Ready Writers

Alleluia! Sing to Jesus

2012-02-11T18:34:00.003-05:00

This evening I again attended the vigil Mass at the local Novus Ordo parish and made note notes regarding the hymns.

We started with "There's a Wideness in God's Mercy" by Catholic convert from Anglicanism, Frederick William Faber (1814-1863) set, as is customary, to the 18th century Dutch hymn tune In Babilone. The music is beautiful and the words moving, although, personally, I find it not the easiest to sing and prefer to hear a choir offer it to the Lord.

The offertory hymn, "All My Days," was written by Dan Schutte and is based on the Psalm Domine, Dominus noster (Ps. 8). With the first line of the first verse a "red flag" went up. Schuette's text was "You have made me a little less than a god," which he must have intended as some sort of paraphrase of verses four and five:

"4 What is man, that thou art mindful of him? * and the son of man, that thou visitest him?
5 Thou madest him lower than the angels, * to crown him with glory and worship."

or in the Vulgate:

"5 quid est homo quod memor es eius aut filius hominis quoniam visitas eum
6 minuisti eum paulo minus ab angelis gloria et honore coronasti eum"

Schutte's text employs the word "god" where "angels" is more conventional, and although it is true that the Hebrew text has "elohim" (i.e., "gods") it is equally true that "elohim" can mean "angels" and was so translated into the Greek of the Septuagint; "angels" is also the word the Vulgate picked up, as have most English translations.

More troublesome is Schutte putting the Psalm into the first person. Christian tradition, following the Epistle to the Hebrews chapter 2 verses 5 through 9, usually interprets the "Son of man" in Psalm 8 as the Christ --

"2:5 For unto the angels hath he not put in subjection the world to come, whereof we speak. 2:6 But one in a certain place testified, saying, What is man, that thou art mindful of him? or the son of man, that thou visitest him? 2:7 Thou madest him a little lower than the angels; thou crownedst him with glory and honour, and didst set him over the works of thy hands: 2:8 Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet. For in that he put all in subjection under him, he left nothing that is not put under him. But now we see not yet all things put under him. 2:9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man."

The post-communion hymn, "Seed, Scattered and Sown, was written by Dan Feiten and is based on the Didcahe 9, 1 Corinthians 10:16-17, and Mark 4:3-6. Published in the 1980s, I found it one of the most theologically sound and musically pleasant of "contemporary" hymns.

St. Joseph's Parish saved the best for last at this Mass. "Alleluia! Sing to Jesus," by William Chatterton Dix (1837–1898), insurance executive and part-time hymn-writer, is one of the greatest of 19th century English praises to our Lord. It was set to that grand old Welsh hymn tune -- a tune to which many hymns have been set -- Hyfrydol by Rowland Huw Prichard (1811-1887). It is one of my favorites. When, last year I started learning to play the piano, I picked it out as the first "real music" (as opposed to exercise) that I had my instructress show me how to play. Co-incidentally, I passed the time walking to Mass today by humming Hyfrydol, little thinking that I'd be singing it at the end of Mass.

30 Years Ago in Cass City, Michigan

2012-02-11T11:36:00.002-05:00

Thirty years ago, Friday, February 12, 1982, this photo was taken on Green Road, just south of state highway 81. The trees on the right were a bit more than half-way to the house I grew up in, which was a quarter-of-a-mile off the highway and the only house for two miles on Green Road.

Obama to Catholics, "To Hell with You"

2012-02-10T16:31:00.000-05:00

POST-GAZETTE - Res Publica
Obama to Catholics, "To Hell with You"
by David Trumbull
February 10, 2012

The harsh words that head this column paraphrase the words of the Bishop of Pittsburgh, David Zubik. The subject was the determination of the Obama Administration to force Catholic hospitals to pay for abortions, something that they cannot do and remain Catholic.

Bishop Zubik wrote: "It comes like a slap in the face. The Obama administration has just told the Catholics of the United States, 'To Hell with you!'"

Bishop Slattery of Tulsa wrote: "As your bishop, I want to make it clear that I consider this mandate unconstitutional, unjust and evil.

"Because this mandate is unconstitutional, we will refuse to comply with it.

"This mandate is evil, because not only does it require that all Catholics cooperate in sin by providing for and paying for coverage for gravely immoral actions which have as their final end the destruction of human life, but also by requiring that Catholics who do not cooperate in this should be punished. Were we to comply with this law, we would offend God and imperil our souls. We will not comply.

"This mandate is unjust because it imposes a secular definition of religious freedom that makes it a crime to practice our faith in the public square... In this matter, President Obama’s administration has overstepped its authority. This is what Pope Leo XIII cautioned against when he wrote over a hundred years ago: 'if the will of rulers is opposed to the will and the laws of God, then those rulers exceed the bounds of their own power and pervert justice. Nor can their authority be valid, since authority without justice is null.' From the founding of our nation, we Catholic have always obeyed the laws. But this law, we cannot obey."

Writing in the Wall Street Journal, Timothy Dolan, Archbishop of New York and President of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops said:

"The Catholic Church defends religious liberty, including freedom of conscience, for everyone. The Amish do not carry health insurance. The government respects their principles. Christian Scientists want to heal by prayer alone, and the new health-care reform law respects that. Quakers and others object to killing even in wartime, and the government respects that principle for conscientious objectors. By its decision, the Obama administration has failed to show the same respect for the consciences of Catholics and others who object to treating pregnancy as a disease."

* * *

I don't know what motivated Obama to pick a fight with the Catholic Church. Perhaps he believes it will please his liberal base which is disappointed in his failure to keep his campaign promises. Whatever the reason, he has made it clear he wants a fight with the Church. Well, then, BRING IT ON!

Our Lady of Lourdes, Feb. 11th

2012-02-10T16:30:00.003-05:00

For February 11th, the memorial of Our Lady of Lourdes, an except from LE PELERINAGE DE LOURDES, the encyclical of Pope Pius XII Warning Against Materialism on the Centerary of the Appartions at Lourdes:

35. In a society which is barely conscious of the ills which assail it, which conceals its miseries and injustices beneath a prosperous, glittering, and trouble-free exterior, the Immaculate Virgin, whom sin has never touched, manifests herself to an innocent child. With a mother's compassion she looks upon this world redeemed by her Son's blood, where sin accomplishes so much ruin daily, and three times makes her urgent appeal: "Penance, penance, penance!" She even appeals for outward expressions: "Go kiss the earth in penance for sinners." And to this gesture must be added a prayer: "Pray to God for sinners."...

43. But however important it may be, the conversion of the individual pilgrim is not enough. We exhort you in this jubilee year, Beloved Sons and Venerable Brothers, to inspire among the faithful entrusted to your care a common effort for the Christian renewal of society in answer to Mary's appeal.

44. "May blind spirits . . . be illumined by the light of truth and
justice," Pius XI asked during the Marian feasts of the Jubilee of the Redemption, "so that those who have gone astray into error may be brought back to the straight path, that a just liberty may be granted the Church everywhere, and that an era of peace and true prosperity may come upon all the nations."

45. But the world, which today affords so many justifiable reasons for pride and hope, is also undergoing a terrible temptation to materialism which has been denounced by Our Predecessors and Ourselves on many occasions.

46. This materialism is not confined to that condemned philosophy which dictates the policies and economy of a large segment of mankind. It rages also in a love of money which creates ever greater havoc as modern enterprises expand, and which, unfortunately, determines many of the decisions which weigh heavy on the life of the people. It finds expression in the cult of the body, in excessive desire for comforts, and in flight from all the austerities of life. It encourages scorn for human life, even for life which is destroyed before seeing the light of day.

47. This materialism is present in the unrestrained search for pleasure, which flaunts itself shamelessly and tries, through reading matter and entertainments, to seduce souls which are still pure. It shows itself in lack of interest in one's brother, in selfishness which crushes him, in justice which deprives him of his rights - in a word, in that concept of life which regulates everything exclusively in terms of material prosperity and earthly satisfactions.

48. "And I will say to my soul. the rich man said, Soul, thou hast many good things laid up for many years; take thy ease, eat, drink, be merry. But God said to him, Thou fool, this night do they demand thy soul of thee."

49. To a society which in its public life often contests the supreme rights of God, to a society which would gain the whole world at the expense of its own soul and thus hasten to its own destruction, the Virgin Mother has sent a cry of alarm.

50. May priests be attentive to her appeal and have the courage to preach the great truths of salvation fearlessly. The only lasting renewal, in fact, will be one based on the changeless principles of faith, and it is the duty of priests to form the consciences of Christian people.

51. Just as the Immaculate, compassionate of our miseries, but discerning our real needs, came to men to remind them of the essential and austere steps of religious conversion, so the ministers of the Word of God should, with supernatural confidence, point out to souls the narrow road which leads to life. They will do this without forgetting the spirit of kindness and patience which they profess, but also without concealing anything of the Gospel's demands. In the school of Mary they will learn to live not only that they may give Christ to the world, but also, if need be, to await with faith the hour of Jesus and to remain at the foot of the cross.

52. Assembled around their priests, the faithful must cooperate in this effort for renewal. Wherever Providence has placed a man, there is always more to be done for God's cause. Our thoughts turn first to the host of consecrated souls who, within the framework of the Church, devote themselves to innumerable good works. Their religious vows dedicate them more than others to fight victoriously under Mary's banner against the onslaught which inordinate lust for freedom, riches, and pleasure makes on the world. In response to the Immaculate, they will resolve to oppose the attacks of evil with the weapons of prayer and penance and by triumphs of charity.

53. Our thoughts turn also to Christian families. to ask them to remain faithful to their vital mission in society. May they consecrate themselves in this jubilee year to the Immaculate Heart of Mary! For married couples this act of piety will be a valuable aid in performing their conjugal duties of chastity and faithfulness. It will keep pure the atmosphere in which their children grow up. Even more, it will make the family, inspired by its devotion to Mary, a living center of social rebirth and apostolic influence.

54. Beyond the family circle, professional and civic affairs offer a vast field of action for Christians who desire to work for the renewal of society. Gathered about the Virgin's feet, docile to her exhortations, they will first take a searching look at themselves and will try to uproot from their consciences any false judgments and selfish impulses, fearing the falsehood of a love for God which does not translate itself into effective love for their brothers.

55. Christians of every class and every nation will try to be of one mind in truth and charity, and to banish misunderstanding and suspicion. Without doubt, social structures and economic pressures of enormous weight burden the good will of men and often paralyze it. But if it is true, as Our predecessors and We Ourselves have insistently stressed, that the quest for social and political peace among men is, above all, a moral problem, then no reform can bear fruit, no agreement can be lasting without a conversion and cleansing of heart. In this jubilee year the Virgin of Lourdes reminds all men of this truth! ...

Given at Rome, from Saint Peter's, on the feast of the Visitation of the Most Holy Virgin, July 2, 1957, the nineteenth year of Our Pontificate.
PIUS XII

A Letter from Cardinal Sean Regarding Obama Administration Ruling

2012-02-07T09:19:00.000-05:00

My Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Allow me this opportunity to share with you important information concerning an alarming and serious matter that negatively impacts the Church in the United States directly, and that strikes at the fundamental right to religious liberty for all citizens of any faith. The federal government, which claims to be by, and for the people,” has just dealt a heavy blow to almost a quarter of those people — the Catholic population — and to the millions more who are served by the Catholic faithful.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced last week that almost all employers, including Catholic employers, will be forced to offer their employees health coverage that includes sterilization, abortion-inducing drugs, and contraception. Almost all health insurers will be forced to include those “services” in the health policies they write. And almost all individuals will be forced to buy that coverage as a part of their policies. The Church has had to struggle against regulations like those now proposed by HHS in several states. This HHS ruling would expand and intensify a situation which is already very harmful.

In its ruling, the Administration has cast aside the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, denying to Catholics our Nation’s first and most fundamental freedom, that of religious liberty. And as a result, unless the rule is overturned, we Catholics will be compelled and must be prepared either to violate our consciences, or to drop health coverage for our employees (and suffer the penalties for doing so). The administration’s sole concession was to give our institutions one year to comply.

We cannot simply accept this unjust law now proposed at the federal level. People of faith cannot be made second class citizens. We are already joined by our brothers and sisters of all faiths and many others of good will in this important effort to regain our religious freedom. Our parents and grandparents did not come to these shores to help build America’s cities and towns, its infrastructure and institutions, its enterprise and culture, only to have their posterity stripped of their God given rights. In generations past, the Church has always been able to count on the faithful to stand up and protect her sacred rights and duties. I trust she can count on this generation of Catholics to do the same. Our children and grandchildren deserve nothing less.

In order that we make every effort to respond to this proposed restriction on religious liberty I would ask of you two things. First, as a community of faith we must commit ourselves to prayer and fasting that wisdom and justice may prevail, and religious liberty may be restored. Without God, we can do nothing; with God, nothing is impossible. Second, I recommend that you visit the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops website, www.usccb.org/conscience, to learn more about this assault on religious liberty, and how to contact Congress in support of legislation that would reverse the Administration’s decision.

