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Requiescat in pace.
Est. 2002 | "This was a Golden Age, a time of high adventure, rich living, and hard dying… but nobody thought so." —Alfred Bester
St. John Bosco was born near Castelnuovo in the diocese of Turin in 1815. His early years were most difficult & so once ordained to the priesthood he dedicated himself to the education of the young, founding congregations which would instruct youth in both the arts & the Christian life. His system of education was based on "reason, religion, & kindness." He founded the Society of St. Francis de Sales. His ministry was important in a time of industrial revolution & anti-clericalism. One of his most notable students is St. Dominic Savio. He died on 31 January 1888. Pope (St.) John Paul II named him, "teacher & father to the young."Scripture of the Week
"Stonehenge! Where the demons dwell,
Where the banshees live and they do live well!
Stonehenge! Where a man's a man
And the children dance to the pipes of Pan…"
"You're just what I needed,
You're just what I needed,
You're just what I needed,
Yeah, yeah, yeah!"
He was an Italian Dominican friar &… priest who was an immensely influential philosopher, theologian, & jurist in the tradition of Scholasticism.'Tis also the feast of Blessed Charlemagne (circa 742-814, A.K.A. Charles the Great, etc.), King of the Franks & the inaugural Holy Roman Emperor: Blessed-link & Wikipedia-link.
"I'm off on a rocketship,
Prepare for somethin' new,
I'm off on a rocketship,
Ecstatic with the view,
I am scared of the things upcomin'
And I want for the things I don't have,
Cannot stand to be one of many,
I'm not what they are…"
She founded the Company of St. Ursula in which women dedicated their lives to the service of the Church through the education of girls. From this organization later sprang the monastic Order of Ursulines, whose nuns established places of prayer & learning throughout Europe, worldwide, & in North Americas.'Tis also the feast of Saint Julian of Le Mans, Bishop (third century): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link.
Timothy had the honor of being a fellow apostle with Paul, both sharing the privilege of preaching the gospel & suffering for it. Titus has the distinction of being a close friend & disciple of Paul as well as a fellow missionary.'Tis also the feast of Saint Paula, Abbess (347-404): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link.
"…And she said,
'I don't like you,
You can't stop me,
I can't love ya any more than this.'"
Saul witness the risen Christ, which fulfilled the qualification for an apostle (Acts, 1:21-22). Only those who had seen the risen Christ could testify to His resurrection. Paul's life-changing experience on the Damascus Road led to his baptism & instruction in the Christian faith. He became the most determined of the apostles, suffering brutal physical pain, persecution, & finally martyrdom.'Tis also the feast of Saint Poppo of Stavelot, Abbot (circa 977-1048): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link.
St. Fabian is famous for the miraculous nature of his election, in which a dove is said to have descended on his head to mark him as the Holy Spirit's unexpected choice to become the next pope.'Twas also the feast of Saint Sebastian, Martyr (died circa 288), martyred under the emperor Diocletian: Martyr-link ūnus, Martyr-link duo, & Wikipedia-link.
According to historical records, [intercessory prayer to] St. Sebastian defended the city of Rome against the plague in 680. He is the patron saint of soldiers, athletes, & those who desire a saintly death.'Twas also feast of Saint Henry of Uppsala, Bishop & Martyr (died circa 1156), martyred by a pagan Finn: Martyr-link & Wikipedia-link.
"To everything, turn! turn! turn!
There is a season, turn! turn! turn!
And a time to every purpose under heaven.
"A time to be born, a time to die,
A time to plant, a time to reap,
A time to kill, a time to heal,
A time to laugh, a time to weep…
"A time to be build up, a time to break down,
A time to dance, a time to mourn,
A time to cast away stones,
A time to gather stones together…
"A time of love, a time of hate,
A time of war, a time of peace,
A time you may embrace,
A time to refrain from embracing…
"A time to gain, a time to lose,
A time to rend, a time to sow,
A time for love, a time for love,
A time for peace, I swear it's not too late!"
Vincent was cruelly tortured because he would not surrender the holy books. He converted the warden of the prison & then died.'Tis also the Optional Memorial of Saint Marianne Cope, Virgin, O.S.F. (1838-1918): Saint-link ūna, Saint-link duae, & Wikipedia-link.
In 1883, Sr. Marianne relocated with six other Sisters, from New York to Hawaii to care for persons suffering (from) Hansen's Disease on the island of Moloka'i & aid in developing the medical infrastructure in Hawaii.'Tis also the feast of Blessed Nikolaus Groß, Martyr (1898-1945, A.K.A. Gross), martyred under the Führer Adolf Hitler: Martyr-link & Wikipedia-link.
Hilary is the pre-eminent Latin writer of the fourth century (before St. Ambrose [7 December]). St. Augustine of Hippo (28 August) called him "the illustrious doctor of the churches," & his works continued to be highly influential in later centuries. Most trustworthy are the notices in St. Jerome (De vir. illus. 100; 30 September), Sulpicius Severus (Chron. ii. 39-45), & in Hilary's own writings. Pope Pius IX formally recognized him as Universae Ecclesiae Doctor in 1851. Some consider St. Hilary of Poitiers as the patron saint of lawyers.'Twas also the feast of Blessed Veronica of Milan (circa 1445-1497): Blessed-link & Wikipedia-link.
