The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the Day: SKAfter Party

Mustard Plug, "Summertime" from Skapocalypse Now! (Rude Boy Mike Papa Whiskey)

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' Memorial Day

Jay Unger & Jacqueline Schwab, "Battle Hymn of the Republic" from The Civil War: Original Sountrack Recording (Mike Papa Whiskey)

Lest we forget.

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

Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord (transferred)
The O.C. Supertones, "All Glory" from For the Glory (Saint Mike Papa Whiskey)

Bonus! Song o' the Day: SKAfter Party

Pothsot, "Every Rain Lets Up" from 'Til I Die (Rude Boy Mike Papa Whiskey)

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the Day: SKAfter Party

The Suicide Machines, "Islands" from Destruction by Definition (Rude Boy Mike Papa Whiskey)

Skammentary: The Knights of Columbus State Convention on Mackinac Island was a multivalent nightmare, horrible beyond all imagining.

"All my dreams were just islands in the sky…"

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the Day

Weezer, "Island in the Sun" from Weezer (The Green Album) (Mike Papa Wolverine)

Commentary: I had not visited Mackinac Island since I was a child, back in the 1980s or 1990s.

Bonus! Narwhal Song o' the Day

David Polansky, "Narwhal" from Animal Alphabet Songs (Salty Dog Mike Papa Whiskey)

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the Day

Herbie Hancock, "Cantaloupe Island" from Empyrean Isles: The Rudy Van Gelder Edition Remastered (Mike Papa Wolverine)

Commentary: For the first time since 2019—the Before Times—the Knights of Columbus State Convention is being held at the swanky Grand Hotel.

Bonus! Narwhal Song o' the Day

Aaron Burnett, "Narwhal" from Canadian Critters (Salty Dog Mike Papa Whiskey)

Operation ÖSTERREICH: Easter Feaster Edition

Please Stand By | Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea máxima culpa!

Weekly Wednesday Weigh-in
Last weigh-in: 346.6 lbs (Wednesday, 27 April 2022)

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the Day

John Williams, "Journey to the Island" from Jurassic Park (Mike Papa Wolverine)

Commentary: This morning, I am bound for Mackinac Island, to serve as a delegate at the 2022 Knights of Columbus Michigan State Convention.

The Explorers' Club Special

Operation AXIOM: The Space Race—The 60th Anniversary of Mercury-Atlas 7
24 May 1962: Mercury 7 lifted off from Florida's Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, carrying Scott Carpenter aboard the Mercury capsule Aurora 7 atop an Atlas rocket; the three-orbit flight plan was packed with scientific experiements & Carpenter couldn't stay on schedule; the Aurora 7 splashed down in the Atlantic Ocean, hundreds of miles off target, & was recovered by the U.S.S. Intrepid.

Wayback Machine: № DCCCXVIII, "The Space Race—The 59th Anniversary of Mercury-Atlas 7"

Commentary: In the days of Project Mercury, the art & science of how to conduct a manned spaceflight was being worked out in real time. After all, no man had flown in space prior to April 1961. For all the problems encountered during Mercury-Atlas 7—problems with constantly revising the flight plan, astronaut training, experiment sequencing, & astronaut performance—many valuable lessons were learned that would help ensure the success of Projects Gemini & Apollo & meet President Kennedy's goal of landing a man on the Moon & returning him safely to Earth by the decade's end.

Semper exploro.

Bonus! Narwhal Song o' the Day

Haberdashery, "The Narwhal Suite" from Illuminated Road (Salty Dog Mike Papa Whiskey)

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the Day: SKAfter Party

Reel Big Fish, "I'd Rather Get It Wrong" from Life Sucks… Let's Dance! (Rude Boy Mike Papa Whiskey)

Skammentary:

"I'd rather get it wrong with you
Than right with anyone else,
I'd rather sing along with you, out of tune,
Than sing it all by myself…"

Narwhal Day XXII

After another year of sympathizing & preparing, 'tis Narwhal Day once again! Yes, Narwhal Day, that great & glorious day when all & sundry reflect on & sympathize with the narwhal, the very oddest of whales, far-famed for its curious "horn" (in actuality a tusk) that in times past was oft displayed as a unicorn's horn in cabinets of curiosity (Wunderkammer). The existence & persistence of the narwhal remains transcendent proof that truth is indeed stranger than fiction.

