Now HERE'S Some Bass Response!

I'd like to yell at Husband for buying me a fabulous Christmas present, but it'd seem ungrateful.  :-)

Put on some headphones and have a listen:

Angels We Have Heard On High

I'm planning to record my pieces as I learn them, make a CD to market to all the "local" Catholic churches, then hope and pray for a lot of substitute organist work.

Papal Quotes Regarding the Organ

From The American Organist, September 2010.

Pius XI (1928):

There is one instrument that comes to us from the ancients and which properly belongs to the church.  It is called the organ.  Its most wonderful amplitude and majesty have rendered it worthy of being associated with the liturgical rites, both to support the chant and to elicit, during the periods when the choir is silent, sweet music that harmonizes with the prescribed rules.

Pius XI (1955):

Among the musical instruments that have a place in church, the organ rightly holds the principal position, since it is especially fitted for the sacred chants and sacred rites.  It adds a wonderful splendor and a special magnificence to the ceremonies of the church.  It moves the souls of the faithful by the grandeur and sweetness of its tones.  It gives minds an almost heavenly joy, and it lifts them up powerfully to God and to higher things.

Benedict XVI (2008):

[The organ he dedicated in the Alte Kappele, Regensburg] continues to play and to help people perceive something of the splendor of our faith--a splendor kindled by the Holy Spirit itself.  With it, the organ carries out an evangelizing function, proclaiming the Gospel in its own way.

(These quotes were included in the program for the dedication of the new Schoenstein organ at St. Joseph's Church, Pinold, California, March 19, 2009, Mario Balestrieri, organist.)

Solemnity of Epiphany - January 2, 2011

The last time I played for Mass was the 4th Sunday of Advent.  Seems so long ago.

I am so grateful to the music director for never including me; I can travel wherever I want for Christmas, Easter, special event Masses, and anytime the bishop visits.  Heh.


Introit: found here
Processional:  We Three Kings (BB 103)
Psalm:  MCK
Offertory:  Infant Holy, Infant Lowly (BB 93)
Communion: seasonal psalm
Recessional:  Angels We Have Heard on High (BB 81)

Monastery Icons

Looking for a religious gift?  Head over to monasteryicons.com for the most beautiful items ever.  I've received several items from them and have been quite pleased with everything; each item is more beautiful than the page or screen can convey.

The items are also NOT mass-produced in China.  My most recent purchases were hand-made (or hand-painted/written) in Greece and Russia, and they're very reasonably priced.

As I look through my catalog, I notice something new; they're located less than three hours from my house.  Wonder if they have a brick-and-mortar store?

A Christmas Card

My most unfortunate personality trait is that I'm easily discouraged by just about anything - even everyday minutiae.  I've recently been asking Husband, Kids, birds, and the thin air if I should just quit this organ stuff.

Then I received this letter inside a Christmas card:

I wish to thank you for sharing your lovely singing and beautiful and inspiring music.  As a European who grew up with old and meaningful songs I feel so unfulfilled with most, not all present day music in church.  Thank you also to your precious family for sharing their talents and caring.

Couldn't have come at a better time.

The Forgotten Kennedy

Cross-posted from Fortune Favors the Brave.

Photo taken circa 1938

Meet Rosemary. In this picture, she's about twenty years old--pretty, lively and sociable, if possessing an uneven temper. Rosemary is the Kennedy you probably have never really heard about. If you have heard about her, it was probably from Eunice Kennedy Shriver.

Accepted reports nowadays state that Rosemary had a very mild mental retardation; though this is a matter of contention as she was never officially diagnosed and appeared to have an IQ fairly substantially above the cutoff for a disability (being capable of at least four-digit multiplication and division). Other theories include a common learning disability like dyslexia. Regardless, she was reportedly very moody and inclined towards depression. Her diaries are written clearly, speaking of social outings.

As she got older, however, she apparently became tense and irritable, prone to swings of mania and depression. In an attempt to make her more placid, Joe Kennedy (without the consent of her mother, Rose, and without informing any of her siblings) had a lobotomy operated. A surgeon who was present at the lobotomy described this procedure in this way:

"We went through the top of the head, I think she was awake. She had a mild tranquilizer. I made a surgical incision in the brain through the skull. It was near the front. It was on both sides. We just made a small incision, no more than an inch." The instrument Dr. Watts used looked like a butter knife. He swung it up and down to cut brain tissue. "We put an instrument inside," he said. As Dr. Watts cut, Dr. Freeman put questions to Rosemary. For example, he asked her to recite the Lord's Prayer or sing "God Bless America" or count backwards. "We made an estimate on how far to cut based on how she responded." When she began to become incoherent, they stopped." (The Sins of the Father, Kessler)

Yes, that's right, folks. Rosemary had a couple holes made in her skull while under a "mild tranquilizer" and brain tissue ceremoniously removed (sound familiar?) until she was incapable of speaking clearly. The lobotomy had the intended result, all right--in addition to a few biological waste issues, she perfected the thousand-yard stare and was incapable of speaking coherently. Her mental state was described as being infantile at best. Placid indeed.

Even if Rosemary did have a mental retardation, it would be considered medical malpractice to perform a lobotomy upon someone with such a disability. It was far more common to use lobotomies for mental illness. And the question remains...what was Joe afraid of?

Consequently, Rosemary was institutionalized. Throughout her brother's presidential campaign, she apparently miraculously became a schoolteacher in Wisconsin. It was later made apparent to the public that, using the official story, Rosemary was mentally disabled. There is a bright spot, though--as a result of her experiences with Rosemary, Eunice Kennedy Shriver began her crusade for the mentally disabled and made many efforts to include her sister when possible. Eunice Kennedy visited Rosemary frequently throughout the eighties, and tried to keep her offspring and siblings involved with Rosemary. Sometimes Eunice brought her on vacations in various places, though she still required much aid.

Though hearsay, one of Kathleen Kennedy's former boyfriends stated that Kathleen had informed him that the family considered Rosemary a disgrace and a failure (ibid.) Rose Kennedy's relationship with her husband was, understandably, a *bit strained* after Rosemary's lobotomy. Until her family moved to England for a time, Rosemary lived with her father's assistant.

Rosemary died in 2005 at the age of 86 with her sister Jean Kennedy and her brother Ted "Mary Jo Who?" Kennedy around her at a Wisconsin hospital. Although she was allegedly buried in a particular cemetery, it does not have a marker and that same cemetery will not confirm burial.

And people wonder why the Kennedy clan seems to be cursed.

(much of this information has been drawn from the book "The Sins of the Father" by Ronald Kessler and from official news reports. Celestine has barely restrained her disgust in an attempt to write an 'unbiased' post.)

4th Sunday of Advent - December 19, 2010

Introit: Found here
Processional:  O Come, O Come Emmanuel (BB 36)
Psalm: spoken
Offertory:  Comfort, Comfort, O My People (BB 54)
Communion:  seasonal psalm
Recessional:  Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus (BB 37)

3rd Sunday of Advent - December 12, 2010

Happy Birthday to Mary Catherine, and Blessed Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe!

Processional: Creator of the Stars of Night (BB 58)
Psalm:  Carissa
Offertory: The Angel Gabriel From Heaven Came (BB 56)
Communion:  Seasonal psalm
Recessional: On Jordan's Bank (BB 38)

Only if You're a REALLY Avid Ford Fan

For those of us whose hearts race at the sight of a Pony.

