#( also behold my eloquent son )

[crosaidi]

@thiefscant  inquired:  ❝  Not  exactly  the  fight  I  was  expecting  when  we  got  here.  At  least  we  got  the  job  done.  ❞  /  da:i  party  banter

A hand’s braced against the stone wall, the grit of it rough and grounding against his fingers a vicious wave of cramping nausea curls through his gut — it’s a valiant war he fights, but his will is mighty and he forces it to settle. " Fuck gettin’ the fuckin’ shit job done, I would have sooner got fucked by a fucking sword than fucking do that again. "

That’s hissed through his teeth, grousing, but the truth is that they got through that damned place on word alone, and he’s glad for it. Thisobold Thorm — his spine crawls again with it all, sour and grim, and he’ll be better able to respect it all once he has distance from everything that happened in that hells-damned tavern.

He spits off to the side, trying to rid himself of the foul taste in his mouth, and eyes them sideways; he hadn’t followed when they went to the back, wanting a minute to recover. Unfortunately, the outside is as grim as the inside in these cursed lands, but at least it doesn’t reek of undead. " What was back there, anyhow? "

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

Miraculous Signs for Pharaoh

1 Then Moses answered and said, “But suppose they will not believe me or listen to my voice; suppose they say, ‘The Lord has not appeared to you.’ ”

2 So the Lord said to him, “What is that in your hand?”

He said, “A rod.”

3 And He said, “Cast it on the ground.” So he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from it. 4 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Reach out your hand and take it by the tail” (and he reached out his hand and caught it, and it became a rod in his hand), 5 “that they may believe that the Lord God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you.”

6 Furthermore the Lord said to him, “Now put your hand in your bosom.” And he put his hand in his bosom, and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous, like snow. 7 And He said, “Put your hand in your bosom again.” So he put his hand in his bosom again, and drew it out of his bosom, and behold, it was restored like his other flesh. 8 “Then it will be, if they do not believe you, nor heed the message of the first sign, that they may believe the message of the latter sign. 9 And it shall be, if they do not believe even these two signs, or listen to your voice, that you shall take water from the river and pour it on the dry land. The water which you take from the river will become blood on the dry land.”

10 Then Moses said to the Lord, “O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither before nor since You have spoken to Your servant; but I am slow of speech and slow of tongue.”

11 So the Lord said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Or who makes the mute, the deaf, the seeing, or the blind? Have not I, the Lord? 12 Now therefore, go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall say.”

13 But he said, “O my Lord, please send by the hand of whomever else You may send.”

14 So the anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses, and He said: “Is not Aaron the Levite your brother? I know that he can speak well. And look, he is also coming out to meet you. When he sees you, he will be glad in his heart. 15 Now you shall speak to him and put the words in his mouth. And I will be with your mouth and with his mouth, and I will teach you what you shall do. 16 So he shall be your spokesman to the people. And he himself shall be as a mouth for you, and you shall be to him as God. 17 And you shall take this rod in your hand, with which you shall do the signs.”

Moses Goes to Egypt

18 So Moses went and returned to Jethro his father-in-law, and said to him, “Please let me go and return to my brethren who are in Egypt, and see whether they are still alive.”

And Jethro said to Moses, “Go in peace.”

19 Now the Lord said to Moses in Midian, “Go, return to Egypt; for all the men who sought your life are dead.” 20 Then Moses took his wife and his sons and set them on a donkey, and he returned to the land of Egypt. And Moses took the rod of God in his hand.

21 And the Lord said to Moses, “When you go back to Egypt, see that you do all those wonders before Pharaoh which I have put in your hand. But I will harden his heart, so that he will not let the people go. 22 Then you shall say to Pharaoh, ‘Thus says the Lord: “Israel is My son, My firstborn. 23 So I say to you, let My son go that he may serve Me. But if you refuse to let him go, indeed I will kill your son, your firstborn.” ’ ”

24 And it came to pass on the way, at the encampment, that the Lord met him and sought to kill him. 25 Then Zipporah took a sharp stone and cut off the foreskin of her son and cast it at Moses’ feet, and said, “Surely you are a husband of blood to me!” 26 So He let him go. Then she said, “You are a husband of blood!”—because of the circumcision.

27 And the Lord said to Aaron, “Go into the wilderness to meet Moses.” So he went and met him on the mountain of God, and kissed him. 28 So Moses told Aaron all the words of the Lord who had sent him, and all the signs which He had commanded him. 29 Then Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the children of Israel. 30 And Aaron spoke all the words which the Lord had spoken to Moses. Then he did the signs in the sight of the people. 31 So the people believed; and when they heard that the Lord had visited the children of Israel and that He had looked on their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshiped. — Exodus 4 | New King James Version (NKJV) New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved. Cross References: Genesis 17:14; Genesis 24:26; Genesis 28:13; Genesis 29:32; Exodus 3:11-12; Exodus 2:15; Exodus 2:21-22; Exodus 2:23; Exodus 3:1; Exodus 3:15-16; Exodus 4:1; Exodus 4:8; Exodus 4:14-15; Exodus 4:20; Exodus 4:27-28; Exodus 4:30-31; Exodus 5:1; Exodus 6:11-12; Exodus 7:9-10; Exodus 7:15; Exodus 7:17; Exodus 7:19; Exodus 18:2; Exodus 18:5; Exodus 19:7; Exodus 19:17; Leviticus 13:25; Exodus 14:16; Numbers 12:10; Numbers 22:22; Joshua 5:2; Joshua 24:5; Jeremiah 36:32; Matthew 2:15; Matthew 8:3; Matthew 10:19-20; Matthew 11:5; Luke 1:20; Luke 17:12; John 12:40; Acts 7:29; Romans 9:4; Romans 9:18; Hebrews 11:16

Who Made Man's Mouth?

Key Passages in Exodus 4

1. Moses's rod is turned into a serpent. 6. His hand is leprous. 10. He loathes his calling. 13. Aaron is appointed to assist him. 18. Moses departs from Jethro. 21. God's message to Pharaoh. 24. Zipporah circumcises her son. 27. Aaron is sent to meet Moses. 29. The people believe them.

[hieromonkcharbel]

The Great Blessing of the Waters by St. Sophronius of Jerusalem (AD 634-8)

Priest: O Trinity, transcendent in essence, in goodness and in divinity, O Almighty, invisible and incomprehensible, who watch over all, O Creator of intelligent essences, of natures endowed with speech, O Goodness of utter and unapproachable brilliance, who enlighten every person who comes into the world: enlighten me also, your unworthy servant! Illuminate the eyes of my mind, that I may venture to praise your immeasurable goodness and your might; may the prayer that I offer be acceptable for the people here present. Let not my sins prevent the descent of the Holy Spirit upon this place, but permit me now without condemnation to cry out to You, O all-good Lord, and to say:

We glorify You, O Master and Lover of Mankind, Almighty King before eternity!

We glorify You, Creator and Maker of all!

We glorify You, only-begotten Son, who have no father with your Mother, and no mother with your Father.

In the preceding feast, we have seen You as a child, and in this present feast we see You as a perfect Man, O our perfect God, appearing out of Perfection:

For today we have attained the time of feasting, and the ranks of saints have joined us, and the angels celebrate together with men.

Today the grace of the Holy Spirit, in the form of a dove, comes down upon the waters.

Today there shines the Sun that never sets, and the world is sparkling with the light of the Lord.

Today the moon shines upon the world with the brightness of its rays.

Today the glittering stars adorn the universe with the radiance of their twinkling.

Today the clouds from heaven shed upon mankind a shower of justice.

Today the Uncreated One willingly permits the hands of his creature to be laid upon Him.

Today the Prophet and Forerunner comes close to the Master, and he stands in awe, a witness of the condescension of God towards us.

Today through the presence of the Lord the waters of the Jordan River are changed into remedies.

Today the whole universe is refreshed with mystical streams.

Today the sins of mankind are blotted out by the waters of the Jordan River.

Today paradise has been opened to mankind, and the Sun of righteousness has shone upon us.

Today the bitter water, as once with Moses and the people of Israel, is changed into sweetness by the presence of the Lord.

Today we are delivered from the ancient mourning, and, like a new Israel, we are saved.

Today we escape from darkness and, through the light of the knowledge of God, we are illumined.

Today the darkness of the world vanishes with the appearing of our God.

Today the whole creation is brightened from on high.oday errors are canceled, and a way of salvation is prepared for us by the coming of the Lord

Today the heavenly dwellers rejoice with those of the earth, and the dwellers of the earth with those of heaven.

Today the noble and eloquent assembly rejoices, the assembly of those of the true faith.

Today the Lord comes to be baptized, so that mankind may be lifted up.

Today the One who never has to bow inclines Himself before his servant so that He may set us free from bondage.

Today we have acquired the kingdom of heaven: for the Lord’s kingdom shall have no end.

Today the land and the sea divide between them the joy of the world, and the world is filled with gladness.

The waters saw You, O God, the waters saw You and shuddered.

The Jordan River turns back its course as it beholds the fire of the Godhead coming down upon it and entering it in the flesh.

The Jordan River turns back its course as it beholds the Holy Spirit descending in the form of a dove, and hovering above it

The Jordan River turns back its course as it beholds the Invisible made visible, the Creator existing in the flesh, and the Master in the form of a servant.

The Jordan River turns back its course, and the mountains shout with glee as they behold God in the flesh.

And the clouds give voice, and are filled with awe by the One who is coming, Light of light, true God of true God, for today in the Jordan River they saw the triumph of the Master. They saw Him drown in the Jordan River the death of sin, the thorn of error, and the bond of Hades, and bestow upon the world the baptism of salvation.

So also am I, your unworthy and sinful servant, encompassed by fear as I proclaim your great wonders; and I cry out reverently to You, and say:

The priest then says in a louder voice:

GREAT ARE YOU, O LORD, AND MARVELOUS ARE YOUR WORKS AND NO WORD IS SUFFICIENT TO PRAISE YOUR MARVELS.

GREAT ARE YOU, O LORD, AND MARVELOUS ARE YOUR WORKS AND NO WORD IS SUFFICIENT TO PRAISE YOUR MARVELS.

GREAT ARE YOU, O LORD, AND MARVELOUS ARE YOUR WORKS AND NO WORD IS SUFFICIENT TO PRAISE YOUR MARVELS.

For by your divine will You brought forth all things out of nothing into being; by your might you control all creation; by your providence You govern the universe, O You who made the whole world out of four elements and crowned the cycle of the year with four seasons.

The immaterial powers tremble before You;

the sun praises You;

the moon glorifies You;

the stars bless You;

the light obeys You;

the tempests tremble,

and the springs adore You.

You have spread out the heavens like a tent-cloth;

You fixed the earth upon the waters;

You have walled about the sea with sand;

You let the air flow about for our breathing.

The angelic powers minister to You;

the ranks of archangels worship You;

the many-eyed Cherubim and the six-winged Seraphim, standing around You and flying about You, hide their faces in fear of your unapproachable glory.

And You, O God, while remaining boundless, without beginning, and beyond all words deigned to come down upon earth, to assume the likeness of a servant, and to become like man.

Because of your compassionate mercy, O Master, You were unable to endure and to behold the race of mankind under the tyranny of the devil. For this reason You have come to save us.

We acknowledge your grace. We proclaim your mercy. We do not conceal your gracious acts. You have set mankind free; by your birth You have sanctified the Virgin’s womb; and since your manifestation all creation praises You.

For You, O our God, have appeared on earth and have dwelt among men. You sanctified the waters of the Jordan by sending down your Holy Spirit from heaven, and you have crushed the heads of the dragons who lurk there.

