Julie has tried every seat in the cafe. Scott has had so much coffee.

  We discuss time travel, relationships and using thermal mugs — Time travel in a Japanese cafe. Episode 331: Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi

Bayeux Tapestry

I'd never even heard of the Bayeux Tapestry when my husband and I went to France after just being married a couple of years. He'd always wanted to see it and couldn't believe I'd never been told about it.

I remember the huge church where it had originally been hung and then the museum next door where you could walk around and view the entire thing. Which we did with a field trip of English school kids who had crossed the Channel to see this part of their heritage. I had no idea that English and French heritage overlapped (yes, I was just a touch ignorant). Or of the beauty of this hand-sewn tribute to the Norman invasion of England.

It was simply amazing.

Here's a wonderful book about it - which I may need to reread. 

This made me look at Wikipedia where you can look at the entire thing in one piece. This is really neat.

Individual scenes may be examined close up at this Wikipedia spot. Also neat.

Rereading — How to Pick a Peach by Russ Parsons

"Eat locally, eat seasonally." A simple slogan that is backed up by science and by taste. The farther away from the market something is grown, the longer it must spend getting to us, and what eventually arrives will be less than satisfying. Although we can enjoy a bounty of produce year-round -- apples in June, tomatoes in December, peaches in January -- most of it is lacking in flavor. In order to select wisely, we need to know more. Where and how was the head of lettuce grown? When was it picked and how was it stored? How do you tell if a melon is really ripe? Which corn is sweeter, white or yellow?

Russ Parsons provides the answers to these questions and many others in this indispensable guide to common fruits and vegetables, from asparagus to zucchini. He offers valuable tips on selecting, storing, and preparing produce, along with one hundred delicious recipes. Parsons delivers an entertaining and informative reading experience that is guaranteed to help put better food on the table.

This description may make the book sound clinical but Parsons infuses it with details and personality that make us relate to what he writes about. The argument about whether fat or skinny asparagus are better? Been there. Argued that. To reduce the heat of a pepper remove the ... no, not the seeds ... the ribs, which is where the capsicum is stored. Aha!

For each fruit and veg he provides a very basic preparation method that we might not have considered. Then he goes on to a few more interesting recipes for each. Not too many, but just enough to pique our curiosity and taste buds and make us want to come back for more.

I read this back in 2008 but picked it up again and have been thoroughly enjoying it. It's still as relevant as ever except for some of the comments about the state of modern produce. In some cases it isn't much different, but in others — like grapes — it is definitely better. The few recipes I'd tried all had "excellent" noted and I've now got a list of others to go with them.

Novena to the Holy Spirit: Day 5

Oldest of all novenas, this is still the only one officially prescribed by the Church.

Descent of the Holy Spirit, Dore

THE GIFT OF KNOWLEDGE
(Tuesday, 7th Week of Easter)

The gift of knowledge enables man to understand created things as signs which led to God, and the meaning of their elevation to the supernatural order. Through the world of nature and grace the Holy Spirit enables us to perceive and contemplate the infinite wisdom, power and goodness of God. God's nature is reflected in created things. Like the gifts of understanding and of wisdom, the gift of knowledge is a contemplative gift enabling us to see into the very mystery of God (M.M. Philipon).

Through the gift of knowledge the Christian who is docile to the Holy Spirit will learn to discern perfectly between what leads to God and what separates from him, in the field of arts, of fashion, and in the world of ideas. Truly he will be able to say that wisdom guided him on straight paths; she showed him the kingdom of God, and gave him knowledge of angels (cf Wis 10:10). The Holy Spirit himself will warn us when what is good and true in itself is in danger of becoming bad by leading us away from our last supernatural end. It could be a disordered desire for material possessions, or an attachment to these goods in a way that does not leave the heart free to serve God.

In Conversation With God Vol 2: Lent and Eastertide

THE NOVENA

Prayer: The Gift of Knowledge

Light immortal! Light divine!
Visit thou these hearts of thine,
And our inmost being fill.

The Gift of Knowledge
The gift of Knowledge enables the soul to evaluate created things at their true worth--in their relation to God. Knowledge unmasks the pretense of creatures, reveals their emptiness, and points out their only true purpose as instruments in the service of God. It shows us the loving care of God even in adversity, and directs us to glorify Him in every circumstance of life. Guided by its light, we put first things first, and prize the friendship of God beyond all else. "Knowledge is a fountain of life to him that possesseth it."

