O SAPIENTIA

Antiphon sung by the Dominican student brothers at Blackfriars in Oxford.

December 17

O Wisdom that comest out of the mouth of the Most High,
that reachest from one end to another,
and orderest all things mightily and sweetly,
come to teach us the way of prudence!


O Sapientia, quæ ex ore Altissimi prodiisti,
attingens a fine usque ad finem, fortiter
suaviterque disponens omnia:
veni ad docendum nos viam prudentiæ.
____________________

Isaiah 11:2-3

The spirit of the Lord shall rest on him,
the spirit of wisdom and understanding,
the spirit of counsel and might,
the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.
His delight shall be in the fear of the Lord.

He shall not judge by what his eyes see,
or decide by what his ears hear;
_____________________


In the Sarum [Anglican] use, all eight antiphons are used, beginning on December 16 and ending on the 23, leading up to the First Mass of Christmas, the Eve of December 24. In the Roman use, the observance begins on December 17, but only the first seven antiphons are used, and the observance ends, as with the Sarum use, on December 23.

Reposted with slight editing from last year, and the year before, and.... Rather than think of the reposts as due to laziness, please regard them as Wounded Bird traditions. Thank you. And I know it's not 2006, but enjoy anyway.

Text of the antiphon from Fish Eaters. Fish Eaters is a Roman Catholic website, which begins the antiphons on December 17.

At Speaking to the Soul at the Episcopal Café, Vicki Black posted a lovely meditation on today's "O" from Praying the O Antiphons of Advent by Mary Winifred.

BLAKE EDWARDS AND HIS GREAT GREAT DANE

Blake Edwards, a writer and director who was hailed as a Hollywood master of screwball farces and rude comedies like “Victor/Victoria” and the “Pink Panther” movies, died Wednesday night in Santa Monica, Calif. He was 88.

An anecdote from Edwards life:

A lifelong depressive, Mr. Edwards told The New York Times in 2001 that at one point his depression was so bad that he became “seriously suicidal.” After deciding that shooting himself would be too messy and drowning too uncertain, he decided to slit his wrists on the beach at Malibu while looking at the ocean. But while he was holding a two-sided razor, his Great Dane started licking his ear, and his retriever, eager for a game of fetch, dropped a ball in his lap. Trying to get the dog to go away, Mr. Edwards threw the ball, dropped the razor and dislocated his shoulder. “So I think to myself,” he said, “this just isn’t a day to commit suicide.” Trying to retrieve the razor, he stepped on it and ended up in the emergency room.

A harlequin Great Dane

No, this is not Blake Edwards' Great Dane. The photo is from Wikipedia.

Anecdote from the New York Times.

Thanks to Ann for the link to the story.

PLEASE PRAY...

UPDATE: From Ormonde:

I have been seriously ill the last month and a half, first with gall bladder (resulting in a long stay at Ochsner Hospital and eventually surgery), then with bladder failure. While at Ochsner I had atrial fibrillation and was shocked out of it (none of which I can remember), and now I am catheterizing myself several times a day to empty the bladder. What a mess is old age!

And who's the patron saint of bladders? I need to appeal to the guy.

The closest I can come is this list of patron saints for kidney disease:

Benedict of Nursia
Drogo
Aelred
Margaret of Antioch
Ursus of Aosta
Ursus of Ravenna

From Margaret:

Okay --off to the hospital to visit Joel. I went last night before I came home, and he was having trouble breathing. Poor guy --he hasn't been in a bed since Monday --because when he lays down, he can't breathe at all. They have him on oxygen and all that stuff.
....

And, hey everbuddy! --HE'S HOME!!!! They sent him home with me despite the snow --or maybe because of it!!! He's home!!!!

From Counterlight:

Ma Latest

Talked to Ma very very briefly over the phone today. She recognized me and asked how I was. I said, "fine and how are you!" She replied, "feeling strange," and then said something about the nurse coming in and hung up. I talked to my brother who said that now the doctors are not sure she even had a stroke. They now think the dizziness may have been caused by a drop in her blood pressure, which apparently is still low. They think the memory loss and disorientation may be more from the head injury. They don't know if she'll ever completely recover her short term memory and former mental function, but they do expect that she will recover about 90% of it. She is still in the hospital trying to build her strength back up for rehabilitation.
Very confusing.

I made it into work today. I gave a final exam and graded it in my nice warm office. I hope our apartment is nice a cozy again when I go home presently.

Please continue to pray for Counterlight, who has himself been ill.

From David@Montreal:

Just a quick note to let you know that dear Rosemary entered eternal life last evening.

As tiny as she was physically, dear Rosemary was a giant in her passionate determination to beat her cancer so as to see her two sons make it to adulthood.
I ask your prayers for Rosemary husband David, their two sons, Rosemary's mother, two brothers and her sister.

I would also ask your prayers for my baby sister Jenny, who for close to two years was Rosemary's chief ally in keeping things as normal as possible and getting her to treatments and appointments.