"Christ teaches that only those who become again, as it were, little children, & by the simplicity of that age cut off the inordinate affections of the vice, can enter the kingdom of heaven."—St. Hilary of Poitiers
"Outside the sun rose
And you stayed inside,
You kept your eyes closed
And pulled down the shades on your window,
You decided to hide out from the sunlight,
It's too bright, just doesn't sit right
With the way you're feeling today,
You're cloudy and gray…"
Agnes is one of seven women who, along with the Blessed Virgin, are commemorated by name in the Canon of the Mass. She is the patron saint of chastity, gardnerers, girls, engaged couples, rape survivors, virgins, the Children of Mary.The Children of Mary referenced here is a lay society associated with the Jesuits.
"If the president does it, that means it's not illegal."We now present a hyperlink to an interesting though troubling appraisal of the Obama administration from Professor Jonathan Turley of the George Washington University Law School, a man whose politics run quite counter to our own on a plethora of issues: Obamboozled-link.
"Well, I know I missed more than hit
With a face that was launched to sink
And I seldom feel the bright relief,
It's been the worst day since yesterday.
"If there's one thing I have said,
It's that the dreams I once had now lay in bed,
As the four winds blow my wits through the door
It's been the worst day since yesterday.
"Fallin' down to you, sweet ground,
Where the flowers they bloom, well, it's there I'll be found.
Hurry back to me my wild calling.
It's been the worst day since yesterday.
"Though these wounds have seen no wars
Except for the scars I have ignored,
And this endless crutch, well, it's never enough,
It's been the worst day since yesterday.
"Hell says, 'Hello,'
Well, it's time I should go,
To pastures green that I've yet to see.
Hurry back to me my wild calling.
It's been the worst day since yesterday.
It's been the worst day since yesterday.
It's been the worst day since yesterday."
"Everybody's better than I am,
I think everybody's better than me,
And everybody's swell, I guess,
They're doing well, more or less,
And everybody's better than I am…"
"There's a little song that we sing in our movement down in the South—I don't know if you've heard it. It has become the theme song—'We Shall Overcome.'"From the end:
"Deep in my heart I do believe we shall overcome. And I tell you why: We shall overcome because the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice. Behind the dim unknown standeth God within the shadows, keeping watch above His own. We shall overcome because the Bible is right: You shall reap what you sow. We shall overcome! Deep in my heart I do believe we shall overcome with His favor."
"Staring at the shoreline, wishing for some hope,
The weight of empty fishing nets is more twisted rope,
And underneath stern faces they wait with baited breath,
With broken hearts from hoping while casting out their nets.
"See the figure on the shore,
Speaks His words like plain men sing,
His hands they still have holes in them.
Glory to the King!
"Can you hear the bells are ringing
Far, far away?
Can you hear the voices singing
Far, far away?
"And Peter was a liar, a traitor just like me,
And Judas was a hypocrite, and Paul a Pharisee,
When truth can be so distant and hope evades our reach,
Peter swam across the water and foundered on the beach…
"I know that one day soon the song shall rise,
You'll hear it with the sleep still in your eyes…"
"Come away with me, Lucille,
In my merry Oldsmobile,
Down the road of life we'll fly,
Automobubbling, you & I,
To the church we'll quickly steal,
Then our wedding bells with peal,
You can go as far as you like with me
In my merry Oldsmobile."
"Three long years, millions of beers,
But the Devil is back, so girls dry your tears…"
"You called me last night on the telephoneBy contrast, I love this weather.
And I was glad to hear from you 'cause I was all alone,
You said, 'It's snowing! It's snowing! God, I hate this weather!'
Now I walk through blizzards just to get us back together…"
"Good thing I'm smarter than you…"
Along with the crucifixion of Jesus, most biblical scholars view [His baptism] as one of the two historically certain facts about Him, & often use it as the starting point for the study of the historical Jesus.Were 10 January not a Sunday, 'twould be the feast of Saint Gregory of Nyssa, Bishop (circa 330-395): Saint-link ūnus, Saint-link duo, & Wikipedia-link.
"As I went down in the river to pray,
Studying about that good old away
And who shall wear the starry crown,
Good Lord, show me the way.
"O sinners, let's go down, let's go down, come on down,
O sinners, let's go down, down in the river to pray.
"As I went down in the river to pray,
Studying about that good old way
And who shall wear the robe and crown,
Good Lord, show me the way."
"Go, tell it on the mountain,
Over the hills and everywhere,
Go, tell it on the mountain
That Jesus Christ is born!"
"I saw three ships come sailing in
On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day,
I saw three ships come sailing in
On Christmas Day in the morning.
"And all the bells on Earth shall ring
On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day,
And all the bells on Earth shall ring
On Christmas Day in the morning.
"Let us all rejoice again
On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day,
Let us all rejoice again
On Christmas Day in the morning.
"I saw three ships come sailing in
On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day,
I saw three ships come sailing in
On Christmas Day in the morning."