Lagniappe: Farmers' Barns

If a farmer fills his barn with grain, he gets mice. If he leaves it empty, he gets actors.

Sir Walter Scott

This makes me laugh, thinking this has been the case for so long.

Worth a Thousand Words: View of Turkey from the ISS Cupola

View of Turkey from the ISS Cupola, NASA Commons

This unusual image, photographed through the Cupola on the International Space Station by one of the Expedition 30 crew members, is centered over Turkey. The lake just above the bracket- mounted camera at center is Egirdir Golu, located at 38.05 degrees north latitude and 30.89 degrees east longitude. A Russian Soyuz spacecraft is docked to the station at lower right and part of the Permanent Multipurpose Module (PMM) can be seen in the cupola window just above it.

Lagniappe: Lifting Chickens

I have new chickens, layers eight weeks old. When they were chicks living under lights in the mudroom, I made a practice of picking them up one at a time, those that would let me. And now when I enter the poultry yard, I feel like a one-man midway at the chicken fair, birds standing in line waiting to be picked up. No good can come of lifting chickens, I can almost hear my dad thinking that, though he's gone now, too. And yet the birds churr and cluck, and I leave the yard happy.

Verlyn Klinkenborg, More Scenes from the Rural Life

This is indelibly in my mind's eye ... all those chickens lining up for their turn to be lifted. I laugh out loud every time I read it.

Weekend Joke

Before going to Europe on business, a man drove his Rolls-Royce to a downtown New York City bank and went in to ask for an immediate loan of $5,000.

The loan officer, taken aback, requested collateral. “Well then, here are the keys to my Rolls-Royce,” the man said. The loan officer promptly had the car driven into the bank’s underground parking garage for safe keeping, and gave him $5,000. Two weeks later, the man walked through the bank’s doors, asked to settle up his loan and get his car back.

“That will be $5,000 in principal, and $15.40 in interest,” the loan officer said. The man wrote out a check and started to walk away.

“Wait sir,” the loan officer said, “while you were gone, I found out you are a multi-millionaire. Why in the world would you need to borrow $5,000?”

The man smiled. “Where else could I park my Rolls-Royce in Manhattan for two weeks and pay only $15.40?”

Worth a Thousand Words: Japanese Christians In Portuguese Costume

Japanese Christians In Portuguese Costume, 16-17th Century

Well Said: Crosses Finish God's Work In Us

Crosses are the great means God employs to deny self-love in us and to increase and purify his love within us. While we, on our side, labor for these two ends by the means which he has placed at our disposal.

The crosses finish the work; without them it would be imperfect.

The reason of this is clear. Self cannot kill itself; the blow must be struck from elsewhere and self must rest passive in receiving it.

As long as I act I live; I shall mortify myself in vain, I shall not succeed in dying spiritually by my own efforts.

God must do this for me. He must act within me, and the fire of love must consume the victim.

There are so many different kinds of crosses that it is impossible to enumerate them all; and the same crosses are capable of infinite variety.

They change according to different characters, different circumstances, different degrees. Some are simply painful, others are humiliating, others unite humiliation to pain.

Some assail a man in his worldly possessions, in those who are dear to him in his health, in his honor, even in his life.

Others assail him in his spiritual interests, in that which touches his conscience, in that which concerns his eternal salvation; and these are undoubtedly the most frequent, the most destructive, and the most difficult to bear ...

All have an effect upon us which inward mortification is unable to produce, and without them we cannot expect to attain to an eminent degree of holiness.

Father Jean-Nicholas Gage

It is funny that suffering turned out to be a major component of the first season of Westworld. I thought it was because it was a modern series, an HBO series (not so much sex in this one, but plenty of violence). In the end, it turned out to have more significance.

At the time, I thought it was interesting because Catholicism puts such an emphasis on the Cross, which, I hasten to add, is different from straight suffering as shown on Westworld. And so it is fortuitous that this quote came up this week, furthering my meditations on the topic.

And, of course, Lent is not that far away with our participation in denying self-love and increasing our love of God.

I am thankful for the mindset that allows me to take this experience and learn lessons, offer my suffering for others so it has deeper meaning, and reset my humility. I wouldn't have those without Christ and the Catholic Church. So much to be grateful for ... including those crosses to help finish God's work in me.

Lagniappe: Playing by the rules

Joan Bright had lived in Argentina, Spain and Mexico City and the experience of life abroad had taught her an important fact: the British alone played by the rules. They formed orderly queues at the bus stop, they said sorry when there was no need to apologize.

