Early Thursday morning, Mom and I are heading to Washington, D.C. It's been a while since I posted here, and I want to keep a log of our trip, so I decided I'd start today. Tomorrow I'm going to be busy all day, so this is my last chance to make a record.
What have I been up to? Recently, I've gone to a lot of weddings. In early April I went to the very odd occurrence that was Andre and April's wedding in New Orleans. In late April, Andy and Ellie got married in Natchitoches, at Melrose Plantation. That was a blast, and I helped Matt cook crawfish and showed some yankees how to eat them. I also saw the old gang from Atlanta, which was awesome.
In May, my friends from here in Many, Joe and Kelli got married. It had been a while since I'd been to a full on Catholic Nuptial Mass, and it was great. That wedding wins best food at a wedding this year. In June I was back at St. Joe's in Zwolle for Jerry Lynn and Colby's wedding. That was cool because I got to hang with Robert and Crystal. And the next weekend, I went to Houston for cousin Jennifer and Stephen's wedding. It was great to reconnect with Uncle Johnnie's family. Houston traffic was not so great.
That makes five weddings this year, plus Robert and Lanie's in December makes six. And I stayed at Emily and Nick's house when I went to Houston, whose wedding I attended in Breaux Bridge 364 days before Jen and Stephen's. So seven weddings in one year. It's been a blast.
Guess why I'm headed to Washington, DC and Chesapeake Beach, MD, on Thursday.
05 July 2011
04 October 2010
Summer Turns to Fall
I had a great summer, but found more jobs to do. I'm now the Grand Knight of my Knights of Columbus Council. I also am the Treasurer of the local Chamber of Commerce, and the first thing I did was figure out our director stole a bunch of money (we have since gotten it back). I am also now on the Finance Council for the Diocese of Shreveport.
I also went on a few trips this summer. I went to Nick and Emily's excellent wedding in Breaux Bridge. I went tubing down the Guadulupe River with Tammy, Reed, and Jamie. On Labor Day we celebrated Granny's 90th birthday with all of my dad's family. On the weekends I was in Sabine Parish I spent more time on Toledo Bend than I ever have. And work was busy with Lonnie retiring and a big project.
Now it's the first cool week of fall. Football is in full swing. Mom and Dad came up this weekend and brought JP. We watched the LSU-Tennessee debacle and chased JP around. Three year old JP is a ton of fun. I hope his brother arrives safely this week.
15 February 2010
Snow in Many
The second week of any month is pretty busy for me. I have regular meetings on Tuesday evening and Wednesday at noon. It's usually not a big deal, but looking at the schedule always reminds me that I have stuff to do.
I didn't have to work Monday, but I had a meeting of the Many Complete Count Committee. Not many people showed up, but we persevere in our mission to make people aware of how important the 2010 Census is to Many and Sabine Parish.
On the second Tuesday of every month we have our council's Knights of Columbus meeting. This month we didn't have enough for a quorum, but we had some delicious gumbo and some good fellowship. We also had a good laugh at my expense. I'll explain. After a couple bites of gumbo, I noticed a bottle of hot stuff at the other end of the table. I walked over, picked it up, and put three drops in my large bowl of gumbo. Now, I had noticed that the name of this particular hot sauce was "Spontaneous Combustion." But I assumed it was marketing gimmickry. It was not. As I drank more coke and the beads of sweat starting forming on my head, I realized that this hot sauce was not fit for human consumption. But I ate the whole bowl. And I got laughed at. By everyone. The other consequence was that two glasses of Coca Cola at 7 pm meant a late night and dream-filled sleep when I finally got to bed.
On Wednesday at noon I had our monthly Sabine Parish Chamber of Commerce Board meeting. The Honorable John Kennedy, the Treasurer of the State of Louisiana, spoke about his ideas for balancing the state budget. He talked a lot. Wednesday evening I went and played cards at Wayne and Tina's. I won a little money, but had to leave after the first game to fill in for Deacon Mike at Eucharistic Adoration from 9 pm to 10 pm. I hadn't been to adoration in a while, and I had forgotten why I like it so much. Perhaps during Lent I will make it a regular part of my prayer life.
