Saints + Scripture: Pascha

'Tis the Thursday of the Third Week of Easter (Latin: Pascha, meaning "Passover"): Pascha-link & Wikipedia-link Paschaltide.

The Popish Plot: vEaster
"The 2nd Mass in the Bible"

Death without the Eucharist: Day 44
He was forty-four days dying & not yet dead.

'Tis the Optional Memorial of Saint Pius V, Pope, O.P. (1504-1572; A.K.A. Antonio Ghislieri, Michele Ghislieri), two hundred twenty-fifth (CCXXV) Bishop of Rome (1566-1572), Bishop of Mondovì (1560-1566); who implemented the reforms of the Council of Trent (1545-1563, the nineteenth [XIX] ecumenical council) & excommunicated the English queen Elizabeth I through the papal bull Regnans in Excelsis (1570); & who organized the Holy League that won the Battle of Lepanto (1571), which he celebrated by instituting the Feast of Our Lady of Victory: Saint-link ūnus, Saint-link duo, Saint-link trēs, & Wikipedia-link; Pontifex-link & Wikipedia-link Pontifex, & Wikipedia-link Mondovì; Council-link & Wikipedia-link Trent, & Wikipedia-link Regnans in Excelsis; Wikipedia-link Holy League, Battle-link & Wikipedia-link Lepanto, & Wikipedia-link Madonna.

Commentary: Wayback Machine '18.

'Tis also the festival of Saints Amator, Priest; Ludovico; & Pietro of Córdoba, Religious; Martyrs (died 855), martyred in the reign of the Andalusian king Muhammad I, three of the forty-eight Martyrs of Córdoba: Martyr-link Alpha, Martyr-link Lima, Martyr-link Papa, & Wikipedia-link (List); Wikipedia-link Córdoba.

'Tis also the festival of Blessed William Southerne, Priest & Martyr (circa 1569-1618), martyred in the reign of the Anglo-Scottish king James VI & I, one of the Eighty-five Martyrs of England & Wales: Martyr-link & Wikipedia-link; Martyrs-link England & Wales & Wikipedia-link England & Wales.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Marie of the Incarnation, Religious, O.S.U. (1599-1672, A.K.A. Marie Guyart): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link.

Commentary: Across the water in the Canadas, St. Marie's feast is an obligatory Memorial. Not to be confused with Bl. Marie of the Incarnation, O.C.D. [18 April].

'Tis also the festival of Saint Giuseppe Benedetto Cottolengo, Priest, T.O.S.F. (1786-1842), founder of the Little House of Divine Providence, nicknamed the "University of Charity:" Saint-link ūnus, Saint-link duo, & Wikipedia-link.

'Tis also the festival of Blessed Dedë Plani, Priest & Martyr (1891-1948), martyred in the reign of the Communist dictator Enver Hoxha: Martyr-link & Wikipedia-link (List); Wikipedia-link Albania.

Scripture of the Day
Mass Readings—Thursday of the Third Week of Easter
The Acts of the Apostles, chapter eight, verses twenty-six thru forty;
Psalm Sixty-six (R/. one), verses eight & nine, sixteen & seventeen, & twenty;
The Gospel according to John, chapter six, verses forty-four thru fifty-one.

Commentary: Reflection by Bishop Robert Barron (Word on Fire):

Friends, in today’s Gospel Jesus declares, "I am the living bread that came down from heaven." The bread is referred to as living. Bread is good, but it’s not alive. Instead, when we take it in, and it is turned by our bodies into fat or muscle or bone, then it comes alive.

But it is just the opposite with the living bread of Christ. This we take in and we become alive in a way that we were not before. And this is why Jesus says that he is bread come down from heaven.

What is heaven? St. Paul says, "Eye has not seen and ear has not heard what God has prepared for those who love him." Paul’s pithy remark gives us a clue: "those who love him." Whatever heaven is, it is the realm of God, and therefore it is a realm of love.

What is the Eucharist, this heavenly food, but a participation in the love between the Father and the Son? In the Eucharist, the sacrifice of Christ is made present, and the sacrifice of Christ is the fullest expression of the love of the Father and the Son.

Video reflection by Susan Timoney, S.T.D. (U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops): Daily Reflection.

Video reflection by Curtis Mitch (St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology): Mass Readings Reflection.

Mass Readings—Optional Memorial of St. Pius V
The First Letter to the Corinthians, chapter four, verses one thru five;
Psalm One Hundred Ten (R/. four[b]), verses one, two, three, & four;
The Gospel according to John, chapter twenty-one, verses fifteen, sixteen, & seventeen.

Scripture Study—Day 91: Samuel's Summit, Day 4
The First Book of Samuel, chapter two, verses one thru ten.

Commentary: Hannah's Prayer (1 Samuel, 2:1-10).

Scripture Study—The 3:16 Project
The Second Letter of Peter, chapter three, verses fifteen & sixteen.

And count the forbearance of our Lord as salvation. So also our beloved brother Paul wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, speaking of this as he does in all his letters. There are some things in them hard to understand, which the ignorant & unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures.

Papal Quote o' the Day

"Each of us can say: 'I hope, because God is beside me.'"
—Pope Francis (b. 1936, r. 2013-present)

Saint Quote o' the Day

"The original source of all that is good is the very act of God, who created both the earth & man, & Who gave the earth to man so that he might have dominion over it by his work & enjoy its fruits. God gave the earth to the whole human race for the sustenance of all its members, without excluding or favoring anyone. This is the foundation of the universal destination of the earth’s goods."
—Pope St. John Paul II the Great (1920-2005, feast: 22 October)

Archbishop Sheen Quote o' the Day

"We hardly think about reparation any more. We seem to have dropped it in the Church. We have reparation in the human body. When I had my open-heart surgery, I was bleeding to death. I depended upon eighty people who gave me eighty pints of blood. The human body has only eight pints. Volunteers had to supply eighty pints to keep me alive. They were filling up the quota of my life. And just as we have a kidney transplant, even a heart transplant, so we have the transplanting of merits, of prayers, & sacrifices from one member of the Church to the other, to cure those members of their anemic condition. We're living in a decade that needs reparation more than any other decade in the past one hundred years. But we're failing to find it."
—Ven. Fulton Sheen (1895-1979)

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the Day: SKApril X

The Skluttz, "Ska Police" from the Confidence Is Key E.P. (Rude Boy Mike Papa Whiskey)

Skammentary: "Ska Police" lampoons the divisions & snootiness that afflict even the ska community. SKApril has always taken as broadminded a view of ska as is possible for your highly opinionated narrator. Over these ten years we've highlighted bands as diverse as Desmond Dekker & "Weird Al" Yankovic, The Specials & The A-OKs, Potshot & Sublime, not to mention Reel Big Fish, Prince Buster, Streetlight Manifesto*, The Specials, & The Interrupters.