The Ancient & Proper Observance of Narwhal Day
First, the wearing of gray attire;
Second, the hearing of "Sympathy for the Narwhal" by D.J. Seaghost, an ally of The Aquabats!;
Third, the swearing of "The Oath of Narwhal Day."

The ancient & proper observance need not be observed in any particular order, though it is probably advisable to don gray attire so as not to observe the ancient & proper observance naked. The wearing of gray is an invitation to others to experience their own sympathy for the narwhal.

The hearing of "Sympathy for the Narwhal" is a communal act, for Narwhal Day is as much a day of celebration as it is as day of sympathizing; the narwhal will frolic & so should we. For many years, this communal celebration was hamstrung by the limited availability of "Sympathy for the Narwhal," but that obstacle has been overcome (see below).

The swearing of the oath is a highly personal act, though it can be done in community; one swears the oath as a jest or a lark only at one's own peril, for one is only as good as one's word. It is in sympathizing with the narwhal that Narwhal Day finds its highest purpose.

The Oath of Narwhal Day
The narwhal is a noble, pitiable creature,
A magnificent, monstrous visage.
An asymmetrical tooth for a horn,
Or sometimes two, or sometimes none,
Half again as long as the beast.

I swear my sympathy for the narwhal.
I will not lie and convince it all is well,
But I will be a friend to the narwhal.
The mocking dolphins and the snobby manatees
Will get their well-earned comeuppance,
And the narwhal will frolic all day.

I dream this dream of the narwhal
And celebrate it in all its oddball, improbable glory,
On this the twenty-second Narwhal Day.


the Narwhal (Monodon Monoceros)—also narwal or narwhale

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' Narwhal Day!
D.J. Seaghost, "Sympathy for the Narwhal" from The Aquabats! and Horchata Records Present Rice Capades Music Sampler, Vol. 1 (Captain Thumbs Up!)

Commentary: "Sympathy for the Narwhal" via the YouTubes: Seaghost-link.

Also, a pair of videos from the children's television series The Octonauts & Friends: "Episode 20: The Narwhal" (uploaded on 26 May 2021, three days after the last Narwhal Day) & "Creature Report".

The Wayback Machine Tour of Narwhal Day
Narwhal Day '21 / Narwhal Day '20 / Narwhal Day '19 / Narwhal Day '18
Narwhal Day '17 / Narwhal Day '16 / Narwhal Day '15 / Narwhal Day '14
Narwhal Day '13 / Narwhal Day '12 / Narwhal Day '11 / Narwhal Day '10
Narwhal Day '09 / Narwhal Day '08 / Narwhal Day '07a & Narwhal Day '07b
Narwhal Day '06 / Narwhal Day '05 / Narwhal Day '04 / Narwhal Day '03

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the VI Sunday o' Easter

Sixth Sunday of Easter
Sarah Kroger, "O God Beyond All Praising" from Origin: A Beauty Initiative within F.O.C.U.S. (Saint Mike Papa Whiskey)

Bonus! Song o' the Day: SKAfter Party

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

Skammentary:

"All is well I guess, if this is how it ends,
A somber testament that mostly just depends
On how you're looking at the message that it sends,
I'm better off because of him, but we were never friends…"

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the Day: SKAfter Party

The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, "Bruised" from When God Was Great (Rude Boy Mike Papa Whiskey)

Skammentary:

"We might be bruised,
But we're not broken,
We might be down,
But we're not out!
Black and blue,
But we're not broken,
A few tattoos, perhaps
To knock about…"

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the Day: SKAfter Party

The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, "Decide" from When God Was Great (Rude Boy Mike Papa Whiskey)

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the Day: SKAfter Party

The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, "She Just Happened" from Pay Attention (Rude Boy Mike Papa Whiskey)

Skammentary:

"What just happened?
She just happened,
She just happened to cross my mind,
Without warning she crossed my mind,
What just happened to me?

