The Sci Fi Catholic Yak Module
"And a FINE ass it is..."
Imagine that spoken in a drunken Irish brogue... so sorry--I just COULDN'T resist 
Which was my saddened state of affairs last night as I got an early start on St Paddy's Day, imbibing in some wonderful Guiness brew in my local establishment, listening to the wonderful tunes of "Scotland the Brave" on bagpipes and drums in the company of a delightful friend, all the time bemusing..."Now what EXACTLY do good Irishmen wear under their kilts??" Naughty naughty..But not quite brave enough to verify for myself. Poor Deej would probably have to come bail me out of jail and fetch my favorite priest to hear my Confession.
My late night celebration unfortunately did reflect on my poor music presentation at Mass this morning...almost as bad as having to go to work the next day.... St Paddy's Day should NEVER be during Lent....and at least always be on a Friday so I can go to Confession on Sat... I think I'll write to the Pope to see if we can get this changed..
That sign, I... Words fail me...
I've sometimes wondered about the odd placement of St. Patrick's Day, but on the other hand, it's impermissable for Catholics to over-indulge in alcoholic beverages at any time of year, so as long as they haven't given up beer for Lent, there's really no conflict. When the day lands on Friday, I think most bishops dispense the abstention from meat anyway so everyone can have his corned beef and hash. So, again, there's no conflict.
Hurray, I merit a footnote!
And in point of fact, my mace of office is thoroughly lacking in sharp edges. I haven't flayed anyone since I was a mere Archlector.
When I was a lad, I lived next to "Maundy Pond", so-called (as I understood then) because the parishioners of our neighborhood stopped there on the way home each Thursday of Holy Week to drop the consumed maundies into the drink. We lads would fish them out of the pond with our hockey sticks, and return them for the nickel deposit...
Such remnants of paganism are not truly to be condoned, of course. A more truly Christian practice would be to recycle the used maundies at the boom-stick range.
Good thing they didn't have your translation, D.G., or the sign might have read, "Loosen your ass and bring it to me!"
Now, Xena, I hate to discipline a commenter, but we do aim for a modicum of family-friendliness around here...
mea culpa! And here comes Smiter to smite me...!
Finishing Josephus ahead of schedule: I bask in your glory!
Still planning to read that book on Jung? I thought of it because of the review & comments of Mark Edmundson's "The Death of Sigmund Freud: The Legacy of His Last Days" in the April FIRST THINGS. Fr. Neuhaus' remarks on Freud are worth reading. Seems to have some similarities to the book on Jung.
Unfortunately for me, Smiter the Archdeacon read it, too, and thinks reading about Jung should be my penance for my previous cheeky post.
Xena-- I appreciate your cheeky post. But please no reading assignments for penance... it is difficult for me to get them accomplished.
I think I'll be chewing away at Josephus into the summer...
"I'm going to let you look up yourself, since that's the normal thing to do with passages from John, at least at baseball games."
John 3.16:
"Sitteth thee in the end zone with a large sign..."
Sara, don't worry about it unless you get a veritable smiting. D.G.'s keeping mum about his own reading plans, 'though.
Here in Ireland, the Wednesday of Holy Week is called "Spy Wednesday" (or used to be), because of Judas.
So we have Spy Wednesday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter Saturday, and Resurrection Sunday. Any idea if the Monday and Tuesday of Holy Week have alternative names (apart from "the Monday and Tuesday of Holy Week" or "Holy Monday")?
Spy Wednesday! I love it! That's my new favorite holiday.
Normally, I'm an ordinary mild-mannered science fiction blogger, but this Wednesday...I'm a spy.
By the way, is anyone else wondering what happened to the OLD Olivet Baptist Church?
I drive by a Baptist church on the way to work, called the "First Covenant Church." I keep thinking they're missing something...
Well, why shouldn't our friends in the intelligence services have a patron saint and feastday of their own, like every other profession and trade?
Kind of a pity it's Judas, though 
(Okay, is there a patron saint of spies? If thieves have St. Dismas, who do spies have?)
You'd think that would be New Covenant Baptist, wouldn't you? Funny church names are an interesting subject., certainly. Sometimes you have to wonder what they were thinking, whether they would really want that name permanently.
The patron saint of spies is St. Intelligas, who was a simple monk of the Syrian school, in the mid 4th c. He was captured from his monastery north of Constantinople when he was distributing alms on fine day, by a band of Gothic slave raiders. He lived as a slave north of the Danube for the next 30 years, escaping 17 times to give information to the Roman commander at Adrianople and allowing himself to be recaptured. His spying led to the defeat of more than a dozen major incursions into the provinces, and probably saved the lives and fortunes of tens of thousands of citizens. He died in 370, valiantly trying to warn Adrianople of the raid that would eventually lead to the Battle of Adrianople in 371, and claim the life of the Emperor Valens.
And if none of this is true, it jolly well should be!
Just read the news that Arthur Clarke died. If I weren't so lazy, I'd say something semi-coherent about Jungian archetypes and "Childhood's End." But sloth wasn't one of my Lent topics this year. Hopefully some of our favorite blogs will have something to say about the death of this important atheist.....
As a scientist and engineer I daily work with the mathematics and scientific laws of our amazing universe. I HAVE to believe in God-- there is absolutely NO WAY that the mystical harmony that governs ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING could have happened by pure accident... To study the maths and sciences each day brings me a tiny bit closer to KNOWING God.. and understanding His infinite Creation.. I pity the atheists, especially in the scientific world, for they cannot see the forest for the trees..
I love your post on Palm Sunday, especially that photo!
I am still amazed that there are a number of people who would argue that Jesus did not have to have a bodily resurrection or some even argue that Jesus’ death alone was enough, but we agree with Paul when he tells us that anything short of a bodily resurrection ignores the victory of God.
God does not want to just rescue people from this material world — God wants to restore all things. God CHOSE to send His son to die on the cross for OUR sins.
Jesus’ resurrection reminds us of three things
God has defeated death.
God has defeated evil.
God has begun His redemptive work.
Commenting by HaloScan
