Happy Easter!

Χριστός ἀνέστη!
 Ἀληθῶς ἀνέστη!
 

Christos anesti!
Alithos anesti!
 This Johnny Cash song seemed appropriate.

May God bless all who read my ramblings,

Adopt A Catholic Blog

Maundy Thursday

One year I was actually invited by the priest to one of the twelve whose feet he would wash.
About a day or two before Maundy Thursday the light bulb came on and I talked one of my roommates into helping me.
The Mass was in the afternoon so that morning I had talked my roommate into writing on my feet. I happened to have a permanent black marker handy (It took several days to get the writing off).
So that afternoon, I went up to a chair set in front of the altar and removed my shoes and socks. Father Len true to form, shook his head and rambled on ("I see who's playing Judas today." "I wish I had some steel wool.") while he was the feet of the woman in the chair opposite mine.
In hindsight, it was immature. Mass is not the place for jokes and silliness, but I still laugh about it anyways. I can't undo it anyways.

May God bless all who read my ramblings,

Adopt A Catholic Blog

Calming of the storms

The other day I was reading an abbreviated version of the story of Jonah to Princess. As I was reading, I noticed for the first time that Jonah was asleep as the storm raged. I've read the story before and I'm sure that I read that part before, but it stuck out to me this time because I thought about Jesus sleeping in Peter's barque as the storm raged on the Sea of Galilee.

I was struck by how much Jonah on the boat as the storm raged was the opposite of Jesus in the boat as the storm raged. Both were fast asleep during the storm. Jesus calmed it, but in Jonah's case it calmed when he was thrown overboard. Jonah was running away from his calling among gentiles. Jesus as man as well as God was fulfilling God's will to preach to people on the other shore and traveled among Jews.

Also, Jesus spoke of the sign of Jonah. I get the three days in the whale as three days in the tomb. Does the casting of lots and choosing Jonah to throw overboard correspond with the Jews choosing Jesus for crucifixion over Barabbas?

Peter's barque is a metaphor of the Church so what does that make the boat Jonah was on?

Thoughts?

May God bless all who read my ramblings,

Adopt A Catholic Blog

  a previous post on Jonah

Noah and the Great Big Gopher Boat

A friend of mine played Japheth in a play called Noah and the Great. To support him I went Friday to the Kroc Center to see it with a friend.
There was a little bit of hokiness and the train horn cutting in was distracting, but it was a great time and was very enjoyable. There was a great emphasis on the faithfulness of God. There was also a good bit of it that dealt with the faith of Noah and his family and the virtue of obedience to the Will of God despite whether we understand.
There was also a cover song of "Cry me a river".
I noticed at the end that as the waters receded, Shem presented his wife (forget her name) with a white garment. I'm not sure whether I'm over-thinking it or if that was meant as a subtle allusion to the story as a prefiguring of baptism.
I'd recommend you see it but last night was the last showing of that play.
I'm told however that there will soon be another play based on Jacob and Esau.

May God bless all who read my ramblings,

Adopt A Catholic Blog

Lazarus Saturday

Lazarus Saturday is one my favorite things about the Byzantine Rite. I think its the chants:



May God bless all who read my ramblings,

Adopt A Catholic Blog

7 Quick Takes

1. I saw that the Ecumenical Patriarch attended the Papal Installation Mass.
2. I also saw that Patriarch Kirill of the Russian Orthodox Church stayed at home and still is demanding that the Catholic Church return the churches that the ROC took from us in collusion with Soviet authorities.
3. I also read that the Gospel was read in Greek.
4. I am getting excited for Spring Break. Mine and my daughter's coincide this year and we're going to spend most of that time together.
5. I'm going to see a play tonight called "Noah and the Gopher Boat". My friend is playing Japheth and I talked another friend into going to see it with me. I'll post sometime this weekend on the play.
6. Its hard to believe that Lazarus Saturday is already tomorrow and then of course Palm Sunday the next day. Easter is almost here!

7. Can you tell that I ran out of things to say?  In closing here is some nerd humor.

May God bless all who read my ramblings,

Adopt A Catholic Blog

Wednesday Humor

A little bit of humor to brighten your hump day.

Apparently this sign is on the way to Mount Tabor Monastery (UGCC) near Redwood, CA.

hat tip to If there were Witchcraft

May God bless all who read my ramblings,

Adopt A Catholic Blog

Seven Years

Long time readers of my humble, erratic blog may remember that I quit drinking some time ago. I've been sober now for seven years. I know its a random anniversary. Why not five or ten or some other round number? Because I am random that's why.

May God bless my ex-wife who supported my sobriety when we were still married. I couldn't have done this without her.

May God bless all who read my ramblings,

Adopt A Catholic Blog

New Blog

I found a new blog the other week that I think is definitely worth reading. Please check out Catholic Alcoholic.
May God bless all who read my ramblings,

Adopt A Catholic Blog

Saints and Scripture Sunday St Mary

Yes, this one is titled for St Mary... St Mary of Egypt. More on that after the Scripture verses.

Do not say, “His mercy is great;

my many sins he will forgive.”

For mercy and anger alike are with him;

his wrath comes to rest on the wicked.

Do not delay turning back to the LORD,

do not put it off day after day.

For suddenly his wrath will come forth;

at the time of vengeance, you will perish.

Sirach 5:6,7

 I can't do justice to the story of St Mary so I'll link to it. However, the long and the short of it is that she led a very sinful life, she set out on an anti-pilgrimage to the Holy Land, an invisible force kept her out of church, she realized her many sins and repented. She then spent the rest of her life in the desert in penance.
 During the homily, Deacon Kent encouraged us to use her example of repentance and penance.
I think the best thing though that can be said about this is summed up neatly by Pope Francis:
"The Lord never tires of forgiving. It is we who tire of asking for forgiveness."

May God bless all who read my ramblings,

Adopt A Catholic Blog

Axios! Axios! Axios!

Cardinal Bergoglio has been elected Pope Francis!

May God bless all who read my ramblings,

Adopt A Catholic Blog

Ave Verum Corpus by Cradle Catholic

May God bless all who read my ramblings,

Adopt A Catholic Blog