St. Joseph in the Hidden Years

St. Joseph plays an important role in the Gospels - but he is only there for part of them.

He is betrothed to Mary, after her pregnancy is visited by an angel and marries her, he travels with her to Bethlehem for the Nativity, is there when the shepherds and Magi come to adore, and takes the family to Egypt to avoid Herod's threat, returns with the family to live in Nazareth. He appears again when Jesus is 12, and is "lost" at the Temple, then goes back to Nazareth with Mary and Jesus. And then he is gone. He is not present at all for the public ministry of Jesus, other than a mention of him when people refer to Jesus as the carpenter's son.

Presumably he died at some point after Jesus was 12 and before Jesus turned 30. When in those 18 years did he die? We don't know.

But we can imagine and wonder about his many roles in Jesus's life.

Did he cradle baby Jesus in his arms and sing lullabies? 

When young Jesus had an upset stomach or a bad dream, did Joseph comfort Him? 

Did he play tickle games or peek-a-boo with Him?

Did he help to feed Jesus?

Did he help to clean up messes the young Jesus made, or even wash Him?

Did he carry Him on his shoulders or toss Him in the air? 

Did he watch Jesus play or interact with friends, and did he smile as he watched?

Did he help Jesus learn table manners?

Did he show Jesus how to treat women through the way he treated Mary?

Did he talk about or demonstrate care for those who were less fortunate or who were hurting?

Did he share jokes with Jesus?

Did he join Jesus in staring at a full moon above the hills, or watching a bird soar high in the air?

Did he show Jesus how to handle a saw, a hammer, a chisel?

Did he teach Jesus his trade and involve him in the work in the shop?

Did he take Jesus with him to work on projects or to deliver things he and/or they had made?

Did he proudly take Him to the synagogue and stand at His side as they prayed?

Did he show Jesus how to face death?

I like to imagine Joseph doing all the things a good father and husband and man would do.

Pax et bonum

Brother (Cover) || Franciscan Friars of the Renewal

When I look into the face Of my enemy I see my brother I see my brother When I look into the face Of my enemy I see my brother I see my brother Forgiveness is the garment Of our courage The power to make the peace We long to know Open up our eyes To see the wounds that bind All of humankind May our shutter hearts Greet the dawn of life With charity and love

Goats for the Homeless

Goats for the Homeless

Driving back from the mall
the other day
we passed a church.
Wife and daughter began to laugh.
In front of the church
was a sign,
they said,
that said,
“Goats for the Homeless.”

Goats?

This led to much speculation.
on the way home.

The homeless here
or in some foreign land?
Where would homeless people keep their goats?
Why goats?
Easier than cows?
A source of milk? Cheese?
Have a barbecue?
Maybe they could use the wool
to weave blankets.
Goat products to earn money?

Maybe goats would help ease
homeless people’s loneliness.

The next day
I drove by the church again.
I looked at the sign.

It said:
Coats for the homeless.

I didn’t tell wife and daughter.

Sometimes life
can seem
a little sweeter
with some mystery in it.

Pax et bonum

Be nice

Here I sit beneath the trees
Thinking `bout the birds and bees
`cause if what Dad tells me is true
I'd better start being nice to you.

Pax et bonum

Peace Begins In The Womb

Planned Parenthood Is A Sex Trafficker's Best Friend

Abortions increasing, services decreasing at Planned Parenthood

This is just to say (parody)

This is just to say (parody)

Your cat
really didn’t
run away
last week.

Sorry,
he was using
my guitar case
as a litter box

and I
…well …
don’t look
in the flower bed.

Pax et bonum

Phyllis McGinley and Dorothy Parker

The difference between Phyllis McGinley and Dorothy Parker

could not have been starker.

The latter wore glasses,

the former responded happily to just one man's passes.

Pax et bonum

Joe Biden is a Catholic. So was ...

We have been assured by various secular outlets that former Vice President Joe Biden is a Catholic. Some even go so far as to call him a devout Catholic.

Putting aside debate over his status, I decided to look back over history at various people identified as Catholics. Some of them ceased practicing, or even renounced their faith. But they were baptized Catholics, and some folks argue that even if you have fallen away or are going against clear teachings of the Church, you remain a Catholic.

