#st gregory’s prayer book

[mrose1903]

Never a waste of time (ignore the messy bedroom, the easiest place to kneel & read is by my bed)

[apenitentialprayer]

transcript of the video below

And this was kind of channeled for me during the Pandemic, when (and whether it's the same in America, I don't know) in Britain, a lot of the churches basically focused on giving public health messages, kinda telling us to wear masks, to wash our hands and stuff. They were excellent messages, no doubt, but, you know, everyone else was saying that as well. I think that churches should celebrate what sets them apart. The problem for churches, basically, is that they won; so all the things that seemed radical and strange and bizarre to the Romans are now accepted. And a lot of what the Church has traditionally provided —education, healthcare, or so on, you know, charity relief— have been nationalized, the state provides that. So what is left for the churches to do? And I think what the churches should do is to celebrate all the mad-weird stuff that, you know, you're not getting from the Department of Health. So... angels, and God thundering from Mount Sinai, and all that kind of thing. Book of Job; all that stuff. I thought the weirdest thing, in the sense of "it sent shivers down my spine" and opened up vistas of possibility was the one exception that proves the rule in terms of churches not…. not making sense of the horrors that the world was going through during the Pandemic, which is quite early in the lockdown in Rome. The Pope — I can't remember what he was doing, he was… it can't have been a Mass, he was… it was some observance, in St. Peter's Square; and it was completely empty. Just him, in St. Peter's Square; and he, he made prayers and did whatever he was doing, and as he was doing it, bells were clanging out over Rome and the wailing of ambulances taking the sick to hospitals. And he went and prayed before an icon that tradition says had been sent from Constantinople in the reign of Gregory the Great; an icon of Christ, the infant Christ and the Virgin. And Gregory the Great, who was pope in the sixth century, had become pope during a period of plague. and his papacy existed in the context of the kind of suffering that we were going through. And he wrote a great commentary on Job, the Book of Job, which is, perhaps, the profoundest, most troubling, most (and for that reason I think) most satisfying attempt in the Bible to explain how a good God can permit evil to happen. I mean, it doesn't give an answer, but it kind of transcends, perhaps, the need to have an answer for that. And watching that gave me a sense of… the unbelievable wealth of the Christian attempt to explain why we, why we're here. Christianity is the most… successful explanation that humanity has ever come up with to explain why we're here, and why bad things happen, and why good things happen, and the whole nexus of it. And that is an unbelievable reservoir for us to draw on. And I felt that very, very strongly writing Dominion. Kind of… my eyes were opened up to the, the incredible richness in this tradition, and I think that is part of the weirdness; moments that enable you to feel that, to feel that you're not just you in 2023. That you're part of the totality of the human experience that is (perhaps) embraced within the mind of God. I mean, it's a very, very profound feeling, I think.

[lawrenceop]

Homily for the feast of St Frideswide

A few years ago there was a wonderful exhibition in the British Library called ‘Anglo Saxon Kingdoms: Art, Word, War’. However this somewhat bland title masked the fact that the exhibition was really about the light that the Christian Faith and Christian culture brought to these lands during a time that is still referred to as ‘the Dark Ages’. For the Art that was featured came from illuminated Gospel books and psalters and were depictions of Christ, the angels, and Saints; the Word that was preserved was written by Christian monks and scribes, whose fine uncial script copied the words of Scripture, and the Rule of St Benedict, and the thought of Beothius, and the lives of the Saints, including of course, the Ecclesiastical History of the English People written by St Bede in the 8th-century. All this was written in Latin, the language of the Western Church and of Roman civilisation, and the ancient rite of Mass we celebrate today connects us to our common heritage. 

And the War referred to in the title of this exhibition involved Christian kings and their realms struggling against pagan ideas and the pushback of pagan powers – the war for Christian civilisation in other words, which we in our generation are called to take up, for the Gospel has to be heard anew in every generation, and the light must shine through our lives and our example in order to keep the darkness at bay. Here in Oxford, which has St Frideswide for its patron saint, and in its venerable University, whose motto declares the Lord to be our light, we must strive to live up to that motto and to the example of St Frideswide.

For the saint we celebrate in today’s Mass comes from that ancient pre-Norman Christian world, and she is numbered among those Anglo-Saxon saints whom we do well to recall because they remind us that the Catholic Faith, founded on the faith of St Peter and linked to Rome, is truly the “faith of our fathers”. It is for this ancient and true Faith that the Oxford Martyrs shed their blood, after all. Our procession this afternoon to the site of Blessed George Napier’s martyrdom serves to bear witness to this, and to honour their sacrifice. Indeed, the Oxford Martyrs died defending the Catholic Faith which had been brought to this island by missionaries sent by Pope St Gregory the Great himself. In 597, St Augustine had come to England and the succeeding centuries had witnessed the establishment and flourishing of Christian civilisation in these lands. So from the beginning this Christian culture in Britain had, as the exhibition catalogue observed, “an umbilical link between England and Rome that persisted until the Reformation.”   

St Frideswide is very much a part of that first flourishing of the Faith in Anglo-Saxon England. She was a princess of Wessex in the kingdom of Mercia, and her name is probably pronounced Frithuswith (rather than Frideswide), and she was born c.650. Like quite few other royal women of her age, she became abbess of a monastery she had founded with her parents’ help in Oxford, on the site that is now called Christ Church Cathedral. This suggests to me the close links between the Church and the political rulers of the time. But after the death of her parents, King Aethelbald of Mercia sought to marry her, disregarding her vow of celbacy. When she refused, he tried to abduct her so she fled to Bampton and then to Binsey. Aethelbald is thwarted when he is struck blind by God so he gives up. But a well springs up in Binsey, and people go to Frithuswith for prayers and healing, and she later returns to Oxford to her monastery where she was buried after her death on this day in 727. Later on, in the 1440s, some 200 years after the Dominicans first arrived in Oxford, St Frideswide is declared patron saint of Oxford, and the friars in Oxford back then would have celebrated the first solemn feast days of St Frideswide in the rite that is being used here today. 

St Frideswide’s relics are still somewhere in Christ Church Cathedral but they had been scattered after the Reformation and so they’re not possible to locate, but we do well to visit the location of her medieval shrine, and to seek her intercession as countless other Catholics have done before us.

For we have much need of the help and example of the saints to inspire us and to fortify us as we seek to build the kingdom of God in our times and in these lands. And so we too need now to take up the weapons of our spiritual War and contend with the powers who seek to pursue us and silence us. Thus we need to pray and to fast and to struggle against the political powers who want to ban us from even praying silently. We need also to proclaim the Word faithfully and confidently, to seek Truth in places like the University, and in this Dominican House of Studies, Blackfriars, and to joyfully preach the Word and prudently refute error. And finally we also need in our time to pay attention to Art, that is to say, to Beauty which draws souls to Christ – beauty in the Liturgy, beauty in the sacred arts, and above all, beauty in lives of holiness and Christian friendship. 

It seems to me that one beautiful gift from Our Lady sums up war, word, and art and this is the Holy Rosary. Pray it daily, as Our Lady begs us to do, and know that it is the most powerful weapon for banishing the darkness. These are dark ages, indeed, but the light of our one true Faith shines brightly whenever the Rosary is prayed. So, in the words of  one of Oxford’s most well-known residents, J.R.R. Tolkien, “May [this] be a light to you in dark places, when all other lights go out”.

[thepastisalreadywritten]

SAINT OF THE DAY (August 8)

On August 8, the Catholic Church celebrates the feast day of St. Dominic Guzman, who helped the cause of orthodoxy in the medieval Church by founding the Order of Preachers, also known as Dominicans.

���This great saint reminds us that in the heart of the Church, a missionary fire must always burn,” Pope Benedict XVI said in a February 2010 General Audience talk on the life of St. Dominic.

In his life, the Pope said, “the search for God's glory and the salvation of souls went hand in hand.”

Born on 8 August 1170 in Caleruega, Spain, Dominic was the son of Felix Guzman and Joanna of Aza, members of the nobility.

His mother would eventually be beatified by the Church, as would his brother Manes who became a Dominican.

The family's oldest son Antonio also became a priest.

Dominic received his early education from his uncle, who was a priest, before entering the University of Palencia where he studied for ten years.

In one notable incident from this period, he sold his entire collection of rare books to provide for the relief of the poor in the city.

