Saturday, July 02, 2005
Traditional Date For the Visitation
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From Luke 1: 39-56
39 And Mary rising up in those days, went into the hill country with haste into a city of Juda.
40 And she entered into the house of Zachary and saluted Elizabeth.
41 And it came to pass that when Elizabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the infant leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost.
42 And she cried out with a loud voice and said: Blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.
43 And whence is this to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
44 For behold as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy.
45 And blessed art thou that hast believed, because those things shall be accomplished that were spoken to thee by the Lord.
46 And Mary said: My soul doth magnify the Lord.
47 And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.
48 Because he hath regarded the humility of his handmaid: for behold from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.
49 Because he that is mighty hath done great things to me: and holy is his name.
50 And his mercy is from generation unto generations, to them that fear him.
51 He hath shewed might in his arm: he hath scattered the proud in the conceit of their heart.
52 He hath put down the mighty from their seat and hath exalted the humble.
53 He hath filled the hungry with good things: and the rich he hath sent empty away.
54 He hath received Israel his servant, being mindful of his mercy.
55 As he spoke to our fathers: to Abraham and to his seed for ever.
56 And Mary abode with her about three months. And she returned to her own house.
Saint Swithun's Day
Saint Swithun's day, if thou dost rain,
For forty days it will remain;
Saint Swithun's day, if thou be fair,
For forty days 'twill rain nae mair.
It is a near-perfect day in Boston, so I guess we are in for 40 days without rain.
For forty days it will remain;
Saint Swithun's day, if thou be fair,
For forty days 'twill rain nae mair.
It is a near-perfect day in Boston, so I guess we are in for 40 days without rain.
Friday, July 01, 2005
Let the Battle Begin
Justice Sandra Day O'Connor is retiring from the Supreme Court, though she expects to stay on until her successor has been confirmed.
Now the real political war begins. Interesting to see if Chief Justice Rehnquist, who is ill, joins her. And what about Justice Stevens?
Unlike in 1987 (Bork) and 1991 (Thomas) Republicans control the Senate, though many of the GOP senators who make up the slim majority are mighty frail and inconsistent reeds that bend in the wind.
Now the real political war begins. Interesting to see if Chief Justice Rehnquist, who is ill, joins her. And what about Justice Stevens?
Unlike in 1987 (Bork) and 1991 (Thomas) Republicans control the Senate, though many of the GOP senators who make up the slim majority are mighty frail and inconsistent reeds that bend in the wind.
Litany of the Most Precious Blood Of Our Lord Jesus Christ
Litany of the Most Precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ
(Approved for public recitation in 1960)
Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
Christ, hear us.
Christ, hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us.
God the Father of Heaven,
have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world,
have mercy on us.
God, the Holy Spirit,
have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, One God,
have mercy on us.
Blood of Christ, only-begotten Son of the eternal Father,
save us.
Blood of Christ, Incarnate Word or God,
save us.
Blood of Christ, of the New and Eternal Testament,
save us.
Blood of Christ, falling upon the earth in Agony,
save us.
Blood of Christ, shed profusely in the Scourging,
save us.
Blood of Christ, flowing forth in the Crowning with Thorns,
save us.
Blood of Christ, poured out on the Cross,
save us.
Blood of Christ, price of our salvation,
save us.
Blood of Christ, without which there is no forgiveness,
save us.
Blood of Christ, Eucharistic drink and refreshment of souls,
save us.
Blood of Christ, stream of mercy,
save us.
Blood of Christ, victor over demons,
save us.
Blood of Christ, courage of Martyrs,
save us.
Blood of Christ, strength of Confessors,
save us.
Blood of Christ, bringing forth Virgins,
save us.
Blood of Christ, help of those in peril,
save us.
Blood of Christ, relief of the burdened,
save us.
Blood of Christ, solace in sorrow,
save us.
Blood of Christ, hope of the penitent,
save us.
Blood of Christ, consolation of the dying,
save us.
Blood of Christ, peace and tenderness of hearts,
save us.
Blood of Christ, pledge of eternal life,
save us.
Blood of Christ, freeing souls from purgatory,
save us.
Blood of Christ, most worthy of all glory and honor,
save us.
Lamb of God, who taketh away the sins of the world,
spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who taketh away the sins of the world,
graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who taketh away the sins of the world,
have mercy on us, O Lord.