On Thursday morning it was snowing when I woke up. The forecast was for snow and sleet all day long, so by the time I got to work the boss told my co-workers to head home. Lonnie lives in Lafayette, and Pat about half an hour away, and the road conditions were going to deteriorate all day. I live two blocks away, so I manned the office. There wasn't much going on. I stayed home Thursday night for the first time in a while and caught up on my DVR'd shows. Once it got dark, I noticed the sleet was beginning to accumulate on my porch. I kept checking all night as the sleet turned to snow, and by two in the morning when I went to bed there was a significant amount of snow on the ground. I finally decided to go to bed, but woke up at 7:30 am without the aid of an alarm to find at least three inches of snow on the ground. It was still snowing, so I bundled up and went out to take some pictures and experience the winter wonderland. I snapped the shot above across the street from my house. I made a snowman with Addie, I threw snowballs at Billy Lafitte. The office was closed, and I just played in the snow and rested all day. Friday night I watched the opening ceremonies of the Winter Olympics. Pretty neat show. I wanted to eat something Canadian since the Olympics are in Vancouver, but I couldn't think of any Canadian food except whale blubber. My sister suggested Canadian bacon, so I made a pizza with bellpeppers and goat cheese and fresh tomatoes and Canadian bacon. It was very yummy.
Saturday morning I woke up and cleaned house. I picked stuff up and put things away and reordered book shelves and cleaned and scrubbed and swept. But I was done by noon and at one I left with Tammy and Mac headed to Lake Charles for some casino action. We met Tim and Ruth and Wayne and Tina and Dale down there, which is about two-thirds of a group with who I regularly play poker. I'd never played poker in a casino before, but I really liked it. I played limit Texas hold 'em for about ten hours. I probably lost about $15 all day, but I gave some cash away and drank a lot of the casino's beer. We left the casino at 3:14 am and I was in bed by 5:30 am.
On Sunday I woke up in time for Mass, then planned on coming home for a nap while the Daytona 500 was on. Before I could get to sleep, Buck came by, and I went with him so he could break in his new Polaris. We got it and ourselves muddy, but all the rain and snow made the road impassable so we didn't get very far. We were gonna go out on another trail, but the weather changed and it got too cold to get muddy. We had a good time shooting the breeze the rest of the night with Melvin and Linda and Kelly and Jesse. At ten pm Buck and I decided we were hungry, but everything in town was closed. So we made dinner with what we could scrounge at Buck's house.
Today I had to get up and go open the office so the carpet cleaners could get in. They were done by noon, and I am off until Wednesday morning.
Lastly, here's the picture from the Mardi Gras Ball that I promised last week. Happy Mardi Gras to everyone.
08 February 2010
Super Weekend
What an epic weekend! It started with a Sabine Parish Mardi Gras Krewe party Friday night. Rob and I were supposed to be there a little earlier to help decorate, but he got delayed at work, so we missed out on that. Since he lives with Queen Crystal and she has me on speed dial, neither of us felt guilty. Mom and Dad arrived shortly after I did, and they fit right into the party atmosphere. We had some great food and everyone was happy and excited for the ball Saturday night.
Saturday was pretty laid back during the day. We had prepared well enough that the workload was light to nonexistent. By about 2 p.m., the guys were standing around drinking beer and shooting the shit. The women, of course, were in full hair/makeup/dressed mode. We were all ready by 5:30 as instructed by Queen Crystal, except Rob and Randy. We had our pictures made, the guests started arriving, the band started playing, and eventually everyone had a blast. Until about 10 p.m.
I'm not saying the fun stopped then. It's just that as King Ted was announcing the new king, I was worried that it might be me. Then, I was pretty sure it couldn't be me. Until he actually said my name. It was really clever, actually. And, the guilt I had because I knew that Kayla was the new queen was assuaged. Now, she and I are in the same boat. We seem to have a good krewe of folks to work with, everybody had nice things to say about this year's party, and we'll definitely be able to work together. I should also point out that the only people more excited for Kayla and I than Crystal and Ted were my folks. Johnny, dressed as a Cajun Uncle Sam, and Gayle were very, very happy. After he announcement, everything until I finally went to bed was a big blur. There was dancing and talking and hugging and breakfast, but the order of it and the particulars are a wee bit hazy. If I find some pictures of my dad, or my shoes, or my coronation, I'll share them.
Let's see, what else happened? Sunday I tried to recover enough so that I could have a beer or two during the football game. After Mass, Kayla and Larry and I went to Gasaway's for burgers. We're all kinda looking forward to capitalizing on the excitement of this year's party, tweaking a few things, and getting to know the new Krewe members. That last part is really the most fun for me. After unloading my full truck, I rested for a while. I watched the Saints become Super Bowl Champions at Chuck and Linda's. It was great. My favorite reaction came from Debbie Fontenot, who was a member of the original Saints dance team forty-three years ago when she was a baby. She grew up in Chalmette, and has been a big Saints fan since Day One. She was so very happy. Her only regret was that her father died five weeks before he could see his Saints win. But I'd like to think he was up in heaven helping out a little.