Prayer
Come, O Blessed Spirit of Knowledge, and grant that I may perceive the will of the Father; show me the nothingness of earthly things, that I may realize their vanity and use them only for Your glory and my own salvation, looking ever beyond them to You, and Your eternal rewards. Amen.

Our Father and Hail Mary ONCE.

Glory be to the Father SEVEN TIMES.

Act of Consecration to the Holy Spirit

Prayer for the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit

Wandering Shadows

Peter Graham, Wandering Shadows, 1878

Man oh man. I want to go to there. (She said with striking unoriginality. But I do.)

Is the Lord Going to Prepare You as You Expect? Probably Not.

Is the Lord going to use you in a great way? Quite probably.

Is he going to prepare you as you expect? Probably not. And if you're not careful, you will look at the trials, the tests, the sudden interruptions, the disappointments ,the sadness, the lost jobs, the failed opportunities, the broken moments, and you will think, He's through with me. He's finished with me. When in fact He is equipping you.

Charles Swindoll

I need to be reminded of this all the time.

Novena to the Holy Spirit: Day 4

Oldest of all novenas, this is still the only one officially prescribed by the Church.

Descent of the Holy Ghost (Pentecost), Durer

THE GIFT OF FORTITUDE
(Monday, 7th Week of Easter)

The virtue of fortitude, perfected by the gift of the Holy Spirit, enables us to overcome the obstacles that in one way or another we encounter along the path of holiness, but it doesn't remove the weakness of human nature, the fear of danger, pain or weariness. A person who is strong can still experience fear, but can overcome it thanks to love. Precisely because of love, a Christian is able to face greater risks, even though one may feel repugnance not only at the beginning, but also for as long as the trial lasts or the desired-for object is still being sought. Fortitude does not always eliminate the deficiencies inherent in all created beings.

This virtue can bring one to offer one's life willingly in witness to the faith if our Lord so desires it. Martyrdom is the supreme act of fortitude, and God has demanded it of many of the faithful throughout the history of the Church. The martyrs have been -- and are -- the Church's crown, another testimony to her divine origin and her holiness. Every Christian ought to be prepared to give his or her life for Christ if circumstances demand it. The Holy Spirit would then give one the strength and courage to face this supreme test. Normally, though, what is asked of us is heroism in the little things, in the daily fulfillment of our duties.

In Conversation With God Vol 2: Lent and Eastertide

THE NOVENA

Prayer: The Gift of Fortitude

Thou in toil art comfort sweet,
Pleasant coolness in the heat;
Solace in the midst of woe.

The Gift of Fortitude
By the gift of Fortitude the soul is strengthened against natural fear, and supported to the end in the performance of duty. Fortitude imparts to the will an impulse and energy which move it to under take without hesitancy the most arduous tasks, to face dangers, to trample under foot human respect, and to endure without complaint the slow martyrdom of even lifelong tribulation. "He that shall persevere unto the end, he shall be saved."

Prayer
Come, O Blessed Spirit of Fortitude, uphold my soul in time of trouble and adversity, sustain my efforts after holiness, strengthen my weakness, give me courage against all the assaults of my enemies, that I may never be overcome and separated from You, my God and greatest Good. Amen.

Our Father and Hail Mary ONCE.

Glory be to the Father SEVEN TIMES.

Act of Consecration to the Holy Spirit

Prayer for the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit

Novena to the Holy Spirit: Day 3

Oldest of all novenas, this is still the only one officially prescribed by the Church.

El Greco. Pentecost. c.1600. Oil on canvas. 
Museo del Prado, Madrid, Spain.

THE GIFT OF PIETY
(Sunday, 7th Week of Easter)

Piety enables us to appreciate our divine filiation, giving our relationship with God the tenderness and affection of a son for his father.

Divine filiation is an effect of the gift of piety that causes us to relate to God with the tenderness and affection of a good son towards his father, and to relate to the rest of mankind as brothers of the same family.

In the Old Testament this gift is seen in many ways, particularly in the constant prayer of the Chosen People to God: sentiments of praise and petition; adoration of God's divine majesty; intimate confessions with express to the Heavenly Father with all simplicity our joys, sorrows and hopes ... Especially in the psalms we can find all the sentiments that fill the soul in its confident dialogue with God.

