of Isaiah, chapter twenty-two, verses nineteen thru twenty-three;
Psalm One Hundred Thirty-eight, verses one & two, two & three, & six & eight;
The Letter to the Romans, chapter eleven, verses thirty-three thru thirty-six;
The Gospel according to Matthew, chapter sixteen, verses thirteen thru twenty.

Commentary: Video reflection by Jeff Cavins: Encountering the Word.

Reflection by Bishop Robert Barron (Word on Fire):
Friends, in today's Gospel Jesus asks his disciples that devastating question: "But who do you say that I am?" But the disciples don't speak. Are they afraid? Perhaps. Finally Simon Peter speaks: "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." You are the Meshiach, the anointed one, the long-awaited savior, but more to it, you are the Son of God, not just a human hero. This is the mystical faith that stands at the heart of Christianity. To hold this Petrine faith is to be a Christian; to deny it is to deny Christianity.

And then those amazing words of Jesus: "Blessed are you Simon, son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father." This insight did not come from Simon's own intelligent speculation. It came from above, through grace, from God. And this is why Peter is a rock.

The Church is built, not on a worldly foundation of any kind, but on a mystical foundation, born of Peter's faith in the revealing God. The Church is neither democratic nor aristocratic—it is charismatic. And this is where its power comes from.
Video reflection by Father Greg Friedman, O.F.M.: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.


Mass Journal: Week X
Reflection by Matthew Kelly, founder of the Dynamic Catholic Institute:
The saints were remarkable men & women, but surprisingly what made them remarkable was rarely anything too spectacular. What made them extraordinary was the ordinary. They strove to grow in virtue through the ordinary things of everyday life. If they were caring for the sick they were growing in humility. When they were educating children they were growing in patience. As Saint Thérèse of Lisieux [1 October] said, "Do the little things with great love." There is nothing more attractive than holiness. Throughout history, whenever men & women of holiness have lived, the Church has blossomed. This is the answer to all of our questions & the solution to all of our problems: holiness of life. What are you willing to live for?

Just before her death, [Saint] Joan of Arc [30 May] wrote, "I know this now. Every man gives his life for what he believes. Every woman gives her life for what she believes. Sometimes people believe in little or nothing, & yet they give their lives for little or nothing. One life is all we have, & we live it as we believe in living it & then it's gone. But to surrender what you are & to live without belief is more terrible than dying—even more terrible than dying young." What are you willing to give your life for?
Otherwise, 27 August would be the festival of Saint Monica (circa 322-387, of Hippo): Saint-link ūna, Saint-link duae, & Wikipedia-link.

Commentary: Wayback Machine. The mother of St. Augustine of Hippo [28 August].Quoth the Holy Family bulletin:
Monica had at least three children who survived infancy. The oldest, [St.] Augustine (August 28), is the most famous. At the time of his father's death, Augustine was seventeen & a rhetoric student in Carthage. Monica was distressed to learn that her son had accepted the Manichean heresy (all flesh is evil) & was living an immoral life. For a while, she refused to let him eat or sleep in her house. Then one night she had a vision that assured her Augustine would return to the faith. From that time on, she stayed close to her son, praying & fasting for him. In fact, she often stayed much closer than Augustine wanted.
'Twould also be the festival of Blessed Roger Cadwallador, Priest & Martyr (circa 1566-1610), martyred in the reign of the king James VI & I, one of the Eighty-five Martyrs of England & Wales: Martyr-link & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link LXXXV.

'Twould also be the festival of Saint David Lewis, Priest & Martyr, S.J. (1616-1679, A.K.A. Charles Baker), martyred in the reign of the king Charles II, a victim of the perjurer Titus Oates's "Popish Plot" hoax, one of the Forty Martyrs of England & Wales: Martyr-link & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link P.P. & Wikipedia-link XL.

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the Lord's Day

Matt Maher, "The Spirit and the Bride" from The Love In Between (The Last Angry Man)

Commentary:
"For all the thirty in need of the river,
For all the sleeping hearts waking from their slumber,
For everyone still standing at the shoreline, come.

"For all the hurting souls running from their healer,
For the the skeptics running from an answer,
Let everyone who hears these words say, come.

"For the Spirit and the Bride say, come.
Yeah, the Spirit and the Bride say come.

"For all the Pharisees empty on the inside,
For all the lovers who spent their love on a lie,
For the forgotten, the Father's heart says, come.

"For all the fatherless looking for approval,
For all the daughters who never heard they're beautiful,
Let everyone who hears these words say, come.

"For the Spirit and the Bride say, come.
Yeah, the Spirit and the Bride say come.
For the Spirit and the Bride say, come.
Yeah, the Spirit and the Bride say come…"

Bonus! Song o' the Day: SKAugust


MU330, "Stagnant Water" from MU330 (The Last Angry Rude Boy)

Skammentary: MU330 was always kind of dark. That's not a criticism, darkness is a part of life, part of this exile. Most other ska bands greet darkness with snark not to deny it, but to help endure it.
"Wouldn't it be nice if we could stay the same way,
Forget about what happened the other day,
Mosquitoes breed in stagnant water.

"It'd be great if I could laugh it all away,
All debts cancelled so easy,
Mosquitoes breed in stagnant water.

"I swam upstream all spring,
I shot my wife, spread my seed,
I died the next day,
Died the next day,
I'm still glad it ended that way,
Mosquitoes breed in stagnant water.

"You could be queen and I'd be your king,
You'd be innocent and I'd be trusting,
I'd hold on and I'd believe you,
And I'd forget about who touched you.