V. Thou hast redeemed us, O Lord, in Thy Blood.
R. And made us, for our God, a kingdom.
Let us pray:
Almighty and eternal God, Thou hast appointed Thine only-begotten Son the Redeemer of the world and willed to be appeased by his blood. Grant, we beg of Thee, that we may worthily adore this price of our salvation and through its power be safeguarded from the evils of the present life so that we may rejoice in its fruits forever in heaven. Through the same Christ our Lord.
Amen.
This Litany in honor of Jesus in His Most Precious Blood was drawn up by the Sacred Congregation of Rites and promulgated by Pope John XXIII on February 24, 1960. The devotion to Jesus in His most Precious Blood was first popularized by Saint Gaspar del Bufalo (1786-1837, feast Dec. 28) who founded the Missioners of the Most Precious Blood. A partial Indulgence is granted to the faithful who recite this litany.
From: The Confraternity of Penitents
July
July's Calendar image from Les Tres Riches Heures du Duc de Barry depicts farmers sheering sheep and cutting hay for the hay harvest.
Personally, July is a month for birthdays. I turn 41 on the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel.
Important feasts celebrated during July include:
July 1st The Most Precious Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ
July 2nd Traditional date for the Visitation
July 3rd St. Thomas, whose feast was formerly in December,
July 4th Bl. Pier Giorgio Frassati
July 6th St. Maria Goretti
July 9th Martyrs of Gorkum and Bl. Rose Hawthorne Lathrop
July 11th St. Benedict
July 16th Our Lady of Mount Carmel
July 17th Carmelite Martyrs of Compiegne
July 22nd St. Mary Magdalene
July 24th St. Thomas a Kempis
July 25th St. James the Greater
July 26th SS. Anne and Joachim
July 29th St. Martha
July 31st St. Ignatius of Loyola
The monthly dedication for July is to the Most Precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
Our Holy Father Pope Benedict's prayer intentions for July, 2005:
General - For all Christians: may they share the message of the Gospel with all its radical demands while showing respect for the beliefs and opinions of others.
Missionary - For the baptized all over the world: whatever their state of life may they be committed to transforming the world with the light of the Gospel.
(Source: EWTN)
Thursday, June 30, 2005
Requiescat In Pace
I just saw that Shelby Foote, the gentlemanly southern historian featured quite prominently in Ken Burns' The Civil War, died Monday at the age of 88. Mark Sullivan has a nice tribute with links to others.
I recall most clearly his story about the senator before the war, who insisted that there would be no war, that if there was one, it would not be serious, and that he would be able to sop up all the blood that would be shed with a single pocket hankerchief. Foote's comment on that was classic, roughly that he had always maintained that someone could earn a doctorate by calculating the number of pocket hankerchiefs that would have been necessary to sop up all the blood shed in that war.
Requiescat in pace.
I recall most clearly his story about the senator before the war, who insisted that there would be no war, that if there was one, it would not be serious, and that he would be able to sop up all the blood that would be shed with a single pocket hankerchief. Foote's comment on that was classic, roughly that he had always maintained that someone could earn a doctorate by calculating the number of pocket hankerchiefs that would have been necessary to sop up all the blood shed in that war.
Requiescat in pace.
One Hundred of the Best Catholic Quotes Ever
From Sancta Sanctis(another new blog to me).
Only the Thursday Before the Long July Fourth Weekend...
And yet, it feels like the world is already on vacation, judging by the amazing drop-off in the level of e-mails, even spam. Do spammers take holiday weekends off?
I won't be blogging on Monday.
I won't be blogging on Monday.
Spain Joins Canada In the Abattoir
Wednesday, June 29, 2005
A Re-Enactment of Trafalgar Without A Winner
Hat tip to Dale Price.
I agree with Nelson's descendant: pretty stupid.
Admiral Nelson, wearing much the same uniform he was killed in at Trafalgar
Trafalgar was fought in October, not June.
Secondly, you really can't re-enact Trafalgar because the few replicas of 18th-early 19th century warships that are around are far too small to be anything like a realistic representation of full scale naval battle.
One of the biggest reproduction vessels around is HMS Rose (now re-dubbed HMS Surprise because of her starring role in Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World). She is a 20-gun frigate, a mere post ship (called that because the most junior Royal Navy captains would get a very small frigate like this as their first "post command": post putting them up the ladder of seniority that would inevitably make them an admiral if they lived long enough).
