#he's managed to make himself into this martyr. this not-saviour but also not-not-saviour of the elven people

[apostatefeverdream]

content warning for spoilers and Lukewarm Takes - i know that Solas 'i abhor the use of blood magic' Dragonage doing A Blood Magic in veilguard is muggy as fuck. and i know that characterisation in veilguard is shaky at times... but i kinda love what it says abt solas? because it feels So Him to hate something so entirely, to deny it and discredit it again and again and again but Do It Anyway because he's gone so far off the fucking deep end.

the blood magic thing is just one example of how easily he separates his actions from his principles but there's more,,, like he quite obviously (his depression frescos, cole's personal quest) is not a fan of having his strings pulled, of being used and guided into choices that aren't actually his own, but also he's the fucker who gave the undead magister the magic nuke! he's the one who subtly moulds and shapes the inquisition from day fucking zero! who immediately starts pushing the inquisitor into tidying up for him concealing the nature of The Orb (especially an elven inq - 'the threat corypheus wields? the orb he carried? it is ours' - solas is outspokenly anti-dalish but when it's convenient to exploit his kinship with lavellan, he'll fucking do it)! who presents himself as the authority on the fade, on magic, on corypheus just by using that goddamn catch all fade ex machina 'i dreamed it' excuse every five fucking minutes! who then promptly uses the inquisition as a springboard from which to jump into the deep end of the edgelord swimming pool!

for a guy who is 99% morals 1% worm, he sure as hell loves to completely undermine his beliefs with his behaviour!

just - solas who mocks the dalish for not knowing their true history, who he disparages for being separated so entirely from true elven culture that they're basically idiot children. and solas who sundered an entire race of beings from the fade and their history and saw the pain and devastation it caused them. that he caused them.

solas who despises the evanuris for enslaving his people, for taking away their agency and their freedoms. and solas who decides to tear down the veil, who makes that choice for the entirety of thedas, because a life that only he knew is so much better than the lives of everyone in the fucking world currently.

solas as a rebel, who hates manipulation and duplicity. and solas as The Dread Wolf, Fen'Harel straight up pulling some weapons-grade blood magic gaslighting on poor rook because it suits him.

solas who punishes the evanuris with "an eternity of torment" for killing mythal. and solas who kills mythal. and solas who kills felassan. and solas who kills varric.

solas who has absolutely mastered the art of Do The Bad Thing Now, Hate Myself Later because if he ever stops hurtling towards his end goal at a thousand miles an hour for even a moment, he'll have a chance at realising that he's been a massive fucking hypocrite the entire time.

[tyrannuspitch]

the thing about odin's "lesson" is that thor expects a challenge, and he gets a trick.

like, from the moment he lands on earth to the moment he fails to lift mjolnir, thor clearly expects there to be a way out. yes, he knows he's being PUNISHED - he's been shamed and stripped of status, he's in pain, he's vulnerable and far from home... but he does expect to go home.

i think he thinks that's how this normally works. odin can get violent and drastic when making a point, but if thor can just take it and then pick himself up off the floor, then they can usually move on.

part of it is also that thor's worth has so often been measured in competence. he has to be the strongest, he has to know how to win wars, he has to have the self-control to use storm magic, he has to have the courage and endurance to defend asgard from any threat, etc etc. humility is a long way down the list of qualities he's been drilled on in preparation to become king. and when the challenge seems physical (weakness, pain), why wouldn't the answer be?

but the problem is. it's a trap. most of the lesson is the denial. mjolnir would always have rejected thor the first time, no matter what he'd gone through to find it, because that's the scenario odin is placing thor into. not just being on earth.

from thor's perspective, if odin banishing thor is like pushing his son down the stairs... well. then thor is thinking: okay, this is bad, but i've been hurt by my father before. i know how this works. the worst of it's over. i just need to drag myself back up those stairs and then we can talk. but this time, he gets to the top of the stairs... and the door is locked.

and suddenly it shifts from: my dad has injured me, to: my dad is trying to kill me. and odin only opens the door when thor stops asking to be let in.

like - think about it. what actual character development is there in thor's self-sacrifice to loki/the destroyer?

sacrifice is an asgardian virtue - there's a whole plot point about sif idealising it! the mere fact of thor becoming a martyr doesn't contradict his supposed vanity or arrogance in the slightest. he would always have been willing to do that.

the difference is that this sacrifice is unglorious. the difference is that this is a fight that thor would NORMALLY be able to win with ease. this is not just martyrdom, it's a humiliating defeat.

and this defeat is entirely down to odin. loki wants to kill thor, but it's odin who makes thor weak and vulnerable enough to be killed; it's odin who ultimately causes thor's death.

this death is not noble or necessary. it's odin's whim. and thor accepting it is thor accepting that he can and should die at odin's whim. that if odin (and loki, and frigga, but that's less important to odin) have judged him Unworthy for reasons they haven't even told him and he doesn't even entirely understand, then of course he deserves any fate they condemn him to.

it reminds me of what odin says to loki in the dark world: "your birthright was to die". more precisely, of its implications: that your life belongs to your father and he can do what he wishes with it. that being alive at all is a privilege granted by your parents, and they have every right to take it away. and odin chooses to teach thor this "lesson" in the hardest and most literal way possible.

thor's acceptance of death is when odin decides to save him. odin comes within seconds of murdering his son just to show him that he can, and then he frames himself as a saviour.

it's cruel, it's unfair, and it's manipulative beyond belief. and i'm not sure thor ever manages to break through enough of the manipulation to see how awful it really is. :(

[shondhamaloti]

gender and compassion in jjk (or: why nobara is best girl)

once we move past the red herring of "is jjk feminist or not" (a moot question imo; feminisms are movements) (the answer is no) there are some interesting patterns to untangle re: gender and politics/ethics in the series. people have already written stunning analyses of how misogyny and heteropatriarchy operate in jujutsu society, with particular focus on maki, mai, their unnamed mother, the zen'in clan generally, momo, nobara, and so on - i won't attempt to outdo them here. this post barely skims the relationship between gender and compassion in jjk.

i've joked about jjk's women characters subscribing to a sort of libfem girlboss feminism but that's really an oversimplification (or flat out miscomprehension) situated against the broader politics of the series.

jjk women's personal philosophies exemplify the use of selective compassion as a survival strategy. it's a politics of survival rather than of revolution that nonetheless lends itself to subversion precisely because it rejects the saviour/martyr complex (it's a sliding scale) 'good' sorcerers default to or feel compelled to adopt, which consequently deprives them of energy, motivation and autonomy, and which is ultimately a patronising position to take as it only reproduces the status quo between the jujutsu world's ruling class, working sorcerers, and civilians.

the fact that it is predominately women who explicitly adopt this strategic/practical approach to care (maki, nobara, shoko; in some ways also mai, momo, and takako, etc.) might not be a coincidence. it can be read as aligning with women's greater attunement to the reality that martyrdom and altruism are self-destructive and unsustainable. we know unambiguously that patriarchy and misogyny structure the jujutsu world and so it's not unreasonable that ambitious woman sorcerers would have figured out much more intuitively than men that survival means managing one's emotional resources and selectively denying (presumed) access to one's care/compassion, in order to play the long game.

it sounds very utilitarian but it's something we see men in jjk having to reckon with again and again, or else fail to accept, becoming fatigued + disillusioned and in the worst scenarios resorting to fascism, fuelled by desperation and an inability to affirm themselves (cf: suguru).

