A Word With Roseann

Earlier today, I spoke with Roseann. She sounded good. When I asked her how she was feeling, she said, "I feel peaceful. It's indescribable, but I feel peaceful." I heard a trace of amazement in her voice as she spoke the words. Roseann wants to spend as much time with Gary as possible, but she will take phone calls and read email.

We talked about God working through technology to form loving, prayerful communities. Sue and I "met" through Roseann, and none of us would have "met" but for Jonathan's blog, OCICBW. I don't know if Roseann will read these words, and I hope that I'm not projecting too much of myself into them, but, as we talked, I felt the loving presence of God and a sense of awe. I believe that Roseann is in a state of special grace and that all of us who love Roseann and pray for her are bound together in that grace.

I know that you will continue your prayers for Roseann and Gary.

Roseann's email address is

revamundo (at) gmail (dot) com

What To Look For In 2012

Har-de-har-har. Ain't those Fox farts folks a riot?

"The internet is a-buzz..."? First I hear of it. So Obama is polite. Yes, that has to be hilarious to the Faux News folks.

Video from TPM.

UPDATE: From Paul (A.) in the comments comes the corrective to Obama's "unprecedented bowing" from Media Matters showing and telling of Nixon's bowing - and bowing, and bowing, and bowing to Emperor Hirohito.

"What I Want In A Bishop"

I wish that I'd written the following words, but they are from Ormonde at Through the Dust. He speaks what is in my heart as to what I want in the next bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana far better than I could ever say it.


In the diocese of Louisiana we’re getting ready to elect a new bishop on December 5. There have been walkabouts and talkabouts. We have heard from and met the six guys (all white and married with children). Once more here are my goals (somewhat revised) for the next bishop:

1. A bishop who has the three essential qualifications of leadership: wisdom, piety, and courage.
As Robert Hovda once said about the presider in liturgy, he needs to be strong, loving, and wise.

2. A bishop who is chief pastor of all the people of the diocese, not of any single party, theological persuasion, or social group.
That includes those who are poor and oppressed and whose voices are seldom heard.

3. A bishop who embraces collegiality with the presbyters and deacons of the diocese.
Before making major decisions, he needs to ask others what they think about it and then pay serious attention to what they say.

4. A bishop who conforms to the doctrine, discipline, and worship of The Episcopal Church, as set forth in our Book of Common Prayer and Constitution and Canons.
Even when our doctrine, discipline, and worship differ from those of other churches of the Anglican Communion, our vows concern this church alone and no other church.

5.A bishop who participates joyfully and enthusiastically in the life of The Episcopal Church.
We don't want a cynical joker (like some others in the old Confederacy) who drops threats that he might lead us out of our church or withdraw from the work of our church.

I'm closing the comments here. If you wish to comment, please go to Ormonde's blog.

Feast Of St. Margaret Of Scotland

Interior of Lady Margaret's Chapel on the grounds of Edinburgh Castle.

Margaret of Scotland, a Saxon, was born in Hungry, in the mid-11th century, during her father's exile after a Danish invasion of England. She was the niece of Edward the Confessor, and upon his death, her brother, Edgar, decided to make a claim to the English throne. Margaret returned to England with him.

However, William the Conqueror invaded and conquered England, and Margaret's family fled. Their ship wrecked on the Scottish coast, and King Malcolm III Canmore of Scotland gave them refuge and eventually married Margaret.

Queen Margaret was known for her piety and good works amongst the sick and the poor. She was a friend to monastics and welcomed the Benedictines to Scotland to establish monasteries there.

Hostilities between the Scots and the English continued off and on, and during the reign of William Rufus, the Conquerer's son, both Malcolm and their son, Edward, were killed in battle.

Margaret was already ill at the time of the battle, and she died four days after their deaths, on November 16, 1093 - some say partly from a broken heart.


READINGS:

Psalm 112:1-9
Deuteronomy 15:7-11
2 John 1-9
Luke 4:16-22a


PRAYER

O God, who called your servant Margaret to an earthly throne that she might advance your heavenly kingdom, and gave her zeal for your church and love for your people: Mercifully grant that we who commemorate her this day may be fruitful in good works, and attain to the glorious crown of your saints; though Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen



Exterior view of Lady Margaret's Chapel.

When I toured Edinburgh Castle, I visited Lady Margaret's Chapel. Tradition holds that she prayed there, but that seems not to be so, as the chapel was, quite likely, built after her death. Nevertheless, it's a lovely place. I'm partial to small chapels, especially Norman chapels, and this one is a delight.

Information for this brief account of Margaret's life was taken from the website of the University of Pittsburgh and from the Catholic Forum and reposted with minor editing from Nov. 2007.

Image at the head of the post from Queen Margaret of Scotland Girls School Association.