Nelson when he made Post Captain during the American Revolution
Such vessels would be turned to match sticks in seconds by the broadside of a first-rate behemoth like HMS Victory (100 guns) or the Spanish Santissima Trinidad (130 guns). The guns on these larger ships were of much larger caliber, as well. HMS Rose, which fought in the American Revolution against our privateers, had 12-pounders (guns that fired a 12-pound shot) as her largest guns. HMS Victory's smallest cannon is a 24-pounder, and most of her main battery were 36-pounders.
-02-07-2002%5DHMSVictory2.jpg)
HMS Victory
Real naval battles were fought by opposing lines of ships (typically 30 or so on each side) with at least 50 guns each (and having ships that small in the line became increasingly unusual: 64 guns was more like the actual minimum, except in places on the periphery, like India, where large ships could not be spared). These giant warships pounded away at each others' thick hulls with large caliber shot at close range for hours before one side or the other had clearly won.
Geoff Hunt's painting of Victory breaking the Frano-Spanish line at Trafalgar
Nothing smaller would have dared open fire on a ship of the line during a general fleet action. When a 36-gun French frigate fired on a 74-gun British ship-of-the-line as it was slipping around the French line at the Battle of the Nile in 1798, the British captain growled to his first lieutenant, "Sink me that brute!" And it was done in under five minutes.
So there is no way that a naval re-enactment of Trafalgar could be in any way realistic. It just costs too much for anyone other than maybe Bill Gates to build, supply, man, and sail a ship of the line, which would need a crew of 400 men at least. With what is available, you might as well fight it out with rowboats with those carbide cannons you buy through Yankee Magazine ads. It would be as close to Trafalgar as what they did.
I agree with Nelson's descendant: pretty stupid.
Admiral Nelson, wearing much the same uniform he was killed in at Trafalgar
Trafalgar was fought in October, not June.
Secondly, you really can't re-enact Trafalgar because the few replicas of 18th-early 19th century warships that are around are far too small to be anything like a realistic representation of full scale naval battle.
One of the biggest reproduction vessels around is HMS Rose (now re-dubbed HMS Surprise because of her starring role in Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World). She is a 20-gun frigate, a mere post ship (called that because the most junior Royal Navy captains would get a very small frigate like this as their first "post command": post putting them up the ladder of seniority that would inevitably make them an admiral if they lived long enough).
Nelson when he made Post Captain during the American Revolution
Such vessels would be turned to match sticks in seconds by the broadside of a first-rate behemoth like HMS Victory (100 guns) or the Spanish Santissima Trinidad (130 guns). The guns on these larger ships were of much larger caliber, as well. HMS Rose, which fought in the American Revolution against our privateers, had 12-pounders (guns that fired a 12-pound shot) as her largest guns. HMS Victory's smallest cannon is a 24-pounder, and most of her main battery were 36-pounders.
HMS Victory
Real naval battles were fought by opposing lines of ships (typically 30 or so on each side) with at least 50 guns each (and having ships that small in the line became increasingly unusual: 64 guns was more like the actual minimum, except in places on the periphery, like India, where large ships could not be spared). These giant warships pounded away at each others' thick hulls with large caliber shot at close range for hours before one side or the other had clearly won.
Geoff Hunt's painting of Victory breaking the Frano-Spanish line at Trafalgar
Nothing smaller would have dared open fire on a ship of the line during a general fleet action. When a 36-gun French frigate fired on a 74-gun British ship-of-the-line as it was slipping around the French line at the Battle of the Nile in 1798, the British captain growled to his first lieutenant, "Sink me that brute!" And it was done in under five minutes.
So there is no way that a naval re-enactment of Trafalgar could be in any way realistic. It just costs too much for anyone other than maybe Bill Gates to build, supply, man, and sail a ship of the line, which would need a crew of 400 men at least. With what is available, you might as well fight it out with rowboats with those carbide cannons you buy through Yankee Magazine ads. It would be as close to Trafalgar as what they did.
Canada In the Abattoir
The Canadian House of Commons passed the gay "marriage" bill.
Hello ugly new world. Good-bye civilization.
Hello ugly new world. Good-bye civilization.
Saint Peter and Saint Paul
The martyrdom of Saints Peter and Paul in Rome during the reign of Nero. Saint Peter was crucified, at his own request upside down, as he felt he was unworthy to die in exactly the same manner as Our Lord. Saint Paul was beheaded. This is a miniature that originally illustrated part of the Suffrages To the Saints devotion of a 15th Century French Book of Hours. And as far as I know, this is the only place this image appears on the internet, just like the three images from the Hours of Henry VIII that adorn the top of the page.