Giles Milton, Churchill's Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare

Worth a Thousand Words: Under the Lamp

Under the Lamp, Marie Bracquemond

Worth a Thousand Words: Weary

James McNeill Whistler, Weary
via Lines and Colors

Lagniappe: Society of drunkards

"Drink," said Amram cheerfully, as he poured wine and water into a cup; "it will hearten you, and your faith does not forbid the use of the grape, for have I not heard you styled the society of drunkards?"

"That is only one bad name among many, sir," said Rachel, as she took the cup."

H. Rider Haggard, The Pearl-Maiden

I didn't like the book enough to finish it, but I simply loved this comment made to a Christian maiden in hiding.

Well Said: Projects for the dehumanization of man

Except for one's own sins, so many, many projects for the dehumanization of man are Satan's works, simply because he hates man.

Pope Francis, Homily Sept. 29, 2014

via God or Nothing by Cardinal Sarah

Worth a Thousand Words: Cute Female Bearded Tit

Cute Female Bearded Tit, Remo Savisaar

Doesn't this look like something a cartoonist came up with? Just incredibly cute! And also somehow angry looking.

As a loyal Cowboys fan, this puts me in a terrible predicament.

I do hate the Eagles with the fire of a thousand suns. And yet, to root for The Patriots ...

Can they both lose?

God or Nothing: A Conversation on Faith with Nicolas Diat — by Cardinal Robert Sarah

In this fascinating autobiographical interview, one of the most prominent and outspoken Catholic Cardinals gives witness to his Christian faith and comments on many current controversial issues. The mission of the Church, the joy of the gospel, the heresy of activism , and the definition of marriage are among the topics he discusses with wisdom and eloquence.

I began this after a conversation with friends about the Catholic Church in Africa. I expected the entire thing to be biography, but the last 2/3 or so was Cardinal Sarah answering questions about the global Church today, evangelization, and connecting with God. As a result it was informative and inspirational in equal measures. Cardinal Sarah frequently quoted Popes Paul VI, John Paul II, Benedict XVI, and Francis which made for an interesting juxtaposition of papal styles, all with the same message.

I was really interested in the global view and sometimes surprised at how provincial my own American thinking was. For example, Cardinal Sarah was criticizing the way that parishes will personalize the liturgy outside of the bounds of what is allowed. I thought of the dumbing down that is often done and was nodding in agreement. His example turned out to be that in Africa Masses can sometimes last 6 hours with continual dancing and so forth. I had to laugh at my own surprise and then was thoughtful because the impulses that lead to the very different personalizing of the Mass showed the same problem — glorification of the people and not of God. Fascinating.

I also enjoyed Cardinal Sarah's down-to-earth style in talking about current issues. He's not afraid to tell how the cow ate the cabbage. As the interviewer, Nicholas Diat, says, "Sometimes, the cardinal's thinking seems tough and too demanding. It is certainly a great mystery how someone can be so radical only to arrive at last at a happy medium. Robert Sarah displays a gentle and angelic stubbornness in all things."

I think that what makes the cardinal's tough, demanding thinking palatable is that he always is aiming at dignity for each human person. And that, as he tells us, comes from loving God. Thus his declarations often end in gentle treatment for the individuals most affected by the problems he is detailing.

This is a book I'll be coming back to. For one thing it really made me think of Pope Benedict XVI's style and I've been missing that for a while now. Highly recommended.

Well Said: Bandaging the wounds of the world.

In observing the poor, I too have learned to say, in poverty: My God I am glad about all the trials I have experienced, and I thank you in advance for all the ones yet to come. I hope they will help to bandage the wounds of the world.

Cardinal Robert Sarah, God or Nothing

I am not yet advanced enough to be able to thank God in advance for the trials to come in my life. I am always hoping to dodge the Cross.

However, that idea of trials helping to bandage the wounds of the world is one that helps me reconcile myself to those advance trials. Almost (not quite) to be able to embrace the idea. Baby steps, baby steps.

Valentine's Day is on Ash Wednesday. That's bad.

Beyond Cana is on Feb. 16-18. That's good!

That's very good!

If you live near Dallas, we've got a great romantic package that lasts for more than one evening.

The Beyond Cana® marriage retreat offers the time and tools to restore and strengthen marriages - with God and His direction for us at the center.

It's a 2½ day retreat designed to enrich the marriages of couples who want to focus on the communication, respect, love, and intimacy that are so integral to a good marriage. With date nights!

Tom and I've been helping present this retreat for over ten years and can vouch for the way it has made our good marriage better.

To sign up or for more information, go to the St. Thomas Aquinas website.

Litany: To Jesus in the Womb of Mary

This litany seems a good one to remind us that all life, whether or not we can see it in front of our eyes at the moment, is precious.

Today is the anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision that made abortion legal. Let's take a few moments to reflect on Jesus in the womb of Mary. It is a reality of the Incarnation that we don't often consider, but he was the unborn baby of a single mother.

