Should Auld Acquaintance Be Forgot: 2022

"Bury me on my face, because in a little while
everything will be turned upside down." - Diogenes

It happens sooner or later, usually about this time of year, when the aforementioned year must end, and another one begins anew. And so we renew the tradition of how others review the year in video form.

Tucker Carlson noticed the obvious more than anyone else, how those in power played lose with the truth. He once said that if they ignored the people they served long enough, they would end up with someone like Donald Trump. He was right, and they still didn't get it.

Inasmuch as "the business of the world is business," there was more than a share of surprises, from the crash-and-burn of cyrpto currency to the takeover of Twitter by Elon Musk, with the audacity to hope for a level playing field in the public square -- for once.

The migration of the young from Facebook to Twitter to Instagram was met with another migration, this one a bit pathetic, to TikTok. Despite concerns over its ownership by the "Red" Chinese," the prophecy of Andy Warhol was too much to resist, as everyone wanted their fifteen minutes of fame (and then some). Couldn't they at least be famous for something meaningful, or has the behavior of genuine celebrity reached the lowest common denominator?

And yet, thanks goodness there was a share of good news this past year, and not only because the fear of the coronavirus was subsiding, and everyone (well, almost everyone) could stop wearing their masks in public and visit each others' homes. The holidays took on new meaning this year.

The political scene in the United States had surprises of its own, as the expected "red wave" of Republican victories in congressional and gubernatorial elections turned out to be more of a ripple, as candidates and voters alike began to grow wary of the increasingly erratic behavior of former President Donald Trump.

It has also been a big year for technological advancement. That once-indispensible Blackberry phone finally bit the dust along with its technical support, and that old reliable 3G phone was finally going to have to succumb to an upgrade. And we can all be relieved that Microsoft finally gave up on Internet Explorer (which no one uses anymore anyway).

And we remember those who have entered into eternity, some more expected than others. Among those who might not be featured here as these videos were produced, was Barbara Walters, the first woman television journalist of note, who (whatever you may think of her) paved the way for other women in television journalism (yes, even the ones on Fox News).

And, of course, we also remember the man once known as Joseph Ratzinger, but up to now by his regnal name of Benedict XVI, having this day entered into eternity. He was a great yet humble defender of the Faith, and the man who liberated the Traditional Latin Mass, further restoring the sacred to the worship of the Western church.

So now we look to the future, and whatever it may bring. With his retirement from the regular workforce at the end of this past July, this "song and dance man" may yet have more to say in this corner of the interwebs, don't you think?

Or don't you?
.

Christmastide: Day 7 (St Sylvester)

“On the seventh day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, seven swans a-swimming ...”

If swans are your fancy, let’s hope you’re swimming in cash. They’re back with a big price tag again in the 2022 index at $13,124.93. At least it’s unchanged from last year.

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Allowing for corruptions evolving the text as described earlier, the "seven swans a-swimming" completes the first seven days being represented by birds, in honor of the seven sacraments. The song is just more than half over, and we can already see that someone obviously put a great deal of thought into it.

What do birds and sacraments have in common? We may never know, but we already know this much ...

Today is the Feast of Saint Sylvester, who was Pope from 31 January, 314, until his death on this day in 335. He was the first bishop of Rome to refer to himself as "Pope," or more specifically, "Father (Papa)." His reign would have occurred during that of Emperor Constantine, as well as the First Council of Nicea in 325, which composed the Nicene Creed proclaimed at Mass on Sunday. (Sylvester did not attend this council, but sent a delegation.) He is also one of the ten longest-reigning popes in history.

In present-day Germany, this day of New Year's Eve is known as "Silvester." Beverly Stevens of Regina Magazine tells us: "Okay, this is TRADITIONAL in Germany to play this clip on 'Sylvester' -- that is, New Year's Eve." The English comedian Freddie Frinton (1909-1968) is a butler in his famous "Dinner for One" scene, from the 1948 British short comedy "Trouble in the Air." Other countries know the day better by the saints name as well (such as "la Saint-Sylvestre" in France).

As for the year of our Lord, two thousand and twenty-two, the clock is running out. And for a year such as the one we've had, it may not be missed all that much.

Brace yourselves.

See all twelve days in progress at the "xmas12days2022-2023" label.

Christmastide: Day 6 (St Egwin of Evesham)

“On the sixth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, six geese a-laying ...”

The geese are laying down another large tab in 2022, demanding nearly 10 percent more than in 2021 - if you’d like to gift them to your True Love (up 9.1 percent, to $720.00).

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Geese were among the first birds to be domesticated. As our ancestors made the transformation from hunting and gathering to settling and farming, they found they could keep a supply of them penned up, and with sufficient breeding, to supply eggs and meat for a period of time. Thus did geese emerge as a common barnyard fowl in England.

Closer to the present, Katy Sirls is an English professor at Dixie College in St George, Utah, where she teaches English classes at Dixie College. After completing her Master of Fine Arts degree in writing, with an emphasis on fiction, she published one of her academic essays.

After several months overseas, Stacia is ecstatic to return home for Christmas. It’s been too long since she’s seen her boyfriend, Luke and she longs to be in his arms again. She even has a seductive and sexy “present” planned for their first night together.

With arrangements to celebrate the holidays with Luke’s family, Stacia soon discovers her plans are going to be quite difficult to carry out. Her first night back is spent getting to know his beloved pet geese. It seems as though their night of passion will have to wait—until, that is, she discovers Luke has plans of his own.

Stacia soon finds herself following the mysterious trail of presents Luke has left her: Christmas-wrapped goose eggs, each one with a clue that will lead her to the next ... and, ultimately, to a night she’ll never forget!

Today, neither the traditional nor reformed general Roman calendars have a mandatory commemoration of a saint. With the former, it appears only as a day within the Octave of Christmas. However, the oldest of religious orders -- the Benedictine, Carmelite, Dominican, Franciscan, to name a few -- have their own calendars of saints particular to themselves. In addition, many countries have local celebrations on their calendars, lesser-known saints with a popular local cult of devotion.

