Brother Causticus Is Back And Travelling

His robes don't hang in neat folds as in the picture. They are flying. Just go read. No, I can't give you a snippet. Read the whole thing.

Guardian Angels

The picture above (or one very like it) of the angel watching over the two children as they cross the rickety bridge, was in nearly every classroom in my Roman Catholic grade school. As I child, when I took note of the picture, it gave me great comfort. My entire school experience was comforting, as it gave me a safe place to escape the turmoil of my own home. I learned the essentials of faith and morals from my teachers there, rather than from my home. My mother was busy coping with my alcoholic father and making a living when he did not work. She had little energy left for emotional engagement with me and my two sisters, after providing us with the essentials of life and enduring the stress of living with a husband addicted to drink.

I have heard stories about Roman Catholic nuns, of harshness and rigidity, of punishment with rulers hitting the hand, but, in truth, that was not my experience. They were, in the main, good and kindly women, with the welfare of the children in their care uppermost in their minds.

Back to the angel picture. We were taught that each of us had a guardian angel assigned to the task of watching over us. That I had my own personal angel guarding me was a lovely idea, especially for someone in a home environment such as mine. I remember thinking of names for my angel and praying for the angel's protection when I was frightened. I can't say when I began to doubt the story, but I confess that I have never entirely let go of the idea. It could be, couldn't it? I wonder if the nuns believed the story themselves, as they taught it. Here is the prayer we learned and prayed together:

Angel of God,
my guardian dear,
to whom God's love commits me here,
ever this day,
be at my side
to light and guard,
to rule and guide.

I gave reproductions of the picture to my children once they had children. If the picture comforted me - who knows? - it might comfort my little grandchildren. I told the little ones the story when they were young, for them to take it or leave it, but I believe that none of them took it to heart as I did.

Throughout my life, it's been the stories of God's people in both Testaments, the stories of Jesus and his early followers, and the stories of the saints throughout the ages that have always held great power for me.

UPDATE: Paul, the Baptist, (ex) to the rescue with a Bible verse to authenticate my lingering belief in guardian angels!

"Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven." (KJV)

Win-Win Episcopal Buckeye Challenge

At the Superdome on January 7, 2008, the Ohio State Buckeyes will play the Louisiana State University Tigers in the BCS football championship. Bishop Breidenthal of the Diocese of Southern Ohio has issued a challenge to the fans of the Buckkeyes and has pledged the participation of the diocese in the challenge.

From Bishop Charles Jenkins at the Diocese of Louisiana website:

As we Enjoy this Christmas Season and move towards Epiphany, I give thanks for you all and our shared ministry in our beloved south Louisiana.

Our special thanks go to Bishop Thomas E. Breidenthal of the Diocese of Southern Ohio for the Win-Win Episcopal Buckeye Challenge. He has pledged to support our Bundles of Hope recovery efforts in Louisiana for each touchdown and field goal scored by the Buckeyes. "There's no mention of Love thy Buckeyes in the Bible - but God does call upon us to Love our Neighbors. This challenge lets us do both," says Bishop Breidenthal.

I wholeheartedly accept Bishop Breidenthal's generous challenge, although I am concerned that the Buckeye fans won't have to buy very many Bundles of Hope. I am calling all Tiger fans to join in the spirit of competition and pledge Bundles of Hope for Tiger scores. Thanks for your help, and GEAUX TIGERS!

So what do we pray for here in Louisiana? That the Tiger fans accept the challenge? That both teams make lots of touchdowns, but that the Tigers make more? That sounds about right. GEAUX TIGERS!

Feast Of The Holy Innocents

Matthew 18:1-7, 10-14

At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, ‘Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?’ He called a child, whom he put among them, and said, ‘Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever becomes humble like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.

‘If any of you put a stumbling-block before one of these little ones who believe in me, it would be better for you if a great millstone were fastened around your neck and you were drowned in the depth of the sea. Woe to the world because of stumbling-blocks! Occasions for stumbling are bound to come, but woe to the one by whom the stumbling-block comes!

‘Take care that you do not despise one of these little ones; for, I tell you, in heaven their angels continually see the face of my Father in heaven. What do you think? If a shepherd has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray? And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. So it is not the will of your Father in heaven that one of these little ones should be lost.

Daily Office Readings:

AM Psalm 2, 26; Isaiah 49:13-23; Matthew 18:1-14
PM Psalm 19, 126; Isaiah 54:1-13; Mark 10:13-16

PRAYER

We remember today, O God, the slaughter of the holy innocents of Bethlehem by King Herod. Receive, we pray, into the arms of your mercy all innocent victims; and by your great might frustrate the designs of evil tyrants and establish your rule of justice, love, and peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Let us, indeed, remember in prayer the innocents who are being killed, abused, and exploited in our own times, for they are many.