Jesus, knit so wonderfully in the womb of Mary,
Have mercy on us.

Jesus, conceived by the Holy Spirit in the womb of Mary,
Have mercy on us.

Jesus, uniquely human from the moment of conception in the womb of Mary,
Have mercy on us.

Jesus, present at creation, created in the womb of Mary,
Have mercy on us.

Jesus, word made flesh, taking on a human body in the womb of Mary,
Have mercy on us.

Jesus, subject to human development in the womb of Mary,
Have mercy on us.

Jesus, whose Precious Blood first flowed through tiny arteries and veins in the womb of Mary,
Have mercy on us.

Jesus, hidden nine months in the womb of Mary,
Have mercy on us.

Jesus, begotten by God, nourished by the substance and blood of His Most Holy Mother in the womb of Mary,
Have mercy on us.

Jesus, leaping from eternity into time, in the womb of Mary
Have mercy on us.

Jesus, revealing with His Father and the Holy Spirit all wisdom and knowledge to His Most Holy Mother, in the womb of Mary,
Have mercy on us.

Jesus, aware of His role as Redeemer in the womb of Mary,
Have mercy on us.

Jesus, Sanctifier of His Precursor from the womb of Mary,
Have mercy on us.

Jesus, Eternal Word, Divine Child, embraced by the Father, in the womb of Mary,
Have mercy on us.

Jesus, raising His Mother to the heights of sanctification, in the womb of Mary,
Have mercy on us.

Jesus, everlasting delight of heaven, in the womb of Mary,
Have mercy on us.

Jesus, manifesting His Incarnation to His Holy Mother, in the womb of Mary,
Have mercy on us.

Jesus, adored and contemplated by His Mother in the sanctuary of her womb Jesus,
before whom the angels prostrated themselves, in the womb of Mary,
Have mercy on us.

Jesus, in whom the very angels beheld the humanity of the Infant God and the union of the two natures of the Word in the virginal womb of Mary,
Have mercy on us.

Jesus, whose Holy Limbs first budded in the womb of Mary,
Have mercy on us.

Jesus, whose Godhead the world cannot contain, weighing only a few grams in the womb of Mary,
Have mercy on us.

Jesus, Divine Immensity, once meaning only tenths of an inch in the womb of Mary,
Have mercy on us.

Jesus, Sacrificial Lamb, Docile Infant in the womb of Mary,
Have mercy on us.

Jesus, who was to suffer the agony and passion of death, accepting the human capacity for pain ad grief, in the womb of Mary,
Have mercy on us.

Jesus, Lamb of God in the womb of Mary Spare us, O Lord.
Have mercy on us.

Jesus, Holy Innocent in the womb of Mary Graciously hear us, O Lord.
Have mercy on us.

Jesus, Son of God and Messiah in the womb of Mary Have mercy on us, O Lord.
Have mercy on us.

LET US PRAY:

God, our creator, You formed us as women and men,
equal partners in the stewardship of Your world:
joined forever as sisters and brothers,
yet within each of us lives a rich diversity of different gifts,
different hopes and different limitations.
In Jesus, Your word born fully in our flesh,
You have seen and loved in us all that You have made us to be.
Though graced, we are limited and often weak.
But our weaknesses themselves are no obstacle to Your passion for us.
Teach us to see in ourselves what you have seen in each of us from birth.
Teach us to know our gifts and limits.
Keep us confidently on the path of self-knowledge,
fullness of wisdom, and joy in being Your children.
We ask this through Christ and the Holy Spirit, with You,
One God, forever and ever.

Amen

Weekend Joke: What Causes Arthritis?

A drunk man, who smelled of liquor, sat down on a subway next to a priest. The man's tie was stained, his face was plastered with red lipstick,and a half-empty bottle of gin was sticking out of his coat pocket.

He opened his newspaper and began reading.

After a few minutes the man turned to the priest and asked, "Say Father, do you know what causes arthritis?

The priest replies, "My Son, it's caused by loose living, being with cheap, wicked women, too much alcohol, contempt for your fellow man, sleeping around with prostitutes and lack of a bath."

The drunk muttered in response, "Well, I'll be damned."

He returned to his paper.

The priest, thinking about what he had said, nudged the man and apologized. "I'm very sorry. I didn't mean to come on so strong. How long have you had arthritis?"

The drunk answered, "I don't have it, Father. I was just reading here that the Pope does."

Well Said: To have a child ...

To have a child is to embrace a future you can't control.

Tom French, RadioLab, 23 Weeks 6 Days episode

Worth a Thousand Words: Pathway

Charles Guilloux, Pathway
via Arts Everyday Living