In Conversation With God Vol 2: Lent and Eastertide

THE NOVENA

Prayer: The Gift of Piety

Thou, of all consolers best,
Visiting the troubled breast
Dost refreshing peace bestow.

The Gift of Piety
The gift of Piety begets in our hearts a filial affection for God as our most loving Father. It inspires us to love and respect for His sake persons and things consecrated to Him, as well as those who are vested with His authority, His Blessed Mother and the Saints, the Church and its visible Head, our parents and superiors, our country and its rulers. He who is filled with the gift of Piety finds the practice of his religion, not a burdensome duty, but a delightful service. Where there is love, there is no labor.

Prayer
Come, O Blessed Spirit of Piety, possess my heart. Enkindle therein such a love for God, that I may find satisfaction only in His service, and for His sake lovingly submit to all legitimate authority. Amen.

Our Father and Hail Mary ONCE.

Glory be to the Father SEVEN TIMES.

Act of Consecration to the Holy Spirit

Prayer for the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit

Novena to the Holy Spirit: Day 2

Oldest of all novenas, this is still the only one officially prescribed by the Church.

Giotto, Pentecost, c. 1305, Scrovegni Chapel, Padua

THE GIFT OF FEAR
(Saturday, 6th Week of Easter)

Love and fear. These must be the accompaniments of our way. When love banishes fear, fear itself is changed into love (St. Gregory of Nyssa). It is the fear of a child who loves his Father without reserve, and who will allow nothing in the world to distance him from that Father. Then the soul understands better the infinity which separates it from God and at the same time its condition as a child of God. Never until now has it trusted more in God; never, either, has it respected and venerated him more. When the holy fear of God is lost, the sense of sin becomes diluted or vanishes. Then tepidity easily enters the soul. It fails to discern the power and majesty of God, and the honor due to him. ...

Among the principal effects which the fear of God works in the soul are detachment from created things, and an interior attitude of vigilance to avoid the least occasion of sin. The soul acquires a particular sensitivity to discern whatever can grieve the Holy Spirit (Eph 4:30).

In Conversation With God Vol 2: Lent and Eastertide

THE NOVENA

Prayer: The Gift of Fear

Come, thou Father of the poor!
Come, with treasures which endure!
Come, thou light of all that live!

The Gift of Fear
The gift of Fear fills us with a sovereign respect for God, and makes us dread nothing so much as to offend Him by sin. It is a fear that arises, not from the thought of hell, but from sentiments of reverence and filial submission to our heavenly Father. It is the fear that is the beginning of wisdom, detaching us from worldly pleasures that could in any way separate us from God. "They that fear the Lord will prepare their hearts, and in His sight will sanctify their souls."

Prayer
Come, O blessed Spirit of Holy Fear, penetrate my inmost heart, that I may set you, my Lord and God, before my face forever. Help me to shun all things that can offend You, and make me worthy to appear before the pure eyes of Your Divine Majesty in heaven, where You live and reign in the unity of the ever Blessed Trinity, God world without end. Amen.

Our Father and Hail Mary ONCE.

Glory be to the Father SEVEN TIMES.

Act of Consecration to the Holy Spirit

Prayer for the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit

Storm

Johan Christian Dahl (1788–1857), Storm

We've had so many rainstorms lately. This leads to our usual spring hail or tornadoes, though luckily not anywhere we've been lately. I really feel for the poor Oklahomans though. They've had a lot of tornadoes in the last couple of weeks.

Americans Are Waking Up to the Homelessness Crisis. Here’s How to Fix It.

Neither strict nor lenient laws will end homelessness. But a systematic and community-wide focus on homelessness prevention measures just might. ...

They save lives, dignity, and dollars, and more communities should invest in them. In our experience, these programs succeed because they are personal and flexible: personally administered and rooted in Christian charity; and flexible in the assistance they offer—whether it’s repairing a car, paying a utility bill, or working directly with a landlord to keep eviction at bay.

Precarious living situations don’t fit neatly into bureaucratic boxes. And administrative layers add complexity to application processes, deterring the very people who most need help. Flexible funding, personally administered ensures that households in crisis get help as quickly as possible. The simpler the process, the more quickly we can stabilize families and entire communities.

This is an op-ed piece by John Berry (National St. Vincent de Paul Society President) that ran on Real Clear Policy. He discusses how becoming homeless is a contingent event, in other words, not one that’s inevitable or irreversible. It is very clear look at homelessness, the political arguments surrounding it, and how to help prevent it. 