After his ordination to the priesthood, Dominic was asked by Bishop Diego of Osma to participate in local church reforms.

He spent nine years in Osma, pursuing a life of intense prayer, before being called to accompany the bishop on a piece of business for King Alfonso IX of Castile in 1203.

While traveling in France with the bishop, Dominic observed the bad effects of the Albigensian heresy, which had taken hold in southern France during the preceding century.

The sect revived an earlier heresy, Manicheanism, which condemned the material world as an evil realm not created by God.

Dreading the spread of heresy, Dominic began to think about founding a religious order to promote the truth.

In 1204, he and Bishop Diego were sent by Pope Innocent III to assist in the effort against the Albigensians, which eventually involved both military force and theological persuasion.

In France, Dominic engaged in doctrinal debates and set up a convent whose rule would eventually become a template for the life of female Dominicans.

He continued his preaching mission from 1208 to 1215, during the intensification of the military effort against the Albigensians.

In 1214, Dominic's extreme physical asceticism caused him to fall into a coma, during which the Virgin Mary is said to have appeared to him and instructed him to promote the prayer of the Rosary.

Its focus on the incarnation and life of Christ directly countered the Albigensian attitude towards matter as evil.

During that same year, Dominic returned to Tolouse and obtained the bishop's approval of his plan for an order dedicated to preaching.

He and a group of followers gained local recognition as a religious congregation, and Dominic accompanied Tolouse's bishop to Rome for an ecumenical council in 1215.

The council stressed the Church's need for better preaching but also set up a barrier to the institution of new religious orders.

Dominic, however, obtained papal approval for his plan in 1216 and was named as the Pope's chief theologian.

The Order of Preachers expanded in Europe with papal help in 1218.

The founder spent the last several years of his life building up the order and continuing his preaching missions, during which he is said to have converted some 100,000 people.

After several weeks of illness, Dominic died in Italy on 6 August 1221.

He was canonized by Pope Gregory IX on 13 July 1234.

He is the patron saint of astronomers and natural scientists.

He and his order are traditionally credited with spreading and popularizing the rosary.

The country Dominican Republic and its capital Santo Domingo are named after Saint Dominic.

[cruger2984]

THE DESCRIPTION OF SAINT CATHERINE OF SIENA The Patron of Those Against Fire and Miscarriages Feast Day: April 29

"Eternal God, eternal Trinity, you have made the blood of Christ so precious through his sharing in your divine nature. You are a mystery as deep as the sea; the more I search, the more I find, and the more I find the more I search for you. But I can never be satisfied; what I receive will ever leave me desiring more. When you fill my soul I have an even greater hunger, and I grow more famished for your light. I desire above all to see you, the true light, as you really are." -excerpt from 'The Dialogue of Divine Providence'

One of the few women to be declared Doctor of the Church, Catherine, was born Caterina di Jacopo di Benincasa, on the Feast of the Annunciation of Mary - March 25, 1347, in Siena, shortly before the Black Death ravaged Europe. Her parents were Lapa Piagenti, the daughter of a local poet, and Jacopo di Benincasa, a cloth dyer who ran his enterprise with the help of his sons.

At the age of six, after experiencing a vision of our Lord, Catherine consecrated her life to God. When she reached the age of 12, to convince her parents that she would never marry, she cut off her beautiful hair.

Catherine entered the Third Order of St. Dominic in 1365, and led a life of penance and prayer in her house. She was often subjected to trials and desolation.

One day, Catherine exclaimed: 'Oh Lord, where were you when my heart was so sorely troubled with temptations?'

The Lord replied: 'Daughter, I was in your heart, fortifying you by my grace.'

While Siena was celebrating a carnival, Catherine was praying in her room when our Lord appeared to her, accompanied by the Blessed Virgin Mary and a crowd of the heavenly host. Taking the girl's hand, the Blessed Virgin held it up to her Son, who placed a ring on it and espoused Catherine to himself. Although she cared for the sick and the prisoners, she was unjustly accused of being a fanatic and a hypocrite.

In 1375, as she was praying in the church of St. Cristina in Pisa, she received the stigmata from our Lord according to Raymond of Capua's biography. Because of her holiness, she was constantly called upon to arbitrate feuds and misunderstandings.

In June 1376, Catherine went to Avignon in France, to urge Pope Gregory XI to return to Rome, whence the pope has been absent for 74 years.

She spent the rest of her days composing 'The Dialogue of Divine Providence', a book which she wrote under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Besides, Catherine wrote about 400 letters of great interest, all of them remarkable for beauty and spirituality.

Showing a remarkable combination of respect, frankness and familiarity, she called the Pope, 'my sweet daddy,' while reminding him of his obligations as the leader of the Universal Church.

After offering herself as the victim for the Church, Catherine died peacefully in the Lord at the age of 33 on April 29, 1380, having eight days earlier suffered a massive stroke which paralyzed her from the waist down. Her last words were: 'Father, into Your Hands I commend my soul and my spirit.'

Catherine beatified on Christmas Eve 1460 and canonized by Pope Pius II in 1461, Pope Paul VI named Catherine a Doctor of the Church on October 4, 1970; this title was almost simultaneously given to Teresa of Avila, making them the first women to receive this honor.

[orthodoxydaily]

Saints&Reading: Wednesday, August 14, 2024

august 1_august 14

Beginning of the Dormition Fast.

Procession of the Precious Wood of the Life-giving Cross of the Lord (1164) (First of the three "Feasts of the Saviour" in August_ blessing of honey and poppy seeds).

THE SEVEN HOLY MACCABEAN MARTYRS: HABIM, ANTONIN, GURIAH, ELEAZAR, EUSEBON, HADIM (HALIM) AND MARCELLUS, THEIR MOTHER SOLOMONIA AND THEIR TEACHER ELEAZAR (166 BC)

The seven holy Maccabee martyrs Abim, Antonius, Gurias, Eleazar, Eusebonus, Alimus and Marcellus, their mother Solomonia and their teacher Eleazar suffered in the year 166 before Christ under the impious Syrian king Antiochus IV Epiphanes. This foolish ruler loved pagan and Hellenistic customs, and held Jewish customs in contempt. He did everything possible to turn people from the Law of Moses and from their covenant with God. He desecrated the Temple of the Lord, placed a statue of the pagan god Zeus there, and forced the Jews to worship it. Many people abandoned the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, but there were also those who continued to believe that the Savior would come.

A ninety-year-old elder, the scribe and teacher Eleazar, was brought to trial for his faithfulness to the Mosaic Law. He suffered tortures and died at Jerusalem.

The disciples of Saint Eleazar, the seven Maccabee brothers and their mother Solomonia, also displayed great courage. They were brought to trial in Antioch by King Antiochus Epiphanes. They fearlessly acknowledged themselves as followers of the True God, and refused to eat pig’s flesh, which was forbidden by the Law.

The eldest brother acted as spokesman for the rest, saying that they preferred to die rather than break the Law. He was subjected to fierce tortures in sight of his brothers and their mother. His tongue was cut out, he was scalped, and his hands and feet were cut off. Then a cauldron and a large frying pan were heated, and the first brother was thrown into the frying pan, and he died.

The next five brothers were tortured one after the other. The seventh and youngest brother was the last one left alive. Antiochus suggested to Saint Solomonia to persuade the boy to obey him, so that her last son at least would be spared. Instead, the brave mother told him to imitate the courage of his brothers.

The child upbraided the king and was tortured even more cruelly than his brothers had been. After all her seven children had died, Saint Solomonia, stood over their bodies, raised up her hands in prayer to God and died.

The martyric death of the Maccabee brothers inspired Judas Maccabeus, and he led a revolt against Antiochus Epiphanes. With God’s help, he gained the victory, and then purified the Temple at Jerusalem. He also threw down the altars which the pagans had set up in the streets. All these events are related in the Second Book of Maccabees (Ch. 8-10).

Various Fathers of the Church preached sermons on the seven Maccabees, including Saint Cyprian of Carthage, Saint Ambrose of Milan, Saint Gregory Nazianzus and Saint John Chrysostom.

ST. NICHOLAS (KASSATKIN), ENLIGHTENER OF JAPAN (1912)

Saint Nicholas (Kasatkin) Equal of the Apostles, Bishop of the Russian Orthodox Church. Missionary, Founder of the Orthodox Church in Japan, honorary member of the Imperial Orthodox Palestine Society. (Name Day: May 9).