The last time I saw Rosemary we spoke of the prayers which were accompanying her, and she asked about each of you- it was important to know each of you by name,

Jacques continues to be palliative, though there has been some slight rallying, just in time for my niece Marion and her daughter to make it back from the Gaspe
....

and I'd ask your prayers this evening for a young girl of only six years old, flown down south after being gravely attacked by four sled dog in her settlement- the dear child is litterally fighting for her life

Frank & Carol send their thanks and love- and he wants you all to know he is very much aware of the role you all played with your love and the support of your prayers in the fact that he will be here again this Chirstmas

Thank-you my cherished giants

love always-always Love

David

"JOY HAS COME TO THIS SEASON"

So says Susan S.:

My son and his fiance Carly are getting married tomorrow in Sycamore IL (1:00 PM CDT). We are very excited at the prospect of having a Daughter-in-law and a Granddaughter named Zoe, the sweetest 6 year-old in the world!

Susan, we rejoice with you and and your family, and we pray for God's blessing upon David and Carly as they begin their journey as husband and wife together with their daughter Zoe.

"May these vows and this marriage be blessed.
May it be sweet milk,this marriage, like wine and halvah.
May this marriage offer fruit and shade like the date palm.
May this marriage be full of laughter,
your every day a day in paradise.
May this marriage be a sign of compassion,
a seal of happiness here and hereafter.
May this marriage have a fair face and a good name,
an omen as welcomes the moon in a clear blue sky.
I am out of words to describe how spirit mingles in this marriage."

(Poem by Mawlawi Rumi)

Susan sends a link to this song: Eric Whitacre: This Marriage & Lux aurumque.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JANE AUSTEN!

From the Guardian:

Google's home page is festooned today with a doodle to celebrate the 235th birthday of novelist Jane Austen. A Regency couple – most likely the novelist's most celebrated characters, Mr Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet from Pride and Prejudice – are pictured taking a stroll through the English countryside, eyeing each other rather coyly, in the illustration on the search engine's site.

Not my Google! The festoon is pictured above for those who are not honored with its presence.

Often represented as a "romantic" writer, Austen's books in fact contain much comic but biting social satire, and reflections on the chances and choices of women whose options in life are severely limited. Accusations by Oxford professor Kathryn Sutherland earlier this autumn that her famously crisp prose style owed as much to her editor William Gifford as to her own talents have been rebuffed by other Janeites, leaving her reputation as the queen of elegant prose unsullied.

No named muse for writers of prose exists with the exception of Clio, the muse of history, but my muse for my prose is Jane Austen, who was a major influence in my high school years and for the rest of my rather long life. She was then, and will always be for me, the "queen of elegant prose". That's not to compare my writing with Jane's writing, but to say that her prose is my ideal.

Today, I haven't had time to do justice to Jane's birthday celebration, but here's the link to Jane Austen and Irony, which I wrote three years ago, if you'd care to read more.

"DINE TO DONATE" FOR ST. MATTHEW'S CHURCH

Click on the images for the larger view.

If any of you live near Thibodaux or Houma or will be passing through, you may want to kill two birds, as they say, and have a meal at That Place! on a Wednesday and, at the same time, help with the rebuilding of St. Matthew's Episcopal Church and School. The church was completely destroyed by fire, and the fire spread to part of the school.

Here's the link to make a donation to St. Matthew's to help the congregation rebuild their church.

TEXTING FOR SENIORS

Since more and more Seniors are texting and tweeting there appears to be a need for a STC (Senior Texting Code). If you qualify for Senior Discounts this is the code for you: Please pass this on to your CHILDREN and Grandchildren so they can understand your texts.

ATD: At The Doctor's
BFF: Best Friend Farted
BTW: Bring The Wheelchair
BYOT: Bring Your Own Teeth
CBM: Covered By Medicare
CGU: Can't get up
CUATSC: See You At The Senior Center
DWI: Driving While Incontinent
FWB: Friend With Beta Blockers
FWIW: Forgot Where I Was
FYI: Found Your Insulin
GGPBL: Gotta Go, Pacemaker Battery Low!
GHA: Got Heartburn Again
HGBM: Had Good Bowel Movement
IMHO: Is My Hearing-Aid On?
LMDO: Laughing My Dentures Out
LOL: Living On Lipitor
LWO: Lawrence Welk's On
OMMR: On My Massage Recliner
OMSG: Oh My! Sorry, Gas.
PIMP: Pooped in my pants
ROFL... CGU: Rolling On The Floor Laughing... And Can't Get Up
SGGP: Sorry, Gotta Go Poop
TTYL: Talk To You Louder
WAITT: Who Am I Talking To?
WTFA: Wet The Furniture Again
WTP: Where's The Prunes?
WWNO: Walker Wheels Need Oil
GLKI (Gotta Go, Laxative Kicking In)

Thanks to Ann. I'm still laughing.

JUST BECAUSE....

The Madonna and Child with Two Angels - Sandro Botticelli
Museo Nazionale di Capodimonte, Naples..