The weekend actually continued into today, since I got to work to find an e-mail saying the court was closed today. The judge said go home, and I did. Everyone around here except diehard Cowboys fans is ecstatic, and I'm sure the mood gets better the closer you get to New Orleans.
I'll end this post with the highlight of the week. I got up at 7 a.m. to go clean up the ballroom and pack up all our gear. We decorated pretty lightly, so there wasn't much to do. Me and Diann were the only two up, and had it all packed/thrown away and ready to be loaded up by the time anyone else arrived to help. But she and I actually commented while we were working how easy the job was, and that we were perfectly happy not to have any more help. Anyway, I went to get my truck to start loading stuff up. I took a second to see my folks off, and by the time I got to the ballroom a few more folks were there to help out. While I was discussing the weather or some such with Randy and Rob, a lady comes out with a hadful of glittery stuff that I had thrown in a garbage bag. I told her that we had used the stuff a couple of times and were ready to throw it away. "No you're not," was her reply. "Yes we are," I retorted wittily. Whereupon she opens my truck and begins to stuff this glittery shiny stuff into a bag in my truck. "You can put it in my truck," I explained, "But when I get home I am going to take it out of that bag and put it in the trash." Unhappy with my response and/or my tone, she exclaimed, "ASSHOLE!" I smiled, explained again that we had gotten our money's worth out of the gliterry shiny stuff and she took it away with her.
When I related that story to Diann, who apparently had a similar discussion about the glittery shiny stuff, she christened me King Asshole. I think I like it.
EDIT: Diann wants to clarify that she called me King AH, since she thinks the full word doesn't fit me. I'm not sure everyone agrees with her.
Saturday was pretty laid back during the day. We had prepared well enough that the workload was light to nonexistent. By about 2 p.m., the guys were standing around drinking beer and shooting the shit. The women, of course, were in full hair/makeup/dressed mode. We were all ready by 5:30 as instructed by Queen Crystal, except Rob and Randy. We had our pictures made, the guests started arriving, the band started playing, and eventually everyone had a blast. Until about 10 p.m.
I'm not saying the fun stopped then. It's just that as King Ted was announcing the new king, I was worried that it might be me. Then, I was pretty sure it couldn't be me. Until he actually said my name. It was really clever, actually. And, the guilt I had because I knew that Kayla was the new queen was assuaged. Now, she and I are in the same boat. We seem to have a good krewe of folks to work with, everybody had nice things to say about this year's party, and we'll definitely be able to work together. I should also point out that the only people more excited for Kayla and I than Crystal and Ted were my folks. Johnny, dressed as a Cajun Uncle Sam, and Gayle were very, very happy. After he announcement, everything until I finally went to bed was a big blur. There was dancing and talking and hugging and breakfast, but the order of it and the particulars are a wee bit hazy. If I find some pictures of my dad, or my shoes, or my coronation, I'll share them.
Let's see, what else happened? Sunday I tried to recover enough so that I could have a beer or two during the football game. After Mass, Kayla and Larry and I went to Gasaway's for burgers. We're all kinda looking forward to capitalizing on the excitement of this year's party, tweaking a few things, and getting to know the new Krewe members. That last part is really the most fun for me. After unloading my full truck, I rested for a while. I watched the Saints become Super Bowl Champions at Chuck and Linda's. It was great. My favorite reaction came from Debbie Fontenot, who was a member of the original Saints dance team forty-three years ago when she was a baby. She grew up in Chalmette, and has been a big Saints fan since Day One. She was so very happy. Her only regret was that her father died five weeks before he could see his Saints win. But I'd like to think he was up in heaven helping out a little.
The weekend actually continued into today, since I got to work to find an e-mail saying the court was closed today. The judge said go home, and I did. Everyone around here except diehard Cowboys fans is ecstatic, and I'm sure the mood gets better the closer you get to New Orleans.
I'll end this post with the highlight of the week. I got up at 7 a.m. to go clean up the ballroom and pack up all our gear. We decorated pretty lightly, so there wasn't much to do. Me and Diann were the only two up, and had it all packed/thrown away and ready to be loaded up by the time anyone else arrived to help. But she and I actually commented while we were working how easy the job was, and that we were perfectly happy not to have any more help. Anyway, I went to get my truck to start loading stuff up. I took a second to see my folks off, and by the time I got to the ballroom a few more folks were there to help out. While I was discussing the weather or some such with Randy and Rob, a lady comes out with a hadful of glittery stuff that I had thrown in a garbage bag. I told her that we had used the stuff a couple of times and were ready to throw it away. "No you're not," was her reply. "Yes we are," I retorted wittily. Whereupon she opens my truck and begins to stuff this glittery shiny stuff into a bag in my truck. "You can put it in my truck," I explained, "But when I get home I am going to take it out of that bag and put it in the trash." Unhappy with my response and/or my tone, she exclaimed, "ASSHOLE!" I smiled, explained again that we had gotten our money's worth out of the gliterry shiny stuff and she took it away with her.