With the assurance of my prayers for you and all your loved ones, I am,

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Cardinal Seán O’Malley , OFM Cap.
Archbishop of Boston

Of Thee I Sing

2012-02-04T20:00:00.001-05:00

This evening I attended the vigil Mass at the local Novus Ordo parish and once again thought, No wonder Catholics don't sing if this is what they are given as hymn tunes.

The first hymn, "Let Us Go to the Altar" was based on the Psalm Judica me, Deus (Psalm 43, 42 in the Vulgate) and, surprising for a composition by Daniel L. Schutte, had a singable melody in three-quarter time. However, the musical phrasing and the text were not well matched, and there is little likelihood that anyone will hum the tune while doing chores. It wasn't exactly bad just not all that good.

For the offertory we sang "Seek Ye First" by Karen Lafferty. The words were a paraphrase of Matthew 6:33. I enjoyed the simple, pleasant melody, which far surpassed the typical "contemporary" hymn tune. By simple, I do mean simple; it reminded me of the hymns that the 1940 Episcopal Church hymnal classified as "for children." Still, a good choice given the limited choices in the hymnal (the name of which I must remember to write down next time) used at St. Joseph's.

Well, if "Seek Ye First" had lulled me into a false sense that maybe the music was improving, the post communion hymn jolted me back to the unpleasant reality of bad Catholic hymnody. "On Eagle's Wings" by Michael Jonas, has to be one of the worst hymns ever written. It is based on the Psalm Domine, refugium (Psalm 90, 89 in the Vulgate) and the words are a prose paraphrase of the original, and therein lies the first problem: what is point of setting a prose paraphrase to music when there exist many good rendering of the Psalm into English poetry? Then there is the music! Possibly someone who has studied voice seriously for several years could sing "On Eagle's Wings," I don't know. What I do know is that the typical congregation cannot possibly join in something with no clear time signature, an irregular meter, and an ever-changing melody time and tempo.

Poems on the Putting Away of the Last of the Seasonal Greenery on Candlemas

2012-02-01T16:00:00.004-05:00

Ceremony Upon Candlemas Eve

Down with the rosemary, and so
Down with the bays and misletoe;
Down with the holly, ivy, all
Wherewith ye dress'd the Christmas hall;
That so the superstitious find
No one least branch there left behind;
For look, how many leaves there be
Neglected there, maids, trust to me,
So many goblins you shall see.

~~~

Ceremonies for Candlemas Eve

Down with the rosemary and bays,
Down with the misletoe;
Instead of holly, now up-raise
The greener box, for show.

The holly hitherto did sway;
Let box now domineer,
Until the dancing Easter-day,
Or Easter's eve appear.

Then youthful box, which now hath grace
Your houses to renew,
Grown old, surrender must his place
Unto the crisped yew.

When yew is out, then birch comes in,
And many flowers beside,
Both of a fresh and fragrant kin,
To honour Whitsuntide.

Green rushes then, and sweetest bents,
With cooler oaken boughs,
Come in for comely ornaments,
To re-adorn the house.
Thus times do shift; each thing his turn does hold;
New things succeed, as former things grow old.

~~~

The Ceremonies for Candlemas Day

Kindle the Christmas brand, and then
Till sunset let it burn;
Which quench'd, then lay it up again,
Till Christmas next return.

Part must be kept, wherewith to teend
The Christmas log next year;
And where 'tis safely kept, the fiend
Can do no mischief there.

--Robert Herrick, 1591-1674.

Now That's an Idea!

2012-01-29T09:38:00.000-05:00

POST-GAZETTE, Res Publica
Now That's an Idea!
by David Trumbull
January 27, 2012

Every year since 1991 the Pioneer Institute has conducted a "citizens' idea contest" that seeks out and rewards the most innovative public policy ideas. The 2012 competition will focus on federal programs that can be devolved to the states - with benefits like cost savings, more effective delivery of services, or innovation as a result.

Sample topics include:

Regulations - Are there federal regulations that can be devolved to the states, resulting in job creation or increased economic vitality?

Urban Redevelopment - Are there federal programs aimed at helping revive older, industrial cities that would be better provided by state and/or local governments?

Transportation - Currently the federal government collects taxes and redistributes transportation funding back to the states with strict limitations on expenditures. Is there a better way?

Interstate Commerce - Are there federal restrictions on interstate commerce that harm job creation?

Banking and Finance - The Sarbanes-Oxley and Dodd-Frank laws aimed to address failings in the banking and financial services industries. Could a state-based approach be more effective?

Health Care and Insurance - Since World War II, the federal government has expanded its role in financing and regulating health care delivery and insurance. Are there more effective ways to insure and care for Americans through state policy?

Education - Since its establishment in 1979, the U.S. Department of Education has gained control over reporting, spending, behavior, academic content, testing, special education, and more. Are there better ways to achieve common goals at the state and local level?

The Competition grand prize is $10,000; three runners-up receive $1,000 each. The contest is open to all people and organizations-academics, non-profits, entrepreneurs, government officials, and all concerned citizens. Entrants from outside Massachusetts are eligible. Ordinary citizens will not be at a disadvantage, because Pioneer Institute will work to provide quality entrants with the resources to develop their ideas.

All applications must be postmarked or e-mailed by Monday, April 9th, contact the Pioneer Institute for details.

Got an idea for better government? Here's your chance to promote it, and maybe even win ten grand!

Common Sense About the Economy

2012-01-29T09:33:00.001-05:00

POST-GAZETTE, Res Publica
Common Sense About the Economy
by David Trumbull
January 20, 2012

Twenty-five years ago the United States and Canada finalized a free trade agreement ("FTA") between these North American neighbors. It was only the second free trade agreement the U.S. was party to -- the first was the U.S.-Israel FTA which. It would lead, in 1994, to the North American Free Trade Agreement, or NAFTA, which abolished tariffs and other barriers to the free flow of goods among the U.S., Mexico, and Canada.

The Canadian and Mexican agreements marked the beginning of a new regime in Washington, with both major parties pushing for more and more bilateral and regional FTAs. We now have FTAs with 20 nations: Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Israel, Jordan, Mexico, Morocco, Nicaragua, Oman, Panama, Peru, Singapore, and South Korea

Our government has also begun negotiations on FTAs with Botswana, Brunei, Ecuador, Lesotho, Malaysia, Namibia, New Zealand, South Africa, Swaziland, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates, and Vietnam.

Elimination of U.S. import duties has been going on for 90 years. There was a brief reversal in the late 1920s when a Republican congress and president brought tariffs back up near their 19th century levels, but the Democrats undid that starting in the 1930s.

Students of American history know that tariffs were the largest source of federal revenue from the 1790s until World War I. That's when the income tax became -- as it is now -- the principle source of funding our over-bloated bureaucracy. Through the 19th century the tariff protected American industry (and, therefore, the American worker). Since we were blessed with ample natural resources and a large labor force America could produce most everything she needed internally, making the tariff, in effect, a voluntary tax that could be avoided by spurning foreign imports. Under that American System we quickly passed the British, who practiced free trade, and became the most prosperous nation.

Now both parties in Washington are totally in the grip of free-trade ideologues who believe that we should get all our goods and services from workers in other nations (or from illegal aliens within our borders); rely on an intrusive and abusive system of direct taxation; and pay for the whole thing through personal and public indebtedness. Common sense tells us that we cannot borrow our way to prosperity. Sadly for our future, none of the leading presidential candidates in either party seems to have common sense.

Four Hymns at Mass, and Only the One by a Protestant was Unobjectionable

2012-01-28T17:31:00.004-05:00

This evening I attended the vigil Mass at the local Novus Ordo parish. As usual, the hymns were a mini lesson in what is wrong with the music in American Catholic churches.

We started with "Now We Gather" by Eugene Castillo in which the congregation congratulates itself for being saved. God does manage to make a cameo appearance -- in fact he shows up 15 times in the four verses plus refrain -- but is no match for the congregation, with the first person pronoun employed 39 times. The best that can be said of "Now We Gather" is that the tune is so unsingable that there is little risk that hymn will ever become anyone's favorite.

At the offertory we were assaulted with Dan Schutte, whose work can always be counted on to offer a memorably unpleasant musical experience. The hymn, "You Are Near," was an adaptation of the psalm Domine, probasti (Ps. 139; Ps 138 in the Vulgate, and, coincidentally, one of the Psalms at Evening Prayer today in the Book of Divine Worship) and the words, being true to the original, cannot be disparaged. As for the tune, if one can call it that, it is typical Schutte, in otherwords, the congregation has long since learnt that there is no point in even trying to actually sing this musical abortion.

The post-communion hymn, "Come, Worship the Lord," was also a paraphrase of a psalm, in this case the psalm Venite, exultemus (Ps. 95; Ps 94 in the Vulgate). Again the words, being faithful to the original cannot be objected to. As for actually singing, well, the irregular meter assured that there was no risk of congregational participation.

Thank God for Protestant clergyman Henry Van Dyke and for his 1907 hymn "Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee," which, set as is customary to the "Ode to Joy" of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, offered us one hymn that could be sung with gusto, feeling, and joy.

In 1815 We Took a Little Trip…

2012-01-05T17:57:00.003-05:00

POST-GAZETTE
Res Publica
In 1815 We Took a Little Trip…
by David Trumbull

The governor shall annually… issue a proclamation setting apart January eighth as New Orleans Day… to the end that the memory of the services of the soldiers and sailors of the war of eighteen hundred and twelve, and the lessons to be learned from the successes and failures of our arms in that war, may be perpetuated.
-- General Laws Part I Title II Chapter 6 Section 12F

For many Americans of my age the strongest association with the January 8, 1815 Battle of New Orleans is the song of the same title which, as performed by Johnny Horton, was the Grammy Award "Song of the Year" in 1960 The song was written by Jimmy Driftwood (June 20, 1907–July 12, 1998), who based the melody on a traditional American fiddle tune, "The 8th of January."

One of the great American popular songs of my youth aside, quite a lot came out of the War of 1812, sometimes called the "Second War of Independence."

The Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 to September 3, 1783) ended with the King of Great Britain acknowledging, in the Treaty of Paris, the independence that the United States had asserted on July 4, 1776. The War of 1812 ended foreign interference with Americans on the seas and also ended British support of American Indians seeking to limit westward expansion of the young nation.

The Battle of Baltimore and the defense of Fort McHenry (September 12–15, 1814) was an important American victory and the inspiration for Francis Scott Key to pen the "Star Spangle Banner," which, set to the tune "To Anacreon in Heaven," was a popular unofficial national hymn well before congress, in 1931, made it our official National Anthem.

The Treaty of Ghent, which ended the War of 1812, in its Tenth Article stated that: "Whereas the Traffic in Slaves is irreconcilable with the principles of humanity and Justice, and whereas both His Majesty and the United States are desirous of continuing their efforts to promote its entire abolition, it is hereby agreed that both the contracting parties shall use their best endeavours to accomplish so desirable an object."

The United Kingdom and the United States both, in 1807, had, by law, abolished the slave trade. The American law took effect on January 1, 1808, the earliest date possible under Article I Section 9 of the U.S. Constitution. The U.S. law called for forfeiture of property and monetary fines. Following the Treaty of Ghent, congress strengthened the law to make the importation of slaves punishable by death. Having twice fought for our liberty, Americans were more and more awakening to the evils of slavery.

If most of us remember from school anything of the Battle of New Orleans, it is that the Treaty of Ghent ending the war was signed on December 24, 1814, but the sailing ships of the day did not get the message to New Orleans for some weeks. That is why the last battle of the war was fought two weeks after the end of the war!

Finally, here's Johnny Horton performing the song on the Ed Sullivan Show, (Season 12, Episode 38, Aired June 7, 1959) enjoy!

Win, Place, and Show

2011-12-28T17:16:00.001-05:00

Post-Gazette -- Res Publica
Win, Place, and Show
by David Trumbull -- December 30, 2011

On the elevator this morning someone asked me who I thought would win in Iowa; I responded that I don't really follow sports. Friend Sharon H. responded: "If it's a race, the handicappers must be beside themselves with the best challenge that they've ever had."

"Horse race" coverage -- who's ahead in the opinion polls, who's trailing in the polls -- is how the media reporting on the Republican presidential nomination contest is disparaged. You can just hear the typical news reporting, "They're off and it's Romney in the lead. And now they're at the first turn and Newt is pulling ahead. And now they're in the straight-away and Mitt is back in the lead again followed by Ron Paul with Perry nagging in the rear."

Actually, it is a nasty slur on the racing industry, handicappers, and the wagering public to compare, to a horse race, the national press coverage of a presidential election. You'll learn a great deal more about the condition of the entries and their history on the track by reading the Daily Racing Form than you'll ever learn about any candidate in the January 3rd Iowa caucus by reading the Boston Globe or the New York Times.

I was thinking more "roller derby" than "horse race," but perhaps friend Kevin R. nailed it when he replied: "Does it matter? The Iowa caucus looks to me like a very formal game of musical chairs." Libertarian friend, Alan C., commented: "It's a real test of endurance, following a sport where it usually seems like all the contenders are losers."