In the Traditional Latin Rite, the Gospel for today is Matt. 16: 13-19.
13 And Jesus came into the quarters of Cesarea Philippi: and he asked his disciples, saying: Whom do men say that the Son of man is?
14 But they said: Some John the Baptist, and other some Elias, and others Jeremias, or one of the prophets.
15 Jesus saith to them: But whom do you say that I am?
16 Simon Peter answered and said: Thou art Christ, the Son of the living God.
17 And Jesus answering said to him: Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-Jona: because flesh and blood hath not revealed it to thee, but my Father who is in heaven.
18 And I say to thee: That thou art Peter; and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
19 And I will give to thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven. And whatsoever thou shalt bind upon earth, it shall be bound also in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth, it shall be loosed also in heaven.
Tuesday, June 28, 2005
Why Is the RCAB Getting Almost No Money For Violence Prevention From the BPD
While the BPD is handing the green stuff out like it was just DARE bumperstickers to churches in Roxbury?
Simple. Menino is Catholic. He knows that he will split the Catholic vote with other likely candidates.
He needs support in the black community, which is large, well-organized, and tends to vote pretty monolithically.
That is why Rev. Rivers, who does not even have a church, is getting megabucks from the BPD, and hardly any Catholic group has received anything.
Simple. Menino is Catholic. He knows that he will split the Catholic vote with other likely candidates.
He needs support in the black community, which is large, well-organized, and tends to vote pretty monolithically.
That is why Rev. Rivers, who does not even have a church, is getting megabucks from the BPD, and hardly any Catholic group has received anything.
Why I Decided To Pope
Diet Tonic Makes You Gain Weight
Tip of the hat to Seminarian Bryan Jerabek at Quoblibeta.
This one brings me back. About a dozen years ago, I had a girlfriend who insisted that she had to drink Tab (I know, the teeth are trying to escape deep into the mouth as the lips curl into a horrified expression at the thought of that stuff). She drank a lot of it: at least a case of cans a day. It had to be cans. Bottled Tab was not good enough. It had to have that great aluminum can patina. Supermarkets that would have discontinued the product years before kept it in stock just for her (she usually bought them out at a go). To this day, if I see a supermarket that stocks Tab in cans, I smirk and remember loading all that $&@*%$&! Tab into the car.
Now we know that all that drinking Tab was putting weight on her, not keeping it off.
Big smirk.
This one brings me back. About a dozen years ago, I had a girlfriend who insisted that she had to drink Tab (I know, the teeth are trying to escape deep into the mouth as the lips curl into a horrified expression at the thought of that stuff). She drank a lot of it: at least a case of cans a day. It had to be cans. Bottled Tab was not good enough. It had to have that great aluminum can patina. Supermarkets that would have discontinued the product years before kept it in stock just for her (she usually bought them out at a go). To this day, if I see a supermarket that stocks Tab in cans, I smirk and remember loading all that $&@*%$&! Tab into the car.
Now we know that all that drinking Tab was putting weight on her, not keeping it off.
Big smirk.
Prayer For the Intercession Of John Paul the Great
O Blessed Trinity,
We thank you for having graced the Church with Pope John Paul II
and for allowing the tenderness of your Fatherly care,
the glory of the cross of Christ,
and the splendor of the Holy Spirit, to shine through him.
Trusting fully in Your infinite mercy
and in the maternal intercession of Mary,
he has given us a living image of Jesus the Good Shepherd,
and has shown us that holiness is the necessary measure of ordinary Christian life and is
the way of achieving eternal communion with you.
Grant us, by his intercession, and according to Your will, the graces we implore,
hoping that he will soon be numbered among your saints.
Amen.
We thank you for having graced the Church with Pope John Paul II
and for allowing the tenderness of your Fatherly care,
the glory of the cross of Christ,
and the splendor of the Holy Spirit, to shine through him.
Trusting fully in Your infinite mercy
and in the maternal intercession of Mary,
he has given us a living image of Jesus the Good Shepherd,
and has shown us that holiness is the necessary measure of ordinary Christian life and is
the way of achieving eternal communion with you.
Grant us, by his intercession, and according to Your will, the graces we implore,
hoping that he will soon be numbered among your saints.
Amen.
Vigil of Saint Peter and Saint Paul
I have an image most will never have seen planned for the feast of our first Pope, and the Apostle of the Gentiles.