Mosquitoes breed in stagnant water,
Mosquitoes breed in stagnant water,
Mosquitoes breed in stagnant water."

Saturday, August 26, 2017

Operation AXIOM: University of Michigan Bicentennial


Two hundred years ago to the day, 26 August 1817, the University of Michigan was founded by act of the territorial government. Originally named the "Catholepistemiad, or University, of Michigania" by the eccentric Judge Augustus B. Woodward, who also played a central role in the rebuilding of Detroit after the devastating fire of 1805 & is the namesake of Woodward Avenue (Michigan's state highway M-1), the university was first sited in Detroit, when these pleasant peninsulas were still the Territory of Michigan, not yet a sovereign state of the Union. The early years of the appallingly named institution were trying & the entity was renamed the University of Michigan in 1821. The university moved to Ann Arbor in 1837, but various difficulties prevented the construction of the campus until 1841. Despite these unpromising beginnings, for two centuries, the University of Michigan has flourished, consistently ranked as one of America's leading universities, a "Public Ivy." The U. of M. is the equal of any American school, public or private, even if some in the ossified coastal establishment will never pardon her for the supposed crime of being proudly Midwestern & a state university to boot.


I could extol the many-splendored glorious of Michigan for hours & hours. I could cite facts & figures & achievements & alumni almost without end. I could regale you with tales of my own halcyon days in Ann Arbor: of tramping up & down State Street to lecture, to discussion, & to work; of walking across the Diag without stepping on the "M;" of cheering 'til I was hoarse in Michigan Stadium & the Yost Ice Arena, experiencing the thrill of victory & the agony of defeat; of writing for the Gargoyle & first lampooning & then inadvertently subverting the democratic process with the F.R.A.T. Party; of almost losing my faith & then finding it again; of late nights at Bell's Pizza & a thousand other adventures. I could praise the University of Michigan without end, but I couldn't even pretend to present unbiased arguments. I could never change your mind. Either you love Michigan, or you don't. Either you understand these words of Fielding H. Yost & your heart soars when you read them, or you don't & it doesn't.
“My heart is so full at this moment, I fear I could say little else. But do let me reiterate the Spirit of Michigan. It is based on a deathless loyalty to Michigan and all her ways. An enthusiasm that makes it second nature for Michigan Men to spread the gospel of their university to the world’s distant outposts. And a conviction that nowhere, is there a better university, in any way, than this Michigan of ours.”


I invite you to explore the University of Michigan's bicentennial website, to look back on the last two hundred years & dream of what might be achieved in the next two hundred years, by the grace of God: Why 1817 Matters. Here in this New World, where we are forever innovating, forever reinventing ourselves, not that many things stand the test of two centuries; here in the Middle West, especially, two hundred years is a long time, longer than sacred Michigan has been a state. (The same is true of Illinois, Maine, Wisconsin, California, Minnesota, & in fact more than half of the fifty states.) If you reside in sacred Michigan, take advantage of the bicentennial events, if for no other reason that by definition this chance will never come again; if you don't reside in sacred Michigan, you have my pity.

The University of Michigan was founded on 26 August 1817, two hundred years ago today.

Yours, in deathless loyalty to Michigan & all her ways,
Mike Wilson
Michigan Wolverine

Bonus! Song o' the Bicentennial
The University of Michigan Marching Band, "The Yellow and Blue" from Hurrah for the Yellow and Blue (The Last Angry Wolverine)

Project BLACK MAMBA

'Tis the festival of Our Lady of Częstochowa (A.K.A. the Black Madonna of Częstochowa): Madonna-link & Wikipedia-link.

Commentary: Several years hence I received a bookmark bearing the image of Our Lady of Częstochowa & the Jasna Góra Monastery, a gift from Red Patton, a good-hearted infidel (raised a Lutheran), brought back from a tour through Poland. I use that particular bookmark to mark my place in The Pocket Guide to the Saints, meaning I use it every day, a welcome reminder of both my dear friend & the graciousness of Our Lady.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Alexander of Bergamo, Martyr (died circa 303), martyred in the reign of the emperors Diocletian & Maximian: Martyr-link & Wikipedia-link.

Commentary: Wayback Machine.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Bregwin of Canterbury, Bishop (died 764, also spelt Bregowine): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Teresa of Jesus Jornet Ibars, Religious, H.A.D. (1843-1897), foundress of the Little Sisters of the Abandoned Elderly: Saint-link & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link H.A.D.

Scripture of the Day
Mass Readings—Feria
The Book of Ruth, chapter two, verses one, two, three, & eight thru eleven & chapter four, verses thirteen thru seventeen;
Psalm One Hundred Twenty-eight, verses one(b) & two, three, four, & five;
The Gospel according to Matthew, chapter twenty-three, verses one thru twelve.

Commentary: Reflection by Bishop Robert Barron (Word on Fire):
Friends, our Gospel for today focuses on the pitfalls and ideals of religious leadership. This is a week when priests, ministers, and preachers have to preach to themselves. Jesus turns his sharp eye and withering critique on the many ways that religious leaders fall into corruption.

It is hard to miss the practical application of these texts to our troubled time, a period when clerical corruption and misconduct has been vividly on display. Jesus makes a distinction of capital importance. "The scribes and Pharisees have taken their seat on the chair of Moses. Therefore, do and observe all the things they tell you." The Lord reminds us that they do sit legitimately in teaching offices and that their teaching should be, accordingly, respected.