we see it with how satoru, despite being a compassionate character, channels his compassion through an iron grip of calculation and makes allowance for compromises because he has seen firsthand what a martyr complex can do to morale, and because revolution for satoru is on the scale of attrition, for which he must conserve his moral and emotional energy.

we see this with nanami, who despite being one of the most compassionate characters in jjk is severely disenchanted with the system and capable of sympathising with suguru, and who even in the act of care prioritises young sorcerers and children, because he has made a choice as to who to expend his efforts upon.

we see it with megumi, whose monologue about being a sorcerer, not a hero, and choosing to save people unfairly is a subversion of the classic shonen protagonist archetype.

we see it with the overwhelming sense of disenfranchisement that yuji, who committed himself to indiscriminately saving people from "improper" deaths, is experiencing with current events in the manga.

so we find that one of the difficult and persistent conundrums in jjk is that any ethics that involves the work of "saving others" must be pragmatic in its outlook so as to remain actionable, and so that in concerning oneself so intimately with others' curses/emotions one's own identity and agency aren't cannibalised.

and it is in one of nobara's potent character moments that the lesson is given an eloquent expression, as nobara uses the metaphor of seats at the table of her life to describe her flexibility towards necessary (or unnecessary) sacrifices and selective care/compassion. the way nobara puts this conflict between romanticised martyrdom and self-preservation/autonomy into words is simple but elegant, and it is gratifying that what yuji gains from nobara in that scene is not necessarily solace or absolution, but a degree of wisdom and perspective, a lesson in shrewdness.

textually, we understand that nobara's "cold" (self-described) philosophy towards life and work comes from her experience living in a provincial village; subtextually, there is a case to be made that she develops this awareness much earlier and with more confidence than yuji precisely because her struggle for autonomy is classed and gendered through womanhood. in this sense, at least, it is not unusual that prominent woman sorcerers tend to adopt a policy of selective care/compassion - they, moreso than men, have been positioned and perhaps left with no recourse but to do so.

what would refine this gender-conscious association between sorcerers and their philosophies is, i think, doing the work to tread the more ambiguous ground afforded to characters like satoru or nanami - having a woman character who demonstrates a commitment to the moral 'good' (however that may be conceived) while maintaining her own identity and autonomy, i.e., while retaining a pragmatic outlook and averting the trend of subsuming women's ethical endeavours into paradigms of feminine virtue/selflessness or gendered emotionality. yuki seems to slated to fill this niche, and i sincerely hope jjk engages with her potential.

[orthodoxydaily]

Saints&Reading: Thu., Dec., 17, 2020

Commemorated on December 4_ by the new calendar

The Holy Great Martyr Barbara  (306)

 The Holy GreatMartyress Barbara lived and suffered during the reign of the emperor Maximian (305-311). Her father, the pagan Dioskoros, was a rich and illustrious man in the city of Phoenician Heliopolis; early left a widower, he concentrated all his attention in tender devotion to his only daughter. Seeing the extraordinary beauty of Barbara, Dioskoros decided to raise her concealed from the eyes of strangers. For this he built a tower, where besides Barbara, there were present only her pagan teachers. From the tower heights there opened up a view of God's world of hills stretching into the distance. By day she was able to gaze upon the wooded hills, the swiftly flowing rivers, and on the meadows covered with a gayly mottled blanket of flowers; by night the harmonious and majestic vault of the heavens twinkled and provided a spectacle of inexpressible beauty. Soon the maiden began to ask herself questions about the Primal Cause and Creator of so harmonious and splendid a world. Gradually she became convinced of the idea, that the soul-less idols – were but only the work of human hands, and though her father and teachers offered them worship, the idols were not sufficiently clever and august enough to have made the surrounding world. The desire to know the True God so consumed the soul of Barbara, that she decided to devote all her life to this and to spend her life in virginity.

But the fame of her beauty spread throughout the city, and many sought for her hand in marriage. But despite the endearing entreaties of her father, she refused. Barbara cautioned her father, that his persistence might end tragically and separate them forever. Dioskoros decided, that the temperament of his daughter had been affected by her life of seclusion. He therefore permitted her to leave the tower and gave her full freedom in her choice of friends and acquaintances. The maiden thus encountered in the city youthful confessors of faith in Christ, and they revealed to her teachings about the Creator of the world, about the Trinity, and about the Divine Logos. Through the Providence of God, after a certain while there arrived in Heliopolis from Alexandria a priest in the guide of a merchant. He performed the sacrament of Baptism over Barbara.      During this while at the house of Dioskoros a luxuriant bath was being built. By his orders the workers prepared to put into it two windows on the south side. But Barbara, availing herself of her father's absence, asked them to make a third window, in the form of a Trinity of Light. Over the entrance of the bath-house Barbara patterned a cross, which was durably set into stone. On the stone steps of the bath-house there later remained the imprint of her feet, while within the water-spring had dried up, appearing later on with great healing power, – all which Simeon Metaphrastes in writing about the sufferings of the holy martyress, compares with the life-creating power of the stream of Jordan and the Pool of Siloam. When Dioskoros returned and expressed dissatisfaction about the change of his plan of construction, his daughter told him about her knowledge of the Triune God, about the saving power of the Son of God, and about the futility of worshipping idols. Dioskoros went into a rage, grabbed a sword and was on the point of striking her. The maiden fled from her father, and he rushed after her in pursuit. His way became blocked by an hill, which opened and concealed the saint in a crevice. On the other side of the crevice was an entrance upwards. Saint Barbara managed then to conceal herself in a cave on the opposite slope of the hill. After a long and fruitless search for his daughter, Dioskoros saw two shepherds on the hill. One of them pointed out the cave to him, where the saint had hidden. Dioskoros beat his daughter terribly, and then locked her under watch and tried to wear her down with hunger. Finally he handed her over to the governor of the city, named Martianus. They beat Saint Barbara fiercely: they struck at her with ox thongs, and ground into her wounds with an hair-shirt. By night the holy maiden prayed fervently to her Heavenly Bridegroom, and the Saviour Himself appeared and healed her wounds. Then they subjected the saint to new, and even more cruel torments.      Amidst the crowd standing near the place of torture of the martyress was the Christian Juliania, an inhabitant of Heliopolis. Her heart was filled with sympathy for the voluntary martyrdom of the beautiful and illustrious maiden. Juliania likewise wanted to suffer for Christ. She began loudly to denounce the torturers, and they seized hold of her. For a long while they tortured both holy martyresses: they lacerated and tore at their bodies with hooks and then led them stripped through the city amidst derision and jeers. Through the prayers of Saint Barbara the Lord sent an Angel, which covered the bareness of the holy martyresses with splendid garb. The steadfast confessors of faith in Christ, Saints Barbara and Juliania, were then beheaded. Dioskoros himself executed Saint Barbara. The wrath of God was not slow to punish both torturers, Martianus and Dioskoros: they were struck down by bolts of lightning.      In the VI Century the relics of the holy GreatMartyress Barbara were transferred to Constantinople. In the XII Century the daughter of the Byzantine emperor Alexis Comnenes, the princess Barbara, having entered into marriage with the Russian prince Mikhail Izyaslavich, transferred them to Kiev. They rest even now at the Kiev Vladimir cathedral.