When I related that story to Diann, who apparently had a similar discussion about the glittery shiny stuff, she christened me King Asshole. I think I like it.
EDIT: Diann wants to clarify that she called me King AH, since she thinks the full word doesn't fit me. I'm not sure everyone agrees with her.
30 January 2010
WHO DAT?
It's been over a month, and at this point I am sure no one will ever see this but me. That's okay. I've changed the colors to reflect the fact that the New Orleans Saints are in the Super Bowl.
I have a big fun week this next week. We go to court on Thursday, so I'll spend the first part of the week getting ready for that. But more fun than that, Saturday is the Sabine Parish Mardi Gras Ball. The old people are coming up Friday night, and we should have a blast. I have my fancy clothes and will be ready to boogie all night long.
But Sunday is the main event. Super Bowl Sunday. Saint v. Colts. I've spent the last few minutes watching videos of the Saints first game back at the dome in 2006. The U2-Green Day performance, the crowd super jacked up. At the time we never imagined it could get louder and more exciting in the Superdome. Oh, but we found out in overtime in the NFC Championship game that the New Orleans has improved in the last three years -- the team and the city. I was down there last weekend, and that city is hopping like it hasn't in a while. There's a buzz, a sense of excitement. Mardi Gras has the potential to be the victory parade(s) to end all victory parades.
But I am getting ahead of myself. The Saints Are Coming. The Saints Are Coming.
I have a big fun week this next week. We go to court on Thursday, so I'll spend the first part of the week getting ready for that. But more fun than that, Saturday is the Sabine Parish Mardi Gras Ball. The old people are coming up Friday night, and we should have a blast. I have my fancy clothes and will be ready to boogie all night long.
But Sunday is the main event. Super Bowl Sunday. Saint v. Colts. I've spent the last few minutes watching videos of the Saints first game back at the dome in 2006. The U2-Green Day performance, the crowd super jacked up. At the time we never imagined it could get louder and more exciting in the Superdome. Oh, but we found out in overtime in the NFC Championship game that the New Orleans has improved in the last three years -- the team and the city. I was down there last weekend, and that city is hopping like it hasn't in a while. There's a buzz, a sense of excitement. Mardi Gras has the potential to be the victory parade(s) to end all victory parades.
But I am getting ahead of myself. The Saints Are Coming. The Saints Are Coming.
28 December 2009
On the Fourth Day of Christmas
I had a very nice Christmas celebration with the family. We went to Christmas Eve Mass at a full St. Gerard, then dad, mom and I came back to the house for some gumbo with Uncle Ricky and his three girls, Kaitlyn, Mary Grace and Ricky Jo. It was nice and low key, but I did miss the visit Santa made at Nanny and Uncle Be's. Hopefully next year I can be there.
Christmas morning we all went to Jacob and Charmin's for the day. Jacob and I constructed JP's new train table, and then JP played with it until he could barely stand up for being so tired. We opened gifts and played board games with Lisa and Brandon and even a couple of Lisa's friends. I fell asleep watching Star Trek, and considering how action-packed that movie is, I must have been really tired.
On the day after Christmas, the whole family went to the funeral of Freddie Housewright's mother. She lived a long, full life, but funerals are always sad. I've been to too many of them this year. It was great to see Uncle Freddie and Aunt Linda and Alison and Brian and their families. Saturday evening we had the Breaux Bridge Couvillions and the Atlanta Couvillions over to mom and dad's house. We all had a nice visit.
Sunday we lazed around and watched the Saints and Colts lose. Cara and I decided to go see Sherlock Holmes. It was definitely re-imagined, but it was very good.
Who knows what today will bring . . . .
Christmas morning we all went to Jacob and Charmin's for the day. Jacob and I constructed JP's new train table, and then JP played with it until he could barely stand up for being so tired. We opened gifts and played board games with Lisa and Brandon and even a couple of Lisa's friends. I fell asleep watching Star Trek, and considering how action-packed that movie is, I must have been really tired.
On the day after Christmas, the whole family went to the funeral of Freddie Housewright's mother. She lived a long, full life, but funerals are always sad. I've been to too many of them this year. It was great to see Uncle Freddie and Aunt Linda and Alison and Brian and their families. Saturday evening we had the Breaux Bridge Couvillions and the Atlanta Couvillions over to mom and dad's house. We all had a nice visit.
Sunday we lazed around and watched the Saints and Colts lose. Cara and I decided to go see Sherlock Holmes. It was definitely re-imagined, but it was very good.