In the fourth century, St. Augustine faced the challenge of the Donatists. They claimed that only pure and morally upright priests could legitimately dispense the sacraments. Augustine said, no, the personal evil of a minister does not compromise the validity of what he does sacramentally.

This principle is of great significance. Augustine says in imitation of Christ, there can be evil men who do and teach the works of God.
Video reflection by Mimika Garesché: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the Day: SKAugust


Dance Hall Crashers, "State of Mind" from The Old Record (1989-1992) (The Last Angry Rude Boy)

Skammentary: Man alive, I can't believe I almost let SKAugust slip by without spotlighting the Dance Hall Crashers! Normally, this space would feature of an explanation of how D.H.C. are a ska band even though their music rarely features horns, but in this case that is unnecessary. "State of Mind" features both a syncopated rhythm (which we innocently & affectionately referred to as "ska guitar" for years & years after the Summer of Ska, before we learned better) & fully integrated horns.

Friday, August 25, 2017

Project BLACK MAMBA: Late Edition


'Tis the Optional Memorial of Saint Louis (1214-1270, A.K.A. King Louis IX of France): Saint-link ūnus, Saint-link duo, & Wikipedia-link.

Commentary: Wayback Machine. Quoth the Holy Redeemer bulletin:
St. Louis IX (1215-1270) who became King of France at the age of twelve. St. Louis gave to all the example of a life overflowing with charity & sovereign justice. He was a Franciscan tertiary.
Quoth the Holy Family bulletin:
At his coronation as king of France, Louis IX bound himself by oath to behave as God's anointed, as the father of his people, & feudal lord of the King of Peace. Other kings had done the same, of course. Louis was different in that he actually interpreted his kingly duties in the light of faith. After the violence of two previous reigns, he brought peace & justice.
'Tis the Optional Memorial of Saint Joseph Calasanz, Priest, Sch.P. (circa 1556-1648), founder of the Piarists, formally the Order of Poor Clerics Regular of the Mother of God of the Pious Schools: Saint-link ūnus, Saint-link duo, & Wikipedia-link; Order-link & Wikipedia-link Sch.P.

Commentary: Quoth the Holy Redeemer bulletin:
St. Joseph is the founder of the Poor Clerks regular (Piarists), a community devoted to the task of educating youth.
'Tis also the festival of Blessed Luigi Bordino, Priest (1922-1977): Blessed-link & Wikipedia-link.

'Tis also the festival of Blessed Alessandro Dordi, Priest & Martyr (1931-1991), martyred by the Shining Path Communists, one of the Three Martyrs of Chimbote: Martyr-link & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link III.

Scripture of the Day
Mass Readings—Feria
The Book of Ruth, chapter one, verses one, three thru six, fourteen(b), fifteen, sixteen, & twenty-two;
Psalm One Hundred Forty-six, verses five & six(a,b), six(c,d) & seven, eight & nine(a), & nine(b,c) & ten;
The Gospel according to Matthew, chapter twenty-two, verses thirty-four thru forty.

Commentary: Reflection by Bishop Robert Barron (Word on Fire):
Friends, in today's Gospel some Pharisees challenge Jesus to answer which commandment of the law is the greatest. Jesus responds that every power, every capacity in us must be given over to the love of God. But what exactly does it mean to love God?

St. Bernard of Clairvaux is helpful here. He said that the goal of the spiritual life is to love God alone, for the sake of God alone. Obviously, there are many things that compete for the love of God alone—money, sex, power, pleasure. But what Bernard saw is that even if God alone is the center of my life, I still might not be truly loving him for his sake alone. I might be using him.

He makes a helpful little distinction. He says that a slave has a kind of love for his master, but it is not truly love, for it is much more like fear. This can be very helpfully applied to the spiritual life. Many people who claim they love God, really fear him. What might he do to me? If I don't do the right things, I will be punished. Such attitudes are a long way from love.
Video reflection by Deacon Mike Pawelek: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.


Mass Readings—Optional Memorial of St. Louis
The Book of Isaiah, chapter fifty-eight, verses six thru eleven;
Psalm On Hundred Twelve, verse one;
The Gospel according to Matthew, chapter twenty-two, verses thirty-four thru forty.

Commentary: Your eyes to not deceive you, the Gospel is the same for St. Louis's memorial as for the feria.

Mass Readings—Optional Memorial of St. Joseph Calasanz
The First Letter to the Corinthians, chapter twelve, verse thirty-one thru chapter thirteen, verse thirteen
(or, the First Letter to the Corinthians, chapter thirteen, verses four thru thirteen);
Psalm Thirty-four, verse two;
The Gospel according to Matthew, chapter eighteen, verses one thru five.

Bible Study—The Bible Timeline: Divided Kingdom, Part 1 of 2
The First Book of Kings, chapter fourteen (verses one thru thirty-one);
The First Book of Kings, chapter fifteen (verses one thru thirty-four);
The First Book of Kings, chapter sixteen (verses one thru thirty-four).

Commentary: From II. Judah & Israel to the Time of Ahab: Death of Abijah (14:1-20), Reign of Rehoboam (14:21-31), Reign of Abijam (15:1-8), Reign of Asa (15:9-24), Reign of Nadab (15:25-32), Reign of Baasha (15:33-16:7), Reign of Elah (16:8-14), Reign of Zimri (16:15-22), Reign of Omri (16:23-28), & Reign of Ahab (16:29-34).

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the Day: SKAugust


Less Than Jake, "Scott Farcas Takes It on the Chin" from Hello Rockview (The Last Angry Rude Boy)

Skammentary: The fictional character from the motion picture A Christmas Story to whom the title "Scott Farcas Takes It on the Chin" clearly alludes is actually named Scut Farkus, not Scott Farcas.