The Monk John Damascene ( 760)

     The Monk John Damascene was born in about the year 680 at the capital of Syria, Damascus, into a Christian family. His father, Sergios Mansuros, was a treasurer at the court of the caliph. John had also a foster brother, the orphaned lad Cosmas, whom Sergios had taken into his own home. When the children were growing up, Sergios concerned himself over their education. At the Damascus slave market he ransomed from captivity the learned monk Cosmas of Calabria and entrusted to him the teaching of his children. The boys displayed uncommon ability and readily mastered their courses of the secular and spiritual sciences. After the death of his father, John at court occupied ministerial posts and became city-governor.      During these times at Byzantium there had arisen and quickly spread about the heresy of Iconoclasm, supported by the emperor Leo III the Isaurian (717-741). Rising up in defense of Orthodox Icon-Veneration (Ikonodoulia), Saint John wrote three treatises entitled, "Against the Revilers of Holy Icons". The wise and God-inspired writings of Saint John enraged the emperor. But since the author was not a Byzantine subject, the emperor was unable to lock him up in prison, or execute him. The emperor thereupon resorted to slander. By his command there was composed a counterfeit letter under the name of John, in which the Damascus official was supposed to have offered his help towards the conquest of the Syrian capital. This letter and its hypocritically-flattering answer was sent off by Leo the Isaurian to the caliph. The caliph immediately ordered that Saint John be removed from his post, and that his right hand be cut off and then led through the city in chains. That same evening they returned the cut-off hand to Saint John. The saint began to pray to the MostHoly Mother of God for healing. Having fallen asleep, he beheld an icon of the Mother of God and heard Her voice telling him that he had been healed, and together with this commanded him to toil unceasingly with his healed hand. Awakening, he saw that his hand was intact.

     Having learned of the miracle, which witnessed to the innocence of John, the caliph asked his forgiveness and wanted to restore him to his former office, but the saint refused. He distributed away his riches and together with his step-brother and comrade in learning, Cosmas, he set off to Jerusalem, where as a simple novice he entered the monastery of the Monk Sava the Sanctified. It was not easy for him to find a spiritual guide. Among the monastic brethren there consented to this only one very experienced monastic elder, skilled to nourish in a student the spirit of obedience and humility. Before anything the elder forbade John to write, on the supposition that success in this area might present a source of pride. One time he sent the monk to Damascus to sell baskets, made at the monastery, and commanded him to sell them at a certain inflated price, more than their real value. And here, passing by on the tormenting path under the searing sun, the former dignitary of Damascus was now to be found at the marketplace in the ragged garb of an humble basket-vendor. But Saint John was recognised by his former house steward, who bought up all the baskets at the entrusted price.      One time at the monastery, one of the monks chanced to die and the brother of the deceased besought Saint John to write down something by way of consolation. Saint John for a long time refused, but out of pity he yielded to the petition of the grief-stricken, and wrote his reknown funeral tropari. For this disobedience the elder banished him from his cell. All the monks began to plead for John. The elder thereupon assigned him one of the worst and most unpleasant tasks – to remove the wastes from the monastery. And even in this the monk was a model of obedience. After a certain while, the elder was commanded in a vision by the All-Pure and MostHoly Mother of God to allow Saint John again to write. The Jerusalem Patriarch learned of the monk: he ordained him priest and made him a preacher at his cathedral. But the Monk John soon returned to the Laura of the Monk Sava, where until the end of his days he spent his time in the writing of spiritual books and church song. He left the monastery only to denounce the iconoclasts at the Constantinople Council of 754. They subjected him to imprisonment and torture, but he endured everything and through the mercy of God he remained alive. He died in about the year 780, at perhaps over age 100.      [trans. note: It is extremely deplorable that this and several other Russian accounts of Saint John of Damascus, Saint John Damascene, gloss over and ignore his great significance within the area of dogmatic theology. Saint John is generally considered to represent the close of the classical Patristic age, and his great work, "Exposition on the Orthodox Faith" ("De Fide Orthodoxa"), presents a collection and summary of the dogmatic teachings of the fathers. The "Exposition on the Orthodox Faith" is part of a larger work, the "Fount of Wisdom" ("Pege Gnoseos"), which includes "Philosophic Chapters" and an "History of Heresies", reviewing the teaching and examining the defect of thought in all the heresies up to his time. Saint John Damascene, when he was "discovered" in the West during the Medieval period, exerted an enormous influence within Western Christianity, and was highly esteemed and used by Thomas Aquinas and the Scholastics. For Eastern Orthodoxy too, Saint John Damascene's work serves, and should serve, as a dogmatic primer and summation of Patristic thought. Its sad neglect, East and West, points to the religious and dogmatic slumber of our times].

All texts© 1996-2001 by translator Fr. S. Janos.

Matthew 25:1-13 

1Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.2 Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. 3 Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, 4 but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. 5 But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept. 6 And at midnight a cry was heard: 'Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!' 7 Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. 8 And the foolish said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.' 9 But the wise answered, saying, 'No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.' 10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut. 11 Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, 'Lord, Lord, open to us!' 12 But he answered and said, 'Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.' 13 Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.

Galatians 3:23-29 

23 But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed.24 Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 25 But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor. 26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.8 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.29 And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.

[justfinishedreading]

The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka

SPOILERS.

Written in 1915, this a novella about a middle-class salesman who one day turns into a giant beetle-like creature. But it is much more than that. Much like fairy tales and horror stories, The Metamorphosis takes the absurd and fantastical and uses it to illustrate the problems with human fear and morality; it is not only the sensational story of a grotesque physical change but also the story of the negative behavioural change in himself and his family: how they react to his transformation and how he is dehumanized in their eyes.

Let’s start at the beginning; Gregor wakes up and he needs to get ready for work, all around him he hears the people of the house starting their day, but he cannot get out of bed; he doesn’t feel right, something is different with his body. The minutes tick away, he knows he should get up but he can’t bring himself to do it. Each member of his family knock at his locked door to find out what’s wrong, even his chief from work shows up at the house, and yet Gregor still can’t get up. This section reminded me so much of depression; the difficulty in taking action, the desire to just stay in bed, just a little bit longer, of wanting to shut out the world and enclose yourself in the safety of your room.

Gregor’s family is made up of: his father, who stopped working because of health issues, his mother, who also does not work because of health issues, and a younger sister, in her mid or late teens. The family is served by a maid and a cook. The house is never fully described but it has several rooms and we can guess that this is a middle-class family who live in relative comfort. Not only is Gregor the sole breadwinner whom the family depend upon, he is also currently paying off his father’s debts. While Gregor feels a lot of pressure from both family and work, he also takes a certain pride in knowing that he is so important to the family; he takes pride in his fantasy of noble self-sacrifice. It’s obvious from the beginning that he is being used but as the story progresses we learn just how much he is being taken advantage of. He is a fool for his pride, whilst he built himself up in his mind as the saviour of the family, in truth he was just a malleable tool. I have to admit I can identify with Gregor, my family can be high-maintenance and frequently require help and I do feel a sense of pride at being the one they come to, but it’s a mistake to try to permanently attribute the roles of “helper” and “helpless”, because, as we find out in The Metamorphosis, those roles are of course interchangeable.

As Gregor’s family bang on his door, demanding to know what is going on, we’re told that they can’t get in because Gregor often locks it, a habit picked up whilst traveling for work and staying at inns and hotels. That’s his explanation for why his bedroom door is locked (whilst he was sleeping) in his own family home, but we can guess that the only way for him to get some peace from his insistently needy family is to literally, physically lock them out.