On this day, the Benedictines remember Saint Egwin of Evesham, the late 7th and early 8th century bishop of Worchester. Born of noble blood to a royal family of the English midlands, he joined the Order of Saint Benedict, and was eventually made bishop. He was known for his protection of the widowed and orphaned, which made him very popular. He was also known for his strict enforcement of the Church's justice, and of her discipline, especially (wait for it!) priestly celibacy, which made him, well, not so popular. A canonical case was made against him, for which he traveled all the way to Rome to appeal, and win.

After seeing a vision of the Blessed Mother, and at her request, he founded Evesham Abbey, one of the great Benedictine houses of the British Isles. He died in 717, and was buried at the Abbey, after which many miracles were attributed to him. (The church in England and Wales commemorates him on January 11, the date of the transfer of his relics.)

Depicted here is the bell tower of the abbey, which is all that remains following the suppression of monasteries during the Reformation.

And so it goes.

See all twelve days in progress at the "xmas12days2022-2023" label.

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POSTSCRIPT: With respect to the traditional Roman calendar, I was informed today by my learned colleague Gregory DiPippo thus: "Since Christmas fell on a Sunday this year, the Mass and Office of the Sunday within the octave of Christmas are transferred to December 30th." I'll have to remember that when it happens again in about eleven years.

Christmastide: Day 5 (St Thomas of Canterbury)

“On the fifth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, five gold rings ...”

Sharply rising commodity prices in the early part of 2022 have made for an expensive line item on True Love’s shopping list. The price of gold rings grew by nearly 40 percent in 2022, the highest increase in this year’s index (up 39.1 percent, to be exact, reaching $1,245.00).

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The fifth day's gift of gold rings (or "golden rings" in some versions) refers not to gold jewelry, but to a characteristic of the ring-necked pheasant. This becomes significant later. The day after tomorrow. Just wait, we'll get there.

But you don't have to wait for today's feast, which in the western Church is that of Saint Thomas à Becket, also known as Thomas of Canterbury, named for where he was Archbishop at the time of his death. Born around 1162, he became the confidant and High Chancellor of King Henry II of England. Then the King got the idea for Thomas, already an archdeacon, to be consecrated Archbishop of Canterbury and Primate of All England. This did not have the effect for which the King had hoped. Eventually, Thomas was embroiled in conflict with Henry over the rights and privileges of the Church and was assassinated by the King's followers in Canterbury Cathedral, on this day in 1170. He was canonized less than four years later by Pope Alexander III.

This story became the subject of a stage play, and eventually the great 1964 film, Becket, starring Richard Burton as Thomas Becket and Peter O'Toole as King Henry. It won an Academy Award for Best Screenplay, and received eleven other nominations, including Best Actor (Burton and O'Toole).

Following an extensive restoration process, the original 1964 film was made available in limited theatrical re-release in 2007. It is currently available on DVD and at Amazon Prime Video.

And the celebration of "Twelvetide" continues.

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It is a little-known fact, that today the Western church also celebrates the feast of an Old Testament figure, none other than King David. In the West, we rarely address Old Testament people as "Saint So-and-so," although it is quite common in the East. ("Saint Elias," for example, is a popular name for Eastern Catholic and Orthodox parish churches, a name otherwise rendered as "Elijah.")

See all twelve days in progress at the "xmas12days2022-2023" label.

Now We Are (Sixty) Eight

I have always said that the greatest gift that my Celia ever gave me was grandchildren.

I met them in the Philippines three years ago at Christmas. The little boy, Luic (pronounced loo-EEK, a Filipino variant of the Spanish "Luis") became ten years old last month, and is hardly a little boy anymore. He loves video games, dinosaurs, and drawing manga characters, and when he comes to America, wants to see three things; snow, Disney World, and going camping. It's gonna be fun taking him everywhere, watching him grow up.

IMAGE: Scarlett as a princess of the Igorot, an indigenous people of the mountains in northern Luzon.

Then there is his little sister Scarlett, who turns eight years old today, on the same day I turn sixty-eight. Together, they call me "Lolo" (pronounced "LOW-low," Tagalog for "Grandpa").

As is obvious to anyone who knows the family, she takes after her mother, in her younger days a professional model of national renown, gracing teen magazine covers and all that sort of thing. As such, our little one has been choosing her own wardrobe on a daily basis since before she was three, about the same time she instinctively posed as a model for photos. She is precocious, whimsical, and occasionally likes to pick on her "Kuya" (prounounced "KOO-yah," a title for the oldest brother), who is very protective towards her just the same.

We will talk on video tonight, comparing notes on who had the biggest birthday (and it won't be any contest). But why the name "Scarlett"?

In the Philippines, children are often traditionally named for the saint on or near whose feast day they are born. Today is the feast of the Holy Innocents. This may have called for improvisation by her resourceful parents.

The name "Scarlett" is reminiscent of the blood of the little infant boys, martyred on the order of King Herod in an attempt to eradicate the threat that a newborn King might pose to his rule. Having been raised to the altar of sainthood with their sacrifice, our little princess enjoys the patronage of a throng of special little angels to protect her, much as her older brother would do, at times in spite of her boldness.

At the end of the day, she is adorable, just like her mother, not to mention her grandmother. What's more, our little one certainly loves her Lolo, as can be seen in this video from New Year's Eve three years ago (at the family home in Malabon City, Metro Manila), given her fear of the sudden noise of fireworks.

Christmastide: Day 4 (Childermas/Niños Inocentes)

“On the fourth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, four calling birds ...”

If it’s consistency you’re after, the Four Calling Birds have delivered once again. They’re still expensive, just no more than they were in 2021 (at $599.96).

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Actually, they would have been referred to as "colly birds," meaning a form of blackbird. This is one of a number of lines that had become corrupted over the centuries. But enough about the song. Today is the Feast of the Holy Innocents, the infant males in Bethlehem under the age of two years, that King Herod had put to death, in the hopes of doing away with the newborn King, which he saw as a threat to his power (Matthew 2:16-18).