"I always wonder why they want to run us out of town,
Like loving certain bands will make you better than the crowd,
If you love first wave, 2-tone, third wave, reggae, dub, ska-punk,
Just let the people have their music, like, who gives a fuck?

"Do you like ska?

"Oh, I love ska!

"So, what's your favorite ska band?

"I love Reel Big Fish.

"Ugh. Well, actually—"

"If there's a ska show, then you know I'm gonna wanna go,
It doesn't matter if there's horns or if it's northern soul,
But at the end of the night you know someone's gonna say,
'I bet Prince Buster must be rolling over in his grave!'

"Is this ska?
(Ska Police are coming for you!)
Didn't reggae come first?
(Ska Police are coming for you!)
You wear too many checkers!
(Ska Police are coming for you!)
What wave is this again?
(Ska Police are coming for you!)
Now here come the Rudies and they look a little meaner,
If you like *Streetlight it's a Class A misdemeanor!

"So many people with so many tastes, can't please them all.
So many differnet sounds that all seem to unite in ska.
But all these different sounds they always seem to cause a furor,
Get at a ska revival feuding over who is right.

"Do they even have a horn section?

"Man, seven people and not one Fred Perry shirt!

"This, you know, this is, this is really more reggae than ska.

"The only good song they played is a cover.

"If we could come together, set aside our differences,
No one would have to feel ashamed about their preferences,
So have your first wave, 2-tone, third wave, reggae, dub, ska-punk,
The only thing that really matters is we pick it up!

"Is this ska?
(Ska Police are coming for you!)
Didn't reggae come first?
(Ska Police are coming for you!)
You wear too many checkers!
(Ska Police are coming for you!)
What wave is this again?
(Ska Police are coming for you!)
Now here come the Punks and they look a little meaner,
If you listen to The Specials it's a Class A misdemeanor!

"Is this ska?
(Ska Police are coming for you!)
Didn't reggae come first?
(Ska Police are coming for you!)
You wear too many checkers!
(Ska Police are coming for you!)
What wave is this again?
(Ska Police are coming for you!)
Now here come the Mods and they look a little meaner,
If you like The Interrupters it's a Class A misdemeanor!

"Ska Police are coming for you!
Ska Police are coming for you!
Ska Police are coming for you!
Ska Police are coming for you!

"(Woah-oh-oh) Ska Police are coming for you!
(Woah-oh-oh) Ska Police are coming for you!
(Woah-oh-oh) Ska Police are coming for you!
(Woah-oh-oh) Ska Police are coming for you!

"This band is basically Smash Mouth."

Wow, ten years of SKApril! That's three hundred different songs by eighty-four bands. Stick around for the SKAfter Party, & here's to the next ten years of SKApril. Don't stop skanking, rude boys & girls.

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the Day!: SKApril X!

The Aquabats!, "Pajamazon!" from the Pajamazon! single (Captain Thumbs Up!)

Skammentary: "Pajamazon!" is both an anthem of quarantine life ("Pajamazon" is a portmanteau of "pajama" & "Amazon," as in .com) & a welcome return of the ska sound to The Aquabats!' music!

YouTube-link

"Put my pajamas on,
I turn on Amazon,
Ain't never gonna go outside,
Go outside again!

"With a point and a click
I can order all of it,
Ain't never gonna go outside,
Go outside again!

"I just want to stay home
And never work again,
So I bought the best computer in the world.
And now I eat pizza, watch movies all day,
Download new video games,
Need more food? text delivery dude!

"Put my pajamas on,
I turn on Amazon,
Ain't never gonna go outside,
Go outside again!

"With a point and a click
I can order all of it,
Ain't never gonna go outside,
Go outside again!

"And if I don't like a package
I'll send it right back-age,
And get another package the same day.
And I never need to sweat it,
'Cause I'm buying it on credit!
Dude, yo, that's like free money anyway!

"Put my pajamas on,
I turn on Amazon,
Ain't never gonna go outside,
Go outside again!

"With a point and a click
I can order all of it,
Ain't never gonna go outside,
Go outside again!

"Why would you go outside anyway?
That's where all the guns and germs be.
I'd like to live like a stowaway,
In my bed, on my couch, in front of my T.V.

"Put my pajamas on,
I turn on Amazon,
Ain't never gonna go outside,
Go outside again!

"With a point and a click
I can order all of it,
Ain't never gonna go outside,
Go outside again!"

Bonus! Song o' the Day: SKApril X

The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, "Unified" from While We're at It (Rude Boy Mike Papa Whiskey)

Skammentary:

"…And have the wisdom and wherewithal to call if you should break again.

"We're not here to misinform you,
We are only trying to warn you:

"We are with you, not against you,
We only hope you got the common sense to
Realize we're unified.
And realize we're here to back you
And not let anybody else attack you,
So you know, we're on your side
And we're unified.
We're unified…

"Classic, textbook, and it's typical,
Roll the boulder back on up the hill,
It gets to feeling like the ceiling's
Gonna drop just like a rock on you.
As the ceiling starts to drop in,
That's when you feel like your heart is stopping,
Your heart is stopping
And your head is on the chopping block there, too.

"It's not you signed on for,
What you were build for or designed for.

"We are with you, not against you,
We only hope you got the common sense to
Realize we're unified…"

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the Day: SKApril X

The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, "Wonderful Day for the Race" from While We're at It (Rude Boy Mike Papa Whiskey)

Skammentary: About two-thirds of the way through "Wonderful Day for the Race," the music trails off for a moment before bursting back into the boisterous finale. When performed live last August, that moment lasted half a minute or more as the Bosstones stopped & took a knee. To one unfamiliar with The Mighty Mighty Bosstones & their corpus of music, this gesture might be incomprehensibly strange. They were reverencing each & every precious member of the one human race. We so often dismiss each other, dismiss ourselves as inconsequential, as disposable. This is evil, an error so fundamentally mistaken as to be diabolical. This is so much of what Pope Francis means when he hammers away against the "throwaway culture." The answer to this folly is solidarity, the solidarity that has always been at the core of both ska & Christianity. We are all one, we are meant to be one.

"Now let me say this about that:
We might not know where we are at,
Where we have been, where we are going,
And it might not be worth it knowing.
We're unequipped for the comprehension,
How we tripped into this dimension,
That about this let me say:
For the race it's a wonderful day.

"What a wonderful day for the race
Everywhere it's taking place!
I swear you'll hear one wasn't run,
But I'm talking bout the human one.