Saint Nicholas (in the world John Kasatkin) was born on August 1,1836 in the village of Berezovsky Pogost, Belsky District, Smolensk Province into the family of a deacon. He graduated from the Belsk Theological School and the Smolensk Theological Seminary (1857). Among the best students he was recommended for the St. Petersburg Theological Academy, where he studied until 1860, when, at the personal request of Metropolitan Gregory (Postnikov) of St. Petersburg, he was given the post of rector of the church at the Russian consulate in the city of Hakodate (Japan), and was also awarded a Ph.D in Theology without having to submit an appropriate qualifying essay.

On June 23, 1860, he was tonsured by the rector of the Academy, Bishop Nektarios (Nadezhdin), and named for Saint Nicholas of Myra. On June 30 he was ordained a Hieromonk.

He arrived at Hakodate on July 2, 1861. During the first years of his stay in Japan, on his own he studied the Japanese language, culture and way of life.

The first Japanese person to convert to Orthodoxy, despite the fact that conversion to Christianity was forbidden by law, was the adopted son of a Shinto cleric, Takuma Sawabe, a former samurai who was baptized with two other Japanese in the spring of 1868.

During his half-century of service in Japan, Father Nicholas left only twice: in 1869-1870 and in 1879-1880. In 1870, through his intercession, a Russian ecclesiastical mission was opened in Japan with its center in Tokyo. On March 17, 1880, by the decision of the Holy Synod, he was assigned as vicar of Reval, then vicar of the Diocese of Riga. He was consecrated as a Bishop on March 30, 1880, in Holy Trinity Cathedral at Alexander Nevsky Lavra.

In the course of his missionary work, Father Nicholas translated the Holy Scriptures and other liturgical books into Japanese; he established a theological seminary, six theological schools for girls and boys, a library, a shelter and other institutions. He published the Orthodox journal Church Herald in Japanese. According to his report to the Holy Synod, by the end of 1890 the Orthodox Church in Japan numbered 216 communities with 18,625 Christians in them.

On March 8, 1891, the Cathedral of the Resurrection in Tokyo, called Nikorai-do (ニコライ堂) by the Japanese, was consecrated. During the Russo-Japanese War, he remained with his flock in Japan, but did not take part in any public services. because according to the rite of worship (and the blessing of Japanese Christians to pray for their country's victory over Russia. Bishop Nicholas said: "Today, according to custom, I serve in the cathedral, but from now on I will no longer take part in the public services of our church... Hitherto I have prayed for the prosperity and peace of the Empire of Japan. Now, since war has been declared between Japan and my country, I, as a Russian subject, cannot pray for Japan's victory over my own homeland. I also have obligations to my country, and that is why I will be happy to see that you fulfill your duty in relation to your country."

When Russian prisoners of war began to arrive in Japan (their total number reached 73,000 people), Bishop Nicholas, with the consent of the Japanese government, formed the Society for the Spiritual Consolation of Prisoners of War. For their spiritual guidance, he selected five priests who spoke Russian. The prisoners were provided with icons and books. Vladyka repeatedly addressed them in writing (he himself was not allowed to see the prisoners).

On March 24, 1906, he was elevated to the rank of Archbishop of Tokyo and All Japan. In the same year, the Kyoto Vicariate was founded. In 1911, when half a century of Saint Nicholas' s missionary work was completed, there were already 266 communities of the Japanese Orthodox Church, which included 33,017 Orthodox laymen.

Archbishop Nicholas, the Enlightener of Japan, fell asleep in the Lord on February 3, 1912 at the age of 76, After the Hierarch's repose, the Japanese Emperor Meiji personally gave permission for him to be buried within the city, at the Yanaka cemetery. In Japan, Saint Nicholas is revered as a great righteous man and a special intercessor before the Lord.

He was canonized on April 10, 1970, by the decision of the Holy Synod of the Moscow Patriarchate. A Service was composed for him by Metropolitan Nikodim (Rotov) of Leningrad and Novgorod, and published in 1978.

Saint Nicholas is also commemorated on the Sunday before July 28 (Synaxis of the Smolensk Saints).

Source all text: Orthodox Church in America_OCA

1 CORINTHIANS 1:18-2

18 For 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. 19 Fo it is written: 20 Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? 21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. 22 For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; 23 but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.

JOHN 5:1-4

1 After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 2 Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew, Bethesda, having five porches. 3 In these lay a great multitude of sick people, blind, lame, paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the water. 4

For an angel went down at a certain time into the pool and stirred up the water; then whoever stepped in first, after the stirring of the water, was made well of whatever disease he had.

[discoveringorthodoxy]

Equals of the Apostles and Teachers of the Slavs, St. Cyril and St. Methodius

Christ is with us! He is and always shall be!

In school, we are often taught that Martin Luther was the first to translate the Bible into a common language for all to understand. And while Martin Luther did translate the Bible from Latin to German for the common folk to understand, he was not the first to accomplish this feat. There are two saints who had achieved this over 700 years prior. These saints are Saints Cyril and Methodius. 

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St. Methodius and St. Constantine (Feast Days May 11th and 24th) were brothers born in Thessalonica. St. Methodius, the oldest of seven brothers, was in the military and became governor in one of the Slavic principalities that were dependent on the Byzantine Empire. This made it possible for him to learn the Slavic language. Ten years later, St. Methodius became a monk on Mount Olympus. 

St. Constantine was a smart man who studied with emperor Michael under the finest teachers in Constantinople. One such teacher was Saint Photius, who would later become the Patriarch of Constantinople (February 6). St. Constantine also studied all the current sciences and knew several languages. He studied the works of St. Gregory the Theologian. Because of his wealth in knowledge, St. Constantine became know as the “Philosopher”. After completing his education, the Saint was ordained into holy priesthood and appointed the curator of the patriarchal library at the church of Hagia Sophia. However, he soon left the capital and secretly went to a monastery. Being discovered there, he went back to Constantinople where he was appointed as an instructor in philosophy. While there, he even won a debate against Ananias, the leader of the iconoclasts. After this victory, the emperor sent Constantine to discuss the Holy Trinity with the Saracens, who were people who professed Islam. He also gained a victory against them. After he returned, he went to St. Methodius and spent his time in unceasing prayer and reading the works of the holy Fathers. 

Soon, the emperor summoned both of the brothers and sent them to preach the Gospel to the Khazars, a semi-nomadic Turkic people. During their journey, they stayed in the city of Korsun in order to make preparations. While there, they discovered the relics of the hieromartyr Clement, Pope of Rome (November 25). 

While in Korsun, St. Constantine found a Gospel and Psalter written in Slavonic (Russian letters) and a man who spoke the Slavic tongue. He learned from this man how to read and speak the language. Eventually the brothers arrived at the Khazars, where they won a debate with the Jews and Muslims by preaching the Gospel. On their way back, the brothers visited Korsun and took up the relics of St. Clement. Then, they returned to Constantinople. 

Later, they were called by Moravian prince Rostislav to instruct his people in the Orthodox Faith. Along with the help of their disciples Gorazd, Clement, Savva, Naum, and Angelyar, they devised a Slavonic alphabet and translated the books that were necessary for the celebration of the divine services. They translated the Gospel, Epistles, Psalter, and collected services into the Slavic tongue. This occured in the year 863, over 700 years before Martin Luther translated the New Testament. 

After they completed the translation, the holy brothers went to Moravia, where they began to teach the services in the Slavic language. This angered the German bishops, who celebrated the divine services in the Moravian churches in Latin. They were convinced that the divine services should be done in one of three languages: Hebrew, Greek, or Latin. However, St. Constantine said, “You only recognize three languages in which God may be glorified. But David sang, ‘Praise the Lord, all nations, praise the Lord all peoples (Psalm 116/117:1)’.’ Humiliated and bitter, the bishops complained to Rome. 

The holy brothers were then summoned to Rome for a decision to be made on the matter. As they set off to Rome, the brothers took with them the relics of St. Clement. Knowing that they were bringing these relics with them, Pope Adrian met them along the way with his clergy. The brothers were greeted with honor and the Pope gave permission to have the divine services in the Slavonic language. He then ordered the books translated by the brothers to be placed in the Latin churches, and to serve the Liturgy in the Slavonic language.

