Smile

This morning just before Mass an elderly gentleman's phone suddenly began booming the song "Smile". It filled the church as he tried to figure out how to turn it off. He did finally manage to lower the volume, but I could still hear it. Luckily, he got it turned off before Mass began.

I've always liked that song. and a number of people have recorded it, including the best known version by Nat King Cole.

What people may not realize is that  Charlie Chaplin composed the tune.  

He actually composed or helped to compose the music for many of his movies. "Smile" was from Modern Times (1936). 

He did not write the lyrics, however. Those were added by John Turner and Geoffrey Parsons in 1954.

Smile

Music by Charles Chaplin, Lyrics by John Turner and Geoffrey Parsons

Smile, though your heart is aching
Smile, even though it’s breaking
When there are clouds in the sky
you’ll get by
If you smile through your fear and sorrow
Smile and maybe tomorrow
You’ll see the sun come shining through
for you

Light up your face with gladness
Hide every trace of sadness
Although a tear may be ever so near
That’s the time you must keep on trying
Smile what’s the use of crying
You’ll find that life is still worthwhile
If you’ll just
Smile

©Copyright 1954 by Bourne Co. Copyright Renewed All Rights Reserved International Copyright Secured 

Pax et bonum

Busy Over on Substack

As I mentioned previously, I have been trying Substack. I've already posted a number of entries ther. Some of them are new. But some of them are revised posts that I've made here and on the Chesterton blog.

At least over on Substack I might get some attention. And who know, maybe some money eventually.

Pax et bonum

What Are Clerihews?

One of the poetic forms I like is the clerihew; I've been fortunate have more than 50 of them published over the years.

A clerihew is a whimsical, four-line biographical poem invented by Edmund Clerihew Bentley when he was a 16-year-old pupil at St Paul's School in London. One day in science class he created the first clerihew, writing about Humphry Davy:

Sir Humphry Davy
was not fond of gravy.
He lived in the odium
of having discovered sodium.

When this clerihew was later published, he replaced "Was not fond of" by "Abominated".

Soon he and fellow classmates - including G. K. Chesterton - were writing more clerihews. Chesterton also supplied drawings for some of Bentley's clerihews. In 1905 Bentley published his first collection of clerihews, Biography for Beginners, including those Chesterton drawings.

So what are the "rules" for a clerihew?

It is biographical and usually whimsical, poking fun at people, but not in a mean-spirited way.
The lines are irregular in length and meter.
The rhyme scheme is AABB.
The first line contains the subject's name, usually at the end of the line.

The form was especially popular in Great Britain. There have even been clerihew contests. In the U.S., the Society of G. K. Chesterton published a magazine, Gilbert, that features clerihews in each issue. The Society also has a clerihew contest at its annual conference.

It is in that magazine that my clerihews have been published.

One of mine honors Bentley:

E. C. Bentley
evidently
knew just what to do
with a clerihew.

I also wrote about Chesterton:

G. K. Chesterton
would sometimes sit in the sun.
His wife appreciated the cool glade
his shadow made.

Pax et bonum

Substack

I am trying Substack. 

Let's see if it produces any results. Or income,

I'm calling myself "Franciscan Poet" over there. 

We'll see. My posts are listed at this site.

Pax et bonum

Kristin Lavransdatter

One of my goals for this year was to finally read Kristin Lavransdatter by Sigrid Undset. 

The goal has been met, with pleasure.

Although it's a 20th Century novel, it reminded me of the 19th Century novels I like. It has a leisurely pace. The characters are richly portrayed, and are given space to share their confusions and thinking. The plot is linear, but complex. And it explores faith - and temptation - in a realistic way. None of the main characters is "perfect," but they are believable.

I can see why Undset later won the Nobel Prize for Literature. 

I recommend the book, though at more than 1,100 pages (it was originally published a trilogy), set aside some time!

Pax et bonum

The Rosary (Be a Saint)

I began trying to say the Rosary daily a few years ago. I was somewhat successful, though I did miss some days. Lately, I've really been remiss. So one of my spiritual goals this Lent is to get back into the daily habit. 

That means making time for praying, and not getting caught in activities that distract and waste time.

The Rosary is a good spiritual discipline. I need more discipline in my spiritual life.

Over on Substack, which I am joining, I discovered a post from Matt Fradd about saying the Rosary. He compiled quotations from Saints about the Rosary. I recopy the quotations here, but give him full credit!

