Christian Education: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly with Dr Peter Kwasniewski

November 20 -- St Edmund, King and Martyr

 From the always useful NewAdvent transcription of the first Catholic Encyclopædia:

King of East Anglia, born about 840; died at Hoxne, Suffolk, 20 November, 870. The earliest and most reliable accounts represent St. Edmund as descended from the preceding kings of East Anglia, though, according to later legends, he was born at Nuremberg (Germany), son to an otherwise unknown King Alcmund of Saxony. 

Though only about fifteen years old when crowned in 855, Edmund showed himself a model ruler from the first, anxious to treat all with equal justice, and closing his ears to flatterers and untrustworthy informers. In his eagerness for prayer he retired for a year to his royal tower at Hunstanton and learned the whole Psalter by heart, in order that he might afterwards recite it regularly. 

In 870 he bravely repulsed the two Danish chiefs Hinguar and Hubba who had invaded his dominions. They soon returned with overwhelming numbers, and pressed terms upon him which as a Christian he felt bound to refuse. In his desire to avert a fruitless massacre, he disbanded his troops and himself retired towards Framlingham; on the way he fell into the hands of the invaders. Having loaded him with chains, his captors conducted him to Hinguar, whose impious demands he again rejected, declaring his religion dearer to him than his life. 

His martyrdom took place in 870 at Hoxne in Suffolk. After beating him with cudgels, the Danes tied him to a tree, and cruelly tore his flesh with whips. Throughout these tortures Edmund continued to call upon the name of Jesus, until at last, exasperated by his constancy, his enemies began to discharge arrows at him. This cruel sport was continued until his body had the appearance of a porcupine, when Hinguar commanded his head to be struck off. 

From his first burial-place at Hoxne his relics were removed in the tenth century to Beodricsworth, since called St. Edmundsbury, where arose the famous abbey of that name. His feast is observed 20 November, and he is represented in Christian art with sword and arrow, the instruments of his torture.

The Last Archbishop of Canterbury

 This day is the anniversary of the death of Reginald Cardinal Pole, the last of the Plantagenets, the last of the line of Augustine, the last Archbishop of Canterbury.

 On same day Queen Mary died and thus died Catholic England!

 Pray for their souls.

November 11 -- The Feast of St Martin of Tours -- and Armistice Day

 Don't miss Gavin Ashenden's piece today on St Martin of Tours, whose feast it is.  St Martin's, not Gavin's.  Not yet, anyway.  You can find it here.

And this is Veteran’s Day or Remembrance Day depending on where you are. It used to be Armistice Day in the United States, commemorating the end of the war-to-end-wars, World War I, The Great War. On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month it all came to a halt.

Herewith some remembrances that have appeared here before. The first two texts shown below are from "The Oxford Book of Military Anecdotes" (A great read. It claims to survey all of military history but, in fact, relies overwhelmingly on the British military. Nevertheless, easy to get lost in for an hour or two.) 

The next day they moved forward again and supported the New Zealanders in the assault on Le Quesnoy. The brigade car was the first to enter the town, where the Colonel, to his intense embarrassment, was soundly kissed by a grateful old woman. He was so unnerved that on his return to head-quarters he poured himself out a tumblerful of neat gin and started to drink, thinking it was water. His staff watched him with amusement. Expressions of astonishment, anger, defiance, and gratification chased each other in succession across his face as without a word, he emptied the tumbler.

Alone 2XX went forward into the Forest of Mormal. It was here, on the 8th of November, that news was received that Merredew had been killed four days earlier at Moen on the Scheldt.

Very early on the last morning Shadbolt was watching the men dragging the heavy howitzers into a little clearing in the wood. The day was grey and overcast and the raindrops from a recent shower were dripping sadly off the trees. Above them a few pigeons, disturbed by the movements and cries of the men, circled and wheeled. A despatch rider rode up and handed him a message form. 'Hostilities will cease at 11 a.m. to-day. A.A.A. No firing will take place after this hour.' He sat down on the stump of a tree. In any case, the order did not affect them. The enemy was already out of range, and they could move no further.

This then, was the end. Visions of the early days, their hopes and ambitions, swam before his eyes. He saw again his pre-historic howitzer in the orchard at Festubert, and Alington's long legs moved towards him through the trees. He was back with the Australians in their dug-out below Pozieres. He saw the long slope of the hill at Heninel, covered with guns, ammunition dumps, tents and dug-outs. Ypres, the Salient, Trois Tours, St Julien—the names made unforgettable pictures in his mind. Happy days at Beugny and Beaussart, they were gone and the bad ones with them. Hugh was gone, and Tyler and little Rawson; Sergeant Powell, that brave old man; Elliot and James and Johnson—the names of his dead gunners strung themselves before him. This was the very end. What good had it all been? To serve what purpose had they all died? For the moment he could find no answer. His brain was too numb with memories.
'Mr Straker.'
'Sir.'
'You can fall the men out for breakfast. The war is over.'
'Very good, sir.'
Overhead the pigeons circled and wheeled.

--Lt.-Col. F. Lushington

11 November 1918.
... the grim business of war itself went on as usual, right up to 11 a.m., and, at one or two points along the line, even beyond. Thus a captain commanding an English cavalry squadron which took the Belgian village of Erquelinnes wrote that morning:
"At 11.15 it was found necessary to end the days of a Hun machine-gunner on our front who would keep on shooting. The armistice was already in force, but there was no alternative. Perhaps his watch was wrong but he was probably the last German killed in the war—a most unlucky individual!"