Here's a picture of the cake.

h/t MustangEvolution.com

Glenn Beck, Redux

I've watched Glenn Beck a few times, and while he was certainly entertaining, there was something about the guy that really bugged me.  Perhaps it was his constant entreaties to tune-in-Monday-when-he-reveals-the-biggest-conspiracy-ever-and-you-won't-believe-it!, or perhaps it was his "little" historical errors that grated on my nerves. Oh, and calling m&m candies "Prozac"?  Irritating, IMO.

Knowing that he is an apostate convinces me to disregard nearly everything he says.  Since he considers himself a devout Mormon, it's inevitable that LDS theology infiltrates the ideas expressed on his broadcast. But how much, we might wonder?

This article, "How Mormonism Built Glenn Beck", from an Evangelical Lutheran website sums up the issue rather well, I think.

Glenn Beck leans forward on his elbows. His voice hushes. His eyes grow red at the corners. He presses his lips together and clears his throat. He cannot speak. The tears fall, and just for a moment the brashest voice in American conservatism today falls silent.

This is what happens when Beck tells the story of his 1999 conversion to Mormonism.

“I was friendless, working in the smallest radio market I had ever worked in... a hopeless alcoholic, abusing drugs every day,” Beck said in an interview taped last fall. “I was trying to find a job and nobody would hire me... couldn’t get an agent to represent me.”

That’s when Beck’s wife-to-be Tania suggested that the family go on a “church tour,” which finally led (after some prodding from Beck’s longtime on-air partner Pat Gray, a Mormon) to his local Mormon wardhouse. Six months later, the Beck family joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

“I was baptized on a Sunday, and on Monday”—Beck’s throat tightens again; he wipes tears from his eyes with his index fingers—“an agent called me out of the blue.” Three days later, Beck was offered his own political talk radio show at WFLA-AM in Tampa, Florida, the job that put him on the road from “morning zoo” radio prankster to conservative media heavyweight.

Spiritual narratives of the I-once-was-lost-now-I-am-financially-sound variety are commonplace within Mormonism, which, like most of American Protestantism, has never been allergic to wealth. The institutional culture of the Mormon Church is strongly corporate, down to the dark suits, white shirts, and red or blue ties church leaders wear instead of vestments; Mormonism’s most powerful public figures like Mitt Romney, Jon Huntsman Jr., and Bill Marriott Jr., come from the business world.

But whether or not one believes that God rewards baptism with fortune, it is clear that Glenn Beck’s conversion to and education in the Mormon faith after 1999 corresponds precisely with his rise as a media force.

Beck, who was raised Catholic in Washington state, has produced, with the help of Mormon Church-owned Deseret Book Company, the DVD An Unlikely Mormon: The Conversion Story of Glenn Beck (2008); Mormon fansites invite visitors to learn more about Beck’s beliefs by clicking through to the official Web site of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. But what these fansites don’t reveal is the extent to which Mormonism has given Beck key elements of his on-air personality and messaging.

Teary Tirades and Mormon Masculinity

Before 1999, Glenn Beck told jokes and pulled on-air stunts for a living. He developed the content of his current conservative messaging (an amalgation of anti-communism, United States-founder worship, and connect-the-dots conspiracy theorizing) after his entree into the deeply insular world of Mormon thought and culture. A significant figure in this world is the late Cleon Skousen (1913–2006), the archconservative and fiercely anti-communist Brigham Young University professor, founder of the Freeman Society, and author of 15 books, including The Naked Capitalist, The Making of America, and Prophecy and Modern Times. Beck, who first cited Skousen in his 2003 book The Real America: Messages from the Heart and the Heartland, later started pitching Skousen’s 1981 book The 5,000 Year Leap on air in December, 2008. He wrote a preface for a new edition of the book issued a few months later and in his March 2009 kick-off of the 9/12 movement declared Skousen’s book to be “divinely inspired.” In a recent article for Salon.com, Alexander Zaitchik suggested that Beck “rescued [Skousen] from the remainder pile of history.” But Cleon Skousen was never remaindered among the most politically conservative Mormons, for whom he has been a household name since the 1960s.

It is likely that Beck owes his brand of Founding Father-worship to Mormonism, where reverence for the founders and the United States Constitution as divinely inspired are often-declared elements of orthodox belief. Mormon Church President Wilford Woodruff (1807–1898) declared that George Washington and the signers of the Declaration of Independence appeared to him in the Mormon Temple in St. George, Utah in 1877, and requested that he perform Mormon temple ordinances on their behalf. Many Mormons also believe that Joseph Smith prophesied in 1843 that the US Constitution would one day “hang by a thread” and be saved by faithful Mormons; this idea was given new life in the 1960s by former US Secretary of Agriculture Ezra Taft Benson, who cited Smith’s 1843 prophecy from the pulpit while speaking as a member of the Church’s Quorum of Twelve Apostles.

Many key elements of Beck’s on-the-fly messaging derive from a Mormon lexicon, such as his Twitter-issued September 19 call: “Sept 28. Lets make it a day of Fast and Prayer for the Republic. Spread the word. Let us walk in the founders steps.” This call to fasting and prayer may indeed have been an appropriation of the Jewish holy day of Yom Kippur, but it is also rooted in the traditional Mormon practice of holding individual, familial, and collective fasts to address spiritual challenges.

Even the overt sentimentality Beck now indulges from time to time was formed within the cradle of Mormon literary culture. Take, for example, his novel The Christmas Sweater (2008) (co-authored by Mormon writer Jason Wright) and its accompanying children’s picture book, which tell the story of an impoverished twelve-year-old boy who rejects a “handmade, ugly sweater” his widowed mother knits him for Christmas, only to watch his mother die in a fiery car crash hours later. This punishing sentimentality is a consistent feature of Mormon storytelling from Church-produced cinematic classics like Cipher in the Snow (1973) and The Mailbox (1977) to the New York Times-bestselling novel The Christmas Box (1995) by Mormon author Richard Paul Evans.

Finally, Beck’s oft-ridiculed penchant for punctuating his tirades with tears is the hallmark of a distinctly Mormon mode of masculinity. As sociologist David Knowlton has written, “Mormonism praises the man who is able to shed tears as a manifestation of spirituality.” Crying and choking up are understood by Mormons as manifestations of the Holy Spirit. For men at every rank of Mormon culture and visibility, appropriately-timed displays of tender emotion are displays of power.

Peace on the Religious Right between Mormons and Evangelicals?

Indeed, Beck, who grew up without a father, narrates his conversion and personal transformation around a series of tearful bonding moments with Mormon men, from the Sunday School teacher who first taught him about the Mormon concept of Zion—“Tears started to roll down his cheeks, and he said, ‘It can only happen if I truly love you and you love me’”—to his baptism by immersion by his longtime friend Pat Gray, who was so choked up, according to Beck, that “he couldn’t get the words out.”