Uplifting Catholic Image of the Day
It is not the architecture of the Padua's Scrovengi Chapel (c. 1304 A.D.) that catches the eye. But with several series of Giotto's murals depicting the lives of St. Joachim, the Blessed Virgin Mary, Our Lord, His Passion, and the Last Judgment, you don't really need great architecture.
Tour the frescoes of the Scrovengi Chapel here.
Tour the frescoes of the Scrovengi Chapel here.
Compendium of the Catechism Presented
Dom Beat Me To the Punch On This One
A man protesting pervert priest abuse in the Los Anglese Archdiocese disrupted Mass by chaining himself to Cardinal Mahony's chair.
Well, disrupting Mass is always wrong.
But given the awful new cathedral's dreadful design, universally known as the Taj Mahony, Dom asks if it was a protest, or was he undertaking an act of penance.
ROFL
While you are in Dom's neighborhood, check out his timely reminder about the vice of effeminacy.
Well, disrupting Mass is always wrong.
But given the awful new cathedral's dreadful design, universally known as the Taj Mahony, Dom asks if it was a protest, or was he undertaking an act of penance.
ROFL
While you are in Dom's neighborhood, check out his timely reminder about the vice of effeminacy.
Monday, June 27, 2005
Write An Article Critical of Gay "Marriage" And Get Fired
Note that Allstate fired this guy (whose views are right on, btw) for writing an article on his own time and expressing his own personal views.
It used to be (and rightly so) that righting in favor of gay "marriage" would get you fired. Now the "love that dares not speak its name" not only can't shut up, but has a lot of power.
It used to be (and rightly so) that righting in favor of gay "marriage" would get you fired. Now the "love that dares not speak its name" not only can't shut up, but has a lot of power.
The Catholic Library Has Been Feverishly Adding Line Art Images Since I Last Checked In
I Know, It Is Summer In Europe
He has had a hectic few months, and is eager to be off on vacation himself.
But didn't the Holy Father have anything more important to urge Catholics to do than to drive safely?
But didn't the Holy Father have anything more important to urge Catholics to do than to drive safely?
Tidings of Great Joy
Dawn Eden of The Dawn Patrol is going to swim the Tiber!
May her conversion be a joyous, peaceful one!
May her conversion be a joyous, peaceful one!
Vultures Swoop Down On Closing Parish
Jazz and Blues club?
Maybe condos.
How about a few boutiques downstairs, and condos upstairs?
Quomodo sedet sola civitas
Plena populo!
Facta est quasi
Vidua domina gentium:
Princeps provinciarum
Facta est sub tributo!
If your Latin isn't up to that, or you don't recognize this from the Tenebrae, or from Brideshead Revisited, read the first chapter of Lamentations.
Found via Catholic Church Conservation.
Maybe condos.
How about a few boutiques downstairs, and condos upstairs?
Quomodo sedet sola civitas
Plena populo!
Facta est quasi
Vidua domina gentium:
Princeps provinciarum
Facta est sub tributo!
If your Latin isn't up to that, or you don't recognize this from the Tenebrae, or from Brideshead Revisited, read the first chapter of Lamentations.
Found via Catholic Church Conservation.
If the Parents Are Not At Mass, The Kids Should Not Be In CCD
Via Annunciations.
I can see Father's point.
Many times at St. James, you see the parents drop the kids off on Sunday morning for CCD, and they take off for places other than a spot in a pew themselves.
There is nothing (NOTHING!) more important than spending an hour or so at Mass once a week. That is a minimal obligation. Work, golf, fishing, vacations, visiting family, shopping, whatever all must be subordinated to attendance at Mass.
And if the parents are not giving the kids that example by getting their own butts into the pews on a weekly basis, the kids will never learn, and they will grow up to be the same kind of lame-assed Easter/Christmas/Palm Sunday/Ash Wednesday "Catholics" their parents are.
A little hard on the kids? Maybe. But Christ was not all sweetness and light. After all, He did make it clear that, on Judgment Day, there would be some on His right, who would enjoy eternal bliss, and some on His left, who would be consigned to everlasting agony. Better that they learn early that at least showing up is a big part of getting on in life, and maybe in eternal life.
I can see Father's point.
Many times at St. James, you see the parents drop the kids off on Sunday morning for CCD, and they take off for places other than a spot in a pew themselves.
