Behind the clouds over Rome, the sun rose at 07:32 and at 18:15 it will set, hopefully with no clouds, or at least no rain. I have to be out and about this evening.
The Ave Maria ought to ring at 18:15 as established on the Vatican Curial calendar.
“This day is called the Feast of Crispian…”, indeed, Sts. Crispin and Crispinian. Here is their altar and urn in the church, San Lorenzo in Panisperna, which is nearly always closed (I suspect due to sheer laziness).
“This day is called the Feast of Crispian…”
A bunch of priests have descended on Rome for the Summorum Pontificum conference. Red is laid out today for Sts. Chrysanthus, and his wife Daria, martyrs. As the Martyrology says,
“After many sufferings endured for Christ, under the prefect Celerinus, they were ordered by the emperor Numerian to be thrown into a sandpit on the Salarian road, where, being overwhelmed with earth and stones, they were buried alive.
Many thanks to the readers who were Red Vestment Donors. The decorum of the days when red is used is greatly enhanced. It is quite a sight to see all the side altars filled with priests saying Mass in these beautiful matching sets.
My street last night after supper (excellent Coda alla Vaccinara).
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In churchy news…
Francis released a new encyclical about devotion to the Most Sacred Heart. HERE It is really long, some 28000 words of text in English and 227 footnotes. He cites himself only about 9 times, as I culled at a quick glance. That’s different. The sources are many and various. It shouldn’t surprise us that a Jesuit would issue something on the Sacred Heart, for the Jesuits were among the first strong promotors of the devotion.
Also, in churchy Roman news… everyone I talk to is so fed up with “walking together” that the whole thing is now an eye-rolling joke. I was talking with someone in French who said that there is a French way of saying that a thing fizzles out, a word “Pshhhhtt” (which sounds like a well-known English scatological reference and something Francis talks about in unguarded moments. The onomatopoeic word is the sound of gas escaping a bottle when the cap is twisted off… indicating that its all over.
In chessy news…
(White to move and mate in 5)
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White to move and mate in 5.
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
Arjun Erigaisi becoming the second ever Indian to break the 2800 barrier (the other was Vishy Anand). In 12 months he added 100+ Elo and is now world no.3 at 2802.1 Elo.
3:16 isn’t just in John.
At the risk of disagreeing slightly, Father Z, I am quite surprised that a Jesuit of his generation would write about the Sacred Heart. I’m fairly certain that, in the years of his formation, it was considered overly pious in the Society, a rather embarrassing part of their history.
I read the whole encyclical yesterday. I am a quick reader, generally, but it took me over two hours. There were a few odd moments (I rather wonder if any previous Pope has quoted their grandmother in an encyclical before). But, I found several of the chapters not only solid, but often requiring deeper contemplation. His prose does not flow as well as Benedict XVI, but the is the first time I’ve found myself in any way edified by his writing (at least if we discount Lumen fidei, where I could still revel in some Benedictine prose).
I doubt this particular encyclical will hit much in the mainstream media, but the chapter on reparation, in particular, was moving. I wonder, rather, if this is an attempt by an aging man to make some level of reparation. It was a good reminder to me that, 1) for all the ill I often think he has done, and there is a great deal of it, Francis is capable of being quite good as well, 2) the Holy Spirit is still at work, and 3) on the theory that a man approaching 88, and in relatively poor health, does not do something like this on his own, some people in this Vatican must still see the value in real, traditional pious expression. Apart from helping my own devotion to the Sacred Heart (and there are passages to which I will return for deeper meditation), the document gave me more hope for the Church than I have had in a long time.
We STILL have the “Synod 2021-2023” prayer cards in our beloved Cathedral (the Comic Sans child-writing clashed with the Pugin restoration project) in Nottingham; and when we end up going we are still saying the Synod prayer during Mass. I never have; I’ve been uncomfortable introducing a new prayer into the centre of Holy Mass, and no-one else has noticed (it seems) that this far from Rome, it’s the back end of 2024 and the cards haven’t been updated. Mind you, we still have hand sanitiser and out-dated Covid-19 advice right next to the Holy Water stoops so I’m not hopeful of an update any time soon.
It reminds me of updates to websites “Looks like you haven’t been here for a while, but your basket is still ready for you…”.
Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place all our trust in You.