Joseph (Whitey) Bulger was a Catholic.   

Al Capone was a Catholic.

Fidel Castro was a Catholic.

Francois (Papa Doc) Duvalier was a Catholic.

Francisco Franco was a Catholic.

John Wayne Gacy was a Catholic.

Vito Genovese was a Catholic.

Bob Guccione was a Catholic.

Adolph Hitler was a Catholic.

King Leopold II of Belgium was a Catholic. 

Charles (Lucky) Luciano was a Catholic.

Ferdinand Marcos was a Catholic.

Henry (Billy the Kid) McCarty was a Catholic.

Timothy McVeigh was a Catholic.

Vlad the Impaler was a Catholic.

Interesting company, eh? 

I guess being a baptized Catholic, and even claiming to be a practicing one, is no guarantee of moral behavior or even of living according to the Faith. 

Pax et bonum

Recent Reads

I'm well on my way to making my goal of 90 books/plays read this year. I'm already up to 12!

The most recent reads were The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien, Before She Dies by Steven F. Havill, and Mountain Interval by Robert Frost.

The first volume of the Lord of the Rings trilogy is actually a reread. I'd read it twice before - back in the 1970's, then again in the 1990's. But I haven't read the entire trilogy since the '70's, and given the current political situation it seemed a good time (along with some dystopias like Brave New World and 1984) to do so.

It is as good as I remember. And, as I suspected, it does echo some current events - the orcs sure remind me of some of the recent rioters in Washington, and the violent activities of Antifa and BLM. 

Steven Havill is not only a respected mystery writer, he was my teacher back in high school for a couple of classes and somewhat of a mentor. I'd read  couple of his other books, so when I spotted this one, I grabbed it to add to my mystery tally.

It was good, though flawed. Not as good as some of his others - there was a little awkwardness in the writing that suggested he needed an editor, and the plot offered no real surprises - but still well worth reading. 

Finally, there's Frost, my favorite poet. I am gradually reading though all of his books

This volume included some of my favorite poems by him - "The Road Not Taken," "Birches," and "A Patch of Old Snow." It also contains some more of his blank verse tales. I am not overly fond of them; I prefer his lyrics. Despite that quibble, still well worth reading. 

Meanwhile, my quest to read at least 90 books this year continues. Currently reading the collected nonsense books of Edward Lear, and about to start The Two Towers.

Pax et bonum

Biden's Trick

Former Vice President Joe Biden

is content to let gender definitions widen.

He has himself long used the trick

of identifying as a devout Roman Catholic.

Pax et bonum

Cleaning Day

My mother told me, “No more play,

clean your dresser drawers today.”

So I pulled them open wide

This is what I found inside:

Tee shirts, jerseys, lots of socks,

A used tooth pick, assorted rocks,

Three pairs of pants, four pajama tops,

Two very crusty lollypops,

285 pennies, seven nickels, one dime,

A pocket watch that won’t tell time

Two stocking caps, one red, one blue,

Five guitar picks, a bent kazoo,

Nine handkerchiefs, a jingle bell,

A picture of Zelda Blatz (don’t tell!),

An ugly old shirt I’ve never worn,

My favorite sweat pants, stained and torn,

An eye dropper, two keys, a hockey puck,

A half-built model of a monster truck,

My secret stash of candy bars,

Behind two empty pickle jars,

A knitted scarf from Grandma May,

(Why does she like green, pink and gray?),

Pencils and pens, an orange that’s black,

Stale candy corn, a tooth from a yak,

A valentine I forgot to mail,

Some screws, a bolt, a rusty nail,

Two pairs of shorts, an eye glass case,

A mouse’s skull, a lone shoe lace.

Two hours later, “They’re clean,” I said.
(I hope she doesn’t look under the bed!)

 

 

Pax et bonum

Your turn ...

Once when I went out to run

I met a frog that weighed a ton.

Now if you think that sounds like fun,

here he comes, your turn to run.