Not typical of Mormon masculinity are Beck’s high-decibel swings between bombast and self-deprecation. Such demonstrative excesses are socialized out of most Mormon men during a regimented process of masculine formation that begins with entry into the lowest ranks of Mormonism’s lay priesthood at age 12, intensifies during compulsory missionary service from age 19 through 21, and continues throughout a lifetime of service within hierarchical priesthood quorums. A textbook example of the traditional Mormon “man of steel and velvet” is Mitt Romney, whose inability to connect with the Republican base may have as much to do with his lack of familiar jocularity and chest-thumping outrage as it does with the perceived weirdness of his Mormon beliefs. As a convert, Beck missed out on crucial early years of Mormon male socialization. Consequently, his renegade persona may endear him even more to his Mormon male fans who might like to comport themselves as he does, but feel they cannot.

It’s true that his Mormonism sometimes gets Beck into trouble with evangelical Christians, who have long antagonized Mormons by denying the authenticity of their belief in Jesus Christ and deriding the Mormon Church as a cult. Last December, James Dobson’s Focus on the Family Web site pulled a Beck column, citing concerns about his Mormon ties. Still, Beck’s spectacular rise suggests that evangelical conservatives (especially those under 40 who may not remember the anti-Mormon cult crusades of the 1980s) are increasingly willing to set aside their reservations about Mormons when it suits their pragmatic and political interests.

Glenn Beck marks an unprecedented national mainstreaming of a peculiar strand of religious political conservatism rooted in, and once isolated to, the Mormon culture regions of the American West. That Mormons are capable of leveraging disproportionate political influence with decisive results was one of the great lessons of California’s 2008 election season, wherein readily-mobilized Mormons, who make up 2% of California’s population, contributed more than 50% of the individual donations to the successful anti-marriage equality Proposition 8 campaign, and a sizeable majority of its on-the-ground efforts.

How much traction Glenn Beck can muster remains to be seen. But if the American religious right has sometimes been imagined as a monolithic product of the evangelical Deep South and Bible Belt, the rise of Glenn Beck suggests that those who would understand American conservatism might also look West, toward Salt Lake City.

St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception

Allow me to present to you pictures from St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception in Fulda. I'm sorry the pictures aren't bigger, but blogger is having a panic attack and has been wheezing up my attempts to upload pictures. It's a very nice little church. Very...German.

Feast of the Immaculate Conception - December 8, 2010

Happy Birthday, Dad!  I love you!

Introit: Gaudens gaudebo (proper for this Feast)
Processional: Immaculate Mary (BB 206)
Psalm: Carissa
Offertory: O Sanctissima (Mary, Full of Grace) (BB 714) (English)
Communion: Panis Angelicus (BB 366) (Latin)
Recessional: Hail, Holy Queen (BB 207)

Recordings from 12/4/10 Mass

Psalm

Communion Psalm, which replaces the Antiphon from the Graduale Romanum (*sniff*, wipes tear from eye)

SPIDERS! *shudder*

Actually, they don't make me shudder at all.  A spider is truly a wondrous creature; he makes his own home, catches his own food, and takes care of his own young.  (Wow - I guess I went overboard in my attempt to use only the masculine pronoun.  I should have said takes care of HER own young.  Mea maxima culpa.)

Daring Jumping spiders are doggone cute and almost cuddly, aren't they?  I was thrilled (not like Chris Matthews) when I'd find one in the living room window.  Excitement was in the air when a fly would show up in its territory!  Well, the fly wasn't so excited, and the resulting PG-13 action would make a kid cry, but I thought it was totally radical, dude.

This is a fairly innocuous photo, which unfortunately disguises the awesomely cute face of this creature.  Really, you must Google this for yourself; I've found a zombie face, alien face, baboon face, Darth Vader face, etc.  What could possibly be more fun?

Their webs aren't so spectacular, unlike the - ta-da! - Golden Orb Spider.  Feast your eyes:

If you're into spider milking (and aren't we all?), you could even use the silk from the golden orb spider to make this:

A few weeks ago, I walked into my bathroom and with my peripheral vision noticed a mess of dark thread on the floor.  As I looked at it, I realized the thread was actually in an organized pattern.....with legs.  It was that species which incurs instant horror, kind of like when you lift up a bale of hay in a barn to find a huge Black Rat Snake (you're welcome for my omitting the photo)....what?  Can't relate to that?  Let me try again:  it's like looking in a mirror after the big meeting only to find out that you have a big piece of green or black goo between your teeth, or you have something hanging from your nose, or .....never mind.

Anyway, my "mess of dark thread" was this:

I picked him up and gave him a loving pat before he went for a swim. (Don't send PETA!  I almost always catch them in a jar and toss them outside so the cat can inspect.)

These fun-loving creatures can get up to four inches in diameter; I even found one in the basement a few years ago.  Had no idea they could get that big, and even took it to the Dept. of Something or Other so it could be identified.  These are the spiders that make the beautifully engineered tunnels that are found in bush, grass, and garage.

Since the spider webs in the kitchen appear to be no longer in use this year, they'll be vacuumed up whenever I get around to it (I was going to say "pronto" to make you think that I'm ever-so-tidy, but most of you know better.)  Hate to see them go, but there's always next year, right?

Disclaimer:  I hope I didn't use any copyrighted photos.  I don't think I did, but I'm not the most observant person in these parts.

2nd Sunday of Advent - December 5, 2010

Processional:  Comfort, Comfort, O My People (BB 54)
Psalm:  MCK
Offertory:  Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming (BB 98)
Communion:  seasonal psalm
Recessional:  The Coming of Our God (BB 70)

Mary forgot last week that she's not supposed to be playing preludes/postludes during Advent.  Perhaps her singing the Gregorian introit will suffice as a "prelude" for the hungry masses.

There appeared to be a younger average age at Mass last week, including more children than ever.  And there were certainly more people than I expected for the weekend after Thanksgiving.

Feast of Fools

I took a Medieval and Renaissance music history class this past quarter.  This is the kind of music that captures my heart, and had it not been for the worries about tests, the whole experience would’ve been sheer bliss.  Except for the stupid text book, that is. 

This book, plus volumes 1 and 2 of the CDs and anthologies come out to the wallet-busting price of $500+, so for that price, I’m expecting brilliance on the order of 24k gold.  Well, this particular book has this kind of gem sprinkled throughout, it would seem:

“But the spirit often moved Hildegard to write melismatic exclamations, such as we see on “O” and the thirty-one note melisma on “numquam” (“never”).  In fact, many of Hildegard’s chants begin with the exclamation “O”, a powerful emotional expression that suggests that feminine will and sexuality had been repressed and were now seeking release through music.”

Gag me.  Perhaps they're unfamiliar with the "O Antiphons". (Or perhaps they'd just have something dicey to say about them.)

How do they come up with this stuff?

So I learned really fast to disregard some of the editorial comments in this book.  Then a few chapters later, I came across a paragraph that referred to an event known as the “Feast of Fools”. 

“For the medieval clergy, most of the fun of Christmas came, not on Christmas day but during the following week, when the services of the church were handed over to the younger clergy to celebrate in place of their superiors.  The most raucous revels came on Circumcision (1 January), also known as the Feast of Fools, when the youngest of the adult clerics took charge of the church.  Standing in the choir and at the high altar, the youths engaged in a blasphemous mockery of the liturgical service.  Some dressed as women, others threw bones across the choir aisle, while the “celebrant” lit an old shoe and censed the altar with its smoke……”

When I read this description, I hoped it was another of these stupid assertions that the authors were making, so I looked it up in the Catholic Encyclopedia.