My West Coast liberal friend Dave S. pointed out that "the successful presidencies of Tom Harkin and Mike Huckabee tell us all we need to know about the caucuses." And old high school buddy Carl P. reminded me that "The Iowa caucus, another legacy of Jimmy Carter."

The latest news regarding the Republican contenders is that two entries, Rick Perry and Newt Gingrich have been disqualified from the March 6th meet in Virginia for failure to satisfy rules regarding nomination signature. Virginia voters have their ballot choices limited to Mitt Romney and Ron Paul.

Rick Perry, this past Tuesday, filed suit in U.S. District Court challenging, based on First and Fourteenth Amendments to the U.S. Constitution, Virginia's requirement that nomination petition circulators be eligible to vote in Virginia. The Supreme Court in the past (in a 1999 case relating to Colorado) ruled a similar rule to be in violation of the First Amendment right of free speech. So Virginia voters may yet get another choice on the ballot.

Here in Massachusetts the certifying of candidates' nomination signatures for our March 6th election has not been completed. We'll know in a few days who will be the entries in that race. Given my person history of voting for losing candidates, I'm more interested in the opening of the live racing season at Suffolk Downs in May. At least at the track I win once in a while. And even when I lose I'm down but a few dollars, which better than I can say about the administration of the current President.

Collect for the Fourth Sunday of Advent

2011-12-18T06:54:00.000-05:00

From the Daily Offices for the Week of the Fourth Sunday of Advent (Book of Divine Worship):

We beseech thee, Almighty God, to purify our consciences by thy daily visitation, that when thy Son our Lord cometh he may find in us a mansion prepared for himself; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Occupy Pre-School

2011-12-15T11:19:00.003-05:00

Res Publica
Occupy Pre-School
by David Trumbull -- December 16, 2011

I don't know how I missed this when the City of Boston issued it at the end of October, but even now, after the "Occupy Boston" group has vacated Dewey Square, it is still interesting, not to mention, hilarious, to read what the Boston Public Health Commission, Inspectional Services, Police and Fire Departments really thought about the "occupiers."

I quote directly from "Public Health & Safety Tips from the City of Boston" published October 26th and addressed to "those at Dewey Square":"Cold weather has arrived and nighttime temperatures will soon be below freezing ... Wear several layers of loose-fitting, lightweight, warm clothing rather than one layer of heavy clothing. The outer garments should be tightly woven and water repellent. If clothing becomes wet, change into dry clothing as soon as possible. Wear mittens over gloves, layering works for you hands too. Wear a hat and cover your mouth with a scarf to protect your lungs."
Now I love to hear Button Up Your Overcoat (1928; music by Ray Henderson; words by B.G. DeSylia and Lew Brown) put over by torch singer Ruth Etting or "boop-boop-a-doop girl" Helen Kane, but, as an adult, when someone suggests that I "get out of these wet clothes" I expect him to follow with "and into a dry martini." I don't expect, at least not after age nine, to need the grown-ups of the city to remind me to wear my hat and mittens. The fact that some person or persons in authority thought it necessary to inform the occupiers that a Boston winter can be cold and damp reflects badly on the intelligence of the occupiers, or the city officials, or maybe both!

Or how about this official City of Boston admonition to Occupy Boston:"Wash your hands often with soap and water for 20 seconds, after going to the bathroom, before eating, and after coughing or sneezing."
Now that's good advice. It was when I was taught it in kindergarten and I still stand by it, as I stand by this advice from the City of Boston to the occupiers:

"Do not engage in negative behavior, such as fighting, throwing objects, or destroying property."

Shall we add, "biting," "running with scissors," "eating paste," and "stomping your feet and yelling 'Mine' until you get your way." Actually, strike that one as that is the very essence of the occupy movement.

It's good to see that the City of Boston recognized the "99%" for what they are: spoiled kids – in some cases superannuated kids--, and rather slow ones at that.

…Reserved to the States Respectively, or to the People.

2011-12-14T15:17:00.003-05:00

December 15th is Bill of Rights Day in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, set aside to memorialize the entering into force, following adoption by three-fourths of the states on December 15, 1791, of the first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution, commonly called the Bill of Rights. Incidentally, Massachusetts was not one of the ratifying states and only passed the amendments in a symbolic gesture in 1939 at the 150th anniversary of the Bill of Rights.

At the time it was proposed the concept of a Bill of Rights—not to mention the specifics of what would be in it—was controversial.

Some argued against the Constitution itself as defective due to lack of an enumeration of the rights of the People. Even as English colonists subject to the Crown they had enjoyed, or at least claimed, the traditional rights of Englishmen, including those set forth in the 1689 English Bill of Rights and earlier documents going back to Magna Carta of 1215. Surely as the free citizens of a republic they ought to enjoy such an enumeration of rights.

Others argued that the Constitution was intended to provide only for the arrangement of the national or central government of the States within the Union and that an enumeration of citizens’ rights was unnecessary as it was the People making the Constitution and, therefore the People retained all rights and powers not specifically granted the national government. Alexander Hamilton made this argument in Federalist No. 84.

The compromise, which was finally enacted, satisfied both by setting forth eight sets of specific rights of the people that the national government (and later, by incorporation under the 14th Amendment, the States) is bound to respect. Those amendments are followed by the Ninth clarifying that every American citizen has all the traditional rights of a free person whether or not specifically listed in amendments one through eight. Then the Tenth Amendments makes clear (although somehow not so clear to some of the Democrats and liberals in Washington today) that the national government has only those powers specifically granted by the People through the Constitution, with all other powers reserved to the States or to the People.

6% of Voters Pick Senator in Special Election, Republican and Green Party Voters Disenfranchised.

2011-12-14T11:55:00.003-05:00

Yesterday Massachusetts Representative William Brownsberger won the special election for Senator to replace Democrat Stephen Tolman who had vacated the seat to become president of the AFL-CIO of Massachusetts. The district, Second Suffolk and Middlesex is made up of the towns of Belmont and Watertown and parts of the cities of Cambridge and Boston.

Final official results are not yet available, but thanks to two local news outlets (the Watertown TAB and the Boston Herald) which obtained unofficial results from the election officials in the four communities we can do some preliminary analysis.

Representative (soon to be Senator) Brownsberger won with about one-third of the total votes in the four-man race. Since turnout, overall, was about 18 percent, that means that about 6 percent, a little under 5,000 of the approximately 84,000 registered voters in the district voted for the man who will be their senator. Given the history in Massachusetts, where incumbent senators almost never are defeated for re-election, it is safe to say that the man that 6% voted for yesterday will be senator for as long as he wants. Yesterday's election was a Democratic Party primary and under Massachusetts law no one can vote in a party primary if registered as a member of another party. That means yesterday's decision regarding who will represent all voters in the district was restricted to voters who were Democrats or not enrolled in any party.

Republicans were effectively disenfranchised when the Republican Party failed to run any candidate. Green Party voters, likewise, were excluded due to that party's failure to run a candidate. The final election will be in January, but, by law, Mr. Brownsberger's name is the only one permitted on the ballot.

Congratulations to Mr. Brownsberger. You won in a hotly contested race and my analysis is not intended to in any way diminish the significance of your victory.

However, an election in which 5,000 voters decide for 84,000 who will be the senator and in which several thousand registered Republican or Green Party member had, effectively, no vote, points to problems with the system here in Massachusetts.

First SHAME on the Republican Party (and the Green Party) for failing to run any candidate. Why should any voter in this district choose to register in your party when you can't be bothered to run local candidates, leaving your party members with no one to vote for in the primary and the Democratic Party nominee as the only name on the ballot in the general election.

Secondly, this is not an unusual outcome in Massachusetts. The incumbent resigns, there is a special election with multiple candidates in a one party primary resulting in a winner who got a third of the vote in a contest with 20% turnout and voters of the other parties not even having a vote. This is not new in American politics. Back in the days of the "solid South" one party Democratic states of the old confederacy also had multi-candidate Democratic primaries that too frequently yielded winners who got less than half of the vote. In some cases -- I believe Georgia is one of them -- the law was changed so that if the winner got less than 50% there was a mandated run-off election between the top two vote getters. The city of Cambridge, Massachusetts for municipal office uses a system called "single transferable preference voting" which is a mouthful of a phrase that describes a type of automatic run-off. I'm not advocating any particular reform, but, when 6% of the registered voters decide, in a special election, who will likely be the senator for the next decade or more, I think we ought to start at least talking about possible reforms.

Collects for the Ember Days

2011-12-14T08:17:00.000-05:00

Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday following St. Lucy's day (December 13th) are the traditional winter Ember Days.
I. For those to be ordained

Almighty God, the giver of all good gifts, who of thy divine providence hast appointed various orders in thy Church: Give thy grace, we humbly beseech thee, to all who are [now] called to any office and ministry for thy people; and so fill them with the truth of thy doctrine and clothe them with holiness of life, that they may faithfully serve before thee, to the glory of thy great Name and for the benefit of thy holy Church; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

II. For the choice of fit persons for the ministry

O God, who didst lead thy holy apostles to ordain ministers in every place: Grant that thy Church, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, may choose suitable persons for the ministry of Word and Sacrament, and may uphold them in their work for the extension of thy kingdom; through him who is the Shepherd and Bishop of our souls, Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

III. For all Chistians in their vocation

Almighty and everlasting God, by whose Spirit the whole body of thy faithful people is governed and sanctified: Receive our supplications and prayers, which we offer before thee for all members of thy holy Church, that in their vocation and ministry they may truly and devoutly serve thee; through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the same Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Collect for the Third Sunday of Advent

2011-12-11T13:07:00.004-05:00

Stir up thy power, O Lord, and with great might come among us; and, because we are sorely hindered by our sins, let thy bountiful grace and mercy speedily help and deliver us; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with thee and the Holy Ghost, be honor and glory, world without end. Amen. -- from the Anglican Use Roman Catholic Book of Divine Worship

Collect for the First Sunday of Advent

2011-11-27T11:20:00.001-05:00

Almighty God, give us grace that we may cast away the works of darkness, and put upon us the armor of light, now in the time of this mortal life in which thy Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge both the quick and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal; through him who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Home for the Holidays

2011-11-18T15:21:00.001-05:00

In our home—perhaps in yours too—Thanksgiving Day festivities begin with tuning the television set to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade which we half watch and half just have in the background while preparing dinner. Macy’s—at least since the 1947 motion picture Miracle on 34th Street—has come to be more than just another vendor for holiday gifts, but itself a part of America’s Thanksgiving through Christmas holiday season. Yes, for many of us the Macy parade marks the beginning of the holidays.

Nevertheless, I miss the older television practice of showing not just Macy’s but bits of several department store Thanksgiving Day Santa parades. I liked when they would switch to the J.L. Hudson’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in Detroit and the Gimbels Thanksgiving Day Parade in Philadelphia. Hudson’s Department Store in Detroit is gone, but the parade—which like the Macy’s parade started in 1924—continues as America's Thanksgiving Parade. The Gimbels parade, now called the 6abc IKEA Thanksgiving Day Parade is the oldest of America’s Thankgiving Day Santa parades, having started in 1920.

Locally, from the 1940s until 1972—and again in the early 1990s—a visit to the Enchanted Village in the Jordan Marsh department store in Downtown Crossing was how Bostonians inaugurated the Christmas shopping season. Remember how, up to just a few years ago, Jordan Marsh, and its rival Filene’s put up competing Christmas displays in their windows that faced each other on Summer Street?

I have nothing against R.H. Macy’s Department Store—I wish it a profitable Christmas selling season. If Americans choose for our Thanksgiving Day morning entertainment a televised, extended-length, open-air advertisement for that retailer, who am I to object? But more and more local shops are giving way to national brands and “big-box” retailers. Local events (such as the Enchanted Village) give way to a few huge national spectacles. Likewise, our political discussions are focused much more on what is happening in Washington, rather than Boston.

The problem with looking to the national scene rather than locally is that nationally most of us have little opportunity to be anything more than observers. Locally we have power to change things. As the Democrats and liberals in Washington consolidate more and more power in the hands of a few remote unelected bureaucrats in Washington, let’s be thankful this year that we still have locally elected representatives and senators in the General Court. Next year all 200 members of that body will be up for election. Have you thought of running? Surely no one is so happy with the current crop of state legislators that you can’t think of a few you’d like to see replaced. If you think it’s time for a change and you believe you have what it takes, change can begin with you!

November 9th, Memorial of St. Charles Borromeo

2011-11-04T07:34:00.000-04:00

"These moderns, forever prattling about culture and civilization, are undermining the Church's doctrine, laws, and practices. They are not concerned very much about culture and civilization. By using such high-sounding words they think they can conceal the wickedness of their schemes." --Pope Pius X, Encyclical on St. Charles Borromeo, May 26, 1910.

Harvard Latin Mass-Save the Date

2011-10-20T17:38:00.002-04:00

Please save the date for the two Extraordinary Form Masses of this semester from the Harvard Latin Mass Society in conjunction with the Harvard Knights of Columbus Council 14188. We would appreciate your help passing this along to anyone who may be interested.

