TUESDAY QUOTE OF THE WEEK CDLXXVI

FINDING TRUTH WHEREVER IT MAY BE FOUND:  "Bacons the best.  Even the frying of bacon sounds like applause."  Jim Gaffigan

QUOTE II:  When you have bacon in your mouth, it doesn't matter who's president or anything. Every time I'm eating bacon I think, I could die right now, and I mean it. That's how good life is."  Louis CK

QUOTE III:  "Life expectancy would grow by leaps and bounds if green vegetables smelled as good as bacon."  Doug Larson

QUOTE IV:  Bacon is so good by itself that to put it in any other food is an admission of failure. You're basically saying, I can't make this other food taste good, so I'll throw in bacon."  Penn Jillette

QUOTE V:  "Part of the fun of being Catholic is knowing the difference between an indelicacy and an indecency."  

IN OTHER NEWS:

TODAY IS BACONMAS DAY

If you need something to lift your spirits, today is Baconmas Day.  It is a day to celebrate our salvation particularly by celebrating the Eucharist and confession, to offer prayers of thanksgiving for all of the good things that God has given us, to gather together and eat different dishes of bacon.  

Scriptural underpinnings:  On the fourth Monday of Easter, the first reading at the Mass is about a vision that St. Peter had in Joppa where not only are all things that God has made declared clean, but that salvation is opened up to all.  (Acts 11:1-18)

Theological significance:  For the first time, outreach to the gentiles is taken up by St. Peter, the visible head of the Church, and is no longer just this odd, side thing that St. Paul is doing.  Not only has the Church become truly Catholic (that is, universal) but now all of creation is declared good.  This is an idea not shared by most faiths and not even among all Christians.  But all of creation (including you) is declared good and intended for good and, when we sin, can be restored to goodness again - that we are all called to be saints.

Ways to celebrate:  When possible, attend the sacraments of our salvation especially Mass and confession.  It is also a great day to review all of the blessings in your life and to offer prayers of thanksgiving.

Also important on this day is to gather (when possible) with those you love with general merry making and a meal of bacon prepared in different ways.  The reason for this is that, up and until this time, pork was declared an unclean food but with this vision of St. Peter, all of God’s creation is declared clean and good for eating (in responsible portions.)  Like eating blackberries on Michaelmas Day or Oplatki on Christmas, the eating of bacon points toward the greater truth of this feat day: that you were chosen to be part of the Body of the Body of Christ and recognizing the intended goodness and yourself and of your brothers and sisters in Christ, that we are wildly loved by God and that all of creation is good.

While not strictly necessary, the meal is generally to be held in the evening by candlelight since it was in a dream that St. Peter had his vision.

The host or main cook of the Baconmas feast is called the Baconista.

Although the day is to be one of celebration, the feast is NOT to become a bacchanal.  Prayer is to remain part of the day.  A general calling to mind of all the things for which each person is grateful is a noble practice.

As Hiliare Belloc said, “Where ‘ere the Catholic sun doth shine, there will be laughter and good wine.”

Prayer:

O Lord,

creator and ruler of all creation,

when You gave St. Peter his vision in Joppa

and declared all of your creation clean,

You helped us see all of Your creation

as a wonderful gift of your love

and an aid to our salvation.

On (this) Baconmas Day

we recall how very blessed we are

to be chosen as Your sons and daughters

and included in the One Body of Christ.

Help us to remain true to our calling to be saints;

to live a sacramental life;

and to appreciate all people as an image of Christ.

Baconmas Day Carols:

GOOD ST. PETER

To the tune of Good King Wenceslaus 

Good St. Peter’s had a sight

on a Joppa rooftop

when the cloth revealed aright

the Creator’s workshop

Take and slaughter; all is clean

and is good for eating

No man is too lost or mean

on this bacon evening!

Bring me bacon; bring me wine

Gather all His people

Let us pray and let us dine

‘Neath the church’s steeple

Page and monarch all are called

let His grace none bypass

Our redemption to recall

on this bacon day Mass.

I SAW A CLOTH COME FLOATING DOWN

Traditional Baconmas Day Carol

(To the tune of “I Saw Three Ships Come Sailing In)

Peter (solo)

I saw a cloth come floating down,

come floating down, come floating down

I saw a cloth come floating down

in Joppa dreams in the evening.

All

And what was it that you did see

that you did see (etc.)

in Joppa dreams in the evening?

Peter

I saw arrayed all God’s great beasts

all God’s great beasts . . .

in Joppa dreams in the evening.

All

And what did God say unto you

say onto you . . . 

