Shenandoah--Keith Jarrett

Roots of TG&B

Athos had an epiphany when he heard this piece as a kid:


[Edit to add labels, or Ath will get mad.]

O Magnum Mysterium - Morten Lauridsen, sung by Pegasus

Silly Wizard Live - Donald McGillavry

Joshua Bell playing The Girl with the Flaxen Hair by Debussy.

Mes Aïeux - Dégénération (English Subtitles)

Drawn to Unity

"It broke my heart that Christians were so divided and superficial. I stumbled onto a few things—Thomas Merton and then St. Francis of Assisi. I got into radical gospel living, mystical prayer, contemplative life, and they were all Catholic."
John Michael Talbot in the article Mass Appeal in Christianity Today

A Beastie Attack and Musical Praying

'Had a rough day yesterday - I won't go into the gory details of the attack, but suffice it to say, my beastie had a field day with my body and I sat tight until my appointment for a shot at the Infusion Center to help boost my white blood cell count.

I found myself bouncing between the Giro d'Italia and EWTN mid-morning - both of which were, of course, fabulous. I saw my new friend and acquaintance, Marcus Grodi, interviewing an oldish looking fellow from Canada, Terry Hatty, former vocalist with The Guess Who, and stayed to watch.

His story about making his "journey home" isn't particularly theological or, probably, pertinent to many of our stories, but I found him to be a true victory; I know so many of his ilk who follow the progressivist propaganda line and flounder off into sad endings. Terry, on the other hand, has managed to keep his music alive and revert to Mother Church.

Go here if you want to see the interview with an aging rock and roll singer, and hear a sampling of his musical prayers. Great pipes for a fellow of his age!

Is It Time For the Elders?

Her lyrics have always been raw often cutting to the core. It may not be religious and often the path is not one you would want to travel but through the lyrics she revealed a passion - yes, a passion of the lost, searching. Sadly today many have abandoned all passion. Maybe Paul Simon's new CD that Athos posted on below and Stevie's new "In Your Dreams" CD will awaken a wholehearted passion in a half-hearted age.



Cheaper than free
Stevie Nicks and Dave Stewart

What's cheaper than free? You and me
What's better then alone? Going home
What does money not buy? You and I
What's not to feel? When love is real

What's faster then a fast car? A beating heart
What's deeper then a deep well? The love into which I fell
More important then freedom? Being needed
More exciting then our fashion? High passion

What's brighter then a smile? a child, You child
What's brighter then a smile? a child, You child
A child, You child

What's warmer then a sun drenched land? Your hand
Your hand... Your hand

Fools and Pilgrims

Nothing since Graceland comes near to excellence until now. Go thee, purchase his new album So Beautiful or So What. For sheer heart-rending poignancy, The Rewrite. Best call-and-response preachin' - Getting Ready for Christmas. Hands down best answer to his (long time ago now) nihilistic song, The Boxer, Questions for the Angels.

Go! Get thee hence, hear, and respond in faith to this prophetic aging voice. Hey! Aren't they the best kind, after all?

Good Friday

Crucifixion (1500-08) - Grünewald

I began watching Gibson's Passion of the Christ last night. I woke with the lyrics and music of an old Paul Simon song going through my head, The Cross is in the Ballpark (The Obvious Child). May you have a blessed, peaceful, and holy Good Friday. As part of your meditations today, look through A Reluctant Sinner's entry for today here. Listen to the Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ according to St. John at Daniel Mitsui's Lion and the Cardinal here.

Rotation Lives

Not saying it is this easy, but the Jive Aces depict theological hope in a nice Walker Percy Wednesday afternoon at 2:30 kind of way:

It Came Upon the Midnight Clear

Every Christmas there is revealed (at least for me) something new from something old and this song - the words - is one I really heard for the very first time last night.  Thank you St. Mary's of Bloomington choir!