Elsewhere on the British front an officer commanding a battery of six-inch howitzers was killed at one minute past eleven—at which his second-in-command ordered the entire battery to go on firing for another hour against the silent German lines.
But generally, any firing still going on ended on the last second of the tenth hour, sometimes with droll little ceremonies—as on the British front near Mons, where another and more fortunate German machine-gunner blazed off his last belt of ammunition during the last minute of the war and then, as the hour struck, stood up on his parapet, removed his steel helmet, bowed politely to what was now the ex-enemy opposite, and disappeared.

The British division on whose front that little incident took place had lost, during that one final week of the war, two officers killed and twenty-six wounded, and among the other ranks one hundred and seventeen killed, six hundred and ninety-three wounded and sixty-one missing. Small wonder that its historian recorded 'no cheering and very little outward excitement' as peace came.

--Gordon Brook-Shepherd

This one reminds that the pipers were there.  It is from Johnstone's "Orange, Green, and Khaki: The Story of the Irish Regiments in the Great War 1914-1918". After the armistice:

Four selected divisions occupied part of Germany before Christmas – the Guards, the 29th Regular, 15th (Scottish) and 1st Canadian Divisions. The Irish Guards crossed the frontier with their pipers playing ‘St. Patrick’s Day’, while the pipers of the Leinster Regiment played ‘Come Back to Erin'. However, it was on the Rhine that a triumphal crossing was staged. The Canadians, Scots and Regulars were to cross Rhine bridges simultaneously. The Scots marched to ‘Scotland the Brave’ across a bridge of boats at Mulheim. At Cologne the Regulars, led by the fusilier battalions of 86 Brigade, which included 1st Dublins, marched to ‘The British Grenadiers’. Behind them in 88 Brigade the pipers of the effervescent Leinsters, their saffron kilts making a splash of colour, played the rollicking ‘Paddy Maginty’s Goat’. Later, the Guards Division made its imposing entry. And as the Irish Guards swung into the Hohenzollern Ring, fittingly their pipers played ‘Brian Boru’.

Bipartisanship

Found in my inbox this morning courtesy the American GK Chesterton Society. 

Today's Collect

Today's collect seems particularly appropriate here in the first quarter of the 21st century:

The Collect of the Day

O LORD, we beseech thee, let thy continual pity cleanse and defend thy Church: and, because she cannot continue in safety without thy succour; preserve her evermore by thy help and goodness; through Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

In festo SS. Angelorum Custodum

Today, as you might have guessed from the title above, is the feast of the Holy Guardian Angels.  The text below is an Englished version of the hymn Orbis patrator optime which I have purloined from  Michael Martin's wonderful Thesaurus Precum Latinarum.

 CREATOR of the circling sky,

Who madest all by power most high,

Thy Providence will never cease

to rule Thy works in might and peace.

BE present when we cry to Thee,

a sinful people though we be;

and as the day-dawn grows apace,

illume our minds with light of grace.

O SEND Thine Angel thitherward

assigned by Thee to be our guard,

that now his presence may begin

to keep us from all stain of sin.

LET him destroy that hidden snare

the eager serpent doth prepare,

lest we be taken in the net

before our heedless bosoms set.

AT his command let every fear

of hostile foemen disappear;

let civil strife give way to peace,

and pestilence and famine cease.

TO God the Father glory be;

for those the Savior setteth free,

anointed by the Holy Ghost,

are guarded by the Angel host. Amen.

Mr Martin believes this is probably one of John Mason Neale's translations.  Somewhere around here I have a compilation of his hymn translations, which, alas, I cannot find at the moment.  So my guess is that Mr Martin is right;  probably Fr Neale.

No idea at all who gets credit for the Latin.

And I can't log off without repeating:  

At this command let every fear

Of hostile foemen disappear;

Let civil strife give way to peace . . . .

 

Gerrymandering? You Want Gerrymandering?!? I'll Show You Gerrymandering . . .

 Behold my Congressional District here in the year of our Lord 2025:

It's that bit outlined in red.   It's nothing to do with suddenly-newsworthy Texas's congressional redistricting.  This is California.  

Are you wondering what Santa Catalina Island has in common with Vernon or Huntington Park?  Or Lakewood?   Wonder on.  Unless you can get a straight answer from the "independent" redistricting commission, of course.

The Portiuncula Indulgence is Available . . . NOW

 "NOW" being defined as the second of August up until midnight.  (And maybe including after 12 noon on the first of August.  Or at least after sundown.  Kind of depends on whom you read.  You're probably better sticking to August 2.  Hmm.  I'm having second thoughts about having used the word Now in the headline.)

Fr Z, who is always clearer and better informed than I am,  tells us all we need to know about it here.

About as much fun as political commentary is ever likely to be

 Ann Coulter with Freddy Gray on Spectator TV recorded on the first of August 2025:

24 June -- The Feast of St John the Baptist

Very well said.   Even if, alas, not the easiest thing to do.

The Epistle of Saint James

Chapter 1, verse 26:

 "26 If anyone deludes himself by thinking he is serving God, when he has not learned to control his tongue, the service he gives is vain."

Ouch.

 

Memorial Day

 I know, I know.  It was  yesterday.  But I did not have a great weekend.   I even missed the United Scottish Society's Highland Games (a.k.a. "Scots Fest"), which  I have only missed three or four times in the past half century.  But that's where we are now.  Thank you, Parkinson's, the gift that keeps on taking.