In Joppa dreams in the evening?

Peter

Take now and eat for all is clean

for all is clean . . .

In Joppa dreams in the evening.

All

And did you eat of that great feast?

of that great feast . . .

In Joppa dreams in the evening?

Peter

Not I (stomps foot), said I, for it’s profane!

for (stomps) it’s profane . . .

In Joppa dreams in the evening!

All

Do (clap) not call vile what I have made

what (clap) I have made . . . 

In (clap) Joppa dreams in the evening.

Peter

Then all is good and all are saved! (on the word “saved” all clap and shout, “Yes!”)

and all are saved

in Joppa dreams in the evening.

All & Peter

So shout “Huzza!” and celebrate

and celebrate and celebrate . . .

for we are saved this evening. 

This was sent in for the celebration:

TUESDAY QUOTE OF THE WEEK DCLXXIV

FINDING TRUTH WHEREVER IT MAY BE FOUND:  "Charity to the deserving is not charity."  from G. K. Chesterton's work, "Heretics"

IN OTHER NEWS:

Some shots from around the parish this past week:


After setting up for spring including our loggia fountain, winter came back:

The church decorated for Easter.

We put up the vexulas (banners) and flags for Easter but took them down by Easter night because we were told to expect strong winds (of course in this bizarre year) that evening.

Rehearsal for one of the Easter Masses.

This was written outside one of the doors in chalk

When you need to a laugh:

TUESDAY QUOTE OF THE WEEK DCLXXIII

FINDING TRUTH WHEREVER IT MAY BE FOUND:  "The smallest movement of pure love is more useful to the Church than all other works put together."  St. John of the Cross

IN OTHER NEWS:

Every day the parish of St. Sebastian sends out a letter to keep you up to date - mostly with what is happening at the parish.  If you do not receive it, send an email to marketing@stsebastian.org.

The cut off time for ordering home flowers is 2:30 today!

Here are some pictures from around the parish this week:

Palm Sunday from the only occupied seat in the house:

Karen kept ALL these plants at her house all during lent and brought them back to help decorate the church!

The Avalos family was walking by the parish and caught this neat photo and sent it in.

Grounds crew volunteers are starting to pop up!

 Alex is edging all of our garden beds (and trying to do so covertly but I caught a picture of him!)

I showed these chalk drawings last week but thought to show them to you from a view from the lower church roof!

A new use for holy water founts.

Fr. E.S. sent this in.  It made me happy and I hope it does you too!

TUESDAY QUOTE OF THE WEEK CDLXXII

FINDING TRUTH WHEREVER IT MAY BE FOUND:  "Hope is the power of being cheerful in circumstances that we know to be desperate."  G. K. Chesterton

IN OTHER NEWS:

Subscribe to the St. Sebastian Youtube channel to see daily Mass live-streamed or to watch it at your leisure.  Go HERE.

Here is our seminarian intern Ian Kelly at the controls of our live-streaming at Mass.

Yes, I messed up the timing of the microphones this morning until the first reading.  It was neither Ian's nor his magician technician's error.  That'll learn me.

Karen Spangler sent the following picture with the caption, "Some distraction at Mass you only get at church, some distraction at Mass you only get at home.

Spring is busting out at St. Sebastian.

After initially giving a moment of concern, this picture of me celebrating Mass gave me the double over with laughter. 

The parents sent me a clarification.  "Omen," was their child's way of spelling "Amen," and the circle of fire is the Holy Spirit protecting them from the COVID-19 virus!

St. Sebastian is the saint invoke against contagious diseases and plagues. 

This amazing 6 minute video was sent in by J.N:

TUESDAY QUOTE OF THE WEEK CDLXXI

FINDING TRUTH WHEREVER IT MAY BE FOUND:  ". . . [T]wo universals are in conflict: universal moral knowledge, and the universal desire to evade it.  The first one we owe to our creation.  The second we owe to our fall."  from J. Budziszewski's, "What We Can't Not Know"

IN OTHER NEWS:

Here are some views in the winter from the bell tower at St. Sebastian.  First is south toward Delia.

 This is looking east.  The green space is Schneider Park - Highland Square far in the distance.

 Forest Lodge is to the north   See the slide?  Off in the distance the white building is in Wallhaven.

 West is a large brown area where Perkins School stood until recently.

There is one more organ adoration and organ recital next Tuesday at noon with Mr. Mario Buchanan. Here is a taste of what he can do (a few years ago.)