1. St. Louis de Montfort

"If you say the Rosary faithfully until death, I do assure you that, in spite of the gravity of your sins, you shall receive a never-fading crown of glory. Even if you are on the brink of damnation, even if you have one foot in hell, even if you have sold your soul to the devil, sooner or later you will be converted and will amend your life and save your soul if — and mark well what I say — if you say the Rosary devoutly every day until death for the purpose of knowing the truth and obtaining contrition and pardon for your sins."

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2. St. Padre Pio

"Some people are so foolish that they think they can go through life without the help of the Blessed Mother. Love the Madonna and pray the Rosary, for her Rosary is the weapon against the evils of the world today. All graces given by God pass through the Blessed Mother. You must always hold fast to the Rosary. When you do so, the Blessed Mother will wrap you in her mantle and draw you closer to the Sacred Heart of her Son."

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3. St. John Paul II

"The Rosary, though clearly Marian in character, is at heart a Christocentric prayer. In the sobriety of its elements, it has all the depth of the Gospel message in its entirety, of which it can be said to be a compendium. With the Rosary, the Christian people sit at the school of Mary and are led to contemplate the beauty on the face of Christ and to experience the depths of his love. Through the Rosary the faithful receive abundant grace, as though from the very hands of the Mother of the Redeemer."

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4. St. Dominic

"One day, through the Rosary and the Scapular, Our Lady will save the world. The Rosary is the most powerful weapon to touch the Heart of Jesus, our Redeemer, who loves His Mother. If you wish to reach these hardened souls and win them over to God, preach my Rosary. My dear children, let your heart hold fast to this gift of Our Lady. By this devotion, you shall conquer the enemies of God and draw down abundant graces for the conversion of sinners."

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5. St. Teresa of Calcutta (Mother Teresa)

"Cling to the Rosary as the creeper clings to the tree — for without Our Lady we cannot stand. The family that prays together, stays together, and if you want peace in your heart and your home, pray the Rosary every day. Our Lady has never refused me anything I have asked through the Rosary. She is our tender Mother, eager to grant all we need if only we will come to her with trust and love."

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6. St. Alphonsus Liguori

"After Holy Mass, the best means of honoring and pleasing Mary is to recite the Rosary. Our Lady herself has revealed that this prayer, so simple and accessible, brings down floods of graces upon souls and families. Each Hail Mary is a precious rose offered to our Queen, and with each rose, she grants favors in return — some seen, some hidden until eternity. If you wish to overcome temptation, grow in virtue, and obtain final perseverance, do not let a day pass without the Rosary in your hand."

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7. St. Bernadette Soubirous

"The Blessed Virgin held a beautiful rosary in her hands at Lourdes, and from her example I learned to love it. The Rosary is a sweet chain linking us to heaven. It is the prayer of the simple and the great alike. I have found no surer way to maintain a spirit of recollection and peace of heart than to meditate on the mysteries of the Rosary. It is Our Lady’s school, where her children learn the secrets of the Gospel through her eyes and heart."

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8. St. Francis de Sales

"The greatest method of praying is to pray the Rosary. It is a method filled with holy simplicity yet profound power. It focuses our mind on the mysteries of salvation and places our heart in the hands of Mary, who shapes it gently in the likeness of her Son. Every Hail Mary is a gentle knock at the door of heaven, where the Blessed Mother herself answers, ready to shower us with graces. Those who persevere in this devotion will find themselves guided, protected, and consoled at every step of their earthly journey."

9. Pope St. Pius X

"The Rosary is the most beautiful and the richest in graces of all prayers; it is the prayer that touches most the Heart of the Mother of God. If you wish peace to reign in your homes, pray the family Rosary. If you wish for the conversion of sinners, offer the Rosary. It is the chain that links heaven and earth, binding hearts to the heart of the Immaculate. By this holy prayer, Mary protects the Church and her children, even in the darkest of times."

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10. St. Maximilian Kolbe

"The Rosary is a powerful weapon in our hands. It not only strengthens us in our personal struggles but also calls down heavenly help for the whole world. Each bead is a step towards the Heart of Jesus through the heart of Mary. Never be ashamed to carry your Rosary or to pray it wherever you are — for through it, you hold the key to countless graces and the sure protection of the Immaculata, who crushes the head of the serpent."

Pax et bonum