Who knows what today will bring . . . .
23 December 2009
O Emmanuel
We have reached the final day of the the O Antiphons. Tomorrow is Christmas Eve, and we celebrate the arrival of our Savior. Today, for the last day of Advent, we cry out for his arrival one last time. The O Antiphon for December 23, in Latin:
O Emmanuel, Rex et legifer noster, exspectatio gentium, et Salvator earum: veni ad salvandum nos Domine Deus noster.
Before giving you the translation, I'll let you know why I have shared the Latin with you. The first letters of each of the titles of the Messiah, in reverse order, are E(mmanuel), R(ex), O(riens), C(lavis), R(adix), A(donai), and S(apientiae). In Latin, "Ero cras" translates to "I will be (here) tomorrow." A message within a message!
The translation for today's antiphon:
O Emmanuel, our King and lawgiver, the expected of the nations and their Savior; come to save us, O Lord our God.
As you may know, Emmanuel translates to "God with us." In that word, we express the true meaning of Christmas, and of our whole faith -- that God not only sent us His Son, but truly sent us Himself, to live among us and show us the way to salvation. Christ is with us! Alleluia! Alleluia!
My prayer for you today and for your celebration of Christmas is that you rejoice in the ways God is present in your life everyday. I hope you are surrounded by loved ones in your celebrations.
O come, o come, Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here,
Until the Son of God appear.
"Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests." Merry Christmas!
O Emmanuel, Rex et legifer noster, exspectatio gentium, et Salvator earum: veni ad salvandum nos Domine Deus noster.
Before giving you the translation, I'll let you know why I have shared the Latin with you. The first letters of each of the titles of the Messiah, in reverse order, are E(mmanuel), R(ex), O(riens), C(lavis), R(adix), A(donai), and S(apientiae). In Latin, "Ero cras" translates to "I will be (here) tomorrow." A message within a message!
The translation for today's antiphon:
O Emmanuel, our King and lawgiver, the expected of the nations and their Savior; come to save us, O Lord our God.
As you may know, Emmanuel translates to "God with us." In that word, we express the true meaning of Christmas, and of our whole faith -- that God not only sent us His Son, but truly sent us Himself, to live among us and show us the way to salvation. Christ is with us! Alleluia! Alleluia!
My prayer for you today and for your celebration of Christmas is that you rejoice in the ways God is present in your life everyday. I hope you are surrounded by loved ones in your celebrations.
O come, o come, Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here,
Until the Son of God appear.
"Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests." Merry Christmas!
22 December 2009
O Rex Gentium
Today it hit me. I have to finish up some projects at work, pack, clean up the house, and travel, all in the next 36 hours. There just doesn't seem like enough time to get it all done. I'm gonna have to take my own advice, I suppose, take a deep breath, and just get it done.
Here's the O Antiphon for December 22:
O Rex gentium, et desideratus earum, lapisque angularis, qui facis utraque unum: veni, et salva hominem, quem de limo formasti.
Translated:
O King of the gentiles and their desired One, the cornerstone that makes both one: come, and deliver man, whom you formed out of the dust of the earth.
Today we have another reference to Christ as the figure who will bring together the Jewish people and the gentiles. This time he comes as our king. As we know, this peace amongst men is an elusive thing in our world even today. But the God who created us sent Jesus Christ to unite each of us to all our brothers and sisters. This Advent season we are reminded of Christ's love for all men and women, and to look within ourselves to see how we can further the unity and love of all mankind.
My prayer for you (and especially for me on this one!) is that during this Christmas season we find a way to turn argument or disharmony into an opportunity to further the love and understanding of God, our Father and Christ, and Christ, our Redeemer.
The relevant verse of O Come O Come Emmanuel really brings this message home today:
O come, Desire of nations, bind,
In one the hearts of all mankind;
Bid Thou our sad divisions cease,
And be Thyself our King of peace.
Here's the O Antiphon for December 22:
O Rex gentium, et desideratus earum, lapisque angularis, qui facis utraque unum: veni, et salva hominem, quem de limo formasti.
Translated:
O King of the gentiles and their desired One, the cornerstone that makes both one: come, and deliver man, whom you formed out of the dust of the earth.
Today we have another reference to Christ as the figure who will bring together the Jewish people and the gentiles. This time he comes as our king. As we know, this peace amongst men is an elusive thing in our world even today. But the God who created us sent Jesus Christ to unite each of us to all our brothers and sisters. This Advent season we are reminded of Christ's love for all men and women, and to look within ourselves to see how we can further the unity and love of all mankind.