While in Rome, St. Constantine fell ill and the Lord revealed that he would die. So, he was tonsured into the monastic schema with the name of Cyril. On February 14, 869, St. Cyril died at the age of 42. Before he died, St. Cyril commanded St. Methodius to continue their task of enlightening the Slavic people with the true Faith. 

After St. Cyril’s death, the Pope sent Methodius to Pannonia, a province of the Roman Empire, and consecrated him as Archbishop of Moravia and Pannonia. In Pannonia, St. Methodius and his disciples continued to distribute service books written in the Slavonic language. This once again angered the German bishops, who arrested and tried the Saint. The Saint was sent to Swabia where he endured several sufferings for two and a half years. 

After being set free by the order of Pope John VIII of Rome and being restored to his archdiocese, St. Methodius continued to preach the Gospel to the Slavs. He baptized the Czech prince Borivoi and his wife Ludmilla (September 16), as well as one of the Police princes. The German bishops began to persecute him again because he did not accept the heretical teaching of the Holy Spirit proceeding from both the Father and Son. St. Methodius was summoned to Rome where he was able to justify himself before the Pope and preserve the Orthodox teaching. Afterwards, he was sent to Velehrad, the capital of Moravia. 

Velehrad is where he spent the remaining years of his life. St. Methodius spent the rest of his life, with the assistance of two of his former pupils, translating the entire Old Testament into Slavonic. The only books he did not translate was the Book of Maccabbess, the Nomocanon (Rule of the Holy Fathers) and Paterikon (book of the Holy Fathers). 

Before he died, St. Methodius designated one of his students, Gorazd, as a worthy successor to himself. The saint predicted the day of his death and died on April 6, 885, at the age of 66. The saint’s burial service was chanted in three languages, Slavonic, Greek, and Latin. 

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The story of Sts. Cyril and Methodius is an amazing one. As a STEM student,  I found it fascinating that St. Cyril had studied all of the current sciences of his time. And as someone who is continually seeking knowledge, his story gave me a sense of hope that I can use what I learn to glorify God and to spread His message. 

We should keep the spirit of Sts. Cyril and Methodius as we approach the modern era. Today, thanks to the Internet, we are connected to people from all around the world that come from all sorts of cultures. One thing I do appreciate from the Protestant movement is that there is a passion to translate the Bible into other languages and go out among other cultures to spread it. It does help spread the Gospel and we ought to do as Orthodox Christians. 

But on a more local issue, we should focus on making our services more accessible to people in the West. In the US, where I’m from, I’ve seen a problem where the liturgy is not performed in English. While I understand having the liturgy in for example, Greek, for new immigrants, it also cuts off any potential new converts for the local population. Having the liturgy mostly in English or even a Spanish service could help our population greatly. But this is just my humble opinion. 

Until next time and may God bless all of you!

- Joanna

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Sources:

“Equals of the Apostles and Teachers of the Slavs, Cyril and Methodius.” Orthodox Church in America, https://www.oca.org/saints/lives/2001/05/11/101350-equals-of-the-apostles-and-teachers-of-the-slavs-cyril-and-metho.

“Methodios & Cyril, Equal-to-the Apostles Illuminators of the Slavs - Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America.” Go to Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, https://www.goarch.org/chapel/saints?contentid=486&type=saints.

[troybeecham]

Today the Church remembers St. Leander of Seville, Bishop.

Ora pro nobis.

The next time you recite the Nicene Creed at Mass, think of today’s saint. For it was Leander of Seville who, as bishop, introduced the practice in the sixth century AD. He saw it as a way to help reinforce the faith of his people and as an antidote against the heresy of Arianism, which denied the divinity of Christ.

St. Leander was born at Cartagena, Spain, in 534 AD, to Severianus and Theodora. St. Isidore and Fulgentius, both bishops, were his brothers, and his sister, Florentina, also numbered among the saints, was an abbess who directed forty convents and one thousand nuns.

Leander moved to Seville as a young man and became a monk. He spent three years in prayer and study. At the end of that tranquil period he was ordained and consecrated the bishop of the diocese of Seville. For the rest of his life he worked strenuously to fight against heresy. He was instrumental in converting the two sons, Hermenegild and Reccared, of the Arian Visigothic King Leovigild. This action earned him the kings's wrath and exile to Constantinople, where he met and became close friends of the Papal Legate, the future Pope Gregory the Great. It was Leander who suggested that Gregory write the famous commentary on the Book of Job called the Moralia.

The death of the anti-Christian king in 586 AD helped Leander’s cause, and he returned to Seville. Once back home, he and the new king Reccared worked hand in hand to establish orthodoxy against the Arians of Spain. Leander succeeded in persuading many Arian bishops to change their loyalties. The third local Council of Toledo (over which he presided in 589 AD) affirmed the consubstantiality of the three Persons of the Trinity. Leander's unerring wisdom and unflagging dedication to Christian orthodoxy led the Visigoths and the Suevi back to the true Faith and obtained the gratitude of Gregory the Great. The saintly bishop also composed an influential Rule for nuns and was the first to introduce the Nicene Creed at Mass.

By the end of his life, Leander had helped Christianity flourish in Spain at a time of political and religious upheaval. Worn out by his tireless work in the cause of the orthodox Faith, Leander died around 600 AD and was succeeded in the See of Seville by his brother Isidore. The Spanish Church honors Leander as the Doctor of the Faith.

O God, who by thy Holy Spirit dost give to some the word of wisdom, to others the word of knowledge, and to others the word of faith: We praise thy Name for the gifts of grace manifested in thy servant Leander, and we pray that thy Church may never be destitute of such gifts; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with thee and the same Spirit liveth and reigneth, one God, forever and ever. Amen.

[letterful]

here be two decidedly incomprehensive lists based on highly arbitrary criteria — off the top of my head and in no particular order:

rattling like a bag of bones:

"gretel, from a sudden clearing" & "the promise" & "what the silence says" & "calvary" by marie howe,

"i watched you disappear” by anya krugovoy silver,

"song of the hen's head" & "a sad child" & "the saints" by margaret atwood,

"bruise ghazal" & "i go back to may 1937" by sharon olds,

"harold's leap" & "do take muriel out" & "the orphan reformed" & "not waving but drowning" by stevie smith,

"we who are your closest friends" by phillip lopate,

"the loft" by richard jones,

"eating together" & "death poem" & "party" & "the numbers" by kim addonizio,

"thanks" by w. s. merwin,

"the bee meeting" & "lady lazarus" & "daddy" & "sheep in fog" & "fever 103" by sylvia plath,

"yesterday he still looked in my eyes" by marina tsvetaeva,

"we don't know how to say goodbye" & "the last toast" by anna akhmatova,

"unknown girl in the maternity ward" & "lessons in hunger" & "the truth the dead know" by anne sexton,

"anne sexton’s last letter to god" by tracey herd,

"aubade" & "the mower" by philip larkin,

"the blue bowl" by jane kenyon,

"her long illness" by donald hall,

"myth" by natasha trethewey,

"in bertram's garden" by donald justice,

"the drowned girl" & "the leavetaking" by bertolt brecht,

"ovid in the third reich" by geoffrey hill,

"musee des beaux arts" by w. h. auden,

"report from a besieged city" by zbigniew herbert,

"napoleon" by miroslav holub,

"to a poor old woman" by william carlos williams,

"the emperor of ice-cream" by wallace stevens,

"me up at does" by e.e. cummings,

"snow line" by john berryman,

"the hollow men" by t. s. eliot,

"dedication" & "in warsaw" & "a song on the end of the world" by czesław miłosz—

resonating like a bright bell:

"what the living do" & "my dead friends" & "magdalene, afterwards" by marie howe,

"funny" & "a prayer that will be answered" by anna kamieńska,

"woman unborn & "i'll open the window" & "i am panting" & “tomorrow they’ll cut me open” by anna świrszczyńska,

"the book of hours" by b. h. fairchild,

"there is a gold light in certain old paintings" by donald justice,

"when eurydice saw him..." (an excerpt) by gregory orr,

"sometimes, when the light" & "the blind leading the blind" & "there are mornings" & "monet refuses the operation" by lisel mueller,

"try to praise the mutilated world" by adam zagajewski,

"the end and the beginning" & "the tower of babel" & "discovery" & "thank-you note" by wisława szymborska,

