FEAST DAY OF JOHN XXIII

Pope John XXIII was expected to be a transitional pope because of his age when he was elected. Instead, he threw open the windows of the Roman Catholic Church to air out the fustiness and called the Second Vatican Council to renew the church. Sadly, it seems that the present pope and his predecessor, John Paul II, have closed a good many of the windows that St John XXIII opened and reversed much of the renewal - more's the pity.

I remember how many of us in the RCC were caught up in joyful anticipation of what was to come. Then, John XXIII died, but we still hoped that the work that he'd begun would continue. With the publication of the papal encyclical Humanae Vitae, our hopes were dashed.

A couple of quotes from the gentle Pope John:

Consult not your fears but your hopes and your dreams. Think not about your frustrations, but about your unfulfilled potential. Concern yourself not with what you tried and failed in, but with what it is still possible for you to do.
....

It often happens that I wake up at night and begin to think about a serious problem and decide I must tell the Pope about it. Then I wake up completely and remember that I am the Pope.

PRAYER

Lord of all truth and peace, you raised up your bishop John to be servant of the servants of God and gave him wisdom to call for the work of renewing your Church: Grant that, following his example, we may reach out to other Christians to clasp them with the love of your Son, and labor throughout the nations of the world to kindle a desire for justice and peace; through Jesus Christ, who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

PRAY FOR THE TRAVELERS

O God, our heavenly Father, whose glory fills the whole creation, and whose presence we find wherever we go: Preserve those who travel, in particular, my son and his children, as they head off for a week's vacation, and it's margaret, as she begins a long journey; surround them with your loving care; protect them from every danger; and bring them in safety to their journey’s end; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

TWO DOGS DINING

All right, visitors, the video is long for bloggers' attention spans at over six minutes, but, once you start watching, I believe you won't be able to stop. I was hooked within a few seconds.

No blame here; only thanks to Doug.

GOOD-BYE MATT

From the Washington Post:

James Arness, who presided over the frontier town of Dodge City as television’s most enduring western hero, the laconic, fair-minded and incorruptible Marshal Matt Dillon of the two-decade-long series “Gunsmoke,” died June 3 at his home in Los Angeles at 88. The cause of death was not reported.

Mr. Arness, who was a rugged 6-foot-7, stood tall in the dusty streets of Dodge City, Kan., portraying a U.S. marshal whose badge represented more than just the force of law. He was the embodiment of quiet moral authority, a sensitive arbiter of conflict in a rough-and-ready cow town — “Gomorrah of the plains, they call it,” as he said in the show’s first episode. Only when pushed to the limit would Marshal Dillon pull his six-gun from its holster.

"Gunsmoke" was a must-watch TV show for me for years, and the characters, Matt, Miss Kitty, Doc, Chester, and Festus were were fond members of my extended family living at a distance in time and place in the "Gomorrah of the plains".

His relationship with Miss Kitty developed to the point that they shared a kiss during one episode in 1973. They never married, though, and the social order of Dodge City remained intact.

After the kiss, Matt should have married Miss Kitty to keep her reputation intact instead of being concerned with the social order, don't you think?

Guys, take note: Matt was tough and sensitive.

R.I.P., James. You brought many of us pleasure for a long time, and your character, Matt, taught us how to live. I like to think that there was more than a little of you in Matt.

