Many of you know that I enjoy sharing pictures I have taken of the beauty of sacred art and architecture. So tonight, please enjoy the following for your edification and meditation on the Divine.
I could do without the Cranmer table up front. Maybe one day, it will be repurposed as a proper altar in a side chapel. Who knows? Chapel of Christ the King, Front Royal, VA
At this very moment, I am reclining on a couch, covered in a blanket. It is not cold here. Rather, I have the chills. It turns out the one of the perils of travel is a greater propensity to falling ill. For this this is especially strange since I do not usually “get sick”. I feel bad that my daughter also caught this nasty bug that seems to be like a stomach flu. For her, she couldn’t hold anything down. For me, I just feel like my entire body – muscle, bone, joints – is under attack. I do not like this but I am attempting to offer it up. I take from this the valuable lesson that I should not travel without a stock of “Vitamin I”. A dose of that at the onset and I would be where I am supposed to be now, instead of lying on a coach.
As you may have been able to guess from the picture yesterday (and my blatant, naked words) that I am in Northern Virginia. If you have followed anything carefully over the past few years, you will note that there is a Catholic liberal arts college in Front Royal, VA, and that this college is dedicating a magnificent new chapel as we speak. I was supposed to be there. Along with many other souls, my wife and I gave toward the building of the chapel – not for personal glory, but for God’s glory and so that these young men and women students be inspired to right worship.
And then, last fall, the bishop began “moving things around”. I could have said “quashing the Latin Mass”. I am going to take him at his word. I am not worried. It is still beautiful. There is still incredible potential to inspire. And one day, I do believe that the Tradition Latin Mass will be offered on the high altar and I will hopefully be there.
But my real purpose in writing this post is to show you all something.
Clear glass for now.
Those two window arches will soon hold two windows of saints that are very dear to me and to our family. Primarily, one window will depict the Saint of the Impossible. I have always wanted to provide an image of my favorite Cascian saint to a church that maybe someone will see her and be inspired to read about her and pray for her intercession. Also, I do not mention any of this to brag. I really am humbled that we were able to be a part of the building of this structure and I am thrilled to have finally been able to adorn a church with a Rita!
So, God be praised! Prayers all around for the diocese!
Friends, tonight I attended a Vespers service. His Eminence, Cardinal Arinze presided. It was Novus Ordo. I was here for a very good reason. I will report more to you tomorrow. The Shenandoah Valley is certainly beautiful this time of year and surely Our Lord is well pleased with this effort. Until I write again, enjoy a preview…
They don’t build them like this anymore? Hold my beer…
Before the headline story, I want to say that, as a kid, I thought Victoria Jackson of SNL was a riot. Here we see she’s also pretty darn based as well.
Now then, Mundabor strikes again. Here he deftly describes the role of what Bergoglio calls “keyboard warriors”. Six months ago I was accused of being a “keyboard warriors by a chancery official in a large US diocese because I dared speak truth about the suppression of the TLM. I said at that time that I may be a keyboard warrior but at least I’m fighting for something.
I am a proud keyboard warrior and will fight until the truth is known to all.
Much thanks for the prayers after my last post. I boarded an early flight with my family today bound for a big event this weekend. More to come in time.
What I did not get to do today, as a consequence of the insanity of the world around is, is attend the Holy and August Sacrifice of the Mass in the Gregorian Rite of the Church. 5:30 AM trip to the airport. Three hour flight. Landed after all the Masses here were over. When you go every day for years, the Lord puts a true love – a devotion – to seeing Him every day in your heart. I felt truly sad that I could not see Him today. Tomorrow I will be up before 6:00 to pray the Regina Coeli and head to Mass in a gymnasium. And I will be grateful.
And at that Mass I will hear the following beautiful sequence.
The line that always catches my attention is the reference, really the command, to Magdalene. In one translation I have seen (not a bad one at that) the line reads: “Tell us, O Mary, what did you see?/I saw the Tomb of the living God; the glory of His Resurrection!”
Tomb of Mary Magdalene, who saw the tomb of the living God!, Ste. Baumé, France
In my hand Missal (1962 ed., Angelus Press) it reads: “Speak, Mary, declaring what thou sawest wayfaring./“The tomb of Christ Who now liveth: and likewise the glory of the Risen.”
I love Magdalene. Having fasted through Lent for the first time in a truly penitential spirit, endeavoring to offer generously my gift to God in atonement for my sins, I identify more and more with this “wounded flower” as Sheen called her. She never ceased to offer fasting and penance and, I pray, neither now will I that I also may “see the tomb of Christ Who now liveth.”
That being said it’s Easter week. Every day this week is Easter. I am celebrating a bit. Though on my flight this morning, I forgot for a moment that it is Easter. I dozed momentarily, waking to be asked by a man stewardess, “Something to drink?” Without thinking I replied, “Black coffee, please?”
I took one sip and then promptly knocked the cup over on my tray table by accident, spilling it on my lap.
That ought to teach me not to not order a gin and tonic on any future flights. I’ve never spilled those.
God bless each of you who read this and please pray for me.
More than once since yesterday I have found myself halfway through the Angelus before remembering that there’s a switch to the Regina Coeli for Easter.
Folks, I got off all that social media nonsense a while ago. Sorry but I'm not on Twitbook, Facepalm, YouHu, WingWang or any of the others. Maybe an event will happen to make me change my mind like Peter and Paul coming down with flaming swords and commanding it be so. Until then, read the blog and if you feel a comment is in order or you feel like sharing a tip or suggestion for a topic, email me at harvey@harveymillican.com.
Harvey Millican's Blog: Musings of a Trad Dad 