The Priest makes the sign of the Cross over the water three times, each time saying:

THEREFORE, O KING AND LOVER OF MANKIND, ALSO BE PRESENT NOW THROUGH THE DESCENT OF YOUR HOLY SPIRIT AND SANCTIFY + THIS WATER.

THEREFORE, O KING AND LOVER OF MANKIND, ALSO BE PRESENT NOW THROUGH THE DESCENT OF YOUR HOLY SPIRIT AND SANCTIFY + THIS WATER.

THEREFORE, O KING AND LOVER OF MANKIND, ALSO BE PRESENT NOW THROUGH THE DESCENT OF YOUR HOLY SPIRIT AND SANCTIFY + THIS WATER.

And give to it the grace of redemption and the blessing of the Jordan. Make it a source of incorruptibility, a gift of sanctification, a remission of sins, a remedy for sickness, a destruction of demons, inaccessible to the adverse powers, and filled with the might of your angels, so that all who drink and receive of it may be blessed in their souls and bodies, healed of their sufferings, sanctified in their homes, and may receive every befitting grace.

For You are our God, who, with water and the Spirit, restored our nature made old by sin.

You are our God, who drowned sin in the waters at the time of Noah.

You are our God, who in the sea, and at the hands of Moses, delivered the Hebrews from the bondage of Pharaoh.

You are our God who cleaved the rock in the wilderness, so that the waters gushed out, and the streams overflowed, and your thirsty people were satisfied.

You are our God who, with fire and water and at the hands of Elijah, delivered Israel from the errors of Baal.

THEREFORE, O MASTER, SANCTIFY THIS WATER BY YOUR HOLY SPIRIT.

THEREFORE, O MASTER, SANCTIFY THIS WATER BY YOUR HOLY SPIRIT.

THEREFORE, O MASTER, SANCTIFY THIS WATER BY YOUR HOLY SPIRIT.

Grant sanctification, blessing, cleansing and health to all those who touch it, and to those upon whom it is poured, and to those who receive of it.

Save, O Lord, your servants, our public authorities. Keep them under your protection in peace; subdue under their feet every enemy and adversary; grant them the means of salvation and eternal life, so that your all-holy name may be glorified by the elements, by the angels, by men, by visible and invisible creatures, together with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and always and for ever and ever.

People: Amen.

Priest: Peace to all.

People: And to your spirit.

Deacon: Bow your heads to the Lord.

People: To You, O Lord.

The Priest, bowing his head, says the following prayer quietly:

Incline your ear, O Lord, and hear us. O You who sanctified the water when You consented to be baptised in the Jordan River: bless us all who, through the bowing of our heads, have signified our bondage, and make us worthy to be filled with your sanctification through the reception and the sprinkling of this water. Let it be, O Lord, for the health of our soul and body.

[thepastisalreadywritten]

SAINT OF THE DAY (May 20)

The Catholic Church honors St. Bernardine of Siena on May 20.

A Franciscan friar and preacher, St. Bernardine is known as the "Apostle of Italy" for his efforts to revive the country's Catholic faith during the 15th century.

Bernardine Albizeschi was born to upper-class parents in the Italian republic of Siena on 8 September 1380.

Misfortune soon entered the boy's life when he lost his mother at age three and his father four years later.

His aunt Diana cared for him afterward. She taught him to seek consolation and security by trusting in God.

Even at a young age, Bernardine demonstrated a remarkable concern for the poor as an outgrowth of his love for God.

Having become accustomed to fasting, he preferred at times to go without any food in order to help someone in greater need.

From the ages of 11 to 17, he focused on his studies, developing the eloquence and dedication that would serve his future work as an evangelist.

Before becoming a preacher, however, Bernardine spent several years ministering to the sick and dying.

He enrolled in a religious association that served at a hospital in the town of Scala and applied himself to this work from 1397 to 1400.

During that time, a severe plague broke out in Siena, causing a crisis that would eventually lead to the young man taking charge of the entire hospital.

Inside its walls, up to 20 people were dying each day from an illness that also killed many of the hospital workers.

The staff was decimated and new victims were coming in constantly.

Bernardine persuaded 12 young men to help him continue the work of the hospital, which he took over for a period of four months.

Although the plague did not infect him, the exhausting work left him weak. He contracted a different sickness that kept him in bed for four months.

After recovering, he spent over a year caring for his aunt Bartholomaea before her death.

The 22-year-old Bernardine then moved to a small house outside the city, where he began to discern God's will for his future through prayer and fasting.

He eventually chose to join the Franciscans of the Strict Observance in 1403, embracing an austere life focused on poverty and humility.

During this time, while praying before a crucifix, Bernardine heard Christ say to him:

“My son, behold me hanging upon a cross. If you love me, or desire to imitate me, be also fastened naked to your cross and follow me. Thus you will assuredly find me.”

After Bernardine was ordained a priest, his superiors commissioned him to preach as a missionary to the Italians who were falling away from their Catholic faith.

The Dominican evangelist St. Vincent Ferrer, just before leaving Italy, preached a sermon in which he predicted that one of his listeners would continue his work among the Italians –  a prophecy Bernardine heard in person and went on to fulfill.

Bernardine's personal devotion to God, which amazed even the strict Franciscans, made his preaching extremely effective.

He moved his hearers to abandon their vices, turn back to God, and make peace with one another.

He promoted devotion to the name of Jesus as a simple and effective means of recalling God's love at all times.

When other priests consulted him for advice, Bernardine gave them a simple rule:

“In all your actions, seek in the first place the kingdom of God and his glory. Direct all you do purely to his honor. Persevere in brotherly charity, and practice first all that you desire to teach others.”

“By this means,” he said, “the Holy Spirit will be your master, and will give you such wisdom and such a tongue that no adversary will be able to stand against you.”

Bernardine's own life attested to this source of strength in the face of trials.

He patiently suffered an accusation of heresy –  which Pope Martin V judged to be false – and refused to abandon his bold preaching when a nobleman threatened him with death.

But Bernardine was also widely admired throughout Italy, and he was offered the office of a bishop on three occasions.

Each time, however, he turned down the position, choosing to fulfill the prediction of St. Vincent Ferrer through his missionary work.

Bernardine preached throughout most of Italy several times over and even managed to reconcile members of its warring political factions.

Later in his life, Bernardine served for five years as the Vicar General for his Franciscan Order and revived the practice of its strict rule of life.

In 1444, forty years after he first entered religious life, Bernardine became sick while traveling.

He continued to preach, but soon lost his strength and his voice. He died on 20 May 1444.

He was beatified on 24 November 1449 and was anonized on 24 May 1450 by Pope Nicholas V.

[craftylovegentlemen]

Exodus

Chapter 4

1 And Moses answered and said, But, behold, they will not believe me, nor hearken unto my voice: for they will say, The LORD hath not appeared unto thee. 2 And the LORD said unto him, What is that in thine hand? And he said, A rod. 3 And he said, Cast it on the ground. And he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from before it. 4 And the LORD said unto Moses, Put forth thine hand, and take it by the tail. And he put forth his hand, and caught it, and it became a rod in his hand: 5 That they may believe that the LORD God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath appeared unto thee. 6 And the LORD said furthermore unto him, Put now thine hand into thy bosom. And he put his hand into his bosom: and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous as snow. 7 And he said, Put thine hand into thy bosom again. And he put his hand into his bosom again; and plucked it out of his bosom, and, behold, it was turned again as his other flesh. 8 And it shall come to pass, if they will not believe thee, neither hearken to the voice of the first sign, that they will believe the voice of the latter sign. 9 And it shall come to pass, if they will not believe also these two signs, neither hearken unto thy voice, that thou shalt take of the water of the river, and pour it upon the dry land: and the water which thou takest out of the river shall become blood upon the dry land. 10 And Moses said unto the LORD, O my LORD, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue. 11 And the LORD said unto him, Who hath made man's mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? have not I the LORD?

12 Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say. 13 And he said, O my LORD, send, I pray thee, by the hand of him whom thou wilt send. 14 And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Moses, and he said, Is not Aaron the Levite thy brother? I know that he can speak well. And also, behold, he cometh forth to meet thee: and when he seeth thee, he will be glad in his heart. 15 And thou shalt speak unto him, and put words in his mouth: and I will be with thy mouth, and with his mouth, and will teach you what ye shall do. 16 And he shall be thy spokesman unto the people: and he shall be, even he shall be to thee instead of a mouth, and thou shalt be to him instead of God. 17 And thou shalt take this rod in thine hand, wherewith thou shalt do signs. 18 And Moses went and returned to Jethro his father in law, and said unto him, Let me go, I pray thee, and return unto my brethren which are in Egypt, and see whether they be yet alive. And Jethro said to Moses, Go in peace. 19 And the LORD said unto Moses in Midian, Go, return into Egypt: for all the men are dead which sought thy life. 20 And Moses took his wife and his sons, and set them upon an ass, and he returned to the land of Egypt: and Moses took the rod of God in his hand. 21 And the LORD said unto Moses, When thou goest to return into Egypt, see that thou do all those wonders before Pharaoh, which I have put in thine hand: but I will harden his heart, that he shall not let the people go.

22 And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, Thus saith the LORD, Israel is my son, even my firstborn: 23 And I say unto thee, Let my son go, that he may serve me: and if thou refuse to let him go, behold, I will slay thy son, even thy firstborn. 24 And it came to pass by the way in the inn, that the LORD met him, and sought to kill him. 25 Then Zipporah took a sharp stone, and cut off the foreskin of her son, and cast it at his feet, and said, Surely a bloody husband art thou to me. 26 So he let him go: then she said, A bloody husband thou art, because of the circumcision. 27 And the LORD said to Aaron, Go into the wilderness to meet Moses. And he went, and met him in the mount of God, and kissed him. 28 And Moses told Aaron all the words of the LORD who had sent him, and all the signs which he had commanded him. 29 And Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the children of Israel: 30 And Aaron spake all the words which the LORD had spoken unto Moses, and did the signs in the sight of the people. 31 And the people believed: and when they heard that the LORD had visited the children of Israel, and that he had looked upon their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshipped.

Exodus 4

Diane Beauford

[themosleyreview]

The Mosley Review: The Northman

Gladiator, Braveheart, 300 and The 13th Warrior are in the pantheon of the greatest sword and shield films. Even if one of them is more stylized than the others, you still get the impact of not only the action, but the eloquence of their storytelling. In every shot you can feel the grit of the sand between your hands and toes, you can feel the sloshy texture of the mud, you can smell the grass and you can taste the blood splatter across the air. Those films have nailed all aspects of placing you in the boots or sandals the character walks in and this film evolves that quality. The amount of attention to detail and mythology behind everything on screen was astounding. I loved that amidst the carnage, their was a heartfelt family drama that had a predictable element, but it quickly goes a direction that was even darker than expected. I loved the character growth and visual storytelling the most. It was uncompromising and pure.