Lower image from Edinburgh Castle - Royal Mile.

UPDATE: For a fuller and more excellent account of Margaret's life, see Tim Chesterton's sermon at To See and to Follow. Next year on the feast day, I'll simply copy and paste the sermon and give Tim the credit.

Please Pray For Toujoursdan

From Dan at Culture choc:

Drug resistant

I had to go back to emergency last night. My wound had reinfected, my heart rate was high and I was running a 100.2F fever. They checked for type 2 diabetes and my blood sugar was high but not in the diabetic range. The infection may be drug resistant. A nurse will be coming by to check on me and change my packing each day for the next week.

I will also have to postpone my trip to Argentina. Please keep me in your thoughts, prayers and good wishes.


O God, the strength of the weak and the comfort of sufferers: Mercifully accept our prayers, and grant to your servant Dan the help of your power, that his sickness may be turned into health, and our sorrow into joy; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

(Book of Common Prayer, p. 458)

A Great Day In Fort Worth

This evening, the Reverend Susan Slaughter was the first woman ever to be ordained a priest in the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth since the diocese was formed in 1983. To put into context what a joyful and momentous day this is, consider the history of the the diocese:

The Diocese of Fort Worth was formed from the western part of the Diocese of Dallas, in part out of opposition to the ordination of women to the priesthood. The founding bishop, A. Donald Davies, and both his successors, Clarence C. Pope and Jack L. Iker, all left the Episcopal Church over women's ordination. Under those bishops, women feeling called to the priesthood either had to give up their call or leave the diocese to be ordained elsewhere. At least fifteen women have done so—and all have been invited "home" for the ordination.

Thanks to Fr. Jake, I picked up the streaming video of the ordination just before the reading of the Gospel. What a beautiful and moving ceremony.

From the Rev. Slaughter:

"It is with a deep sense of awe in the mysterious ways of our Lord that I arrive at this moment. I am filled with gratitude toward those persons, lay and clergy, who have encouraged and supported me over the years. St. Luke's in the Meadow has been especially supportive and has helped me discern more clearly my true vocation," she said.

The Rev. Slaughter will be the rector of St. Lukes in the Meadow and will be the first female to hold the position of rector of a parish in the Diocese of Fort Worth.

Read her story at the diocesan website.

Congratulations and blessings to Susan and to the Diocese of Fort Worth upon their new beginning.

H/T to Fr. Jake.

Roseann And Myron - From Sue

Hi June,

I finally connected with Roseann this afternoon. We had been playing phone tag since Wednesday, and I finally sent her a FB message and she responded.

She sounded good. She did tell me she had fallen and hurt her wrist. It's not broken but she said it hurt like a sumbitch.

She also told me that it is still okay for people to call, but if you get Gary's voice mail be sure to leave a message, or try calling again. Remember she can't get to the phone to quickly so be patient.

She wants to spend as much time with Gary as she can, but visitors are welcome, just remember she tires easily and may tell them that she needs to rest.

It was a brief conversation, but I feel as if I've know her all my life, so it was two old friends shooting the breeze.

Then, I went to see my brother [Myron] this afternoon after messing around in my flower beds and planting pansies. He seemed good and my sister-in-law told me there is some movement in his left leg and he was up and moving with his therapist on Friday. That is with a lot of help. Nonetheless the leg seems to be responding. He seems to have an increase in his appetite, so he is making some forward progress. He goes for some tests tomorrow, but the neurologist canceled his appointment. Damn!

I hope you've had a wonderful day. The weather has cleared today and it was a spectacular day here. More weather is on the way, however.

Blessings to you,

Sue

With Minnie In Connecticut

This is Minnie, the Jack Russell terrier. She lives in Connecticut with our old friends, Ginnie and Hugh and their son Andrew. Both Tom and I were in their wedding in Mobile, Alabama, 40 something years ago. We moved away to different places and then moved again and lost touch with each other for many years. Several years ago, I searched for them on the internet and found them. Since then, we've kept in touch and visited back and forth to our great enjoyment, and, I hope, to theirs.

On her back, Minnie has a brown mark that looks just like - not Jesus, not Mary - but Minnie Mouse! Can you see it? It's a Disney miracle!



Minnie loved me, and curled up beside, and wanted me to pet her all the time. Ginnie told me that after I left she kept going back to the bedroom where I slept to look for me.

Both Tom and Hugh love to fish. Hugh fishes from the banks in freshwaters, rivers and streams, and throws his fish back. Tom fishes both salt-and freshwaters, but from a boat, and he keeps his fish, and we eat his fish. The best month for saltwater fishing here is October. Hugh came to visit earlier in the year, but the weather was wrong, and the fishing was not good. He decided to return in prime time, last month. Tom, Hugh, and my son fished with great success while he was here, and Hugh drove back to Connecticut with frozen Louisiana fish for cooking and eating in Connecticut.