"What just happened?
She just happened,
She just happened to cross my mind,
Without warning she crossed my mind,
She just happened to me…"

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the Day: SKAfter Party

The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, "Hope I Never Lose My Wallet" from Devil's Night Out (Rude Boy Mike Papa Whiskey)

Skammentary:

"Never lose my wallet, it would put me in a spot,
Never lose my sense, at least how much I've got,
Never lose my family, never lose my friends,
Never lose my youth, I hope it never ends.
(Hope I never lose my wallet!)…

"Never lose my hair, I would hate to go without,
Never lose direction and wander all about,
Never lose my courage, never lose my hope,
Never lose my girl, it would make it hard to cope.
(Hope I never lose my wallet!)…"

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the Day: SKAfter Party

Less Than Jake, "Dear Me" from Silver Linings (Rude Boy Mike Papa Whiskey)

Skammentary:

"Dear me, I confess,
Most days I'm a mess,
I still act like I'm with it,
But I'm all out of one-more-shots to give.
They don't know about me or what's inside my head,
But in the end, it's me alone staring at my phone.

"How did it get so bad?
And does it sound crazy that I'd ask?
I really wanna know when it took its toll.

"Dear me, I'm not content,
All these years and my nerves are spent,
And I've tried to be patient,
But why does it seem like I'll never make it?
Maybe I resеnt all the time in life I spеnt
Staring at this phone, feeling so alone.

"How did it get so bad?
And does it sound crazy that I'd ask?
I really wanna know when it took its toll.
How did it get so bad?
I know it sounds crazy that I'd ask?
I really hope you know what's good for your soul, yeah!

"Maybe we'll go on to be good for now,
It's better than being nowhere, nowhere at all.

"Dear me, I'll be fine,
It's hard to leave what you love behind,
Sometimes you know it's time to go.

"How did it get so bad?
And does it sound crazy that I'd ask?
I really wanna know when it took its toll.
How did it get so bad?
I know it sounds crazy that I'd ask?
I really hope you know what's good for your soul,
Good for your soul."

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the Day: SKAfter Party

Less Than Jake, "My Very Own Flag" from Pezcore (Rude Boy Mike Papa Whiskey)

Skammentary:

"Wish I had my own,
Wish I had my own,
My very own, my very own flag!
I wish I had my own,
I wish I had my own,
My very own, my own flag!…"

The Explorers' Club, № DCCCLXXXIII

Operation AXIOM: The Space Race—The 59th Anniversary of Mercury-Atlas 9
15-16 May 1963: Mercury 9 lifted off from Florida's Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, with Gordon Cooper aboard the Mercury capsule Faith 7 atop an Atlas rocket; the twenty-two-orbit flight exceeded all previous American spaceflights, combined, & was the first to send back T.V.; the Faith 7 splashed down in the Pacific, Mercury's most accurate splashdown, & was recovered by the U.S.S. Kearsarge.

Bonus! Space Race Song o' the Day: Mercury-Atlas 9
The Rip Chords, "Hey, Little Cobra" from The Best of the Rip Chords (Space Cadet Mike Papa Whiskey)

Semper exploro.

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the V Sunday o' Easter

Fifth Sunday of Easter
Matt Maher, "Hope for Everyone" from The Advent of Christmas (Saint Mike Papa Whiskey)

Bonus! Song o' the Day: SKAfter Party

Half Past Two, "Aaron, the Castaway" from It' About Time (Rude Boy Mike Papa Whiskey)

Saints + Scripture: Feast of Saint Matthias

Simplex Edition | Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea máxima culpa!

'Tis the Feast of Saint Matthias, Apostle (died circa 80).

Commentary: Wayback Machine '21, Wayback Machine '20, & Wayback Machine '19.

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

Scripture of the Day
Mass Readings—Feast of Saint Matthias
The Acts of the Apostles, chapter one, verses fifteen, sixteen, seventeen, & twenty thru twenty-six;
Psalm One Hundred Thirteen (R/. eight; or, "Alleluia"), verses one & two, three & four, five & six, & seven & eight;
The Gospel according to John, chapter fifteen, verses nine thru seventeen.

Commentary: Daily Readings.

Gospel reflection by Bishop Robert Barron (Word on Fire):

Friends, in today’s Gospel, Jesus announces to his disciples: “I no longer call you slaves, because a slave does not know what his master is doing. I have called you friends, because I have told you everything I have heard from my Father.”

Many mysticisms and philosophies of the ancient world—Platonism and Gnosticism come readily to mind—spoke of God or the sacred, but they spoke of it as a force or a value or an ontological source. It was impersonal and at an infinite remove from the world of ordinary experience. These ancient schools find an echo in many modern and contemporary theologies. Think of deism, which was so influential on the founders of the United States, or even the New Age philosophy of our time. These speak of a “divine” principle or power, but one would never dream of addressing such a force as “thou” or of engaging with it in intimate conversation.

