ROME SHOT 890 – Merry Christmas!

In some places EPIPHANY is the big gift giving day, for obvious reasons.  Please remember me when  EPIPHANY  shopping online. Thanks in advance. US HERE – UK HERE  These links take you to a generic “catholic” search in Amazon. Amazon remembers that you used my link and I get the credit.  WHY?  This helps to pay for health insurance (massively hiked for next year), utilities, groceries, all the necessities.  You get what you need and, at no extra cost, you provide important help for which I am grateful.

To those who know only the Novus Ordo, and in the most “relaxed” sense of that rite, I’ll explain.  The “sacred ministers” (the priest, deacon and subdeacon… the men (not women or other) in the funny clothes… are “genuflecting”.  That’s from Latin for “to bend the knee”.  They are not all tying their shoes!  In a sense they are “untying”, as Moses did,  because they are on “sacred ground”, at the altar.  An “altar” is where “sacrifice” is performed, not a meal.  “Sacred” means, “set apart for God and not regular worldly use”.   As if they were the shepherds who went to find the Baby Jesus, they are “genuflecting” in awe of the mystery of the Incarnation.  It is a wise thing to do.  Indeed the Blessed Virgin is seated and she, in turn is the throne on which the Infant King, Wisdom itself, is seated.  Mary is the “Seat of Wisdom”, which is one of her titles in the Litany of Loreto.  At Mass we do what the shepherds did: adore.  Note that one of the ghostly shepherds gestures to a lamb.  These shepherds were the ones who tended the sheep and lambs for the daily sacrifice (there’s that word again) in the Temple, day in and day out, morning and evening.  Christ is the Lamb.

Meanwhile, a Christmasy chessy puzzle, complete with Star of Bethlehem. Biretta tip to Johan Salomon on Twitter.  o{]:¬)

White to move and mate in 2.

NB: I’ll hold comments with solutions ’till the next day so there won’t be “spoilers” for others.

Priestly chess players, drop me a line. HERE

I had to post this.

In chessy news, the Rapid and Blitz is about to start (tomorrow) in Samarkand.  They drew lots for who will start with white and black.  Magnus got white, so they dressed him up a little.

Dressing Magnus isn’t really a bad idea when you consider how he usually dresses.  Also, there is a dress code for the tournament which I think most of the players would generally violate given that they often look like slobs.

There should be an occasional Retro Tournament with loooong battles, maybe not to “first to reach 12”, like in 1972.  Maybe first to reach 8, which would be long enough.  BUT… you have to dress for the matches in suit (preferably dark) and tie (narrow with half-Windsor) and not like the 6th Doctor or whatever Gotham is at any time wearing … especially that lounge-lizard get up the other day in Toronto.  I can’t unsee it.  The prize money should be so huge that players who might otherwise balk at the length (therefore expense) of the ordeal and the indignity of having to dress like a grownup and with respect for others will nevertheless sign on and submit to the aesthetics.

Decorum, gentlemen.  Decorum.

Merry Christmas!

And finally, the Rome shot… Bambino Gesù at my adoptive parish.  Gosh how I wish I were there.