In any event, yesterday was Memorial Day so herewith a pair of collects for the day that was in it:

O LORD our God, whose Name only is excellent and thy praise above heaven and earth: we thank thee for all those who counted not their lives dear unto themselves but laid them down for their friends; grant us, we beseech thee, that having them always in remembrance we may imitate their faithfulness and sacrifice; through Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

Almighty God, our heavenly Father, in whose hands are the living and the dead: We give Thee thanks for all those Thy servants who have laid down their lives in the service of our country.  Grant to them Thy mercy and the light of Thy  presence, that the good work which Thou hast begun in them may be perfected;  through Jesus Christ Thy Son our Lord.  Amen

Requiem æternam dona eis, Domine, et lux perpetua luceat eis.  Erue, Domne, animas eorum.  Requiescant in pace. 

From My Inbox This Morning

 This one from Preserving Christian Publications's circular:

"From Leo XIII to Leo XIV, remember, even if it is a glory to trial, clarity to confusion, the papacy remains part of the divine plan, but it is not always a sign of approval.  Sometimes it is a test, and sometimes it is a crown of thorns.  Hold fast.”

"O Lord Jesus Christ, Eternal High Priest, Thou hast permitted Pope Leo XIV to ascend the Chair of Peter at a time of great confusion and suffering for Thy flock. We place him into Thy Sacred Heart, praying that he may be conformed ever more deeply to Thee, governed not by the spirit of the age, but by the Spirit of Truth.”                                                                                                                                                                    -- Bishop Joseph E. Strickland 1

And this one is excerpted from the "Friday Reflections" of the Fellowship of St James.  The reference to St Brendan of Clonfert is because it's his feast day today.

[St] Brendan, wherever he sailed (and he travelled to other places in Europe), did so under the same constraints we face today on the seas: wind, waves, and currents. His life in Christ was fed by the same Scriptures we have, the praises of God from the same Psalms, the virtues of Christ inspired by the same Spirit, and he faced the temptations all men face, ancient and modern. We learn by doing, by applying given principles tested and affirmed by those “with generations of experience behind them.”

The Church has often been likened to a ship, the ark of salvation. We cannot survive on the seas away from the boat. The Ship can be stormed-tossed. It can even seem that the Captain is asleep in the stern on a cushion (cf. Mark 4:38). But as Fr. Roman Braga, who fell asleep in the Lord ten years ago this Spring, often said, “Stay in the Boat!” You may be having a rough go of it; you may even swim for a little while with a life preserver; but ultimately, said Fr. Roman, you must get in the boat, so “Stay in the Boat!” It’s heading Home.

I can't give you a cite to the Friday Reflections as it only appears in email form.  The link is to Touchstone Magazine which the Fellowship puts out and the citation is to their principal website.

St Simon Stock -- 16 May

What follows is a life of S Simon taken from EWTN's useful website.  You can find it here.  Most, if not all, of the text seems to have come from Fr Alban Butler's classic lives of the saints.   I haven't proof-read it so there may be some changes.  But the heart of it is certainly Fr Butler's.

 

He was descended of a good family in Kent. From his infancy he turned all his thoughts and affections to attain to the most perfect love of God, and studied to devote all his moments to this glorious pursuit. In this earnest desire, in the twelfth year of his age, he retired into a wilderness, and chose for his dwelling a great hollow oak tree; whence the surname of Stock was given him. While he here mortified his flesh with fasting and other severities, he nourished his soul with spiritual dainties in continual prayer. His drink was only water; and he never touched any other food but herbs, roots and wild apples. While he led this course of life, he was invited by a divine revelation to embrace the rule of certain religious men who were coming from Palestine into England. Albert, the holy patriarch of Jerusalem, having given a written rule to the Carmelite friars about the year 1205, some brothers of this order were soon after brought over from mount Carmel by John Lord Vescy and Richard Lord Gray of Codnor, when they returned from the Holy Land. These noblemen some time after settled them, the latter in the wood of Aylesford, near Rochester in Kent, the former in the forest of Holme, near Alnewick in Northumberland; which houses continued the two most famous convents of this order in England till their dissolution in the thirty-third year of the reign of Henry VIII. But we are assured by Bale, who before his apostacy was himself a friar of the English province of this order, and by Lambert and Weaver in their accurate descriptions of the Antiquities of Kent, that the first or most ancient convent of these friars in England was that at Newenden in Kent, which was founded for them by Sir Thomas Archer or Fitz-Archer, whose family flourished for many centuries upon that manor. The first arrival of these friars in England is placed in the annals of the order, quoted by F. Cosmas de Villiers, in 1212. Simon, who had then lived a recluse twenty years, imitating the Macariuses and Arseniuses in the most heroic practices of penance and contemplation, was much affected with the devotion of these servants of God to the blessed Virgin, their edifying deportment, and their eremitical austere institute, and joined their holy company before the end of the year 1212. After his admission he was sent to Oxford to finish his studies; and having run through his academical course he returned to his convent, where so bright was the example of his piety, that the virtue of the rest seemed to suffer an eclipse by the extraordinary lustre of his sanctity. Such was his reputation, that in 1215 Brocard, prior of mount Carmel, and general of the order, appointed him vicar-general, with full power over all the western provinces. Many clamors being raised against this institute, St. Simon repaired to Rome in 1226, and obtained from pope Honorius III. a confirmation of the rule given to this order by Albertus; and another from Gregory IX. in 1229. Some years after, St. Simon paid a visit to his brethren on mount Carmel, and remained six years in Palestine, where, in 1237, he assisted at the general chapter of the order held by Alanus the fifth general. In this assembly it was decreed, that the greatest part of the brethren should pass into Europe, their settlements in the east being continually disturbed by the persecutions, oppressions, or threats of the Saracens. In 1240 many were sent to England, and in 1244, Alanus himself, with St. Simon, having nominated Hilarion his vicar on mount Carmel, and in Palestine, followed them thither, there being already five monasteries of the order erected in this island.