Pax et bonum

Biden makes his abortion position clear

In a statement issued January 22, 2021, Biden declared - 

Today marks the 48th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark ruling in Roe v. Wade.

In the past four years, reproductive health, including the right to choose, has been under relentless and extreme attack. We are deeply committed to making sure everyone has access to care – including reproductive health care – regardless of income, race, zip code, health insurance status, or immigration status.

The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to codifying Roe v. Wade and appointing judges that respect foundational precedents like Roe. We are also committed to ensuring that we work to eliminate maternal and infant health disparities, increase access to contraception, and support families economically so that all parents can raise their families with dignity. This commitment extends to our critical work on health outcomes around the world.

As the Biden-Harris Administration begins in this critical moment, now is the time to rededicate ourselves to ensuring that all individuals have access to the health care they need.

Pax et bonum

Biden's installation

The installation of Joe Biden was greeted with laughter from Sauron. Meanwhile, they giggled at Planned Parenthood, "Our financial prospects are looking good!"

Pax et bonum

At Noon on January 20, 2021

At noon today for our nation I said: Our Father Hail Mary The Litany of St. Joseph then sang my adaptation of the hymn, "By the Waters of Babylon":

By the waters, the waters of Washington We lay down and wept, and wept, for America. We remember, we remember, we remember America.

Pax et bonum

Weekly Diet Update (1/20)

Weight Lost Last Week: 1 Pound

Weight Lost Overall: 40.6 Pounds

Weight Still To Lose: 9.4 Pounds

 “To insure good health: eat lightly, breathe deeply, live moderately, cultivate cheerfulness, and maintain an interest in life.”― William Londen

Pax et bonum

Brave New 1984

Given the current political/cultural/social situation, I have been in a dystopian frame of mind. 

Last summer I reread 1984. Yesterday, I finished rereading Brave New World.

I enjoyed both books, and highly recommend them. I think Brave New World is the more neglected of the two - perhaps because it hits too close to home when it comes to sexual morality, abortion, education, and consumerism. But it is like its fellow novel a must-read.

People have been commenting about how the times remind them of 1984. I agree, but I see a lot of Brave New World in what is going on now. So maybe a combination is order.

Brave New 1984.

These books predict things like communications technology dominating our lives - and spying on us - the separation of sex from procreation and becoming just another "drug" to keep us "happy;" the use of birth control and abortion to prevent and eliminate consequences; reproductive technologies, including artificial insemination and cloning; the destruction of marriage and the family; the use of various "drugs" like sex, technology, pharmaceuticals, and recreation to prevent thinking and to delude us into believing we are happy; the dumbing down of culture and education; the use of technology to indoctrinate propaganda; planned obsolescence and rampant consumerism; and so much more.

All of these are things that have happened, and are undermining society. 

But while the visions in these books are dark - and it's easy to get fixated on the parallel darkness in our world - in Brave New World there is a hint at a way out.

Two of the characters who do not fit in are given the option of going to islands where they can be with like-minded people.

We have such "islands" in our world. Indeed, Rod Dreher described and promoted them in his The Benedict Option.

People who are in conflict with the destruction of our society and culture have formed religious associations that provide mutual support - the Latin Mass communities, for example. There are home-school communities that help to prevent the propaganda too many public schools offer. People have also created classical education schools. I had the good fortune to end my teaching career at one of them, St. John Bosco Schools, associated with the Institute for Catholic Liberal Education. That school's building also houses a classical education high school program, Chesterton Academy. That academy is part of a nation-wide network of Chesterton schools - created by the American Chesterton Society. There are religious orders that are drawing like-minded orthodox believers like the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal and the Sister of Life. There are the pro-life groups and organizations like 40 Days for Life.  

There are many more such islands. They are places not to hide, but to recharge, to find mutual support, to ready to face the forces and temptations that challenge us, to fight if necessary, to seem to fail at times, and always to trust in God.

So even as I read these dystopian novels, I continue to look for ways to join with like-minded, faith-filled people.

And I'm even seeking our reading that nourishes. I've now begun to reread The Lord of the Rings. 

Dark forces are at work - the shadow of Sauron is spreading - but in the end, God and light will prevail.