Then there is the Bible. The Scriptures obviously present God as the overwhelming, transcendent, uncontrollable, inscrutable Creator of the heavens and the earth, but they insist that this sublime and frightening power is a person who deigns to speak to us, to guide us, and to invite us into his life.

In making that utterance—“I no longer call you slaves, but friends”—Jesus turned all of religious philosophy and mysticism on its head.

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

Video reflection by Doctor Tim Gray (Augustine Institute/Formed.org): Paschal Reflection.

Papal Quote o' the Day

"Today the Church is alive. Despite all contrary appearances, the Church is united. The Church is & remains the yeast in the dough, the signal among nations."
—Pope Saint Paul VI (1897-1978, r. 1963-1978; feast: 29 May)

Saint Quote o' the Day

"If I do not become a saint I am doing nothing."
—Saint Dominic Savio (1842-1857, feast: 6 May)

Mother Teresa Quote o' the Day

"Don't allow anything to interfere with your love for Jesus. You belong to Him. Nothing can separate you from Him. That one sentence is important to remember. He will be your joy, your strength. If you hold onto that sentence, temptations & difficulties will come, but nothing will break you. Remember, you have been created for great things."
—Saint Teresa of Calcutta, M.C. (1910-1997, feast: 5 September)

Archbishop Sheen Quote o' the Day

"Joy is not the same as pleasure or happiness. A wicked & evil man may have pleasure, while any ordinary mortalis capable of being happy. Pleasure generally comes from things, & always through the senses; happiness comes from humans through fellowship. Joy comes from loving God & neighbor. Pleasure is quick & violent, like a flash of lightning. Joy is steady & abiding, like a fixed star. Pleasure depends on external circumstances, such as money, food, travel, etc. Joy is independent of them, for it comes from a good conscience & love of God."
—Venerable Fulton Sheen (1895-1979)

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the Day: SKAfter Party

Less Than Jake, "Lockdown" from Losing Streak (Rude Boy Mike Papa Whiskey)

Skammentary:

"Something's not right,
Some say the urban sprawl, some say the urban blight,
Something's not right
When history turns into a building site,
Locked out, fenced up, closed down without a sound!

"Something's not right
When downtown is just all blinking lights,
Something's not right
When strip malls and condos are at your every side,
Locked out, fenced up, closed down without a sound!
Locked out, fenced up, closed down without a sound!
Locked out, fenced up, closed down without a sound!

"Locked out, fenced up, closed down without a sound!
Locked out, fenced up, closed down without a sound!
Locked out, fenced up, closed down without a sound!"

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the Day: SKAfter Party

Bim Skala Bim, "Good Dog Ska" from How's It Goin'? (Rude Boy Mike Papa Whiskey)

Skammentary: "Good Dog Ska" is the first song from SKApril XII ('22) to be featured in this year's SKAfter Party.

The Queue: Pascha Edition

I wholeheartedly recommend The Bible Timeline: The Story of Salvation to one & all, believers & unbelievers alike, & I further recommend Walking with God: A Journey through the Bible to prepare for &/or to accompany a Bible Timeline study. I facilitated a study of The Bible Timeline some years ago at Holy Redeemer & again this past year at Saint Matthew. It strikes me as something I should consider doing again, perhaps once a decade.

I ought to finish Eucharist before I embark upon the paired Reclaiming Vatican II & The Word on Fire Vatican II Collection. A Devotional Journey into the Easter Mystery will be shelved until Lent/Easter 2023 (Quadragesima/Pascha MMXXIII), Heaven permitting & should the world perdure.

Recently
Robert Barron*, Centered: The Spirituality of Word on Fire
Pope Saint John Paul II, Ut Unum Sint: On Commitment to Ecumenism
Tim Gray & Jeff Cavins, Walking with God: A Journey through the Bible

Currently
Robert Barron, Eucharist

Presently
Father Blake Britton*, Reclaiming Vatican II: What It (Really) Says, What It Means, and How It Calls Us to Renew the Church
Second Vatican Council†, The Word on Fire Vatican II Collection
Xavier Rynne, Vatican Council II
John W. O'Malley, What Happened at Vatican II
Christopher Carstens, A Devotional Journey into the Easter Mystery

*I identify Bishop Robert Barron as simply "Robert Barron" because that's how he's listed as the author of his books. I identify Father Blake Britton as such because that's how he's listed as the author of his book.