"Is there a better understanding
Why it was we wound up landing
Where our feet are firmly planted?
Not so firmly we were granted
The permission and the clearance.
Let there be no interference
Anyhow, but either way
For the race it's a wonderful day

"What a wonderful for the race
Everywhere it's taking place!
I swear you'll hear one wasn't run,
But I'm talking bout the human one.

"What a wonderful for the race,
Every smile on every face!
Every day until it's done
I'm talking bout the human one…"

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the Day: SKApril X

Kalles Kavier, "Emma Peel" from Volume 6 (Rude Boy Mike Papa Whiskey)

Skammentary:

"Everybody knows she's a genius,
And everybody knows that she kicks ass!
Everybody knows she's beautiful and cool,
And everybody knows I'm just a lonely fool.

"Oh, I want to be, oh, let me be,
Let me be your Agent Steed,
Oh, Emma Peel, Emma Peel,
Oh, this love you make me feel!…"

Saints + Scripture: III Sunday of Easter (Pascha)

'Tis the Third Sunday of Easter (Latin: Pascha, meaning "Passover"): Pascha-link & Wikipedia-link Paschaltide.

The Popish Plot: vEaster
"Churchy Stuff in the Time of Quarantine, Part 1"

Death without the Eucharist: Day 40
He was forty days dying & not yet dead.

Scripture of the Day
Mass Readings—Third Sunday of Easter
The Acts of the Apostles, chapter two, verses fourteen & twenty-two thru thirty-three;
Psalm Sixteen (R/. eleven[a]), verses one & two; five, seven, & eight; nine & ten; & eleven;
The First Letter of Peter, chapter one, verses seventeen thru twenty-one;
The Gospel according to Luke, chapter twenty-four, verses thirteen thru thirty-five.

Commentary: Reflection by Bishop Robert Barron (Word on Fire):

Friends, in today’s Gospel Jesus joins two disciples on the road to Emmaus, but they do not recognize him. In the course of their conversation he opens the Scriptures to them, disclosing the great biblical patterns that make sense of the “things” that they have witnessed. The interpretive key is none other than his own suffering and death, his willingness to go to the limits of godforsakenness in order to save those who had wandered from the divine love.

And through this process they begin to understand the Bible in its totality, and their hearts burn within them. The two disciples press him to stay with them as they draw near the town of Emmaus. Jesus sits down with them, takes bread, says the blessing, breaks it, and gives it to them—and in that moment they recognize him.

The ultimate means by which we understand Jesus Christ is not the Scriptures but the Eucharist, for the Eucharist is Christ himself, personally and actively present. The embodiment of the Paschal Mystery, the Eucharist is Jesus’ love for the world unto death, his journey into godforsakenness in order to save the most desperate of sinners, his heart broken open in compassion.

Video reflection by Father Greg Friedman, O.F.M. (U.S.C. of Catholic Bishops): Sunday Reflection.

Video Reflection by Father John Ricciardo (Acts XXIX): Sunday Reflection.

Audio reflection by Scott Hahn, Ph.D. (St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology): Breaking the Bread.

Scripture Study—The 3:16 Project
The Letter to Philemon, verse sixteen.

…no longer as a slave but more than a slvave, as a beloved brother, especially to me but how much more to you, both in the flesh & in the Lord.

Commentary: Saint Paul's letter to Saint Philmon isn't divided into chapters, merely twenty-five verses. Above is the only verse sixteen in the document.

†

Otherwise, 26 April would be the festival of Our Lady of Good Counsel: Madonna-link & Wikipedia-link.

Commentary: Wayback Machine.

'Twould also be the festival of Saint Cletus, Pope & Martyr (circa 25-89, A.K.A. Anacletus), third (III) Bishop of Rome (76-89), martyred in the reign of the Roman emperor Domitian, venerated in the Roman Canon (A.K.A. Eucharistic Prayer I): Martyr-link ūnus, Martyr-link duo, & Wikipedia-link; Pontifex-link & Wikipedia-link Pontifex; & Canon-link & Wikipedia-link Canon.

'Twould also be the festival of Saint Marcellinus, Pope & Martyr (died circa 304), twenty-ninth (XXIX) Bishop of Rome (296-304), martyred in the reign of the Roman emperors Diocletian & Maximian, a victim of the Great Persecution (303-313): Martyr-link ūnus, Martyr-link duo, & Wikipedia-link; Pontifex-link & Wikipedia-link Pontifex; & Persecutions-link & Wikipedia-link Great Persecution.

'Twould also be the festival of Saint Paschasius Radbertus, Deacon & Abbot, O.S.B. (circa 785-865), abbot of Corbie Abbey (844-851): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link; Abbey-link Corbie & Wikipedia-link Corbie.

'Twould also be the festival of Saint Stephen of Perm, Bishop (1340-1396, the "Apostle of the Permians"), Bishop of Perm (1376-1396): Saint-link ūnus, Saint-link duo, & Wikipedia-link.

'Twould also be the festival of Saint Rafael Arnáiz Barón, Religious, O.S.C.O. (1911-1938): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link.

'Twould also be the festival of Blessed Stanislaw Kubista, Priest & Martyr, S.V.D. (1898-1940), martyred in the reign of the Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler, one of the One Hundred Eight Blessed Polish Martyrs: Martyr-link & Wikipedia-link; Martyrs-link Polska & Wikipedia-link Polska.

Papal Quote o' the Day

"Every believer ought to be an acgive member of the Church. Every catholic lay person is invested with the right & has the duty to work in order to testify to & spread the Kingdom of God."
—Pope St. Paul VI (1897-1978, r. 1963-1978; feast: 29 May)

Saint Quote o' the Day

"Our entire good consists not only in accepting the truth of God's word, but in persevering in it."
—St. Francis de Sales, Doctor of the Church (1567-1622, feast: 24 January)

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the Day: SKApril X

Bombskare, "Bad to Worse" from A Million Ways to Die (Rude Boy Mike Papa Whiskey)

Skammentary:

"The time has come,
Get the Muppets on the bus,
A carriage one,
Loaded up with drinks and us,
This recipe has never served us well before,
But history will repeat forever more.

"Broke down in this forsaken town,
Let's get out of here!
Let's get out of here!
Broke down in this forsaken town.

"That's when things got bad to worse,
Crashing right back down to earth,
There's things in life you can't rehearse,
A million ways to die down here.
That's when things got bad to worse,
Crashing right back down to earth,
There's things in life you can't rehearse,
A million ways to die down here.

"Tonight was rough,
Got a feeling all bets are off,
We've come so far,
Then we woke up in a bar…"

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the Day: SKApril X

The Forces of Evil, "Dance the Night Away" from Friend or Foe? (Rude Boy Mike Papa Whiskey)

Skammentary: For those of you playing along with the home version of SKApril pub trivia (of course, this year we're all playing the home version), The Forces of Evil was a short-lived side project of Reel Big Fish front man Aaron Barrett.