In this 1611 painting by Guido Reni, we see the depiction of that which fulfilled the prophecy: “A voice is heard in Ramah, mourning and great weeping, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because her children are no more.” (Jeremiah 31:15)

Some historians have debated whether the tale actually occurred, as the ancient historian Josephus fails to mention it, but the consensus of biblical scholars attest to its authenticity. An ancient tradition has placed the death toll at fourteen thousand, most likely an allusion to the many atrocities committed by Herod, including the killing of his own son. However, given that the "little town of Bethlehem" had a population of only about one thousand at the time, the estimated number of victims has been more realistically placed at around twenty.

In Spanish-speaking countries (including, uh, Spain), as well as former colonies such as the Philippines, this is traditionally a day given to playing practical jokes, much like April Fools' Day elsewhere. The pranks are known as "inocentadas" and either the pranksters or their victims are referred to as "inocentes."

I suppose it depends on which ones you ask.

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It is also a day of remembrance for yours truly, as an entry scheduled for later today will attest. Stay tuned ...

See all twelve days in progress at the "xmas12days2022-2023" label.

Christmastide: Day 3 (St John the Apostle)

“On the third day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, three French hens ...”

Feeding hungry hens is no small – or cheap – chore. You’ll pay more for the French Hens in 2022, primarily reflecting the price it costs to feed them (now up by 25.0 percent to $318.75).

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“The disciple whom Jesus loved” (“ο μαθητης ον ηγαπα ο Ιησους”) was, for a time, banished under Emperor Domition to the island of Patmos in the Aegean Sea. This was before returning to Ephesus to remain for the rest of his days. John was the only one of the Twelve to die a natural death. Tradition says he lived to be nearly one hundred years old, yet it was not for want of his enemies trying. Upon an attempt to kill John by poisoning his wine, the evil substance miraculously took the form of a serpent, as it dissipated from his cup.

Here he is in a circa 1610 painting by El Greco with a look that says:

“Dude, seriously? This is the best you can do?”

Today, families can celebrate the Feast of Saint John by drinking to the health of each other, following a German tradition known as Johannissegen. Fisheaters has a recipe for mulled wine that is customary to the occasion. Before the evening meal begins, the head of the house recites the blessing over the wine, as recorded in the Rituale Romanum:

Lord Jesus Christ, Thou didst call Thyself the vine and Thy holy Apostles the branches; and out of all those who love Thee, Thou didst desire to make a good vineyard. Bless this wine and pour into it the might of Thy benediction so that everyone who drinks or takes of it, may through the intercession of Thy beloved disciple, the holy Apostle and Evangelist John, be freed from every disease or attack of illness and obtain health of body and soul. Who livest and reignest forever. (Amen.)

He then lifts his glass toward the next person (or touches the rim of his glass to theirs), saying, “I drink you the love of Saint John.” The receiver says in response, “I thank you for the love of Saint John.” The second person turns to the third, and the process is repeated all around the table. That's the long form. The short form is where all present clink their glasses together saying, “Drink the love of Saint John.” This is especially handy for young children who cannot wait to chow down.

To each his own.

See all twelve days in progress at the "xmas12days2022-2023" label.

Christmastide: Day 2 (Boxing Day/St Stephen)

"On the second day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, two turtle doves ..."

Thanks in part to the rising cost of feed, you will be paying more for Two Turtledoves in 2022 (up 33.3 percent to $600.00).

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I always love to show this video of the á capella group Straight No Chaser singing their own unique version of "The Twelve Days of Christmas."

Today still feels a little like Christmas, only the stores are open, bustling continued consumer spending in spite of everything. I know, some people may think that's a concession to the over-commercialization of the holiday, but as we mentioned before, it's better than pretending it's anything other than Christmas.

Today is “Boxing Day” in Canada, the UK, and other nations of the present and former British Empire. Traditionally, Christmas Day was when the master of the house would give presents to his family. On the following day, he would arrange for leftovers from his great feast to be given to his domestic staff, in boxes that they could take home. Eventually, it became customary to box other gifts as well.

Whatever works.

Meanwhile, the Irish celebrate this as a national holiday, too, only as Saint Stephen's Day, honoring one of the seven deacons appointed in the Book of Acts, to assist the apostles in their ministry. He was stoned to death by the Jews -- no, not all of the Jews, just some of them, and all of those guys were Jews, alright already??? -- and so is known in the Churches of the East as the "Protomartyr," as he was the first recorded to die for the Faith. And let's not forget that "Good King Welceslas" of Bohemia went out on the feast of Stephen, when the snow lay on ground, yada yada yada ...

It is also when Irish children would go from house to house, begging pennies to bury the wren, a tiny little bird whose size and scale for burial is exaggerated for the occasion, as demonstrated in the above video of "The Cutty Wren" by Nowell Sing We Clear.

And so it goes.

See all twelve days in progress at the "xmas12days2022-2023" label.

Christmastide: Day 1 (Nativity)

“On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, a partridge in a pear tree.”

While the price of a partridge is unchanged, continued growth in the cost of its tree, due in part to higher fertilizer costs, means an overall price increase for the first gift in the 2022 index (at $280.18, or plus 25.8 percent).

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The period known as Christmastide begins with the Feast of the Nativity itself; specifically, with the evening of this first day, and into the dawn of the Feast of the Epiphany. And so the first day of Christmastide is 25-26 December, ending with Twelfth Night on 5-6 January.

By tomorrow, you will stop hearing Christmas music on some radio stations, but here at Chez Alexandre, whether here or on the road, as well as here at man with black hat, the Christmas season is just beginning. Most of us are familiar with the song "The Twelve Days of Christmas" and the significance of the symbolism therein. But for those who are not ...

Twelve Drummers Drumming refers to the twelve points of doctrine in the Apostle's Creed

Eleven Pipers Piping refers to the eleven faithful apostles

Ten Lords A-leaping refers to the ten commandments

Nine Ladies Dancing refers to the nine Fruits of the Holy Spirit

Eight Maids A-milking refers to the eight beatitudes

Seven Swans A-swimming refers to the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, and/or the seven sacraments

Six Geese A-laying refers to the six days of creation

Five Golden Rings refers to the first Five Books of the Old Testament, the "Pentateuch", which gives the history of man's fall from grace.