Ginnie could not come to Louisiana because the fall is rehearsal time for the Connecticut Master Chorale, of which Ginnie is a member. The group is in great demand and has performed at Carnegie Hall on several occasions and at the White House in 2002. Their rehearsals are serious business, and the members are strongly advised not to miss, except for the gravest of reasons.

Since Ginnie couldn't come South, she invited me to go North, which I did, combining a trip to Connecticut with a trip to New York and New Jersey, about which I have already written several posts. If you'd care to read them scroll down on the sidebar to "New York and New Jersey" for the links.

The evening that I arrived, Ginnie had a rehearsal, so Hugh and I went out to eat and had a long talk afterwards and solved all the world's problems. Have you noticed that we now live in a problem-free world?

On Wednesday, Hugh left for his drive to Louisiana, and Ginnie and I went to Woodbury, CT, to visit the antique stores. We had a late lunch at Carol Peck's restaurant, the Good News Café. I believe that we both ordered the lobster soup with lobster chunks, and I had the shrimp cilantro scallion and goats cheese Quesadilla avocado fruit and greens salad. The food was fabulous! The restaurant received rave reviews from the food critic at the New York Times more than once. If you are near Woodbury, I highly recommend the restaurant.

Ginnie and I tend to start the day later than we originally plan, because she is a woman after my own heart, one who does not like to be up and out early. Plus, once we start talking, we have so much to say, that we get lost in our conversations, and before we know it, it's noon, and we're not even showered and dressed. There you have it. Half the day spent talking.

On the way to Woodbury, Ginnie drove the curving, country roads. The fall color was not at its height, but there was enough to make the drive lovely. I'd imagine that the roads are scenic almost any time of the year. We couldn't stop along the way to take pictures, because the roads were narrow, winding, and without shoulders. Below is a picture taken in the rear of one of the antique shops in Woodbury, which gives you some idea of what fall color we saw, although in some spots there was quite a bit more of a variety of colors than you see in this photo.



Ginnie's son Andrew just received his masters degree in Irish studies from NYU, and is also a musician, specializing in Irish music. He plays music with other musicians who enjoy Irish music, for the love of it, sometimes for a meal, but most of the time not for pay. He's looking for a job, so if you know of a college or university in the area of southeast Connecticut, or environs, that wants a teacher of Irish studies, let me know, and I'll pass the information on to Andrew.

Andrew and Ginnie were both impressed that I knew something of the music of Kate Rusby and June Tabor, Ginnie has seen Kate perform live twice and Andrew once at the University of Hartford. I am insanely jealous of them. I must give credit to the Anglican priest from across the sea, who is not always kind to me, but who did me a great favor by introducing me to the music of the two wonderful English folk singers.

On Thursday, Ginnie and I headed North to Hyde Park to visit Franklin Roosevelt's home and library, but that is a story for another day.

Please Pray For Kathy And Her Family

From Kathy Jensen on Facebook:

My husband, the Very Rev. James M. Jensen, rector of Grace Church Utica, NY died unexpectedly late this afternoon. We were at an ordination and he had chest pains and we went to the hospital and he did not make it. His aorta ruptured and it was all over. Nothing more I can say now. We are in shock.


Into your hands, O merciful Savior, we commend your servant James. Acknowledge, we humbly beseech you, a sheep of your own fold, a lamb of your own flock, a sinner of your own redeeming. Receive him into the arms of your mercy, into the blessed rest of everlasting peace, and into the glorious company of the saints in light. Amen.

May his soul and the souls of all the departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

----

Grant, O Lord, to all who are bereaved the spirit of faith and courage, that they may have strength to meet the days to come with steadfastness and patience; not sorrowing as those without hope, but in thankful remembrance of your great goodness, and in the joyful expectation of eternal life with those they love. And this we ask in the Name of Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.

Kathy blogs as Klady.

UPDATE: From Kathy Jensen:

Requiem eucharist will be Thursday at 7 p.m. - preceded by in church visitation from 3 - 6 p.m. Grace Church, Utica, NY.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Grace Church Music Fund or the Society of St. Margaret – Haiti.

Michelangelo's Pietà

Counterlight begins a series of posts on St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. He hasn't yet come to Michelangelo's Pietà, but I thought I'd take a sneak preview. The sculpture is beautiful almost beyond human capacity to imagine. I could not look at it long enough and had to finally tear myself away. The work is breathtaking in the literal sense of the word.

I'm eagerly anticipating Doug's future posts on St. Peter's. His blog is like a free university class by a distinguished professor, and I'm most thankful for his time and efforts and the wonderful results.