The Metamorphosis is divided into three parts, in part one Gregor has not shown up for work in the morning of the transformation and immediately the general manager shows up at the house demanding to know where Gregor is. Whilst Gregor struggles to get out of bed, struggling with his new giant beetle-like body to stand up right, and hasn’t even managed to unlock his door yet with his insect arms, he can hear the general manager tell the family “we are very often obliged to supress indispositions out of consideration for the firm.” I don’t know how these beliefs are inflicted upon us but this is something I felt when I entered the work industry, and to some extent still haven’t fully shaken off: the idea that we have an obligation to a company, to work, and to feel guilt when we are to unwell to do so. As Gregor struggles with his new body, he considers “that he will later, once the hindrance has been overcome, work all the more industriously and with greater focus.” As if he must of course make up for lost time, as if this transformation is his fault.

When the family discovers his transformation the story sidesteps all realism in dealing with such a phenonium, neither the protagonist nor his family give much thought as to how his transformation actually happened, nor do they seek guidance from doctors or police or clergymen. Like a fairy tale, how and why are not important, what’s important is the effect. This is a story about physical and mental illness, about depression, feelings of inadequacy, feelings of entrapment, the sense of obligation and the illusion of altruism.

In part two, Gregor’s sister, Grete, becomes the self-appointed caregiver to Gregor. Neither their father nor mother venture into Gregor’s room, and Grete feels the same self-sacrificing, self-righteous satisfaction that Gregor felt when he was the sole provider for the family. Grete is now the member of the family who is able “to deal” with the situation. At first, she is proud to be the one to show compassion towards her brother but as time goes by she grows tired of looking after him and start to neglect her duties. One day she orders her mother to help her remove the furniture and belongings from Gregor’s room. On one hand removing the furniture allows Gregor to scurry more comfortably across the walls and the ceiling, on the other hand it removes his human possessions, his memories, his connection to his humanity; he is now just a burdensome creature in a cage.

He thinks to himself that “he should behave calmly and, by employing patience and the utmost consideration, assist his family in enduring the inconveniences his current state inevitably forced him to impose on them.” And yet, although part of his personality still sees himself as the self-sacrificing martyr, the truth is he passively accepting his new situation, he hides under a sofa whenever anyone comes into his room, for most of the story he makes no attempt to engage with the family and even ignores the new servant who is the only one unafraid to be in his presence. Part of Gregor WANTS to be looked after, feels it’s his turn to be cared for. However Gregor does not have the same experience in these matters as his family does: when they were leeching off him they made him out to be their hero, they doted on him, framing a prominent photo of him in the living room and gave him the illusion of control and respect by letting him pick which house they all live in. But as Gregor leeches off his family, he gives them no pleasure in return for their efforts.

Just how much his family used him becomes apparent when, without Gregor’s income, all three members of the family manage to successfully find employment, they reduce household staff, and it is revealed that the father was secretly stowing away part of Gregor’s income without his son’s knowledge. His father gets a sort of security-guard-type job at a bank, which, like Gregor, like Grete, he pompously takes pride in, and wears his uniform all the time, even whilst at home.

All throughout the story the family make no attempts to communicate with Gregor, to see if it is even possible to communicate with him. They hide him away like some dirty family secret, indicative of the attitude towards sufferers of mental illness or physical disease at the time. These people would be hidden away, taken care of yes, but ignored. And even now a large part of society still seems to instinctively want to cast off people with mental and physical disabilities.

There’s a lot more I could analyse about The Metamorphosis, for such a short novella it certainly packs an everlasting punch, it’s a text that is often taught and studied, and in a broad sense uses the horror genre to expose ugly nuances of human egos and relationships.

There’s one last thing I want to write: in part three the situation worsens and Gregor dies, once he dies the family who up until now have been referred to as Gregor’s father, Gregor’s mother, Gregor’s sister / Grete, now become Herr Samsa, Frau Samsa and their daughter. The focus is no longer on Gregor, and as the mother and father look at their daughter’s young adult body, and remark what a fine woman she has become, it’s clear who is the next person to leeched onto.

Review by Book Hamster

[ever-searching]

Companion piece to FFXIVWrite #30

Since my writing for the FFXIVWrite prompt #30: Splinter (which can be found here) included a lot of different AUs which I’ve never talked about, I thought that I could write a companion piece which tells a bit more about them. I decided to also add short descriptions of each character's “main universe” versions for clarity.

Short summaries can be found below. Be warned that the text may contain minor story spoilers for the FFXIV main scenario story line until the early bits of Shadowbringers, though.

(MU = "main universe" (roleplay-verse), WoL = Warrior of Light (canon storyline), First = Norvrandt version)

Cain

MU Cain: An adventurer/odd-jobs from Thanalan who is trying to make his mark and struggles with impostor syndrome a bit. Lived on the streets from Calamity until roughly 7th Astral Era. Somewhat snarky at times, but at his core an awkward nerd. Thaumaturge with basic knife-fighting skills.

WoL Cain: Starts off very enthusiastic but gradually gets tired of everyone expecting that he solves their problems and nobody giving him even a small break. Got off the streets a year or two earlier than the MU Cain but still inherited his self-negligent ascetic lifestyle. Possibly snarkier than the other versions. Black Mage / Dark Knight.

First Cain / “Kayneth”: Son of a miner couple from Twine who left to seek better life in Eulmore; he either wasn't taken along or didn’t manage to become a bonded citizen. Eventually, his path lead him to Crystarium, where he became an adventurer. Lost his eyesight at some point when something clawed him in the face but navigates using aether.

Narangelel

MU Narangelel: A wanderer/hunter from the Azim Steppe who came to Azeroth to sate her wanderlust and find something that would fill the emptiness she feels. Placid and polite but sometimes a bit apathetic, perhaps. Lancer, though also somewhat effective with knives.

WoL Narangelel: Leaves the Steppe a few years earlier than MU Nara. Still hasn't found what she is looking for, but although her work is hard, she feels oddly at peace with it. Possibly fascinated by dragons after acquiring a dragoon soulstone. Represents Kha tribe rather than Mol during the Naadam (possibly negotiating a temporary alliance between the two tribes beforehand) and turns down Magnai’s proposal, though politely (because he'd definitely make one). Dragoon / Rogue.

First Narangelel / “Naldia”: Adventurer who hunts monsters and sin eaters as her profession. Has traced her origins to the Kingdom of Voeburt but hasn’t yet managed to visit Il Mheg. A bit more world-weary than the other two versions.

Storm

MU Storm: Former magical murder machine / Garlean conscript from Gyr Abania, current book merchant / artisan living in Ul'dah. Nicknamed ‘Stoneface' for a reason. Aether sensitive. Has a fairly strict code of honour. Helps the downtrodden when he can, particularly if they are magically capable. Arcanist with elemental spells and no carbuncles.

WoL Storm: Ends up helping Momodi with something, and somehow that leads to Storm becoming the Warrior of Light. Has a lot of conflicted feelings for a very long time, particularly when the events take him to Gyr Abania; eventually, the Ala Mhigans (some of who might recognize him) forgive him for his past deeds. Possible dad figure for some Scions. Summoner / Gunbreaker; still rarely uses egis or healing spells.

First Storm / “Forgiven Remorse”: An unfortunate Hume who got turned into a sin eater. Might have been a powerful mage and/or a powerful soldier, but he is doomed to get struck down. (A short post about this version can be found here.)

G’ilas

MU G’ilas: A cheerful adventurer/treasure hunter from Abalathia’s Spine who served the Maelstrom as a field medic until Cartenau. Usually an optimist and even something of a joker, but dislikes being pressured and doesn’t take it well if he is unable to save someone. Conjurer, though he does carry a knife.