In a general chapter held at Aylesford in 1245, Alanus resigning his dignity, St. Simon was chosen the sixth general, and in the same year procured a new confirmation of the rule by pope Innocent IV., who at the saint's request received this order under the special protection of the Holy See, in 1251. St. Simon established houses in most parts of Europe; but this institute flourished nowhere with so great splendor and edification as in England, and continued so to do for several ages, as the annals of the order take notice. St. Simon, soon after he was promoted to the dignity of general, instituted the confraternity of the Scapular, to unite the devout clients of the Blessed Virgin in certain regular exercises of religion and piety. Several Carmelite writers assure us that he was admonished by the Mother of God in a vision, with which he was favored on the 16th of July, to establish this devotion. This confraternity has been approved, and favored with many privileges by several popes. The rules prescribe, without any obligation or precept, that the members wear a little scapular, at least secretly, as the symbol of the order, and that they recite every day the office of our Lady, or the office of the church; or, if they cannot read, seven times the Pater, Ave, and Gloria Patri, in lieu of the seven canonical hours; and lastly, that they abstain from flesh-meat on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays; or if this cannot be done, that they double for each of these days the seven Paters, &c. St. Simon cured several sick persons by giving them the scapular; the reputation of which miracles moved Edward I., king of England, St. Louis of France, and many others, to enrol their names in this confraternity.

St. Simon governed the order with great sanctity and prudence during twenty years, and propagated it exceedingly from England over all Europe being himself famous for his eminent virtue, and a great gift of miracles and prophecy. He wrote several hymns and decrees for his order, and several other useful things for its service, says Leland. At length, in the hundredth year of his age, having a call to France, he sailed to Bordeaux, where God put an end to his labors some months after his arrival, in 1265, on the 16th of July. He was buried in the cathedral of that city, and was honored among the saints soon after his death. Pope Nicholas III. granted an office to be celebrated in his honor at Bordeaux on the 16th of May, which Paul V. extended to the whole order.

A collect for S Simon taken from "The Missal: According to the Carmelite Rite":

Deus, qui, precibus et meritis beati Simonis Confessoris tui, Carmeli montis Ordinem per manus Genitricis Filii tui Domini nostri Jesu Christi, singulari privilegio decorasti:  concede; ut, ipso interveniente, ad gloriam, quam diligentibus te præparasti, pervenire valeamus.  Per eumdem Dominum.  Amen. 

O God, Who by the merits and prayers of Thy blessed confessor Simon didst so singularly honour the Order of Mount Carmel at the hands of the Mother of Thy Sin, our Lord, Jesus Christ, grant that through his intercession we may attain to the glory Thou hast prepared for those who love Thee:  through the same Lord.  Amen.

The video's title on youtube: "Carmelite Nuns on the Feast of St. Simon Stock Sing Amidst Rain & Thunder"

 

Found While Looking for . . .Nothing in Particular

 The post-conciliar LotH isn't usually my go-to prayer book.  It's usually the Ordinariate Daily Office and the Little Office of Our Lady on Saturdays.   But today while puttering about the internet,  I found myself looking at the 2d lection for today's Office of Readings.  This part from the writings of St Peter Chrysologus was worth the . . . um, what would you call it?  Worth the putter?  Whatever.  Herewith St Peter Chrysologus:

I appeal to you by the mercy of God. This appeal is made by Paul, or rather, it is made by God through Paul, because of God’s desire to be loved rather than feared, to be a father rather than a Lord. God appeals to us in his mercy to avoid having to punish us in his severity.

Listen to the Lord’s appeal: In me, I want you to see your own body, your members, your heart, your bones, your blood. You may fear what is divine, but why not love what is human? You may run away from me as the Lord, but why not run to me as your father? Perhaps you are filled with shame for causing my bitter passion. Do not be afraid. This cross inflicts a mortal injury, not on me, but on death. These nails no longer pain me, but only deepen your love for me. I do not cry out because of these wounds, but through them I draw you into my heart. My body was stretched on the cross as a symbol, not of how much I suffered, but of my all-embracing love. I count it no less to shed my blood: it is the price I have paid for your ransom. Come, then, return to me and learn to know me as your father, who repays good for evil, love for injury, and boundless charity for piercing wounds.

Accidental Reading

 I had a doctor's appointment this morning to tweak the lenses from my cataract surgery.   I grabbed a magazine for the inevitable wait.  I thought it was the current Touchstone but it turned out to be the July/August 2023 number.  Don't ask me how that one got to the top of the pile;  I have no idea.

But what a happy mistake.  (I wanted to say felix culpa but that wasn't quite right.)  I was enthralled by Kevin Myer's article Ruler Over All: Notes Toward the Restitution of Christian Culture.  Do get a subscription which includes access to the archive.  Here's a sample:

T. S. Eliot saw presciently that liberalism was a self-destructive political philosophy. In The Idea of a Christian Society, he wrote: “[That] Liberalism may be a tendency towards something very different from itself is a possibility in its nature. . . . It is a movement not so much defined by its end, as by its starting point; away from, rather than towards, something definite.” Liberalism, he observed, is essentially negative. And then comes the longest sentence in Eliot’s short book:

By destroying traditional social habits of the people, by dissolving their natural collective consciousness into individual constituents, by licensing the opinions of the most foolish, by substituting instruction for education, by encouraging cleverness rather than wisdom, the upstart rather than the qualified, by fostering a notion of getting on to which the alternative is a hopeless apathy, Liberalism can prepare the way for that which is its own negation: the artificial, mechanised or brutalised control which is a desperate remedy for chaos.