And now I more fully understand why Jesus asked St. Francis (who lived during this time) to “rebuild My church.”  Although the exact nature of this “Feast of Fools” activity is disputed, the fact that it existed (and was addressed by the Church) is unfortunately not.

Sort of puts the state of today’s Church in perspective.  And also drives home the point that there was NEVER a Golden Age of the Church.  We humans tend to be a miserable lot and have a singular talent for screwing everything up.  But He loves us anyway; amazing and wonderful, isn’t it?

1st Sunday of Advent - November 28, 2010

Fall Quarter is over, which means the awkwardness of break begins; I'm never sure who (if anyone) I'll have in the choir.


Processional:  The Advent of Our King (BB 59)
Psalm: ?? but I suspect someone will be around to do it.
Offertory:  Creator of the Stars of Night (BB 58)
Communion:  No more Communion Antiphon from the Graduale Romanum.  Therefore, I'll play something with a refrain that the PIPs can sing (although they won't.)  I'm not yet sure what that will be.
Recessional:  Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus (BB 37)

Recordings from 11/13/10 Mass

At the risk of repeating myself, I apologize for my audio on the psalm; the recorder is directly in front of the pipes, and Steve is in the front of the church.

Psalm

Amen dico vobis, quidquid.....


Mass next Saturday night is canceled (and I really think that word should be spelled with two occurrences of the letter "l") so that everyone can attend a Community Day celebration and Mass at the other Catholic church in town.  The fam will probably take the opportunity to attend Mass in the Columbus diocese.  I'll miss providing music for the Feast of Christ the King.

See you in Advent!

Happy Birthday Five!

Today is Five's tenth birthday.  Accordingly, I thought I'd post some pictures of Her Cuteness from earlier days.

This was taken during a pilgrimage to Our Lady of the Angels Monastery in Alabama.

Five's older brother, Four, was no longer able to fit in this cabinet after this visit to my parents' house.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BABY GIRL!

33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time - November 14, 2010

Introit:  Pages 370-371 of this link.
Processional:  God, We Praise You (BB 198)
Psalm:
Offertory:  At the Name of Jesus (BB 752)
Communion:  Amen dico....quidquid  "Amen I say unto you, all things, whatsoever you ask when ye pray, believe that you shall receive: and they shall come unto you"
Recessional: To Jesus Christ Our Sovereign King (BB 743)

32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time - November 7, 2010

Introit: Page 3 of this link
Processional:  For All the Saints (BB 739)
Psalm:  MCK
Offertory:  The King Shall Come When Morning Dawns (BB 48)
Communion: Dominus regit me
Recessional:  Praise The Lord, Ye Heavens (BB 562)

Funeral Chants

My Aunt Ruth died yesterday; may God receive her quickly into His kingdom.

The funeral is Saturday morning, and my parents have asked for a chant or two.  I recorded a few this afternoon so that they could choose what they like best. The communion antiphon is listed last, because it was recorded before my voice was warmed up (and it shows, unfortunately.)

So -- Mom and Dad -- let me know what you want.

Introit
Gradual
De Profundis (Mode II)
De Profundis (Mode VIII)
Communion Antiphon

Upcoming posts

Future posts that may appear when Fall Quarter is done eating my brain:

Feast of Fools
Josquin's Miserere and De Labyrintho, with a dash of Savanarola thrown in
Choral Adventures
People who forget to breathe
My love of spiders
Florence Cathedral Dedication


Will probably add more when I remember what the heck all those ideas were......

31st Sunday in Ordinary Time - October 31, 2010

Prelude:  DIES IRAE
Introit:  Pages 3-5 of this link.
Processional:  I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say  (BB 482)
Offertory:  Where Charity and Love Prevail (BB 435)
Communion:  Notas mihi
Recessional:  Sent Forth by God's Blessing (BB 375)

Public Thanks

Heartfelt gratitude to MCK for giving this humble blog visitors from both Sweden and Norway. I hope you had a TERRIFIC time!

30th Sunday in Ordinary Time - October 24, 2010

Introit: Pages 3-5 of this link
Processional:  Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow (BB 582)
Psalm: Steve, if his voice is back from Phlegmville.
Offertory:  O Breathe On Me, O Breath of God  (BB 664)
Communion:  Laetabimur  "We will rejoice in Thy salvation, and in the Name of the Lord our God we shall be exalted.
Recessional:  All Creatures of Our God and King (BB 557)

Nothing here to see, so........

There's nothing new on this most boring blog because I'm busy losing my mind over school matters, so you should head on over to Celestine's other blog and read her latest witty commentary on tea!

Super Happy Fun List of Confused Words!

I love to hear similar-sounding words misused.  (Okay - not really.)  Unimatrix One, Three, and Four decided to compile a list:

Calvary - cavalry  (Calvary is a place, and "cavalry" refers to mounted soldiers.)

Prostate - prostrate (Prostate is a body part, but "prostrate" refers to lying face-down in submission.)

Immorality - Immortality  (A lector at church misread, as in "Our bodies were not made for IMMORTALITY."  Good heavens.  Father had to use the phrase "Our bodies were not made for IMMORALITY" several times during the homily, just to make sure the people understood.  Heh.)

compose - comprise  ("Comprises"="is composed of")

And my favorite:

regime - regimen - regiment  ("I have an exercise regimen."  "The regime in Iran is oppressive."  "This regiment has twenty-seven soldiers.")

On a related note, I once heard on the radio a speech being read on behalf of some folks seeking asylum in Louisiana.  The orator kept saying "the Polish people", pronouncing the nationality "Polish" as "polish", as in shoe polish.  Late in the speech, she realized her mistake.

Feel free to add more in the com box.

Recordings from 10/9/10 Mass

Psalm & Acclamation

Communion Antiphon - Aufera me

Husband told me organ sounded "weird" (it's definitely out of tune), so I decided to not include any other recordings.

The "Girls Chorus" downstairs really took me by surprise.  Who are they, and why aren't they in the choir?  This was Parents' Weekend at the university, so perhaps they were there to show mom and dad where they attend Mass (at least I hope they attend every week).

28th Sunday in Ordinary Time - October 10, 2010.

Introit: Pages 3-5 of this link
Processional:  Now Thank We All Our God (BB 202)
Psalm:  Medi Caten :-))
Offertory:  Jesu, Joy of Our Desiring (BB 523)
Communion: Aufer a me
Recessional: All Creatures of Our God and King (BB 557)


I will be away from St. Paul's next weekend (29th Sunday) for my parents' 59th wedding anniversary, but will return the weekend after.

Recordings from 10/2/10 Mass

Psalm and Gospel Acclamation

Come, My Way, My Truth, My Life

I am annoyed that Come, My Way, My Truth, My Life isn't in the Blue Book; but it's in the accompaniment book. Argh.

27th Sunday in Ordinary Time - October 3, 2009

Introit: Pages 3-5 of this link
Processional: Faith of Our Fathers (BB 528)
Psalm:  Steve
Offertory:  Come, My Way, My Truth, My Life (choir only)
Communion: In salutari tuo; then Blessed By Your Sacrifice (BB 203)
Recessional:  I Sing the Mighty Power of God  (BB 419)

In salutari tuo translation:  My soul pines for your salvation; I hope in your word. When will you do judgment on my persecutors? The wicked persecuted me wrongfully; help me, O Lord, my God!