In those salad days following the Summer of Ska, it quickly became our common custom to claim that every single Less Than Jake song is about "growing up and leaving town." That is an exaggeration, but only a slight one. "Scott Farcas" is a shining example of this predilection.
"Well, I think about this town,
Right now it's filled with
Speed freaks and assholes and all kinds of creeps,
And somehow every new face,
In every single case,
In a year or two will be erased.

"And how this place will chew you up
And spit you out before you go,
And when they drag you
Kicking and screaming
From the scene, you know
That it's time to leave…

"I know this place will chew you up
And spit you out before you go,
I know, I know,
And when they drag you
Kicking and screaming
From the scene, you know
That it's time to go,
That it's time to go."

Thursday, August 24, 2017

The Queue: Codex Interruptus

I'm very much enjoying Vanished Kingdoms, but once again I find myself at a convenient point to set the massive tome aside for a spell in favor of some explicitly religious reading. In the first tranche, I read four chapters concerned with erstwhile states located in latter-day France, Great Britain, & Spain (quoting from the table fo contents):
1. Tolosa: Soujourn of the Visgoths (A.D. 418-507)
2. Alt Culd: Kingdom of the Rock (Fifth to Twelfth Centuries)
3. Burgundia; Five, Six, or Seven Kingdoms (c. 411-1795)
4. Aragon: A Mediterranean Empire (1137-1714)
The latest tranche consisted of two lengthy chapters about erstwhile states located in latter-day Poland, the Baltics, & the Ukraine, separated by a brief chapter on the Byzantine Empire, which didn't so much discuss the Empire itself as Western perspectives on the thousand-year empire of Constantinople; specifically, Davies is delighted with recent attempts to reassess & rehabilitate the reputation of what called itself the Greek-speaking Roman Empire, to save it from the slander & vehement hatred of the so-called "Enlightenment" writers, most especially Satan's own historian, the repellent Edward Gibbon. In any event, it is the intertwined fates of the Poland-Lithuania & Prussia that suggested this as a logical moment to pause:
5. Litva: A Grand Duchy with King (1253-1795)
6. Byzantion: The Star-lit Golden Bough (330-1453)
7. Borussia: Watery Land of the Prusai (1230-1945)
Eight more chapters remain; so, I'd expect at least one more pause after the next resumption, thought again I stress that I truly delight in reading Vanished Kingdoms, the overall length & episodic nature of the chapters simply lend themselves to side trips into slimmer volumes.

As a bonus, the theme of The Real Story ties in nicely with my current, months-long Bible study, The Bible Timeline: The Story of Salvation. Synergy!

Recently
Pope Francis, Amoris Lætitia (The Joy of Love)
Mark Waid & Fiona Staples, Veronica Fish, Joe Eisma, et al., Archie, Volumes One, Two, & Three
Fulton Sheen, Finding True Happiness

Currently
Edward Sri & Curtis Martin, The Real Story: Understanding the Big Picture of the Bible
Gary Chapman with Randy Southern, The 5 Love Languages for Men: Tools for Making a Good Relationship Great

Presently
Norman Davies, Vanished Kingdoms: The Rise and Fall of States and Nations ***paused***
Sherry A. Weddell, Forming Intentional Disciples: The Path to Knowing and Following Jesus
Richard Price, Clockers
Sir Richard Francis Burton, translator, "Sinbad the Sailor" from The Arabian Nights
Sir Ernest Shackleton, South: A Memoir of the Endurance Voyage
William F. Buckley Jr., The Unmaking of a Mayor
William E. Simon Jr., Great Catholic Parishes: How Four Essential Practices Make Them Thrive
Mike Aquilina, Understanding the Mass: 100 Questions, 100 Answers
Thomas à Kempis, The Imitation of Christ
Bishop Robert Barron, Seeds of the Word: Finding God in the Culture
Scott & Kimberly Hahn, Rome Sweet Home: Our Journey to Catholicism
Kevin Lowry, How God Hauled Me Kicking and Screaming into the Catholic Church
John W. O'Malley, What Happened at Vatican II
Margaret MacMillan, Paris 1919: Six Months That Changed the World

Project BLACK MAMBA: Backlog Edition, Part IV

Saturday, 19 August was the Optional Memorial of Saint John Eudes, Priest, C.J.M. (1601-1680), founder of the Eudists, formally the Congregation of Jesus & Mary, & the Order of Our Lady of Charity: Saint-link ūnus, Saint-link duo, & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link C.J.M. & Wikipedia-link O.D.N.C.

Commentary: Wayback Machine. Quoth the Holy Redeemer bulletin:
St. John Eudes, C.J.M. was a French missionary & priest, who founded the Congregation of Jesus & Mary & the Order of Our Lady of Charity, & was the author of the propers for the Mass & Divine Office of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus & Mary.
Quoth the Holy Family bulletin:
St. John Eudes joined the religious community of the Oratorians & was ordained a priest at twenty-four. During severe plagues in 1627 & 1631, he volunteered to care for the stricken in his own diocese. Lest he infect his fellow religious, he lived in a huge cask in the middle of a field during the plague. He is probably best known for the central these of his writings: Jesus as the source of holiness, Mary as the model of the Christian life. John's devotion to the Sacred Heart & to the Immaculate Heart of Mary led Pius XI to declare him the father of the liturgical cult of the Hearts of Jesus & Mary.
'Twas also the festival of Saint Andrew Stratelates, Martyr (died circa 300, A.K.A. the Tribune), martyred in the reign of the emperors Diocletian & Maximian: Martyr-link & Wikipedia-link.