Eliot also warned that Liberalism—by excluding from public life all substantive notions of the transcendent Good—could lead to what he called “totalitarian democracy.”

I think you should be able to access the whole thing here:  

https://www.touchstonemag.com/archives/article.php?id=36-04-030-f&readcode=10951

Probably.  I hope.

Tintern Abbey was established on this date.

"Tintern Abbey was established on this date" -- May 9, 1131 -- "by the Anglo-Norman nobleman Walter de Clare on the Welsh side of the River Wye on lands given him by Henry  I." 

 From a brief notice in  Touchstone Magazine, which you can find here.

A fuller history is here on the inevitable Wikipedia, whence cometh indeed the illustration.  And note the wonderfully useful passive voice:  "The Abbey fell into ruin at the dissolution of the monasteries . . ."  What a co-incidence.  Just, sort of, happened.  No-one knows why.

Our Lady's Easter Anthem

 

I almost forgot:  my favourite version of the Regina Cæli needs to be mentioned on The Inn.   I was reminded because we didn't have it at Mass this morning.   Not criticizing the Gregorian version, mind you.  Perish forbid.  But this one is dear to my heart.  And just the way we used to sing it . . . albeit with considerably fewer resources to hand in our little parish.

 

A Prayer for Our Time . . . well, the next couple of weeks anyway

 Posted on The Inn once before if memory serves.  In any event, here it is again, perhaps more relevant now than earlier:

And, as is usually the case, clicking on the above will render it both way too large and legible.

Easter

 

As (almost) always, you can click on the image and make it far too large and see all the wonderful detail.  I love these drawings.  Are they from old Marietti breviaries?  I can't remember off hand.  Although, I think I have an original around here somewhere.   ("Somewhere", indeed.  Sigh. )

O Grant Us Life that Shall not End

An encouraging piece from the late Fr John Hunwicke's blog, originally posted about 17 years ago:

I am glad we use Latin texts for Benediction here at S Thomas's. To sing Aquinas' original text of the O Salutaris reminds one that what he actually wrote was vitam sine termino. Literally this means 'life without a boundary mark'. Perhaps this means more than just 'bodily death won't be the end of everything'. Our life even in this present age itself has no boundary stones if we are in Christ so that our life is hidden with him in the Father. Everything is ours; there are no oysters we cannot open and enjoy provided we possess God's grace to use as a shucker.

Ah, the double-edged sword of reading Father's blog   I do love his writing and would love to respond.  Alas, he's not there to respond to any more.  God rest his good soul.

(Oh, and you can find the original of the above here.)

Remembering Kipling

I didn't start out the day remembering Kipling.  But I opened my newsfeed and there were all sorts of terrifying -- especially so if you live in earthquake-prone southern California -- pictures of an earthquake in Bangkok.  Reading a little further revealed that, although strong shocks were felt in Bangkok, the quake was centered in Myanmar.

"Myanmar?" I hear you ask.  Turns out they meant Burma.  Why Burma isn't called Burma any more I couldn't say.  I don't even know why Bombay isn't Bombay or Ceylon isn't Ceylon.  Although Ceylon tea is apparently still Ceylon tea.

Where was I?  Oh, yes:  earthquake in Burma.   And not just Burma, but centered in Mandalay.

Mandalay!  And if almost-teenaged you ever spent a dollar* of your hard-gotten savings on "Barrack-Room Ballads and Other Poems" you will know how Kipling came into the picture.

I used to have whole pages of Barrack-Room Ballads memorized.  These days all I could remember of "Mandalay" was:

Come you back to Mandalay,

Where the old Flotilla lay:

Can't you hear their paddles chunkin',

from Rangoon to Mandalay?

On the Road to Mandalay,

Where the flyin'-fishes play,

And the dawn comes up like thunder outta

China 'crost the Bay!

And there was something about the old Moulmein Pagoda and a Burmese girl being "a neater, sweeter maiden in a cleaner, greener land".

Ah, the memory isn't what it used to be.  In fact, it may never have been what it used to be.

And somewhere in this orgy of poetic nostalgia,  I think a prayer or two for the victims of the latest earthquake wouldn't go amiss.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

*By "a dollar", we are, of course, referring to a 1950s dollar, which dollar could buy you four paperback Agatha Christies.  Or you could take it to the market and buy a loaf of bread, some milk, a jar of jam and have change.  Nothing like the 2025 dollar, which even the Dollar Store isn't much interested in any more.

A Disagreement: At First Glance Semantic, But Not Really

A good friend the other day was lamenting the state of things hereabouts and calling for "traditional marriage" to be the norm as in our youth.  Well, yes and no.  In fact, he doesn't want traditional marriage at all.  I do, but he doesn't.   Traditional marriage is indissoluble.   Traditional marriage hasn't been available in this state since the Spanish left.  The marriage state of our youth was . . . something else. 

Harrumph.

A Few Choice Morsels from Last Month's' "Gilbert!"

"Never in human history were there writers who so sacrificed their humour and human dignity and hope of heaven, in order to be shocking.  And never in human history, were there readers who were so little shocked.  There is no time or space for any shock to take effect."  (G.K.'s Weekly, Aug 22, 1935)

"It is very perilous indeed that millions of people should have the law laid down for them by journalists who write as if they knew everything, and seem to know nothing about anything." (G.K.'s Weekly, Feb. 14, 1935)

On why some denominations  display the cross but dislike the crucifix:  "I cannot imagine myself why any people, of any opinions, should refuse to respect the figure of Christ but consent to respect the instrument that killed Him.  Seems like despising Socrates and reverencing Hemlock; or showing contempt for a martyr like St Lawrence, but adoration for a gridiron."  (New Witness, March 9, 1923)

Gleaned from the Jan/Feb 2025 number of  Gilbert, The Magazine of the Society of G.K. Chesterton. 