It Came Upon the Midnight Clear

It came upon the midnight clear,
That glorious song of old,
From angels bending near the earth,
To touch their harps of gold:
"Peace on the earth, goodwill to men,
From heaven's all-gracious King."
The world in solemn stillness lay,
To hear the angels sing.

Still through the cloven skies they come,
With peaceful wings unfurled,
And still their heavenly music floats
O'er all the weary world;
Above its sad and lowly plains,
They bend on hovering wing,
And ever o'er its Babel sounds
The blessèd angels sing.

Yet with the woes of sin and strife
The world has suffered long;
Beneath the angel-strain have rolled
Two thousand years of wrong;
And man, at war with man, hears not
The love-song which they bring;
O hush the noise, ye men of strife,
And hear the angels sing.

And ye, beneath life's crushing load,
Whose forms are bending low,
Who toil along the climbing way
With painful steps and slow,
Look now! for glad and golden hours
come swiftly on the wing.
O rest beside the weary road,
And hear the angels sing!

For lo!, the days are hastening on,
By prophet bards foretold,
When with the ever-circling years
Comes round the age of gold
When peace shall over all the earth
Its ancient splendors fling,
And the whole world give back the song
Which now the angels sing.

– Original five-stanza hymn

Virgin of the Lilies

Beautiful image by Carlos Schwabe.  Read about this in the Magnificat by clicking HERE.

Cool Hand Luke - What we got here is a failure to communicate

wish you'd stop being so good to me, captain.

the man - the motion picture that simply will not conform.

there aint nothin to come back for.

Paul Newman - Cool Hand Luke - "Plastic Jesus"

i dont care if it rains or freezes, long as i got my plastic jesus sitting on the dashboard of my car. comes in colors, pinks and pleasant, glows in the dark cause its iridescent. take it with you when you travel far. get yourself a sweet madonna, dressed in rhinestone sittin on a pedestal of abalone shell, going ninety i aint scary cause i got the virgin mary assuring me that i WONT GO TO HELL!!!!! THANKZ PAUL NEWMAN.

Saint Francis of Assisi Dancing On Water

Saint Francis of Assisi Dancing On Water
(Click above to find out more on the artist of the statue.)

The area around the statue out in front of the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi in Santa Fe, NM is still a place of freedom and happiness. The following poem is by Rumi and goes well with Francis and so the artist has created a poster combining the image with the words (see the link on artist above).

DANCE, WHEN YOU'RE BROKEN OPEN.
DANCE, IF YOU'VE TORN THE BANDAGE OFF.
DANCE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FIGHTING.
DANCE IN YOUR BLOOD.
DANCE, WHEN YOU'RE PERFECTLY FREE.
by Rumi

As a Church Should Be - Truly Reverent and Truly Beautiful

Life-size Bronze of John the Baptist and Christ

5 years in the making, or rather re-building of Epiphany Catholic Church of Normal, IL

How fitting that the first Mass of the remodeled Epiphany Catholic Church in Normal, IL will be celebrated this Saturday afternoon, July 10, 2010 during a wedding!  Congratulations to Monsignor Powell and all members of Epiphany Catholic Church - a reverent and beautiful setting for worship of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

(click on the lines under statue and the drawing of the inside of the church to link for more info) 

Christ in the House of Martha and Mary

Christ in the House of Martha and Mary by Jan Vermeer

Text by Dr. Jem Sullivan from the July 2010 Magnificat

Martha's weakness is not that she attends to her guest with hurried activity. Rather the real and exacting demands of hospitality have become a distraction for her. Once action turns into distraction we are easily led away from Christ.  Martha learns from Mary's example that in the Lord's presence only one thing is needed: to fix one's gaze on Christ and his word that answers the deepest desire of the human heart.

Each day Christ, the Divine Guest, seeks to enter into the home of our hearts, most especially in the Eucharist. In the midst of life's busyness let us fix our gaze on him, as Mary did, savoring his words as grace and wisdom for our daily journey.

You Were There?

first Friday of Lent and we are on the way to the Stations of the Cross.