'Twas also the festival of Saint Louis of Toulouse, Bishop, O.F.M. (1274-1297, A.K.A. of Anjou): Saint-link ūnus, Saint-link duo, & Wikipedia-link.

'Twas also the festival of Blessed Hugh Green, Priest & Martyr (circa 1584-1642, A.K.A. Ferdinand Brooks or Brooke), martyred in the reign of the king Charles I: Martyr-link & Wikipedia-link.

Scripture of That Day
Mass Readings—Feria
The Book of Joshua, chapter twenty-four, verses fourteen thru twenty-nine;
Psalm Sixteen, verses one, two(a), & five; seven & eight; & eleven;
The Gospel according to Matthew, chapter nineteen, verses thirteen, fourteen, & fifteen.

Commentary: Reflection by Bishop Robert Barron (Word on Fire):
Friends, in our Gospel for today, Jesus proposes that the Kingdom of heaven belongs to those who are like children. Why? For starters, children don't know how to dissemble, how to be one way and act another. They are what they are; they act in accordance with their deepest nature. "Kids say the darndest things," because they don't know how to hide the truth of their reactions.

In this, they are like stars or flowers or animals, things that are what they are, unambiguously, uncomplicatedly. They are in accord with God's deepest intentions for them.

To say it another way, they haven't yet learned how to look at themselves. Why can a child immerse himself so eagerly and thoroughly in what he is doing? Why can he find joy in the simplest thing, like pushing a train around a track or watching a video over and over, or kicking a ball around? Because he can lose himself; because he is not looking at himself, not conscious of other people's reactions, expectations, and approval.

Mind you, this childlikeness has nothing to do with being unsophisticated, unaccomplished, or childish. Thomas Aquinas was one of the most accomplished men to ever live, the greatest intellectual in the history of the Church, one of the subtlest minds in the history of the West. Yet the terms that were used over and over to describe him were "childlike" and "innocent."

Childlikeness has to do with that rootedness in what God wants us to be. Thomas was born to be a theologian and a writer, and nothing would get him off of that beam: neither the critiques of his enemies, nor the blandishments of his religious superiors, nor the temptations to become a bishop. He was and remained who God wanted him to be and thus he was like a great mountain or a flower or, indeed, a child.
Video reflection by Nicholas Sciarappa: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.


Mass Readings—Optional Memorial of St. John Eudes
The Letter to the Ephesians, chapter three, verses fourteen thru nineteen;
Psalm One Hundred Thirty-one;
The Gospel according to Matthew, chapter eleven, verses twenty-five thru thirty.

Project BLACK MAMBA: Current Edition

'Tis the Feast of Saint Bartholomew, Apostle (first century, A.K.A. Nathanael): Apostle-link ūnus, Apostle-link duo, Wikipedia-link Bravo, & Wikipedia-link November.

Commentary: Wayback Machine. Quoth the Holy Redeemer bulletin:
Bartholomew was one of the Twelve. All that is known of him with certainty is that he is mentioned in the synoptic gospels & Acts as one of the Twelve. He was flayed & beheaded by King Astyages.
Quoth the Holy Family bulletin:
In the New Testament, Bartholomew is mentioned only in the lists if the apostles. Some scholars identify him with Nathanael, a man of Cana in Galilee who was summoned to Jesus by [St.] Philip [3 May]. Jesus paid him a great compliment: "Here is a true Israelite. There is no duplicity in him" (John, 1:47b). When Nathanael asked how Jesus knew him, Jesus said, "I saw you under the fig tree" (John, 1:48b).

Whatever amazing revelation this involved, it brought Nathanael to exclaim, "Rabbi you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel" (John, 1:49b).

But Jesus countered with, "Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than this" (John, 1:50b).
'Tis also the festival of Saint Audoin, Bishop (circa 605-686, A.K.A. Ouen, Dado, etc.): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link.

'Tis also the festival of Blessed Edward Kaźmierski, Martyr (1919-1942), martyred in the reign of the Führer Adolf Hitler, one of the One Hundred Eight Martyrs of World War II: Martyr-link & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link CVIII.

Scripture of This Day
Mass Readings—Feast of St. Bartholomew
The Book of Revelation, chapter twenty-one, verses nine(b) thru fourteen;
Psalm One Hundred Forty-five, verses ten & eleven, twelve & thirteen, & seventeen & eighteen;
The Gospel according to John, chapter one, verses forty-five thru fifty-one.

Commentary: Reflection by Bishop Robert Barron (Word on Fire):
Friends, in today's Gospel Nathaniel declares to Jesus, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel." Nathaniel is also called Bartholomew, whose feast day we are celebrating.

Evangelical Scripture scholar N.T. Wright has told us that when a first-century Jew spoke of the arrival of God's kingdom, he was taken to mean something very specific. He was announcing that the temple was going to be restored, that the proper worship of Yahweh would be obtained, that the enemies of Israel would be dealt with and that, above all, the tribes of the Lord would be gathered and through them the tribes of the world.

