Feast Day of Thomas The Apostle

"The Incredulity of Saint Thomas" by Caravaggio, from Wiki.

Peter and Thomas are two of my favorite saints, because they were human and obviously imperfect, and yet we celebrate their lives even now. Their humanity and imperfection further my hope that one day I will join them in the heavenly kingdom with the rest of the saints.

The following poem came to me as I pondered the lives of the two saints.

God's Woman

Peter, Thomas, are you my kin?
I call you, "Brother". Are we alike?
You imperfect ones, a doubter, a denier,
Am I your sister?

"I tell you I do not know him!"
Three times your Lord denied.
Oh, Peter, when you heard the cock crow,
Your salty tears were bitter.

You, Thomas, to touch, to see was all.
"Me believe? When I see the nail marks,
When I put my finger in his side."
"My Lord and my God!"

You, my brothers, deeply, fully human,
You flaw-filled men of God,
You give me strength; you give me courage.
Perhaps I'll be God's woman, after all.

June Butler 4/18/07

Jesus and Thomas

But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, ‘We have seen the Lord.’ But he said to them, ‘Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.’

A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you.’ Then he said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.’ Thomas answered him, ‘My Lord and my God!’ Jesus said to him, ‘Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.’

John 20:24-29

READINGS:

AM: Psalm 23, 121; Job 42:1-6; 1 Peter 1:3-9
PM: Psalm 27; Isaiah 43: 8-13; John 14:1-7

PRAYER

Almighty and everliving God, who strengthened your apostle Thomas with sure and certain faith in your Son's resurrection: Grant us so perfectly and without doubt to believe in Jesus Christ, our Lord and our God, that our faith may never be found wanting in your sight; through him who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.

Do click on the picture and get the larger view. It's so beautiful.

UPDATE: Padre Mickey has a fine post on Thomas. I like this that El Padre said, "God gave us large brains capable of reason and thought, and God expects us to use these brains even in spiritual matters. Questioning and study are all part of loving God with all our minds." Amen.

O Rex Gentium

December 21

O King of the Gentiles, yea, and desire thereof!
O Corner-stone, that makest of two one,
come to save man, whom Thou hast made out of the dust of the earth!

Latin

O Rex Gentium, et desideratus earum,
lapisque angularis, qui facis utraque unum:
veni, et salva hominem, quem de limo formasti.


Isaiah 9:7

His authority shall grow continually,
and there shall be endless peace
for the throne of David and his kingdom.
He will establish and uphold it
with justice and with righteousness
from this time onwards and for evermore.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.

Isaiah 2:4

He shall judge between the nations,
and shall arbitrate for many peoples;
they shall beat their swords into ploughshares,
and their spears into pruning-hooks;
nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
neither shall they learn war any more.

See Vicki Black's s post on Speaking to the Soul at the Episcopal Café.


Video from YouTube. Antiphon sung by the Dominican student brothers at Oxford.

Text from Fish Eaters.

"An Interesting Bit Of Irony"

From the Rt. Rev. Charles Jenkins, Bishop of Louisiana:

On the day before the City Council of New Orleans voted unanimously to move ahead with the demolition of four public housing sites in New Orleans, Church leaders were summoned by FEMA and HUD to a housing summit. We were asked by the officials present to assist with the looming housing crisis in New Orleans. Those of us who attempt to minister in the area of housing were asked to move quickly to be part of the solution to the crisis that is coming. We were told that the critical point would be in April of 2008.

FEMA plans to move thirty thousand families out of travel trailers before the next Hurricane season. There are apparently six thousand families still in “trailer parks.” Many trailers are still in front of ruined houses.

When asked of the demolition of projects that could have provided temporary housing for citizens, the reply came, “bad timing, isn’t it?” You can’t make this stuff up, you know? I should also point out that the Mayor of New Orleans apparently knew nothing of this summit.

Let us be clear that our Diocese is committed to the ministry of housing. We are not just about building houses but homes. We seek the transformation of lives and the improvement of neighborhoods.

Our JERICHO ROAD EPISCOPAL HOUSING INITIATIVE continues to build new houses in the Central City neighborhood. We are partnered with many in this ministry. JERICHO ROAD is also involved in “gap financing” and homeowner education to help transform renters into owners. JERICHO ROAD depends upon the generosity of others for its funding. This ministry of the Diocese, Christ Church Cathedral, New Orleans, and Episcopal Relief and Development is recognized as a leader in rebuilding our city. A new opportunity for consideration by the JERICHO ROAD Board is to move into refurbishing rental property in Central City. This move could provide affordable rental property: a move that speaks directly to the urgent request of FEMA and HUD.