Four Calling Birds refers to the Four Gospels and/or the Four Evangelists.

Three French Hens refers to Faith, Hope and Charity, the Theological Virtues.

Two Turtle Doves refers to the Old and New Testaments.

One Partridge in a Pear Tree refers to Christ on Earth being crucified upon a tree.

True Love refers to God, who sent his only son to us.

[NOTA BENE: The use of this song as a "secret catechism" for children, employed by Catholics persecuted in post-Reformation England, is a matter of some dispute, as pointed out in this article from Snopes.com. Leave it to them to bring the party down, especially when they're actually wrong some of the time.]

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Now then (and this should be a treat for those of you new to us), we present the continuation of a venerable man with black hat tradition.

For thirty-nine years, PNC Bank, one of the largest financial institutions in the United States, has calculated the prices of the twelve gifts from the classic carol “The Twelve Days of Christmas.” The result is the PNC Christmas Price Index, originally the brainchild of Jim Dunigan, the former managing executive of investments with PNC Wealth Management. The result is a unique and whimsical holiday tradition that makes learning about the economy fun.

For many years, Mr Dunigan himself presented the complete rundown of the cost of the entire entourage on video. For now, you can get this year's short version from Canada's CTV "Your Morning" show -- which appears to measure the results in American dollars and not Canadian ... eh?

Even with its small basket of goods and services, the PNC Christmas Price Index is not immune to the rising costs in the broader U.S. economy, as measured by the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Consumer Price Index, at $45,523.27, or plus 10.5 percent.

In the years following his departure, Mr Dunigan's legacy presses on.

Meanwhile, from all of us at Chez Alexandre, we wish you "Maligayang Pasko at Makabagong Bagong Taon!"

You get the idea. Now, dear minions, go forth and spread joy!

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See all twelve days in progress at the "xmas12days2022-2023" label.

(The illustrations for the PNC Christmas Price Index are from the website of PNC Bank, NA, and are used here without permission or shame. It's the least they can do for charging me twenty-five bucks a month to earn interest off my damn money.)

Novena for the Christ-Mass: Day 9 (The Vigil)

Three days ago, winter officially began, the longest night of the year. In the days following in the northern hemisphere, the darkness of the world begins to give way to light, as we anticipate the coming of the Savior.

Life for the most part is returning to normal, as those inhibited by the coronavirus take to the roads and the airways again. They might have to wear masks at one time or another, or pass tests to confirm their being harmless to others, but nothing will stop them from living their lives again.

And why?

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shined.

Thou hast multiplied the nation, thou hast increased its joy; they rejoice before thee as with joy at the harvest, as men rejoice when they divide the spoil.

For the yoke of his burden, and the staff for his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, thou hast broken as on the day of Mid'ian.

For every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult and every garment rolled in blood will be burned as fuel for the fire.

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government will be upon his shoulder, and his name will be called "Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."

Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David, and over his kingdom, to establish it, and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and for evermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.

(Isaiah 9:2-7)

There are a fair number of flash mob videos on YouTube rendering the "Hallelujah Chorus" from Handel's Messiah, but the favorite of yours truly remains this one from 2010, at an unidentified food court of an equally unidentified shopping mall. *

The plans of men to the contrary are all for naught, for the LORD has come upon the earth. The epicenter of human history is played out again in the next 24 hours. No earthly force can stop that which is beyond earthly means.

And so it goes.

* I have committed most of the tenor part to memory, and would not have hesitated to join in.

Novena for the Christ-Mass: Day 8 (O Emmanuel)

Veni, Veni, Emmanuel!
    O come, o come, Emmanuel,
Captivum solve Israel!
    And ransom captive Israel,
Qui gemit in exsilio,
    That mourns in lonely exile here,
Privatus Dei Filio.
    Until the Son of God appear.

Gaude, gaude, Emmanuel
    Rejoice, rejoice, Emmanuel
Nascetur pro te, Israel.
    Shall come to thee, O Israel.

A reflection on O Emmanuel, the seventh of the Great O Antiphons, by Br Pablo Rodriguez OP, at Blackfriars Oxford (23.12.20).

Isaiah had prophesied, “The Lord himself will give you this sign: the Virgin shall be with child, and bear a son, and shall name him Emmanuel.” (7:14). “Emmanuel” means “God is with us.”

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“O Emmanuel, king and lawgiver, desire of the nations, Savior of all people, come and set us free, Lord our God.”

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(Commentary for this series of the “O Antiphons” is authored by Father William Saunders, a priest of the Diocese of Arlington, with copyright 2003 from the Arlington Catholic Herald. Images in the upper right corner are taken from the Illustrated Liturgical Year Calendar, a series of posters available by subscription from Sophia Institute Press, and featured at a marvelous internet resource entitled Liturgy of the Home, which we are fortunate to promote here once again. Both commentary and calendar illustrations are used in this series without permission or shame.)

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This entire series can be found in progress at the "xmasnovena2022” tag. (Won't be long now ...)

Novena for the Christ-Mass: Day 7 (O Rex Gentium)

Veni, Veni, Rex gentium,
    O come, Desire of nations, bind,
veni, Redemptor omnium,
    In one the hearts of all mankind;
Ut salvas tuos famulos
    Bid Thou our sad divisions cease,
Peccati sibi conscios.
    And be Thyself our King of peace.

Gaude, gaude, Emmanuel
    Rejoice, rejoice, Emmanuel
Nascetur pro te, Israel.
    Shall come to thee, O Israel.

A reflection on O Rex Gentium, the sixth of the Great O Antiphons, by Br Daniel Rowlands OP, at Blackfriars Oxford (22.12.20).

Isaiah had prophesied, “For a child is born to us, a son is given us; upon his shoulder dominion rests. They name him Wonder-Counselor, God-Hero, Father-Forever, Prince of Peace.” (9:5), and “He shall judge between the nations, and impose terms on many peoples. They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; one nation shall not raise the sword against another, nor shall they train for war again.” (2:4)

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“O King of all the nations, the only joy of every human heart; O Keystone of the mighty arch of man, come and save the creature you fashioned from the dust.”