†"Foreward by Bishop Robert Barron with commentary by the postconciliar popes" (Pope Saint Paul VI, Pope Saint John Paul II, Pope Benedict XVI, & Pope Francis)

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the Day: SKAfter Party

The Ska Flames, "Osaka Ska" from Ska Fever (Rude Boy Mike Papa Whiskey)

Saints + Scripture: Pascha

Simplex Edition | Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea máxima culpa!

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

Commentary: Wayback Machine '21 & Wayback Machine '18.

Scripture of the Day
Mass Readings—Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Easter
The Acts of the Apostles, chapter twelve, verse twenty-four thru chapter thirteen, verse five(a);
Psalm Sixty-seven (R/. four; or, "Alleluia"), verses two & three, five, & six & eight;
The Gospel according to John, chapter twelve, verses forty-four thru fifty.

Commentary: Daily Readings.

Gospel reflection by Bishop Robert Barron (Word on Fire):

Friends, in today’s Gospel, Jesus identifies himself with the Father and so hints at the reality of the Trinity.

The Trinity is just another way of saying that God is love. But this has to imply that there is a play, within the unity of God, of lover, beloved, and shared love. This is precisely what we mean when we speak of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

This love is so white-hot, so intense, that it spills over into creation. In the case of human beings, this communication in love was interrupted by sin. What did the triune God do in order to address this problem? In another place John famously says, “God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.”

The Father so burned with the love of the Holy Spirit that he sent his own Son into the world so that a sinful humanity might be drawn back into community. The Trinity opened up so as to include a sinful and wandering humanity. The Trinity is far from an abstract doctrine. It names the very dynamics of salvation.

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

Video reflection by Doctor Tim Gray (Augustine Institute/Formed.org): Paschal Reflection.

Papal Quote o' the Day

"All are called to holiness, & it is possible to all. It is an invitation from the heart of God the Father Who sanctifies & divinizes us through the grace merited by Christ. This grace is sustained by His Spirit, nourished by the Sacraments, & transmitted by the Church."
—Pope Saint Paul VI (1897-1978, r. 1963-1978; feast: 29 May)

Saint Quote o' the Day

"I need nothing in this world in order to be happy. I only need to see Jesus in heaven, Whom I now see & adore on the altar with the eyes of faith."
—Saint Dominic Savio (1842-1857, feast: 6 May)

Mother Teresa Quote o' the Day

"I remember when I was leaving home fifty years ago—my mother was dead set against me leaving home & becoming a sister. In the end when she realized that this was what God wanted from me, she said something very strange: 'Put your hand in His hand & walk all alone with Him.' I didn't understand it at the time, but this is life. We may be surrounded by many people, yet our vocation is really lived out alone with Jesus."
—Saint Teresa of Calcutta, M.C. (1910-1997, feast: 5 September)

Archbishop Sheen Quote o' the Day

"So the divine love is sacrificial love. Love does not mean to have & to own & to possess. It means to be had & to be owned & to be possessed. It is not a circle circumscribed by self, it is arms outstretched to embrace all humanity within its grasp."
—Venerable Fulton Sheen (1895-1979)

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the Day: SKAfter Party

Mustard Plug, "On and On" from In Black and White (Rude Boy Mike Papa Whiskey)

Skammentary:

"Someone tell me that I'm right,
Tell me it's too late tonight,
Tell me that I have a ways to go.
I can see it in your eyes,
I don't want the next surprise,
Come on, let me tell you all we know.

"By now you think it's over,
Countdown, it's getting colder,
Come on, tell me it's over,
It goes on and on and on and on again…"

Bonus! Song o' the Day: St. Damien of Moloka'i

Optional Memorial of Saint Damien of Moloka'i, the "Apostle to the Lepers"
"Weird Al" Yankovic, "Party at the Leper Colony" from Poodle Hat (Saint Mike Papa Whiskey)

Saints + Scripture: Pascha

Simplex Edition | Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea máxima culpa!

The Popish Plot
"Catholic T-Shirt Club Unboxing: Pentecost"

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

Saints of the Day
'Tis the Optional Memorial of Saint Damien de Vuester, Priest, SS.CC. (1840-1889, of Moloka'i, the "Apostle to the Lepers;" A.K.A. Jozef de Veuster).