As MadPriest says at the post on his site, which is well worth a visit to read the post in its entirety and see the pictures:

It is highly unlikely that the massacre of children reported in The Gospel Of Matthew ever took place (at least not to the extent claimed). However, this does not, in any way, alter the fact that today's festival is only surpassed in importance by the festivals of Jesus Christ himself. I fear that this will remain true until the Kingdom of God is completely realised on earth.

"New Orleans A 'War Zone'?"

From the Southtown Star comes this column by Allison Hantschel, aka Athenae at First Draft.

A group of high school students from Rockland, Maine, wanted to go to the Gulf Coast and New Orleans to help with recovery and rebuilding, but the members of the school board turned them down. Jennifer Daniels, a member of the board, said it would be like sending them to a "war zone".

Allison says:

It would be hard to find a more bald example of insulation and privilege than Jennifer Daniels and her fellow members of the school board in Rockland, Maine.

I'm with Allison. What planet do these folks on the school board inhabit? Many groups of high school and college students have gone to help with rebuilding and recovery. Many families with younger children than high school age have worked on projects in New Orleans.

My daughter lives there, and I visit at least once a month, to see her and her family and because I love to go there, and I'm still intact. It's true; you have to be street smart and know where not to go, but I doubt that these high school students would be let loose to roam New Orleans on their own.

Pockets of the city are high crime areas, but calling the city a "war zone" is gross exaggeration. We are a fearful people. We delude ourselves into thinking that we can be safe in our gated communities and, if we do the right thing, our children will always be safe, but life remains a risky business. I was a protective mother-hen type, but I don't think I would have hesitated to let one of my kids go. The students will miss a valuable experience that could affect their lives for the good.

As Allison says, we routinely send youths of 18 and 19 into real war zones.

A Lullabye From Irma

The Divine Irma Thomas - "What Are You Trying To Do?"

Here's just the song to relax you right before going to bed. Click the arrow and listen and go all mellow. Soooo soothing - music to meditate by.



Video from YouTube.
Picture from BabyTimeOnline.

Housebuilding - New Orleans

Splotchy from I, Splotchy made his second trip to New Orleans to work with Habitat for Humanity on building houses in Musicians Village.

Hurricanes Katrina and Rita forced many musicians to flee New Orleans. Jazz, blues, and other genres that are the city's musical score, cannot return until the musicians return, and many have lost their homes. Habitat for Humanity International and New Orleans Area Habitat for Humanity, working with Harry Connick Jr. and Branford Marsalis, honorary chairs of Operation Home Delivery, seek to change this. Plans were announced Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2005 for a "Musicians' Village."

The Musicians' Village, conceived by Connick and Marsalis, will consist of 72 single-family, Habitat-constructed homes for displaced New Orleans musicians and other qualifying Habitat partner families. Its centerpiece will be the Ellis Marsalis Center for Music, dedicated to the education and development of homeowners and others who will live nearby. On January 9, 2006 NOAHH acquired eight acres of land in the Upper 9th Ward where the core area of the Musicians' Village will be located. Construction began in March 2006 and as of December 2007 70 single family homes are either complete or under construction! In addition to the homes in the Musicians' Village core site, NOAHH owns and is building on an additional 70 lots in the surrounding Upper 9th Ward neighborhood.

It's lovely that Splotchy worked in Musicians Village! Harry Connick, Jr. is donating part of the proceeds from his latest CD, "Oh, My Nola", to benefit the village. I am hugely grateful to anyone who helps in any way with the recovery in New Orleans. Much has been accomplished, but there is still so much left to do.

Here's what I said in the comments at Splotchy's blog:

Grandmère Mimi said...

Splotchy, thank you, thank you, thank you! I am a native New Orleanian, but I have not lived there for a long time. I live only an hour away, so I visit often. I am so very grateful to anyone who goes to work to help rebuild New Orleans.

I worked with a group from First Draft blog and college students from Elon University gutting a house last April. The picture of the FD group is the second down on the left sidebar at the blog. That was before we started to work and were still clean. It was hard work, but what a great group of folks I worked with. I'd say building is better than gutting. It's shit work, but someone had to do it. How exciting that you got to work in Musicians Village.

I'm going to link to this post and "borrow" a picture, as Fran did, if you don't mind. Again, I extend my heartfelt gratitude to you for helping in the place that is still the home of my heart.
December 26, 2007 9:27 PM

I'm a-beggin' and I'm a-sellin' like I never did before, but the causes are all good, I promise.