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(Commentary for this series of the “O Antiphons” is authored by Father William Saunders, a priest of the Diocese of Arlington, with copyright 2003 from the Arlington Catholic Herald. Images in the upper right corner are taken from the Illustrated Liturgical Year Calendar, a series of posters available by subscription from Sophia Institute Press, and featured at a marvelous internet resource entitled Liturgy of the Home, which we are fortunate to promote here once again. Both commentary and calendar illustrations are used in this series without permission or shame.)

Z

This entire series can be found in progress at the "xmasnovena2022” tag.

Novena for the Christ-Mass: Day 6 (O Oriens)

Veni, Veni, O Oriens!
    O come, Thou Dayspring,
        come and cheer,
Solare nos adveniens,
    Our spirits by Thine advent here;
Noctis depelle nebulas,
    Disperse the gloomy clouds of night,
Dirasque noctis tenebras.
    And death's dark shadows
        put to flight.

Gaude, gaude, Emmanuel
    Rejoice, rejoice, Emmanuel
Nascetur pro te, Israel.
    Shall come to thee, O Israel.

A reflection on O Oriens, the fifth of the Great O Antiphons, by Br Vincent Anthony Loning OP, at Blackfriars Oxford (21.12.20).

Isaiah had prophesied, “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom a light has shown.” (9:1).

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“O Radiant Dawn, splendor of eternal light, sun of justice: come, shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death.”

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(Commentary for this series of the “O Antiphons” is authored by Father William Saunders, a priest of the Diocese of Arlington, with copyright 2003 from the Arlington Catholic Herald. Images in the upper right corner are taken from the Illustrated Liturgical Year Calendar, a series of posters available by subscription from Sophia Institute Press, and featured at a marvelous internet resource entitled Liturgy of the Home, which we are fortunate to promote here once again. Both commentary and calendar illustrations are used in this series without permission or shame.)

Z

This entire series can be found in progress at the "xmasnovena2022” tag.

Novena for the Christ-Mass: Day 5 (O Clavis David)

Veni, Clavis Davidica,
    O come, thou Key of David, come,
Regna reclude caelica,
    And open wide our heavenly home;
Fac iter tutum superum,
    Make safe the way that leads on high,
Et claude vias inferum.
    And close the path to misery.

Gaude, gaude, Emmanuel
    Rejoice, rejoice, Emmanuel
Nascetur pro te, Israel.
    Shall come to thee, O Israel.

A reflection on O Clavis David, the fourth of the Great O Antiphons, by Br Bede Mullens OP, at Blackfriars Oxford (20.12.20).

Isaiah had prophesied, “I will place the Key of the House of David on His shoulder; when he opens, no one will shut, when he shuts, no one will open.” (22:22), and “His dominion is vast and forever peaceful, from David’s throne, and over His kingdom, which he confirms and sustains by judgment and justice, both now and forever.” (9:6).

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“O Key of David, O royal Power of Israel controlling at your will the gate of Heaven: Come, break down the prison walls of death for those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death; and lead your captive people into freedom.”

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(Commentary for this series of the “O Antiphons” is authored by Father William Saunders, a priest of the Diocese of Arlington, with copyright 2003 from the Arlington Catholic Herald. Images in the upper right corner are taken from the Illustrated Liturgical Year Calendar, a series of posters available by subscription from Sophia Institute Press, and featured at a marvelous internet resource entitled Liturgy of the Home, which we are fortunate to promote here once again. Both commentary and calendar illustrations are used in this series without permission or shame.)

Z

This entire series can be found in progress at the "xmasnovena2022” tag.

Novena for the Christ-Mass: Day 4 (O Radix Jesse)

Veni, O Jesse virgula,
    O come, thou Rod of Jesse's stem,
Ex hostis tuos ungula,
    From every foe deliver them.
De specu tuos tartari
    That trust thy mighty power to save,
Educ et antro barathri.
    And give them vict'ry o'er the grave.

Gaude, gaude, Emmanuel
    Rejoice, rejoice, Emmanuel
Nascetur pro te, Israel.
    Shall come to thee, O Israel.

A reflection on O Radix Jesse, the third of the Great O Antiphons, by Br John Church OP, at Blackfriars Oxford (19.12.20).

Isaiah had prophesied, “But a shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse, and from his roots a bud shall blossom.” (11:1), and “On that day, the root of Jesse, set up as a signal for the nations, the Gentiles shall seek out, for his dwelling shall be glorious.” (11:10). Remember also that Jesse was the father of King David, and Micah had prophesied that the Messiah would be of the house and lineage of David and be born in David’s city, Bethlehem (Micah 5:1).

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“O Flower of Jesse’s stem, you have been raised up as a sign for all peoples; kings stand silent in your presence; the nations bow down in worship before you. Come, let nothing keep you from coming to our aid.”

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(Commentary for this series of the “O Antiphons” is authored by Father William Saunders, a priest of the Diocese of Arlington, with copyright 2003 from the Arlington Catholic Herald. Images in the upper right corner are taken from the Illustrated Liturgical Year Calendar, a series of posters available by subscription from Sophia Institute Press, and featured at a marvelous internet resource entitled Liturgy of the Home, which we are fortunate to promote here once again. Both commentary and calendar illustrations are used in this series without permission or shame.)

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This entire series can be found in progress at the "xmasnovena2022” tag.

Keeping the “Ch” in “Chanukkah” 2022

Today at sundown marks the beginning of the Jewish Festival of Lights, known as Chanukkah (also rendered as Hanukkah, and as חנוכה), which commemorates the re-dedication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem, following the Maccabean Revolt of the 2nd century BC. It is observed for eight nights, as a reminder of the miracle of one night's supply of oil for the lamps lasting for eight, until a fresh supply could be obtained.