Brahms, Bach, Brühns, and Alain

I'm playing for my parents' 59th anniversary Mass in a few weeks.  I recorded these so that they could hear what I'm planning.  Page turns etc. have been edited out, but mistakes haven't!  I've not recorded these before, so there's definitely some shaping to be done on a few of these (it's amazing what you can hear on a recording that's not obvious when playing), and first I must figure out how to make the Praeludium more carefree than frantic.  But here they are anyway.

For preludes:

Brahms -  Herzlich tut mich verlangen

and

Brühns - Praeludium in e minor (shorter)

For postlude:

J.S. Bach - Nun komm der Heiden Heiland (BWV 661)

And just for fun:

Alain - Litanies

Machaut Kyrie

This quarter I'm studying Medieval and Renaissance music in a music history class.  By far the most important composer of the 1300's was Guillaume de Machaut.

I am struck by the beauty of his Messe de Notre Dame (Mass of Our Lady), which is the only Mass he wrote.

Have a listen to the nine-fold Kyrie, using Alternatum Praxis (alternating between monophonic chant and choir).  Perhaps you'll recognize the chant Kyrie, Omnipotens genitor.

It's Celestine's Birthday!

Happy 17th Baby Girl!    Feel free to stop by her blog and wish her a happy day.

Today is also the Feast of the Holy Archangels, and the death anniversary of Navy Seal Michael Monsoor (whom you will find in the sidebar).

Recording from 9/25/10 Mass

Psalm and Gospel Acclamation

Unfortunately, I had the recorder in a bad location; the communion antiphon is barely audible.  *sad face*

Celestine said that it was very pretty, and Jesus had even stopped my coughing attacks just for the antiphon!  Oh well.

The story behind Phil Davison

We've all had a few laughs at Phil's expense. Here's his story:

(I've copied the text here in case the link dies.)

Phil Davison is a councilman in the village of Minerva, Ohio, population 3,934. He has four degrees from the University of Akron — two bachelors degrees, in history and sociology, and two masters degrees, in communication and public administration. He’s worked in factories, at the local Target and, for eight years, as a bailiff at the Stark County Court of Common Pleas. He left that position last year, and has been unable to find work since.

“I’m looking for something right now, to see what turns up. I’ve been turned down for minimum wage jobs,” Davison said in an interview from his home in Minerva. He makes a $260-a-week stipend as a village councilman, which adds up to roughly $12,480 a year. “I certainly can’t live on that, but that’s all I’m doing right now.”

That, and running for office. Davison, a lifelong Republican, sought the local party’s nomination for treasurer of Stark County in Ohio on Wednesday night, his third run for countywide office. He has lost all three times. “It’s difficult,” Davison said. “It takes money, and I don’t have much of that.”

But what Davison lacks in funding, he apparently makes up for in passion. His speech to the Stark County Republican Committee Wednesday night was recorded by a local political blogger working for The Huffington Post’s citizen journalism initiative and posted online, where, unsurprisingly, it went viral. Some of the Internet’s most influential political blogs, including MSNBC’s First Read and Taegan Goddard’s Political Wire, posted the video as well.

In his first post-fame interview, Davison told Need to Know that he was baffled by all the attention. He wasn’t especially angry when he gave the speech, and nothing in particular had set him off, he said. Afterward, he received a polite reception from the audience, and when he lost the nomination, Davison approached the winner, shook his hand and said “Good luck.”

“Some people call it fanaticism. I call it being a believer,” Davison said. He confessed, though, that some amount of frustration with his personal situation — his inability to find and keep even a minimum-wage job, the crumbling of his youthful ideals into hard-bitten, world-weary pragmatism — may have informed his speech.

“I’m living what I spoke last night,” Davison said. “People are frustrated out there. People want change. I really sense that our country is really looking for people or a party or an idea to get involved with, and I’m one of those people too. I want to get involved. That’s why I ran for treasurer.”

Somehow, like so many meandering twenty-somethings, Davison never quite figured out what he wanted in life. “My career idea was to get out of college and make a difference in people’s lives,” Davison said. “I want to help the people who have nothing. I identify with those people. I’m the son of a mailman. My father was a mailman, my mother worked as a clerk for minimum wage the bulk of her life. And I said, you know, I want to help people who don’t have much. And I got out of college with that idealism, and I said, ‘Let’s see what I can do.’”

Of his situation now, at age 39, he added: “You would think a guy with four college degrees isn’t working blue-collar jobs in factories. And that’s what I’ve done.”

As for his politics, Davison has served as a Republican member of the Minerva Council for 13 years, but, despite the boiling anger that characterized his speech, describes himself as a “liberal.” He also identifies with the activist energy of the Tea Party movement, and proposes forming “a new radical branch of the Republican Party that does bring in the Tea Party activists, and that does bring in, perhaps, liberal Republicans.”

Of the party as a whole, he added: “I think the days of the mainstream Republican need to change.”

What’s next for Davison remains unclear. He’s considering becoming a teacher, he said, to help kids “learn about the world” — “I’m not saying I’m an expert on it,” he cautioned — and to “tell them to ‘follow your dreams. Whatever gets you excited in life, go for it.’”

He wouldn’t foreclose another run for office, either.

“My speech last night — I knew it might be a little over the edge, but that’s how I felt at the time,” Davison said. “If it spurs someone to go on and say, ‘You know what, I want to go up there and talk like that too, I want to make a difference, I want to get involved in my community.’ If it affects one person in a positive way, then it was worth it.”

Traumatized

Imagine this scene:  you're cutting vegetables for your pizza, and you come across THIS.

We'll NEVER eat vegetables again.

The travels and adventures of Mary, Part I.

When I was in elementary school, my friends and I played "spin the globe", whereby we'd close our eyes, spin the globe, then jab out a finger to stop it. Wherever the finger landed signified the country we would visit someday.

Mine inevitably landed on the USSR, as it was known at the time. I was thrilled; the land from which so many famous Russian composers sprung fascinated me. My favorite pasttime was reading through my family's set of Encyclopedia Brittanica purchased from a traveling salesman. I looked at the pictures of youth from the other side of the world and wondered much about their lives - were they forced to practice gymnastics or piano for hours until they excelled far past their western counterparts? Was it true that the Russian youth, pictured in an orderly formation for exercises, would turn in their parents to the police for "crimes" against the state? Did they wonder about me as much as I wondered about them? What was it like to live in the frozen parts of Siberia?

I would go there someday!

These were the cold war years, and I wondered why "The Russians" hated us so much, but took comfort in the fallout shelter symbols on the sides of buildings, indicating where a person would be safe if and when the bombs hit.

Fast forward just a few years.

When I graduated with My Big Fat Engineering Degree, I looked forward to some traveling.  Did I mention my wanderlust?  Well, I gots it.  Always have.


My first big trip was to Washington D.C.

There and back on the same day.

There was just one problem.

"Stay here in the library!" my boss had sternly warned.  As I nervously watched the clock, I decided his synapses has misfired, and he wasn't coming back for me like he said he would.  Quickly leaving the FAA building, I hurried to the nearest Metro station.  But alas, it was rush hour and trains were SLOW.  When I tried to buzz myself in at the Washington National FBO, the voice on the intercom said, "Little Lady, he left already." 