This is why Jesus chose twelve disciples, evocative of the twelve tribes. They would be the prototype and the catalyst for the gathering of Israel and hence the gathering of everyone. They would be the fundamental community and sign of unity.
Video reflection by Father Don Miller, O.F.M.: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the Day: SKAugust


The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, "Royal Oil" from Let's Face It (The Last Angry Rude Boy)

Skammentary: Sometimes we forget just how sensational the Summer of Ska was. "Royal Oil" reached № 22 on the popular-music charts, the third single from Let's Face It to chart. This is all the more impressive because "Royal Oil" isn't a song about romance or heartbreak, or a snarky ode to sarcasm & celebrity, but an earnest, catchy anti-drug song. Going back to the earliest days of ska, when the various Jamaican sound systems pleaded with rude boys to mend their wicked ways & stop thieving, robbing, & vandalizing, ska at its best has always had a social conscience (even if some too-cool-for-school music critics dismissed the anti-violence title track, "Let's Face It," as "preachy").
"Royal Oil, come on bubble and boil,
Stabs like dagger, make you stagger, on a hot tin foil,
Mind your mind or it will surely spoil,
Then you sleep down in the soil,
Nothing come from nothing, come on
Royal Oil.

"When you smoke or poke the poison,
You lose the chance to be tomorrow,
(Don't lose your chance)
Look out on the horizon,
And see the sadness, the pain, and the sorrow…

"Royal Oil has cut many down to size,
Spikes gonna strike the weak and strong alike,
And then forever and ever close those eyes,
Make up your mind to keep your mind up,
And to your life be loyal…

Make up your mind, keep up your mind,
And to your life you've got to be loyal…"

Wednesday, August 23, 2017

Project BLACK MAMBA: Current Edition

'Tis the Optional Memorial of Saint Rose of Lima, Virgin, T.O.S.D. (1586-1617): Saint-link ūna, Saint-link duae, & Wikipedia-link.

Commentary: Wayback Machine. Quoth the Holy Redeemer bulletin:
Saint Rose was a member of the Third Order of Saint Dominic in Lima, Peru, who became known for both her life of severe asceticism & her care of the needy of the city through her own private efforts.
Quoth the Holy Family bulletin:
The first canonized saint of the New World has one characteristic of all saints—the suffering of opposition—& another characteristic which is more for admiration than for imitation—excessive practice of mortification. She was born to parents of Spanish descent in Lima, Peru, at a time when South America was in its first century of evangelization. She seems to have taken [St.] Catherine of Siena (April 29) as a model, in spite of the objections & ridicule of parents & friends.
'Tis also the festival of Saint Tydfil, Martyr (died circa 480), martyred by pagan marauders (Picts, Welsh, or Saxons is unclear): Martyr-link & Wikipedia-link.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Filippo Benizzi, Religious, O.S.M. (1233-1285, Anglicized as Philip Benizi): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link.

'Tis also the festival of Blessed Mariano García Méndez, Priest & Martyr, S.C.I. (1891-1936), martyred by Spanish Communist "Republicans" (Rojos), one of the Two Hundred Thirty-three Spanish Martyrs: Martyr-link & Wikipedia-link (list); Wikipedia-link CCXXXIII.

Scripture of This Day
Mass Readings—Feria
The Book of Judges, chapter nine, verses six thru fifteen;
Psalm Twenty-one, verses two & three, four & five, & six & seven;
The Gospel according to Matthew, chapter twenty, verses one thru sixteen.

Commentary: Reflection by Bishop Robert Barron (Word on Fire):
Friends, our Gospel today is the story of a landowner goes out to hire workers for his field, hiring some the first thing in the morning and then others at different times during the day. Then he pays each the same wage. Why should those who have worked only an hour be paid the same as those who have slaved in the hot sun all day? Is the landowner really being unfair?

Perhaps he intuited just how miserable a day those hired last had spent. Perhaps he knew that they were poorer, more desperate, less gifted. Maybe he knew what they needed was a bit more encouragement.

Here's a second perspective on this mysterious story. We sinners are very susceptible to a reward-centered understanding of our relationship to God. Tit for tat. I do this; then you better do that. But this is very juvenile.

We've been invited to work in the vineyard of the Lord. That is the greatest privilege imaginable, to participate in the Lord's work of saving the world. Why are we fussing about rewards? And how liberating this is! I don't have to spend my life fussing and spying and worrying and comparing. I can live.
Video reflection by Jem Sullivan, Ph.D.: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.


Mass Readings—Optional Memorial of St. Rose of Lima
The Second Letter to the Corinthians, chapter ten, verse seventeen thru chapter eleven, verse two;
confer Psalm One Hundred Forty-eight, verses twelve(a) & thirteen(a);
The Gospel according to Matthew, chapter thirteen, verses forty-four, forty-five, & forty-six.

Bible Study—The Bible Timeline: Divided Kingdom, Part 1 of 2
The First Book of Kings, chapter twelve (verses one thru thirty-three);
The First Book of Kings, chapter thirteen (verses one thru thirty-four).

Commentary: II. Judah & Israel to the Time of Ahab: Secession of Israel (12:1-25), Religious Rebellion (12:26-32), & Message of the Prophet from Judah (12:33-13:34).

Project BLACK MAMBA: Backlog Edition, Part III

Friday, 18 August was the festival of Saint Helena (circa 248-328), discoverer of the True Cross: Saint-link & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link True Cross.

Commentary: Wayback Machine.

'Twas also the festival of Saint Inan of Ayrshire, Hermit (ninth century, A.K.A. Evan): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link.

'Twas also the festival of Blessed Martín Martínez Pascual, Priest & Martyr (1910-1936), martyred by Spanish Communist "Republicans" (Rojos): Martyr-link & Wikipedia-link (en español).

Scripture of That Day
Mass Readings—Feria
The Book of Joshua, chapter twenty-four, verses one thru thirteen;
Psalm One Hundred Thirty-six, verses one, two, & three; sixteen, seventeen, & eighteen; & twenty-one, twenty-two, & twenty-four;
The Gospel according to Matthew, chapter nineteen, verses three thru twelve.