In a separate and distinct ministry, the Diocese continues to clean and rebuild houses ruined by the floodwaters. This ministry is funded in large measure by Episcopal Relief and Development but must increasingly depend upon the generosity of individuals. Katie Mears and her team of trained college interns head up this ministry. Volunteers from around the country continue to give of their time and talents to make this happen. Since so many have not received Road Home funds, the Diocese has been providing the materials for many of these rebuilds. The results are amazing and the generosity of those with whom we have worked is heartwarming. When the Road Home funds have finally come to those with whom we have worked, we have seen an outpouring of generosity that is amazing.

Even though the ideas I put forward in the public housing debate did not prevail, I want all to know that our Diocese stands committed to safe and dignified housing in our city. A loss in one area is often an opportunity in another. God is good.

Bishop Jenkins

I'm quite proud of the leadership that Bishop Jenkins and his staff have shown in care and concern for those who suffered loss after Katrina and the federal flood. The Diocese of Louisiana is doing great work in the recovery effort in Louisiana.

It's probably not a good time of the year to suggest further donations for, by now, many folks are maxed out in their spending, nevertheless, here's the link to donate to the Jericho Road project. More information on the program can be found here.

Politically Correct Christmas

'Twas the night before Christmas and Santa was a wreck ...
How to live in a world that's politically correct?

His workers no longer would answer to "Elves",
"Vertically Challenged" they were calling themselves.

And labor conditions at the north pole
Were alleged by the union to stifle the soul.

Four reindeer had vanished, without much propriety,
Released to the wilds by the Humane Society.

And equal employment had made it quite clear
That Santa had better not use just reindeer.

So Dancer and Donner, Comet and Cupid,
Were replaced with 4 pigs, and you KNOW that looked stupid!

The runners had been removed from his sleigh;
The ruts were termed dangerous by the E.P.A.

And people had started to call for the cops
When they heard sled noises on their roof-tops.

Second-hand smoke from his pipe had his workers quite frightened.
His fur trimmed red suit was called "Unenlightened."

And to show you the strangeness of life's ebbs and flows,
Rudolf was suing over unauthorized use of his nose

And had gone on the Ellen show, in front of the nation,
Demanding millions in over-due compensation.

So, half of the reindeer were gone; and his wife,
Who suddenly said she'd enough of this life,

Joined a self-help group, packed, and left in a whiz,
Demanding from now on her title was "Ms."

And as for the gifts, why, he'd ne'er had a notion
That making a choice could cause so much commotion.

Nothing of leather, nothing of fur,
Which meant nothing for him. And nothing for her.

Nothing that might be construed to pollute.
Nothing to aim. Nothing to shoot.

Nothing that clamored or made lots of noise.
Nothing for just girls. Or just for the boys.

Nothing that claimed to be gender specific.
Nothing that's warlike or non-pacific.

No candy or sweets...they were bad for the tooth.
Nothing that seemed to embellish a truth.

And fairy tales, while not yet forbidden,
Were like Ken and Barbie, better off hidden.

For they raised the hackles of those psychological
Who claimed the only good gift was one ecological.

No baseball, no football...someone could get hurt;
Besides, playing sports exposed kids to dirt.

Dolls were said to be sexist, and should be passe;
And Nintendo would rot your entire brain away.

So Santa just stood there, disheveled, perplexed;
He just could not figure out what to do next.

He tried to be merry, tried to be gay,
But you've got to be careful with THAT word these days.

His sack was quite empty, limp to the ground;
Nothing fully acceptable was to be found.

Something special was needed, a gift that he might
Give to all without angering the left or the right.

A gift that would satisfy, with no indecision,
Each group of people, every religion;

Every ethnicity, every hue,
Everyone, everywhere...even YOU!

So here is that gift, it's price beyond worth...
"May you and your loved ones enjoy Peace On Earth."


Thanks to the lurking, but ever helpful, Doug.

Breaking News From Sen. Landrieu!

Sen. Mary Landrieu said:

“The City Council’s decision smartly recognizes that demolition and renewal must be considered hand-in-hand in order to move forward. It reaffirmed a wise commitment to the principles of affordable housing, community partnership, HANO reform and mixed-income development laid out in the Gulf Coast Housing Recovery Act. In so doing, the Council rose above the divisive and misleading destroy-and-forget arguments of Senator Vitter, the Times-Picayune and other opponents who refuse to look beyond the wrecking ball to see the foundation of a more smartly-designed community of tomorrow.

“I am proud of the council members for considering this issue with their heads and their hearts and for ultimately reaching the right conclusion for New Orleans and her people. I am also proud of the Catholic and Episcopal churches, local community leaders and all others for understanding that this effort was never about demolition, but about what happens next; and for having the courage to stand up for one greater New Orleans.”

Mary, Mary, Mary, Mary, Mary. Here's what Bishop Charles Jenkins asked for:

In an open letter to the New Orleans City Council on December 6, the Rt. Rev. Charles Jenkins, Episcopal Bishop of Louisiana, urged council members to “reclaim and renew existing Federal Housing Projects as temporary and dignified homes,” for those still in FEMA trailers and returning residents until the proposed, mixed-income housing is developed.