Oscar Novak was excellent as the younger Amleth and he delivers a powerful performance as Amleth witnesses the tragedy that propels his future. Ethan Hawke was excellent as his father King Aurvandill War-Raven. I loved their scenes together and it showcased the traditions of a father teaching his son the ways of becoming a strong man. Alexander Skarsgard was powerful, terrifying and a beast as Amleth grown up. You are with him as his journey for bloody vengeance begins and you thirst for him to succeed. He brings to life a character that is almost beyond humanity and is purely fueled by vengeance. As the film progresses, Alexander brings out the inner goodness of the character as he hunts, but also remembers that he can love as well. Nicole Kidman was outstanding as his mother Queen Gudrún. I loved that there were so many layers to her and a level of fearless passion. Claes Bang was awesome as Fjölnir, brother of King Aurvandill. He goes on a journey of torment and it was great to see him slowly come apart mentally. Willem Dafoe was fun as Heimir the Fool and he commits as you'd expect. Bjork was cool and frightening as Seeress. She may only be in one scene, but man was it mythic and compelling. Anya Taylor-Joy continues to be amazing and as Olga of the Birch Forest, she comes out the gate as one of the most powerful characters. Not because of her sorcery, but because of her will.

The score by composers Robin Carolan and Sebastian Gainsborough was the chef's kiss to the entire film. It is thunderous, powerful, scary and fueled by the Viking spirit. It's beauty knows no bounds and it will fill your heart with pulse pounding adrenaline. Visually this film was one of the most beautiful films I've seen this year so far. From the lushes greens to the warm amber light of the many torches that naturally light the many rooms and woods, it was wondrous to behold. I loved the many ties to Slovik folk lore and tales of Valhalla and how they are visually portrayed. Director Robert Eggers has made yet another masterpiece that is pure of all the standard story tropes and is absolutely an experience that shall not be missed. I loved this film and this definitely my number 1 favorite film of 2022 so far. Let me know what you thought of the film or my review in the comments below. Thanks for reading!

[lulii999]

Been inactive in the art department fighting sickness and art block, BUT I did run a long awaited Yeehaw themed prison break dnd game with my friends the other day (i was recovered by then).

I made a lot of stuff for it and am really proud of the way they turned out, so thought I’d share :)

We got:

- A steampunk beholder mini: made with a combination of $2 store nicknacks, hot glue, and sheer will.

- Some wanted poster initiative tracker tents with the PCs’ mugshot art on them (Tony’s my NPC), all drawn by me.

- And some bottlecap minis with the same art :)

We got:

- Tony Tevito: (my NPC) A halfling arcane trickster rogue that speaks with a mobster accent. He wound up in prison because some people just dont respect return policies.

- Hotwings McNuggets: An aarakockra potoo monk that makes bug nuggets and misses his grandma bugbear.

- Vernilis V. Vittud: A firbolg barbarian breaking off from his family business to start his own in who knows what? (But thats the fun part)

- Travis Yeehaw: A half elf ranger and gay icon thats been tragically separated from his minotaur husband, Henry and is now looking to reunite with him.

- Lyrus Willingham: A tiefling Circle of the Moon druid also werewolf. The younger son of a wealthy mining family was bitten in his late teens. He sought help, learned firbolg magic (old druidic magics) and is unfortunately stuck in prison with his older brother.

- Mordred Willingham: A tiefling College of Eloquence bard also vampire. The eldest son of the wealthy mining family, The Willinghams. A poet with a love for the stage, he grew a bit jealous of the attention Lyrus got after being bitten, and so, sought a way to change his fate. He came back a vampire with powers, and everything was going great. Until...

Wild antics were had and it was super fun to DM for this group :)

[goodticklebrain]

POCKET BLOGS: Saye Anything

Hey everyone! Mya here. I’m really excited today to introduce a new feature here on Good Tickle Brain: POCKET BLOGS! As regular readers will know, since 2019 I have been working on my comics with the world’s first, foremost, and possibly only pocket dramaturg, Kate Pitt. (For more on Kate, including the etymology of the term “pocket dramaturg”, check out this Q&A with her.)

Kate is, if anything, an even bigger Shakespeare geek than me, and certainly has a bigger Shakespeare brain. I will often text her a random Shakespeare fact and say “Isn’t this cool?”, only to receive back “YES, and…” followed by a dozen more related facts, complete with footnotes. As I am taking the month off, I thought it only fair to share some of her delightful geekery and expertise with all of you.

So sit back and get ready to peer into some of the most geeky, random, and entertaining corners of the Shakespeare-verse with Good Tickle Brain’s new series of POCKET BLOGS!

Spare a thought for poor Lord Saye. The ill-fated lord’s entrance in Henry VI Part II is often overlooked because he arrives at the same time as Queen Margaret. Margaret makes consistently dramatic entrances across the four Shakespeare plays she appears in and there is an excellent chance that someone is about to be stabbed, slapped, or screamed at if she is nearby. 

In this scene, Margaret enters carrying the severed head of her very dead ex-lover the Duke of Suffolk, and talks affectionately to it while her husband King Henry desperately tries to work out how to put down a major rebellion. 

Saye is in the middle of all this and spends most of his first scene (and he’s only got two) standing around awkwardly while the King and Queen talk to everyone who isn’t him. It can’t feel great to be ignored in favor of someone who is missing his trunk and all of his limbs, and when King Henry finally turns towards Saye it is to point out that the advancing rebels would very much like to turn his head into a tote bag just like Suffolk’s.

Cue the awkward laughter and a messenger running in with the news that the rebels have arrived and everyone present who still has their heels should immediately betake themselves to them and get out of town. King Henry reminds Lord Saye that everyone hates him (because he raised taxes and can speak French) and he should probably join the bravely-running-away royals. 

Lord Saye however, declares that he will stay and face the rebels. He is innocent after all. Why should he flee when he has done nothing wrong? At this point, practiced Shakespearean audiences will be reaching for the popcorn. Declaring innocence never ever (ever) works when attempting to avoid unpleasant consequences in Shakespeare and indeed, Lord Saye is captured less than forty lines later and dragged before the rebels to be interrogated. 

Jack Cade, the leader of the rebellion, accuses Saye of such abominable crimes as printing, teaching grammar to children, and dressing his horse in excessively fancy horse-clothes. Saye is definitely not guilty of the first indictment, as this scene takes place in 1450 and the first books in England weren’t printed until at least twenty-five years later.

Regardless, the rebels continue to hurl increasingly ridiculous accusations at Lord Saye – “thou hast men about thee that usually talk of a noun and a verb” – while he confidently bats them aside by speaking Latin and quoting Caesar’s Commentaries. Not necessarily the best strategy when negotiating with angry men with pikes, but Saye also demonstrates that he can speak eloquently in plain English: 

Tell me, wherein have I offended most? Have I affected wealth or honor? Speak. Are my chests filled up with extorted gold? Is my apparel sumptuous to behold? Whom have I injured, that you seek my death? These hands are free from guiltless blood-shedding, This breast from harboring foul deceitful thoughts. O, let me live! 

Lord Saye’s contention that his hands are “free from guiltless blood-shedding” is equivocal, given that he menacingly indicates elsewhere that he has definitely shed some blood: “Great men have reaching hands. Oft have I struck those that I never saw, and struck them dead.” There were rumors that Saye was involved in the murder of Henry VI’s uncle Duke Humphrey, though Shakespeare depicts that death as definitely Suffolk’s fault.

In addition to being a cunning politician and a huge classics nerd, Lord Saye is also a war hero. Jack Cade contemptuously challenges him, “when struck’st thou one blow in the field?” but Saye fought with Henry V in France. He is now in his mid-fifties and past his fighting days (the rebels mock his palsy) but Lord Saye feels that his prior service to his country should save his life. 

Cade disagrees. Even though he admits, “I feel remorse in myself with his words”, he orders Saye to be dragged offstage and beheaded. The rebels also break into Saye’s son-in-law’s house and behead him too. They then put both their heads on pikes and parade around London smushing the heads together to make them look like they are kissing because the rebels are apparently twelve. 

Lord Saye is one in a long line of Shakespeare characters who appear briefly and die quickly. Cinna the Poet in Caesar, Young Seward and The Family Macduff in Macbeth, Cornwall’s servant in Lear: all of their deaths, like Saye’s, serve to make the bad guys look worse. However, Jack Cade and his crew have already murdered innocent people before Saye comes on the scene, so what does his death teach the audience that they don’t already know? Dramatically, there may be an argument for cutting this scene. Next week however, I’ll explain the extravagantly silly reasons why I am delighted by Lord Saye and think he should be in every production. (Hint: he’s related to Shakespeare!)

by Kate Pitt

[pamphletstoinspire]

Further Justice to St. Joseph - Part 2

In this year of St. Joseph, let’s at least do justice to St. Joseph. Mere justice is the starting point of love and devotion.

In some earlier columns, I argued that we don’t do justice to St. Joseph if we take him to have doubted Mary’s fidelity. We certainly don’t do justice to him either if we think that he had relations with her after Our Lord’s birth.

So in this column, I want to challenge the assumption that it is enough to call him a “foster father.”

We often refer to St. Joseph as the “foster father” or “guardian” of our Lord. Echoing Scripture, we maybe even say that he was “reputed” to have been Jesus’s father. Many saints and popes have used similar expressions, which are true, so far as they go. But they fail to get at the fullness of St. Joseph’s paternity.

As a father myself of a large family, this is a matter close to my heart. I address St. Joseph in prayer as “my father,” and I take him to be an example of fatherhood for myself. But could he have been in some sense “less” of a father than I am? (I mean “as father.” Clearly in virtue he is stupendously greater.) Can a student be greater than his teacher? These are shocking ideas and must be false.

I find that to grapple with this question well, you need to turn to an earlier generation in the Church, when families were intact, and biological paternity was taken more seriously. By contrast, we are disposed to agree too quickly that adoptive fatherhood exhausts fatherhood.

In part, this is because the authority of fatherhood is being attacked across the board, especially the authority of God as Creator. Also, people do not want to appear to be criticizing broken families, where children are not raised by their biological mother and father together. We have partly good motives too, insofar as we want to insist that raising a child is as important as engendering it.

Whatever the reasons, we too quickly accept that it’s enough to call St. Joseph a “foster father.” Yet an earlier generation was unhappy with this title. I began to understand this truth reading a marvelous devotional book by a French Dominican, Michel Gasnier, Joseph the Silent. First published in 1960 in Paris as Trente Visites à Joseph le Sliencieux, it was translated into English two years later.

“The style of the book,” wrote a contemporary reviewer, “is luminous and eloquent, as one would expect from an author whose works have been crowned by the French Academy and from a speaker whose eloquence has brought him invitations to preach in pulpits throughout France as well as in foreign countries.” Scepter Press has brought out this difficult-to-find book in a new translation for the Year of St. Joseph.

In his chapter on “Joseph’s Fatherhood,” Fr. Gasnier quotes Bossuet, who adapted a maxim from St. John Chrysostom: “God gave Joseph all that belongs to a father without loss of virginity.” He refers to a Congress held at the Oratory of St. Joseph in Montreal, Canada, August 1-9, 1955, which enthusiastically adopted the expression “virginal father” to refer to St. Joseph. Indeed, such is the invocation at the start of a popular Prayer of Consecration to St. Joseph: “O Glorious Patriarch and Patron of the Church! O Virgin Spouse of the Virgin Mother of God! O Guardian and Virginal Father of the Word Incarnate!”

Fr. Gasnier maintains that “virginal father” is the better expression. “It is not easy to qualify Joseph’s paternity with precision,” he writes, “because it represents, if one may so express it, a paternity utterly unique in history; something so special, so original as to demand a new vocabulary capable of attributing a proper title to its function.”

What are Fr. Gasnier’s arguments? He points out that an adopted child is originally a stranger to at least one adoptive parent and possibly a ward of the state. But “From the moment he became incarnate in Mary, lawfully and divinely fruitful, he belonged at the same time to Joseph, since husband and wife, according to the order established by God are one, and hold their goods in common.”