"I'M IN CHARGE 'ERE!" 'E SAYS

I am the very model of the focus of great unity

I say who is to be a bishop vis-à-vis who's not to be

And when four-thirty's come and gone with tea and crumpets for each one

I read a little Johnny Donne and give thanks for impunity



I'm very well acquainted, too, with matters theological

With books and thoughts from Genesis to Greek eschatalogical

You'll never find a brighter mind just knocking 'round and killing time

The Pauline corpus whole is mine - that's why I'm Christological



Yet even with so fine a grasp on life-behind philosophy

I'll write a poem, make a vid, and burn it all to DVD

I've yet to have a thought that wasn't captured without modesty

And posted up to interwebs in matters most postmodernly



This purple cassock hides a frame that's wracked with years of self-regret

Perhaps I'd show you after ten, but not until just then, you bet

I'd like to quote 'The Body's Grace' and get along with homophiles

But unity comes with a price and Lambeth is my domicile



Because the Thames, so fast and deep, so easily o'erflows its banks

And we have all these partnerships the world around, and we give thanks

To God the Father in whose name we obfuscate and place the blame

And dare not speak the love whose fame incites us all to spank the Yanks



Who even now would like to say that what they said and what they meant

Were justice-born and justice-done and no great cause for gross lament

When some elect and some consent, it's democratic government

So let's get on our knees, repent, and sign up for the Covenant



Yet there's a place for each and all at God's communion table

And I am called an Instrument to say that we are able

If we could only change the tide and Unity could take a ride

And Faith and Order lay aside ... Perhaps it's just a fable

Lyrics by TOTALLY ANONYMOUS.

I know you know, but think Pirates of Penzance for the tune.

Don't blame me for the Photoshop. Blame MadPriest.

PRAYERS PLEASE

Original request: Molly is only 10 years old but went into congestive heart failure today -- prayers for healing.

Update: The news on Molly isn't good. We will probably loose her tonight. It is cancer & she is bleeding internally. We will probably put her to sleep so she doesn't suffer.

Molly lives with a friend of Ann Fontaine.

Ann also asked for prayers for another friend who is undergoing tests for possible tumors.

Molly is so beautiful. May she have a peaceful passing. May God give comfort and consolation to all who love her.

May Ann's friend receive a good report from the doctors after the tests.

PRAYER REQUEST FROM DAVID@MONTREAL

dear beloved Giants:

before anything else, I'd ask for your ongoing prayers for our cherished sister Kirsten. as you can read in a post on Kirsten's blog by her primary caregiver Andee Barefoot and Laughing. there are now concrete needs in addition to our prayers which are required, and any of you- extraordinary beings that you are- who know of any possible resources..... well you know what to do.

i'd also ask for traveling mercies for our cherished margaret. margaret is about to take a sabbatical month away from her parish in Virginia to visit the Great Leonardo (another radiant Episcopalian, an awesomely talented artist and articulate gay man) living a life of real grace in Guatemala.

traveling mercies this week-end for Christopher also please

i'd ask your prayers please for the repose of my very dear friend and former colleague Louyse, and for the comfort of her family. shortly after my project and employment were cut for financial reasons at the university, Louyse underwent major brain surgery, to remove a large tumor, and essentially since then she has been living with the challenging outcome. a truly beautiful soul of amazing integrity and generosity, Louyse had both the courage and grace to embrace and to live beyond the woundedness of her past and loved nothing more than to invest in the future of her students.

So, beloved giants, you know what to do.

DR KEVORKIAN'S WORK CONTINUES

From The Borowitz Report:

Paul Ryan Vows to Continue Kevorkian’s Work

Medicare to be Replaced with ‘Kevouchers’

Read the rest and more funnies at the link.

OLD COMPUTER, NEW COMPUTER

We are looking to buy a new desktop computer. The store where we had decided to buy the computer promised they would transfer my material from the old desktop to the new and clean the old computer for Grandpère to use. He doesn't do nearly as much on the computer as I do, and the old computer cleaned of my stuff should serve him well.

Well, it turns out that the store cannot do all that they promised, because the employees are only salesmen and not technicians. So we took our old computer back home and, by a miracle, I managed to get the plugs in the right place and get the old computer up and running again.

Now, I'm not sure I will purchase a computer from the store, and I will definitely need someone to do the transfer, because I do not want to lose what I have on my drive in an effort to do it myself. Please do not offer do-it-yourself advice to make the transfer, because I will not even try. Grandpère knows nothing about computers, so he's no help at all.

This post as a whine. Consider it not worth reading but simply as a diary post where I vented my frustration - top secret, for my eyes only.

UPDATE: The good news is that I believe I can set up the new computer on my own. I'll see about the rest.

SHORT STORY OF THE DAY

Wolves were closing in on a mother skunk and her family and there was no place for them to hide.

As the wolves came closer, the mother skunk said,
"We will form a circle, dear children, and let us spray."

I've already asked Doug to leave the stage.