Picture "borrowed" from Splotchy.

Thanks to Fran for the link to Splotchy's post.

UPDATE: You must, you absolutely must go read Splotchy on the "Food, Drink, Music" part of his trip to New Orleans.

Bishop Jenkins Explains

Episcopal Life has a good story on Bishop Jenkins' advocacy for the tenants of public housing in New Orleans.

"I have come to think that the theological virtue of love is the basis for the baptismal covenant question which asks: 'will you strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being?'," Jenkins wrote in his December 20 web log entry about how agape love has informed his involvement. "We are called to love others as God loves others and ourselves. We are called to seek for others God's perfect end. The Christian is not only to love neighbor as self, but as best we can, to love our neighbor as God loves them.

"This means that there are no disposable lives, no subspecies of human upon whom we may look down but that all posses a certain, God-given, dignity in life. This frames the moral issue that I feel compelled to address as a Christian. There is a direct connection between our current homeless population in New Orleans and the thirty thousand families and individuals living in FEMA travel trailers all of whom shall soon be evicted even from those formaldehyde soaked boxes. I am concerned about our homeless situation now and concerned about what I think may be a looming human tragedy in the near future.
....

"As a Christian," wrote Jenkins to the Council, "I am compelled to speak of the morality of these decisions. The issue is not simply one of housing or even subsidized housing. Rather, the issue before us is about people, not buildings, and it is primarily a moral issue."

Unfortunately, the New Orleans City Council voted to move ahead with demolition of public housing units, despite the present scarcity of affordable houses and apartments for those who have the least. The plea from Bishop Jenkins and others was for, at the very least, a delay in the removal of existing housing until the new housing units were completed - which could take as long as five years. I don't know where the folks presently living in the housing units will go when they are evicted from their apartments.

It seems I'm always begging, but if you have spare money after Christmas has ravaged your budget, You may want to consider a donation to Bundles of Hope at the site of the Diocese of Louisiana.

This Christmas, give a lasting and meaningful gift to your family, friends, co-workers, and clients. Give the gift of hope to many still in need in New Orleans. Honor family and friends, and help the diocese with its rebuilding efforts at the same time.

Simply purchase one or more online (or mail in a check), and print out your honor card to mail to your friends and family. It's that simple! Of course, if you need help and don't have access to a printer, call us (225-706-6634) and we will be glad to help. Thank you for supporting the rebuilding and recovery of a great American city.

Remember. It's still Christmas.

Another Corner Turned

According to Iraq Coalition Casualty Count 3900 US troops have been killed in Iraq, and the number of wounded stands at 38,876. 132 have died of self-inflicted wounds.

I keep count of the rounding of the hundreds of those who have died. Violence in Iraq has diminished of late. I pray the trend downward continues.

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let light perpetual shine upon them. May they rest in peace. Amen

O Lord, I pray that you give comfort and consolation to the families and friends of the dead and to the wounded and their families and friends. Give them healing in body, mind, and spirit. Grant them strength and courage to continue their lives, and give them your peace that passes understanding to keep their minds and hearts. Amen.

$6229.51

Above is the amount which has been collected for the Anglican Church of Christ the King, located in the City of God, one of the poorest and most violent slums in Rio de Janiero. Our virtual friend Luiz Coelho, a candidate for the Anglican priesthood, worked for nearly a year with the children of the City of God.

From Fr. Eduardo Costa:

These are some of our City of God children singing at Most Holy Trinity (which is the other parish I serve). We had a joint Christmas celebration. Please note that the song they sang is already part of the donation that some of you sent to us. With the first offerings, we bought several songbooks and mass settings for children.

The video of the children singing is here.

Please consider making a donation to this excellent cause. The appeal will continue until January 6, 2008. A PayPal button is at the same site, or if you prefer to make a donation by check, mailing addresses are below:

In the U.K. cheques (made payable to "St. Francis Church") should be sent to:

CITY OF GOD APPEAL,
St. Francis House
18 Cotswold Gardens
High Heaton
Newcastle Upon Tyne
NE7 7AE

Please write "City Of God Appeal" on the reverse of the cheque.

In the United States, cheques (made payable to "The Episcopal Church of St. Paul") should be sent to:

CITY OF GOD APPEAL
c/o The Reverend Elizabeth Kaeton
The Episcopal Church of St. Paul
200 Main Street
Chatham, NJ 07928

Please write "City Of God Appeal" on the front of the check.