He had left without me.  Bastard!  Happily, the airline counter took my personal check for airfare (didn't have a credit card), and I arranged for a ride from Columbus.

I later found out that I wasn't the only person to whom he'd done this; he left one of the new students from Nigeria IN TEXAS.  He was stuck there for a few weeks, I'm told, but I don't know why.  (That student now has a Ph.D. and still works here.)

Strangely, my boss was adamant that we NOT visit any tourist locations, ever.  It was his policy that we NOT visit the Smithsonian buildings, one of which was directly across the street, even if our meetings were done.  Instead, we must visit the library!  To this day, I've never been to the Smithsonian.

Another time, we traveled to the FAA in Oklahoma City.  The folks there was so sweet and friendly.  (And not Stephen King-CREEPY friendly, either.)  Particularly fascinating were the tunnels under the building complex that guaranteed safety in the event of tornadoes.  My boss took us to a restaurant called Molly Murphy's.  The wait staff specialized in abusive behavior - really!  When the waiter yelled at him, he seemed to........LIKE it.  That explained a few things.

I traveled to Binghamton, NY several times when I worked at a company dealing with things that were Generally Electric.  That was great fun.  I worked on my test stand and everyone left me the heck alone.  At night I drove around the city and surrounding areas without a map, which was a favorite activity.

Some years later, I interviewed at United Airlines in San Francisco.  I flew into the airport, interviewed at the airport, and left the airport.  Nice to see ya, San Fran.  (I was actually offered that job, but turned it down.  Boo hoo.)

Been to Alabama several times - met the in-laws twice on the gulf coast, and went to EWTN and the Hanceville Shrine.

That pretty much wraps it up.  I've tried to console myself with the knowledge that IF I make it to heaven, it won't matter what I've not seen here.  But still......

On the other hand, the OU Singers might be traveling to Spain in June.  And by golly - I am in the Singers!  Yay me!  All I have to do is come up with the two grand or so that I'll need to actually get there.

Oh - and the CANADA magnet on my refrigerator reminds me constantly that I've not been there, either.  It's right in front of me.....mocking me.....

I travel down my driveway quite frequently, though.

(The curious reader may wonder why I labeled the post "Part I" if there's nothing else to say.  If I get to go to Spain, then there may be a "Part II".  Just planning for the future!)

Technological Illiteracy: The Story of Celestine

Disclaimer: I am not actually technologically illiterate. I can typically negotiate a computer just fine; cell phones pose no problem, and from time to time I even get on that dreadful networking site that I refuse to name. So, you see, I can get along well enough. I just dislike most of it.

A few months ago, I was with a friend at a library. We were typing up a document, and she mentioned that we probably shouldn't leave it on the computer there, so she pulled out her portable USB thingy.
My brain imploded.
"Uh--I'm not sure--what do I do?"
"Here, I'll show you."
So, my dear friend patiently guided me through the use of the portable USB thingy. Thank you, dear friend.

A post from a while back by a good friend and family member of mine got me thinking about this. I tell people that I'm technologically illiterate, even though I'm really not. I'm not trying to willfully deceive, but no--I really can't fix your computer. Inherent knowledge of all things mechanical does not automatically pass down through generations, you know? If anything, I break computers and other electronic devices.

And it's not that I really dislike all technology. My email and I are best friends, figuratively speaking; and my mp3 player saves me from boredom on long car trips. So why is it that I have a knee-jerk reaction when it comes to other forms of technology? Am I closet Mennonite, or...what?

I think a part of it may be that I have that instinctive urge to write to the point of absurdity. See? I just said--well, that, when I could have said, "Part of it is because I write so much." See what I mean? Anyway, just due to the fact that I apparently graduated from the Ernest Hemingway School of Using Twenty Words Where Two Will Do (but didn't graduate from the corresponding school of literary quality), it automatically makes it hard for me to comprehend the idea of--for example--Twitter. 140 characters? What kind of a limit is THAT? What the heck could I say in 140 characters? My poor brain was not set up to handle a limit of 140 characters. This is why my professors always say, "You need to make it more succinct!"

So, my dear friends, I implore you--let's not forget the past. Don't leave behind precedent. Email has been our steadfast companion for years. Let's have a return to the ancient art of email writing. Thank you.

Restless......

Captain Obvious says, "I have changed the look of the blog."

Let me know if you hate it, or if the readability has suffered (not that there's much to read here now, what with Celestine starting her own blog and all *sniff*.)

Oh, and also be sure to say if you simply adore it, dahlings.

I didn't know that blogger had all these new templates; the last time I looked, the designs were lacking. (I'd like to use stronger language, but my parents drop by occasionally. Hi Mom and Dad. {hugs})

So the design changed because I'm restless (hence the post title) and frankly never satisfied with anything, ever. And let me tell you - that's not the way to live; it makes a person unpleasant and jaded.

And this post was MUCH longer, but I deleted the rest because I sounded like a whine-baby. Waaaah. Time to suck it up!

*HUMOR* Phil Davison - Candidate for Stark County (Ohio) Treasurer

Ramen Guy sent this to me.  Remember - Phil is running for the Republican nomination for a county office.  Observe how he keeps looking at his notes on the podium so he can remember his talking points.  Can you imagine how he behaves at home?  It's probably something like this:



"My Brand!" *giggle*

26th Sunday in Ordinary Time - September 26, 2010

Introit: Pages 3-5 of this link.
Processional:  Now Thank We All Our God (BB 202)
Psalm: Maria
Offertory:  In His Temple Now Behold Him (213)
Communion:  Memento
Recessional:  Lift High the Cross (BB 733)    (This is not my favorite hymn, but I'm demonstrating my versatility by doing it anyway.)

NEWSFLASH: President Attends Church Publicly

Found here. I wonder if this is to compensate for him leaving out "by their Creator" when he quoted from the Declaration?

From the article:

President Obama publicly attended church Sunday morning for the first time in nearly six months, and shortly after a major survey showed that only a third of Americans can correctly identify Obama's faith as Christian.

(coughgagsputter) Yeah. Well. I wonder why that is?

I'm blogging...I guess.

Well, I have my own blog now. Or something.

It only has one post, so it's pretty boring...anyway, here it is.

What do I do with it?

The Disposable Monster

There is evil in the world.

If anyone has any doubts, read this article.

As I write this, I am sitting in my living room. It's a fairly comfortable living room, and my sister left TLC on. The show? 19 Kids and Counting.

The protagonist/antagonist of the article I linked to earlier, by the name of Anne Nicol Gaylor, is an opinionated, cold little woman whose business consists of providing monetary means for young women my age and younger to abort their children. At the very beginning of the article, it mentions that Gaylor will be assisting a mother in providing for her fourteen year old daughter's second-trimester abortion--number 18,986.

From where I'm sitting, I can hear Josie Duggar cooing. She was born very premature. She's on my TV screen--tiny, adorable, with tremendous bright eyes.

Maybe that could have been #18986.

Michelle Duggar is holding baby Josie on screen. The other little Duggars are looking over their baby sister. Little Josie is sleeping--breathing in and out. Now awake--making happy noises at her mummy.

