I have been a model of sloth and gluttony this past week. (See previous post). I did manage to get off the couch and get some work done, which, sadly, has diverted me from my post-Christmas ritual of either going to daily Mass through Epiphany, or at least ensuring that I sit down and take time to properly consider the readings for each day. So I went back today and reviewed the readings and even cracked out my Butler's for good measure.
A quick review...12/26: St. Stephen, the first Martyr. 12/27: St John the Evangelist (excellent post on this feast at The Digital Hairshirt, btw). 12/28: the Holy Innocents...this one is always tough for me as I pray for my 8 little as-yet unmet little innocents who were not able to complete the journey with me. Which is nothing compared to all of the innocent souls who, by someone else's "choice," never even had a chance. So I pretty much just sit there in the back of the church with the waterworks in full force despite my best efforts to be invisible. Always a tough day, and aside from my inner strife, I'm sure I must look like a wacko by the time my red puffy face makes it up to receive the Eucharist...but I digress.
Anyway.
12/29: Thomas a Becket (I do love my lawyer saints and their funky-campy 60's biopics...) 12/30: The Holy Family. How amazing is each member of the Holy Family, I ask you to consider?!? I have a great poster of the Holy Family's flight to Egypt that I bought at the Vatican museum...and have yet to frame. 12/31: Sts. Sylvester, Melania, Columba -- early saints, each of whom displays a unique vocation and reminds us of the virtues of the brave early Christians...pope/survivor of Diocletian and witness of the ascendancy of Constantine, foundress/abess, virgin and martyr, respectively. And that's just December!
Remiss though I have been in keeping up my annual tradition this year, I do love these days, which are a little slower, kids are home, leftovers about done, and there's some time to reflect on these days and their import. Just sitting here clacking all this out has been cathartic -- as I type I keep thinking how much I love our Church, our history, and the countless examples of love, bravery, virtue, purity, and faith we can look to in even a cursory review of hagiology. I love our Faith!!!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
4 comments:
Um, Kit, are you confusing St. Thomas a Becket with St. Thomas More, aka Patron Saint of Lawyers, aka main character of "A Man for All Seasons?"
;-)
St. Ives is also a patron saint for lawyers as he was a noted Church canonist, but I like St. Thomas More more because he had actual paying clients that he had to deal with. I can imagine the advice: "Madame, thou doth whineth too much about thy bill - perhaps if thee did not calleth upon my office incessantly with thine questions of little relevance, it would be of little significance."
Digi -- of course I love Thomas More...however, I respectfully submit the following for your consideration: Thomas a Becket was a martyr-canon lawyer who served a different King Henry (a.k.a., The Lion in Winter, Henry II). He was best pals with Henry for years and, like More, was Henry's Chancellor, but ran afoul of him later, when (after Henry had him made Archbishop of Canterbury) Becket insisted that clerics be tried in ecclesiastical vs. civil courts (less likely to be convicted, lesser sentences, etc.), thus giving greater deference to Church authority than the King's authority. He also refused to hand the priest-murderer over to the King's authorities for a second trial after his ecclesiastical trial (i.e., no double jeopardy). He was murdered while saying Mass in his cathedral by several noblemen, at the king's behest (although they weren't supposed to do it in the church). He did indeed merit own funky 60's biopic, "Becket," starring Burton & O'Toole, as well as a play by T.S. Eliot, "Murder In the Cathedral." Also, his story is featured in the novel "Pillars of the Earth" whose author escapes me at the moment.
Lest you think I am total nerdball, I only know all of this detail because I watched "Becket" while expecting my 2nd, my "Bar baby" who I was SURE was going to be a boy due to the level of intrauterine brutality going on, and I toyed with the idea of naming [her] "Becket" just because I thought it was a cool/different yet saintly name. So I did all my name research and read up on St. Thomas a Becket back then.
Oddly enough, my birthday saint (3/23) is another lawyer...St. Turibius of Mogrovejo (Spain). Yeah. One of the High Judges of the Inquisition...which some might say is fitting for me. He made up for it by becoming a bishop of Lima, Peru, converting lots of people, setting up churches, hospitals, orphanages, etc.
There I go again.
I hear ya on Thomas More in today's practice. Ever wish you could casteth a non paying client into debtor's gaol? ;-)
Kit,
Nay, not debtor's gaol, but I sayeth unto them, "Affixeth thy name to this Substitution of Attorney, ye scoundrel, lest I fileth the Motion to Be Relieved as thine counsel of record!"
Becket would have been an AWESOME name. Patrick was born while I was at law school and I had toyed with the name Thomas, but my husband has this thing about NOT using names that people in the family already have, so since he has an Uncle Tom, that name was nixed.
Digi -
LMAOffeth!
Post a Comment