The Society's web presence can be found here.

March 17 -- St Patrick's Day

 St Patrick's Day on Fr Z's blog this morning contains a sound translation of the whole of St Patrick's Breastplate, the Lorica.  You can find it here, along with two spoken versions and a link to the text of the Old Irish version.

The band will be out and about playing at every Irish and quondam Irish pub in Seal Beach and environs this evening.  I wish I could be with them but circumstances require my presence elsewhere.  If you're in the neighborhood, say hello to them for me.

And a joyous and blessed St Patrick's Day to all who stop by here.

ADDENDUM:   I spent a while looking for a choral recording of St Patrick's Breasplate.   So long, in fact, that before I knew it,  it was no longer St Patrick's Day.   A little late, but eventually a choral St Patrick's Breastplate.  Herewith:  

You can click on the text to make it legible and maybe even sing along.

Quinquagesima Sunday

 Today's beautiful collect:

O LORD, who hast taught us that all our doings without charity are nothing worth: send Thy Holy Spirit, and pour into our hearts that most excellent gift of charity, the very bond of peace and of all virtues, without which whosoever liveth is counted dead before Thee; through Jesus Christ Thy Son our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

The Blessed Ildefonse Cardinal Schuster's Liber Sacramentorum on Quinquagesima Sunday 

The Novena

 Did you notice that all the days of the novena were properly posted?  Didn't think I would do it, didja.   Well, yes some of them were posted so late that it was too late for 90% or more of the western world to pray it on the right day.  But it was on time for here, in partibus infidelium, southern California.    Mostly.

And today, 22 February, in the traditional Roman Rite is the feast of St Peter's Chair at Antioch.  In the Bugninian Rite today's feast is combined with that of St Peter's Chair at Rome, which still occurs in January in the traditional Rite.

Here is some of what Dom Gueranger had to say about today's feast:

FEBRUARY 22: ST. PETER'S CHAIR AT ANTIOCH

From Dom Guéranger's The Liturgical Year.

We are called upon, a second time, to honour St. Peter’s chair: first, it was his pontificate in Rome; to-day, it is his episcopate at Antioch. The seven years spent by the prince of the apostles in the second of these cities, were the grandest glory she ever had; and they are too important a portion of the life of St. Peter to be passed by without being noticed in the Christian cycle.

Three years had elapsed since our Lord’s Ascension. The Church had already been made fruitful by martyrdom, and from Jerusalem she had spread into distant countries. Antioch, the first of the cities of Asia, had received the Gospel; and it was there that those who professed the faith of Jesus were first called Christians. Jerusalem was doomed to destruction for having not only refused to acknowledge, but even crucified, the Messias: it was time for Peter, in whom resided the supreme power, to deprive the faithless city of the honour she had heretofore enjoyed, of possessing within her walls the chair of the apostolate. It was towards the Gentiles that the Holy Spirit drove those clouds, which were shown to Isaias as the symbol of the holy apostles.[1] Accordingly, it is in Antioch, the third capital of the Roman Empire, that Peter first places the august throne, on which, as vicegerent of Christ, he presides over the universal Church.

But the progress of the apostles was so rapid; the conquests they made, in spite of every opposition, were so extensive, that the vicar of Christ was inspired to leave Antioch, after he had honoured it with the chair during the space of seven years. Alexandria, the second city of the empire, is also to be made a see of Peter; and Rome, the capital of the world, awaits the grand privilege for which God has long been preparing her. Onwards, then, does the prince advance, bearing with him the destinies of the Church; where he fixes his last abode, and where he dies, there will he have his successor in his sublime dignity of vicar of Christ. He leaves Antioch, making one of his disciples, Evodius, its bishop. Evodius succeeds Peter as bishop of Antioch; but that see is not to inherit the headship of the Church, which goes whithersoever Peter goes. He sends Mark, another of his disciples, to take possession, in his name, of Alexandria; and this Church he would have to be the second in the world, and though he has not ruled it in person, he raises it above that of Antioch. This done, he goes to Rome, where he permanently establishes that chair, on which he will live, and teach, and rule, in his successors, to the end of time.

And here we have the origin of the three great patriarchal sees, which were the object of so much veneration in the early ages: the first is Rome, invested with all the prerogatives of the prince of the apostles, which, when dying, he transmitted to her; the second is Alexandria, which owes her preeminence to Peter’s adopting her as his second see; the third is Antioch, whither he repaired in person, when he left Jerusalem to bring to the Gentiles the grace of adoption. If, therefore, Antioch is below Alexandria in rank, Alexandria never enjoyed the honour granted to Antioch, of having been governed, in person, by him whom Christ appointed to be the supreme pastor of His Church. Nothing, then, could be more just, than that Antioch should be honoured, as having, for seven years, had the privilege of being the centre of Christendom; and this is the object of to-day’s feast.

The children of the Church have a right to feel a special interest in every solemnity that is kept in memory of St. Peter. The father’s feast is a feast for the whole family; for to him it owes its very life. If there be but one fold, it is because there is but one Shepherd. Let us, then, honour Peter’s divine prerogative, to which Christianity owes its preservation; and let us often reflect upon the obligations we are under to the apostolic see. On the feast of the chair at Rome, we saw how faith is taught, and maintained, and propagated by the mother-Church, which has inherited the promises made to Peter. To-day, let us consider the apostolic see as the sole source of the legitimate power, whereby mankind is ruled and governed in all that concerns eternal salvation

The rest of the essay can be found here.   If you haven't seen this site before, it is well-worth bookmarking.  This Fraternity of St Peter parish is attempting to put all of Dom Gueranger's The Liturgical Year on line.  Here's what they have to say about the project:

This . . .  is part of the Liturgical Year Project at LYP.network, a project of the FSSP apostolate, St. Lawrence Church, in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. We are in the process of transcribing and formatting the text of Dom Prosper Guéranger's massive 15-volume series, The Liturgical Year. His many meditations on the history and faith behind the feasts and the seasons of the Church's year have edified many people over the years, and we hope to share these with more people through our website and via email. 

