Ruminations of an Amateur Monastic
Today the Cardinal Electors, guided by the Holy Spirit, elected Robert Francis Cardinal Prevost to the Chair of Saint Peter. He has chosen the name of Leo XIV, perhaps in homage to Pope Leo the Great, or perhaps to Pope Leo XIII, author of Rerum Novarum. Francine and I watched from her hospital room. Although quite ill, she was very […]
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This morning, Pope Francis died on Easter Monday. Please join me in praying that this humble servant of God has ended his pilgrimage in our heavenly homeland. Requiem æternam dona eis, Domine:et lux perpetua luceat eis.In memoria æterna erit iustus,ab auditione mala non timebit. Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord:and let perpetual light shine upon him.He shall be justified […]
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Immediately following the great Vigil of Easter, my beautiful bride Francine was admitted to Tacoma General Hospital. Symptoms were increasing mental confusion and physical weakness. She had recently suffered a bout of walking pneumonia, and during those days she was physically weak and had some small moments of forgetfulness and not being able to find words. We attributed it to […]
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Twenty years ago today, on the night of the 26th of March 2005, I was baptized into the Church at the great Vigil of Easter. It’s odd to think that my baptism is now the midpoint of my spiritual journey thus far. Ten years ago, I shared some reflections of the tenth anniversary of my baptism. Last year, I shared […]
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Today is the Feast of the Chair of Saint Peter. Now, you might be thinking, “a feast for a piece of furniture?” Read on! Most folks have seen some variation of this photo of Bernini‘s “Chair of Peter” in the Vatican. It’s a masterpiece of baroque art, found in every art textbook covering the period. The chair in question is […]
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As we continue to receive reports from the Vatican that Pope Francis is suffering from double pneumonia, please join me in praying this ancient prayer for the Pope. It has been frequently set to music, including in the venerable Liber Usualis. V. Let us pray for Francis, the Pope.R. May the Lord preserve him, give him a long life, make him […]
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Vatican News is reporting that Saint Teresa of Calcutta has been added to the General Roman Calendar. The Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments releases the decree inscribing St. Teresa of Calcutta in the General Roman Calendar, along with the liturgical texts to accompany her feast day on September 5. You can read the full story […]
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Saint Benedict was the founder of Western monasticism; to this day, most monks and nuns worldwide follow some variation of his “Little Rule for Beginners“. Benedict had a twin sister, Scholastica, whose feast day is today. Under her brother’s guidance, she founded the first female monastery in the West. I often think that their parents had a sense of humour, […]
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My new book, Practical Pilgrimage, is now available for purchase. Subtitled “Useful Rules for Walking the Camino de Santiago”, it’s a deeper exploration and expansion of a blog post that appeared back in 2023, Thom’s Practical Rules for the Camino. Purchase on Amazon (affiliate link)Purchase from Powell’s Books (preferred)Purchase at Barnes & Noble This short book (about a hundred pages) […]
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Today is the 150th anniversary of the death of Servant of God Dom Prosper Guéranger, OSB (1805-1875). He refounded Solesmes Abbey, from which an entire Congregation of Benedictine monasteries has since sprung. He is responsible for the restoration of monastic life in France, as well as promoting the sacred liturgy and spearheading the revival of Gregorian chant. I have quoted from his […]
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This weekend we celebrate the great feast of Christ the King. Traditionally here at Pistachio House, we have had our “Franksgiving” feast on this weekend. Unfortunately, for whatever reason, I forgot to take a photo of our little gathering yesterday, though I did get one of Francine with the turkey. It is right and just that we celebrate God’s bounty […]
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The Zelanti resources are back online! I imagine most folks reading this have no idea what I’m talking about, so perhaps a little background is in order. For several years now, I’ve been involved with a group of like-minded liturgy geeks. We call ourselves the Society of Saint Odo of Cluny. Saint Odo was one of the early Abbots of […]
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Today is the first anniversary of my arrival in Santiago following my thousand-mile walking pilgrimage on the Via Podiensis and Camino Francés. From August 18 through October 23, 2023, I walked from Le Puy-en-Velay in France to Santiago de Compostela in Spain on pilgrimage to the tomb of the Apostle Saint James the Greater. I received my pilgrim blessing from […]
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On this day in 1571, the naval forces of a Holy League, consisting of several maritime Catholic countries, met the main Ottoman fleet at the Battle of Lepanto. In later years, the anniversary of this day was celebrated as the Feast of Our Lady of Victory and later, Our Lady of the Holy Rosary. Back in high school, a group […]
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This is an annual post, updated only slightly. Much of the language reflects my thoughts and feelings of the day, taken from my journaled notes. Over the past few years, my feelings have mellowed and matured somewhat. It is, however, good to recollect the day. Depart from me, I will weep bitterly; labour not to comfort me. (Antiphon 1 of […]
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Today is the feast of Saint Bernard of Clairvaux. And at this moment in the history of the Church, we could very much use another like him. Born in 1090 to a noble Burgundian family near Dijon, he entered the monastery at age 23. In less than three years, he was sent by his abbot to found a new monastery […]
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It was twenty years ago today, and I was a pagan. Now when I say pagan, I don’t mean that I was unchurched or a “None”. No, I was a card-carrying member of an ancient Egyptian reconstructionist church. I am often amused by God’s little jokes. I was raised with no religion, but both my sister and I were sent […]
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