There is nothing (NOTHING!) more important than spending an hour or so at Mass once a week. That is a minimal obligation. Work, golf, fishing, vacations, visiting family, shopping, whatever all must be subordinated to attendance at Mass.
And if the parents are not giving the kids that example by getting their own butts into the pews on a weekly basis, the kids will never learn, and they will grow up to be the same kind of lame-assed Easter/Christmas/Palm Sunday/Ash Wednesday "Catholics" their parents are.
A little hard on the kids? Maybe. But Christ was not all sweetness and light. After all, He did make it clear that, on Judgment Day, there would be some on His right, who would enjoy eternal bliss, and some on His left, who would be consigned to everlasting agony. Better that they learn early that at least showing up is a big part of getting on in life, and maybe in eternal life.
Our Lady of Perpetual Help
For the history of the veneration of this iconic representation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, see The Catholic Encyclopedia.
Check here (at Catholic Tradition, an excellent site for traditional devotions and images) for the Litany of Our Lady of Perpetual Help (for private use, as it is not one of the litanies approved for public recitation), the Novena prayer (late for the novena now, as that should have been started 9 days ago, but you can still pray it if you want to), a chaplet, images, and links, including one to the Redemptorists, who have become custodians of this icon, and have a special veneration for it.
Sunday, June 26, 2005
The Sox Are Again In First Place
A game and a half ahead of Baltimore, while the Yankees are 6.5 games back.
Matt Clement is 9-1, and is the ace of the staff. One thing that I find disturbing is that no one in the bullpen other than Foulke has any saves (he has 14). That is putting too many eggs in one basket. They could use more bullpen help.
Matt Clement is 9-1, and is the ace of the staff. One thing that I find disturbing is that no one in the bullpen other than Foulke has any saves (he has 14). That is putting too many eggs in one basket. They could use more bullpen help.
From Saint Josemaria Escriva's The Way
We get a double-dose of Opus Dei founder St. Josemaria Escriva de Balaguer this week, as June 26th would normally be his feast day (except it falls on a Sunday this year). The first installment of Chapter 1 can be found here. The 2nd can be found here.
From Chapter 1, On Character
28 Marriage is for the soldiers and not for the General Staff of Christ's army. For, whereas food is a necessity for each individual, procreation is a necessity for the species only, not for the individual.
Longing for children? Children, many children, and a lasting trail of light we shall leave behind us if we sacrifice the selfishness of the flesh.
29 The limited, miserable happiness of the egoist — who withdraws into his ivory tower, into his shell — is not difficult to attain in this world. But the happiness of the egoist is not lasting.
For this false semblance of heaven, are you going to forsake the happiness which will have no end?
30 You are too calculating. Don't tell me you are young. Youth gives all it can: it gives itself without reserve.
31 Selfish. Always looking after yourself You seem incapable of feeling the fraternity of Christ. In those around you, you do not see brothers: you see stepping stones.
I can foresee your complete failure. And when you have fallen, you will want others to treat you with the charity you are not willing to show towards them.
32 You will never be a leader if you see others only as stepping-stones to get ahead. You will be a leader if you are ambitious for the salvation of all mankind.
You can't turn your back on your fellow-men: you have to be anxious to make them happy.
33 You never want to get to the heart of the matter. Sometimes, through politeness. Other times, most times, through fear of hurting yourself Sometimes again, through fear of hurting others. And, always, through fear!
As long as you are so afraid of the truth you will never be a man of sound judgment, a man of worth.
34 Don't be afraid of the truth, even though the truth may mean your death.
35 I don't like your euphemistic habit of calling cowardice prudence.
For, as a result, God's enemies, with minds empty of ideas, will take advantage of your 'prudence' to acquire the name of learning and so reach positions that they never should attain.
36 Yes, that abuse can be eradicated. It shows lack of character to let it continue as something hopeless, with no possible remedy.
Don't shirk your duty. Carry it out conscientiously, even though others neglect theirs.
37 You have a persuasive tongue. But in spite of all your talk, you cannot justify — by saying it was 'providential' — what has no justification.
38 Could it be true — no, no, I can't believe it — that in the world there are not men but bellies?
39 'Pray that I may never be satisfied with what is easy.' I have prayed. Now it is up to you to carry out that fine resolution.
40 Faith, cheerfulness, optimism. But not the idiocy of closing one's eyes to reality.
41 What a 'profound' way of living a life of empty follies, of getting somewhere in the world: rising, always rising, simply by 'weighing little', having nothing inside, either in your head or in your heart.