It is no small matter to insist that Joseph and Mary were truly “espoused” (Douay-Rheims) when she conceived, and not merely “engaged,” as some paraphrase translations put it. (Mt 1:18)

Joseph moreover had an active role in Jesus’s conception, because of his love for Mary’s virginity: “The Man-God was the fruit of Mary’s virginity. . . .And Joseph, reverencing that virginity, prepared the way as it were for the Holy Spirit to make possible her miraculous fecundity. . . .Both, by common consent, had offered it to heaven as an acceptable gift. And both in return had received in equal measure a son, the fruit as it were, of their virginal union.”

Then too God “transferred his rights” as Father to Joseph, as signified in the angel’s words that Joseph would give the child his name, as if to say, “to you, God transmits his rights. . . .You will have a truly fatherly love for him, and you will exercise all the rights of a father over him.”

Joseph was even the father of the Redeemer “by blood,” because the blood that really counts in this regard is that of the mature man who offered himself on the Cross, and yet “Jesus will eat the bread earned by Joseph’s toil. . . .It is by means of the food bought with the price of Joseph’s toil that Jesus’ veins will be filled with that Precious Blood which he will spill to the last drop on Calvary.” Joseph’s sweat becomes the Lord’s blood.

Who could possibly be a better witness in this matter than Mary? In a moment of distress, she speaks of Joseph’s paternity as equal to her own maternity: “Behold,” she says, “your father and I have been looking for you anxiously.” (Lk 2:48)

Michael Pakaluk

[roman-catholic-mass-readings]

28th August >> Mass Readings (USA)

Saint Augustine, Bishop, Doctor 

    on 

Friday, Twenty First Week in Ordinary Time.

Friday, Twenty First Week in Ordinary Time

(Liturgical Colour: White)

(Readings for the feria (Friday))

(There is a choice today between the readings for the ferial day (Friday) and those for the memorial. The ferial readings are recommended unless pastoral reasons suggest otherwise)

First Reading

1 Corinthians 1:17-25

We proclaim Christ crucified, foolishness to Gentiles, but to those who are called, the wisdom of God.

Brothers and sisters: Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the Gospel, and not with the wisdom of human eloquence, so that the cross of Christ might not be emptied of its meaning.

The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written:

I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,

and the learning of the learned I will set aside.

Where is the wise one? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made the wisdom of the world foolish? For since in the wisdom of God the world did not come to know God through wisdom, it was the will of God through the foolishness of the proclamation to save those who have faith. For Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those who are called, Jews and Greeks alike, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.

The Word of the Lord

R/ Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 33:1-2, 4-5, 10-11

R/ The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.

Exult, you just, in the Lord;

praise from the upright is fitting.

Give thanks to the Lord on the harp;

with the ten-stringed lyre chant his praises.

R/ The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.

For upright is the word of the Lord,

and all his works are trustworthy.

He loves justice and right;

of the kindness of the Lord the earth is full.

R/ The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.

The Lord brings to nought the plans of nations;

he foils the designs of peoples.

But the plan of the Lord stands forever;

the design of his heart, through all generations.

R/ The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.

Gospel Acclamation

Luke 21:36

Alleluia, alleluia.

Be vigilant at all times and pray,

that you may have the strength to stand before the Son of Man.

Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Matthew 25:1-13

Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!

Jesus told his disciples this parable: “The Kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones, when taking their lamps, brought no oil with them, but the wise brought flasks of oil with their lamps. Since the bridegroom was long delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep. At midnight, there was a cry, ‘Behold, the bridegroom!  Come out to meet him!’ Then all those virgins got up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise ones replied, ‘No, for there may not be enough for us and you. Go instead to the merchants and buy some for yourselves.’ While they went off to buy it, the bridegroom came and those who were ready went into the wedding feast with him. Then the door was locked. Afterwards the other virgins came and said, ‘Lord, Lord, open the door for us!’ But he said in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, I do not know you.’ Therefore, stay awake, for you know neither the day nor the hour.”

The Gospel of the Lord

R/ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

———————-

Saint Augustine, Bishop, Doctor 

(Liturgical Colour: White)

(Readings for the memorial)

(There is a choice today between the readings for the ferial day (Friday) and those for the memorial. The ferial readings are recommended unless pastoral reasons suggest otherwise)

First Reading

1 John 4:7-16

If we love one another, God will live in us.

Beloved, let us love one another, because love is of God; everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God. Whoever is without love does not know God, for God is love. In this way the love of God was revealed to us: God sent his only-begotten Son into the world so that we might have life through him. In this is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as expiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also must love one another. No one has ever seen God. Yet, if we love one another, God remains in us, and his love is brought to perfection in us.

This is how we know that we remain in him and he in us, that he has given us of his Spirit. Moreover, we have seen and testify that the Father sent his Son as savior of the world. Whoever acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God remains in him and he in God. We have come to know and to believe in the love God has for us.

God is love, and whoever remains in love remains in God and God in him.

The Word of the Lord

R/ Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 119:9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14

R/ Lord, teach me your statutes.

How shall a young man be faultless in his way?

By keeping to your words.

R/ Lord, teach me your statutes.

With all my heart I seek you;

let me not stray from your commands.

R/ Lord, teach me your statutes.

Within my heart I treasure your promise,

that I may not sin against you.

R/ Lord, teach me your statutes.

Blessed are you, O Lord;

teach me your statutes.

R/ Lord, teach me your statutes.

With my lips I declare

all the ordinances of your mouth.

R/ Lord, teach me your statutes.

In the way of your decrees I rejoice,

as much as in all riches.

R/ Lord, teach me your statutes.

Gospel Acclamation

Matthew 23:9b, 10b

Alleluia, alleluia.

You have but one Father, in heaven;

you have but one master, the Christ.

Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Matthew 23:8-12

Do not be called ‘Master’; you have one master, the Christ.

Jesus spoke to his disciples: “Do not be called ‘Rabbi.’ You have but one teacher, and you are all brothers. Call no one on earth your father; you have but one Father in heaven. Do not be called ‘Master’; you have but one master, the Christ. The greatest among you must be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled; but whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”

The Gospel of the Lord

R/ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

[ofitzroy]

❝ ⤚⟶ EUROPE, 1458. thanks is given by the EARL OF RICHMOND, RICHARD FITZROY, from ENGLAND. they are at best ELOQUENT, and at their worst LAZY. whilst abroad, their ambition is to SEEK LEGITIMACY FOR THE SAKE OF HIS FAMILY. HE seems to remind everyone of TIMOTHEE CHALAMET & THE MELODIC TUNE OF A LUTE BEING PLAYING AS THE SUN SETS, THE WHISPERS MADE IN THE DEAD OF NIGHT BENEATH FRESHLY BEATEN COVERS & LAUGHTER BELLOWED AFTER WINNING A GAME OF CARDS. ❞

here is my second child, made of melancholy and the tightened strings of the lute. 

STATS.

full name  — richard (proto-germanic - “strong or brave leader”) fitzroy (anglo-saxon - “son of the king”) titles  — lord of york, earl of richmond birthplace  —   windsor castle, england (1433) age  — five and twenty (25) languages  — english (mother-tongue), latin (basic, mass-centric), french (fluent, refrains from speaking it), german (basic dialect), spanish (basic), italian (learning) dynasty  — house plantagenet (paternal house), fitzroy (given house), neville (maternal house)

mother  — isabel rose neville, queen of england

father  — edward plantagenet, king of england

spouse  — countess elizabeth beauchamp of richmond (1457-)

issue  — edmund howard-fitzroy (b. 1455)

siblings  — older : prince henry of wales (plantagenet) older : princess beatrice of england (plantagenet) older : prince of england (fitzroy, legitimised) younger : lady of york (fitzroy) younger : lady anne of york (fitzroy) younger : princess ceciliy of england (plantagenet)

other  — duke john neville of york (maternal uncle), earl william of lancaster (maternal uncle), 

zodiac/element — acquarius religious affiliation — roman catholic personality type   — i. swaddled in his mother’s arms the moment he entered into the world it is known to both him and the entire court that he is beloved by isabel neville and his older brother. much cannot be mirrored for his half-brother, the prince of wales, but alas that never did matter. so much love and embroiled passion was to fuel richard’s desire to make a better man of himself. as a child he believed such talk, and often found himself riddled with jealous to his half-siblings who he saw only time to time. yet such boldness soon vanished with age, a tiresome effect carrying on his heavy lids as he walked through life and it’s varying issues to become dulled by the effect of ambition and the pride of his house. still a bastard at sixteen richard found happiness within ale and wine, and then in the flesh that lay beneath heavy skirts. he followed women in a bid to find himself, though such things lead to richard’s siring of a bastard of his own. his personality and lack of love has shadowed by this news, such darkness has engulfed his very person, followed by a lack of ambition and a desperate need to find something to hold onto. ii. as time passed, richard took his bastard for his own soft hands - he gave him his name, he kissed his brow and with one sweep offered himself with marriage and long-lasting love to his childhood friend, elizabeth beauchamp. with land, an estate and a title of his own, richard grew into a fully formed adult with a loving nature that is often overlooked for the ambitious and melodramatic. despite it all, he refuses to change - and found patience in growing his own dynasty with his newfound family. but, called to portugal by demand of his father the lord-king, richard regrets answering to his call. he resigns himself to the idea of acting noble, and would rather keep himself to himself - but he knows now, that his actions ripple onto the ones he loves.. and now, he must chase his legitimisation so there is choice of futures for his child, his future child and mostly for his wife, who he still seems to stare at with honeyed eyes.  face claim — timothee chalamet height  — 5′10″ recognisable features — dark hair that is a stark contrast compared to his pale skin, his agile legs and the lute he plays behind closed doors.

HEADCANNONS

EARL OF RICHMOND  —  the earldom of richmond is a vast and prestigious title to behold! that, richard does not overlook. despite his tired eyes and lazy soul, richard knows very well that his estate was offered as a gift for marrying someone who was beloved by the english court. at first he found anxiety in place of pride but as time moved on richard allowed himself to take to the role as a duck would water. he is a good man to take care of his people, and makes sure that his servants are paid well in turn that they offer him both loyalty and security. as earl of richmond, he commissioned a portrait of elizabeth which hangs with pride in the entrance hall; when they return, he hopes to have one done of edmund who is beloved amongst the people of his home. in truth, he would’ve rather have taken to staying amongst english soil than take flight to portugal’s coast - but he made the voyage to both reaffirm his loyalty to his father and for his wife’s wishes. 

FAMILY  —  for most of his life richard has struggled as a bastard of a king who then married his mother. it was an oddity, to watch his older brother become legitimised - then to later welcome a baby sister into his life, who was both fully-blooded his own sibling but also wore the pride of princess. lines are drawn between the bastards and the legitimate children, that is for sure. for his preference in siblings surely lies within the arms of his fitzroy families; this also leaves him open to the taking of the members of the neville family, who he feels more aligned with. and though his trust in his father still wanes, he finds companionship in his half-siblings too. it is strange, that is for sure, but richard has blossomed within the family since marrying the lady beauchamp, and with time, he will become even more at peace with who he is. 