1) Friday, October 21st 7:00pm

2) Wednesday, November 30th 6:00pm

The Masses will be held at the high altar of Saint Paul Parish in Harvard Square, Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Contact harvardlatinmass [at] gmail.com with any questions.

Constitution Day and Citizenship Day

2011-09-17T09:43:00.002-04:00

POST-GAZETTE - Res Publica
Constitution Day and Citizenship Day
by David Trumbull -- September 16, 2011

“September 17 is designated as Constitution Day and Citizenship Day [to] commemorate the formation and signing on September 17, 1787, of the Constitution and recognize all who, by coming of age or by naturalization, have become citizens.” —(36 U.S.C.106)

We are accustomed to think of the United States as a relative young nation. It was just a bit over 500 years ago that Christopher Columbus from the Republic of Genoa on the Italian peninsula discovered the New World and even less time since the planting of the thirteen colonies that would become the United States. And yet we operate under the second oldest written constitution in the world. (Quiz, what nation has the oldest written constitution still in force?)

Our Constitution is claimed to be the world’s shortest. I can believe it! Certainly it is much, much shorter than the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. But then, unlike the Massachusetts Constitution, our nation’s fundamental law has not been frequently amended. In 224 years there have been but 27 amendments adopted.

The stability of our Constitution over time is even more evident when we remember that the first ten amendments—the Bill of Rights—were ratified shortly after entry into force of the Constitution. In fact, the promise of prompt passage of such a Bill of Rights was one of the arguments the Federalists made for adopting the Constitution, so much so that those first ten amendments may be thought of as being practically part of the original text. That leaves but 17 changes made in the period 1795 to 1992—nearly 200 years, or, on average, between one and two per decade.

Addressing his fellow Americans on September 17, 1796 George Washington spoke of our national unity and pride as free Americans living under a Constitution at the time not yet a decade old, saying: “Citizens, by birth or choice, of a common country, that country has a right to concentrate your affections. The name of American, which belongs to you in your national capacity, must always exalt the just pride of patriotism...” and he expressed his desire “that the free Constitution... may be sacredly maintained; that its administration in every department may be stamped with wisdom and virtue; that, in fine, the happiness of the people of these States, under the auspices of liberty, may be made complete by so careful a preservation and so prudent a use of this blessing as will acquire to them the glory of recommending it to the applause, the affection, and adoption of every nation which is yet a stranger to it.”

On September 17th, all citizens, by birth or choice (to borrow Washington’s beautiful phrasing) are called on to commemorate the signing of our federal Constitution and the blessings of liberty under our Democratic Republic.

Quiz answer: The Republic of San Marino, an independent state on the Italian peninsula surrounded entirely by the Republic of Italy has the oldest written constitution still in force, dating to 1600.

Thursday is Felt Hat Day

2011-09-15T09:07:00.001-04:00

September 15th is Felt Hat Day the end of the season when men may wear their straw boaters and Panamas rather than the fur felt fedoras, porkpies, homburgs, and bowlers that we wear (You do wear a hat, don't you?) the rest of the year. For more information see http://www.thefedoralounge.com/. Straw hats may not be worn again until Straw Hat Day which is May 15th.

Solemn Anglican Evensong

2011-09-10T12:27:00.000-04:00

SOLEMN EVENSONG & SERMON
Sunday, September 25, 2011 at 4:00 p.m.

Chapel of Mary, Stonehill College, North Easton, Mass.

This is the joint annual service of the Congregation of St. Athanasius
A Congregation of the Pastoral Provision of Pope John Paul II for the Anglican Usage of the Roman Rite with St. Paul’s Anglican Church, Brockton, observed on the Sunday nearest the memorial of Our Lady of Walsingham. A reception will follow this service

Terrorist Plot Fails

2011-09-10T09:19:00.003-04:00

POST-GAZETTE - Res Publica
Terrorist Plot Fails
by David Trumbull -- September 9, 2011

On the morning of Tuesday, September 11, 2001, ten terrorists hijacked two airplanes (American Airlines Flight 11 and United Airlines from 175) that departed Boston with scheduled destination of Los Angeles. The intention of the hijackers – unmercifully brought to completion – was the deliberate destruction of the twin towers of the World Trade Center in lower Manhattan on a day and hour chosen to kill the maximum number of innocent civilians – men, women, and children of every race, religion and nationality.

Five terrorists hijacked the Dulles, Virginia, to Los Angeles American Airlines Flight 77 and crashed it into the Pentagon. Another four terrorists hijacked United Airlines Flight 93 from Newark to San Francisco for similar nefarious ends, but brave passengers regained control and crashed the plane near Shankville, Pennsylvania before the terrorists could reach their target in Washington, D.C.

In all, 19 hijackers and about 3,000 innocent persons were killed, four airplanes were destroyed, and there was substantial loss of property and disruption of economic activity in lower Manhattan. We must never forget or minimize the losses incurred due to the unprovoked and unjustifiable attacks on September 11, 2001. However, even weighing the losses in human life, property, and economic activity, and the inconveniences we now undergo at airport security checkpoints and other places, the conclusion – the only possible conclusion – is that the terrorist attacks failed.

The terrorists thought that such dramatic scenes as airplanes flying into buildings and some of the tallest structures in America collapsing into the earth would shake American resolve to fight. Just the opposite happened. America strengthened her resolve to fight terrorists around the world. While the terrorists may have thought they were bringing the fight to American soil, the result was U.S. invasion, and overthrow of the regimes, of Afghanistan and Iraq. In the past ten years there has been no successful major terrorist attack in America. They failed to effect any substantive change in U.S. policy toward the Near- and Middle-East. They failed to cripple us economically. They failed to unite the Muslim world in a holy war against United States.

It is said that the hijackers believed that would die martyrs to Islam and be received into Heaven (a Heaven which, if popular accounts are to be believed, sounds rather like Hugh Hefner’s “Playboy Mansion”). The notion that an all-merciful God rewards mass murders with the delights of paradise is, on its face, an absurd proposition. Yes, even as regards their expectation for personal “reward” the 9/11 terrorists failed.

God bless the U.S.A. and the free, and freedom-loving, people of America!

John Henry Newman Symposium and Evensong at Cathedral of the Holy Cross

2011-08-31T11:33:00.000-04:00

IN OCTOBER SYMPOSIUM & SOLEMN EVENSONG
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Commemoration of Blessed John Henry Newman

A symposium at 3:00 p.m. -- “Newman as preacher, educator, poet, and convert”

followed by refreshments and Evensong, Father Peter M. J. Stravinskas,
preacher.

Cathedral of the Holy Cross
1400 Washington St., Boston

Sponsored jointly by The Cathedral of the Holy Cross and The Congregation of St. Athanasius.

...increase in us true religion; nourish us with all goodness; and bring forth in us the fruit of good works...

2011-08-28T12:22:00.001-04:00

From the Daily Offices for Week of the Sunday closest to August 31 in the Book of Divine Worship -- Collect for the Week of the Sunday closest to August 31 (Proper 17):

Lord of all power and might, who art the author and giver of all good things: Graft in our hearts the love of thy Name; increase in us true religion; nourish us with all goodness; and bring forth in us the fruit of good works; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

I'm Going to Jail for Good

2011-08-01T16:57:00.005-04:00

I NEED YOUR HELP! I'm going behind bars for "GOOD"
PLEASE HELP BAIL ME OUT!

Your donation is my key to freedom! Be proud of the fact that together we're providing help and hope to kids and adults served by Muscular Dystrophy Association in our community. My lock-up date is Thursday, August 25th. The "jail" is in Morton's Steakhouse-Seaport.

To donate, go to my blog http://readywriters.blogspot.com/ where you’ll find a link to my lockup and have your credit card ready, or donate with a check to "Muscular Dystrophy Association" c/o David Trumbull, National Textile Association, 6 Beacon St., #1125, Boston, Mass. 02108.
“my lockup” which will take you directly to the MDA website where you can donate by credit card.

Boston and New England Companies Named to Made in the USA Hall of Fame

2011-07-14T17:43:00.000-04:00

Res Publica
Boston and New England Companies Named to Made in the USA Hall of Fame
by David Trumbull -- July 15, 2011

The Made in the USA Foundation has announced 22 companies that have earned a place in the Made in the USA Hall of Fame. The Foundation held an awards dinner Saturday, July 2nd in Santa Monica, California. Among the companies honored were two Boston companies:

Boston Beer Company -- Brewmeister Jim Koch comes from a long line of brewers. In the mid-1980s, Jim got his great-great grandfather's recipe from his father's attic. After only six weeks on the market it won the award for "The Best Beer in America" in the Consumer Preference Poll at the Great American Beer Festival.

New Balance –- In 1938, New Balance created its first pair of athletic shoes. Today, New Balance is now the largest shoe manufacturer in the United States, making 7 million pairs of athletic shoes a year in six factories in Maine and Massachusetts.

In addition, four other New England companies made it to the Hall of Fame:

Bevin Brothers of Easthampton, Connecticut -- The Bevin family has been crafting quality bells for 176 years. Bevin Brothers is the only remaining company manufacturing bells in the United States.

Colt -- The Colt 1911, official firearm of the U.S. Army from World War I until the Vietnam era, remains in production, virtually unchanged for 100 years. Colt is based in Connecticut.

Ethan Allen -- In 1936, Ethan Allen manufactured its first Early American style furniture in New England. Today, Ethan Allen is the largest U.S. furniture manufacturer in many styles.

Peterboro Basket -- The Peterboro Basket Company has thrived in the heart of historic Peterborough, New Hampshire making high-quality baskets since 1854.

Other Made in the USA Hall of Fame companies are:

3M makers of Scotch brand tapes, Annin Flagmakers, Bed Head Pajamas, Chateau Montelena winery, Dilettante Chocolate, Fender Musical Instruments Corporation, H.F. Coors brewery, Harley-Davidson motorcycles, Hart Schaffner & Marx suit-makers, Jack Daniel's Distillery, K'NEX maker of plastic construction toy sets, Milliken & Company textile manufacturer, Nordic Ware kitchenware products, SpaceX rocket-maker, Vitamix maker of high-quality blenders, and Whirlpool Corporation maker of home appliances.

Grant us so perfectly and without doubt to believe in Jesus Christ, our Lord and our God...

2011-07-03T07:40:00.000-04:00

Collect for Saint Thomas (July 3):

Everliving God, who didst strengthen thine apostle Thomas with sure and certain faith in thy Son’s resurrection: Grant us so perfectly and without doubt to believe in Jesus Christ, our Lord and our God, that our faith may never be found wanting in thy sight; through him who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

The Long Struggle for Independence

2011-07-01T18:03:00.003-04:00

POST-GAZETTE - Res Publica
The Long Struggle for Independence
by David Trumbull -- July 1, 2011

The American Revolutionary War began April 19, 1775, a date celebrated as a public holiday—Patriots’ Day—in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the State of Maine. The war became a fight for independence with the July 1776 adoption, by the Americans’ Continental Congress, of the Declaration of Independence.

As you celebrate American freedom this Independence Day weekend—culminating in the free concert and fireworks spectacular at the Charles River Esplanade—remember that independence did not come easily. The war took seven years, with major battles as late as 1781. When, on July 18, 1776, two weeks after the signing, the Declaration of Independence finally completed the long trek on the roads of the day from Philadelphia for the first public reading in Boston, in was not at all inevitable that we Americans should win independence from Great Britain. No one had heard of such a thing as a colony throwing off its mother country. And the idea that untrained volunteer farmer/soldiers would defeat the best professional army and navy in the world was nearly inconceivable.

Coming to aid of the American cause were the Kingdom of France, the Dutch Republic, and the Kingdom of Spain. Provisional Articles of Peace were signed at Paris on November 30, 1782. The final Treaty was signed September 3, 1783. It was ratified by Congress on January 14, 1784, and by the King of Great Britain on April 9, 1784. Ratification documents were exchanged in Paris on May 12, 1784.

The American negotiators, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and John Jay, secured, from one of the largest and most sophisticated world powers, a treaty which contained not only an unconditional acknowledgment of American independence, but also important provisions establishing the territory of the United States as stretching from Canada to Florida and from the Atlantic to the Mississippi. American commercial interests were protected by a provision for Americans to continue to fish the waters of the Atlantic off Canada.

The Revolution began with noble sentiment—We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. It ended with a legal agreement over boundaries and fishing rights. Such is the unchanging course of human events. Noble sentiments are good, even necessary, but they have to be backed up by practical texts. So, having ended the war with the Treaty of Paris in 1783, the next big step for the young nation, in 1787, was to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty—by drafting and adopting our Constitution.

Cor Iesu, flagrans amore nostri, inflamma cor nostrum amore tui.