Commentary: Reflection by Bishop Robert Barron (Word on Fire):
Friends, in today's Gospel Jesus teaches about the sanctity and permanence of marriage. Now we begin to see why the love of a husband and wife is a sacrament of God's love. The Father and the Son—while remaining distinct—give themselves utterly to each other, and this mutual giving is the Holy Spirit.

So when two people come together in love and form one flesh, they mimic the love between the Father and the Son. And when their love gives rise to a child, this mimics sacramentally the spiration of the Holy Spirit. Father, mother, and children are evocative of the divine Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

And this is why Jesus speaks so forcefully about marriage, and why his Church, at its best, has echoed him up and down the centuries. It is because marriage is such a sacred sign that the Church has sought so assiduously to protect it.

I know that the Church gets a bad rap for surrounding marriage and sexuality with so many rules. I realize that libertarians through the ages have fought against the supposed uptight moralism of the Church. But look: human beings always surround precious things with laws, restrictions, and prohibitions.
Video reflection by Sister Elizabeth Ann Vasquez, S.S.C.J.: U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Operation AXIOM: Black Ribbon Day


'Tis Black Ribbon Day, the American observance of the European Day of Remembrance for Victims of Stalinism & Nazism. Seventy-eight years ago to the day, 23 August 1939, the foreign ministers of Nazi Germany & the Soviet Union signed the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, a neutrality agreement that divided Eastern Europe into "spheres of influence." For the next fifty-two years, 'til the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, first Nazi & then Communist totalitarian repression would blight the face of Europe, slaughtering tens of millions outright & grinding hundreds of millions of terrorized survivors under an iron boot. We dare never forget how close absolutely tyranny was, how acceptable it was in even polite company. We American fought the good fight against both Nazism & Soviet Communism, but very few of us ever saw the oppression close up, even lived in such fear societies. Never forget & never again.

"First They Came…"
by Martin Niemöller (1892-1984)

First they came for the Communists,
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Communist.

Then they came for the Jews,
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew.

Then they came for the trade unionists,
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a trade unionist.

Then they came for the Catholics,
and I didn't speak up because I was a Protestant.

Then they came for me,
and by that time no one was left to speak up.


The Wayback Machine Tour of Black Ribbon Day
Black Ribbon Day '16
Black Ribbon Day '15
Black Ribbon Day '14

'Tis also the International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade & its Abolition. The slave trade may no longer be legal, but we should never mistake abolition from elimination. Slavery continues today, & we are all in chains so long as anyone is in chains.

While I dislike the tenor of much of our current sociopolitical discourse, I must say I am greatly encouraged by the recent movement to remove statues of Confederate "heroes" & to rename buildings & institutions that had honored that vile conglomeration of slavers & traitors. The Confederates lost the war, but in all too many ways they won the peace; it is high time we recognize treason as treason, & debunk & denounce the myth of the "Lost Cause of the Confederacy."

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the Day: SKAugust


Reel Big Fish, "Beer" from Turn the Radio Off (The Last Angry Rude Boy)

Skammentary: It as clear fairly early on that heartbreak was the norm in ska-punk, that romance rarely had a happy ending. A paraphrase of Rob's question from High Fidelity has long seemed appropriate: Am I cynical about romance because I listen to ska music of do I listen to ska music because I'm cynical about romance?
"She called me late last night
To say she loved me so,
But I guess you changed her mind.
Well, I should have known it wouldn't be alright,
But I can't live without her,
So I won't even try.

"And if I get drunk, well, I'll pass out on the floor now, baby,
You won't bother me no more,
And if you're drinking, well, you know that you're my friend and I'll say,
I guess I'll have myself a beer!

"Maybe someday I'll think of what to say,
Maybe next time I'll remember what to do,
She looks like heaven, maybe this is hell…"

Tuesday, August 22, 2017

Project BLACK MAMBA: Current Edition

'Tis the Memorial of the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary: Madonna-link ūna, Madonna-link duae, & Wikipedia-link.

Commentary: Wayback Machine. Quoth the Holy Redeemer bulletin:
Jesus is King throughout all eternity by nature & by right of conquest; through Him, with Him, & subordinate to Him, Mary is Queen by grace, by divine relationship, by right of conquest, & by singular choice of the Father.
'Tis also the festival of Blesseds Richard Kirkman & William Lacy, Priests & Martyrs (died 1582), martyred in the reign of the queen Elizabeth I: Martyr-link Romeo Kilo, Martyr-link Whiskey Lima & Wikipedia-link Whiskey Lima.

'Tis also the festival of Saint John Kemble, Priest & Martyr (1599-1679), martyred in the reign of the king Charles II, a victim of the perjurer Titus Oates' "Popish Plot" hoax, one of the Forty Martyrs of England & Wales: Martyr-link & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link P.P. & Wikipedia-link XL.

Scripture of This Day
Mass Readings—Feria
The Book of Judges, chapter six, verses eleven thru twenty-four(a);
Psalm Eighty-five, verses nine, eleven & twelve, & thirteen & fourteen;
The Gospel according to Matthew, chapter nineteen, verses twenty-three thru thirty.

Mass Readings—Memorial of the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary
The Book of Isaiah, chapter nine, verses one thru six;
Psalm One Hundred Thirteen, verse two;
The Gospel according to Luke, chapter one, verses twenty-six thru thirty-eight.