An interweb image search for the phrase "dance the night away" produced principally photos of a K-Pop girl group called Twice, which released a song also titled "Dance the Night Away" long after & utterly unrelated to The Forces of Evil's "Dance the Night Away." As circumstances would have it, though, that turned out to be quite fitting for our "Dance the Night Away."

"Can you see her, so fine and pretty,
Moving with a style and ease?
And you see her from across the room,
Yes, it's love in the third degree.

"Ooo, baby, baby,
Won't you turn your love my way?
Ooo, baby, baby,
Take a chance, you're old enough—

"To dance the night away!
Dance, dance, dance the night away!

"A live wire! Girl, you're" [unintelligible],
"But just watch that lady go,
She's on fire, 'cause dancing gets her hotter
Than anything else she know-ow-ows!

"Ooo, baby, baby,
Won't you turn your love my way?
Ooo, baby, baby,
Take a chance, you're old enough—

"To dance the night away!
Dance, dance, dance the night away!

"Alright,
Dance, dance the night away!
Dance, dance, dance the night away!
Dance, dance the night away!
Dance, dance, dance the night away!
Let's dance!"

The Explorers' Club, № DCCXLV

Operation AXIOM: The 30th Anniversary of the Hubble Space Telescope
24 April 1990: The Hubble Space Telescope was launched into low Earth orbit by the Space Shuttle Discovery (OV-103, mission STS-31); namesake of astronomer Edwin Hubble (1889-1953), the main mirror was ground from 1979-1981, originally aiming for a 1983 launch & a fifteen-year-long mission; operations might continue into the 2030s; Hubble's astronomical discoveries have been seminal.

Saints + Scripture: Pascha

'Tis the Friday of the Second Week of Easter (Latin: Pascha, meaning "Passover"): Pascha-link & Wikipedia-link Paschaltide.

The Popish Plot: vEaster
"The Virtues: Charity"

Death without the Eucharist: Day 38
He was thirty-eight days dying & not yet dead.

'Tis the Optional Memorial of Saint Fidelis of Sigmaringen, Priest & Martyr, O.F.M. Cap. (1577-1622, the "Poor Man's Lawyer," A.K.A. Mark Rey), martyred by Swiss proponents of the Calvinist heresy: Martyr-link ūnus, Martyr-link duo, & Wikipedia-link; Heresy-link & Wikipedia-link Heresy.

Commentary: Wayback Machine.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Mary Salome (floruit 33): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link.

Commentary: Kinswoman of the Virgin Mary [many, many feast days] & mother of the Apostles Ss. James the Greater [25 July] & John [27 December], the sons of Zebedee.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Mary of Cleophas (floruit 33, A.K.A. of Clopas): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link.

Commentary: Kinswoman of the Virgin Mary [many, many feast days] & mother of the Apostle St. James the Less [3 May].

'Tis also the festival of Saint Diarmid of Armagh, Bishop (died 852), Bishop of Armagh (834-852): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link; Diocese-link & Wikipedia-link Armagh.

'Tis also the festival of Saint William Firmatus of Tours, Priest & Hermit (1026-1103): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Mary Euphrasia Pelletier, Religious (1796-1868, A.K.A. Rose Virginie Pelletier), foundress of the Congregation of Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd (1835, R.G.S.): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link R.G.S.

Scripture of the Day
Mass Readings—Friday of the Second Week of Easter
The Acts of the Apostles, chapter five, verses thirty-four thru forty-two;
Psalm Twenty-seven (R/. see: four[a/b/c]), verses one, four, & thirteen & fourteen;
The Gospel according to John, chapter six, verses one thru fifteen.

Commentary: Reflection by Bishop Robert Barron (Word on Fire):

Friends, today’s Gospel tells of the feeding of the five thousand, which is a type of the Mass. Jesus is interested not only in instructing the crowds but also in feeding them. Copying this rhythm, the Mass moves from the Liturgy of the Word to the Liturgy of the Eucharist.

The disciples supply a poor pittance—five barley loaves and two fish. Jesus makes the customary Eucharistic moves in regard to the bread: taking, giving thanks, and distributing. And everyone is fed.

During the sacred liturgy, the priest, on behalf of the people, offers to God a small pittance: some wafers of bread and some wine and water. But because God has no need of these gifts, they come back infinitely multiplied for the benefit of the people.

Through the power of Christ’s word, those gifts become his very Body and Blood, the only food capable of feeding the deepest hunger of the human heart. This liturgical rhythm is beautifully conveyed by the laconic lines: "Jesus took the bread, gave thanks to God, and distributed it to the people who were sitting there . . . and they all had as much as they wanted."

Video reflection by Jem Sullivan, Ph.D. (U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops): Daily Reflection.

Video reflection by Dr. John Bergsma (St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology): Reflection.

Mass Readings—Optional Memorial of Saint Fidelis of Sigmaringen
The Letter to the Colossians, chapter one, verses twenty-four thru twenty-nine;
Psalm Thirty-four (R/. five), verses two & three, four & five, six & seven, & eight & nine;
The Gospel according to John, chapter seventeen, verses twenty thru twenty-six.

Scripture Study—The 3:16 Project
The Second Letter to Timothy, chapter three, verse sixteen.

All Scripture is inspired by God & profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, & for training in righteousness…

Papal Quote o' the Day

"Let no one in your land be at ease while there is anyone whose human & Christian dignity is not respected & loved. This is true whether than person is a man, a woman, a child, an elderly or sick person, or any child of God!"
—Pope St. John Paul II the Great (1920-2005, r. 1978-2005; feast: 22 October)

Saint Quote o' the Day

"You cannot help here or there like the physician, the nurse, the priest. You can be at all fronts, wherever there is grief, in the power of the cross. Your compassionate love takes you everywhere, this love from the divine heart"
—St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (1891-1942, feast: 9 August)

Archbishop Sheen Quote o' the Day

"Look into your own heart. I've looked into mine. I've had a great deal of suffering in the eighty-three years of my life—physical suffering & other suffering. It should never have happened, & it has lasted for many years. Yet, as I look back, I know very well that I have never received the punishment that I deserved. God has been easy with me. He has not laid on me burdens that were equal to my failures. If we look into our own souls, I think that we will also come to the same conclusion, for God speaks to us in various ways. As C. S. Lewis put it, 'God whispers to us in our pleasures, He speaks to us in our conscience, & He shouts to us in our pain.' Pain is God's megaphone. And unlike the ripples that are made in a brook or that you see when you throw a stone in a pond, the ripples of pain, instead of going out to distant shores, narrow & narrow & come to a central point where there is less of the outside of the circle & more of the center. Not the ego, but the real person & the real self. And one begins to find oneself alone with God. That is what happens in pain."
—Ven. Fulton Sheen (1895-1979)