2011-07-01T07:26:00.000-04:00

Collect for Sacred Heart of Jesus:

Father, we rejoice in the gifts of love we have received from the heart of thy Son. Open our hearts to share his life, and continue to bless us with his love. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, thy Son, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit ever one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Or this:

O God, who hast suffered the Heart of thy Son to be wounded by our sins, and in that very heart hast bestowed on us the abundant riches of thy love: grant that the devout homage of our hearts, which we render unto Him; may by thy mercy be deemed a recompense, acceptable in thy sight; through the same 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.

Saint Peter and Saint Paul (June 29)

2011-06-29T07:30:00.000-04:00

Collect for Saint Peter and Saint Paul (June 29):

Almighty God, whose blessed apostles Peter and Paul glorified thee by their martyrdom: Grant that thy Church, instructed by their teaching and example, and knit together in unity by thy Spirit, may ever stand firm upon the one foundation, which is Jesus Christ our Lord; who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the same Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Grant us so to be joined together in unity of spirit by their doctrine, that we may be made an holy temple acceptable unto thee.

2011-06-27T07:51:00.000-04:00

Collect for the Week of the Sunday closest to June 29 (Proper 8):

O Almighty God, who hast built thy Church upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone: Grant us so to be joined together in unity of spirit by their doctrine, that we may be made an holy temple acceptable unto thee; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

...grant us so to venerate the sacred mysteries of his Body and Blood, that we may ever perceive within ourselves the fruit of his redemption.

2011-06-25T20:52:00.000-04:00

Collect for Corpus Christi:

God our Father, whose Son our Lord Jesus Christ in a wonderful Sacrament hath left unto us a memorial of his passion: grant us so to venerate the sacred mysteries of his Body and Blood, that we may ever perceive within ourselves the fruit of his redemption; who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit ever one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

June 24th: Nativity of Saint John the Baptist

2011-06-23T15:56:00.002-04:00

Collect for the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist:

Almighty God, by whose providence thy servant John the Baptist was wonderfully born, and sent to prepare the way of thy Son our Savior by preaching repentance: Make us so to follow his doctrine and holy life, that we may truly repent according to his preaching; and after his example constantly speak the truth, boldly rebuke vice, and patiently suffer for the truth’s sake; through the same thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

O Lord, we beseech thee, make us have a perpetual fear and love of thy holy Name...

2011-06-20T07:10:00.001-04:00

From the Daily Offices for Week of the Sunday closest to June 22 in the Book of Divine Worship.
Collect for the Week of the Sunday closest to June 22 (Proper 7):

O Lord, we beseech thee, make us have a perpetual fear and love of thy holy Name, for thou never failest to help and govern those whom thou hast set upon the sure foundation of thy loving-kindness; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Almighty and everlasting God, who hast given unto us thy servants grace, by the confession of a true faith, to acknowledge the glory of the eternal Trinity...

2011-06-18T06:57:00.000-04:00

From the Daily Offices for Trinity Sunday in the Book of Divine Worship.

Collect for Trinity Sunday:

Almighty and everlasting God, who hast given unto us thy servants grace, by the confession of a true faith, to acknowledge the glory of the eternal Trinity, and in the power of thy Divine Majesty to worship the Unity: We beseech thee that thou wouldst keep us steadfast in this faith and worship, and bring us at last to see thee in thy one and eternal glory, O Father; who with the Son and the Holy Spirit livest and reignest, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Happy Bunker Hill Day!

2011-06-17T08:14:00.000-04:00

Bunker Hill Day—June 17—is a doubly dubious observance. First, as every Bostonian can tell you, the battle was on Breed’s Hill, not Bunker Hill. Secondly, we lost! One does not customarily celebrate one’s defeats, but in the case of Breed’s/Bunker Hill, it is understandable, for it marked the first American resistance that put in question British victory in the War. Surveying the heavy Red Coat losses British General Sir Henry Clinton said, “A few more such victories would have shortly put an end to British dominion in America.” General Clinton was paraphrasing the Greek general Pyrrhus who, according to the ancient writer Plutarch, won battles but at such high cost that he nearly ruined himself.

In Boston, America’s passion for Independence is seen, touched, heard, and smelt in our Old State House, the Old South Meeting House, in the steeple of Christ Church in the North End, and in scores of other sites along our Freedom Trail. Laugh and call them “hack holidays,” but don’t forget the individual men and women who struggled for freedom, for that is why we set aside special days of remembrance and observance.

Don't Know Much About History

2011-06-15T15:39:00.001-04:00

Songwriters Sam Cooke, Lou Adler and Herb Alpert, in their 1960 hit “Wonderful World,” pled ignorance of history and other academic topics. Today they’d find themselves joined by millions of American high schoolers.

On June 14th the U.S. Department of Education released results of the U.S. History 2010 National Assessment of Educational Progress at Grades 4, 8, and 12. The results, are not good. At 12th grade just 12% were “proficient,” representing solid academic performance. At grade 12 a student is proficient if he can “understand Missouri statehood in the context of sectionalism”—most could not.

At grade 8 the percentage at or above proficiency is 17%. For fourth graders, 20% are proficient. In other words, the longer kids stay in school the worse they do relative to how someone in their grade ought to do!

Not all of the questions are available, as many will continue to be used in tests. From among the grade 12 questions published on the Department of Education website I selected some of the more difficult to see how the pupils did.

From the list (a) Soviet Union, (b) Japan, (c) China, or (d) Vietnam, merely 22% of 12th graders correctly identified (c), China, as an ally of North Korea during the Korean War.

Just one-third of 12th graders correctly identified President George Washington’s foreign policy as “avoiding permanent alliances with other countries.” Two-thirds of the students thought Washington was an interventionist in foreign affairs.

Likewise, just one-third correctly answered that Thomas Jefferson’s election as President is sometimes called the “revolution of 1800” because it was the first “peaceful transition of power from one political party to another.” The rest thought there actually was a popular uprising in 1800, or that the Electoral College was abolished, or that it has something to do with the Louisiana Purchase.

Presented with charts showing gross domestic production increasing, unemployment declining, and wages rising during World War Two, merely 43% correctly answered that “the war caused a major increase in economic production in the United States.”

For more information on the National Assessment of Educational Progress, I suggest you go to the Department of Education website. While there you can take an online sample test and find our whether you are smarter than a 4th, 8th, or 12th grader.

100 Years of Massachusetts House Speakers

2011-06-15T13:49:00.000-04:00

by David Trumbull
May 15, 2009

“In Massachusetts the worst men get into the Legislature. Several members of that body have lately been convicted of infamous crimes. Men of indigence, ignorance and baseness, spare no pains, however dirty, to carry their point against men, who are superior to the artifices practiced.” – Elbridge Gerry at the Constitutional Convention, 1787.

Over the fifty years from January 1959 to January 2009, nine men serving in the Massachusetts House of Representatives were elevated by their peers to Speaker of the House. Of those nine politicians—every one a Democrat—four, John F. Thompson (Speaker, 1958-1964), Charles Flaherty (1991-1996), Thomas Finneran (1996-2004), and Salvatore DiMasi (2004-2009) resigned the speakership in disgrace, dogged by charges of legal or ethical lapses. One Speaker, Thomas W. McGee (1975–1984), was found so wanting even by the low standards of his fellow Democratic legislators that he was dumped from that leadership position in favor of George Keverian (1985–1991). Keverian left the post, and state politics, in 1991, after losing the Democratic party primary for Treasurer of the Commonwealth.

In the fifty years prior to that, 14 men served as Speaker, 12 Republicans and two Democrats. None, as far as I know, left office in disgrace or disfavor. About half went on, after their speakerships, to run successfully for higher office in state or national government. Among them Republican Christian Herter (Speaker 1939-1942) was later elected U.S. Representative and Massachusetts Governor and served in high positions in the Republican Administration of President Eisenhower and under Democratic Presidents Kennedy and Johnson. Thomas Phillip "Tip" O'Neill, Jr. (1949-1952) went on, after his leadership in the State House, to serve ten years as Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives.

Perversely, as the quality of the men in the office of Speaker declined, the average length of time in the office increased, from around three-and-a-half years for Speakers in the first fifty year period to around five-and-a-half years for those in the more resent fifty-year period. Of course I have my bias, but one has to notice the absence of scandal and the generally high level of personal and professional conduct of the Speakers in the period when Republicans were dominant, supplying 12 of 14 Speakers.

Summer Ember Days

2011-06-15T06:10:00.000-04:00

Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday of this week are the traditional summer Ember Days.

Collects for the Ember Days

I. For those to be ordained

Almighty God, the giver of all good gifts, who of thy divine providence hast appointed various orders in thy Church: Give thy grace, we humbly beseech thee, to all who are [now] called to any office and ministry for thy people; and so fill them with the truth of thy doctrine and clothe them with holiness of life, that they may faithfully serve before thee, to the glory of thy great Name and for the benefit of thy holy Church; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

II. For the choice of fit persons for the ministry

O God, who didst lead thy holy apostles to ordain ministers in every place: Grant that thy Church, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, may choose suitable persons for the ministry of Word and Sacrament, and may uphold them in their work for the extension of thy kingdom; through him who is the Shepherd and Bishop of our souls, Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

III. For all Chistians in their vocation

Almighty and everlasting God, by whose Spirit the whole body of thy faithful people is governed and sanctified: Receive our supplications and prayers, which we offer before thee for all members of thy holy Church, that in their vocation and ministry they may truly and devoutly serve thee; through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the same Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Res Publica: Flying the Colors

2011-06-14T13:48:00.000-04:00

Tuesday, June 14th, is Flag Day. Fly your American flag proudly. And be sure to observe these regulations: no disrespect should be shown to the flag of the United States of America; the flag should not be dipped to any person or thing. Regimental colors, State flags, and organization or institutional flags are to be dipped as a mark of honor.

(a) The flag should never be displayed with the union down, except as a signal of dire distress in instances of extreme danger to life or property.

(b) The flag should never touch anything beneath it, such as the ground, the floor, water, or merchandise.

(c) The flag should never be carried flat or horizontally, but always aloft and free.

(d) The flag should never be used as wearing apparel, bedding, or drapery. It should never be festooned, drawn back, nor up, in folds, but always allowed to fall free. Bunting of blue, white, and red, always arranged with the blue above, the white in the middle, and the red below, should be used for covering a speaker's desk, draping the front of the platform, and for decoration in general.

(e) The flag should never be fastened, displayed, used, or stored in such a manner as to permit it to be easily torn, soiled, or damaged in any way.

(f) The flag should never be used as a covering for a ceiling.

(g) The flag should never have placed upon it, nor on any part of it, nor attached to it any mark, insignia, letter, word, figure, design, picture, or drawing of any nature.

(h) The flag should never be used as a receptacle for receiving, holding, carrying, or delivering anything.

(i) The flag should never be used for advertising purposes in any manner whatsoever. It should not be embroidered on such articles as cushions or handkerchiefs and the like, printed or otherwise impressed on paper napkins or boxes or anything that is designed for temporary use and discard. Advertising signs should not be fastened to a staff or halyard from which the flag is flown.

(j) No part of the flag should ever be used as a costume or athletic uniform. However, a flag patch may be affixed to the uniform of military personnel, firemen, policemen, and members of patriotic organizations. The flag represents a living country and is itself considered a living thing. Therefore, the lapel flag pin being a replica, should be worn on the left lapel near the heart.

(k) The flag, when it is in such condition that it is no longer a fitting emblem for display, should be destroyed in a dignified way, preferably by burning.

Source: United States Code Title 4 Chapter 1 Section 6.

Washington Post Get Right Story of Maryland Episcopal Church's Decision to Embrace Catholic Faith

2011-06-14T09:56:00.000-04:00

The Washington Post, in a story that appeared in print Monday, June 13th, and which is available online here, presented a remarkably, for a liberal secular newspaper, account of the decision of St. Luke's Episcopal Church, Bladensburg, Maryland, to convert, as a congregation, to the Catholic faith. The newspaper reported that "St. Luke’s congregants see their decision as profound, a choice between fuzzy theology and clear authority." This report is in contrast to many news accounts which have portrayed Episcopalians who convert to the Catholic Church as merely disgruntled conservatives who are leaving the Episcopal Church over ordination of women and openly gay persons. Such conventional thinking is wrong, those Episcopalians who are converting to the Catholic Church do so because they have come to believe that truth of the Catholic Church's claim of authority. Certainly there are former Episcopalians who left in dispute over some change or other in the Episcopal Church, but they end up in one of the many break-away Anglican groups, not the Catholic Church.

The Post article contrasts St. Luke's embrace of the Catholic faith with those who leave the Episcopal Church as a reaction to changes in that body, saying: "The decision by St. Luke’s attracted attention partially because the entire church is converting — including its married pastor. But it also stands out because several conservative Episcopal congregations, angered by the election of an openly gay bishop, voted in recent years to leave for other wings of Anglicanism, mostly in Africa."

The story goes on to reiterate that the decision of St. Lukes is not a reaction against the Episcopal Church but a reaction to the claims of the Catholic Church, stating: "Members are onboard with key ideas such as papal supremacy..."