WANTED CONNECTIONS.

friends, “friends”, men he can play cards with, a bad influence who may drag him under hedonistic skills that he once was fluent with, girls he used to chase, a governess for his son, etc etc 

INFLUENCES.

sirius black (harry potter) charlie pace (lost) ambrose spellman (chilling adventures of sabrina) stan rizzo (mad men) theodore laurence (little women, ho ho ho) tyrion lannister (game of thrones) robin hood (english folklore) jason mendoza (the good place) aragorn (lord of the rings) simba (the lion king) dale cooper (twin peaks) troy branes (community) goh peik lin (crazy rich asians) jon snow (game of thrones) samwell tarly (lord of the rings) joey tribbiani/phoebe buffay (friends) romeo montague (shakespeare) anakin skywalker (star wars) sisyphus (greek mythology) heracles (greek mythology) david (bible) ashoka (indian history) john lennon (english history) beast (beauty & the beast) dante alighieri (the divine comedy) brian jones (english history)

[ships-for-you]

For @llama-anonymous

I apologize fore the delay however I hope that you will enjoy this matchup regardless. I also apologize if my writing hasn’t been as good as it was since I’ve completely abandoned writing and just starting to pick up again.

For Black Butler, I ship you with Finny!

I personally believe that our sweet and strong Finnian would best suit you.

Although you may be straightforward and blunt with how you deal with your ideas and whatever goes through your mind, he gets used to it as Sebastian shares a similar personality trait.

You would’ve been the young master’s music teacher by aiding him with the violin, he was one of your best students as of late.

You’d also occasionally fill in as a dance instructor although, that did not happen regularly.

Sebastian would have been a substitute however as much as he wouldn’t like to admit it, the young master needs to learn that even demons need time to organize events and execute orders that need maximum focus.

In short, he can get everything done however, he would very much enjoy his time privately in the rare occasions he has.

Due to frequenting the Pahntomhive manor, you had grown close with the servants as they would always greet you and brighten up your mood during your stay there.

A particular blonde seemed to have intrigued you as he made almost no attempt to start a conversation with you, unlike the rest of the servants.

Perhaps you came off as too strong-willed? Or were you too reckless at times?

He didn’t mean to, he was merely a bit shy. You were such a magnificent creature in his eyes. Like a beautiful flower.

Your long ebony locks was what caught his attention initially. Something about the dark color seemed so natural and unnatural at the same time. Unnatural in a sense wherein the percentage of the people he had seen with hair as dark as yours made up the diminutive minority.

Your glowing golden skin also caught his attention.

Your skill with the violin is undeniable. Truly a sight to behold and an even better experience to listen. From perfect octaves, chords, up bow staccato, left hand pizzicato, and so forth.

Of course, Ciel is nowhere near your level although he demanded to see if you truly qualified for the position. He was not disappointed.

Eh may have thought your teaching style wasn’t as logical as Sebastian’s however, music isn’t always about logic. He found that your emotions tend to shine through your decision making whenever you thought of which piece to teach him but you can’t help it. You make decisions more with your heart.

Nevertheless, your duties did not end there. You were a mediocre painter, still studying the arts.

You loved to paint figures that may seem simple at first glance but are much more complex than what meets the eye. The themes usually revolve around problems that you thought hindered society from changing for the better like slavery, unequal rights and so on.

But what you loved to paint the most were flowers. Flowers, so simple to paint yet hold so much symbolism. You painted a group of lily of the valleys in the outline of a young man.

Unconsciously, it resembled the profile of a certain gardener. All purely coincidental, I assure you.

Once it had dried, you encased it and planned to show your teacher although decided to do so after you taught the young master and so, you brought it with you to the manor to save time and money from traveling back to your own abode to your teacher.

Ciel questioned what it was and you merely said it was a mediocre painting he wasn’t permitted to see which only fueled his childish curiosity. Unbeknownst to you, the servants were curious as well as they had been eavesdropping.

“Miss (Y/N) can paint?” “Seen her drawings before, the lady does have quite the talent.” “She’s really talented, yes she is!” “You lot, get back to work!”

Sebastian had offered to store it in a safe place for a while whilst you instructed the young master and you, albeit hesitantly, agreed.

...And of course the servants found it and examined it... and they were astonished. It was beautiful.

“Kinda looks likeds Finny, don’t it?” “A coincidence?” “I know that flower, it’s the lily of the valley! It represents the purity of a heart. Perhaps Lady (Y/N) likes someone?”

They quickly closed it back up and returned to their duties, trying not to seem suspicious.

Once you were dismissed, you asked Sebastian to return it to you, and made your way to leave before you were stopped by hearing thumping foot steps.

“I like your painting!” A voice said and you turned around to face them and were greeted by the gardener.

You only smiled and thanked him as you were in a hurry and left.

He looked forward to see your paintings once more however, seeing your long black hair flowing as you hurried was picturesque enough for him to enjoy. He would be waiting for your return.

For Ouran Highschool, I ship you with Kyoya Ōtori

The idea of you being in a relationship with the third Otori son is quite entertaining to many, especially to the Host Club.

You were the fiancée of the merciless host club vice president although either of you acknowledged the other as such. You were engaged as a part of a long term business deal involving the partnering of his family to your own. Purely business, is what the ravenette would say.

That statement isn’t always true.

You, being you, tended to get into trouble from time to time. Whether it be accidentally violating one of the academy’s regulations, or being somewhere you weren’t supposed.

You can’t help it, Ouran can get quite dull as time passes on and so you’re merely trying to discover things that could quench your thirst for adventure.

...which usually results in trouble.

You find the most adventure, or interesting events, either follow the Hitachin twins or the Host a Club that Kyoya directs. Either way, they both give you a good laugh and serve as entertainment and so you visit them often.

You may or may not stay in music room 3 for the entirety of their club period.

“Have you not gotten bored nor feel the need to stop visiting me?” “No, and I don’t visit just for you, Kyoya. Besides, it’s not like I’m freeloading.”

He finds your company simultaneously entertaining and aggravating. He simply cannot determine which emotion overrides the other.

You do keep him company intermittently after club hours for the sake of accompanying him while he calculates the Host Club’s profit for the day.

Although he doesn’t admit it, he does hold affections for you. He can’t seem to explain it as he himself cannot understand it however, he feels at ease when you are with him. He ironically feels at peace despite your talkative nature.

You are one of the few people whose presence he’d rather be with.

But when you get into arguments, it truly doesn’t just die down. Of course, your arguments revolve more around your own opinions and are not necessarily serious. Fairly childish but we all have our individualistic passions.

Visiting each other’s home is natural and happens frequently but not too frequently. Mostly you visiting his as he feels more comfortable in his own private space as he usually works anyway.

The rest of the club are entertained by the chemistry you have with the bespectacled Vice President as your personalities usually clash. You being the more social and quite reckless half and him being the more calm and collected half.

You occasionally practice with Tamaki as your accompanist may or may not happen. Of course, that doesn’t happen without a littl playful flirting which you return with a few flowery words of your own.

If that takes place during club hours, the guests won’t be amused...neither would Kyoya.

But some of them love the “forbidden love” act? A little bit of sin sprinkled in the club never hurt anyone. A woman being unable to choose between the cool type or the prince.

Whenever they hold extravagant balls, they would recruit you, should you like to, to play along with the orchestra of students as they found your talent with the violin truly magnificent.

Of course, it’s all because you practice 40 hours a day *ahem*

Being Kyoya’s fiancée, you know he does not necessarily have the best relationship with his father and you admire his persistence to prove himself to him howver, you know that he needs to relax from time to time.

It is highly likely that you would spend the night with him in order to ensure he sleeps earlier.

Once he does retire, he lowers himself onto his bed beside you and turns to face you. You near yourself to him and snuggle him hesitantly, you’re used to hugging your pillow when you sleep and this was the safest you could do to him. Your boundaries were never discussed.

You felt him wrap his arms around your body as you calmed yourself, ridding yourself of your worries to prepare for sleep.

“This is highly inappropriate, you know? A man and a woman to sleep in the same bed.” “You’re not one to do anything without an ulterior motive and as of now, you do not have that.”

He’d probably near his face to yours in order invoke a sense of fear or uncertainty to prove a point.

“...You don’t know that, don’t let your guard down just because you think you know them. All men have...impulses.”

“But you’d ask me first, right? Now go to sleep, you need it.”

For Kamisama Hajimemashita, I ship you with Mizuki!

You would’ve been a regular student turned Benzaiten type of Godess, a Godess who embodied eloquence, and the Godess of music.

Balancing school responsibilities, planning for your future, all the while attempting to fulfill the role of a God, you honestly felt as if you wanted to give up altogether. You should not be given that title.

Either way, you pull through. Sort of.

You would’ve met Nanami at a meeting with the local Gods. It would’ve happened when your own familiar seemed to be picking a fight with hers.

Chiyosuke, your familiar, would explain that he only acted on impulse as he saw one of her familiars eyeing you with, “salacious manner.”

Was he wrong? We may never know as they kept denying it flustered.

You would’ve been confused but trusted your familiar’s statement as he is your own and is considerably loyal to you and to the shrine.

You would’ve forgiven the perpetrator, regardless if he denied it or not, as the other familiar bonked his head from behind as he and their Mistress apologized for his stead.

You let it go and become closer to Nanami as she faces the same trials and tribulations as yourself through your journey to becoming a God.

She confides in you and travels to your own shrine to hang out and vice versa.

She explained that she had become a God upon coming in contact with a man she “saved” from a puppy as he was found scared and cornered to a tree. The mystery man had been a God and transferred his mark of God to her.

You wished your story was as comedic as hers, you would comment as you recall how you came to possess the god mark in the first place. It wasn’t as light nor comedic as your companion’s story, far from it, actually.

Tomoe wouldn’t despise nor adore your presence. There were times wherein you seemed like a bad influence to Nanami as your recklessness seemed to worsen her own however, found that you also taught her what you had learned and so she would become less troublesome and naive to the situation she was in.

Chiyosuke isn’t very fond of Tomoe although he does enjoy Mizuki’s presence muck more despite their negative first impressions.

The three are mostly found together somewhere near the porch.

Mizuki would admire the relationship you share with those close to him. His mistress, Tomoe, and your own familiar, you cared for them selflessly.

He almost envied your selflessness. Caring for them unconditionally. Not expecting anything in return. He wished he felt similarly that with Nanami.

One day when you and the Land God planned a small outing to an amusement park, Mizuki took this as an opportunity to learn how to be as selfless as you. Naturally being selfless is not a personality trait one can learn through merely observing however he thought that if he were to stay close to you, you would influence him.

Once you had all arrived, you had suggested to ride a monstrous rollercoaster as you had everyone in one place and decided to take advantage of that.

You and Nanami boarded on the ride excitedly as your familiars begrudgingly followed, not understanding the thrill of said ride.

You’d sit next to Mizuki. (Not like you had a choice as Chiyosuke had to sit with a stranger as the ride could not fit three people in one cart. Why he decided to let you sit with Mizuki, you do not know.)

As the ride started to twist and turn, you only laughed heartily and screamed to your delight as doing so made you feel more hyped.

While Nanami and Mizuki was screaming in horror, Tomoe seemed apathetic about the whole ordeal, and Chiyosuke was feeling a bit faint as if he would vomit on the person he sat beside if the ride were to continue like this.

Mizuki clutched your arm close to his as he was not accustomed to zipping through places at high speeds along with the fact that he had no control over the situation of the ride.

You only laughed and told him that he could on hold on tight but hold on tighter to the restraints that were built in to the ride.

After the terrifyingly dizzzy experience, all of you decided to take a breather and explore on your own.

Mizuki stuck around you and your familiar as you ride more rides.

By the time you all were ready to leave, you all met one last time at the agreed spot for a final ride.

Of course, it was the Ferris Wheel.

The only Ferris Wheel available seemed to have been made specifically for couples as it would allow only two people at a time in each compartment.

Chiyosuke had opted to sit this one out, and you liked the idea of watching Tomoe with Nanami, so you rode it with the snake.