WoL G’ilas: As the MU one, except that his adventuring path lead him to meet with the Scions of the Seventh Dawn. While he remains fairly cheerful and smiles often, the losses and failures he has suffered in the course of his journeys have given his optimism a slightly desperate edge at times: he might not have met any of his closest companions in this timeline, which gives him a shakier foundation. White Mage, and possibly a Samurai.

First G’ilas / “Gae-Satt”: A relaxed Mystel living a life of luxury in Eulmore. Still friendly and happy-go-lucky, but doesn’t seem to be interested in adventuring in the least.

Merces

MU Merces: Allagan bodyguard/soldier clone who slumbered in Azys Lla for millennia before getting freed by a band of adventurers (namely G‘ilas and his friends). Chose G’ilas as his new master, but is slowly learning to live without constantly serving someone. Still sometimes feel like a fish out of (temporal) water. Polite, somewhat curious and very serious-minded. Gladiator, but adequate with more or less all melee weapons.

WoL Merces: Rather than having been forgotten or left in Azys Lla, this version of Merces was placed in the Crystal Tower and awakened after the beginning of the 7th Umbral Era. As he never found a master, he might feel and act even more detached from the world than the MU Merces. Gladiator / Lancer / Samurai.

First Merces: Doesn’t exist. Allagan Empire never existed in Norvrandt, and the person he was based on probably lived and died centuries earlier.

Sasameru

MU Sasameru: A Dunesfolk researcher with a passion for studying magic, though his own aetherial capabilities are almost non-existent. Amiable but a bit absent-minded at times. Runs a bookshop. May or may not do some shady business as an informant and a code cracker as a side-business, encouraged by his family.

WoL Sasameru: Doesn't exist. Would require Sasameru more capable in manipulating aether, and if that was the case, his backstory might have taken quite a different turn.

First Sasameru / "Samugg"?? "Samsard"??: A researcher working at the Cabinet of Curiosity in Crystarium. While I originally intended to keep his race the same, Lalafells/Dwarves are quite rare and reclusive, which made me reconsider... so it's also possible that First Sasameru would in fact be a Galdjent (as their naming scheme would work well with his name).

Lumien

MU Lumien: A soft-hearted, somewhat clumsy and insecure Elezen from Gridania who struggled and failed to become a Wood Wailer, then ran from home and tried to become a Gladiator in Ul'dah, and then became a retainer. Has some aptitude with conjury but doesn't (yet) know how to utilize his potential nor fully believe in it. Writes poems and likes cats. Gladiator / Conjurer, though both only on very basic levels.

WoL Lumien: Didn’t give up on Gladiator training before he encountered Thancred and so remained one. After he gets introduced to the Scions of the Seventh Dawn, he doesn’t initially realize (or accept) that he is the Warrior of Light. Learns to control his nerves to a degree, which makes him less clumsy in battle, and that in turn helps him to become a bit more confident; still writes poetry and remains fairly shy. Knows that he can't save everyone but still tries, even though it hurts. Paladin / Conjurer.

First Lumien / "Lyriath": The son of bandits/poachers who has been dragged into the life of crime; hates what he is doing but doesn't think he can escape it. Insecure and downhearted, and has an occasional tendency to make a martyr of himself.

Haldswys

All three versions follow roughly the same theme of "boisterous bruiser", though the WoL version and particularly the First version have probably gained quite bit more scars than the MU version.

Chaz

MU Chaz: Self-proclaimed "wisdom hunter" who left Ishgard after he wasn't allowed to study in the Scholasticate. Loves books and does anything and everything to get them, including stealing. Somewhat bratty and arrogant, but still probably a jerk with a heart of gold. Rogue with some improvised Astrologian skills.

WoL Chaz: At some point, his paths crossed with the Scions of the Seventh Dawn, and one thing lead to another until he found himself being the saviour of Eorzea. Still sometimes puts an act of a know-it-all, speaks snarkily and/or refuses to do things that he doesn't like, but he is surprisingly dedicated to saving the world. Besides, being a hero has given him a way into some restricted libraries, so he can't really complain, can he? Astrologian / Ninja.

First Chaz / "Sawes": A guard defending Crystarium. While he doesn't exactly love fighting, has become somewhat nonchalant about fighting over the course of years, at least as long as he isn't in mortal danger. Visits the Cabinet of Curiosity on his days off and has probably read a large number of the books there.

Brenda

MU Brenda: A travelling minstrel who carries their father's Red Mage soulstone in the hopes that it will either react to them or that they will find someone worthy of it. A bit awkward but strives to look and act like a hero. Archer.

WoL Brenda: Runs into the Scions of the Seventh Dawn and accompanies them, thinking that one of them might be the worthy holder of the soulstone. In general, they probably spend a good while thinking that they're just accompanying the real heroes to record their story or being the replacement hero until the real one is found; they are convinced only when the soulstone ends up choosing them. Red Mage / Bard.

First Brenda / "Brinaette": A citizen of the Crystarium known to perform at the Wandering Stairs. Probably very knowledgeable or at least interested in the history of Norvrandt. Might also be an adventurer although singing and playing guitar are their biggest passions.

[enricodandolo]

Can we please stop reading Wagner's operas as complete sausage fests?

(Cross-posting from /r/opera for the five people browsing the #opera tag on tumblr)

Inflammatory title, check. Typing this fresh out of the shower inflamed with righteous indignation, check. References to YouTube comments, check. That's right, it's rant-time (or, as Wagner calls it, "act 2").

So this is something that has been on my mind a lot but that I've never really bothered to write down. I don't think this will come as a surprise to most of the people on here, so this is gonna be somewhat self-indulgent. Obviously, big shout-out to the 2005 Copenhagen Ring, which was my first introduction to Wagner.

In a lot of the literature, and certainly in the popular imagination (hello there, angry YouTube commentors), Wagner is all about the men. *Meistersinger* productions almost always hinge on the director's perspective on Hans Sachs and what a cad he is. The *Ring* is usually told as either the story of Wotan, whether he be a visionary master manipulator or a villain in disguise. *Tannhäuser* is about Heinrich dithering about for three hours like a latter-day Hamlet who can't decide between Betty and Veronica (wait, what?). This is not to say Wagner's big female characters -- Brünnhilde and Kundry being the prime examples -- don't receive attention in those productions or analyses. But they're usually ancillaries of the men, in some way or another, and not the focal points of the action.

But that's not at all what we can see in the libretti themselves, let alone the music! If anything, I'd argue that in all of Wagner's mature works -- Tannhäuser, Lohengrin, Tristan, Meistersinger, the Ring and probably Parsifal -- it's the women that drive the plot, and the women that make the most use of their agency.

I think the best example for this is probably Walküre, and in fact listening to the first two acts this morning brought this on. When the Copenhagen Ring had Sieglinde pull Nothung from the ash tree rather than Siegmund, I saw a lot of reviewers tut-tutting. According to a not very scientific study of the comments on the YouTube upload, that seems to be a point of more contention than the deaths of Loge and Alberich in that production, or Hunding getting away scots-free. I note that the Met Ring has the twins pull out Nothung together, hand in hand, which is cute and doesn't seem to arouse nearly as much dissension.