Mt. Calvary Episcopal Church, Baltimore, in Process of Converting to Catholic Faith

2011-06-11T18:52:00.000-04:00

On Sunday, October 24, 2010 the parishioners of Mount Calvary Church approved the following resolutions at a special parish meeting:

Resolution 1

Resolved: In accordance with Article 12 of the amendment to the Charter of Mount Calvary Church, Baltimore, adopted April 10, 1967, the Vestry of Mount Calvary Church, having determined that The Episcopal Church (formerly known as the “Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America”) has clearly, substantially, and fundamentally changed its doctrine, discipline and worship, Mount Calvary Church should become separate from and independent of The Episcopal Church.

Resolution #2

Resolved: That Mount Calvary Church, upon separation from The Episcopal Church, seek to become an Anglican Use parish of the Roman Catholic Church.

Both resolutions were passed by majorities of 85%.

Since that time Mt. Calvary has been in consultation with the Archdiocese of Baltimore on details of Anglicanorum Coetibus and with the Episcopal Diocese of Maryland over a property settlement.

For more information see the church's website www.mountcalvary.com.

Pentecost

2011-06-11T07:52:00.000-04:00

From the Daily Offices for Pentecost in the Book of Divine Worship.

Collect for Pentecost.

Almighty God, who on this day didst open the way of eternal life to every race and nation by the promised gift of thy Holy Spirit: Shed abroad this gift throughout the world by the preaching of the Gospel, that it may reach to the ends of the earth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

or this

O God, who on this day didst teach the hearts of thy faithful people by sending to them the light of thy Holy Spirit: Grant us by the same Spirit to have a right judgment in all things, and evermore to rejoice in his holy comfort; through the merits of Christ Jesus our Savior, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the same Spirit, one God, world without end. Amen.

Anglican Parish St. Mary of the Angels, Hollywood, Votes to Join Catholic Church

2011-06-08T07:34:00.000-04:00

According to information on the parish's website (www.stmaryoftheangels.org):

After much discussion, discernment, and study, the Parish of Saint Mary of the Angels [Hollywood, California] has voted to enter the Anglican Ordinariate of the United States as soon as it is formed by the Catholic Church. 81% of the voting parish membership decided in favor of joining the historic Ordinariate instituted by Pope Benedict XVI at the special parish meeting on May 1st. The Ordinariate has been formed in the United Kingdom but has yet to be officially formed in the United States.

Episcopal Parish Community in Bladensburg, Maryland to Join Catholic Church

2011-06-07T07:18:00.004-04:00

On June 6, 2011 the Roman Catholic Diocese of Washington announced that after a period of deep discernment, the rector and parishioners of St. Luke’s Episcopal parish in Bladensburg, Maryland have decided to seek entry into the Roman Catholic Church through a new structure approved by Pope Benedict XVI called an ordinariate.

According to information on the parish's website, www.stlukesparish-bladensburg.org:

It is with great joy St. Luke's announces its intention to join the Personal Ordinariate of the Roman Catholic Church. We have been discerning the leading of the Holy Spirit since the Holy Father's announcement of Anglicanorum coetibus in October of 2009. Since that time we have been in close dialogue with both the Episcopal Diocese of Washington and the Archdiocese Washington.

Over the next few months the people of St. Luke's Ordinariate Catholic Community will undergo formal preparation to become Roman Catholics. This formal preparation will take place at St. Luke's primarily on Sunday's at 9:00am, and on Thursday evenings at 7:00pm. If you are interested in joining the people of St. Luke's on this journey you are encouraged and welcomed to attend.

54 Anglican Clergy to Defect to Catholic Church in Pentecost Ordinations

2011-06-06T06:19:00.001-04:00

The first of a series of ordinations are set to take place, which will see former Anglican clergy defect from the Church of England and become Roman Catholic priests, on Saturday, according to this news article.

We beseech thee, leave us not comfortless, but send us thine Holy Ghost to comfort us, and exalt us to the same place where our Savior Christ is gone.

2011-06-04T16:30:00.000-04:00

From the Daily Offices for Week of the Seventh Sunday of Easter in the Book of Divine Worship.
Collect for the Seventh Sunday of Easter.

O God, the King of glory, who hast exalted thine only Son Jesus Christ with great triumph unto thy kingdom in heaven: We beseech thee, leave us not comfortless, but send us thine Holy Ghost to comfort us, and exalt us to the same place where our Savior Christ is gone before; who liveth and reigneth with thee and the same Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen.

A Important Letter, and Follow-up Note, from the Rev. Mr. Jürgen Liias

2011-06-03T16:07:00.006-04:00

April 21, 2011

Dear Friends,

On Saturday, April 3, we concluded our most recent series. The question we were
addressing:

IS GOD RAISING UP AN ANGLICAN USE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH AT CTR TO BE PART OF THE NEW ANGLICAN ORDINARIATE THAT POPE BENEDICT HAS ESTABLISHED?

We explored the questions: What is an Anglican use Catholic church? And what is the Ordinariate? We were instructed by Dr. Tal Howard on the ecumenical developments in the Roman Catholic Church which have led to this remarkable gesture. Fr. Sam Keyes led us in some reflections on Anglican Patrimony. We heard some personal stories of ecclesiastical journeys from Dr. Agnes Howard and from myself. Fr. Richard Bradford, an old friend, former Episcopal priest, and now Rector of St. Athanasius Anglican Use Catholic Church, with two of his parishioners, shared the story of their parish. Bishop Bill Murdoch came and addressed his support for such an ecumenical experimental project in his diocese.

Though attendance was not as substantial as in our fall series, the 10-15 participants answered the question with a solid yes and encouraged me to continue the exploration of the idea.

Recently I received some forms from the Rev. Scott Hurd, a former Episcopal priest and now a Roman Catholic who is responsible for the application process for the Anglican Ordinariate.

I would like to begin the process of application.

What I need for the next step in the journey is:

Twelve individuals who feel called to be part of this application process and to become, God willing, a founding community of an Anglican Ordinariate Catholic Church.
To meet regularly with me for prayer, catechetical instruction, and further personal and corporate discernment.
To explore the practical and logistical challenges of the application process and the starting of a new church, i.e., staff, location, worship, ministry, mission, finances, etc.

Do pray about this. If it would be helpful to discuss things further with me, do not hesitate to connect with me. If and when I have twelve folk, we will gather again and begin this newest stage in this search for God’s will. I will keep you informed as to the response.

A Blessed Pascha,

Fr. Jürgen Liias
Christ the Redeemer Anglican Church, Danvers, Massachusetts

* * *

May 11, 2011

Dear Anglican Roman Catholic Conversations friends,

In my last letter, I mentioned that I am waiting on the lord for 12 folk to come forward who would like to explore further with me the birthing of an Anglican Ordinariate church at CTR. As of today, May 11, nine folk have stepped forward. Keep praying, God willing, for his spirit to move three more!

Fr. Jürgen Liias

Mercifully give us faith to perceive that, according to his promise, he abideth with his Church on earth, even unto the end of the ages.

2011-06-02T13:59:00.003-04:00

From the Daily Offices for Ascension Day in the Book of Divine Worship.
Collect for Ascension Day.

O Almighty God, whose blessed Son our Savior Jesus Christ ascended far above all heavens that he might fill all things: Mercifully give us faith to perceive that, according to his promise, he abideth with his Church on earth, even unto the end of the ages; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.

Or this:

Grant, we beseech thee, Almighty God; that like as we do believe thy only-begotten Son our Lord, Jesus Christ to have ascended into the heavens, so we may also in heart and mind thither ascend, and with him continually dwell; who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen.

May 31st, Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

2011-05-30T16:30:00.001-04:00

Collect for the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary:

Father in heaven, by whose grace the virgin mother of thy incarnate Son was blessed in bearing him, but still more blessed in keeping thy word: Grant us who honor the exaltation of her lowliness to follow the example of her devotion to thy will; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Buy a Poppy for a Disabled Vet

2011-05-30T07:26:00.003-04:00

In Flanders fields the poppies grow
Between the crosses, row on row
That mark our place: and in the sky
The larks still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved, and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The Torch: be yours to hold it high!
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

—John McCrae (1872-1918)

Each year I see fewer and fewer men on the street wearing remembrance poppies on Memorial Day, since 1971 celebrated on the last Monday in May. One year I couldn’t even find anyone selling “Buddy Poppies,” the paper replica flowers that the Veterans of Foreign Wars sell to raise money for disabled veterans.

For more than 75 years, the VFW's Buddy Poppy program has raised millions of dollars in support of veterans’ welfare and the well being of their dependents. According to the VFW, the name “Buddy Poppy” is registered with the U.S. Patent Office. The VFW has made that trademark a guarantee that all poppies bearing that name and the VFW label are genuine products of the work of disabled and needy veterans. No other organization, firm or individual can legally use the name “Buddy” Poppy.

When you buy your Buddy Poppy to wear this Memorial Day you will be giving material aid to a disabled veteran. And when you wear your Buddy Poppy you will remind to everyone who sees you of the meaning of Memorial Day.

The American Legion also sells crepe paper poppies for Memorial Day. That is another fine organization worthy of your support.

Although the United States Department of Veterans Affairs states “The wearing of poppies in honor of America's war dead is traditionally done on Memorial Day, not Veterans Day” many of us do join our friends from the British Commonwealth nations in wearing the red poppy of remembrance on November 11th as well.

This Memorial Day remember those who gave the last full measure of devotion to cause of liberty.

Rogation Days

2011-05-30T07:22:00.000-04:00

The Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of this week are the traditional Rogation Days.

Rogation Day Collect

I. For fruitful seasons

Almighty God, Lord of heaven and earth: We humbly pray that thy gracious providence may give and preserve to our use the harvests of the land and of the seas, and may prosper all who labor to gather them, that we, who constantly receive good things from thy hand, may always give thee thanks; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

II. For Commerce and Industry

Almighty God, whose Son Jesus Christ in his earthly life shared our toil and hallowed our labor: Be present with thy people where they work; make those who carry on the industries and commerce of this land responsive to thy will; and give to us all a pride in what we do, and a just return for our labor; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

III. For stewardship of creation

O merciful Creator, thy hand is open wide to satisfy the needs of every living creature: Make us, we beseech thee, ever thankful for thy loving providence; and grant that we, remembering the account that we must one day give, may be faithful stewards of thy good gifts; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with thee and the Holy Spirit liveth and reigneth, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Pour into our hearts such love towards thee, that we, loving thee in all things and above all things, may obtain thy promises...

2011-05-29T06:40:00.003-04:00

From the Daily Offices for Week of the Sixth Sunday of Easter in the Book of Divine Worship.
Collect for the Sixth Sunday of Easter.

O God, who hast prepared for those who love thee such good things as pass man's understanding: Pour into our hearts such love towards thee, that we, loving thee in all things and above all things, may obtain thy promises, which exceed all that we can desire; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Note, the Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of this week are the traditional Rogation Days.

We thank you for thy servant Augustine, whom you called to preach the Gospel to the people of England...

2011-05-27T07:53:00.005-04:00

Collect for the Memorial of Saint Augustine of Canterbury (May 27).

Almighty and everlasting God, we thank thee for thy servant Augustine, whom thou didst call to preach the Gospel to the people of England. Raise up, we beseech thee, in this and every land evangelists and heralds of thy kingdom, that thy Church may proclaim the unsearchable riches of our Savior Jesus Christ; who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen

O Almighty God, whom truly to know is everlasting life...

2011-05-21T16:30:00.002-04:00

From the Daily Offices for Week of the Fifth Sunday of Easter in the Book of Divine Worship.Collect for the Fifth Sunday of Easter.

O Almighty God, whom truly to know is everlasting life: Grant us so perfectly to know thy Son Jesus Christ to be the way, the truth, and the life, that we may steadfastly follow his steps in the way that leadeth to eternal life; through the same thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Grant that when we hear his voice we may know him who calleth us each by name, and follow where he doth lead.

2011-05-14T16:30:00.000-04:00

From the Daily Offices for Week of the Fourth Sunday of Easter in the Book of Divine Worship.
Collect for the Fourth Sunday of Easter:

O God, whose Son Jesus is the good shepherd of thy people;
Grant that when we hear his voice we may know him who calleth us each by name, and follow where he doth lead; who, with thee and the Holy Spirit, liveth and reigneth, one God, for ever and ever. Amen

Sunday is Straw Hat Day

2011-05-14T15:30:00.002-04:00

May 15th is Straw Hat Day the beginning of the season when men may wear their straw boaters and Panamas rather than the fur felt fedoras, porkpies, homburgs, and bowlers that we wear (You do wear a hat, don't you?) the rest of the year. For more information see http://www.thefedoralounge.com. Straw hats may be worn until Felt Hat Day which is September 15th.

Prayer to St. Joseph for Help in Selling a House

2011-05-14T05:34:00.004-04:00

Remember, most pure spouse of the Virgin Mary, Saint Joseph, our beloved patron, never was it known that anyone invoked your protection and sought you aid without being comforted. Inspired with this confidence, I come to you and commend myself to you. Do not despise my petition for your help in selling this house, Dear foster father of our redeemer, but accept it graciously and pray for me to your adopted Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ.