It was rather slow and served as a perfect contrast to the thrilling ride you all had rode initially thus, formally concluding your outing.

As Mizuki and you were alone in the compartment, you decided to make small talk and throw in a few jokes. You told each other stories as the pair of you unconsciously moved closer together, indicating comfort in one another’s presence.

Before the vessel the both of you were in docked, he pulled you to his embrace as he thanked you for the opportunity to do something fun and for spending it with him.

“I hope to see you soon, Lady (L/N). I’d like to see more of your passionate side again,”

For Diabolik Lovers, I ship you with Shū Sakamaki!

You would’ve met at school, specifically in the music room.

It was your free time and you wanted to practice as much as possible as you had an upcoming recital in a few weeks that could change your musical career forever.

Of course, one of the third years had to be sleeping there and, as much as you didn’t want to wake him up, you needed to practice, thus you brought out your violin and tuned it.

They didn’t seem to stir in the slightest and so you continued to tune your instrument before playing.

You knew playing this piece was practically suicide as you deemed it the most difficult one you had learned so far, especially since it was designed to have 4 different voices and was only compressed into a string only piece.

Der Erlkönig. It’s not a Paganini caprice but it’s as hard as—

Anyway,

Halfway into the piece, you played a sharp instead of a natural which caused you to get frustrated and come to a hault as your bow made contact with the strings.... which resulted in a very unpleasant horse-like noise to emit from your instrument.

You cringed.

You’re incredibly nit picky when it comes to playing the violin and so if you commit an error, you tend to redo it from the start instead of picking from the measure you failed to execute properly. Not a good practice, you know, but you’d die before admitting that to anyone.

Once you were about to start once more, the senior from before rose from his sleeping position to stare at you with a blank expression.

”You slipped.” ”Oh, really? Huh, I didn't even notice.” the sarcasm is real.

And it all started there, he helped you a bit by suggesting you change your fingering to allow your fingers to shift from one note to the other with less stress.

You tried it, and looked back to thank him only to find him gone.

You frequented the music room to practice until your recital ang continued to do so as you enjoyed his presence.

You tend to bicker with him however he lets you win an argument to get you to shut up. Most of the time.

You also come to learn that he is a closet pervert with weird interests in girls, or so as you observed.

It’s most likely you’d entertain him by playfully flirting with him, which did not seem to faze him in the slightest and so, you try to step up your game every once in a while in the attempts to fluster him. Or to evoke any emotion aside from apathy.

It’s very likely you find out he was a vampire when you accidentally caught him drinking from a blonde student who carpools with them. He knows you caught him and you knew he knew as well.

You never brought it up, but you are no coward. That may or may not be both your strength and weakness.

That especially showed one day when you visited his home and were in his room, considerably less talkative than usual as you sat on his bed which was a good distance from the couch he preferred to sleep in.

You weren’t scared, that little bit of knowledge about his true nature shouldn’t change how you truly feel about him. That’s what you thought and yet your body language showed otherwise.

The blonde vampire wouldn’t admit it however, he enjoyed listening to you as you rambled or complained to him. Your voice strangely calmed him and was much more sleep inducing than his “music” and so he did what he had to in order to prompt you to speak with him.

“Do you think I’ll try to drink your blood?” He opened his eyes to direct his sapphire orbs to yours. Your eyes widened slightly although you kept your ground to which he chuckled at your pride to put up a brave facade. “I’m not really into girls who are as tense as you, it’s too troublesome when they resist.” “I’m not scared, you hear?” You remarked and glared only for it to falter when you saw such intensity yet mischief in his eyes as he pushed you onto his bed.

“Then you wouldn’t mind if I drank from you.” He stated as he neared his face to yours to closely examine the red that started to bloom across your cheeks. Your long, beautiful, dark hair sprawled across his light colored sheets, your glowy skin complimented by the golden patterns that covered his bed. As tempting as it was to take you right then and there, he had a point to get across. “Do whatever you want, I don’t care.” You stubbornly retorted, hoping for him to stop teasing you, should it have been a joke.

He turned your head to the side to gain access to your neck. His breath fanned across it as you shut your eyes tight as you could. He stared at you to observe and drink in your almost weakened state and leaned down to lick your neck. He was certain he was the only one who could render you this defenseless. You shivered as you stiffled a moan that was threatening to be let out. He chuckled once more and let out a comment. “Ahaha. You’re a sensitive one, aren’t you? How lewd.” ‘I’m screwed’, you kept repeating in your mind until you realized he didn’t continue. “You’re an idiot. You insist on being stubborn even in a situation like this?” He asked with a straight face. “Why does that matter?!” You shot back as you felt embarrassed to have actually enjoyed the sensation of his tongue running across your neck. “Because it’s in situations like these where my brothers might try to take advantage of you.” He smirked, his body still hunched over yours. “Then again, I doubt anyone would get turned on by you in the first place.”

The hell was that supposed to mean???

“Well then why don’t you leave me alone then?!” You attempted to hit him which failed as he caught your hand in his and pinned it above you along with the other one as you tried to hit him once more. “I have bad taste in women, remember?”

“Just close your eyes and feel my fangs as they enter you.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I probably got carried away however this was quite difficult as this is a lot of fandoms to request. Nevertheless, I like the challenge.

[thepastisalreadywritten]

SAINT OF THE DAY (May 20)

The Catholic Church honors St. Bernardine of Siena on May 20.

A Franciscan friar and preacher, St. Bernardine is known as the “Apostle of Italy” for his efforts to revive the country's Catholic faith during the 15th century.

Bernardine Albizeschi was born to upper-class parents in the Italian republic of Siena on 8 September 1380.

Misfortune soon entered the boy's life when he lost his mother at age three and his father four years later.

His aunt Diana cared for him afterward and taught him to seek consolation and security by trusting in God.

Even at a young age, Bernardine demonstrated a remarkable concern for the poor as an outgrowth of his love for God.

Having become accustomed to fasting, he preferred at times to go without any food in order to help someone in greater need.

From the ages of 11 to 17, he focused on his studies, developing the eloquence and dedication that would serve his future work as an evangelist.

Before becoming a preacher, however, Bernardine spent several years ministering to the sick and dying.

He enrolled in a religious association that served at a hospital in the town of Scala and applied himself to this work from 1397 to 1400.

During that time, a severe plague broke out in Siena, causing a crisis that would eventually lead to the young man taking charge of the entire hospital.

Inside its walls, up to 20 people were dying each day from an illness that also killed many of the hospital workers.

The staff was decimated and new victims were coming in constantly.

Bernardine persuaded 12 young men to help him continue the work of the hospital, which he took over for a period of four months.

Although the plague did not infect him, the exhausting work left him weak and he contracted a different sickness that kept him in bed for four months.

After recovering, he spent over a year caring for his aunt Bartholomaea before her death.

The 22-year-old Bernardine moved to a small house outside the city, where he began to discern God's will for his future through prayer and fasting.

He eventually chose to join the Franciscans of the Strict Observance in 1403, embracing an austere life focused on poverty and humility.

During this time, while praying before a crucifix, Bernardine heard Christ say to him:

“My son, behold me hanging upon a cross. If you love me, or desire to imitate me, be also fastened naked to your cross and follow me. Thus you will assuredly find me.”

After Bernardine was ordained a priest, his superiors commissioned him to preach as a missionary to the Italians who were falling away from their Catholic faith.

The Dominican evangelist St. Vincent Ferrer, just before leaving Italy, preached a sermon in which he predicted that one of his listeners would continue his work among the Italians –  a prophecy Bernardine heard in person and went on to fulfill.

Bernardine's personal devotion to God, which amazed even the strict Franciscans, made his preaching extremely effective.

He moved his hearers to abandon their vices, turn back to God, and make peace with one another.

He promoted devotion to the name of Jesus as a simple and effective means of recalling God's love at all times.

When other priests consulted him for advice, Bernardine gave them a simple rule:

“In all your actions, seek in the first place the kingdom of God and his glory. Direct all you do purely to his honor. Persevere in brotherly charity, and practice first all that you desire to teach others.”

“By this means,” he said, “the Holy Spirit will be your master, and will give you such wisdom and such a tongue that no adversary will be able to stand against you.”

Bernardine's own life attested to this source of strength in the face of trials.

He patiently suffered an accusation of heresy –  which Pope Martin V judged to be false – and refused to abandon his bold preaching when a nobleman threatened him with death.

But Bernardine was also widely admired throughout Italy, and he was offered the office of a bishop on three occasions.

Each time, however, he turned down the position, choosing to fulfill the prediction of St. Vincent Ferrer through his missionary work.

Bernardine preached throughout most of Italy several times over and even managed to reconcile members of its warring political factions.

Later in his life, Bernardine served for five years as the Vicar General for his Franciscan order and revived the practice of its strict rule of life.

Then, in 1444, forty years after he first entered religious life, Bernardine became sick while traveling.

He continued to preach, but soon lost his strength and his voice.

Bernardine of Siena died on 20 May 1444.

He was beatified on 24 November 1449. He was canonized Pope Nicholas V on 24 May 1450.

[harajukumasked]

| Permissibility of shunning/boycotting muslims for their sins IF there is benefit |

Narrated `Abdullah bin Ka`b bin Malik:Who, from among Ka`b's sons, was the guide of Ka`b when he became blind:

I heard Ka`b bin Malik narrating the story of (the Ghazwa of) Tabuk in which he failed to take part. Ka`b said, "I did not remain behind Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) in any Ghazwa that he fought except the Ghazwa of Tabuk, and I failed to take part in the Ghazwa of Badr, but Allah did not admonish anyone who had not participated in it, for in fact, Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) had gone out in search of the caravan of Quraish till Allah made them (i.e. the Muslims) and their enemy meet without any appointment. I witnessed the night of Al-`Aqaba (pledge) with Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) when we pledged for Islam, and I would not exchange it for the Badr battle although the Badr battle is more popular amongst the people than it (i.e. Al-`Aqaba pledge). As for my news (in this battle of Tabuk), I had never been stronger or wealthier than I was when I remained behind the Prophet (ﷺ) in that Ghazwa. By Allah, never had I two she-camels before, but I had then at the time of this Ghazwa. Whenever Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) wanted to make a Ghazwa, he used to hide his intention by apparently referring to different Ghazwa till it was the time of that Ghazwa (of Tabuk) which Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) fought in severe heat, facing, a long journey, desert, and the great number of enemy. So the Prophet (ﷺ) announced to the Muslims clearly (their destination) so that they might get prepared for their Ghazwa. So he informed them clearly of the destination he was going to. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) was accompanied by a large number of Muslims who could not be listed in a book namely, a register." Ka`b added, "Any man who intended to be absent would think that the matter would remain hidden unless Allah revealed it through Divine Revelation. So Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) fought that Ghazwa at the time when the fruits had ripened and the shade looked pleasant. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and his companions prepared for the battle and I started to go out in order to get myself ready along with them, but I returned without doing anything. I would say to myself, 'I can do that.' So I kept on delaying it every now and then till the people got ready and Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and the Muslims along with him departed, and I had not prepared anything for my departure, and I said, I will prepare myself (for departure) one or two days after him, and then join them.' In the morning following their departure, I went out to get myself ready but returned having done nothing. Then again in the next morning, I went out to get ready but returned without doing anything. Such was the case with me till they hurried away and the battle was missed (by me). Even then I intended to depart to take them over. I wish I had done so! But it was not in my luck. So, after the departure of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ), whenever I went out and walked amongst the people (i.e, the remaining persons), it grieved me that I could see none around me, but one accused of hypocrisy or one of those weak men whom Allah had excused.