Josie was born at 25 weeks--second trimester. #18986 could have been Josie's age--viable.

According to the article, Gaylor has never had an abortion, but witnessed one when a woman asked for support. She says that it did not change her views.

The kind of abortion is not specified. If it was one like what might have been done to #18986, then Gaylor was unaffected by the syringes, scalpels; the constant mechanical whirring, hard suctioning sounds, smell of bleach and blood mixed. Very likely the woman would have also been in a great deal of pain as the tiny fetal body was either ripped to pieces using calipers and scalpels or burned alive using saline to produce a reddened, burnt corpse that abortionists cavalierly call "candied apples" due to the bright red color of their skin as it peels off.

And that is what Gaylor has funded nineteen thousand times over.

How #18986 died can't be verified for certain. And to many, #18986 is a nameless, faceless victim. He is unknown. He has no father, he has no mother; he is not a person, he is a statistic. Ultimately, he is disposable. He is just another in a long line--before he, #18986, came along, there was #18985, #18984, #18983, #18982, #18981, #18980, #18979, and so on. "One death is a tragedy, one million is a statistic." Or, in this case, it probably became a statistic around #1000.

#18986 serves as a kind of Orwellian character in the scheme in which Gaylor acts. He is both a statistic and a fallen threat. Why was he a threat? Well, no one can say. But, certainly, Big Sister has protected the rights of her people. The insidious threat is defeat--a threat that, we are to be assured, was never alive to begin with. And now he's just another number on the page--a depersonalized statistic. #18986.

It's such a simple number. After all, numbers aren't people. Numbers can't take revenge. Numbers are not killed, and their tiny, helpless bodies then disposed of in whatever way their killer sees fit. Ultimately, numbers don't matter. A number is neat, orderly and depersonalized. It's there when you need a statistic, and there is ultimately no repercussion. It's just a number. The number wasn't a person, after all. A number doesn't cry or move or bleed. #18986 did two of those, and never got the chance to do the third.

Rest in peace, Baby Doe.

25th Sunday in Ordinary Time - September 17, 2010

Introit - Pp. 3-5 of this link
Processional - O God, Almighty Father (BB 726)
Offertory - What Wondrous Love is This? (BB 426)
Communion - Tu mandasti - "You have commanded that your precepts be diligently kept. Oh, that I might be firm in the ways of keeping your statutes!"
Recessional - Sing With All the Saints in Glory (BB 608)

Music from guitar Mass: I was NOT involved.

There was a youth Mass today. I offered to play, and to teach music to the youth, but no dice.
 

I have removed the sounds files from this Mass.  If for some reason you wish to hear them, email me and I will send you a link.

It should go without saying, but...

Dear Islamic Terrorists,

We still haven't forgotten.

Sincerely,

(most of) America

"We have before us an ordeal of the most grievous kind. We have before us many, many long months of struggle and of suffering. You ask, what is our policy? I will say: It is to wage war, by sea, land and air, with all our might and with all the strength that God can give us; to wage war against a monstrous tyranny never surpassed in the dark, lamentable catalogue of human crime. That is our policy. You ask, what is our aim? I can answer in one word: It is victory, victory at all costs, victory in spite of all terror, victory, however long and hard the road may be."--Winston Churchill

(a speech that Certain Politicians have obviously not read)

Recordings from 9/11/10 Mass

Received a lovely email when I arrived home:

Brilliant choice for the closing hymn for 9/11! Very moving, very positive. Thank you!

Introit

Psalm & Acclamation

Communion Antiphon

Battle Hymn of the Republic


Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
His truth is marching on.

Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord;
He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored;
He hath loosed the fateful lightning of his terrible swift sword;
His truth is marching on.

I have seen him in the watchfires of a hundred circling camps;
They have builded him an altar in the evening dews and damps;
I can read his righteous sentence by the dim and flaring lamps;
His day is marching on.

He has sounded forth the trumpet that shall never call retreat;
He is sifting out the hearts of all before his judgment seat;
O be swift, my soul, to answer him; be jubilant, my feet!
Our God is marching on.

In the beauty of the lilies Christ was born across the sea,
With a glory in his bosom that transfigures you and me;
As he died to make us holy, let us die that all be free!
While God is marching on.

Three Things About Islam

Know who you're dealing with.

Unless you've been around Muslims, it's hard for those who've been raised with Judeo-Christian values, even if from a non-religious background, to understand that they don't think like us.  This video helps explain why.

h/t Abbey Roads

Killing Time at the Ridges - Amended

The youngins and I needed to kill a few hours, so one of the places we checked out was The Ridges.  Many people are convinced that the place is sinister, haunted at the very least.  I remain unconvinced; the place is beautiful, and we enjoy walking there very much.  (Side note:  If you go to ANY location, and anticipate seeing ghosts, ghouls, or demons, don't be surprised when it happens.)

Earlier this year, I believe, a "sculpture" was installed next to the main building.  We had forgotten about it until we were confronted with its sheer ugliness.  Behold:  "THE BUTTRESS".

You'd like to topple it, wouldn't you?  Four decided to rid the world of the atrocity.

We quickly moved on......

Thank you, God, for the blessing of beautiful weather.  And good art.

Artist Credit:

(Unfortunately, no art was harmed during our excursion; the photo is an illusion.)

A press release from the museum: 

Buttress, by DeWitt Godfrey Outdoor Installation

May 2010 – May 2011

Initially trained as an architect, artist DeWitt Godfrey explores the space between seriality and singularity, tension and dependence through a site-specific installation titled Buttress for Kennedy Museum of Art. The work is comprised of arranged tubes, made of Core-ten steel and bolts. This outdoor installation will be on view for one year.

24th Sunday in Ordinary Time - September 12, 2010

SATURDAY:
 Introit:  Pages 3-5 of this link
Processional:  O God, Our Help in Ages Past  (BB 438)
Psalm:  MCK
Offertory:  Humbly Lord We Worship You  (BB 208)
Communion:  Dico vobis
Recessional:  Battle Hymn of the Republic (Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory) (BB 613)

SUNDAY 9:00 a.m.:
Introit:  Pages 3-5 of this link
Processional:  O God, Our Help in Ages Past  (BB 438)
Psalm:  spoken
Offertory:  Healing River of the Spirit  (BB 705)
Communion:  Humbly Lord We Worship You  (BB 208)
Recessional:  Church of God Elect and Glorious  (BB 412)

Recordings from 9/5/10 Mass

Introit

Psalm & Acclamation

God of Our Fathers

Listen to the congregation on God of Our Fathers.  There were fewer than 75 people in the church, but you'd never know it.  That there's a singin' congregashun. :)

Pictures of St. Paul's

I didn't get pictures of the front, so just use your imagination.

Here's a view from the side.  I'm standing in the (very small) parking lot; behind me is a sorority house.  The other side of the church has two fraternities directly across from it.

Church Nave:

Rear of Nave and Choir Loft:

Choir loft:

Exposition:

The altar boy is Four of Seven.

I was planning to put up photos of the church before the wreckovation (granted, I've seen much worse), but I can't find the book of the church's history.  When it's found, the pictures will be posted.  I am grateful that the church is maintained well and is always very clean.

23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time - September 5, 2010.