"while eating a pear" & "the dead" by billy collins,

"never again would the birds' song be the same" by robert frost,

"a meeting" by wendell berry,

"death at daybreak" by anne reeve aldrich,

"next time" by joyce sutphen,

"the god abandons antony" by c. p. cavafy,

"goodtime jesus" by james tate,

"lana turner has collapsed" by frank o'hara,

"all my friends are finding new beliefs" by christian wiman,

"angels" by maurya simon,

"dirge without music" by edna st. vincent millay,

"i’m glad your sickness" by marina tsvetaeva,

"you will hear thunder" by anna akhmatova,

"do not go gentle into that good night" & "and death shall have no dominion" by dylan thomas,

"an arundel tomb" & "love, we must part now" & "high windows" by philip larkin,

"please read" by mary ruefle,

"men made out of words" by wallace stevens,

"ash wednesday" by t. s. eliot,

"on angels" & "this world" & "if there is no god" & "encounter" by czesław miłosz.

i do love listmaking…

[galarian-weezing-on-prep]

my packing list for this housesitting job i'll be at for two weeks on lake huron, aside from the essentials:

sketchbook, pencil, eraser, sharpener

three tins of pipe tobacco, three pipes; two briars and one meerschaum

recreational substances

drummer magazine (porn lol)

boy butter and dildo, in case the mood strikes me

anglican office book, st. gregory's prayer book, rosary

IT'S THE DICHOTOMY OF MAN, BABE

[brookston]

Holidays 1.25

Holidays

Big Rock Day

Biologist’s Day (Mexico)

Burns Night (a.k.a. Robert Burns Day; Scotland)

Criminon Day (Scientology)

Dinner Party Day

Dydd Santes Dwynwen (Welsh Valentine's Day)

Festival of Constructive Energy

Fluoride Day

Food and Nutrition Day (Indonesia)

G.F. Betico Croes Day (Aruba)

International Day of Action on Yemen

International Day of Women in Multilateralism

IV Nurse Day (a.k.a. Intravenous Nurse Day)

KStews Day

Laurustinus Day (French Republic)

Long Distance Day

Luanda City Day (Angola)

Macintosh Computer Day (a.k.a. Mac Day)

Multicultural Children’s Book Day

National Florida Day

National Heroes’ Day (Cayman Islands)

National Moose Day

National Nutrition Day (Indonesia)

National Opposite Day

National Police Day (Egypt)

National Tourism Day (India)

National Videography Day

National Voters’ Day (India)

Nut’s Day (Ancient Egyptian)

Observe the Weather Day

Official Crayon Day

Public Holiday (Saint Vincent and Grenadines)

A Room of One's Own Day

Social Workers’ Day (Talikstan)

Soda Fountain Day

St. Dwynwen’s Day (Welsh Valentine’s Day; Wales)

Tatiana Day (a.k.a. Students Day; Russia, Ukraine)

Thank Your Mentor Day

Virginia Woolf Day

Wedding March Day

Winter-een-mas begins [thru 31st]

Winter Olympics Day

Women’s Health Research Day

Food & Drink Celebrations

National Fish Taco Day

National Irish Coffee Day

Schnitzelbank Bratwurst Day (Jasper, Indiana)

4th & Last Thursday in January

Clashing Clothes Day [4th Thursday]

NASA Day of Remembrance [Last Thursday]

National Cheat Day [4th Thursday]

Independence & Related Days

Federated States of Antarctica (Declared; 2009) [unrecognized]

Foundation Day (Sao Paulo, Brazil)

Himachal Pradesh Statehood Day (India)

Islamic Emirate of Acre (Declared; 2020) [unrecognized]

Revolution Day 2011 (Egypt)

São Paulo Foundation Day (Brazil; 1554)

Ukraine (Independence Declaration Day, from Bolshevik Russia; 1918)

New Year’s Days

Mahāyāna New Year (Mahāyāna Buddhism)

Festivals Beginning January 25, 2024

Angoulême International Comics Festival (Angoulême, France) [thru 1.28]

Australian Open Finals Festival (Melbourne, Australia) [thru 1.28]

Carnival of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain) [thru 2.18]

The Great Northern (Minneapolis & Saint Paul, Minnesota) [thru 2.4]

International Film Festival Rotterdam (Rotterdam, Netherlands) [thru 2.4]

Minnesota Fruit & Vegetable Expo (Apple Valley, Minnesota) [thru 1.16]

Montevideo Carnival (Montevideo, Uruguay) [2.10]

Quebec Winter Carnival (Quebec City, Canada) [thru 2.11]

Sun Wine & Food Fest (Uncasville, Connecticut) [thru 1.28]

ZinEx (Zinfandel Experience; San Francisco, California) [thru 1.27]

Washington’s Birthday Celebration (Laredo, Texas) [thru 2.26]

Winter Carnival (Saint Paul, Minnesota) [thru 2.3]

Feast Days

Ananias of Damascus (Christian; Saint)

Apollo (Christian; Saint)

Artemas (Christian; Martyr)

Burns Night (Pastafarian)

Cere’s Day (Pagan)

Conversion of Saint Paul (Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Anglican and Lutheran churches, which concludes the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity)

Dwynwen (Celtic; Saint) [Welsh Valentine’s Day]

Dydd Santes Dwynwen (Wales)

Feriae Sementivae (Ancient Roman Feast to Spring)

Full Moon [1st of the Year] (a.k.a. ... 

Buck Moon (Southern Hemisphere)

Cold Moon (Cherokee)

Cooking Moon (Choctaw)

Duruthu Full Moon Poya Day (Sri Lanka)

Frost Exploding Moon (Traditional)

Hay Moon (Southern Hemisphere)

Holiday Moon (Chinese)

Ice Moon (Neo-Pagan)

Mead Moon (Southern Hemisphere)

Old Moon (North American)

Quiet Moon (Celtic)

Severe Moon (Traditional)

Thunder Moon (South African)

Winter Moon (Colonial American)

Wolf Moon (English, Native American, Traditional, Wiccan)

Gather Bathou San (Assam, India)

Govert Flinck (Artology)

Great Uncle Fishknife (Muppetism)

Gregory the Theologian (Eastern or Byzantine Catholic Church)

Hendrick van Avercamp (Artology)

Imoinu Irapta (Manipur, India)

Isaiah (Positivist; Saint)

Juventinus and Maximinus, Martyrs of Antioch (Christian; Martyrs)

Keith Moon Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Old Disting (Norse)

Pompeo Batoni (Artology)

Poppo of Stavello (Christian; Saint)

Praejectus (a.k.a. Prix; Christian; Saint)

Publius (Christian; Saint)

Robert Burns (Writerism)

Sementivae Feria: Seed Blessing (Pagan)

Somerset Maugham (Writerism)

Virginia Woolf (Writerism)

The last day of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (Christian ecumenism)

Lunar Calendar Holidays

Thaipusam (Tamil Hinduism) [1st Full Moon of Tamil Month of Thai] (a.k.a. …)

Thaipoosam (Tamil Nadu, India)

Thaipoosam Cavadee (Mauritius)

Thaipusam (Malaysia)

Thaipusam Kavady (South Africa)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Dismal Day (Unlucky or Evil Day; Medieval Europe; 2 of 24)

Egyptian Day (Unlucky Day; Middle Ages Europe) [2 of 24]

Tomobiki (友引 Japan) [Good luck all day, except at noon.]