 

Their main page is here. 

On Avoiding Disputes with the Silly and Other Useful Practices

 I've visited Fr Z's blog more or less daily for a very long time.  Years.  There's been a link over in the left-hand column of The Inn for as long as there has been a left-hand column in The Inn.  And in all that time I never noticed the following in his left-hand column  (which is actually on the right, but you get the idea):

"Until the Lord be pleased to settle, through the instrumentality of the princes of the Church and the lawful ministers of His justice, the trouble aroused by the pride of a few and the ignorance of some others, let us with the help of God endeavor with calm and humble patience to render love for hatred, to avoid disputes with the silly, to keep to the truth and not fight with the weapons of falsehood, and to beg of God at all times that in all our thoughts and desires, in all our words and actions, He may hold the first place who calls Himself the origin of all things.”

- Prosper of Aquitaine (+c.455), De gratia Dei et libero arbitrio contra Collatorem 22.61

Has it always been there?  Is it new?  Or is this just another example of my almost præternatural ability to miss what's right in front of me?  I suspect the later.  But in any event, I like it.  A lot.   Alas, liking is not quite the same as the ability to put all those good things into practice.  

But I'll give it a shot.

Novena before the Solemnitiy of the Chair of St Peter (Day 9)

 

NOVENA BEFORE THE SOLEMNITY OF THE CHAIR OF ST. PETER

¶ This novena may be prayed during the nine days before the Solemnity of Title of the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter. Please pray for your own special intentions and with special intention for the growth of all of the Ordinariates.

V. In the Name of the Father, ✠ and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.
R. Amen.

Antiphon: That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.

V. I say unto thee, thou art Peter;
R. And upon this Rock I will build my Church.

¶ Each day's scripture and intention is read aloud. After a brief silence, the final prayers are offered.

February 21st.
Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them, "Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words." Acts 2:14
 
Intention: That in union with St. Peter we may proclaim the Gospel to the whole world.

FINAL PRAYER (to be offered each day)

O Almighty God, who by thy Son Jesus Christ didst give to thy Apostle Saint Peter many excellent gifts, and commandedst him earnestly to feed thy flock: make, we beseech thee, all Bishops and Pastors diligently to preach thy holy Word, and the people obediently to follow the same; that they may receive the crown of everlasting glory; through Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

V. St. Peter, Prince of the Apostles;
R. Pray for us.

V. In the Name of the Father, ✠ and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.
R. Amen.

---

Novena before the Solemnity of the Chair of St Peter (Day 8)

 

NOVENA BEFORE THE SOLEMNITY OF THE CHAIR OF ST. PETER

¶ This novena may be prayed during the nine days before the Solemnity of Title of the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter. Please pray for your own special intentions and with special intention for the growth of all of the Ordinariates.

V. In the Name of the Father, ✠ and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.
R. Amen.

Antiphon: That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.

V. I say unto thee, thou art Peter;
R. And upon this Rock I will build my Church.

¶ Each day's scripture and intention is read aloud. After a brief silence, the final prayers are offered.

February 20th.
Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you." He said to him, "Feed my lambs." A second time he said to him, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you." He said to him, "Tend my sheep." He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, "Do you love me?" And he said to him, "Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you." Jesus said to him, "Feed my sheep. - St. John 21:15-17
 
Intention: That we may remain in close communion with the Successor of St. Peter, whose task it is to strengthen us in the faith.

FINAL PRAYER (to be offered each day)

O Almighty God, who by thy Son Jesus Christ didst give to thy Apostle Saint Peter many excellent gifts, and commandedst him earnestly to feed thy flock: make, we beseech thee, all Bishops and Pastors diligently to preach thy holy Word, and the people obediently to follow the same; that they may receive the crown of everlasting glory; through Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

V. St. Peter, Prince of the Apostles;
R. Pray for us.

V. In the Name of the Father, ✠ and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.
R. Amen.

---

Novena before the Solemnity of the Chair of St Peter (Day 7)

 

NOVENA BEFORE THE SOLEMNITY OF THE CHAIR OF ST. PETER

¶ This novena may be prayed during the nine days before the Solemnity of Title of the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter. Please pray for your own special intentions and with special intention for the growth of all of the Ordinariates.

V. In the Name of the Father, ✠ and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.
R. Amen.

Antiphon: That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.

V. I say unto thee, thou art Peter;
R. And upon this Rock I will build my Church.

¶ Each day's scripture and intention is read aloud. After a brief silence, the final prayers are offered.

February 19th.
Peter then came out with the other disciple, and they went toward the tomb. They both ran, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb; he saw the linen cloths lying, and the napkin, which had been on his head, not lying with the linen cloths but rolled up in a place by itself. - St. John 20:3-4, 6-7
 
Intention: That our lives may give witness to the Risen Lord Jesus Christ.

