29 April 2006

It's like...

...herding cats! This is one of my mom's favorite expressions, which makes a lot of sense as we've always had multiple cats around the house. That's why I was thrilled when "Disciples with Microphones" posted the Google video of my favorite commercial ever. Mom and I never remember what the commercial advertizes, but since seeing it a few years ago, we've never forgotten it.

25 April 2006

Look at Those Happy Catholics!



This photo is from the front page of this week's Gonzaga Bulletin. That's me in the glasses, on the far right. The white and gold balloons in the background are a balloon arch that's partly blown over. The John Paul II Fellowship set up a table for "Pope Day" (the anniversary of Pope Benedict's election--or as the Bulletin misprinted, "Pope Benedictine XVI") and handed out hotdogs, soda, and 1-page condensed versions of Deus caritas est.

Our t-shirts rocked, too. As you can see, the pope was on the front, and the back said "I ♥ My German Shepherd." The Student Body Association paid for 130 free shirts for us to hand out, which were gone by 10:30am. By 3pm, we had three full pages of names of students--and faculty--who wanted a pope t-shirt. I don't know where the Fellowship is going to dig up the $4 per shirt to make sure the second printing of shirts is free, but we'll manage.

22 April 2006

Please say a prayer for the resting of the soul of Catherine Grisewood, an elderly lady who resided in Co. Tipperary, Ireland, until her death yesterday morning. One of her daughters was married in Rome this weekend, and it seems a little unfair that her newlywed bliss should be dampened so quickly with sorrow, but God works in his own time. Mrs. Grisewood was in her 90's, and until two or three years ago she walked the mile to her local parish every day for Mass, even after having both hips replaced. She was famous for her green thumb and her fruit preserves.

20 April 2006

Eagle Cam

If there are any of you who, like me, are former subscribers to "Ranger Rick" or "Zoo Books," or big watchers of the Discovery Channel, you might enjoy this live streaming video of an eagle's nest.

19 April 2006

Happy Anniversary, Pope Benedict!

And just in case anyone's looking for the lyrics, Long Live the Pope!

14 April 2006

Artwork of the Crucifixion

As part of my meditations today, I went to the Art Renewal Center website and did a search for artwork bearing the title "Crucifixion." There are many and varied depictions available for viewing. These are the ones I have found most moving, and providing of the most detail to my imagination:

Antonio da Firenze depicts an anguished Blessed Mother and St. John, with two penitents (flagellants) at the foot of the Cross. In beautiful contrast, a small Annunciation is shown at the top. The Blessed Mother's hand is outstreched, showing us her Son, and the Annunciation above seems almost to be an image from her memory.

Carl Heinrich Bloch shows the Blessed Mother fallen in a faint at the foot of the Cross, Joseph of Aramathea holding her hand solicitously, and St. John with his hands folded in sorrowful prayer. How the Blessed Mother and St. John must have suffered!

Salvador Dali provides a strangely cubic crucifix and desolate landscape, which remind me of how abandoned and alone Christ was. The muscles in his arms strain, his hands are clenched in pain, and his face (clean-shaven, as historians now tell us he must have been) is turned away from us, either in pain, or so that we won't see the full extent of his anguish.

Juan de Juni carved a bloody crucifix (typical Spanish), giving us an image of extreme pain and suffering.

Simone Martini also shows the Blessed Mother fainting in anguish, along with St. Mary Magdalen clinging to the base of the Cross, looking up at her Lord longingly. Two angels flank the Cross, crying out in sorrow and outrage. The painting is hardly diminished by the too-skinny arms and legs of Jesus.
Good Friday

Popule meus, quid feci tibi? aut in quo contristavi te? Responde mihi. Quia eduxi te de terra AEgypti, parasti crucem Salvatori tuo. O my people, what have I done to thee? or wherin have I afflicted thee? Answer me. Because I led thee out of the land of Egypt, thou has prepared a cross for thy Saviour.

Agios o Theos! O holy God!
Sanctus Deus! O holy God!
Agios ischyros! O holy mighty One!
Sanctus fortis! O holy mighty One!
Agios athanatos, eleison imas.O holy immortal One, have mercy upon us.
Sanctus immortalis, miserere nobis.O holy immortal One, have mercy upon us.

Quia eduxi te per desertum quadraginta annis, et manna cibavi te, et introduxi te in terram satis bonam, parasti crucem Salvatori tuo. Because I led thee out through the desert forty years, and fed thee with manna, and brought thee into a land exceeding good, thou hast prepared a cross for thy Saviour.

(From the Reproaches)

13 April 2006

Conversion

Please pray for those who will be received into the Church this week, especially Dawn Eden, and my friend Anne. It's good to know that people with great minds like Dawn's and great musical gifts like Anne's are excited about being Catholic.

Please pray for those who celebrate their anniversaries of entering the Church. My father (8 years), boyfriend (2 years), and another friend (1 year) will be in my prayers.

Saturday is also the anniversary of my confirmation. As mentioned in a post below, my diocese was temporarily without its own bishop, and since I was the only one to be confirmed at the parish that year, it was decided that I would be confirmed with the adults at the Easter Vigil. I remember my anniversary happily, despite the unusual circumstances.

08 April 2006

Moving on Up, or Down

It's official--I'm moving to Southern California in August. I've begun referring to it alternately as the "Land of Eternal Summer" and the "Principality of Mahoney." I'll be studying music history at USC (combined MA/PhD program). My emphasis, for those of you who are curious, will be Renaissance polyphony, though I'm sure I'll take little excursions into chant and Renaissance instrumental music.

Does anyone have any recommendations for good parishes down there? (Other than the ones representing various Eastern Rites, of course, which my natural liturgical curiousity will lead me to explore as fully as possible.)

03 April 2006

Lost Monty Python Interview

Here is an interview with the Pythons recorded in 1975, on the day after the first public showing of Monty Python and the Holy Grail. It cuts out after about 14 minutes--the tape was recorded over (curses)--but it's still worth watching. They're more subdued than I would have thought, but there's still a wacky element, specifically a stuffed armadillo. I wonder who has that armadillo now?