Premieres

Adventure (Atari 2600 Video Game; 1980)

After Many a Summer Dies the Swan, by Aldous Huxley (Novel; 1939)

The Augsburg Confession (Lutheran Religious Book; 1530)

Beware of Barnacle Bill (Fleischer Popeye Cartoon; 1935)

Birds of Prey (Film; 2020)

Black Sails (TV Series; 2014)

Bughouse, recorded by Red Norvo (Song; 1935)

Cat’s Meow (MGM Cartoon; 1957)

Club Sandwich, featuring Farmer Al Falfa (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1931)

The Count of Monte Cristo (Film; 2002)

Elektra, by Richard Strauss (Opera; 1909)

Enough Rope, by Dorothy Parker (Poetry; 1926)

Flat Foot Fledgling, featuring Dinky Duck (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1931)

Flim Flam Fountain (Woody Woodpecker Cartoon; 1971)

The Great Carrot Train Robbery (WB MM Cartoon; 1969)

The Grifters (Film; 1991)

Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters (Film; 2013)

The House Without a Key, by Earl Derr Biggers (Novel; 1925) [Charlie Chan #1]

Hymn for the Weekend, by Coldplay (Song; 2016)

La Cenerentola (a.k.a. Cinderella), by Gioachino Riossini (Opera; 1817)

Legends of the Superheroes: Part 2 (Hanna-Barbera Animated TV Movie; 1979)

Lucifer (TV Series; 2016)

M*A*S*H (Film; 1970)

Metamorphosen, by Richard Strauss (Small Ensemble Piece; 1945)

Napoleon, by Emil Ludwig (Biography; 1906)

101 Dalmatians (Animated Disney Film; 1961)

Parrotville Old Folks (Rainbow Parade Cartoon; 1935)

The Perils of Gwendolyn in the Land of the Yik Yak (Film; 1985)

Pest Pupil (Noveltoons Cartoon; 1957)

Polar (Film; 2019)

Popeye’s Pappy (Fleischer/Famous Popeye Cartoon; 1952)

The Rolling Stone or Look Maw, No Moss (Rocky & Bullwinkle Cartoon, S6, Ep. 340; 1965)

Skins (UK TV Series; 2007)

The Thin Man Goes Home (Film; 1945)

Tito and the Birds (Animated Film; 2019)

Tom and Jerry: Cowboy Up! (WB Animated Film; 2022)

Unplugged, recorded by Paul McCartney (Live TV Concert; 1991)

A Walk to Remember (Film; 2002)

Weather Lady, Part 1 (Rocky & Bullwinkle Cartoon, S6, Ep. 339; 1965)

What a Night, featuring Farmer Al Falfa (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1935)

Wool: The Stranded, by Hugh Howey (Novel; 2012)

Today’s Name Days

Paulus, Wolfram (Austria)

Grigor (Bulgaria)

Ananija, Pavao, Projekto (Croatia)

Miloš (Czech Republic)

Paap, Paavel, Paavo, Paul (Estonia)

Paavali, Paavo, Paul, Pauli, Paulus (Finland)

Pauli Bekehrung, Wolfram (Germany)

Gregorios, Gregoris, Gregory, Grigorios, Grigoris, Margaret, Margarita (Greece)

Pál (Hungary)

Paolo, Sabino, Savino (Italy)

Sigurds, Zigurds, Zigvalda, Zigvalds (Latvia)

Jaunutis, Jomantas, Povilas, Viltenis, Žiedė (Lithuania)

Pål, Paul (Norway)

Miłosz, Miłowan, Miłowit, Paweł, Tacjanna, Tatiana (Poland)

Bretanion, Grigorie (Romania)

Tatyana (Russia)

Gejza (Slovakia)

Elvira, Pablo (Spain)

Pål, Paul, Paulus (Sweden)

Amari, Amir, Amira, Amarion, Gwayne, Hakon, Hawk, Jamari, Prince, Princess (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 25 of 2024; 341 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 4 of week 4 of 2024

Celtic Tree Calendar: Luis (Rowan) [Day 5 of 28]

Chinese: Month 12 (Yi-Chou), Day 15 (Wu-Zi)

Chinese Year of the: Rabbit 4721 (until February 10, 2024)

Hebrew: 15 Shevat 5784

Islamic: 14 Rajab 1445

J Cal: 25 White; Foursday [25 of 30]

Julian: 12 January 2024

Moon: 100%: Full Moon

Positivist: 25 Moses (1st Month) [Isiah]

Runic Half Month: Elhaz (Elk) [Day 1 of 15]

Season: Winter (Day 36 of 89)

Zodiac: Capricorn (Day 4 of 28)

Calendar Changes

Elhaz (Elk) [Half-Month 3 of 24; Runic Half-Months] (thru 2.8)

[mrose1903]

Blessed Feast of St. Joseph! Take this opportunity to reflect on a model of masculinity that supports the call of women, serves one’s family, and submits to the will of God alone! What

[brookstonalmanac]

Holidays 1.25

Holidays

Big Rock Day

Biologist’s Day (Mexico)

Burns Night (a.k.a. Robert Burns Day; Scotland)

Criminon Day (Scientology)

Dinner Party Day

Dydd Santes Dwynwen (Welsh Valentine's Day)

Festival of Constructive Energy

Fluoride Day

Food and Nutrition Day (Indonesia)

G.F. Betico Croes Day (Aruba)

International Day of Action on Yemen

International Day of Women in Multilateralism

IV Nurse Day (a.k.a. Intravenous Nurse Day)

KStews Day

Laurustinus Day (French Republic)

Long Distance Day

Luanda City Day (Angola)

Macintosh Computer Day (a.k.a. Mac Day)

Multicultural Children’s Book Day

National Florida Day

National Heroes’ Day (Cayman Islands)

National Moose Day

National Nutrition Day (Indonesia)

National Opposite Day

National Police Day (Egypt)

National Tourism Day (India)

National Videography Day

National Voters’ Day (India)

Nut’s Day (Ancient Egyptian)

Observe the Weather Day

Official Crayon Day

Public Holiday (Saint Vincent and Grenadines)

A Room of One's Own Day

Social Workers’ Day (Talikstan)

Soda Fountain Day

St. Dwynwen’s Day (Welsh Valentine’s Day; Wales)

Tatiana Day (a.k.a. Students Day; Russia, Ukraine)

Thank Your Mentor Day

Virginia Woolf Day

Wedding March Day

Winter-een-mas begins [thru 31st]

Winter Olympics Day

Women’s Health Research Day

Food & Drink Celebrations

National Fish Taco Day

National Irish Coffee Day

Schnitzelbank Bratwurst Day (Jasper, Indiana)

4th & Last Thursday in January

Clashing Clothes Day [4th Thursday]

NASA Day of Remembrance [Last Thursday]

National Cheat Day [4th Thursday]

Independence & Related Days

Federated States of Antarctica (Declared; 2009) [unrecognized]

Foundation Day (Sao Paulo, Brazil)

Himachal Pradesh Statehood Day (India)

Islamic Emirate of Acre (Declared; 2020) [unrecognized]

Revolution Day 2011 (Egypt)

São Paulo Foundation Day (Brazil; 1554)

Ukraine (Independence Declaration Day, from Bolshevik Russia; 1918)

New Year’s Days

Mahāyāna New Year (Mahāyāna Buddhism)

Festivals Beginning January 25, 2024

Angoulême International Comics Festival (Angoulême, France) [thru 1.28]

Australian Open Finals Festival (Melbourne, Australia) [thru 1.28]

Carnival of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain) [thru 2.18]

The Great Northern (Minneapolis & Saint Paul, Minnesota) [thru 2.4]

International Film Festival Rotterdam (Rotterdam, Netherlands) [thru 2.4]

Minnesota Fruit & Vegetable Expo (Apple Valley, Minnesota) [thru 1.16]

Montevideo Carnival (Montevideo, Uruguay) [2.10]

Quebec Winter Carnival (Quebec City, Canada) [thru 2.11]

Sun Wine & Food Fest (Uncasville, Connecticut) [thru 1.28]

ZinEx (Zinfandel Experience; San Francisco, California) [thru 1.27]

Washington’s Birthday Celebration (Laredo, Texas) [thru 2.26]

Winter Carnival (Saint Paul, Minnesota) [thru 2.3]

Feast Days

Ananias of Damascus (Christian; Saint)

Apollo (Christian; Saint)

Artemas (Christian; Martyr)

Burns Night (Pastafarian)

Cere’s Day (Pagan)

Conversion of Saint Paul (Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Anglican and Lutheran churches, which concludes the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity)

Dwynwen (Celtic; Saint) [Welsh Valentine’s Day]

Dydd Santes Dwynwen (Wales)

Feriae Sementivae (Ancient Roman Feast to Spring)

Full Moon [1st of the Year] (a.k.a. ... 