Simply great. Go read the whole thing.

Novena to the Holy Spirit: Day 1

Oldest of all novenas,
this is still the only one officially prescribed by the Church.

Anthony van Dyck. The Descent of the Holy Spirit (Pentecost). c. 1618-20.

THE GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
(Friday, 6th Week of Easter)

The gift of understanding shows us the riches of the Faith with greater clarity. The gift of knowledge enables us to judge created things in an upright manner, and to keep our heart fixed on God, and on things insofar as they lead us to him The gift of wisdom enables us to comprehend the unfathomable wonder of God, and it urges us to seek him in preference to all other things, amid our ordinary work and obligations. The gift of counsel points out the paths of holiness to us -- God's Will in our ordinary daily life -- encourages us to choose the option which most closely coincides with the glory of God, and the good of our fellow man. The gift of piety inclines us to treat God with the intimacy with which a child treats his father. The gift of fortitude uplifts continually, helping us to overcome the difficulties which we inevitably meet on our journey to God. The gift of fear induces us to flee the occasions of sin, resist temptation, avoid every evil which could sadden the Holy Spirit, and to fear above all the loss of the One whom we love, and who is th reason of being of our life.

In Conversation With God Vol 2: Lent and Eastertide

THE NOVENA

Prayer: The Holy Spirit

Holy Spirit! Lord of Light!
From Your clear celestial height,
Your pure beaming radiance give!

The Holy Spirit
Only one thing is important -- eternal salvation. Only one thing, therefore, is to be feared--sin. Sin is the result of ignorance, weakness, and indifference The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Light, of Strength, and of Love. With His sevenfold gifts He enlightens the mind, strengthens the will, and inflames the heart with love of God. To ensure our salvation we ought to invoke the Divine Spirit daily, for "The Spirit helpeth our infirmity. We know not what we should pray for as we ought. But the Spirit Himself asketh for us."

Let us pray:
Almighty and eternal God, who hast vouchsafed to regenerate us by water and the Holy Spirit, and hast given us forgiveness of all sins, vouchsafe to send forth from heaven upon us your sevenfold Spirit, the Spirit of Wisdom and Understanding, the Spirit of Counsel and Fortitude, the Spirit of Knowledge and Piety, and fill us with the Spirit of Holy Fear. Amen.

Our Father and Hail Mary ONCE.

Glory be to the Father SEVEN TIMES.


Act of Consecration to the Holy Spirit

On my knees before the great multitude of heavenly witnesses, I offer myself, soul and body to You, Eternal Spirit of God. I adore the brightness of Your purity, the unerring keenness of Your justice, and the might of Your love. You are the Strength and Light of my soul. In You I live and move and am. I desire never to grieve You by unfaithfulness to grace and I pray with all my heart to be kept from the smallest sin against You. Mercifully guard my every thought and grant that I may always watch for Your light, and listen to Your voice, and follow Your gracious inspirations. I cling to You and give myself to You and ask You, by Your compassion to watch over me in my weakness. Holding the pierced Feet of Jesus and looking at His Five Wounds, and trusting in His Precious Blood and adoring His opened Side and stricken Heart, I implore You, Adorable Spirit, Helper of my infirmity, to keep me in Your grace that I may never sin against You. Give me grace, O Holy Spirit, Spirit of the Father and the Son to say to You always and everywhere, 'Speak Lord for Your servant heareth.' Amen.

Prayer for the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit

O Lord Jesus Christ, Who, before ascending into heaven, did promise to send the Holy Spirit to finish Your work in the souls of Your Apostles and Disciples, deign to grant the same Holy Spirit to me that He may perfect in my soul, the work of Your grace and Your love. Grant me the Spirit of Wisdom that I may despise the perishable things of this world and aspire only after the things that are eternal, the Spirit of Understanding to enlighten my mind with the light of Your divine truth, the Spirit of Counsel that I may ever choose the surest way of pleasing God and gaining heaven, the Spirit of Fortitude that I may bear my cross with You and that I may overcome with courage all the obstacles that oppose my salvation, the Spirit of Knowledge that I may know God and know myself and grow perfect in the science of the Saints, the Spirit of Piety that I may find the service of God sweet and amiable, and the Spirit of Fear that I may be filled with a loving reverence towards God and may dread in any way to displease Him. Mark me, dear Lord, with the sign of Your true disciples and animate me in all things with Your Spirit. Amen.