The Queue | The Stars My Destination

In quarantine, I've been listening to fewer Catholic podcasts & more space podcasts. (More on that another time.) These resources are helping to fuel "The Explorers' Club's" post-centenary-of-the-Great-War project to celebrate manned spaceflight: the fiftieth anniversaries of the Project Apollo Moon landings (& to catch up on the fifty-ish anniversaries of Apollos 7, 8, 9, & 10), the fifty-fifth anniversaries of Project Gemini, the fifty-eight & fifty-ninth anniversaries of Project Mercury, & the Soviet space programs. Alan Bean (1932-2018) walked on the Moon during Apollo 12 (see: below) & I've had his book, Apollo: An Eyewitness Account, in my library for years; so, without setting aside No Greater Love (duel to the death!), now seems like a propitious moment to finally read Apollo, a coffee-table book that showcases Bean's paintings.

Recently
Jimmy Akin, The Bible Is a Catholic Book
Theresa Aletheia Noble, F.S.P., Remember Your Death: Memento Mori Lenten Devotional
Tom Godwin, The Survivors

Currently
Alan Bean with Andrew Chaikin, Apollo: An Eyewitness Account
Edward Sri, No Greater Love: A Biblical Walk through Christ's Passion

Presently
Flannery O'Connor, Flannery O'Connor Collection (Word on Fire Classics)
Fulton J. Sheen, Life of Christ (Word on Fire Classics)
Dom Jean-Baptiste Chautard, Spiritual Handbook for Catholic Evangelists: How to Win Souls without Losing Your Own

The Wayback Machine Tour of Apollo 12
The 50th Anniversary of Apollo 12, Part I: № DCCXVIII
The 50th Anniversary of Apollo 12, Part II: № DCCXIX
The 50th Anniversary of Apollo 12, Part III: № DCCXX

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the Day: SKApril X

The Hippos, "Far Behind" from Heads Are Gonna Roll (Rude Boy Mike Papa Whiskey)

Skammentary: The Hippos are SKApril All-Stars, meaning they have furnished a song in all ten editions of SKApril. I didn't just do a double take when I realized "Far Behind" was still available, but a triple take, because "Far Behind" is on both of The Hippos' ska albums, Heads Are Gonna Roll & Forget the World. "Far Behind" is quintessential third-wave ska-punk: romance gone wrong, disenchantment with both fame & fortune, a catchy rhythm, & blaring horns.

"I stand too tall,
But I shrink away,
I never thought
I could feel as good
As the way I feel today,
So I run away,
'Cause things aren't quite going my way!
So I run away,
'Cause things aren't quite going my way!

"And when I turned on M.T.V.
I saw just what I wanted to be,
But that was yesterday
And things aren't quite going my way…"

The Queue

The Survivors is a 1958 science fiction novella recommended to me by my father, who had fond & vivid memories of it from his boyhood. I devoured it within a day, but am I better for the experience? I stayed up half the night reading & then slept in quite late this morning. I cannot allow quarantine to become an endless "school break" of listlessness & anonymous days.

I've tried & failed over the course of two Lents to finish Edward Sri's No Greater Love. There's nothing for it now but a duel to the death: finish the book or die in the attempt.

Recently
Jimmy Akin, The Bible Is a Catholic Book
Theresa Aletheia Noble, F.S.P., Remember Your Death: Memento Mori Lenten Devotional
Tom Godwin, The Survivors

Currently
Edward Sri, No Greater Love: A Biblical Walk through Christ's Passion

Presently
Flannery O'Connor, Flannery O'Connor Collection (Word on Fire Classics)
Fulton J. Sheen, Life of Christ (Word on Fire Classics)
Dom Jean-Baptiste Chautard, Spiritual Handbook for Catholic Evangelists: How to Win Souls without Losing Your Own

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the Day: SKApril X

Melbourne Ska Orchestra, "The Diplomat" from Melbourne Ska Orchestra (Rude Boy Mike Papa Whiskey)

Skammentary: "The Diplomat" is the Melbourne Ska Orchestra's contribution to ska's foundational mission to make peace where there is conflict, to foster unity where there is division.

"You don't need to be aristocratic
If you up for feeling diplomatic,
If it's natural to keep the cool,
Get the facts first and find the fool.

"Always a solution to the problem shown,
Bring along an attitude tuned for the gold,
There'll always be a promise that is put to the test,
Before you pasa-pasa just take a rest…"

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the Day: SKApril X

The Interrupters, "Haven't Seen the Last of Me" from The Interrupters (Rude Boy Mike Papa Whiskey)

Skammentary:

"They say, 'You'll never make it out
'Cause you're different now,
'You better fit into the mainstream.'
That's not like me,
Yeah, I'm breaking free,
Don't worry, just wait and see…

"Back in the beginning
It was misfit living,
Now our lifestyle's gone Wall Street,
And the girls and the boys,
They're just making noise,
Trying to wake up the elite…

"Yeah, listen, you thought we were done?
Aw, man, we've only just begun…"

Saints + Scripture: Pascha

The Popish Plot: vEaster
"7 Deadly Sins: Greed"

Death without the Eucharist: Day 35
He was thirty-five days dying & not yet dead.

'Tis the Tuesday of the Second Week of Easter: Pascha-link & Wikipedia-link Paschaltide.

'Tis the Optional Memorial of Saint Anselm, Bishop & Doctor of the Church, O.S.B. (1033-1109; of Canterbury, of Aosta, of Bec; the "Father of Scholasticism"), Archbishop of Canterbury (1093-1109), second (II) abbot of the Abbey of Bec (1078-1093); a father of the Council of Bari (1098): Doctor-link ūnus, Doctor-link duo, & Wikipedia-link; Doctors-link & Wikipedia-link Doctors, Diocese-link & Wikipedia-link Canterbury, Wikipedia-link Bec, & Wikipedia-link Bari.

Commentary: Wayback Machine '18.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Simeon Barsabae, Bishop & Martyr (died 345, of Ctesiphon; also spelt Shemon Bar Sabbae, Shimun), tenth (X) Bishop of Seleucia-Ctesiphon (329-341), martyred in the reign of the Sassanid Persian emperor Shapur II: Martyr-link & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link Seleucia-Ctesiphon.

'Tis also the festival of Blessed Wolbodó of Liège, Bishop (circa 950-1021; also spelt Vilpodo, Fulmodo, etc.), Bishop of Liège (1018-1021): Blessed-link & Wikipedia-link; Diocese-link & Wikipedia-link Liège.