Buck Moon (Southern Hemisphere)

Cold Moon (Cherokee)

Cooking Moon (Choctaw)

Duruthu Full Moon Poya Day (Sri Lanka)

Frost Exploding Moon (Traditional)

Hay Moon (Southern Hemisphere)

Holiday Moon (Chinese)

Ice Moon (Neo-Pagan)

Mead Moon (Southern Hemisphere)

Old Moon (North American)

Quiet Moon (Celtic)

Severe Moon (Traditional)

Thunder Moon (South African)

Winter Moon (Colonial American)

Wolf Moon (English, Native American, Traditional, Wiccan)

Gather Bathou San (Assam, India)

Govert Flinck (Artology)

Great Uncle Fishknife (Muppetism)

Gregory the Theologian (Eastern or Byzantine Catholic Church)

Hendrick van Avercamp (Artology)

Imoinu Irapta (Manipur, India)

Isaiah (Positivist; Saint)

Juventinus and Maximinus, Martyrs of Antioch (Christian; Martyrs)

Keith Moon Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Old Disting (Norse)

Pompeo Batoni (Artology)

Poppo of Stavello (Christian; Saint)

Praejectus (a.k.a. Prix; Christian; Saint)

Publius (Christian; Saint)

Robert Burns (Writerism)

Sementivae Feria: Seed Blessing (Pagan)

Somerset Maugham (Writerism)

Virginia Woolf (Writerism)

The last day of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (Christian ecumenism)

Lunar Calendar Holidays

Thaipusam (Tamil Hinduism) [1st Full Moon of Tamil Month of Thai] (a.k.a. …)

Thaipoosam (Tamil Nadu, India)

Thaipoosam Cavadee (Mauritius)

Thaipusam (Malaysia)

Thaipusam Kavady (South Africa)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Dismal Day (Unlucky or Evil Day; Medieval Europe; 2 of 24)

Egyptian Day (Unlucky Day; Middle Ages Europe) [2 of 24]

Tomobiki (友引 Japan) [Good luck all day, except at noon.]

Premieres

Adventure (Atari 2600 Video Game; 1980)

After Many a Summer Dies the Swan, by Aldous Huxley (Novel; 1939)

The Augsburg Confession (Lutheran Religious Book; 1530)

Beware of Barnacle Bill (Fleischer Popeye Cartoon; 1935)

Birds of Prey (Film; 2020)

Black Sails (TV Series; 2014)

Bughouse, recorded by Red Norvo (Song; 1935)

Cat’s Meow (MGM Cartoon; 1957)

Club Sandwich, featuring Farmer Al Falfa (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1931)

The Count of Monte Cristo (Film; 2002)

Elektra, by Richard Strauss (Opera; 1909)

Enough Rope, by Dorothy Parker (Poetry; 1926)

Flat Foot Fledgling, featuring Dinky Duck (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1931)

Flim Flam Fountain (Woody Woodpecker Cartoon; 1971)

The Great Carrot Train Robbery (WB MM Cartoon; 1969)

The Grifters (Film; 1991)

Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters (Film; 2013)

The House Without a Key, by Earl Derr Biggers (Novel; 1925) [Charlie Chan #1]

Hymn for the Weekend, by Coldplay (Song; 2016)

La Cenerentola (a.k.a. Cinderella), by Gioachino Riossini (Opera; 1817)

Legends of the Superheroes: Part 2 (Hanna-Barbera Animated TV Movie; 1979)

Lucifer (TV Series; 2016)

M*A*S*H (Film; 1970)

Metamorphosen, by Richard Strauss (Small Ensemble Piece; 1945)

Napoleon, by Emil Ludwig (Biography; 1906)

101 Dalmatians (Animated Disney Film; 1961)

Parrotville Old Folks (Rainbow Parade Cartoon; 1935)

The Perils of Gwendolyn in the Land of the Yik Yak (Film; 1985)

Pest Pupil (Noveltoons Cartoon; 1957)

Polar (Film; 2019)

Popeye’s Pappy (Fleischer/Famous Popeye Cartoon; 1952)

The Rolling Stone or Look Maw, No Moss (Rocky & Bullwinkle Cartoon, S6, Ep. 340; 1965)

Skins (UK TV Series; 2007)

The Thin Man Goes Home (Film; 1945)

Tito and the Birds (Animated Film; 2019)

Tom and Jerry: Cowboy Up! (WB Animated Film; 2022)

Unplugged, recorded by Paul McCartney (Live TV Concert; 1991)

A Walk to Remember (Film; 2002)

Weather Lady, Part 1 (Rocky & Bullwinkle Cartoon, S6, Ep. 339; 1965)

What a Night, featuring Farmer Al Falfa (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1935)

Wool: The Stranded, by Hugh Howey (Novel; 2012)

Today’s Name Days

Paulus, Wolfram (Austria)

Grigor (Bulgaria)

Ananija, Pavao, Projekto (Croatia)

Miloš (Czech Republic)

Paap, Paavel, Paavo, Paul (Estonia)

Paavali, Paavo, Paul, Pauli, Paulus (Finland)

Pauli Bekehrung, Wolfram (Germany)

Gregorios, Gregoris, Gregory, Grigorios, Grigoris, Margaret, Margarita (Greece)

Pál (Hungary)

Paolo, Sabino, Savino (Italy)

Sigurds, Zigurds, Zigvalda, Zigvalds (Latvia)

Jaunutis, Jomantas, Povilas, Viltenis, Žiedė (Lithuania)

Pål, Paul (Norway)

Miłosz, Miłowan, Miłowit, Paweł, Tacjanna, Tatiana (Poland)

Bretanion, Grigorie (Romania)

Tatyana (Russia)

Gejza (Slovakia)

Elvira, Pablo (Spain)

Pål, Paul, Paulus (Sweden)

Amari, Amir, Amira, Amarion, Gwayne, Hakon, Hawk, Jamari, Prince, Princess (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 25 of 2024; 341 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 4 of week 4 of 2024

Celtic Tree Calendar: Luis (Rowan) [Day 5 of 28]

Chinese: Month 12 (Yi-Chou), Day 15 (Wu-Zi)

Chinese Year of the: Rabbit 4721 (until February 10, 2024)

Hebrew: 15 Shevat 5784

Islamic: 14 Rajab 1445

J Cal: 25 White; Foursday [25 of 30]

Julian: 12 January 2024

Moon: 100%: Full Moon

Positivist: 25 Moses (1st Month) [Isiah]

Runic Half Month: Elhaz (Elk) [Day 1 of 15]

Season: Winter (Day 36 of 89)

Zodiac: Capricorn (Day 4 of 28)

Calendar Changes

Elhaz (Elk) [Half-Month 3 of 24; Runic Half-Months] (thru 2.8)

[silvestromedia]

SAINTS JANUARY 19

STS. MARIUS, MARTHA, AUDIFACE AND ABACHUM, MARTYRS ON THE VIA CORNELIA, Marius and his two sons were beheaded on the Via Cornelia and their bodies were burned. Martha was murdered in a place called Nymphae Catabassi, thirteen miles outside of Rome. Jan 19

ST. GERMANICUS MARTYR OF PHILADELPHIA Jan 19

St. Canute IV Martyred Roman Catholic king of Denmark, sometimes called Knud. The illegitimate son of King Sven II Estridson of Denmark, Canute succeeded his brother Harald III Hen in 1081. After marrying Adela, the sister of Count Robert of Flanders, Canute built churches and monasteries. In 1085, he planned an invasion of England, but the nobles of the court rebelled against him and forced him to flee to the isle of Funen. There, Canute, his brother Benedict, and seventeen companions were slain in the church of St. Alban Feastday Jan 19

ST. JOHN, BISHOP OF RAVENNA St John was Bishop of Ravenna at a time when the whole country was being devastated by the war with the Lombards. He was a holy pastor, entirely dedicated to caring for the needs of his people and his church. Pope Gregory the Great’s book, “The Rule for Pastors” to him. He died in 595. Jan 19

St. Fillan. A son of Feriach and St. Kentigerna, was also known as Foelan. He became a monk in his youth and accompanied his mother from Ireland to Scotland where he lived as a hermit near St. Andrew's monastery for many years, and then was elected abbot. He later resigned and resumed his eremitical life at Glendochart, Pertchire, where he built a church and was reknowned for his miracles. Various legends attribute the most extravagant miracles to him, such as the one in which his prayers caused a wolf that had killed the ox he was using to drag materials to the church he was building, to take the ox's place. Fillan died on January 19…

St. Henry of Sweden. Henry was an Englishman of the twelfth century residing at Rome. In 1152, he was consecrated Bishop of Uppsala, Sweden, by the Papal Legate Nicholas Breakspear, who later became Pope Adrian IV. In 1154, St. Eric, King of Sweden, led a punitive expedition against the Finns in retaliation for their marauding activity into Sweden, and Henry accompanied him. Eric offered peace and the Christian Faith to the people of Finland, but they refused. A battle ensued and the Swedes won. Henry baptized the defeated people in the Spring of Kuppis near Turku. When Eric returned to Sweden, Henry remained behind, working to convert more of the Finns. To this end he built a church at Nousis, which became his headquarters. In time, Henry met a violent death on account of his love of God. A converted Finnish soldier named Lalli had murdered a Swedish soldier. After careful consideration of the facts and assiduous prayer, Henry imposed the penalty of excommunication on the murderer. Lalli became enraged and slew the saintly bishop with an ax. Henry was buried at Nousis, and miracles were reported at his tomb.