But in fact, Sieglinde is far from the helpless damsel in distress that some people seem to want to paint her as. Hell, her very first line goes: "A stranger -- him, I must ask." The clear implication that she has some sort of plan in mind -- which, though never spelled out, becomes pretty clear over the course of the first act -- doesn't exactly characterise her as helpless victim waiting for her saviour. It is Sieglinde who, at risk to her own safety, forces Hunding to grant Siegmund shelter by literally calling him a coward. Later, it is Sieglinde who -- on her own initiative -- drugs Hunding and directs Siegmund to the sword, not just to save him but also herself. Rather than Siegmund saving Sieglinde, this is a transaction between equals: Sieglinde gives Siegmund the means to defend himself from certain death at Hunding's hands, and in return Siegmund bodily protects Sieglinde from her abusive husband.

Throughout the act, the equality between the twins is emphasised. In part, of course, that's for foreshadowing that sweet, sweet twincest, but one line always gives me pause:

HUNDING Wie gleicht er dem Weibe! Der gleißende Wurm glänzt auch ihm aus dem Auge.

I've seen some pretty bizarre translations of that (that deceitful serpent, really?), but I think this might be the most literal:

How like to the woman is he! The same gleaming (radiant? bright? searing?) worm (almost definitely: dragon rather than earthworm, cf. Fafner) shines in his eye.

I don't really think you can get much clearer on what kind of temperament Wagner had in mind for both Wälsung twins than comparing them to a freaking dragon.

Later on, too, it's Sieglinde who first realises just who this dashingly handsome stranger is and goes "eh, fuck it" and proceeds to basically spell it out to her brother. By this point, we've seen Sieglinde pretty much run the first act, directing events to her advantage from a position of supreme weakness. No matter which of the twins draws Nothung from the tree, I think it's pretty clear that the first act is Sieglinde's self-actualisation and emancipation more than anything else.

The theme continues in acts 2 and 3, in my opinion. Sieglinde takes the backseat here as the overarching mythological plot dominates the action, and the focus shifts to two other female characters: Fricka and Brünnhilde. Now Fricka seems to be positioned perfectly to be played under the "shrewish, overbearing wife" trope who just doesn't understand Wotan's greatness and is keeping him down, man. Wotan and Brünnhilde certainly seem to share that opinion in how they talk about her. But regardless of how she is portrayed on stage, Fricka completely dominates the confrontation with Wotan despite the supposed master-manipulator and patriarch's sweet romantic ideas on how to deal with the Wälsung twins. This is one sharp lady, and she doesn't waste a second before reminding Wotan that he's bound to enforce the divine law she set down. Musically, too, Fricka's sharp soprano lines seem to easily overpower Wotan's explanations in all the recordings I've heard, another common theme.

Brünnhilde of course is the poster-child for any feminist reading of the Ring for obvious reasons. Not only is she, apparently, her mother's equal in wisdom and magic (so says Erda, at least -- later on Brünnhilde bitterly mocks her lack of wisdom, so your mileage may vary). Over the course of the three operas she's in, she

wilfully defies Wotan's orders despite being literally created as his instrument in attempting to save Siegmund

convinces Sieglinde to live and (on the day of his conception, most likely) bestows a seriously programmatic name on her son, with the clear implication that she's doing this as her own way of fixing Wotan's broken master plan

transforms her punishment into an unishment by tricking Wotan into letting her set the conditions for her spouse-to-be, and it's pretty clear from the swelling Siegfried motif just whom she has in mind

musically overpowers brash Siegfried not once, but twice (the love duet and the oath scene in Götterdämmerung) -- I don't think it's a coincidence that Brünnhilde enters Siegfried fresh and ready to shatter every glass pane from Walhall to Niflheim while Siegfried himself has something like three hours of intensive singing behind him

hands out magic items and boons to a departing Siegfried like a mellow dungeon master just before a big-ass boss fight

after being forced into marrying Gunther, immediately turns around and moves to take down Siegfried hard, including by making alliances of convenience with her direct personal enemies Gunther and Hagen. No lovesick puppy here.

burns down the fucking world and kills all the gods

So much for the Ring (haven't touched on Gutrune and Waltraute, who I also think get a bad rap as an uninvolved accessory to her brothers' plot respectively a walking flying plot device). It's not that different in Wagner's other operas, but I'll run through them more curtly.

Tannhäuser: Elisabeth shuts down a mob of angry men about to lynch Heinrich, then cleverly leverages her reputation for piety to give him a way out that will, at the very least, save his life and has a chance of restoring him to the court's good graces. By contrast, Heinrich himself doesn't really *do* all that much.

Lohengrin: Ortrud runs the whole show here, and she would have gotten away with it too if not for those meddling grail knights! Telramund is something of a tool by comparison who doesn't even seem to be aware his wife is manipulating him. Elsa comes off as something of an ingenue, but she's got a will of her own and I like to headcanon that much of her behaviour in act 1 is deliberately performing saintlyhood and Christian mysticism as a legal defense strategy. Sure, a grail knight does come along, but if he hadn't there are worse ways to be perceived by the audience than a consumptive martyr. Big shoutout to Carolyn Walker Bynum's Holy Feast and Holy Fast here, aka the grossest book about medieval Christianity I've had the pleasure to read.

Tristan: sheesh, it's Tristan. Nothing much happens but what little plot there is is set in motion by Isolde deciding to avenge her late husband and kill herself to avoid to unwelcome marriage to a political and dynastic enemy. (Then the date rape drugs come out.)

Meistersinger: Obviously Hans Sachs gets most of the credit for plotting, but really, most of what he does seems to be prompted by Eva at least in part. Realising that her father has gone insane, she uses her limited agency to make the best of a bad situation by first trying to make Walther a Meistersinger (roping in Lene and David) despite his eminent incompetence and psychopathic temperament, then settle for a friend if not a lover by encouraging Hans Sachs to woo her instead. She also manages to keep Walther from murdering anyone on-stage which is quite a feat.

Parsifal: Like with Tristan, there isn't too much plot in the traditional sense, and the characters are hyperstylised archetypes -- excepting Kundry, who is of course one of the most multilayered and complex characters in all of opera (which ... isn't saying much, but still). While Kundry doesn't do all that much to drive the action on-stage, it seems to me she's expressing her agency by helping the grail knights as an attempt at restitution and trying hard to subvert Klingsor's magically-binding orders to the end of her own redemption.

So, yeah. Wagner may have had a massive thing for muscular pretty boys with big swords, but it's really the women who drive the plots and tell the muscular pretty boys what to do, and I wish more directors / reviewers / etc. would pay closer attention to that. Rant over.

TL,DR: just because Wagner was an antisemitic shithead, that doesn't mean he wasn't a crypto-proto-feminist!

[roman-catholic-mass-readings]

19th Sept >> Mass Readings (Europe, Africa, New Zealand, Australia & Canada)

  for

Tuesday of the Twenty-Fourth Week in Ordinary Time

  or 

Saint Januarius, Bishop, Martyr

  or

Saint Theodore of Tarsus, Archbishop of Canterbury (England).

Tuesday of the Twenty-Fourth Week in Ordinary Time

(Liturgical Colour: Green)

First Reading

1 Timothy 3:1-13

Here is a saying that you can rely on: To want to be a presiding elder is to want to do a noble work. That is why the president must have an impeccable character. He must not have been married more than once, and he must be temperate, discreet and courteous, hospitable and a good teacher; not a heavy drinker, nor hot-tempered, but kind and peaceable. He must not be a lover of money. He must be a man who manages his own family well and brings his children up to obey him and be well-behaved: how can any man who does not understand how to manage his own family have responsibility for the church of God? He should not be a new convert, in case pride might turn his head and then he might be condemned as the devil was condemned. It is also necessary that people outside the Church should speak well of him, so that he never gets a bad reputation and falls into the devil’s trap.