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It was over twenty years ago, that the communications director of my agency at the time was a devout Jewish woman, who invited all the staff to her house in the country for a holiday celebration. A highlight of the affair was her presentation with her grandchildren, as she told them of the story of Chanukkah. As the rest of us Gentiles watched, she would lead the children in the Hebrew chant for the occasion: “Blessed art Thou, Lord our God, King of the Universe, Who sanctified us by His commandments, and has commanded us to kindle the lights of Chanukkah ...” While others stood around watching in varying degrees of perplexity, I found myself singing with the children ... well, maybe sort of following along.

I turned to my son, then in his early teens, and who was raised a Greek Catholic: "Does this sound familiar, like what you hear in the Divine Liturgy?" He nodded somewhat tentatively, as I continued. "This is where we get the Byzantine chant, and the Gregorian chant. It came to us from the Jews." His eyes lit up, as he said "Ahhhh ..."

He totally got it.

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A comedian named Adam Sandler first introduced his own holiday classic on NBC's Saturday Night Live. The song gives a list of famous celebrities from various walks of life who are Jewish: “Put on your yarmulke, here comes Hanukkah / It's so much funukkah, to celebrate Hanukkah / Hanukkah is the Festival of Lights / Instead of one day of presents, we get eight crazy nights!”

There's more where that came from.

This is an original work by Matisyahu. “Miracle” is produced by Dr Luke protégé Kool Kojak (Flo Rida, Katy Perry, Ke$ha), and is drenched in a joyful spirit, with chiming synths, bouncing beats, and an irresistible chorus. And ice skating. (A totally awesome a cappella rendition can be found here.)

There are so many Christmas songs out there. I wanted to give the Jewish kids something to be proud of. We've got Adam Sandler's song, which is hilarious, but I wanted to try to get across some of the depth and spirituality inherent in the holiday in a fun, celebratory song. My boy Kojak was in town so at the last minute we went into the studio in the spirit of miracles and underdogs and this is what we came up with. Happy Hannukah!

Matisyahu can be found on Facebook, and followed on Twitter.

On a more serious note, Charlie Harare explains the origins of Chanukkah, and its meaning in daily life from a Jewish point of view, which is only reasonable as this is a Jewish holiday. This begs the question ...

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What is there for a Catholic in this message, and why does yours truly share it every year at this time?

As a Catholic, one believes that while the Jewish people were chosen by God under the Old Covenant, that from among their number would come as the Messiah, “He came to his own home, and his own people received him not.” (John 1:11) From this, a subset of traditionalist Catholics claim that Judaism is a "false religion." They will cite the distinction between the Hebraic Judaism of the Old Testament, and the Talmudic Judaism introduced after the destruction of the Temple, accompanied by the loss of their priesthood and the practice of offering sacrifice. Some will even maintain that those who claim to be Jewish are not descendants of the original Jews up to the time of Christ.

If that were not enough, one such individual claims that Chanukkah is a hoax, a fabricated story, when in fact the account of the Maccabean Revolt is found in the First and Second Books of Maccabees. The Jews do not include these books in the Tanakh, or Jewish bible, nor are they found among the books of the Protestant Old Testament, but they are considered to be of divine inspiration by both Catholic and Orthodox Christians. One might even say, by extension, that it was the Catholic Church that saved Chanukkah for the Jews.

In fact, someone actually did say.

Jews know the fuller history of the holiday because Christians preserved the books that the Jews themselves lost. In a further twist, Jews in the Middle Ages encountered the story of the martyred mother and her seven sons anew in Christian literature and once again placed it in the time of the Maccabees.

It gets better.

As John tells us (John 10:22-23), “It was the feast of the Dedication at Jerusalem; it was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the portico of Solomon.” As we’ve seen, before Hanukkah became known as the Festival of Lights, it was known as the Feast of Dedication (1 Macc. 4:59). So there would be no question that this is the holiday being celebrated, even if John hadn’t added the clue that it was winter. And indeed, the NIV and other Protestant Bible translations acknowledge as much.

So not only is there is a case for the authenticity of the story, but more important, for the manner in which it is commemorated.

As Judaism is a sign of the Old Covenant, and Christ brought it to fulfillment in the New Covenant, to be a Catholic is to be, in effect, a fulfilled Jew. We therefore cannot rule out the possibility of something to be learned here. Judaism is not a false religion; it is an unfulfilled religion. It was -- indeed, it IS -- fulfilled in the coming of the Messiah, the Christ. As for the distinction between Hebraic and Talmudic Judaism, this only reinforces that point, as by rejecting the True Messiah, the proverbial vacuum that nature would abhor was filled by something else.

If you as a Catholic don't get that after watching this video, I can't explain it to you.
 

Novena for the Christ-Mass: Day 3 (O Adonai)

Veni, Veni, Adonai!
    O come, O come, thou Lord of might,
Qui populo in Sinai
    Who to Thy tribes on Sinai's height
Legem dedisti vertice,
    In ancient times didst give the law
In Majestate gloriae.
    In cloud and majesty, and awe.

Gaude, gaude, Emmanuel
    Rejoice, rejoice, Emmanuel
Nascetur pro te, Israel.
    Shall come to thee, O Israel.

A reflection on O Adonai, the second of the Great O Antiphons, by Br Thomas-Therese Mannion OP, at Blackfriars Oxford (18.12.20).

Isaiah had prophesied, “But He shall judge the poor with justice, and decide aright for the land’s afflicted. He shall strike the ruthless with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall slay the wicked. Justice shall be the band around his waist, and faithfulness a belt upon his hips.” (11:4-5); and “Indeed the Lord will be there with us, majestic; yes the Lord our judge, the Lord our lawgiver, the Lord our king, he it is who will save us.” (33:22).

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“O sacred Lord of ancient Israel, who showed yourself to Moses in the burning bush, who gave him the holy law on Sinai mountain: come, stretch out your mighty hand to set us free.”

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(Commentary for this series of the “O Antiphons” is authored by Father William Saunders, a priest of the Diocese of Arlington, with copyright 2003 from the Arlington Catholic Herald. Images in the upper right corner are taken from the Illustrated Liturgical Year Calendar, a series of posters available by subscription from Sophia Institute Press, and featured at a marvelous internet resource entitled Liturgy of the Home, which we are fortunate to promote here once again. Both commentary and calendar illustrations are used in this series without permission or shame.)