42 Why that fitful character? When are you going to apply your will to something definite? Drop that craze for foundation-stones, and put the finishing touch to just one of your projects.
43 Don't be so touchy. The least thing offends you. it's necessary to weigh one's words well before speaking to you even on the most trivial matter.
Don't be annoyed if I tell you that you are... unbearable. Unless you change, you will never be of any use.
44 Give the polite excuse which christian charity and social convention demand. And then... on your way again! With holy shamelessness, without stopping until you have finally scaled the heights of duty.
45 Why are you hurt by what people say about you? How much worse you would be if God were to leave you. Persevere in doing good, and shrug your shoulders.
46 Don't you think that equality, as some people understand it, is synonymous with injustice?
47 That pose and that self-satisfied manner don't suit you at all: they are easily seen to be affected. Try, at least, to use them neither with God, nor with your Director, nor with your brothers: and between them and you there will be one barrier less.
48 You lack strength of character: what insistence on having a hand in everything! You are bent on being the salt of every dish. And — you won't be annoyed if I speak clearly — you have little aptitude for being salt: in particular, you lack its capacity to dissolve and pass unnoticed.
You have too little spirit of sacrifice and too great a spirit of curiosity and ostentation.
49 Hold your tongue! Don't be childish, the caricature of a child: telltale, mischief-maker, little sneak! With your stories and tales you have chilled the glow of charity: you couldn't have done more harm, and if by any chance that wagging tongue of yours has shaken the walls of other people's perseverance, your own perseverance ceases to be a grace from God, for it has become a treacherous instrument of the enemy.
50 You are curious and inquisitive, prying and nosey. Are you not ashamed that even in your defects you are not much of a man? Be a man: and instead of poking into other people's lives seek to acquire a true knowledge of your own.
51 Your manly character — simple and straightforward — is oppressed when you find yourself entangled in gossip and mischievous talk, which you cannot understand and in which you never wished to be involved. Undergo the humiliation that such talk causes you and let the experience teach you greater discretion.
52 When judging other people, why do you put into your criticism the bitterness of your own failures?
53 That critical spirit — I admit that there are no unworthy motives behind it — should not be exercised upon your apostolate, nor upon your brothers. I will speak plainly: that critical spirit is a great hindrance to the supernatural undertaking in which you are all engaged, for while you examine the work of the others — with the highest possible motives, I admit — without there being any reason why you should do so, you are not doing anything constructive, and furthermore by being negative you are holding up the progress of all.
'Then', you ask uneasily, 'that critical spirit which is the keynote my character...?'
Listen, I'll set your mind at ease. Take a pen and a sheet of paper. Write down simply and frankly — ah! and briefly — what is worrying you, hand the note to the person in charge, and think no more about it. He has the grace of state. He will file the note or he will throw it into the waste-paper basket. And, since the motives behind your criticism are not unworthy, since they are of the highest, it is all the same to you.
54 'One must compromise' I Compromise is a word found only in the vocabulary of those who have no will to fight — the lazy, the cunning, the cowardly — for they consider themselves defeated before they start.
55 My dear man: though you feel very much a child, and though you are one before God, don't be so simple as to put your brother 'on the spot' before strangers.
From Chapter 1, On Character
28 Marriage is for the soldiers and not for the General Staff of Christ's army. For, whereas food is a necessity for each individual, procreation is a necessity for the species only, not for the individual.
Longing for children? Children, many children, and a lasting trail of light we shall leave behind us if we sacrifice the selfishness of the flesh.
29 The limited, miserable happiness of the egoist — who withdraws into his ivory tower, into his shell — is not difficult to attain in this world. But the happiness of the egoist is not lasting.
For this false semblance of heaven, are you going to forsake the happiness which will have no end?
30 You are too calculating. Don't tell me you are young. Youth gives all it can: it gives itself without reserve.
31 Selfish. Always looking after yourself You seem incapable of feeling the fraternity of Christ. In those around you, you do not see brothers: you see stepping stones.
I can foresee your complete failure. And when you have fallen, you will want others to treat you with the charity you are not willing to show towards them.
32 You will never be a leader if you see others only as stepping-stones to get ahead. You will be a leader if you are ambitious for the salvation of all mankind.
You can't turn your back on your fellow-men: you have to be anxious to make them happy.
