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Maundy Thursday
Tomorrow is already Good Friday, and what a wonder it is to be this far along in the year already. Our weather has been quite warm, and we had to actually break down and put on the air conditioning last night after the sun baked the house all day long. I am enjoying the lack of pain in the joints, but I will confess that both Mrs. Orr and I sleep better in the colder weather. We both tossed and turned a lot last night due to the closeness of the room, even though we did have the fan on. It’s supposed to be cooler the next three days, and…
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Columbus Day
Ho-hum, another dead white male who exploited and killed the gentle, prosperous peoples he encountered on his greedy voyages, right? Christopher Columbus explicitly and repeatedly averred his devotion to Christ and his desire to bring the gospel to the heathen lands to which he sailed, but since no “historian” alive today could believe in something as tiresome as the claims of Christ and His Church, Columbus must have been motivated by a lust for gold and plunder. That’s the way we hear it, right? As for me, I say God bless the memory of Christopher Columbus and his deeds. I feel a kinship with him because I am a member…
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Small Mysteries, Large Voices, Small Mention
Behold — I shew you a mystery. We have several hummingbird feeders in our yards, some of them mounted on metal shepherd’s hooks. We’ve learned that the only hummingbird feeders worth having are the ones with a water dam in the top, a sort of cup that holds water and keeps ants from getting onto the feeder. I have to keep careful watch on the feeders, replenishing the water in the dams because it not only evaporates, but also because some of the smaller songbird will drink the water in the tops of the feeders. The other day I must have missed checking on one of the feeders, because when…
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On the Feast of St. Scholastica, Virgin of the Church
Out in the back yard with the dogs this morning, I saw that most of the snow has melted, leaving just a scattering of white patches around the land. I knelt and poked one of the patches with my finger. It seemed to be made of tiny glass beads, and it yielded and melted beneath my touch. The day is supposed to be mild and cloudy, and the earth around our farm will probably be completely bare of snow by the time I return home tonight. But more is forecast for a few days from now. We have certainly gotten our share of winter in the mountains this year. Arriving…
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Your Own Grace
God is working on you in order that you may no longer be a child, tossed about by every wind, a prey to external influences. He has given you your own grace, your own nature (insofar as it is good), your own distinctive character. You are therefore required to be yourself and not anyone else. Live according to your own nature; inwardly without restriction; outwardly in so far as external conditions permit. I would compare you to a sailor; he has no doubt as to the port for which he is making and if he is obliged to tack, it is in order to make his port. It is not…