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This entire series can be found in progress at the "xmasnovena2022” tag.

Advent IV: Love

Reading
1 Corinthians 4:1-2

Brethren: Let a man so account of us as of the ministers of Christ and the dispensers of the mysteries of God. Here now it is required among the dispensers that a man be found faithful.

R. Thanks be to God.

Oration

V. O Lord, hear our prayer.
R. And let our cry come unto Thee.
V. Let us pray ...

O Lord, we beseech Thee, stir up Thy power, and come, and with great might succor us: that by the help of Thy grace that which is hindered by our sins may be hastened by Thy merciful forgiveness: Who livest and reignest, with God the Father, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, world without end.

R. Amen.

Novena for the Christ-Mass: Day 2 (O Sapientia)

Veni, O Sapientia,
    O come, O Wisdom from on high,
Quae hic disponis omnia,
    who orders all things mightily,
Veni, viam prudentiae
    to us the path of knowledge show,
Ut doceas et gloriae.
    and teach us in her ways to go.

Gaude, gaude, Emmanuel
    Rejoice, rejoice, Emmanuel
Nascetur pro te, Israel.
    Shall come to thee, O Israel.

A reflection on O Sapientia, the first of the Great O Antiphons, by Br Albert Robertson OP, at Blackfriars Oxford (17.12.20).

Isaiah had prophesied, “The spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him: a spirit of wisdom and of understanding, a spirit of counsel and of strength, a spirit of knowledge and fear of the Lord, and his delight shall be the fear of the Lord.” (11:2-3), and “Wonderful is His counsel and great is His wisdom.” (28:29).

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“O Wisdom, O holy Word of God, you govern all creation with your strong yet tender care. Come and show your people the way to salvation.”

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(Commentary for this series of the “O Antiphons” is authored by Father William Saunders, a priest of the Diocese of Arlington, with copyright 2003 from the Arlington Catholic Herald. Images in the upper right corner are taken from the Illustrated Liturgical Year Calendar, a series of posters available by subscription from Sophia Institute Press, and featured at a marvelous internet resource entitled Liturgy of the Home, which we are fortunate to promote here once again. Both commentary and calendar illustrations are used in this series without permission or shame.)

Z

This entire series can be found in progress at the "xmasnovena2022” tag.

Novena for the Christ-Mass: Day 1

VIDEO: The art of making a parol is demonstrated on Filipino-American television based in California (in Tagalog, mostly). A brief documentary follows beginning at 01:38 (in English, mostly).

In a nation where eighty percent of the population is Catholic, Christmas starts early. It has to. After all, you cannot have a feast like Christmas without it being preceded by a novena. That's when you get up to attend Mass just before dawn for nine days before the big day. In the Philippines, it is known as “Simbang Gabi” which is Tagalog for “evening Mass.” It is also known as “Misa de Gallo” which is Spanish for “Rooster’s Mass.”

So why is this series of Masses held in the morning and not the evening, as is customary with Masses for a Christmas novena?

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The answer can be traced to the early colonial days, when the people would be exhausted from working in the fields all day for their Spanish overlords. The priests and friars who tended to their spiritual needs availed themselves of the people's desire to start the day early, ahead of the tropical heat, and moved the customary Mass and devotion to the early morning, before dawn. And so, it is with a sense of irony that the Archdiocese of Manila saw fit in recent years, to introduce liturgical norms for the novena, in the form of celebrating Simbang Gabi in the evenings. At first this was due to the limitations imposed by curfews during the years of martial law under President Marcos. More recently, it has accommodated office professionals who can more easily attend after work than before.

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The popular decoration for Christmas in the Philippines is the “parol” (pronounced “pah-ROLL” with a rolling "r", from the Spanish word for lantern, "farol"), which is as common there as the Christmas tree is here in the States. This star-shaped motif is a cross between a Chinese lantern and the Mexican piñata. It is lit from within; traditionally with candlelights mounted inside, but in the last century with electric lights. They are typically two to three feet wide, but if you go to such renowned events as the Fiesta in San Fernando, Pampanga (north of Metro Manila), there is a huge parade to celebrate the beginning -- no, not of Christmas Day, but of the novena!

Traditional parols are made with bamboo sticks and rice paper. The Bayanihan Community Center provides instructions for making your own. You can find what you need at an arts and crafts store. You could have it done over this coming weekend.

Closer to home, at Chez Alexandre, there is a very colorful parol gracing the front door, one that Celia brought back from the Philippines. It is of the modern variety, made with wire and a type of seashell known as capiz, and illuminated with elaborate flashing lights.

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Now, back to that novena thing.

We here at man with black hat have an annual tradition of honoring the “O Antiphons” the seven chants which introduce the Vesperal Canticle (the “Magnificat”) in the Divine Office. Most people hear paraphrases of them in the hymn "O Come O Come Emmanuel," but they were originally chanted one verse a day, ending with the day before the Vigil. Over time, our annual feature has evolved into its present form, as a comprehensive aid to daily devotion. The video clips for this unique series are from reflections given by the Dominicans of the Oxford Blackfriars.



As an added bonus, we will provide links for each Antiphon to Father John Zuhlsdorf's famous commentaries on the same (without permission or shame; nah, he doesn't care), the link for which will be indicated by the letter “Z” at the bottom of each entry.

They will publish at seven in the morning, eastern USA time, beginning tomorrow. Stay tuned.

Lussinatt: The Vigil of Saint Lucy

There are a number of saints who are commemorated in December (other than Saint Nicholas). Whether by the accident of tradition, or by design, some of them have been awarded with a connection to the Christmastide celebration -- keeping in mind that this happens during the allegedly sackcloth-and-ashes season known as Advent.

Saint Lucy (283–304) received the crown of martyrdom during the Diocletian persecution. She is one of seven women aside from the Virgin Mary who appears in the Roman Canon. Her name is from the Latin word for "light," and she is remembered on the 13th day of December, the night before which was the longest of the year in the unreformed Julian calendar. As a result, various Germanic pagan feasts associated with the passing of darkness into light were appropriated by Christendom, and sanctified by this commemoration.