'Tis also the festival of Blessed Giovanni Saziari, T.O.S.F. (circa 1327-1371): Blessed-link & Wikipedia-link.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Conrad of Parzham, Religious, O.F.M. Cap. (1818-1894, A.K.A. Johann Birndorfer): Saint-link ūnus, Saint-link duo, & Wikipedia-link.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Román Adame Rosales, Priest & Martyr (1859-1927), martyred in the reign of the Mexican strongman Plutarco Elías Calles, one of the Martyrs of the Cristero War: Martyr-link & Wikipedia-link; Martyrs-link México & Wikipedia-link México.

Scripture of the Day
Mass Readings—Tuesday of the Second Week of Easter
The Acts of the Apostles, chapter four, verses thirty-two thru thirty-seven;
Psalm Ninety-three (R/. one[a]; or, "Alleluia"), verses one(a/b), one(c/d) & two, & five;
The Gospel according to John, chapter three, verses seven(b) thru fifteen.

Commentary: Reflection by Bishop Robert Barron (Word on Fire):

Friends, in today’s Gospel Jesus declares that he must be lifted up to bring eternal life to believers.

Why would God’s salvation of the human race have to include something as horrifying as crucifixion? We live in a time when the human predicament is regularly denied, explained away, or ignored. Despite the massive counter-evidence from the moral disasters of the last century, we are still beguiled by the myth of progress: with just enough technical advancement, psychological insight, and personal liberation, we will solve our problems.

But with this sort of stupidity and superficiality the Bible has no truck. The scriptural authors understand sin not so much as a series of acts but as a condition in which we are stuck, something akin to an addiction or a contagious disease. No amount of merely human effort could possibly solve the problem.

With this biblical realism in mind, we can begin to comprehend why the Crucifixion of the Son of God was necessary. The just rapport between God and human beings could not be reestablished either through our moral effort or with simply a word of forgiveness. Something had to be done—and God alone could do it.

Video reflection by Father Greg Friedman, O.F.M. (U.S.C. of Catholic Bishops): Daily Reflection.

Mass Readings—Optional Memorial of Saint Anselm
The Letter to the Ephesians, chapter three, verses fourteen thru nineteen;
Psalm Thirty-four (R/. two; or, nine), verses two & three, four & five, six & seven, eight & nine, & ten & eleven;
The Gospel according to Matthew, chapter seven, verses twenty-one thru twenty-nine.

Scripture Study—The 3:16 Project
The First Letter to the Thessalonians, chapter three, verse thirteen.

…so that He may establish your hearts unblamable in holiness before our God & Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all His saints.

Commentary: The third chapter of 1 Thessalonians doesn't have sixteen verses; so, 3:13 is the closest approximation.

Papal Quote o' the Day

"When faith becomes the force that supports a person & the person relies entirely on God, then faith automatically becomes love. The great figures of faith—from Paul via Francis of Assisi down to Maximilian Kolbe & Mother Teresa—show us this."
—Pope Benedict XVI (b. 1927, r. 2005-2013)

Saint Quote o' the Day

"How happy I am to see myself imperfect & be in need of God's mercy."
—St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus, Doctor of the Church (1873-1897, feast: 1 October)

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the Day: SKApril X

Starpool, "Try Living in This World" (live) from the Strpl E.P.0001 E.P. (Rude Boy Mike Papa Whiskey)

Skammentary: "Try Living in This World" is about romance gone awry (Does romance go any other way in ska?), not our present difficulties, but I do think playing the board game Pandemic might be an amusing to while away the hours in quarantine-cum-imprisonment.

"Try living in this world,
Try dealing with this, girl,
Instead of the mixed up mind inside your head.
Try living in this world,
Try dealing with this, girl,
Instead of the little lies you spread…"

Saints + Scripture: Pascha

The Popish Plot: vEaster
"Hey, Friend!"

Death without the Eucharist: Day 34
He was thirty-four days dying & not yet dead.

'Tis the Monday of the Second Week of Easter: Pascha-link & Wikipedia-link Paschaltide.

'Tis the festival of Saint Anicetus, Pope (died circa 166), eleventh (XI) Bishop of Rome (155-166): Saint-link ūnus, Saint-link duo, & Wikipedia-link; Pontifex-link & Wikipedia-link Pontifex.

Commentary: Wayback Machine.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Peter of Wessex (circa 658-689; A.K.A. Cædwalla, also spelt Cadwallon, etc.; A.K.A. of Wales), King of Wessex: Saint-link & Wikipedia-link.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Agnes of Montepulciano, Abbess, O.P. (1268-1317), founding abbess of a monastery at Proceno & abbess of a monastery at Montepulciano: Saint-link & Wikipedia-link.

'Tis also the festival of Blesseds James Bell, Priest, & John Finch, Martyrs (circa 1520-1584 & 1548-1584), martyred in the reign of the English queen Elizabeth I: Martyr-link Juliett Bravo & Wikipedia-link Juliett Bravo, Martyr-link Juliett Foxtrot & Wikipedia-link Juliett Foxtrot.

'Tis also the festival of Blessed Muiris mac Ionrachtaigh, Priest & Martyr (circa 1500-1585, Anglicized as Maurice MacKenraghty), martyred in the reign of the English queen Elizabeth I, one of the Irish Martyrs: Martyr-link & Wikipedia-link; Martyrs-link Éire & Wikipedia-link Éire.

'Tis also the festival of Blesseds Richard Sergeant & William Thomson, Priests & Martyrs (circa 1558-1586 & 1560-1586), martyred in the reign of the English queen Elizabeth I, two of the Eighty-five Martyrs of England & Wales: Martyr-link Romeo Sierra, Martyr-link Whiskey Tango, & Wikipedia-link; Martyrs-link England & Wales & Wikipedia-link England & Wales.

'Tis also the festival of Blessed Anthony Page, Priest & Martyr (1571-1593), martyred in the reign of the English queen Elizabeth I, one of the Eighty-five Martyrs of England & Wales: Martyr-link & Wikipedia-link; Martyrs-link England & Wales & Wikipedia-link England & Wales.

'Tis also the festival of Blessed Michel Coquelet, Priest & Martyr, O.M.I. (1931-1961), martyred by the Panthet Lao Communists, one of the seventeen Martyrs of Laos: Martyr-link & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link Laos.

Scripture of the Day
Mass Readings—Monday of the Second Week of Easter
The Acts of the Apostles, chapter four, verses twenty-three thru thirty-one;
Psalm Two (R/. see: eleven[d]; or, "Alleluia"), verses one, two, & three; four, five, six, & seven(a); & seven(b), eight, & nine;
The Gospel according to John, chapter three, verses one thru eight.