   In the same way, deacons must be respectable men whose word can be trusted, moderate in the amount of wine they drink and with no squalid greed for money. They must be conscientious believers in the mystery of the faith. They are to be examined first, and only admitted to serve as deacons if there is nothing against them. In the same way, the women must be respectable, not gossips but sober and quite reliable. Deacons must not have been married more than once, and must be men who manage their children and families well. Those of them who carry out their duties well as deacons will earn a high standing for themselves and be rewarded with great assurance in their work for the faith in Christ Jesus.

The Word of the Lord

R/ Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 100(101):1-3,5,6

R/ I will walk with blameless heart.

My song is of mercy and justice; I sing to you, O Lord.I will walk in the way of perfection. O when, Lord, will you come?

R/ I will walk with blameless heart.

I will walk with blameless heart within my house; I will not set before my eyes whatever is base.

R/ I will walk with blameless heart.

The man who slanders his neighbour in secret I will bring to silence.The man of proud looks and haughty heart I will never endure.

R/ I will walk with blameless heart.

I look to the faithful in the land that they may dwell with me.He who walks in the way of perfection shall be my friend.

R/ I will walk with blameless heart.

Gospel Acclamation

cf. 2 Timothy 1:10

Alleluia, alleluia!

Our Saviour Jesus Christ abolished death and he has proclaimed life through the Good News.

Alleluia!

Or

Luke 7:16

Alleluia, alleluia!

A great prophet has appeared among us; God has visited his people.

Alleluia!

Gospel

Luke 7:11-17

Jesus went to a town called Nain, accompanied by his disciples and a great number of people. When he was near the gate of the town it happened that a dead man was being carried out for burial, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a considerable number of the townspeople were with her. When the Lord saw her he felt sorry for her. ‘Do not cry’ he said. Then he went up and put his hand on the bier and the bearers stood still, and he said, ‘Young man, I tell you to get up.’ And the dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him to his mother. Everyone was filled with awe and praised God saying, ‘A great prophet has appeared among us; God has visited his people.’ And this opinion of him spread throughout Judaea and all over the countryside.

The Gospel of the Lord

R/ Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ.

------------

Saint Januarius, Bishop, Martyr

(Liturgical Colour: Red)

First Reading

Hebrews 10:32-36

Remember all the sufferings that you had to meet after you received the light, in earlier days; sometimes by being yourselves publicly exposed to insults and violence, and sometimes as associates of others who were treated in the same way. For you not only shared in the sufferings of those who were in prison, but you happily accepted being stripped of your belongings, knowing that you owned something that was better and lasting. Be as confident now, then, since the reward is so great. You will need endurance to do God’s will and gain what he has promised.

The Word of the Lord

R/ Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 125(126):1-6

R/ Those who are sowing in tears will sing when they reap.

When the Lord delivered Zion from bondage, it seemed like a dream.Then was our mouth filled with laughter, on our lips there were songs.

R/ Those who are sowing in tears will sing when they reap.

The heathens themselves said: ‘What marvels the Lord worked for them!’What marvels the Lord worked for us! Indeed we were glad.

R/ Those who are sowing in tears will sing when they reap.

Deliver us, O Lord, from our bondage as streams in dry land.Those who are sowing in tears will sing when they reap.

R/ Those who are sowing in tears will sing when they reap.

They go out, they go out, full of tears, carrying seed for the sowing: they come back, they come back, full of song, carrying their sheaves.

R/ Those who are sowing in tears will sing when they reap.

Gospel Acclamation

James 1:12

Alleluia, alleluia!

Happy the man who stands firm, for he has proved himself, and will win the crown of life.

Alleluia!

Gospel

John 12:24-26

Jesus said to his disciples:

‘I tell you, most solemnly, unless a wheat grain falls on the ground and dies, it remains only a single grain; but if it dies, it yields a rich harvest.Anyone who loves his life loses it; anyone who hates his life in this worldwill keep it for the eternal life.If a man serves me, he must follow me, wherever I am, my servant will be there too.If anyone serves me, my Father will honour him.’

The Gospel of the Lord

R/ Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ.

----------------

Saint Theodore of Tarsus, Archbishop of Canterbury (England)

(Liturgical Colour: White)

First Reading

Exodus 32:7-14

The Lord spoke to Moses, ‘Go down now, because your people whom you brought out of Egypt have apostatised. They have been quick to leave the way I marked out for them; they have made themselves a calf of molten metal and have worshipped it and offered it sacrifice. “Here is your God, Israel,” they have cried “who brought you up from the land of Egypt!”’ the Lord said to Moses, ‘I can see how headstrong these people are! Leave me, now, my wrath shall blaze out against them and devour them; of you, however, I will make a great nation.’

   But Moses pleaded with the Lord his God. ‘Lord,’ he said ‘why should your wrath blaze out against this person of yours whom you brought out of the land of Egypt with arm outstretched and mighty hand? Why let the Egyptians say, “Ah, it was in treachery that he brought them out, to do them to death in the mountains and wipe them off the face of the earth”? Leave your burning wrath; relent and do not bring this disaster on your people. Remember Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, your servants to whom by your own self you swore and made this promise: I will make your offspring as many as the stars of heaven, and all this land which I promised I will give to your descendants, and it shall be their heritage for ever.’

   So the Lord relented and did not bring on his people the disaster he had threatened.

The Word of the Lord

R/ Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 88(89):2-5,21-22,25,27

R/ I will sing for ever of your love, O Lord.

I will sing for ever of your love, O Lord; through all ages my mouth will proclaim your truth.Of this I am sure, that your love lasts for ever, that your truth is firmly established as the heavens.

R/ I will sing for ever of your love, O Lord.

‘I have made a covenant with my chosen one; I have sworn to David my servant: I will establish your dynasty for ever and set up your throne through all ages.

R/ I will sing for ever of your love, O Lord.

‘I have found David my servant and with my holy oil anointed him.My hand shall always be with him and my arm shall make him strong.

R/ I will sing for ever of your love, O Lord.

‘My truth and my love shall be with him; by my name his might shall be exalted.He will say to me: “You are my father, my God, the rock who saves me.”’

R/ I will sing for ever of your love, O Lord.

Gospel Acclamation

cf. 2 Timothy 1:10

Alleluia, alleluia!

Our Saviour Jesus Christ abolished death

and he has proclaimed life through the Good News.

Alleluia!

Gospel

Matthew 9:35-37

The harvest is rich but the labourers are few

Jesus made a tour through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the Good News of the kingdom and curing all kinds of diseases and sickness.

   And when he saw the crowds he felt sorry for them because they were harassed and dejected, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is rich but the labourers are few, so ask the Lord of the harvest to send labourers to his harvest.’

The Gospel of the Lord

R/ Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ.

[araitsume]

The Desire of Ages, pp. 511-517: Chapter (56) Blessing the Children

This chapter is based on Matthew 19:13-15; Mark 10:13-16; Luke 18:15-17.

Jesus was ever a lover of children. He accepted their childish sympathy and their open, unaffected love. The grateful praise from their pure lips was music in His ears, and refreshed His spirit when oppressed by contact with crafty and hypocritical men. Wherever the Saviour went, the benignity of His countenance, and His gentle, kindly manner won the love and confidence of children.

