Ruminations of an Amateur Monastic
Fifty-one years ago today, on July 20, 1969, human beings first set foot upon the Moon. My mother claims I watched the landing, at the tender age of two, hiding underneath the coffee table. If so, I don’t remember it. My lovely bride Francine, however, does. Her birthday is July 21, and she clearly remembers having a lunar module on […]
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On this, the Memorial of Saint Arnulf of Metz (c. 582 — 640), patron saint of brewers, let us hoist a tankard to his memory and say a prayer for his intercession. For some reason, the English found “Arnulf” too difficult, so in many English-language resources he is known as “Arnold”. Go figure. It was July 642 and very hot […]
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Saint Bonaventure, whose memorial is today in the Ordinary Form, received his (much delayed) doctorate in theology in Paris in 1257, in the same class as Saint Thomas Aquinas. Later that same year, he was elected Minister General of the Franciscan Order. Bonaventure spent much of his life as a theologian at the university, living in poverty as a Franciscan […]
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Today is the 450th anniversary of the Apostolic Constitution Quo primum by which Pope Saint Pius V promulgated the revised Missale Romanum mandated by the Council of Trent. Pope Saint Pius V The core of the document is the oft-quoted (and misquoted) third and fourth paragraphs. Let all everywhere adopt and observe what has been handed down by the Holy Roman Church, […]
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I’m going to go out on a limb and say that vanishingly few American churches have an image of today’s saint. But ours does. Let me explain. It’s a pretty rare thing when Kings become saints, or at least become canonized saints. I can only think of a handful off the top of my head, though I’m sure there are […]
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Abscindétur de ovíli pecus. (from the Canticle of Habakkuk: Hab. 3:17) Saint Benedict is famously the man who saved Western Civilization. He lived during the decades following the fall of Rome to terminal decadence and invasion, and the Order he founded went on to preserve the works of literature and history and philosophy that are the heritage of Rome and […]
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The monks of Saint Martin’s Abbey in Lacey, Washington have elected their ninth abbot. This is the abbey where Francine and I are Oblates. Here is the official announcement from the Prior, Brother Nicolaus Wilson, O.S.B.: It is with great joy that the monks of St. Martin’s Abbey announce the election of our ninth abbot, Abbot Marion Qui-Thac Nguyen. Abbot […]
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When Francine and I finished our second Camino in 2016, I began a project on my Camino blog to post the best of my Camino photos, one day at a time. The “Camino Photo of the Day” project has been running since July 6 of 2016, so today marks its fourth anniversary. It often took several weeks to get through […]
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IN CONGRESS, JULY 4, 1776The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of […]
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Happy feast of Saint Thomas the Apostle! Today wasn’t always his feast. In fact in my Monastic Diurnal, today is the Memorial of Saints Processus and Martinian. I’m sure these holy martyrs will forgive me if I choose to celebrate the Apostle today as well, since he is my name saint. I thought today I’d share with you part of […]
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Today the Church celebrates one of her most ancient feasts, commemorating the martyrdom of Saints Peter and Paul. I prayed at the tombs of these apostles during our pilgrimage to Rome in 2005. Icon of Saints Peter and Paul Peter With the body of Saint John Paul II mere feet from me, I knelt near Saint Peter’s tomb at the […]
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Tomorrow being the Solemnity of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist, today is Saint John’s Eve. Throughout much of Europe, the tradition on this day is to light bonfires. Here’s ours from a couple of years ago. Saint John’s Eve, 2015 Not much of a bonfire, strictly speaking, but we do live in the city after all! Probably not […]
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Sir Thomas More(by Hans Holbein the Younger) Today is the memorial of one of my favourite saints, Saint Thomas More, who died at the hands of King Henry VIII (that villain). That is, today is his memorial in the modern Roman calendar, which he shares with Saint John Fisher, also executed by the same king. In my Benedictine ordo, however, […]
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Today, the day after the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, is the feast of the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary. On my Benedictine Ordo (and the Extraordinary Form calendar), we’ll have to wait for August 22nd, the Octave Day of the Assumption, for this feast. The veneration (not worship!) of Mary’s Immaculate Heart consists in the […]
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How does the human brain wrap itself around the eternal and infinite love of God for His creation? How can can we even begin to comprehend the depth of love in Christ’s wounded heart as he pours Himself out for us sinners at Calvary? The truth is, we can’t. The saints and the mystics may catch glimpses, but we humans […]
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Since Archbishop Etienne declared The Year of the Eucharist, it might be time to get back to our ongoing series of essays on the General Instruction of the Roman Missal. It seems like a timely project, and the Archbishop’s observation that this is “an appropriate time for parishes to provide additional training for all liturgical ministers, as well as additional […]
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The Lord manifests Himself to those who stop for some time in peace and humility of heart. If you look in murky and turbulent waters, you cannot see the reflection of your face.If you want to see the face of Christ, stop and collect your thoughts in silence, and close the door of your soul to the noise of external […]
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