Grant that thy Church, being delivered from false apostles, may always be ordered and guided by faithful and true pastors.

2011-05-13T16:30:00.000-04:00

Collect for the Feast of Saint Matthias (May 14).

O Almighty God, who in the place of Judas didst chose thy faithful servant Matthias to of the number of the Twelve: Grant that thy Church, being delivered from false apostles, may always be ordered and guided by faithful and true pastors; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Open, we pray thee, the eyes of our faith, that we may behold him in all his redeeming work...

2011-05-07T16:30:00.003-04:00

From the Daily Offices for Week of the Third Sunday of Easter in the Book of Divine Worship.

Collect for the Third Sunday of Easter:

O God, whose blessed Son did manifest himself to his disciples in the breaking of bread: Open, we pray thee, the eyes of our faith, that we may behold him in all his redeeming work; through the same thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Grant that we, being mindful of their victory of faith, may glorify in life and death the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ

2011-05-02T16:30:00.004-04:00

Collect for the Feast of Saint Philip and Saint James (May 3).

Almighty God, who didst give to thine apostles Philip and James grace and strength to bear witness to the truth: Grant that we, being mindful of their victory of faith, may glorify in life and death the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ; who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

St. Athanasius Day Anglican Use Celebration in Boston

2011-05-01T16:30:00.005-04:00

Congregation of St. Athanasius
Archdiocese of Boston — Anglican Use
All services will be at St. Lawrence Church, 774 Boylston St. (Rt 9), Chestnut Hill, Mass.

Monday, May 2, Saint Athanasius Day, sung Mass at 7.30 p.m.

Bishop of Alexandria; Confessor and Doctor of the Church; born c. 296; died 2 May, 373. Athanasius was the greatest champion of Catholic belief on the subject of the Incarnation that the Church has ever known and in his lifetime earned the characteristic title of "Father of Orthodoxy", by which he has been distinguished every since. -- Clifford, Cornelius. "St. Athanasius." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 2. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1907. 1 May 2011 .

...that all who have been reborn into the fellowship of Christ's Body may show forth in their lives what they profess by their faith...

2011-04-30T16:30:00.004-04:00

From the Daily Offices for Week of the Second Sunday of Easter in the Book of Divine Worship.
Collect for the Second Sunday in Easter.

Almighty and everlasting God, who in the Paschal mystery hast established the new covenant of reconciliation: Grant that all who have been reborn into the fellowship of Christ's Body may show forth in their lives what they profess by their faith; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Calendar for This Week

Sunday, May 1. St. Joseph the Worker.

Monday, May 2. Athanasius, Bishop and Doctor [Memorial].

Tuesday, May 3. Use MP and EP for Sts. Philip and James, Apostles [Feast].

Wednesday, May 4.

Friday, May 5.

Saturday, May 6.

...as by his death he hath recalled us to life, so by his love he may raise us to joys eternal...

2011-04-29T16:30:00.000-04:00

From the Daily Offices for Easter Week in the Book of Divine Worship.

Collect for Saturday in Easter Week.

We thank thee, heavenly Father, for that thou hast delivered us from the dominion of sin and death and hast brought us into the kingdom of thy Son; and we pray that, as by his death he hath recalled us to life, so by his love he may raise us to joys eternal; who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Give us so to put away the leaven of malice and wickedness...

2011-04-28T16:30:00.000-04:00

From the Daily Offices for Easter Week in the Book of Divine Worship.

Collect for Friday in Easter Week.

Almighty Father, who hast given thy only Son to die for our sins and to rise again for our justification: Give us so to put away the leaven of malice and wickedness, that we may always serve thee in pureness of living and truth; through the same Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

The New Covenant of Reconciliation

2011-04-27T16:30:00.002-04:00

From the Daily Offices for Easter Week in the Book of Divine Worship.

Collect for Thursday in Easter Week.

Almighty and everlasting God, who in the Paschal mystery hast established the new covenant of reconciliation: Grant that all who have been reborn into the fellowship of Christ's Body may show forth in their lives what they profess by their faith; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

O God, whose blessed Son did manifest himself to his disciples in the breaking of bread...

2011-04-26T16:30:00.000-04:00

From the Daily Offices for Easter Week in the Book of Divine Worship.

Collect for Wednesday in Easter Week.

O God, whose blessed Son did manifest himself to his disciples in the breaking of bread: Open, we pray thee, the eyes of our faith, that we may behold him in all his redeeming work; through the same thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Grant that we, who have been raised with him, may abide in his presence and rejoice in the hope of eternal glory...

2011-04-25T16:30:00.000-04:00

From the Daily Offices for Easter Week in the Book of Divine Worship.

Collect for Tuesday in Easter Week.

O God, who by the glorious resurrection of thy Son Jesus Christ destroyed death and brought life and immortality to light: Grant that we, who have been raised with him, may abide in his presence and rejoice in the hope of eternal glory; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with thee and the Holy Spirit, be dominion and praise for ever and ever. Amen.

...we who celebrate with reverence the Paschal feast...

2011-04-24T16:30:00.007-04:00

From the Daily Offices for Easter Week in the Book of Divine Worship.

Collect for Easter Monday.

Grant, we beseech thee, Almighty God, that we who celebrate with reverence the Paschal feast may be found worthy to attain to everlasting joys; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Pascha nostrum

Alleluia. Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us;*
therefore let us keep the feast,

Not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness,*
but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. Alleluia.

Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more;*
death hath no more dominion over him.

For in that he died, he died unto sin once;*
but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.

Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin,*
but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Alleluia.

Christ is risen from the dead,*
and become the first fruits of them that slept.

For since by man came death,*
by man came also the resurrection of the dead.

For as in Adam all die,*
even so in Christ shall all be made alive. Alleluia.

Welcome, Happy Morning...

2011-04-24T07:00:00.003-04:00

Words: Salve, festa dies, Venantius Fortunatus (circa 590); tr. John Ellerton (1826-1893)
Music: fortunatus, by Arthur Sullivan (1842-1900)

1. Welcome, happy morning!” age to age shall say:
“Hell today is vanquished, Heav’n is won today!”
Lo! the dead is living, God forevermore!
Him, their true Creator, all His works adore!

Refrain: “Welcome, happy morning!”
Age to age shall say.

2. Earth her joy confesses, clothing her for spring,
All fresh gifts returned with her returning King:
Bloom in every meadow, leaves on every bough,
Speak His sorrow ended, hail His triumph now.

Refrain

3. Months in due succession, days of lengthening light,
Hours and passing moments praise Thee in their flight.
Brightness of the morning, sky and fields and sea,
Vanquisher of darkness, bring their praise to Thee.

Refrain

4. Maker and Redeemer, life and health of all,
Thou from heaven beholding human nature’s fall,
Of the Father’s Godhead true and only Son,
Mankind to deliver, manhood didst put on.

Refrain

5. Thou, of life the Author, death didst undergo,
Tread the path of darkness, saving strength to show;
Come, then True and Faithful, now fulfill Thy Word;
’Tis Thine own third morning; rise, O buried Lord!

Refrain

6. Loose the souls long prisoned, bound with Satan’s chain;
All that now is fallen raise to life again;
Show Thy face in brightness, bid the nations see;
Bring again our daylight: day returns with Thee!

Refrain

Alleluia, Christ is Risen. He is Risen Indeed, Alleluia.

2011-04-23T16:30:00.001-04:00

From the Daily Offices for Easter Sunday in the Book of Divine Worship.

Collects for Easter Sunday.

O God, who for our redemption didst give thine only-begotten Son to the death of the cross, and by his glorious resurrection hast delivered us from the power of our enemy: Grant us so to die daily to sin, that we may evermore live with him in the joy of his resurrection; through Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

or this

Almighty God, who through thine only-begotten Son Jesus Christ overcame death and opened unto us the gate of everlasting life: Grant that we, who celebrate with joy the day of the Lord's resurrection, may be raised from the death of sin by thy life-giving Spirit; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the same Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

...as the crucified body of thy dear Son was laid in the tomb and rested on this holy Sabbath, so we may await with him the coming of the third day...

2011-04-22T16:30:00.003-04:00

From the Daily Offices for Holy Saturday in the Book of Divine Worship.

Collect for Holy Saturday.

O God, Creator of heaven and earth: Grant that, as the crucified body of thy dear Son was laid in the tomb and rested on this holy Sabbath, so we may await with him the coming of the third day, and rise with him to newness of life; who now liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

...we beseech thee graciously to behold this thy family...

2011-04-21T16:30:00.001-04:00

From the Daily Offices for Good Friday in the Book of Divine Worship.

Collect for Good Friday.

Almighty God, we beseech thee graciously to behold this thy family, for whom our Lord Jesus Christ was willing to be betrayed, and given into the hands of sinners, and to suffer death upon the cross; who now liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Grant us so to venerate the sacred mysteries of his Body and Blood, that we may ever perceive within ourselves the fruit of his redemption...

2011-04-20T16:30:00.000-04:00

From the Daily Offices for Maundy Thursday in the Book of Divine Worship.
Collect for Maundy Thursday.

God our Father, whose Son our Lord Jesus Christ in a wonderful Sacrament hath left unto us a memorial of his passion: Grant us so to venerate the sacred mysteries of his Body and Blood, that we may ever perceive within ourselves the fruit of his redemption; who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Magnificat

2011-04-19T19:55:00.000-04:00

Magnificat's online Holy Week edition is free.

...Give us grace to take joyfully the sufferings of the present time...

2011-04-19T16:30:00.001-04:00

From the Daily Offices for Holy Week in the Book of Divine Worship.
Collect for the Wednesday of Holy Week.

O Lord God, whose blessed Son our Savior gave his back to the smiters and hid not his face from shame: Give us grace to take joyfully the sufferings of the present time, in full assurance of the glory that shall be revealed; through the same Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

...Grant us so to glory in the cross of Christ, that we may gladly suffer shame and loss for the sake of thy Son...

2011-04-18T16:30:00.000-04:00

From the Daily Offices for Holy Week in the Book of Divine Worship.
Collect for the Tuesday of Holy Week.

O God, who by the passion of thy blessed Son didst make an instrument of shameful death to be unto us the means of life: Grant us so to glory in the cross of Christ, that we may gladly suffer shame and loss for the sake of thy Son our Savior Jesus Christ; who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

...went not up to joy but first he suffered pain, and entered not into glory before he was crucified...

2011-04-18T14:06:00.003-04:00

From the Daily Offices for Holy Week in the Book of Divine Worship.
Collect for the Monday of Holy Week.

Almighty God, whose most dear Son went not up to joy but first he suffered pain, and entered not into glory before he was crucified: Mercifully grant that we, walking in the way of the cross, may find it none other than the way of life and peace; through Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Mercifully grant that we may both follow the example of his patience, and also be made partakers of his resurrection...

2011-04-17T11:40:00.005-04:00

From the Daily Offices for Palm Sunday in the Book of Divine Worship.
Collect for Palm Sunday.

Almighty and everliving God, who, of thy tender love towards mankind, hast sent thy Son our Savior Jesus Christ to take upon him our flesh, and to suffer death upon the cross, that all mankind should follow the example of his great humility: Mercifully grant that we may both follow the example of his patience, and also be made partakers of his resurrection; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Holy Week Extraordinary Form at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross

2011-04-15T15:51:00.001-04:00

Palm Sunday
Blessing of Palms and Procession, 10:45 a.m.
Mass with Passion reading, 11:00 a.m.
Celebrant, Fr David Taurasi

Spy Wednesday Tenebrae (April 20), 7:00 p.m.
Full Gregorian Office of Tenebrae,
Schola Amicorum

Holy Thursday with Mandatum (April 21), 7:30 p.m.
Mandatum, or washing of the men's feet
Stripping of the Altar and procession to Altar of Repose
Celebrant, Fr David Taurasi

Good Friday Mass of the Presanctified (April 22) 7:30 p.m.
Celebrant, Fr Thomas Buckley
Reproaches, Adoration of the Cross,

Easter 11:00 a.m.
High Mass, Chant and Polyphony,
Celebrant, Fr David Taurasi

All take place in the Lower Church, Our Lady's chapel
75 Union Park, Boston's South End
Lots of Parking in the Cathedral lot, along Malden Street, south of Harrison (across street from rectory)

...that so, among the sundry and manifold changes of the world, our hearts may surely there be fixed where true joys are to be found...

2011-04-10T09:09:00.002-04:00

From the Daily Offices for the Week of the Fifth Sunday in Lent in the Book of Divine Worship.
Collect for the Fifth Sunday in Lent.