Commentary: Reflection by Bishop Robert Barron (Word on Fire):

Friends, today in this inexhaustibly rich conversation with Nicodemus in the Gospel, Jesus tells the Israelite elder: "Unless one is born from above, he cannot see the Kingdom of God."

He is speaking with great directness here about metanoia, about the change of attitude required before one is capable of living in the energy of the Incarnation. Jesus senses that Nicodemus, the great "teacher of Israel," is caught in the net of ego concerns, still clinging fearfully to his power and status, still exulting in his grasp of the religious traditions of his people.

And Jesus’ concerns are confirmed by the almost comic rationalism of Nicodemus’ response to his invitation to rebirth: "How can a grown man be born? Can he go back into his mother's womb and be born again?" While Jesus speaks the evocative and analogical language of the soul, Nicodemus hears with the ears of the ego, the rational power that wishes to know clearly and control.

It is precisely that fearful rationalism which Nicodemus must abandon in the painful process of rebirth and reconfiguration of the soul.

Video reflection by Monsignor James Vlaun (U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops): Daily Reflection.

Scripture Study—The 3:16 Project
The Letter to the Colossians, chapter three, verse sixteen.

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, as you teach & admonish one another in all wisdom, & as you sing psalms & hymns & spiritual songs with thankfulness in your hearts to God.

Papal Quote o' the Day

"…being a Christian cannot be a little Sunday world in addition to our workaday world, something we build as an addition in some devotional corner of our life; rather, it is a new foundation, it is transformation that changes us."
—Pope Benedict XVI (b. 1927, r. 2005-2013)

Saint Quote o' the Day

"The first end I propose in our daily work is to do the will of God… secondly to do it in the manner He wills… & thirdly, to do it because it is His will."
—St. Elizabeth Ann Seton (1774-1821, feast: 4 January)

Archbishop Sheen Quote o' the Day

"A bishop was put into a communist prison in China. After beatings & persecution his weight fell to about ninety pounds. Covered with vermin, prison sores, wearing a black stocking cap & a black kimono, he was unable to walk by himself. He always had to be supported by two fellow prisoners. Providentially, however, he was the only one in prison that was ever given bread & wine. The communists did not know why they gave it to him, but at any rate he had it. If they knew that he was going to say Mass with the bread & wine, they certainly never would have given it to him. Mass in a Gothic cathedral, with all the pomp & splendor of liturgy, could never equal the beauty of that Mass that was said by the bishop as he leaned against the prison wall, with the tray before him, as he moved his fingers, saying over the bread, 'This is My Body,' & over the wine, 'This is My Blood,' & then secretly passing out communion to those who shared his faith."
—Ven. Fulton Sheen (1895-1979)

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the Day: SKApril X

Less Than Jake, "Years of Living Dangerously" from Sound the Alarm (Rude Boy Mike Papa Whiskey)

Skammentary: Less Than Jake & the National Geographic Channel aren't talking about the same thing by the phrase, "Years of Living Dangerously," except that in some ways, without even meaning to, they are.

"I'll try not to be so complicated tonight
And let the stars align,
I believe in luck
And my faith is blind.

"But the weight of the world
It takes more than us to hold it up,
And we hold it up,
What's left of us, it just weighs too much…

"This one goes to my friends
Who might be there when it ends,
This goes out to the talk about
What we loved and what we lost.

"Tell me the truth about this cruel, cruel world,
'Cause I don't think I trust you,
I don't think I trust you,
Yeah, I don't think I trust you…"

Saints + Scripture: II Sunday of Easter | Divine Mercy

The Popish Plot: vEaster
"Divine Mercy Sunday 2020"

Death without the Eucharist: Day 32
He was thirty-two days dying & not yet dead.

'Tis the Second Sunday of Easter, the Octave of Easter, A.K.A. Divine Mercy Sunday (A.K.A. Quasimodo Sunday, Thomas Sunday, Low Sunday): Wikipedia-link Second Sunday, Wikipedia-link Octave of Easter, Wikipedia-link Divine Mercy; Paschaltide-link & Wikipedia-link Paschaltide.

Commentary: Wayback Machine Divine Mercy.

Scripture of the Week
Mass Readings—Second Sunday of Easter
The Acts of the Apostles, chapter two, verses forty-two thru forty-seven;
Psalm One Hundred Eighteen (R/. one), verses two, three, & four; thirteen, fourteen, & fifteen; & twenty-two, twenty-three, & twenty-four;
The First Letter of Peter, chapter one, verses three thru nine;
The Gospel according to John, chapter twenty, verses nineteen thru thirty-one.

Commentary: Reflection by Bishop Robert Barron (Word on Fire):

Friends, in today’s Gospel Thomas says that he will not believe in the Lord’s Resurrection unless he puts his finger in the nailmarks and his hand in Jesus’ wound. Thomas is a saint especially suitable for our time. Modernity has been marked by two great qualities: skepticism and empiricism, the very qualities we can discern in Thomas.

And when the risen Jesus reappears, he invites the doubter to look, see, and touch. But then that devastating line: “Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.”

If we stubbornly say—even in the area of science—that we will accept only what we can clearly see and touch and control, we wouldn’t know much about reality. This helps us to better understand Jesus’ words to Thomas. It is not that we who have not seen and have believed are settling for a poor substitute for vision. No; we are being described as blessed, more blessed than Thomas. God is doing all sorts of things that we cannot see, measure, control, fully understand. But it is an informed faith that allows one to fall in love with such a God.

Video reflection by Father Greg Friedman, O.F.M. (U.S.C. of Catholic Bishops): Daily Reflection.

Video reflection by Father John Riccardo (Acts XXIX): "The Inheritance No Thief Can Touch."

Video reflection by Father Michael Nixon (Saint Dominic Media): Made for Glory.

Video reflection by Father Martin Latiff, M.C. (Fellowship of Catholic University Students): Reflection.

Audio reflection by Scott Hahn, Ph.D. (St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology): Breaking the Bread.

Scripture Study—The 3:16 Project
The Letter to the Philippians, chapter three, verse sixteen.

Only let us hold true to what we have attained.

†

Otherwise, 19 April would be the festival of Saint Expeditus of Melitene, Martyr (died 303, A.K.A. Elpidius), martyred in the reign of the Roman emperors Diocletian & Maximian, a victim of the Great Persecution (303-313): Martyr-link & Wikipedia-link; Persecutions-link & Wikipedia-link Great Persecution.

Commentary: Wayback Machine 19 April.

'Twould also be the festival of Saint Crescentius of Florence, Deacon (died circa 396): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link (List § "St. Crescentius, deacon of Saint Zenobius").