FINAL PRAYER (to be offered each day)

O Almighty God, who by thy Son Jesus Christ didst give to thy Apostle Saint Peter many excellent gifts, and commandedst him earnestly to feed thy flock: make, we beseech thee, all Bishops and Pastors diligently to preach thy holy Word, and the people obediently to follow the same; that they may receive the crown of everlasting glory; through Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

V. St. Peter, Prince of the Apostles;
R. Pray for us.

V. In the Name of the Father, ✠ and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.
R. Amen.

Novena before the Solemnity of the Chair of St Peter (Day 6)

 

NOVENA BEFORE THE SOLEMNITY OF THE CHAIR OF ST. PETER

¶ This novena may be prayed during the nine days before the Solemnity of Title of the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter. Please pray for your own special intentions and with special intention for the growth of all of the Ordinariates.

V. In the Name of the Father, ✠ and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.
R. Amen.

Antiphon: That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.

V. I say unto thee, thou art Peter;
R. And upon this Rock I will build my Church.

¶ Each day's scripture and intention is read aloud. After a brief silence, the final prayers are offered.

February 18th.
[Jesus asked the soldiers,] "Whom do you seek?" And they said, "Jesus of Nazareth." Jesus answered, "I told you that I am he; so, if you seek me, let these men go." Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest's slave and cut off his right ear. - St. John 18:7-8,10a
 
Intention: That we may refrain from hasty or imprudent words and actions.

FINAL PRAYER (to be offered each day)

O Almighty God, who by thy Son Jesus Christ didst give to thy Apostle Saint Peter many excellent gifts, and commandedst him earnestly to feed thy flock: make, we beseech thee, all Bishops and Pastors diligently to preach thy holy Word, and the people obediently to follow the same; that they may receive the crown of everlasting glory; through Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

V. St. Peter, Prince of the Apostles;
R. Pray for us.

V. In the Name of the Father, ✠ and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.
R. Amen.

Novena before the Solemnity of the Chair of St Peter (Day 5)

 

NOVENA BEFORE THE SOLEMNITY OF THE CHAIR OF ST. PETER

¶ This novena may be prayed during the nine days before the Solemnity of Title of the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter. Please pray for your own special intentions and with special intention for the growth of all of the Ordinariates.

V. In the Name of the Father, ✠ and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.
R. Amen.

Antiphon: That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.

V. I say unto thee, thou art Peter;
R. And upon this Rock I will build my Church.

¶ Each day's scripture and intention is read aloud. After a brief silence, the final prayers are offered.

February 17th.
Jesus said to the twelve, "Do you also wish to go away?" Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life; and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God." - St. John 6:67-69
 
Intention: That we may know Christ as the Incarnate Word, and follow him.

FINAL PRAYER (to be offered each day)

O Almighty God, who by thy Son Jesus Christ didst give to thy Apostle Saint Peter many excellent gifts, and commandedst him earnestly to feed thy flock: make, we beseech thee, all Bishops and Pastors diligently to preach thy holy Word, and the people obediently to follow the same; that they may receive the crown of everlasting glory; through Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

V. St. Peter, Prince of the Apostles;
R. Pray for us.

V. In the Name of the Father, ✠ and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.
R. Amen.

Novena before the Solemnity of the Chair of St Peter (Day 4)

 

NOVENA BEFORE THE SOLEMNITY OF THE CHAIR OF ST. PETER

¶ This novena may be prayed during the nine days before the Solemnity of Title of the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter. Please pray for your own special intentions and with special intention for the growth of all of the Ordinariates.

V. In the Name of the Father, ✠ and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.
R. Amen.

Antiphon: That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.

V. I say unto thee, thou art Peter;
R. And upon this Rock I will build my Church.

¶ Each day's scripture and intention is read aloud. After a brief silence, the final prayers are offered.

February 16th.
After six days Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain apart by themselves; and he was transfigured before them, and his garments became glistening, intensely white, as no fuller on earth could bleach them. - St. Mark 9:2-3
 
Intention: That with Peter, we may see Christ as he is.

FINAL PRAYER (to be offered each day)

O Almighty God, who by thy Son Jesus Christ didst give to thy Apostle Saint Peter many excellent gifts, and commandedst him earnestly to feed thy flock: make, we beseech thee, all Bishops and Pastors diligently to preach thy holy Word, and the people obediently to follow the same; that they may receive the crown of everlasting glory; through Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

V. St. Peter, Prince of the Apostles;
R. Pray for us.

V. In the Name of the Father, ✠ and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.
R. Amen.

Novena before the Solemnity of the Chair of St Peter (Day 3)

 

NOVENA BEFORE THE SOLEMNITY OF THE CHAIR OF ST. PETER

¶ This novena may be prayed during the nine days before the Solemnity of Title of the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter. Please pray for your own special intentions and with special intention for the growth of all of the Ordinariates.

V. In the Name of the Father, ✠ and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.
R. Amen.

Antiphon: That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.

V. I say unto thee, thou art Peter;
R. And upon this Rock I will build my Church.

¶ Each day's scripture and intention is read aloud. After a brief silence, the final prayers are offered.

February 15th.
[Jesus] asked his disciples, "Who do men say that the Son of man is?" And they said, "Some say John the Baptist, others say Eljjah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets." He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" Simon Peter replied, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." And Jesus answered him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jona! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the powers of death shall not prevail against it. - St. Matthew 16:13-18
 
Intention: That we may confidently confess our faith in Jesus Christ.

FINAL PRAYER (to be offered each day)

O Almighty God, who by thy Son Jesus Christ didst give to thy Apostle Saint Peter many excellent gifts, and commandedst him earnestly to feed thy flock: make, we beseech thee, all Bishops and Pastors diligently to preach thy holy Word, and the people obediently to follow the same; that they may receive the crown of everlasting glory; through Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

V. St. Peter, Prince of the Apostles;
R. Pray for us.

V. In the Name of the Father, ✠ and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.
R. Amen.