Just hope I don't have to sacrifice a finger along the way.

But if I do, well ... so be it.

Pax et bonum

Nancy Pelosi?

Pax et bonum

A crow

Some find

a crow's cawing

ugly and tinged with death,

but I hear hints of loneliness

and love.

Pax et bonum

(Weekly) Diet Update -1/13/21

Weight Lost Since Last Official Weighing: 1.4 Pounds

Weight Lost Overall: 39.6 Pounds

Weight Still to Lose: 10.4 Pounds

I took a break from strict dieting over Christmas, and my weight went up. Sigh. Started dieting again in earnest last week. Thus there has been a three-week break since my last official weighing.. 

Still on target to reach my initial goal of losing 50 pounds. At my current rate, that should be some time in March. But given how easy it is to stray back into bad habits (as was shown during Christmas), I think I will push on beyond that just to get me safely in the healthy range.

Pax et bonum

Uncle Jack

Got word this evening that my Uncle Jack (on the right) passed away.

He had been in home hospice care for a while, and actually hadn't been expected to make it to Christmas. 

His daughter Chris called to let me know, and mentioned that he'd actually been alert and talking on Saturday, so she and Jack's wife Linda (next to him) had some time with him to remember.  I'm glad for them.

Rest in Peace.   

Pax et bonum

Dad and Jack Plus

Pax et bonum

A Study in Scarlet (Doyle)

As a long-time fan of Sherlock Holmes, I was chagrined to realize that I had never read the novel (really a novella) that Arthur Conan Doyle used to introduce him to the world, A Study in Scarlet. 

As part of my mystery reading goal, I decided to remedy that oversight.

It was fascinating to see how Holmes and Watson met, The story itself was interesting - though the whole Mormon section could have been drastically shortened. I think Doyle had a decent short story like many of the later Holmes stories, but was at that point in his career trying to write novels, so he added all those extra chapters. 

Still, this story set many of the basic facts - including that famous monograph on cigar ashes. It helps to explain Watson's background, and how his quest for a place to stay got him sharing rooms with Holmes. 

Glad I read it.

I also haven't read the second novel - The Sign of Four - which came out before the short story collections that established Holmes's fame. I'll have to read that at some point. I've already read and enjoyed the third novel The Hound of the Baskervilles, but I haven't read the  fourth novel, The Valley of Fear. So add that one to my list of books to read.  

Pax et bonum

Still praying for life

After the Greece N.Y. Planned Parenthood where we had been praying - some folks for 20 years! - some of us moved to the downtown Planned Parenthood to pray. (I'm the white-bearded fellow partly hidden by the tree on the right.) 

While we did not have a problem, another group praying near us was verbally assaulted by an obviously upset man who walked up to them screaming and swearing. They may have been targeted as they were closer to the driveway and holding signs. A few minutes later, as he was driving away, the upset man pulled over and threw a carton of eggs at them.

We prayed for him.

Pax et bonum

They have a point

A pro-choice group declares

"If you don’t like abortion, don’t have one. 

Problem solved."

They have a point,

Others can make the same point.

If you don’t like murder, don’t commit one. 

Problem solved.

If you don’t like theft, don’t steal. 

Problem solved.

If you don’t like child abuse, don’t abuse children. 

Problem solved.

If you don’t like animal abuse, don’t abuse animals. 

Problem solved.

If you don’t like torture, don’t torture. 

Problem solved.

If you don’t like rape, don’t rape. 

Problem solved.

If you don’t like slavery, don’t own slaves. 

Problem solved.

They all use the same logic.

They all have a point.

They all point the same way:

To eternal damnation.

Problem solved.

Pax et bonum

Widen Biden's Eyes

The eyes of former Vice President Biden

suddenly began to widen.

"Wait, you mean now that they say I've won,

people actually expect me to get something done???"

Pax et bonum

Our Only Home (Dalai Lama and Franz Alt) (Avoid!)

When I saw Our Only Home: A Climate Appeal to the World by His HolinessThe Dalai Lama on the new book shelf at the library, I was excited. I'm very much concerned about the environment, and I have a great deal of respect for the Dalai Lama, whom I've actually met (as a reporter).