33 You never want to get to the heart of the matter. Sometimes, through politeness. Other times, most times, through fear of hurting yourself Sometimes again, through fear of hurting others. And, always, through fear!
As long as you are so afraid of the truth you will never be a man of sound judgment, a man of worth.
34 Don't be afraid of the truth, even though the truth may mean your death.
35 I don't like your euphemistic habit of calling cowardice prudence.
For, as a result, God's enemies, with minds empty of ideas, will take advantage of your 'prudence' to acquire the name of learning and so reach positions that they never should attain.
36 Yes, that abuse can be eradicated. It shows lack of character to let it continue as something hopeless, with no possible remedy.
Don't shirk your duty. Carry it out conscientiously, even though others neglect theirs.
37 You have a persuasive tongue. But in spite of all your talk, you cannot justify — by saying it was 'providential' — what has no justification.
38 Could it be true — no, no, I can't believe it — that in the world there are not men but bellies?
39 'Pray that I may never be satisfied with what is easy.' I have prayed. Now it is up to you to carry out that fine resolution.
40 Faith, cheerfulness, optimism. But not the idiocy of closing one's eyes to reality.
41 What a 'profound' way of living a life of empty follies, of getting somewhere in the world: rising, always rising, simply by 'weighing little', having nothing inside, either in your head or in your heart.
42 Why that fitful character? When are you going to apply your will to something definite? Drop that craze for foundation-stones, and put the finishing touch to just one of your projects.
43 Don't be so touchy. The least thing offends you. it's necessary to weigh one's words well before speaking to you even on the most trivial matter.
Don't be annoyed if I tell you that you are... unbearable. Unless you change, you will never be of any use.
44 Give the polite excuse which christian charity and social convention demand. And then... on your way again! With holy shamelessness, without stopping until you have finally scaled the heights of duty.
45 Why are you hurt by what people say about you? How much worse you would be if God were to leave you. Persevere in doing good, and shrug your shoulders.
46 Don't you think that equality, as some people understand it, is synonymous with injustice?
47 That pose and that self-satisfied manner don't suit you at all: they are easily seen to be affected. Try, at least, to use them neither with God, nor with your Director, nor with your brothers: and between them and you there will be one barrier less.
48 You lack strength of character: what insistence on having a hand in everything! You are bent on being the salt of every dish. And — you won't be annoyed if I speak clearly — you have little aptitude for being salt: in particular, you lack its capacity to dissolve and pass unnoticed.
You have too little spirit of sacrifice and too great a spirit of curiosity and ostentation.
49 Hold your tongue! Don't be childish, the caricature of a child: telltale, mischief-maker, little sneak! With your stories and tales you have chilled the glow of charity: you couldn't have done more harm, and if by any chance that wagging tongue of yours has shaken the walls of other people's perseverance, your own perseverance ceases to be a grace from God, for it has become a treacherous instrument of the enemy.
50 You are curious and inquisitive, prying and nosey. Are you not ashamed that even in your defects you are not much of a man? Be a man: and instead of poking into other people's lives seek to acquire a true knowledge of your own.
51 Your manly character — simple and straightforward — is oppressed when you find yourself entangled in gossip and mischievous talk, which you cannot understand and in which you never wished to be involved. Undergo the humiliation that such talk causes you and let the experience teach you greater discretion.
52 When judging other people, why do you put into your criticism the bitterness of your own failures?
53 That critical spirit — I admit that there are no unworthy motives behind it — should not be exercised upon your apostolate, nor upon your brothers. I will speak plainly: that critical spirit is a great hindrance to the supernatural undertaking in which you are all engaged, for while you examine the work of the others — with the highest possible motives, I admit — without there being any reason why you should do so, you are not doing anything constructive, and furthermore by being negative you are holding up the progress of all.
'Then', you ask uneasily, 'that critical spirit which is the keynote my character...?'
Listen, I'll set your mind at ease. Take a pen and a sheet of paper. Write down simply and frankly — ah! and briefly — what is worrying you, hand the note to the person in charge, and think no more about it. He has the grace of state. He will file the note or he will throw it into the waste-paper basket. And, since the motives behind your criticism are not unworthy, since they are of the highest, it is all the same to you.
54 'One must compromise' I Compromise is a word found only in the vocabulary of those who have no will to fight — the lazy, the cunning, the cowardly — for they consider themselves defeated before they start.
55 My dear man: though you feel very much a child, and though you are one before God, don't be so simple as to put your brother 'on the spot' before strangers.