My prayer for you (and especially for me on this one!) is that during this Christmas season we find a way to turn argument or disharmony into an opportunity to further the love and understanding of God, our Father and Christ, and Christ, our Redeemer.
The relevant verse of O Come O Come Emmanuel really brings this message home today:
O come, Desire of nations, bind,
In one the hearts of all mankind;
Bid Thou our sad divisions cease,
And be Thyself our King of peace.
21 December 2009
O Oriens
Happy Winter Solstice. I want to again thank you for the kind words you have sent in response to these e-mails. I didn't send Christmas cards -- I hope this is a suitable substitute.
Today is the shortest day of the year for those of us in the northern hemisphere. The O Antiphon for December 21 takes this natural phenomenon into account. In Latin first:
O Oriens, splendor lucis aeternae, et sol iustitiae: veni, et illumina sedentes in tenebris et umbra mortis.
Translated:
O dawn of the east, brightness of light eternal, and sun of justice: come, and enlighten those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death.
The word Oriens is also translated sometimes as Dayspring. How appropriate that on this shortest day of the year we are given a prayer calling on the sun that rises in the east to give us light! Light and fire are often used as symbols of Christ in liturgy. Today we are reminded that Christ is coming to illuminate our lives and save us from the darkness of sin and evil and death.
My prayer for you today is that you are able to be a reflection of the light of Christ for those around you who are sad or lonely or in need during this Christmas season, and in doing so fill the darkness in your own life.
Finally, today's verse from O Come O Come Emmanuel:
O come, Thou Dayspring, come and cheer,
Our spirits by Thine advent here;
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night,
And death's dark shadows put to flight.
Today is the shortest day of the year for those of us in the northern hemisphere. The O Antiphon for December 21 takes this natural phenomenon into account. In Latin first:
O Oriens, splendor lucis aeternae, et sol iustitiae: veni, et illumina sedentes in tenebris et umbra mortis.
Translated:
O dawn of the east, brightness of light eternal, and sun of justice: come, and enlighten those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death.
The word Oriens is also translated sometimes as Dayspring. How appropriate that on this shortest day of the year we are given a prayer calling on the sun that rises in the east to give us light! Light and fire are often used as symbols of Christ in liturgy. Today we are reminded that Christ is coming to illuminate our lives and save us from the darkness of sin and evil and death.
My prayer for you today is that you are able to be a reflection of the light of Christ for those around you who are sad or lonely or in need during this Christmas season, and in doing so fill the darkness in your own life.
Finally, today's verse from O Come O Come Emmanuel:
O come, Thou Dayspring, come and cheer,
Our spirits by Thine advent here;
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night,
And death's dark shadows put to flight.
20 December 2009
O Clavis David
Happy Sunday! Christmas is this week. I hope you take a deep breath today before the last few days of zaniness.
You may wonder why I have included the Latin. I promise there is a reason, but Uncle Ken appreciates the chance to brush up on the Latin he learned long, long ago. Here's the O Antiphon for December 20:
O clavis David, et sceptrum domus Israel: qui aperis, et nemo claudit; claudis, et nemo aperit: veni, et educ vinctum de domo carceris, sedentem in tenebris.
In English:
O key of David, and scepter of the house of Israel, who opens and no man shuts, who shuts and no man opens; come, and bring forth the captive from his prison, he who sits in darkness and in the shadow of death.
While it sounds a little grim, the message is important. Christ does something for us that nothing else can. No person, no activity, no amount of wealth, no material thing can fill the role in our life that Christ fills. But what amazing things He does for us! Christ comes to save us from death and eternal damnation.
While the holiday season brings great joy and happiness, it can also remind us of loved ones who aren't with us. My prayer for you today is that in the moments of sadness that inevitably come this Christmas, you are comforted by the promise of Christ's love and the eternal salvation He bought for us on the cross.
To close, the relevant verse from O Come O Come Emmanuel:
O come, thou Key of David, come,
And open wide our heavenly home;
Make safe the way that leads on high,
And close the path to misery.
You may wonder why I have included the Latin. I promise there is a reason, but Uncle Ken appreciates the chance to brush up on the Latin he learned long, long ago. Here's the O Antiphon for December 20:
O clavis David, et sceptrum domus Israel: qui aperis, et nemo claudit; claudis, et nemo aperit: veni, et educ vinctum de domo carceris, sedentem in tenebris.
In English:
O key of David, and scepter of the house of Israel, who opens and no man shuts, who shuts and no man opens; come, and bring forth the captive from his prison, he who sits in darkness and in the shadow of death.
While it sounds a little grim, the message is important. Christ does something for us that nothing else can. No person, no activity, no amount of wealth, no material thing can fill the role in our life that Christ fills. But what amazing things He does for us! Christ comes to save us from death and eternal damnation.