Commentary: Wayback Machine '21 & Wayback Machine '18.

'Tis the Optional Memorial of Saint John of Ávila, Priest & Doctor of the Church (1499-1569, the "Apostle of Andalusia").

Scripture of the Day
Mass Readings—Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Easter
The Acts of the Apostles, chapter eleven, verses nineteen thru twenty-six;
Psalm Eighty-seven, verses one(b), two, & three; four & five; & six & seven
(R/. Psalm One Hundred Seventeen, verse one[a]; or, "Alleluia");
The Gospel according to John, chapter ten, verses twenty-two thru thirty.

Commentary: Daily Readings.

Gospel reflection by Bishop Robert Barron (Word on Fire):

Friends, in today’s Gospel, Jesus declared that “the Father and I are one.” Jesus appeared two thousand years ago and announced that he had been sent by the Father. There was a strange “something more” regarding Jesus, for he spoke and acted in the very person of God.

The first Christians had to come to grips with this strange duality: somehow Jesus was Son of God, both sent and divine. He was other than the Father, but somehow at the same level as the Father. Things got more complicated when the Holy Spirit came upon them.

Therefore, there seemed to be a Father (the one who sent Jesus), a Son (the one who was both sent and God), and a Holy Spirit (the divine one whom both the Father and Son had sent). Three but yet all the one God of Israel.

We invoke the Trinity when we make the sign of the cross. This juxtaposition of Trinity and cross is by no means accidental. For the cross is the moment when the tensive unity of the three divine persons is on most vivid display.

Video reflection by Father John M. McKenzie (U.S. Conf. of Catholic Bishops): Paschal Reflection.

Video reflection by Doctor Tim Gray (Augustine Institute/Formed.org): Paschal Reflection.

Mass Readings—Optional Memorial of Saint John of Ávila
The Acts of the Apostles, chapter thirteen, verses forty-six thru forty-nine;
Psalm Twenty-three (R/. one), verses one, two, & three(a); four; five; & six;
The Gospel according to Matthew, chapter five, verses thirteen thru nineteen.

Commentary: Optional Readings.

Papal Quote o' the Day

"The rearing & education of children should be the joint task of the father & mother, & there is certainly progress to be made in order that men should take their part in this task to a greater degree. But it is only too clear that the role of the woman remains an essential one."
—Pope Saint Paul VI (1897-1978, r. 1963-1978; feast: 29 May)

Saint Quote o' the Day

"I feel a longing & a need to be a saint. I did not know it was easy to be one, but now I see that one can be holy & happy too. I feel I simply must be a saint."
—Saint Dominic Savio (1842-1857, feast: 6 May)

Mother Teresa Quote o' the Day

"Se the humility of God. He made Himself the hungry one to satisfy our hunger… See the unity between prayer & wholehearted free service. We meet Jesus in the Bread of Life in the Eucharist & the humanity of Christ in the distressing disguise of the poor We are called to unity both of these… Prayer by itself—No! Work by itself—No! These two belong together."
—Saint Teresa of Calcutta, M.C. (1910-1997, feast: 5 September)

Archbishop Sheen Quote o' the Day

"Our happiest times are those in which we forget ourselves, usually in being kind to someone else. That tiny moment of self-abdication is an act of true humility; the man who loses himself finds himself & finds his happiness."
—Venerable Fulton Sheen (1895-1979)

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the Day: SKAfter Party

The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, "A Little Bit Ugly" from Devil's Night Out (Rude Boy Mike Papa Whiskey)

Skammentary:

"When it comes a-knockin'
Outside my door,
Well, I let it in
Because it's been there before,
Let's let it in!

"And it comes a-knockin'
More and more each day,
And a little bit ugly now
Is what its got to say…

"A little bit ugly now
A little bit ugly 'cause the time is right
A little bit ugly now
A little bit ugly now toni-i-i-ight!

"When I'm a little bit ugly, it's my kind of feeling,
I'm drunk and I'm blind,
And I'm a little bit ugly, it's my kind of feeling,
I'm outta my mind…"

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the Day: SKAfter Party

Reel Big Fish, "Beer" from Turn the Radio Off (Rude Boy Mike Papa Whiskey)

Skammentary:

"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,
She said she'd do it all again, she promised not to tell…"