Category: Sweetness'n'Light
Things that cheer me up
It’s no secret that in many ways I’m less than sanguine about the direction of the country and the world. As a guy who by long habit (I’ll not make a virtue of the habit) sees the glass half empty, it probably behooves me to mention things that cheer me up. Although I open with an explicitly religious one, they’re not all religious by any means. One of them may even have anti-religious undertones. And not even one is political; where’s the good news in that wasteland?
Blessed are the peacemakers
I’ve been seeing very little peace anywhere lately. There came to me this morning this prayer, attributed to St. Francis of Assisi and with which I first became familiar through it’s frequent performance of my friend, Jeannie Kim Wickes (more than 45 years ago, by which I date both me and her): Continue reading “Blessed are the peacemakers”
Holy Week
This is Holy Week in Christendom both East and West (as we agree on the date of Easter/Pascha this year).
Continue reading “Holy Week”
2010 in review
The stats helper monkeys at WordPress.com mulled over how this blog did in 2010. It delivered me a few surprises. I’ll let the stats helper monkeys speak and then comment a bit after that: Continue reading “2010 in review”
Hymns from the Matins of Nativity
All the hymns of the Orthodox Church are remarkably rich theologically, especially in paradox and in typology. Rarely does one get the sense that the hymnographer is trying directly to play on the hearer’s emotions; any emotional “uplift” comes from contemplation of the holy mysteries evoked by the hymns.
Simeon
From W. H. Auden’s For the Time Being: A Christmas Oratorio, musings of the Righteous Simeon, who held the Christ child at the temple and then prayed the Nunc Dimitis: “Lord, now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace, according to Thy word; for mine eyes have seen Thy salvation, which Thou hast prepared before the face of all people, a light to enlighten the gentiles, and the glory of Thy people, Israel. Continue reading “Simeon”
Inflict Thy promises …
From W. H. Auden’s For the Time Being: A Christmas Oratorio, excerpts from further into the poem than prior days’ excerpts:
The Star and the Wise Men
From W. H. Auden’s For the Time Being: A Christmas Oratorio, excerpts from a section on The Nativity Star and the Three Wise Men: Continue reading “The Star and the Wise Men”
Annunciation
From W. H. Auden’s For the Time Being: A Christmas Oratorio, excerpts from a section on the Annunciation. This is not a hack writing sentimental doggerel; the poetry deeply probes this foundational mystery of the Faith, and the indispensable role a young Jewish maiden, with terror and rejoicing, played in our redemption.
Tipsy Teetotaler ن 