While the holiday season brings great joy and happiness, it can also remind us of loved ones who aren't with us. My prayer for you today is that in the moments of sadness that inevitably come this Christmas, you are comforted by the promise of Christ's love and the eternal salvation He bought for us on the cross.
To close, the relevant verse from O Come O Come Emmanuel:
O come, thou Key of David, come,
And open wide our heavenly home;
Make safe the way that leads on high,
And close the path to misery.
19 December 2009
O Radix Jesse
I hope this last Saturday before Christmas is not too busy for you. I hope you get a chance to take a deep breath and relax. I hope you get to enjoy the first day of two weeks off from school if you have kids.
My friend Thalia tells me the word Antiphon is Greek, and she would know since she herself is a beautiful Greek woman and a dear friend from my college days at DePaul in Chicago.
On to today's O Antiphon! First, as usual, in Latin:
O Radix Jesse, qui stas in signum populorum, super quem continebunt reges os suum, quem gentes deprecabuntur: veni ad liberandum nos, iam noli tardare.
Radishes? What's that got to do with Advent? OK, here's the translation:
O Root of Jesse, that stands for an ensign of the people, before whom the kings keep silence and unto whom the Gentiles shall make supplication: come, to deliver us, and tarry not.
The thing I like about poetry and song is that it can say a lot in just a few words. This brief antiphon is packed with imagery of what the Christ child means to those of waiting for his birth at Christmas. Jesse, of course, is David's father, and the ancestor of Jesus. But Christ is also the root, the foundation of our lives, here on earth, today. Christ stands as a banner before all people. In His presence the most powerful rulers are silent. Even the enemies of God's people will recognize Christ and come to worship Him. So, HURRY UP AND GET HERE!
My prayer for you today is that, with all the hustle and bustle of the season, you are able to remain patient and during moments of waiting you are able to take the time to remember that Christ's birth is the reason for the season, and take joy in His coming.
To close, the corresponding verse from O Come O Come Emmanuel:
O come, O Rod of Jesse free,
Thine own from Satan's tyranny;
From depths of hell Thy people save,
And give them victory o'er the grave.
My friend Thalia tells me the word Antiphon is Greek, and she would know since she herself is a beautiful Greek woman and a dear friend from my college days at DePaul in Chicago.
On to today's O Antiphon! First, as usual, in Latin:
O Radix Jesse, qui stas in signum populorum, super quem continebunt reges os suum, quem gentes deprecabuntur: veni ad liberandum nos, iam noli tardare.
Radishes? What's that got to do with Advent? OK, here's the translation:
O Root of Jesse, that stands for an ensign of the people, before whom the kings keep silence and unto whom the Gentiles shall make supplication: come, to deliver us, and tarry not.
The thing I like about poetry and song is that it can say a lot in just a few words. This brief antiphon is packed with imagery of what the Christ child means to those of waiting for his birth at Christmas. Jesse, of course, is David's father, and the ancestor of Jesus. But Christ is also the root, the foundation of our lives, here on earth, today. Christ stands as a banner before all people. In His presence the most powerful rulers are silent. Even the enemies of God's people will recognize Christ and come to worship Him. So, HURRY UP AND GET HERE!
My prayer for you today is that, with all the hustle and bustle of the season, you are able to remain patient and during moments of waiting you are able to take the time to remember that Christ's birth is the reason for the season, and take joy in His coming.
To close, the corresponding verse from O Come O Come Emmanuel:
O come, O Rod of Jesse free,
Thine own from Satan's tyranny;
From depths of hell Thy people save,
And give them victory o'er the grave.
18 December 2009
O Adonai
I hope you enjoyed yesterday's e-mail. I appreciate the kind words of thanks from so many of you. Congratulations to Uncle Dayt and Aunt Carolyn up in Maryland for identifying O Come O Come Emmanuel as the hymn that is based on the O Antiphons. The corresponding verse for yesterday's Antiphon:
O come, O Wisdom from on high,
who orders all things mightily,
to us the path of knowledge show,
and teach us in her ways to go.
Now on to the O Antiphon for today, December 18. First in Latin:
O Adonai, et Dux domus Israel, qui Moysi in igne flammae rubi apparuisti, et ei in Sina legem dedisti: veni ad redimendum nos in brachio extento.
And now a translation:
O Lord and Ruler of the house of Israel, who appeared to Moses in the flame of the burning bush and gave him the law on Sinai; come, and redeem us with outstretched arms.