Solemnity of the Ascension of Our Lord: Making Heaven Present Everywhere

The Ascension of Christ
Salvador Dali, 1958

Traditionally this is called Ascension Thursday and tradition puts it here in the liturgical calendar because Pentecost Sunday is nine days later. The U.S. Bishops often move this solemnity to the following Sunday for the convenience of the congregation. John Bergsma's commentary tells us that it is a shame because the 7th Sunday of Easter has some readings with a wonderful message leading to Pentecost — and most of the U.S. never gets to hear them. 

For more about the whys and wherefores of celebrating the Ascension on Thursday or Sunday, read this really good explanation from The Pillar.

I like to mention it on the traditional Thursday because those nine days between the Ascension and Pentecost are what lead to the word novena (derived from Latin for nine) which follows the disciples and Mary praying for nine days in the Upper Room. The first two chapters of the Acts of the Apostles talks about this.

I am struck by one thing over all others.

Christ's ascension to Heaven signals the beginning of the Holy Spirit's age on Earth. Not a day goes by that I don't call the Holy Spirit to me, asking for wisdom, leaning hard on His peace and calm. I am so grateful for Him in my life.

I am always left a bit giggly at the image of the dumbstruck followers looking up where Jesus disappeared into the clouds. And the sudden appearance of the two men in white who asked why they were standing there looking at the sky. I imagine everyone was overawed by the events that had just occurred, not to mention the sudden appearance of angels, but I always feel I'd have been the smart-mouth who said, "Maybe this happens every day where you come from, but for us this is something new."

The Ascension of the Lord marks the beginning of something brand new.  I give thanks.

UPDATED
Our priest's homily a few years ago made it clear that I missed a vital point about the ascension. I stand corrected and gladly enlightened.

(paraphrasing like crazy)

Christ's ascent raises humankind as well. Jesus is not only consubstantial with the Father. He is also consubstantial with us. Wholly God. Wholly man.

He killed death so we would not have to fear it any longer. He ascends to Heaven to take us there as well.

Amen.

Giotto di Bondone, Ascension of Christ, circa 1300.

Jesus seems almost to be breaking out of the top of the picture, but as he does so, he is not so much going away into heaven as making heaven present everywhere.

Jane Williams, Faces of Christ

I love that image. It looks as if Christ is opening a big package and that gift that will come in 9 days is the Holy Spirit.

Notes on Mark: The Scribes

Ephraim Moses Lilien (1874–1925)
A scribe, wearing a traditional Middle Eastern costume of robe and turban,
sews together pieces of parchment of a Torah scroll.

MARK 1:21, 22
Having seen how the Torah was viewed, we can now see why the scribes were so important. Someone had to tell everybody what was right and wrong for everyday living. After reading about how the scribes' systems worked it is clear why Jesus' teachings were so startling.

To give this study [of the Torah] ... a class of scholars arose. These were the Scribes, the experts in the law. The title of the greatest of them was Rabbi. The scribes had three duties.

(i) They set themselves, out of the great moral principles of the Torah, to extract rules and regulations for every possible situation in life. Obviously this was a task that was as endless...

(ii) It was the task of the scribes to transmit and to teach the law and its developments. These deduced and extracted rules and regulations were never written down; they are known as the Oral Law. Although never written down they were considered to be even more binding than the written law. From generation to generation of scribes they were taught and committed to memory...

(iii) The scribes had the duty of giving judgment in individual cases; and, in the nature of things, practically every individual case must have produced a new law.

Wherein did Jesus' teaching differ so much from the teaching of the Scribes? He taught with personal authority. No Scribe ever gave a decision on his own. He would always begin, "There is a teaching that ..." and would then quote all his authorities. If he made a statement he would buttress it with this, that, and the next quotation from the next great legal masters of the past. The last thing he ever gave was an independent judgment.

Reading about how the scribes gave the decisions made me flash on all the times that Jesus would say, "You have heard it said ... But I say to you..." and then give his own personal teaching with a definite air of authority. No wonder everyone was blown away!

All excerpts in this post are from: The Gospel of Mark (The Daily Bible Series, rev. ed.) by William Barclay


* Not a Catholic source and one which can have a wonky theology at times, but Barclay was renowned for his authority on life in ancient times and that information is sound.

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Sources and Notes Index