Sunday Lenten Vespers
If you live in the area, please join us as we celebrate Vespers every Sunday during Lent at 6:00pm at Our Lady of the Holy Rosary, Tacoma. Sunday Schedule for Lent: Mass: Noon to 1:15 PM Adoration: 1:15 PM to 6:00 PM Vespers: 6:00 PM to 6:30 PM
» Read moreWhat Happens When You Violate the Comment Policy for Five Years Running
Well, that’s a first. Due to an unremitting stream of vile and abusive comments from a particular individual, I’ve had to break out the nuclear option. I’ve blocked her IP address from even seeing the blog. Hopefully the plug-in works as advertised. I imagine I’ll hear all about it if it doesn’t. Given the number of plug-ins available for this, […]
» Read moreAsh Wednesday
Remember Man that you are dust and unto dust you shall return.” And with those words, our Lent has begun. Holy Mother Church calls us to make these next forty days until Easter a time of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Lent is a pilgrimage, in a sense, through time if not space, through death to resurrection. A pilgrimage of penitence. […]
» Read moreCalled, Not Chosen
Last Friday morning, I was struck particularly by a psalm from the Office for Saint Agatha: O God, my God, for Thee I long at break of day: My soul thirsteth for Thee, my body longeth for Thee, As desert, arid land: thus I appear before Thee in the sanctuary, to see Thy power and Thy glory. For Thy mercy […]
» Read morePope and Patriarch, Together for the First Time
This morning, we have the following rather stunning notice from the Vatican Press Office: Francis to meet Patriarch Kirill of Moscow in Cuba Vatican City, 5 February 2016 (VIS) – The Holy See and the Patriarchate of Moscow are pleased to announce that, by the grace of God, His Holiness Pope Francis and His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and […]
» Read moreLenten Regulations for the Archdiocese of Seattle, 2016
The annual observance of Lent is the special season for the ascent to the holy mountain of Easter. Through its twofold theme of repentance and Baptism, the season of Lent disposes both the catechumens and the faithful to celebrate the paschal mystery. Catechumens are led to the sacraments of initiation by means of the rite of election, the scrutinies, and […]
» Read moreUltreïa et Suseïa!
On the Camino, there is an ancient greeting that is exchanged between pilgrims. Oh, those not on pilgrimage – hospitaleros, townsfolk, random people on the Way – will often shout out a hearty “¡buen Camino!”, but that’s not what I’m talking about. In a tradition that was first recorded in the venerable Codex Calixtinus in the eleventh century, the pilgrim […]
» Read moreFaith and Reason
Faith and reason are like the two shoes you wear on your journey. You get a lot farther with both than just one. (J. Michael Straczynski) Today is the Feast of the Universal Doctor of the Church and one of my name Saints, Thomas Aquinas. When (certain) people, told of my conversion, said to me “oh, you’re Catholic – you […]
» Read moreSaint Polycarp: a Link on a Golden Chain
Today is the memorial of the blessed martyr Saint Polycarp. Burned alive in Rome for the crime of being a Christian bishop, he was a disciple of Saint John the Apostle. In fact, he was ordained bishop of Smyrna by Saint John. He wrote many letters, though only one has survived the centuries, his Epistle to the Philippians. A brief […]
» Read moreOf Saints and Spoons
Today is both the Feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul, and the eighth anniversary of the day I wed my beautiful bride. It is, as I have said before, a “moment when everything changed, celebrated on a day when everything changed”. Francine and I have a funny tradition. When I proposed to her, I distracted her for a moment […]
» Read moreGreat News from Norcia!
From the Benedictine monks of Norcia (of whom I’ve spoken before) comes the fantastic news that they are now shipping their beers to the United States! From their blog: NORCIA, ITALY — Beginning January 22 at 7am EST and following closely on the heels of the chart topping release of their Benedicta CD of Gregorian chant, the Monastery of San […]
» Read moreSome Thoughts on the Divine Office
Over the years, some people have asked me why I prefer the (ancient) monastic Divine Office to the modern Liturgy of the Hours. Let me hasten to assure you that both are equally valid. Both are the prayer of the Church, for the Church. Indeed, to these we could add the Extraordinary Form’s Divinum Officium, the various Eastern rites, as […]
» Read moreAgnes in Agony
Happy Saint Agnes Day! Saint Agnes was a young Roman lady of 13 or 14 who suffered martyrdom in the persecutions of Diocletian in about the year 304. She was one of the youngest of the early martyrs and one of the most moving and articulate. Agnes) hastened to the place of torture as a bride to her wedding feast. […]
» Read moreHere Comes the Bus!
Well, the Alsa web site is much better than it was three years ago. For one thing, it’s pretty clear that they have a new English translator, and that he or she knows English. There are still occasionally blocks of Spanish text, but that’s manageable. Trying to interpret Spanglish was not. As I said, much improved. And we are now […]
» Read moreTravel Insurance
Slowly but surely, we’re ticking things off of our pre-Camino “to-do” list. Today, I purchased our travel insurance. As in our last Camino, we purchased the “standard” package from World Nomads. What I love about these guys is that they have an exhaustive list of all activities covered under their plans – and that list goes from abseiling (rappelling) to […]
» Read moreA Great Cloud of Witnesses
Today in the United States, we celebrate a federal holiday honouring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. It seems like a good day to tackle the question “are there non-Catholic saints?” Seems like a simple question. First off, what’s a saint exactly? We turn to our trusty Catechism once more and find the following: 823 “The Church . . . is […]
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