SATURDAY:
Introit: Pages 3 to 5 of this link
Processional:  Praise to the Lord (BB 201)
Offertory:  Lord of All Hopefulness (BB 394)
Communion: Vovete:  "Make vows to the Lord, your God, and fulfill them; let all round about Him bring gifts to the terrible Lord who checks the pride of princes, Who is terrible to the kings of the earth"
Recessional:  God of Our Fathers (BB 654)

SUNDAY:
Processional:  Praise to the Lord (BB 201)
Offertory:  Lord of All Hopefulness (BB 394)
Communion:  Blessed By Your Sacrifice (BB 203)
Recessional:  God of Our Fathers (BB 654)

VITAL INFORMATION! If you're visiting Russia, that is.

Yours Truly has always had a fascination with etiquette and protocol in other countries, so I found this article at concierge.com fun and interesting.  The sidebar there has links to etiquette in other countries, as well.  Enjoy!

Pop Quiz!

Say you're lying in bed. The windows are open because it's cool outside. You're listening to an Iron Maiden song when you start to hear howling--only it's not Bruce Dickinson's sometimes-higher-than-the-sky vocals, it's coyotes. What do you do?

a) Turn off the song, shut the windows and go to sleep.
b) Iron Maiden? What's that?--try to ignore the coyotes and go to sleep.
c) Turn the song up louder.

If you answered A), congratulations. You're a normal human being. If you answered B), congratulations. You're still a normal human being. If you answered C), you are my long-lost twin.

(explanation: of the four [uh, seven now] Iron Maiden songs that I've heard, I like them all. I didn't at first, but they grew on me. Very, very quickly. I remember being impressed that they were clean and based off of actual literature...obviously, I can't testify as to IM songs outside of those four, but still. I solidly maintain that much "classic" metal is more wholesome than a lot of pop music today--which might be the focus of an upcoming post)

Moral of the story? Miss Celestine, who occasionally wears flouncy dresses and reads "Pride and Prejudice" with great gusto, needs her metal. And this shirt.

Recordings from 8/29/10 Mass

Introit

Psalm

Communion Antiphon

Recessional - Love Divine, All Loves Excelling

I apologize for having no rhyme or reason to the songs posted.  Sometimes I forget to record, and other times I get prideful and don't include something if I made a mistake.  Sometimes I'm just lazy.

Steve's Introit seems so short because I just caught the end of it!  Sigh.

On Saints and Reason

DISCLAIMER: I do freely acknowledge that I am, for the most part, trusting the article-author's quotations to be accurate, as my Latin is not nearly proficient enough to read the direct quotes from Aquinas.

Well, I came across some very...interesting writings from St. Thomas Aquinas on men, women and souls.

My goodness.

There is a reason that saints are not infallible. Goodness gracious. Poor St. Thomas was borrowing heavily from Aristotle and medical inferences that are overwhelmingly basic (let's just say that they didn't have nearly the knowledge of pregnancy and female anatomy in general that they should have), on one level. On another level, he was making a number of judgments and decisions that are unsupportable by science, religion or just-about-anything (apparently muscle=perfection of soul).

I mean, really. Ladies, if you want to feel terrible about yourselves (and get angry at a saint), then read some of it. Otherwise, please avoid it.

Holy Saint Thomas...what the heck happened?

Problems of logic and other assorted issues include:

1. The belief that perfection of soul can be indicated by good tone of and physical strength of the body.
--IF TRUE, then St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Anthony of Padua, G.K Chesterton and a host of other more portly saints (I count Chesterton in there because he's awesome) should have had one heck of a time getting into Heaven.

2. The belief that the female's role in generation of offspring is limited to supplying the "matter" (thought to be the discarded menstrual blood). Which is interesting, considering that
--the sperm does absolutely nothing if there is no egg to fertilize.
--the baby does need to, y'know, gestate for nine months or so...like...inside the mother.
--after the egg is fertilized and you have a teeny-tiny four-cell baby, it has to implant in the uterus and blah blah blah. Anyway, the instant the egg is fertilized, you don't have a sperm and egg, you have an zygote (i.e itty-bitty-baby). That zygote has to go through cellular division and blah-blah-blah--but the point is that the sperm doesn't do anything without the egg, and the egg doesn't do anything without the sperm. The sperm doesn't keep working hard to make a baby after fertilization--it's gone. You have an zygote, not a sperm-n-egg.
3. Active/passive is seen as also determining a certain amount of perfection in the soul. This would be a problem for...
--impotent men
--infertile women
--those poor souls who have both or no reproductive parts

4. Women are seen as less perfect because men were made first, and nature always begins with the more perfect.
--this is silly, because EVERYONE knows women were made second as an improvement over the original. (I'm kidding.)

REAL 4. Male bodies are seen as more perfect because they are stronger (and active in procreation), and therefore the souls given to those more perfect bodies are more noble and perfect than are women's souls (limited by the greater imperfection of the female form, which is not as muscular as male forms, softer in general, and "passive").
--Bodies change over time. That should go without saying. I, for example, build muscle fairly quickly (in spite of being a passive, weak female)--is my soul more perfect when I can do 80 push-ups than it is when I can do 40?
--there is, of course, the additional problem that there is no way to actually prove that souls are in any way connected to how fit the body is! Furthermore, you then run into a host of other issues, especially with that of racial discrimination--it would be very easy to use that theory of the soul and argue that Ethnic Group X has especial imperfection of the soul, and therefore is not as human.

5. St. Thomas states that reason is more developed in men, and women are deficient in reason. He "blames" this on the softness of her flesh, the imperfect nature of her body, and her passiveness. In his commentary on Paul's first letter to the Corinthians, he accounts ultimately for wifely submission to...her deficient reason. (he sometimes described the lack of reason as a lack of Wisdom--a curious thing, considering the constant characterization of Wisdom as a Lady in the Old Testament) He additionally states that men first think of principles and eternal things, while women are concerned with worldly matters. He expressed surprise at the Samaritan woman at the well, for questioning Jesus about God. He also stated that the effect of the inferior femininity upon female souls is such that they are less able to reason and are lacking in courage (St. Theresa of Avila, St. Catherine of Siena and St. Joan of Arc were not available for comment).
--in fairness, Thomas goes on to state that there are "notable exceptions" and that through Grace, women may become morally stronger. Terribly nice of him, isn't it?
--Considering that St. Thomas lived and worked in environments where he was not exactly surrounded by a tremendous cross-section of women, I find it interesting that he (nevertheless) makes such overbroad generalizations for all of womankind. Moreover, seeing as he came to the conclusion that women are deficient in reason based upon a theory of how body composition and the soul are intertwined as well as oversimplified medical information, I am not sure how this argument can stand. Even if it could be empirically shown, as Thomas stated, that woman is naturally deficient in reason and that her soul is imperfect when compared to the soul of a man, this argument still could not be accepted due to the faulty information and problematic logic used in coming to this conclusion.

Therefore, I repeat: St. Thomas...what the heck?

Upper left: Jehanne Romee (commonly d'Arc), soldier, de facto commander of the French Army, and saint.
Upper right: St. Teresa of Avila, Doctor of the Church.
Lower: St. Catherine of Siena, Doctor of the Church. Convinced the Pope to return to Rome from Avignon.