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) did not remember me till he reached Tabuk. So while he was sitting amongst the people in Tabuk, he said, 'What did Ka`b do?' A man from Banu Salama said, 'O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! He has been stopped by his two Burdas (i.e. garments) and his looking at his own flanks with pride.' Then Mu`adh bin Jabal said, 'What a bad thing you have said! By Allah! O Allahs Apostle! We know nothing about him but good.' Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) kept silent." Ka`b bin Malik added, "When I heard that he (i.e. the Prophet (ﷺ) ) was on his way back to Medina. I got dipped in my concern, and began to think of false excuses, saying to myself, 'How can I avoid his anger tomorrow?' And I took the advice of wise member of my family in this matter. When it was said that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ), had come near all the evil false excuses abandoned from my mind and I knew well that I could never come out of this problem by forging a false statement. Then I decided firmly to speak the truth. So Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) arrived in the morning, and whenever he returned from a journey., he used to visit the Mosque first of all and offer a two-rak`at prayer therein and then sit for the people. So when he had done all that (this time), those who had failed to join the battle (of Tabuk) came and started offering (false) excuses and taking oaths before him. They were something over eighty men; Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) accepted the excuses they had expressed, took their pledge of allegiance asked for Allah's Forgiveness for them, and left the secrets of their hearts for Allah to judge. Then I came to him, and when I greeted him, he smiled a smile of an angry person and then said, 'Come on.' So I came walking till I sat before him. He said to me, 'What stopped you from joining us. Had you not purchased an animal For carrying you?' I answered, "Yes, O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! But by Allah, if I were sitting before any person from among the people of the world other than you, I would have avoided his anger with an excuse. By Allah, I have been bestowed with the power of speaking fluently and eloquently, but by Allah, I knew well that if today I tell you a lie to seek your favor, Allah would surely make you angry with me in the near future, but if I tell you the truth, though you will get angry because of it, I hope for Allah's Forgiveness. Really, by Allah, there was no excuse for me. By Allah, I had never been stronger or wealthier than I was when I remained behind you.' Then Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, 'As regards this man, he has surely told the truth. So get up till Allah decides your case.' I got up, and many men of Banu Salama followed me and said to me. 'By Allah, we never witnessed you doing any sin before this. Surely, you failed to offer excuse to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as the others who did not join him, have offered. The prayer of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) to Allah to forgive you would have been sufficient for you.' By Allah, they continued blaming me so much that I intended to return (to the Prophet) and accuse myself of having told a lie, but I said to them, 'Is there anybody else who has met the same fate as I have?' They replied, 'Yes, there are two men who have said the same thing as you have, and to both of them was given the same order as given to you.' I said, 'Who are they?' They replied, Murara bin Ar-Rabi Al- Amri and Hilal bin Umaiya Al-Waqifi.' By that they mentioned to me two pious men who had attended the Ghazwa (Battle) of Badr, and in whom there was an example for me. So I did not change my mind when they mentioned them to me.

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) forbade all the Muslims to talk to us,the three aforesaid persons out of all those who had remained behind in that Ghazwa.So we kept away from the people and they changed their attitude towards us till the very land (where I lived) appeared strange to me as if I did not know it. We remained in that condition for fifty nights. As regards my two fellows, they remained in their houses and kept on weeping, but I was the youngest of them and the firmest of them, so I used to go out and witness the prayers along with the Muslims and roam about in the markets, but none would talk to me, and I would come to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and greet him while he was sitting In his gathering after the prayer, and I would wonder whether the Prophet (ﷺ) did move his lips in return to my greetings or not. Then I would offer my prayer near to him and look at him stealthily. When I was busy with my prayer, he would turn his face towards me, but when I turned my face to him, he would turn his face away from me. When this harsh attitude of the people lasted long, I walked till I scaled the wall of the garden of Abu Qatada who was my cousin and dearest person to me, and I offered my greetings to him. By Allah, he did not return my greetings.I said, 'O Abu Qatada! I beseech you by Allah! Do you know that I love Allah and His Apostle?' He kept quiet. I asked him again, beseeching him by Allah, but he remained silent. Then I asked him again in the Name of Allah. He said, "Allah and His Apostle know it better.' Thereupon my eyes flowed with tears and I returned and jumped over the wall."

Ka`b added, "While I was walking in the market of Medina, suddenly I saw a Nabati (i.e. a Christian farmer) from the Nabatis of Sham who came to sell his grains in Medina, saying, 'Who will lead me to Ka`b bin Malik?' The people began to point (me) out for him till he came to me and handed me a letter from the king of Ghassan in which the following was written: "To proceed, I have been informed that your friend (i.e. the Prophet (ﷺ) ) has treated you harshly. Anyhow, Allah does not let you live at a place where you feel inferior and your right is lost. So join us, and we will console you." When I read it, I said to myself, 'This is also a sort of a test.' Then I took the letter to the oven and made a fire therein by burning it.

When forty out of the fifty nights elapsed, behold ! There came to me the messenger of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and said, 'Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) orders you to keep away from your wife,' I said, 'Should I divorce her; or else! what should I do?' He said, 'No, only keep aloof from her and do not cohabit her.' The Prophet (ﷺ) sent the same message to my two fellows. Then I said to my wife. 'Go to your parents and remain with them till Allah gives His Verdict in this matter." Ka`b added, "The wife of Hilal bin Umaiya came to Apostle and said, 'O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! Hilal bin Umaiya is a helpless old man who has no servant to attend on him. Do you dislike that I should serve him? ' He said, 'No (you can serve him) but he should not come near you.' She said, 'By Allah, he has no desire for anything. By, Allah, he has never ceased weeping till his case began till this day of his.' On that, some of my family members said to me, 'Will you also ask Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) to permit your wife (to serve you) as he has permitted the wife of Hilal bin Umaiya to serve him?' I said, 'By Allah, I will not ask the permission of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) regarding her, for I do not know What Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) would say if I asked him to permit her (to serve me) while I am a young man.' Then I remained in that state for ten more nights after that till the period of fifty nights was completed starting from the time when Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) prohibited the people from talking to us.

When I had offered the Fajr prayer on the 50th morning on the roof of one of our houses and while I was sitting in the condition which Allah described (in the Qur'an) i.e. my very soul seemed straitened to me and even the earth seemed narrow to me for all its spaciousness, there I heard the voice of one who had ascended the mountain of Sala' calling with his loudest voice, 'O Ka`b bin Malik! Be happy (by receiving good tidings).' I fell down in prostration before Allah, realizing that relief has come. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) had announced the acceptance of our repentance by Allah when he had offered the Fajr prayer. The people then went out to congratulate us. Some bringers of good tidings went out to my two fellows, and a horseman came to me in haste, and a man of Banu Aslam came running and ascended the mountain and his voice was swifter than the horse. When he (i.e. the man) whose voice I had heard, came to me conveying the good tidings, I took off my garments and dressed him with them; and by Allah, I owned no other garments than them on that day. Then I borrowed two garments and wore them and went to Allah's Apostle. The people started receiving me in batches, congratulating me on Allah's Acceptance of my repentance, saying, 'We congratulate you on Allah's Acceptance of your repentance."

Ka`b further said, "When I entered the Mosque. I saw Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) sitting with the people around him. Talha bin Ubaidullah swiftly came to me, shook hands with me and congratulated me. By Allah, none of the Muhajirin (i.e. Emigrants) got up for me except him (i.e. Talha), and I will never forget this for Talha." Ka`b added, "When I greeted Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) he, his face being bright with joy, said "Be happy with the best day that you have got ever since your mother delivered you." Ka`b added, "I said to the Prophet (ﷺ) 'Is this forgiveness from you or from Allah?' He said, 'No, it is from Allah.' Whenever Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) became happy, his face would shine as if it were a piece of moon, and we all knew that characteristic of him. When I sat before him, I said, 'O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! Because of the acceptance of my repentance I will give up all my wealth as alms for the Sake of Allah and His Apostle. Allah's Apostle said, 'Keep some of your wealth, as it will be better for you.' I said, 'So I will keep my share from Khaibar with me,' and added, 'O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! Allah has saved me for telling the truth; so it is a part of my repentance not to tell but the truth as long as I am alive. By Allah, I do not know anyone of the Muslims whom Allah has helped fortelling the truth more than me. Since I have mentioned that truth to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) till today, I have never intended to tell a lie. I hope that Allah will also save me (from telling lies) the rest of my life.

So Allah revealed to His Apostle the Verse:-- "Verily, Allah has forgiven the Prophet, the Muhajirin (i.e. Emigrants (up to His Saying) And be with those who are true (in word and deed)." (9.117-119) By Allah, Allah has never bestowed upon me, apart from His guiding me to Islam, a Greater blessing than the fact that I did not tell a lie to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) which would have caused me to perish as those who have told a lie perished, for Allah described those who told lies with the worst description He ever attributed to anybody else. Allah said:-- "They (i.e. the hypocrites) will swear by Allah to you when you return to them (up to His Saying) Certainly Allah is not pleased with the rebellious people-- " (9.95-96)

Ka`b added, "We, the three persons, differed altogether from those whose excuses Allah's Apostle accepted when they swore to him. He took their pledge of allegiance and asked Allah to forgive them, but Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) left our case pending till Allah gave His Judgment about it. As for that Allah said):-- And to the three (He did for give also) who remained behind." (9.118) What Allah said (in this Verse) does not indicate our failure to take part in the Ghazwa, but it refers to the deferment of making a decision by the Prophet (ﷺ) about our case in contrast to the case of those who had taken an oath before him and he excused them by accepting their excuses.

Some benfits and commentary on this hadith:

▪ Al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allaah have mercy on him) said, discussing the lessons learned from this hadeeth:

"(One of the lessons we learn) is not saying salaams to one who commits sin, and that it is permissible to shun him for more than three days. The prohibition on shunning someone for more than three days is to be understood as referring to situations where the reason for shunning is not something prescribed in Islam.

(Another lesson we learn) is that the obligation to return salaams is waived in the case of one who is greeted by the person who is being shunned, because if it were obligatory, Ka’b would not have wondered whether he (the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)) moved his lips in returning the greeting."

Fath al-Baari (8/124).

▪ Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:

"If a person is known to openly fail to do obligatory duties or to do haraam things, then he deserves to be shunned and should not be greeted with salaams, as a rebuke to him, until he repents."

Majmoo’ al-Fataawa (23/252).

▪ Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:

"Shunning varies according to how strong or weak, and how few or how numerous the people who are doing the shunning are. The purpose is to rebuke and discipline the person being shunned and to deter the masses from doing likewise.

If the purpose is more likely be to achieved by shunning, and it will weaken and reduce the evil, then it is prescribed, but if the person being shunned and others will not be deterred by that, rather the evil will increase, and the person doing the shunning is weak and the bad consequences will outweigh the good, then shunning is not prescribed, rather softening the hearts of some people is more effective than shunning.

But in some cases shunning is more effective than softening the hearts. Hence the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) sought to soften the hearts of some people and shunned others, and the three who stayed behind (from Tabook) were better than most of those whose hearts were to be softened, because they were leaders who held positions of influence among their tribes. So the interests of Islam dictated that the hearts of the leaders be softened, whereas the three who were shunned were believers and there were many other believers besides them. So shunning them was supporting Islam and was a means of purifying them of their sins. Similarly what is prescribed with regard to the enemy is to fight them sometimes, and to seek truces with them sometimes, and to take the jizyah sometimes, according to circumstances and what is in the ummah’s best interests."

Majmoo’ al-Fataawa (28/206).