TUESDAY QUOTE OF THE WEEK CDLXX

FINDING TRUTH WHEREVER IT MAY BE FOUND:  "The whole meaning of morality is a rule that we ought to obey whether we like it or not.  If so, then the whole idea of creating a morality that we like better is incoherent."  from J. Budziszewski's, "What We Can't Not Know"

IN OTHER NEWS:

Deacon Terry's wife, Susie died last night.  There is no further news at the moment.  Please keep her and her family in your prayers.

The rose window in the original church at St. Sebastian which was once located here:

and during the renovation of the building into a hall and moved to here:

has been removed.  After 90 years of exposure to the elements, the wooden frame needed to be rebuilt.  It should be returned soon.

These reproductions are available for sale in the parish rectory.  Might be a good Christmas present for the right person on your list.

I referenced this video on Thanksgiving.  I hope you get as much of a kick out of it as I did.

TUESDAY QUOTE OF THE WEEK CDLXIX

FINDING TRUTH WHEREVER IT MAY BE FOUND:  “America is the only nation in the world that is founded on a creed. That creed is set forth with dogmatic and even theological lucidity in the Declaration of Independence; perhaps the only piece of practical politics that is also theoretical politics and also great literature. It enunciates that all men are equal in their claim to justice, that governments exist to give them that justice, and that their authority is for that reason just. It certainly does condemn anarchism, and it does also by inference condemn atheism, since it clearly names the Creator as the ultimate authority from whom these equal rights are derived."  from G. K. Chesterton's, "What I Saw in America"

IN OTHER NEWS:

I was in New York visiting recently.  My sister took this picture of me and sent it me yesterday.  What   great day!

Gifts that nailed it:

Last Theology on the Rocks.  Great crowd!  I think the new venue is a winner.  Great job Fr. Jordan.

As Perkins comes down I think of all my old schools that have disappeared.  Old architecture slowly fading away.  Thank goodness we take such good care of our 90 year old St. Sebastian.

Apparently we are a chiropractic school now.

Thanks to R. B. for sending this in.  7.5 minutes:

TUESDAY QUOTE OF THE WEEK CDLXVII

FINDING TRUTH WHEREVER IT MAY BE FOUND:  "The man who won't give up comfort for success makes a bad partner."  from Richrd Stark's, "The Jugger"

QUOTE II:  "The necessary can always be done."  same source.

IN OTHER NEWS:

Last night was Theology on the Rocks with Fr. Zerucha.  There were over 90 people who fit FAR better in this new venue.  The food was a step up from last month.

 Thanks to seminarian Joe Mannerino who provided entertainment on the piano.

 All kinds of plant improvements going on at the parish - but these make me smile a little more - a new fence in the cutting garden:

 And our flagpole was painted!

From last night's talk - Should we baptize extraterrestrials?  

TUESDAY QUOTE OF THE WEEK CDLXVI

FINDING TRUTH WHEREVER IT MAY BE FOUND:  "The Ten Commandments were meant to salvage Israel's freedom by staving off whatever could menace it.  What at first blush looks like bondage (a catalogue of duties) in fact protects freedom . . . [they] are something like a code of honor of free people, of gentlemen who are aware of 'what is not done.'"  from Remi Brague's, article, "God as a Gentleman" in First Things

IN OTHER NEWS:

Tickets on sale now!  We sold out last year - just so you know . . . 

Working on the bell tower of the school cleaning and tuck pointing:

Fr. Latkovich came to visit and make us dinner!

Mulch Day!  Everybody's favorite day!  Lots of volunteers + 80 yards of mulch + 8 acres = a long day.

Corpus Christi procession from St. Sebastian to the Julie Billiart chapel.

Bishop Barron on the Limits of Tolerance - Gosh, isn't it wonderful to have a bishop so in love with he faith and the Church and sticks his neck out so publicly so often!?

TUESDAY QUOTE OF THE WEEK CDLXV

FINDING TRUTH WHEREVER IT MAY BE FOUND:  "For this blending of men and women, nations and nations, is truly a return to the chaos and unconsciousness that were before the world was made." from G. K. Chesterton's, "What Right with the World"

IN OTHER NEWS:

L.K. sent in THIS article about "The Cardinal Who Loves Chesterton."  Thanks

This was drawn by a talented young person.  I think she did a pretty good job when compared to the original below!

P.V. sent in THIS article about the sexualization of children.

Theology on the Rocks returned and was at the Tangier

 Here are some of the people who make it all happen!  Thank you!

I guess it was announced this morning that we would be returning to the Tangier.  They are working on improving the food.  See below:

 Tickets are on sale now for the Jazz Fest:

Bishop Barron on Jordan Peterson and Sam Harris - about 8 minutes.