St. Branwallader, 6th century. Bishop of Jersey, England. A part of his remains were translated by King Athelstan in 935.

St. Wulfstan, 1095 A.D. Wulfstan (1008-1095) A Bishop and reformer, also called Wulstan and Wolstan. Born at Long-Itch ington, Warwickshire, England, he studied at the abbeys of Evesham and Peterborough, received ordination, and joined the Benedictines at Worcester. Wulfstan served as treasurer of the church at Worcester, was prior of the monastery, and finally was named bishop of Worcester in 1062. After overcoming initial doubts about his ability to hold the office of bishop, he demonstrated such skill after the Norman Conquest that he was the lone bishop to be kept in his post by William the Conqueror (r. l066-l087). For the next three decades, Wulfstan rebuilt his cathedral, cared for the poor, and struggled to alleviate the harsh decrees of the Normans upon the vanquished Saxons. Wulfstan died while engaged in the daily ritual of washing the feet of a dozen poor men. He was canonized in 1203.

St. Nathalan. Hermit and bishop of Tullicht, best known for his miracles. A Scot born to a noble family near Aberdeen, he became a hermit and performed miracles during a famine. Later he became a bishop, and during one visit to Rome was consecrated by the Holy Father. He returned to Tullicht, where he built churches and conducted missionary activities.

[thepastisalreadywritten]

SAINT OF THE DAY (January 7)

Saint Raymond of Penafort, a Dominican priest who worked to aid Christian captives during the era of the Crusades and also helped organize the Church’s legal code, will be celebrated liturgically on January 7.

A contemporary of Saint Thomas Aquinas, he inspired the theologian to write the “Summa Contra Gentiles” for the conversion of non-Catholics.

At least 10,000 Muslims reportedly converted as a result of St. Raymond’s evangelistic labors.

Descended from a noble family with ties to the royal house of Aragon, Raymond of Penafort was born during 1175 in the Catalonian region of modern-day Spain near Barcelona.

He advanced quickly in his studies, showing such a gift for philosophy that he was appointed to teach the subject in Barcelona by age 20.

As a teacher, the young man worked to harmonize reason with the profession and practice of Catholic faith and morals. This included a notable concern for the poor and suffering.

Around age 30, the Spanish scholar went to study secular and Church law at Bologna in Italy.

He earned his doctorate and taught there until 1219, when the Bishop of Barcelona gave him an official position in the diocese.

During 1222, the 47-year-old Raymond joined the Dominican order in which he would spend the next 53 years of his remarkably long life.

As a penance for the intellectual pride he had once demonstrated, the former professor was asked to write a manual of moral theology for use by confessors.

The resulting “Summa Casuum” was the first of his pioneering contributions to the Church.

Meanwhile, in keeping with his order’s dedication to preaching, the Dominican priest strove to spread the faith and bring back lapsed and lost members of the Church.

During his time in Barcelona, Raymond helped Saint Peter Nolasco and King James of Aragon to establish the Order of Our Lady of Mercy, whose members sought to ransom those taken captive in Muslim territory.

During this same period, Raymond promoted the Crusades through preaching, encouraging the faithful to defend their civilization from foreign threats.

Pope Gregory IX called the Dominican priest to Rome in 1230, asking him to compile the Church’s various decisions and decrees into one systematic and uniform collection.

The resulting five books served for centuries as a basis of the Church’s internal legal system.

Raymond was the Pope’s personal confessor and close adviser during this time. He nearly became the Archbishop of Tarragona in 1235.

But the Dominican did not want to lead the archdiocese and is said to have turned down the appointment.

Later in the decade, Raymond was chosen to lead the Dominicans, though he did so for only two years due to his advancing age.

Ironically, however, he would live on for more than three decades after resigning from this post.

During this time, he was able to focus on the fundamentals of his vocation: praising God in prayer, making him known through preaching, and making his blessings manifest in the world.

Raymond’s later achievements included the establishment of language schools to aid in the evangelization of non-Christians.

St. Raymond of Penafort’s long pilgrimage of faith ended on 6 January 1275, approximately 100 years after his birth.

Pope Clement VIII canonized him on 29 April 1601. His patronage extends toward lawyers in general, and canon lawyers in particular.

[cruger2984]

THE DESCRIPTION OF SAINT BONAVENTURE The Patron of Bowel Disorders Feast Day: July 15

"We must beg the Holy Spirit, with ardent longing, to give us these fruits. The Holy Ghost alone knows how to bring to light the sweetness hidden away under the rugged exterior of the words of the Law. We must go to the Holy Ghost for interior guidance." -excerpt from the Holiness of Life

Known as Doctor Seraphicus (Seraphic Doctor) and the 7th Minister General of the Franciscan Order, Bonaventure was born Giovanni di Fidanza, at Civita di Bagnoregio near Viterbo, Latium, then part of the Papal States in the year 1221. Almost nothing is known of his childhood, other than the names of his parents, Giovanni di Fidanza and Maria di Ritella. Bonaventure did suffer from a life threatening illness effecting the bowels as a young child, and that prayer to St. Francis of Assisi saved his life.

In 1243, he entered the Franciscan Order at the age of 22, changing his name of Giovanni into Bonaventure, (meaning 'Happy-Future'). In Paris where he was sent to complete his studies at the University of Paris (Sorbonne), possibly under Alexander of Hales, and certainly under Alexander's successor, John of Rochelle. He became an intimate friend of Thomas Aquinas. When the latter asked him what was the source of his wisdom, he showed him a crucifix. He made his studies a continuation of prayer, and prayer for preparation for study.

A remarkable cheerfulness always appeared on his face, confirming what he used to say: 'A spiritual joy is the greatest son of the divine grace dwelling in a soul.'

Three years earlier his fame had earned him the position of lecturer on The Four Books of Sentences—a book of theology written by Peter Lombard in the twelfth century—and in 1255 he received the degree of master, the medieval equivalent of doctor.

At the age of 35, Bonaventure was chosen Minister General of the Franciscans and healed the division caused by the different interpretations of the vow of poverty. Thomas Aquinas, coming one day while Bonaventure was writing the Biography of St. Francis, saw him through the door of his cell in contemplation. Going away he said: 'Let us leave a saint to work for a saint.'

On November 24, 1265, he was selected for the post of Archbishop of York; however, he was never consecrated and resigned the appointment in October 1266.

In 1273, Pope Gregory X sent some delegates from Rome to appoint him Cardinal. When the delegation showed up at Bonaventure's friary at Mugello, they found him washing the dishes. He actually sent them outside to wait for him to finish the dishes. Legend has it, he asked them to leave the red hat (galero) on a tree outside. So the saint finished washing the dishes and then came to greet the papal delegation.

Bonaventure played a prominent role in the Council of Lyons which was called to bring about a reunion with the Eastern churches. Thomas Aquinas died on his way to the same council. A temporary reunion of the churches was achieved and Bonaventure preached at the Mass of reconciliation. However, he did not live to see Constantinople repudiate the reunion.

At the age of 52 on July 15, 1274, while attending the Second Council of Lyons in France, Bonaventure suddenly died and under suspicious circumstances in Lyon, Lyonnais, Kingdom of Burgundy-Arles (present-day France).

Bonaventure's feast day was included in the General Roman Calendar immediately upon his canonization in 1482. It was at first celebrated on the second Sunday in July, but was moved in 1568 to July 14, since July 15, the anniversary of his death, was at that time taken up with the feast of Saint Henry.

It remained on that date, with the rank of 'double', until 1960, when it was reclassified as a feast of the third class. In 1969, it was classified as an obligatory memorial and assigned to the date of his death.