Natten går tunga fjät
    Night walks with a heavy step
rund gård och stuva;
    Round yard and hearth,
kring jord, som sol förlät,
    As the sun departs from earth,
skuggorna ruva.
    Shadows are brooding.
Då i vårt mörka hus,
    There in our dark house,
stiger med tända ljus,
    Walking with lit candles,
Sankta Lucia, Sankta Lucia!
    Santa Lucia, Santa Lucia!
Då i vårt mörka hus,
    There in our dark house,
stiger med tända ljus,
    Walking with lit candles,
Sankta Lucia, Sankta Lucia!
    Santa Lucia, Santa Lucia!

Saint Lucy is one of the few saints honored in the Lutheran tradition, and the eve of her feast is celebrated throughout Scandanavia, with a procession of young maids bearing candles, led by a chosen one with a lighted wreath on her head (as shown in the first video). The carol Santa Lucia, sung by the girls in procession, was an old Neapolitan melody of the same name. The lyrics in Italian are the song of the boatmen of the waterfront district in Naples. The various Nordic languages (Swedish is featured here) sing of the light that overcomes the darkness.

The second video elaborates. The third video is "the full monty," for when you have a half hour to kill.

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FOOTNOTE: In a few days, we begin the prayers and songs and stories of the Novena for the Christ-Mass, and continue after the solemnity with the commemoration of the Twelve Days, culminating in the Visit of the Three Kings, and the blessing of the doors to your homes. Please join us as we remember the fast, and celebrate the feast, as we all proclaim as one: "GOD IS WITH US, EMMANUEL!"
 

Guadalupe

I am generally not partial to images of the Blessed Mother without her visibly holding the Christ Child. This has long struck me as edging toward a sort of Catholic goddess-worship -- Mariolatry, if you will.

(NOTE: The aforementioned is a personal opinion, not to be construed as having been rendered with the certainty of the theological virtue of faith. Remain calm!)

But I make one exception, and that's the image used to commemorate today's Feast, that of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Patroness of the Americas.

Contrary to what some dime-store theologian disguised as a pastoral associate ever told your children in Catholic school, the customs of the indigenous peoples in Central and South America were not suppressed by their Catholic conquerors. Indeed, the natives were all too happy to have been relieved of being victims of human sacrifices, where their hearts were cut out while they were still alive, so much so as to have participated in what may have been the largest single mass conversion in Christendom.

Furthermore, and on a lighter note, when Juan Diego opened his cloak for the bishop, and the venerable image appeared, the roses hidden in the cloak came falling out. But that's not the whole story of the miracle. Years earlier, seeing that Cortez's successors were not nearly as benevolent as he, the bishop found himself powerless to enact reforms, and appealed to Our Lady for a sign of her intercession, in the form of roses from his Spanish home province of Castile. And so, the bishop recognized the roses as a breed only found in ... you guessed it, he got the message.

Mind you, this was in the days before overnight delivery.

The Chieftains and Los Lobos perform "Guadalupe" at the Olympia Theatre, Dublin, Ireland.

A few years ago, an American publisher of liturgical aids featured a tribute to this vision, starting out with some drivel about the Spaniards and their suppression of the venerable Aztec folkways.* Several years ago, Father William Saunders gave a fuller account of the real deal in the Arlington Catholic Herald. I don't have the link, or the date of the piece, but I managed to preserve a few extracts:

The Aztec religious practices, which included human sacrifice, play an interesting and integral role in this story. Every major Aztec city had a temple pyramid, about 100 feet high, on top of which was erected an altar. Upon this altar, the Aztec priests offered human sacrifice to their god Huitzilopochtli, called the "Lover of Hearts and Drinker of Blood," by cutting out the beating hearts of their victims, usually adult men but often children. The priests held the beating hearts high for all to see, drank the blood, kicked the lifeless bodies down the pyramid stairs, and later severed the limbs and ate the flesh. Considering that the Aztecs controlled 371 towns and the law required 1,000 human sacrifices for each town with a temple pyramid, over 50,000 human beings were sacrificed each year. Moreover, the early Mexican historian Ixtlilxochitl estimated that one out of every five children fell victim to this bloodthirsty religion.

In 1487, when Juan Diego was just 13 years old, he would have witnessed the most horrible event: Tlacaellel, the 89-year-old Aztec ruler, dedicated the new temple pyramid of the sun, dedicated to the two chief gods of the Aztec pantheon — Huitzilopochtli and Tezcatlipoca, (the god of hell and darkness) — in the center of Tenochtitlan (later Mexico City). The temple pyramid was 100 feet high with 114 steps to reach the top. More than 80,000 men were sacrificed over a period of four days and four nights. One can only imagine the flow of blood and the piles of bodies from this dedication ...

Nevertheless, in 1520, Hernan Cortes outlawed human sacrifice ...

When you look at it that way, giving up meat on Fridays doesn't seem so bad. Even so, the aforementioned process only took about fifteen seconds for each victim -- less time than your average abortion. (If you have to think about the connection, I can't help you.)

And then there are those feminist-theology types who try to see a "goddess" image in the Virgin Mary. They're outa luck there too:

These are also symbols of divine victory over the pagan religion. Sun rays were symbolic of the Aztec god Huitzilopochtle. Therefore, our Blessed Mother, standing before the rays, shows that she proclaims the true God who is greater than Huitzilopochtle and who eclipses his power.

She stands also on the moon. The moon represented night and darkness, and was associated with the god Tezcatlipoca. Here again, the Blessed Mother’s standing on the moon indicates divine triumph over evil.

Note also, that in her dominance over false idols, Our Lady stands in a submissive posture, with head bowed and hands folded, as if to render tribute to an even Higher Power.

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FOOTNOTE: That commercial opportunists from Spain might have taken undue advantage of a massive cheap labor pool is not in dispute here. Nor is it unique to human history, never mind to Europeans. What it is, rather, is another story for another day ...