O Almighty God, who alone canst order the unruly wills and affections of sinful men: Grant unto thy people that they may love the thing which thou commandest, and desire that which thou dost promise; that so, among the sundry and manifold changes of the world, our hearts may surely there be fixed where true joys are to be found; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Holy Week at Congregation of St. Athanasius, Archdiocese of Boston — Anglican Use

2011-04-04T11:00:00.004-04:00

Congregation of St. Athanasius
Archdiocese of Boston — Anglican Use
All services will be at St. Lawrence Church, 774 Boylston St. (Rt 9), Chestnut Hill, Mass.
HOLY WEEK 2011

Palm Sunday, April 17th

11:30 a.m. Blessing & Distribution of Palms
Solemn Procession – The Reading of the Passion
Solemn Mass & Sermon

Maundy Thursday, April 21st COMMEMORATION OF THE LAST SUPPER

7:30p.m. Solemn Mass & Sermon
Watch at Altar of Repose
until 10:00 p.m.

Good Friday, April 22nd THE GOOD FRIDAY LITURGY

3:00 p.m. The Reading of the Passion – The Solemn Collects
Veneration of the Cross
Mass of the Pre-Sanctified

Holy Saturday, April 23rd

9:00 a.m. The Altar Service

10:45–11:30 a.m. Confessions (priests of Opus Dei)

8:30 p.m. THE GREAT EASTER VIGIL
Blessing of the Paschal Candle – The Prophecies
Renewal of Baptismal Vows
Solemn Mass & Sermon

Easter Day, April 24th

11:30 a.m. Solemn Procession
Solemn Mass & Sermon

Evermore give us this bread, that he may live in us, and we in him...

2011-04-03T16:01:00.004-04:00

From the Daily Offices for the Week of the Fourth Sunday in Lent in the Book of Divine Worship.
Collect for the Fourth Sunday in Lent.

Gracious Father, whose blessed Son Jesus Christ came down from heaven to be the true bread which giveth life to the world: Evermore give us this bread, that he may live in us, and we in him; who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Keep us both outwardly in our bodies and inwardly in our souls...

2011-03-27T08:34:00.002-04:00

From the Daily Offices for the Week of the Third Sunday in Lent in the Book of Divine Worship.

Collect for the Third Sunday in Lent

Almighty God, who seest that we have no power of ourselves to help ourselves: Keep us both outwardly in our bodies and inwardly in our souls, that we may be defended from all adversities which may happen to the body, and from all evil thoughts which may assault and hurt the soul; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Zito H Ellada!

2011-03-25T12:37:00.002-04:00

On March 25th 1821 Bishop Germanos of Patras raised the flag of revolution at the monastery of Agia Lavra near Kalavrita and the battle cry of "Freedom or Death" becomes the motto of the revolution. The date was auspicious as it is the Annunciation of the Theotokos, the day that the Archangel Gabriel announced to the Blessed Virgin Mary that she would bear a child.

...changed into his likeless from glory to glory...

2011-03-20T10:10:00.004-04:00

From the Daily Offices for the Week of the Second Sunday in Lent in the Book of Divine Worship.

Collect for the Second Sunday in Lent

O God, who before the passion of thy only-begotten Son didst reveal his glory upon the holy mount: Grant unto us that we, beholding by faith the light of his countenance, may be strengthened to bear our cross, and be changed into his likeless from glory to glory; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

"...as thou knowest their several infirmities, let each one find thee mighty to save.."

2011-03-13T18:02:00.004-04:00

From the Daily Offices for the Week of the First Sunday in Lent in the Book of Divine Worship.

Collect for the First Sunday in Lent.

Almighty God, whose blessed Son was led by the Spirit to be tempted by Satan; Make speed to help thy servants who are assaulted by manifold temptations; and, as thou knowest their several infirmities, let each one find thee mighty to save; through Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday of this week are the traditional spring Ember Days on which one or more of these collects are read at Morning Prayer and Evening Prayer:

I. For those to be ordained.

Almighty God, the giver of all good gifts, who of thy divine providence hast appointed various orders in thy Church: Give thy grace, we humbly beseech thee, to all who are [now] called to any office and ministry for thy people; and so fill them with the truth of thy doctrine and clothe them with holiness of life, that they may faithfully serve before thee, to the glory of thy great Name and for the benefit of thy holy Church; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

II. For the choice of fit persons for the ministry.

O God, who didst lead thy holy apostles to ordain ministers in every place: Grant that thy Church, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, may choose suitable persons for the ministry of Word and Sacrament, and may uphold them in their work for the extension of thy kingdom; through him who is the Shepherd and Bishop of our souls, Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

III. For all Chistians in their vocation.

Almighty and everlasting God, by whose Spirit the whole body of thy faithful people is governed and sanctified: Receive our supplications and prayers, which we offer before thee for all members of thy holy Church, that in their vocation and ministry they may truly and devoutly serve thee; through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the same Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Collect for Ash Wednesday

2011-03-09T06:54:00.002-05:00

Almighty and everlasting God, who hatest nothing that thou hast made and dost forgive the sins of all those who are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we, worthily lamenting our sins and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Here Let Us Stop

2011-02-22T08:16:00.002-05:00

POST-GAZETTE - Res Publica
Here Let Us Stop
by David Trumbull -- February 22, 2008

“The great rule of conduct for us in regard to foreign nations is in extending our commercial relations, to have with them as little political connection as possible. So far as we have already formed engagements, let them be fulfilled with perfect good faith. Here let us stop.”
—George Washington’s Farewell Address, 1796

Poor George, both revered and kicked around by us. He was born February 11th but when he was 20 Britain and her colonies finally caught up with Catholic Europe by switching to the Gregorian Calendar, moving his birthday to the 22nd of the month. Then, starting in 1971, the Uniform Monday Holiday Act of 1968 moved the official celebration of his birth to the third Monday in February. In popular parlance we slight our first President by neglecting the legal name of the holiday, WASHINGTON’S BIRTHDAY and refer to it as a generic “Presidents’ Day”.

We likewise neglect Washington’s sage warning against entangling foreign alliances. Even in our commercial relations our leaders, not content merely to trade with the rest of the world, have entered into binding agreements restricting our ability to control our own commerce, to encourage domestic manufacturing, or even to protect our citizens from unsafe products. Our legal obligations to the World Trade Organization and our bilateral and multilateral trade agreements entangle us in a network of supra-national laws that can, effectively, overturn the actions of our elected Congress and President.

Imports of unsafe toys were, briefly leading up to Christmas 2007, a big news story. After years of shopping only for price, Americas woke up to find that an estimated 75 percent of all toys on the market were the products of one nation—China—which had been exposed as tolerating a manufacturing industry criminally unconcerned with the safety of her consumers half-way ‘round the globe. Worse, Americans found they had few options. Decades of failed public policy had driven much light manufacturing from our States where we could have monitored working conditions and inputs. Binding WTO obligations prohibited the U.S. taking any effective prompt and broad action to restrict imports from a known offender.

That leaves The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, a relatively small federal bureaucracy, in charge of protecting the public from unreasonable risks of serious injury or death from more than 15,000 types of consumer products under the agency's jurisdiction. Daily the CPSC issues new notice of recall of some product or other than is a risk for explosion, fire, strangulation, lead poisoning or other threat to human health, safety or even life.

In my industry, textiles, has issued hundreds of notices of recall of dangerous—, potentially fatally so—consumer products. It will be no surprise to anyone who has followed the news that all three involved imported—Chinese and Korean—products. On our industry association blog, http://nationaltextile.blogspot.com/ I have started posting, as a public service, links to CPSC recalled of textile and apparel products. The safe consumer is the informed consumer—Caveat emptor.

This is Washington’s Birthday and I Can’t Tell a Lie

2011-02-21T13:08:00.004-05:00

Today is WASHINGTON’S BIRTHDAY, a federal and state holiday to honor the hero of the Revolutionary War, the Father of His Country, and the first President of the United States. Of the 43 men to serve as chief executive of the Union, only Washington is so singled out for honor with a federal holiday.

That many persons now call the third Monday in February “Presidents Day” is an indicator of our lack of discrimination and devaluing of true accomplishment and fame. To put it in perspective, Catholics believe that each of the 265 popes was the Vicar of Christ on Earth, infallible in matters of faith and morals, and yet fewer than 80 have been added to the calendar of Saints (and no less erudite writer than Dante placed some of the popes in Hell), but common American usage honors equally the great Washington and the least noble and least accomplished of men to hold the office by jumbling them all together on “Presidents Day,” the equivalent of declaring each a “secular saint.”

Slighting of Washington by calling his birthday “Presidents Day” also errs by neglecting the 29th of May, which by state law (Mass. Gen. Laws Chap. 6 Section 15VV) is our PRESIDENTS DAY, in memory of John Adams, John Quincy Adams, Calvin Coolidge and John Fitzgerald Kennedy, former presidents from the Commonwealth

Virginia, home of eight presidents, including Washington, beats us out in total number. But here in the Bay State we have something the Old Dominion lacks. We have in our midst the Washington Library—About 800 books and pamphlets from George Washington’s personal library at Mount Vernon given to the Boston Athenæum by a group of Bostonians in 1848. The books themselves are priceless and only serious scholars need apply for permission to use the collection. However, in 1997 the library published a catalog so the rest of us can see what sort of books the great man was reading.

Books on history and government from Washington’s library include his personal copy of Common Sense, the tract by Thomas Paine that was so influential in promoting the revolutionary spirit. The General, of course, had several books on military science. Remembering that Mount Vernon was a working farm, we are not surprised to find books on agriculture and practice arts such as carpentry and horsemanship. President Washington’s mind ranged beyond those necessary topics, for we also find books on religion, linguistics, and poetry.

I could lump Washington in the same group with some of the lesser men who occupied the White House—but that would be a lie.

Getting It Off Your Chest

2011-02-18T10:26:00.002-05:00

POST-GAZETTE - Res Publica
Getting It Off Your Chest
by David Trumbull -- February 18, 2011

It is said that Ronald Reagan always put on his suit-coat and would never step foot in the Oval Office of the White House in his shirtsleeves, such was his respect for the office of the Presidency of the United States.

In 1840 much of the city of Washington was shocked by the installation, in the Capitol Rotunda, of a sculpture of George Washington, bare to the waist in the manner of a classical Greek statue of Zeus, by Boston artist Horatio Greenough (1805-1852).

“The man does not live, and never did live, who saw Washington without his shirt!” said Virginia Congressman Henry A. Wise (1806-1876). And Boston’s leading architect, Charles Bulfinch (1763-1844), said the work of art made the Father of Our Country look like he was “entering or leaving a bath.” The outcry was such that the statue was moved outdoors and neglected for several years. It is now in the Smithsonian National Museum of American History.

Earlier this month New York Congressman Christopher Lee resigned after press reports that the married man had posted a shirtless photo of himself in response to a personal advertisement on craigslist. Meanwhile, freshman Tennessee Congresswoman Julia Hurley credits her previous job at Hooters restaurant for her success. Well, I guess they both just wanted to put the “party” back in Republican Party. As the ancient Roman statesman M.T. Cicero said “O tempora o mores,” which translates roughly to “where are we going and what are we doing in this hand-basket?” As always, be sure to turn to the pages of the Post-Gazette to stay abreast of the news.

[David Trumbull is the chairman of the Boston Ward Three Republican Committee. Boston's Ward Three includes the North End, West End, part of Beacon Hill, downtown, waterfront, Chinatown, and part of the South End.]

Collect for the Second Sunday after Christmas Day

2011-01-02T09:41:00.000-05:00

O God, who didst wonderfully create, and yet more wonderfully restore, the dignity of human nature: Grant that we may share the divine life of him who humbled himself to share our humanity, thy Son Jesus Christ; who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

The 2nd Sunday after Christmas is the Sunday, if any, from January 2nd to January 5th. This liturgical day is observed fully when Christmas falls on a Thursday, Friday, or Saturday. When Christmas Day falls on a Wednesday, Second Sunday after Christmas Day is observed as regards the day-time hours, with Eve of Mary, Mother of God, having precedence in the evening. When Christmas falls on a Sunday, Monday, or Tuesday, there is no Second Sunday after Christmas Day.

Collect for the Fourth Sunday of Advent

2010-12-19T07:35:00.001-05:00

We beseech thee, Almighty God, to purify our consciences by thy daily visitation, that when thy Son our Lord cometh he may find in us a mansion prepared for himself; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

www.bookofhours.org/advent4/

Latin Mass for Immaculate Conception at Cathedral of Holy Cross

2010-12-08T09:53:00.002-05:00

Title: Immaculate Conception, Fr John Rizzo

Date: Wednesday December 8, 2010

Time: 7:30 pm - 8:45 pm

Location: Cathedral of the Holy Cross, Boston

Street: 75 Union Park Street

City State Zip: Boston, MA, 02119 Map

Notes: Upper (main) Church, Fr John Rizzo, FSSP Celebrates Traditional Latin Mass for the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception (day of obligation) Chant and Polyphony.

Handicap accessible, plenty of Parking in Cathedral parking lot south of Harrison, all along Malden Street

Collect for the Second Sunday of Advent

2010-12-05T06:59:00.002-05:00

Merciful God, who didst send thy messengers the prophets to preach repentance and prepare the way for our salvation: Give us grace to heed their warnings and forsake our sins, that we may greet with joy the coming of Jesus Christ our Redeemer; who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Collect for the First Sunday of Advent

2010-11-28T16:37:00.002-05:00