Mary’s Song of Praise

And Mary said,
‘My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour,
for he has looked with favour on the lowliness of his servant.
Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
for the Mighty One has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
His mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.
He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.
He has brought down the powerful from their thrones,
and lifted up the lowly;
he has filled the hungry with good things,
and sent the rich away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
according to the promise he made to our ancestors,
to Abraham and to his descendants for ever.’

(Luke 1:46-55)

Just because I love Botticelli's Madonna paintings, and just because I love Mary's magnificent prayer of praise and thanksgiving to God, The Magnificat, was reason enough for me to give you this.

And then these words came to me:

O Blessed One

Mother of God, O holy one,
Inside your body, the Word made flesh,
As an infant suckled at your breast.
The God-child, cared for gently, lovingly,
Grew in wisdom and in grace.

Mother of God, what did you know?
Were you sad? Were you fearful?
Midst the joy of family life,
Did you feel a piercing in your heart?
O blessed Mary, pray for us, sinners all.

June Butler - 7/17/07

Reposted from July 2007 just because....

Image from Wikipedia.

BOROWITZ REPORT PERSON OF THE YEAR

Borowitz Report Names its Person of the Year

Alaska Governor Sarah Palin

NEW YORK (The Borowitz Report) – The Borowitz Report has named Sarah Palin its Person of the Year.

And the year is 1641.

Happy Holidays from The Borowitz Report!

Share this greeting with someone you love here.

From The Borowitz Report.



And I love you, my readers, so I share with you.

NO ANGLICAN COVENANT - TEN REASONS WHY

From Comprehensive Unity, the No Anglican Covenant blog:

TEN REASONS WHY THE PROPOSED ANGLICAN COVENANT IS A BAD IDEA

1. The proposed Anglican Covenant would transform a vibrant, cooperative, fellowship of churches into a contentious, centralized aggregation of churches designed to reduce diversity and initiative. The Covenant would institutionalize the “Instruments of Unity” as never before and would give extraordinary power to the newly enhanced Standing Committee.

2. Under the Covenant, churches will be inhibited from undertaking new evangelical or mission initiatives for fear of offending other Communion churches and becoming embroiled in the disciplinary mechanisms set up by the Covenant.

3. The centralization of authority envisioned by the proposed Covenant is cumbersome, costly, and undemocratic. In an era in which power and authority are being distributed in many organizations in order to achieve greater efficiency, responsiveness, and accountability, what has been proposed for the Communion seems out of step with current thinking regarding large organizations.

4. Although the proposed Covenant is offered as a mechanism to achieve unity, its immediate effect is to create divisions. Churches that cannot or will not adopt the Covenant automatically become second-class members of the Communion. The inevitable application of the disciplinary provisions of Section 4 will likely further distinguish between “full” members of the Communion and less-than-full members.

5. The proposed Covenant is dangerously vague. Sections 1–3 of the Covenant, which are seen by many as innocuous, leave much room for divergent interpretations. Section 4 makes it all too easy for any church to “ask questions” about the actions of another, which may then be subjected to unspecified “relational consequences.” There is no sure measure of what behaviour is likely to be acceptable, no checks provided against unreasonable complaints, and no guarantee that “consequences” (i.e., punishments) meted out will be commensurate with the alleged offence.

6. The proposed Covenant runs counter to the gospel imperative of not judging others. It is all too easy for Communion churches to complain about the sins of their sister churches while ignoring or diverting attention from their own failures to live out the Gospel.

7. The proposed Covenant encourages premature ending of debate. Rather than taking the advice of Gamaliel (Acts 5:38–39) and seeing how controversial matters play out, the Covenant evidences an eagerness to “settle” them. This is an unfortunate temptation to which the Communion seems subject. It has too quickly concluded that “homosexual practice” is “incompatible with Scripture” and that adopting the Covenant is “the only way forward,” neither of which is either intuitively obvious or universally agreed upon.

8. The notion that we need to make “forceful” the “bonds of affection” is fundamentally flawed. If we need force and coercion to maintain relationships between Communion churches, there is no true affection, and the very foundation of the proposed Covenant is fraudulent.

9. The proposed “Covenant” seems more like a treaty, contract, or instrument of surrender than a covenant. In the ecclesiastical context, a covenant is usually thought of as an agreement undertaken in joy and in an atmosphere of trust—baptismal and marriage covenants come to mind. The proposed Anglican Covenant, on the other hand, is advanced in an atmosphere of anger, fear, and distrust, and with the threat of dire consequences if it is not adopted.

10. The proposed Covenant is not the only way forward; there are better options. The Anglican Communion would be better served by remaining a single-tier fellowship of churches, allowing disaffected members to leave if they must, while keeping the door open for their return. Any alternative position cedes too much power to those willing to intimidate by threatening to walk away.
________________________________________


It may be helpful to think of the reasons given above in terms of one-word descriptions. The ten reasons describe the Covenant as

Radical

Reactionary

Impractical

Divisive

Vague

Judgemental

Impetuous

Insincere

Misnamed

Suboptimal

The text of the Anglican Communion Covenant may be found here.