Where's the hold on demolition? What happens next, Mary? Where will the folks living in the buildings go, Mary?

To think I gave her campaign contributions the first time she ran!

From Dangerblond in New Orleans

I have been monitoring the situation in New Orleans, in which the powers plan to tear down public housing units in the city, at the same time that affordable housing is at a premium and often non-existent. Sharon Jasper, an elderly black woman, is not crazy about the housing that the powers have arranged for her. She would like to be back in her apartment in the St. Bernard public housing complex, which the powers want to demolish instead of repairing.

Dangerblond, a New Orleans blogger, wrote this in the comments to her post, titled "elderly black woman caught with big-screen t.v.; lacks proper level of humility and appreciation", on her blog, named, of all things, Dangerblond:

I don’t think people realize that our economy would collapse if employers were required to pay all their workers enough to afford a family-sized home, either a rental or mortgage. We subsidize corporations by providing cheap labor and housing for the workers. It is vital that large numbers of people remain uneducated, for if they were educated they would need better jobs, and there aren’t enough of those to go around. Many people work at jobs that don’t pay enough to afford housing, that’s the way it’s set up to work.

I met Dangerblond at the Rising Tide Conference in New Orleans. She is a force to be reckoned with, I can tell you. Her statement above is profound and true. I believe that our economy is set up to work just as she says.

"What The World Eats"

From Time magazine:

By country - a breakdown of food expenditures in a one week period:

Bhutan: A family of thirteen spends 224.93 ngultrum or $5.03

Chad: A family of six spends 685 CFA Francs or $1.23

China: A family of four spends 1,233.76 Yuan or $155.06

Ecuador: A family of nine spends $31.55

Egypt: A family of twelve spends 387.85 Egyptian Pounds or $68.53

Germany: A family of four spends 375.39 Euros or $500.07

Great Britain: A family of four spends 155.54 British Pounds or $253.15

Italy: A family of five spends 214.36 Euros or $260.11

Japan: A family of four spends 37,699 Yen or $317.25

Kuwait: A family of eight spends 63.63 dinar or $221.45

Mexico: A family of five spends 1,862.78 Mexican Pesos or $189.09

Mongolia: A family of four spends 41,985.85 togrogs or $40.02

Poland: A family of five spends 582.48 Zlotys or $151.27

United States: A family of four spends $341.98

United States: A family of four spends $159.18 (a thrifty American family)

For pictures of the families and of the food purchased by the families, click on the above link. Something is very much out of balance here.

Thanks to Ann.

I don't know what bloggers around the world would do without Ann. She's a force.

Who Got Beat Up The Worst?

From GG at SF - sorry, I won't link:

Here in Mississippi, the Episcopal Church lives in a post-Katrina era as much as it does a post-Robinson era. The storm came ashore and utterly devastated the Gulf Coast. It delivered a body-blow to the southern "foot" of the state (check your maps and you'll see what I mean). Three hundred people were killed. Six Episcopal churches were completely destroyed. The devastation dwarfed what happened in New Orleans.

Not wanting to get into a battle about who got beat up the worst by Katrina and the federal flood, but just to note that more than 1700 people died in New Orleans - most certainly not to belittle the losses in Mississippi, for they suffered greatly.

Of course, he lives in Mississippi, and I am a native of New Orleans. We could both be prejudiced.

GG thinks the post-Katrina Mississippi Gulf Coast is a metaphor for what the Episcopal Church is destined to become. We shall see.

O Oriens

December 20

O Dayspring, Brightness of the everlasting light,
Son of justice, come to give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death!

Latin

O Oriens, splendor lucis æternæ, et sol justitiæ:
veni, et illumina sedentes in tenebris, et umbra mortis.

Isaiah 9:2

The people who walked in darkness
have seen a great light;
those who lived in a land of deep darkness—
on them light has shined.

Antiphon sung by the Dominican student brothers at Oxford.

Text from Fish Eaters.

Don't Blame Me, Blame Doug - Yet Again

The minister of a city church enjoyed a drink now and then, but his passion was for peach brandy. One of his congregants would make him a bottle each Christmas. One year, when the minister went to visit his friend, hoping for his usual Christmas present, he was not disappointed, but his friend told him that he had to thank him for the peach brandy from the pulpit the next Sunday.

In his haste to get the bottle, the minister hurriedly agreed and left. So the next Sunday the minister suddenly remembered that he had to make a public announcement that he was being supplied alcohol from a member of the church. That morning, his friend sat in the church with a grin on his face, waiting to see the minister's embarrassment.

The minister climbed into the pulpit and said, "Before we begin, I have an announcement. I would very much like to thank my friend, Joe, for his kind gift of peaches ... and for the spirit in which they were given!"