Among the Jews it was customary for children to be brought to some rabbi, that he might lay his hands upon them in blessing; but the Saviour's disciples thought His work too important to be interrupted in this way. When the mothers came to Him with their little ones, the disciples looked on them with disfavor. They thought these children too young to be benefited by a visit to Jesus, and concluded that He would be displeased at their presence. But it was the disciples with whom He was displeased. The Saviour understood the care and burden of the mothers who were seeking to train their children according to the word of God. He had heard their prayers. He Himself had drawn them into His presence.

One mother with her child had left her home to find Jesus. On the way she told a neighbor her errand, and the neighbor wanted to have Jesus bless her children. Thus several mothers came together, with their little ones. Some of the children had passed beyond the years of infancy to childhood and youth. When the mothers made known their desire, Jesus heard with sympathy the timid, tearful request. But He waited to see how the disciples would treat them. When He saw them send the mothers away, thinking to do Him a favor, He showed them their error, saying, “Suffer the little children to come unto Me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.” He took the children in His arms, He laid His hands upon them, and gave them the blessing for which they came.

The mothers were comforted. They returned to their homes strengthened and blessed by the words of Christ. They were encouraged to take up their burden with new cheerfulness, and to work hopefully for their children. The mothers of today are to receive His words with the same faith. Christ is as verily a personal Saviour today as when He lived a man among men. He is as verily the helper of mothers today as when He gathered the little ones to His arms in Judea. The children of our hearths are as much the purchase of His blood as were the children of long ago.

Jesus knows the burden of every mother's heart. He who had a mother that struggled with poverty and privation sympathizes with every mother in her labors. He who made a long journey in order to relieve the anxious heart of a Canaanite woman will do as much for the mothers of today. He who gave back to the widow of Nain her only son, and who in His agony upon the cross remembered His own mother, is touched today by the mother's sorrow. In every grief and every need He will give comfort and help.

Let mothers come to Jesus with their perplexities. They will find grace sufficient to aid them in the management of their children. The gates are open for every mother who would lay her burdens at the Saviour's feet. He who said, “Suffer the little children to come unto Me, and forbid them not,” still invites the mothers to lead up their little ones to be blessed by Him. Even the babe in its mother's arms may dwell as under the shadow of the Almighty through the faith of the praying mother. John the Baptist was filled with the Holy Spirit from his birth. If we will live in communion with God, we too may expect the divine Spirit to mold our little ones, even from their earliest moments.

In the children who were brought in contact with Him, Jesus saw the men and women who should be heirs of His grace and subjects of His kingdom, and some of whom would become martyrs for His sake. He knew that these children would listen to Him and accept Him as their Redeemer far more readily than would grown-up people, many of whom were the worldly-wise and hardhearted. In His teaching He came down to their level. He, the Majesty of heaven, did not disdain to answer their questions, and simplify His important lessons to meet their childish understanding. He planted in their minds the seeds of truth, which in after years would spring up, and bear fruit unto eternal life.

It is still true that children are the most susceptible to the teachings of the gospel; their hearts are open to divine influences, and strong to retain the lessons received. The little children may be Christians, having an experience in accordance with their years. They need to be educated in spiritual things, and parents should give them every advantage, that they may form characters after the similitude of the character of Christ.

Fathers and mothers should look upon their children as younger members of the Lord's family, committed to them to educate for heaven. The lessons that we ourselves learn from Christ we should give to our children, as the young minds can receive them, little by little opening to them the beauty of the principles of heaven. Thus the Christian home becomes a school, where the parents serve as underteachers, while Christ Himself is the chief instructor.

In working for the conversion of our children, we should not look for violent emotion as the essential evidence of conviction of sin. Nor is it necessary to know the exact time when they are converted. We should teach them to bring their sins to Jesus, asking His forgiveness, and believing that He pardons and receives them as He received the children when He was personally on earth.

As the mother teaches her children to obey her because they love her, she is teaching them the first lessons in the Christian life. The mother's love represents to the child the love of Christ, and the little ones who trust and obey their mother are learning to trust and obey the Saviour.

Jesus was the pattern for children, and He was also the father's example. He spoke as one having authority, and His word was with power; yet in all His intercourse with rude and violent men He did not use one unkind or discourteous expression. The grace of Christ in the heart will impart a heaven-born dignity and sense of propriety. It will soften whatever is harsh, and subdue all that is coarse and unkind. It will lead fathers and mothers to treat their children as intelligent beings, as they themselves would like to be treated.

Parents, in the training of your children, study the lessons that God has given in nature. If you would train a pink, or rose, or lily, how would you do it? Ask the gardener by what process he makes every branch and leaf to flourish so beautifully, and to develop in symmetry and loveliness. He will tell you that it was by no rude touch, no violent effort; for this would only break the delicate stems. It was by little attentions, often repeated. He moistened the soil, and protected the growing plants from the fierce blasts and from the scorching sun, and God caused them to flourish and to blossom into loveliness. In dealing with your children, follow the method of the gardener. By gentle touches, by loving ministrations, seek to fashion their characters after the pattern of the character of Christ.

Encourage the expression of love toward God and toward one another. The reason why there are so many hardhearted men and women in the world is that true affection has been regarded as weakness, and has been discouraged and repressed. The better nature of these persons was stifled in childhood; and unless the light of divine love shall melt away their cold selfishness, their happiness will be forever ruined. If we wish our children to possess the tender spirit of Jesus, and the sympathy that angels manifest for us, we must encourage the generous, loving impulses of childhood.

Teach the children to see Christ in nature. Take them out into the open air, under the noble trees, into the garden; and in all the wonderful works of creation teach them to see an expression of His love. Teach them that He made the laws which govern all living things, that He has made laws for us, and that these laws are for our happiness and joy. Do not weary them with long prayers and tedious exhortations, but through nature's object lessons teach them obedience to the law of God.

As you win their confidence in you as followers of Christ, it will be easy to teach them of the great love wherewith He has loved us. As you try to make plain the truths of salvation, and point the children to Christ as a personal Saviour, angels will be by your side. The Lord will give to fathers and mothers grace to interest their little ones in the precious story of the Babe of Bethlehem, who is indeed the hope of the world.

When Jesus told the disciples not to forbid the children to come to Him, He was speaking to His followers in all ages,—to officers of the church, to ministers, helpers, and all Christians. Jesus is drawing the children, and He bids us, Suffer them to come; as if He would say, They will come if you do not hinder them.

Let not your un-Christlike character misrepresent Jesus. Do not keep the little ones away from Him by your coldness and harshness. Never give them cause to feel that heaven will not be a pleasant place to them if you are there. Do not speak of religion as something that children cannot understand, or act as if they were not expected to accept Christ in their childhood. Do not give them the false impression that the religion of Christ is a religion of gloom, and that in coming to the Saviour they must give up all that makes life joyful.

As the Holy Spirit moves upon the hearts of the children, co-operate with His work. Teach them that the Saviour is calling them, that nothing can give Him greater joy than for them to give themselves to Him in the bloom and freshness of their years.

The Saviour regards with infinite tenderness the souls whom He has purchased with His own blood. They are the claim of His love. He looks upon them with unutterable longing. His heart is drawn out, not only to the best-behaved children, but to those who have by inheritance objectionable traits of character. Many parents do not understand how much they are responsible for these traits in their children. They have not the tenderness and wisdom to deal with the erring ones whom they have made what they are. But Jesus looks upon these children with pity. He traces from cause to effect.

The Christian worker may be Christ's agent in drawing these children to the Saviour. By wisdom and tact he may bind them to his heart, he may give them courage and hope, and through the grace of Christ may see them transformed in character, so that of them it may be said, “Of such is the kingdom of God.”