In reading about the O Antiphons, two things struck me about today's prayer. First, the same God who was so powerful that he revealed himself to Moses in fire and from the heavens on Mt. Sinai humbled himself to become a babe in a manger. Second, the choice of words at the end of the prayer is surely no accident, and "outstretched arms" foreshadows Christ's death on the cross to ensure our redemption.
And so, my prayer for us all today is that we may emulate God by practicing the virtue of humility , who sent us his one true Son to earth to redeem us from our sins.
In closing, the relevant verse from O Come O Come Emmanuel:
O come, O come, thou Lord of might,
Who to Thy tribes on Sinai's height
In ancient times didst give the law
In cloud and majesty, and awe.
O come, O Wisdom from on high,
who orders all things mightily,
to us the path of knowledge show,
and teach us in her ways to go.
Now on to the O Antiphon for today, December 18. First in Latin:
O Adonai, et Dux domus Israel, qui Moysi in igne flammae rubi apparuisti, et ei in Sina legem dedisti: veni ad redimendum nos in brachio extento.
And now a translation:
O Lord and Ruler of the house of Israel, who appeared to Moses in the flame of the burning bush and gave him the law on Sinai; come, and redeem us with outstretched arms.
In reading about the O Antiphons, two things struck me about today's prayer. First, the same God who was so powerful that he revealed himself to Moses in fire and from the heavens on Mt. Sinai humbled himself to become a babe in a manger. Second, the choice of words at the end of the prayer is surely no accident, and "outstretched arms" foreshadows Christ's death on the cross to ensure our redemption.
And so, my prayer for us all today is that we may emulate God by practicing the virtue of humility , who sent us his one true Son to earth to redeem us from our sins.
In closing, the relevant verse from O Come O Come Emmanuel:
O come, O come, thou Lord of might,
Who to Thy tribes on Sinai's height
In ancient times didst give the law
In cloud and majesty, and awe.
17 December 2009
O Sapientia
I hope this Advent season finds you successfully preparing for Christmas. We all prepare for Christmas by shopping and partying and traveling and eating great food. I hope you have also had a chance during the Advent season to prepare in a spiritual sense as well for the joy of Christ's arrival on Christmas day. To that end, I offer you the O Antiphons, ancient prayers that are over 1300 years old. This series of seven prayers begins today and ends on December 23. Here is today's Antiphon:
O Sapientia, quae ex ore Altissimi prodidisti, attingens a fine usque ad finem, fortiter suaviter disponensque omnia: veni ad docendum nos viam prudentiae.
For those among you whose Latin is rusty, here's a translation:
O Wisdom, who came from the mouth of the Most High, reaching from end to end and ordering all things mightily and sweetly; come, and teach us the way of prudence.
You may recognize the gist of this prayer from a verse in a common Christmas hymn that is based on the O Antiphons. I'll tell you what it is tomorrow. Until then, my prayer for today is that during this season of preparation, in which we are all very busy running to and fro, you take an opportunity to reflect on the wisdom that Christ showed us during his time on earth.
O Sapientia, quae ex ore Altissimi prodidisti, attingens a fine usque ad finem, fortiter suaviter disponensque omnia: veni ad docendum nos viam prudentiae.
For those among you whose Latin is rusty, here's a translation:
O Wisdom, who came from the mouth of the Most High, reaching from end to end and ordering all things mightily and sweetly; come, and teach us the way of prudence.
You may recognize the gist of this prayer from a verse in a common Christmas hymn that is based on the O Antiphons. I'll tell you what it is tomorrow. Until then, my prayer for today is that during this season of preparation, in which we are all very busy running to and fro, you take an opportunity to reflect on the wisdom that Christ showed us during his time on earth.
27 August 2009
Wake Me Up When Semptember Comes
I really meant to post more often. I've gotten mad at friends who started a blog and then just petered out and stopped. Now I understand why this happens. I just couldn't figure out what to say or I got lazy or I had other things to do.
I haven't been up to much. I went down to Baton Rouge in early August and got sick while I was there. Work has been pretty dull. The weekends have increasingly become agony as I anxiously anticipate football season. I'll be on the road a lot in September, though, so the last couple of weekends in August I've been pretty chill.
That's all I've got for now. All is well. Work is picking back up at court approaches. Friends and family are thriving. JP is still the coolest dude, especially now that he knows who I am and calls me "Uh Ma."
I haven't been up to much. I went down to Baton Rouge in early August and got sick while I was there. Work has been pretty dull. The weekends have increasingly become agony as I anxiously anticipate football season. I'll be on the road a lot in September, though, so the last couple of weekends in August I've been pretty chill.
That's all I've got for now. All is well. Work is picking back up at court approaches. Friends and family are thriving. JP is still the coolest dude, especially now that he knows who I am and calls me "Uh Ma."
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