Picking it up, I discovered that the book was also written by Franz Alt, with whom I was not familiar. I assumed he helped the Dalai Lama write the book, and noticed that it included interviews with the Dalai Lama that Alt had apparently conducted.

Fine.

Then I read the book.

The Dalai Lama material was fine, spiritual, and typical of him. It explained his own growing awareness about environmental issues, and some sad reflections on what the Chinese have done environmentally to Tibet. Certainly worth reading.

But there was a lot more Alt than I'd expected. He tended to be preachy, unrealistic, enamored of Greta Thunberg, and religiously suspect - even suggesting that Jesus believed in reincarnation, but some Catholic bishops suppressed that!

He even implied that "without humans the world would be doing better." 

Right.

If you can cull out just what the Dalai Lama had to say, then by all means read those comments.

But otherwise, avoid this book!

. 

Pax et bonum

By the Waters of Washington

"By the Waters of Babylon" is a song based on Psalm 137. It was originally composed by Philip Hayes in 1786, and later arranged by Lee Hays of The Weavers and Don McLean. McLean's version was the first one I heard - and I used to play and sing it myself years ago.

By the waters, the waters of Babylon

We lay down and wept, and wept for thee Zion
We remember, we remember, we remember thee Zion

In light of everything going on in Washington these days, I modified the lyrics!

By the waters, the waters of Washington

We lay down and wept, and wept for America
We remember, we remember, we remember America.

Pax et bonum

Weekly Diet Update - sort of

Okay, I admit it: I relaxed over Christmas. All those cookies and candies ... my sweet tooth took charge. I was not careful about portions at meals. I ate in between meals.

Result: I gained back 4 pounds in two weeks.

Embarrassing.

It also gives me a warning that I'm still weak and even after I reach my goal I will have to keep vigilant.

As it is, I lost about a month's success. 

I'm recommitting. The goal is 16 more pounds - though to be safe I should lose more.

Maybe by the end of April or at some point in May?

Back to it. 

Pax et bonum

Watch Out for Retirement

(I have now been retired for six months. This is something I wrote a while back while thinking about retirement.)

I went to a retirement party last night. It was a pleasant evening, and, as they often do at such celebrations, they presented the retiree with the gift of a watch.

I smiled and applauded with the rest of the gathered friends and former coworkers.

Then I began to wonder: Why is it traditional to give a retiree a watch?

After all, the person being honored is leaving the world of work, and so will be less subject to the demands of time. The person doesn’t necessarily have to be any set place at a specific time each day. He can set his own schedule. He doesn’t have to worry about being late.

Moreover, since the retiree is being honored for years of work, we can assume that he did not get repeatedly fired for being late. He must already have some device for telling time. He probably already has a watch. Maybe be a couple.

Being prone to sometimes twisted humor, I wondered if the purpose in giving a watch is to suggest that it’s now time for the retiree to realize that his minutes on Earth are running out. Tick. Tick. Tick.

Or maybe they just hope to give the retire something to do since he has no more work, like check his watch every five minutes. Yep. Five minutes has gone by. Let’s see what time it is five minutes from now.

I began to consider what would be more appropriate retirement gifts.

If his co-workers wanted to be funny, they could give him a month’s supply of prune juice. A nice, warm bathrobe and fuzzy slippers. Or perhaps a down payment on a casket.

Or they could think about what the person hopes to do with his retirement time. A fishing pole might be just the thing. Or a collection of the retiree’s favorite author’s works. Maybe a nice selection of crossword puzzles.

They could be sentimental. How about a framed picture of all the retiree’s former workers? That way he can still see them every day.

Or they can be creative. For example, give him a kite. Imagine the retiree heading out to the park in the middle of warm, sunny day, and working that kite higher and higher into the blue sky with birds singing and circling, while the rest of the world is stuck at desks or behind computer screens or loading semis.

Yeah.

When I retire, I hope they give me a kite.

Or that prune juice.

 

Pax et bonum

Serve them with onions

Kanamits suggest

for those claiming voting fraud -

serve them with onions

Pax et bonum