Commentary: Video reflection by Father Eugene Ulrich: U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Reflection by Bishop Robert Barron (Word on Fire):
Friends, today we celebrate the Queenship of Mary. Mary, Queen Mary, was the definitive bearer of the divine presence, the Ark of the Covenant par excellence. When she visited her cousin Elizabeth, the infant John the Baptist leapt in his mother's womb, doing his own version of David's dance before the Ark.

The Queen Mother—like all of the monarchs of Israel—is a fighter. Israel frequently brought the Ark into battle with them. Most famously, the priests parade around the city of Jericho bearing the Ark, just before the walls came tumbling down.

The Queenship of Mary is not a sentimental feast. Whenever biblical people spoke of kings or queens, they were speaking of warriors. The question for us is, which side are we on? Those trained in the Jesuit spiritual tradition know of the "two standards" meditation, which compels us to make the simple choice: in which army do you serve?

We fight, of course, not with the puny weapons of the world, but with the weapons of the Spirit, by God we fight. So don't just honor and acknowledge the Queenship of Mary; get in her army.
Penance
The Gospel according to Luke, chapter five, verses one thru eleven.

Commentary: The Call of Simon the Fisherman (Luke, 5:1-11).

Project BLACK MAMBA: Backlog Edition, Part II

Thursday, 17 August was the festival of Saint Eusebius, Pope (died circa 310), thirty-first Bishop of Rome: Saint-link & Wikipedia-link.

Commentary: Wayback Machine.

'Twas also the festival of Saint Joan of the Cross, Religious (1666-1736, A.K.A. Jeanne Delanoue), foundress of the Congregation of the Sisters of Saint Anne of Providence of Saumur: Saint-link ūna, Saint-link duae, & Wikipedia-link.

'Twas also the festival of Blessed Marie-Élisabeth Turgeon, Religious (1840-1881), foundress of the Sisters of Our Lady of the Rosary: Blessed-link & Wikipedia-link.

Commentary: Bl. Marie-Élisabeth was beatified on 26 April 2015.

Scripture of That Day
Mass Readings—Feria
The Book of Joshua, chapter three, verses seven thru ten(a), eleven, & thirteen thru seventeen;
Psalm One Hundred Fourteen, verses one & two, three & four, & five & six;
The Gospel according to Matthew, chapter eighteen, verse twenty-one thru chapter nineteen, verse one.

Commentary: Video reflection by Father Don Miller, O.F.M.: U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Reflection by Bishop Robert Barron (Word on Fire):
Friends, our Gospel today focuses on the gift of forgiveness. This is such an anchor of the New Testament, and so central to Jesus' ministry and preaching. When it comes to the offenses that we have received from others, we are, all of us, great avatars of justice. We will remember every insult, every snub, and every shortcoming, when it comes to our being hurt by others. That's why forgiving even once or twice is so difficult.

Forgiving seven times, as Peter suggests, is beyond the pale. Yet Jesus says to him, "I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times." In other words, forgive constantly, relentlessly, without calculation. Your whole life must become an act of forgiveness.

And this is why Jesus tells the parable in today's Gospel. The man who had been forgiven so much should, at the very least, show forgiveness to the one who owed him so much less.

Here is the spiritual heart of the matter: whatever anyone owes you (in strict justice) is infinitely less than what God has graciously given to you; the divine forgiveness of you is infinitely greater than any forgiveness you might be called upon to offer.

Becoming an instrument of God's life, grace, forgiveness, and peace is what it is all about. Allow to flow through you what has been poured into you—that is the whole story.

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the Day: SKAugust


The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, "The Rascal King" from Let's Face It (The Last Angry Rude Boy)

Skammentary: "The Rascal King" charted at № 7, proving that The Mighty Mighty Bosstones are not, in point of fact, "one-hit wonders." ("The Impression That I Get," the debut single from Let's Face It, reached № 1.)

Unbeknownst 'til these latter days, the eponymous rascal king was crooked Boston politician James Michael Curley (1874-1958), who served five months of his fourth term as mayor of Boston in federal prison for mail fraud. The epitome of corrupt Democratic machine politics, Curley also served as governor of Massachusetts, United States representative, & Massachusetts state representative. I'm no longer a Republican, but that doesn't mean I've lost any of my disdain for Democrats.

Monday, August 21, 2017

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the Day: SKAugust


Johnny Socko, "They Know Us at the Spa" from Full Trucker Effect (The Last Angry Rude Boy)

Skammentary: I know nothing of Johnny Socko's music beyond Full Trucker Effect, having been first introduced to "They Know Us at the Spa" on the Asian Man Records compilation Mailorder Is Still Fun!!, the second in the series. Back in the day, before iTunes, that was how we sampled new music.
"Three in the A.M., Lincoln northbound,
Nobody knows me in this big, windy town,
Gig is over, but I'm not done yet,
Feel like shaking the rattle before I crawl into my bassinet.
Only one place, and that's drawing near,
Milk of human kindness: skunky Croatian beer,
Front desk, Ray looks up, says, 'Welcome home,'
Ain't no more need to roam.

"They know us at the spa, yeah yeah,
They know us at the spa, yeah yeah,
They know us at the spa, yeah yeah,
They know us at the spa, yeah yeah,
They know us at the spa.

"Best not overload the elevator,
If I was you I wouldn't even touch the floor,
T.V. is fine if you like W.G.N.,
Odds are two to one that you get the fresh linens,
Head down to the bar for a couple of belts,
Order what you want, you'll end up with something else,
Rum turns to whiskey, whiskey becomes gin,
'You like the Thompson Twins?'…"