▪ "This Hadith contains many aspects of warnings and advices, some of which are given below:

1. A Muslim should always speak the truth even if he has to face troubles and turmoil for it because the Pleasure of Allah lies in truth.

2. One must avoid at all costs the attitude of hypocrites because eventually one is ruined by it.

3. In spite of hardship and stringency, one must take part in Jiんād.

4. For the admonition and exhortation of others, it gives justification for the economic boycott of even sincere Muslims who adopt wrong methods.

5. One must face with forbearance the difficulties which come in the way of Deen.

6. It is not praiseworthy that one gives in charity all the property he has. One must keep what is needed for the lawful needs.

7. It is lawful to give something by way of gift and reward to a person who congratulates in the events of happiness.

8.The ability to seek pardon is a gift from Allah for which one must express gratitude to Him.

9.Any promise that one makes must be kept, etc. etc. "

Riyād us Sālihīn, Page 16.

[vampiresuns]

The Red Priestess

The last conversation between @plaguedcount​‘s Aarushi and Anatole, for @starryskylullaby’s ASOIAF au.

(I’ve decided to cut the emotional/introspective part of the aftermath of Astaeria’s death in chunks, due to length).

His morning is a little different today. He writes a letter to his mother, something he hasn’t done in far too long, telling her he is well, alive, and not wanted for treason any more: back at the job, as it should be. He can’t bear telling her anything more substantial, though she knows she has too many questions for him, and he doesn’t blame her — specially not with the rumours that have been getting around.

His job never ends.

He wasn’t planning on writing to her, yet explaining Aerion what death was, was probably one of the worst things all of them ever had to do. He’s too young, a mere infant, a defenceless toddler who missed his father and who will lead a life missing his mother as well — and the whole thing makes him think of his own mother, sitting in Highgarden, expecting her son to die. Seeing her boy thread into waters she cannot follow, with the things he’s done. They’re not things he can explain to her.

He’s wearing black too, that also makes this morning different. If he’s honest, all previous mourning he’s had to carry he’s taken as an opportunity so dress in new and interesting ways, and while his all black outfits are certainly not plain, this mourning is different. It has him lost, chasing nothing in a labyrinth he does not know how to navigate, asking questions only to never find the answers.

He hates not knowing things, he hates loose ends and unanswered enquiries; he knows very well there is only one person who can answer his questions right now, but he’s been avoiding her. However, today she dies, so it’s his last chance, and he’s not going to waste it.

He bids good morning to the guards by name (he knows the name of every person who works in the Red Keep) and they let him through, for which he thanks them, in hopes to delay facing her a little more, even if he knows he’s useless.

Right, duty. That pestering little bugger called duty.

Aarushi’s watching the sea out of a very tiny window in her cell when he comes in. He clears his throat, announcing his presence, but she doesn’t turn around. Frankly, he does not mind, he’s not the kind of man who needs people to pay attention to how important his words are, and he didn’t come here to antagonise himself with her. Or well, antagonise himself more than he already is. He did accuse her after all.

She’s not chained or handcuffed, she’s just sitting and watching the sea. He wonders what he would do were he in her place. Watching the sea seems like an option, clearly, he loves the sea, even if he has never gotten to spend much time near it — hearing it while he worked was often consolation enough for him. Still, he doesn’t think he’d be as compliant as Aara has been. Sure, she’s defiant as ever, even her posture is now, and he admires it, her fighting spirit, but her compliance is one of the many mysteries remaining unanswered.

The only thing he fears is getting the answers, and still finding this whole ordeal incomprehensible.

“Have you been treated well?”

“Is that kindness, Milord?”

“Why don’t you call me by my name, and then maybe you’ll get an honest answer out of me.”

When she finally turns to her, she’s got a challenging smile on her face which does not reach her eyes, still she manages to look proud, unrepentant; while Anatole has never particularly liked her (he does not like people he can’t trust very much) he has always respected her.

“I didn’t know you were capable of those.”

“Why don’t you find out?” Anatole replies with a smirk of his own. Silence falls between them as they stare each other out from their opposite corners of Aara’s cell. While does let her stare him down, he doesn’t let anyone do that, but still, he sighs, and asks: “Can I sit next to you? I have no desire to fight with you, I just wanted to talk.”

For once, he half-surrenders. He puts his arms down: he meets her as plainly and as simple as possible.

“What do you want to talk about, Spymaster?”

He takes a moment or two putting his words together, clicking his tongue as he sits closer to her, but still at a safe distance. “I assume you are well aware I have been observing you for years, ever since you first arrived I’ve devoted a slice of my network to you. Do not flatter yourself thinking it was a bigger than the rest portion of it, but still.”

“I wouldn’t, you do your job well, you have always done that.”

“There’s no need to flatter me, Aarushi.”

“I’m not.”

“Still, there’s no need for it, I also assume you deeply resent me.”

It’s Aarushi’s turn to be quiet for a little while before she speaks: “I do. I do not understand why would you choose her over him,” if she sounds a little choked, she does not comment on it, keeping her facade. Anatole doesn’t either. “But I do respect you. You treated me with kindness, when I was with child, and you were honest to the King... most of the time.”

“In that case, thank you for your compliment. You were always quite a smart one... and insightful too. What was that thing you said once? That in the game of thrones you either win, or you die? That was quite right, very eloquent... yet you played, and you didn’t win, and you shall die, just like you said you would when you arrived to King’s Landing.”

“Why are you here?”

“I just want to know why.”

Aara is silent, so Anatole keeps talking. “I know it was not jealousy. I’m sure you were jealous of Astaeria, but your not that much of a simpleton. Hatred, I’m sure you hated her— I’m not here to antagonise myself to you even more... I truly just want to know why.”

“Love,” she replies at last, right when Anatole thought she wouldn’t speak again and he should better leave. “I did it because love is the dead of duty, and she made him weak.”

“Have you thought about how, perhaps, the kind of King you wanted Lucerys to be is not the kind of King Westeros needs? And the kind of King she would’ve made him was?”

“I’ve heard myself you didn’t like him as a King, and that you told him as much.”

Anatole laughs. “No, no I did not think he was a very fit to be King. Lucerys did not wish to be it, and he was not fit for it either. Statesmanship requires... dedication.”

“You’re very dedicated to it.”

“I am.”

Aarushi snorts, looks outside again, and then turns to him. “So that is your God, then, Spymaster: your own competence... tell me then, when you pray to it, what do you pray for?”

He squints at her, studying her. It’s not a malicious comment, she’s bantering with him; it takes him somewhat by surprise, but he doesn’t show it, he only smirks as he ponders what answer to give her, though he does not know why he ponders: Anatole already knows the only answer that suffices is the truth.

He’s never told anyone his true feelings in this regard. Not even to Valerius.

“When I first came here I wanted to see how far I could go. I am not a greedy man like Lord Tyrik, I care little for material goods, even less about money. I care about power—“

“You wanted to be King,” Aarushi states, sounding more baffled than she probably intended to sound.

“I suppose I could’ve been the King. Anyone can be a King, and I’m not anyone. Still, no, the crown is too constrictive, and not necessarily what rules Westeros. More than anything else I wanted glory... I wanted to open the seas with my own palms and be as unavoidable as death itself. Not the King, but the game player: win the game of thrones without wearing the crown, so when I went down into the history books, other people would say ‘behold, that was a great man’. If the Tyrell motto is ‘Growing Strong’, then I wanted to be the strongest.”

“And now? I sense there’s a but there.”

“There is,” Anatole laughs ruefully. “If this is what glory demands, then I am not so sure I want it any more. See, you had your Lucerys, he might have not been the truest lover, but you had him. I have no one, not any more.”

“So that is why you followed her... for love.”

“It was not the same love as your love, however.”

“I know,” Aara says, placing one of her scarred hands on his forearm. He lets her. “Platonic love, friendship is still love.”

“I have only ever held the interests of the Crown before my own,” he says, and he knows he’s contradicting himself a little, but he has to say this, he has to remind himself. “I was where the Crown needed me, and the plan was never to defeat Lucerys, but see him see reason.”

Before the Red Priestess can say anything else, Anatole stands up, straightening his clothes, and bows his head slightly to her. “Thank you for your honesty, I must admit this is the only time I have ever had any pleasure talking to you.”

“A pity,” Aara says, a puckish little smile on her lips which looks out of place for her circumstances. “You were always very entertaining to hear speak.”

“Perhaps in another lifetime.”

“Perhaps— but Spymaster, before you go: have you never been curious if the fire ever told me anything about you?”

He pauses, and smiles. “Honestly? No.”

Aarushi smiles too, and she says her last words to him: “Good bye, Aelius Anatole, of House Tyrell.”

“Good bye, Aarushi.”

[itsyourchoicedevotionals]

Powerful Words And Actions

“Faith empowers us to see that the universe was created and beautifully coordinated by the power of God’s words! He spoke and the invisible realm gave birth to all that is seen.” Heb 11:3TPT

We have a crucial part to play in God’s plans for the latter days of time. What you ask? Aligning our entire being with Christ, as His bride.

Our grandson married. He loved-loves the Lord with his whole heart, desiring to serve Him however possible. One of the criteria for his bride— she would love Jesus above all else. Additionally, she would be actively serving Christ by winning souls; would have love and compassion for people; would allow nothing in her life, which didn’t align with her beliefs.

Years of choices, study, acting out her beliefs preceded my new granddaughter-in-love even finding our grandson. She knew her husband would be a man with a love for Jesus before all else; would be passionate and active in loving and winning lost souls for Jesus. This young woman prepared for who she wanted to spend her life with, acting with purpose and power.

Paul speaking 1Cor 2:4-5ESV “…my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.” Too many pastors, evangelist and tele-preachers don’t act with purpose and power, but rank at the top with eloquent words.

When Paul spoke, whatever he said was accomplished: i.e. Acts 13:6-12— lifting out V11ESV “…now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you will be blind and unable to see the sun for a time.” Immediately mist and darkness fell upon him, and he went about seeking people to lead him by the hand.” This is representative of power.

Peter exemplified powerful words and actions, not eloquence. See Acts 5, lifting out V14-16. “And more than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women, so that they even carried out the sick into the streets and laid them on cots and mats, that as Peter came by at least his shadow might fall on some of them. The people also gathered from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those afflicted with unclean spirits, and they were all healed.” Souls were the by-product of God’s healing power.

Where does this power come from for us? Eph 4:13TPT “These grace ministries will function until we all attain oneness in the faith, until we all experience the fullness of what it means to know the Son of God, and finally we become one perfect man” —the matured Bride of Christ— “with the full dimensions of spiritual maturity and fully developed in the abundance of Christ.”

Don’t use a muscle, you lose it. My CNA granddaughters wouldn’t hear of me moving into the downstairs bedroom. —‘Grandma, the part of your brain running muscles and co-ordination will forget how to go up and down stairs. Eighteen steps or not, you need the exercise’— (really?). As I force myself up and down those stairs once again, muscles are getting stronger, coordination better.

Faith muscles are no different. God spoke and the invisible world produced everything we see. This God’s Word power and faith power were combined. When we speak with faith in God’s Word, power will manifest. We’ll see healings and miracles, demons dislodged from authority and lost saved. Then our Savior will come back for a bride worthy of Him. Will we be a part of the worthy bride? It’s your choice. You choose.

PRAYER: Sovereign God, forgive us for now exercising the power You gave us through Jesus, building our faith muscles, not speech. Help us to believe and to receive, to act upon Your Word, in Jesus’ name I pray.

by Debbie Veilleux Copyright 2019 You have my permission to reblog this devotional for others. Please keep my name with this devotional as author. Thank you.