'Twould also be the festival of Saint Ursmar of Lobbes, Bishop & Abbot, O.S.B. (circa 640-713), second (II) abbot of Lobbes Abbey (691-713) & co-founder of Aulne Abbey: Saint-link & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link Lobbes & Wikipedia-link Aulne.

'Twould also be the festival of Saint Ælfheah of Canterbury, Bishop & Martyr, O.S.B. (circa 953-1012, A.K.A. of Winchester; also spelt Alphage), Archbishop of Canterbury (1006-1012), Bishop of Winchester (984-1006), & abbot of Bath Abbey; martyred by Vikings under the command of Thorkell the Tall: Martyr-link & Wikipedia-link; Diocese-link Canterbury & Wikipedia-link Canterbury, Diocese-link of Winchester & Wikipedia-link of Winchester, & Abbey-link & Wikipedia-link Bath.

'Twould also be the festival of Saint Leo IX, Pope (1002-1054, the "Pilgrim Pope;" A.K.A. Bruno of Egisheim-Dagsburg), one hundred fifty-second (CLII) Bishop of Rome (1049-1054), whose personal holiness could not prevent the Great East-West Schism (1054); Bishop of Toul (1027-1049): Saint-link ūnus, Saint-link duo, & Wikipedia-link; Pontifex-link & Wikipedia-link Pontifex; Diocese-link & Wikipedia-link Toul; & Wikipedia-link Schism.

'Twould also be the festival of Blessed Conrad of Ascoli, Religious, O.F.M. (1234-1289): Blessed-link & Wikipedia-link.

'Twould also be the festival of Blessed James Duckett, Martyr (died circa 1601), martyred in the reign of the English queen Elizabeth I: Martyr-link & Wikipedia-link.

Papal Quote o' the Day

"A sincere & zealous reformer will avoid extremes & never overstep the bounds of true reform. The true reformer will always be united in the closest bonds with the Church & Christ, her Head."
—Pope St. Pius X (1835-1914, r. 1903-1914; feast: 21 August)

Saint Quote o' the Day

"Extend your mercy towards others, so that there can be no one in need whom you meet without helping. For what hope is there for us if God should withdraw His Mercy from us?"
—St. St. Vincent de Paul (1581-1660, feast: 27 September)

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the Day: SKApril X

Monkey, "You Don't Know" from Cruel Tutelage (Rude Boy Mike Papa Whiskey)

Skammentary:

"You don't know what love is…"

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the Day: SKApril X

The Toasters, "Weekend in L.A." from Don't Let the Bastards Grind You Down (Rude Boy Mike Papa Whiskey)

Skammentary:

"You said, see me later, but I don't see quite how,
How will you see me later if you can't see me now?…"

Saints + Scripture: Octave of Easter | Please Stand By

Death without the Eucharist: Day 32
He was thirty-two days dying & not yet dead.

The Explorers' Club, № DCCXLIV

Operation AXIOM: Destination Moon—The 50th Anniversary of Apollo 13, Part III
17 April 1970: The Odyssey separated from the Service Module, giving Lovell, Haise, Swigert, & Mission Control their first look at the extent of the damage, raising fears that the heat shield had been damaged; the lifeboat Aquarius was bidden a fond farewell; the Odyssey splashed down in the Pacific Ocean & was recovered by crewmen from the U.S.S. Iwo Jima.; Nixon met the crew in Honolulu.

Bonus! Moonshot Songs o' the Day: Apollo 13
Melbourne Ska Orchestra, "Third Time Lucky" from Melbourne Ska Orchestra (Space Cadet Mike Papa Whiskey)

&

National Aeronautics & Space Administration, "Apollo 13 Excerpt 17" from The Apollo Missions (Space Cadet Mike Papa Whiskey)

Saints + Scripture: Octave of Easter | Please Stand By

Death without the Eucharist: Day 31
He was thirty-one days dying & not yet dead.

Also, surprising no one, the diocese has not in any form I've been able to access published a list of which parishes are offering drive-thru confession, despite what the chief of staff wrote to me directly. Yet I remain convinced that we have not been abandoned by the Church, contrary to all evidence to that effect.

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the Day: SKApril X

The Fuss, "We're Going Out" from Birth of the Fourth Wave of Ska (Rude Boy Mike Papa Whiskey)

Skammentary: Birth of the Fourth Wave of Ska is a compilation I bought acquired of SKApril '19. If it is indeed indicative of ska's long-desired fourth wave, the future will be much more influenced by 1950s & 1960s doo-wop than by 1980s punk, as was the third wave. That's not a complaint, merely an observation. Looking at the history of ska, the fourth wave is already overdue; so, bring it on!

Regarding "We're Going Out," we're not, but we will one day. One glorious day, we will regain our wits & life will resume in all of its grandeur & all of its banality, in all of its splendor & all of its travesty.

"(We're going out tonight) Oh, yes we are!
(We're going out tonight)
It doesn't matter what the day was like,
We're going out tonight.

"Been a while since we had a date,
Been a while since we got to feel this way,
With time so short and life so fast,
Let's do what we can to make it last…

"And we know the days go by
And we all so busy living our lives,
With time so short and life so fast,
Let's do what we can to make it last.

"(We're going out tonight) Oh, yes we are!
(We're going out tonight)
It doesn't matter what the day was like,
We're going out tonight.

"Don't you worry 'bout tomorrow,
Oh, no, no, no worry 'bout tomorrow,
Leave tomorrow for tomorrow,
Oh, for tomorrow…"

Bonus! Moonshot Songs o' the Day: Apollo 13

The Eyeliners, "Bad Luck Charm" from Sealed with a Kiss (Space Cadet Mike Papa Whiskey)

&

National Aeronautics & Space Administration, "Apollo 13 Excerpt 14" from The Apollo Missions (Space Cadet Mike Papa Whiskey)

Saints + Scripture: Octave of Easter | Please Stand By

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the Day: SKApril X

Five Iron Frenzy, "Someone Else's Problem" from Engine of a Million Plots (Rude Boy Mike Papa Whiskey)

Skammentary:

"You're cutting some corners,
Leave nothing for mourners,
Leave nothing for the people (oh-oh-oh-oh-oh)
In all those other places,
Just don't look at their faces,
And you can believe that they don't bleed like you.

"You want to close your eyes,
You want to make believe,
This tangled web you weave
Is nowhere near the place you sleep,
While other people's lives are cheap,
And all of this is someone else's problem.

"And here lies the problem:
It's not that you rob them,
Just look the other way (oh-oh-oh-oh-oh).
Just make some more excuses,
Your life stems from abuses
Of other people's lives you'll never have to see.

"You want to close your eyes,
You want to make believe,
This tangled web you weave
Is nowhere near the place you sleep,
While other people's lives are cheap,
And all of this is someone else's problem."