Sri Padmanabhaswany temple, in Thiruvananthapuram (formerly Trivandrum), the treasures of which--recently inventoried by court order--make it perhaps the richest temple in the world (c. $19-23 billion exclusive of items' antique value), is at the heart of Jake Halpern's article, "The Secret of the Temple," (abstract) in the April 30, 2012 issue of The New Yorker.
(Photo by NanYang Tours.)
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By the Episcopal calendar, my saint is Martin Luther. Good. Like many Episcopalians, I love irony.
The distinctly not-sainted Martin Luther lands on the Episcopal calendar by virtue of the Protestant elements of the church's Anglican heritage, in accordance with which all Christians together comprise the Communion of Saints; saints aren't limited to those deemed to be saints by pointy-hatted types in Rome. We have our own pointy hats, thank you. And there's no afternoon "riposo" in Canterbury! Thus, Anglicanism begets an empire upon which the sun never sets; popery begets an Italian building complex with a post office. But the wallpaper is great, I admit.
Luther was kind of a jerk. He declared, "women and maidens are all bold and coarse in their speech, in their demeanor wild and lewd." He penned Against the Murderous, Thieving Hordes of Peasants, and On the Jews and Their Lies, which had nothing to do with the falsehood that gefilte fish is good. He spent hours at a time on the crapper. This is probably because beer consumption dehydrates. He also called God a "bulwark." I don't know what that means, but it sounds pretty bad.
(Learn more here without cheek or my tongue stuck in mine.)
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Come listen gentle Christians, and you Jews and Gentiles too
And all denominations, a song I sing to you
It's all about a young man, a rebel through and through
Down among the bushes of Jerusalem
Jerusalem, Jerusalem, down among the bushes of Jerusalem
Born of honest parents and below a shining star
The word went 'round the country and they came from near and far
The royal family worried he might undermine their power
Down among the bushes of Jerusalem
They slaughtered all the children, every one that they could find
Just that they be sure that they would kill the rebel child
But somehow he deceived them, all the soldiers fierce and wild
Down among the bushes of Jerusalem
Jerusalem, Jerusalem, down among the bushes of Jerusalem
He grew into a strapping lad, and helped around the home
But voices they kept calling, and he was inclined to roam
The losers and boozers, he would count among his own
Down among the bushes of Jerusalem
As far as I can see, you see, the Pharisee did say
You know your Bible fairly well, you'll make a priest someday
But you'd better tow the line, me boy or there'll be hell to pay
Down among the bushes of Jerusalem
Jerusalem, Jerusalem, down among the bushes of Jerusalem
He met the Mary Magdalen, a lovely girl was she
O look who's comin' now, they said, the girl of no degree
I'd rather have her near to me, more than your hypocrisy
Down among the bushes of Jerusalem
He went into the churches, and he saw the shining gold
And people there were starvin' of the hunger and the cold
He talked about injustice, just be careful he was told
Down among the bushes of Jerusalem
Jerusalem, Jerusalem, down among the bushes of Jerusalem
Now if you are a rebel, and no Judas, he did say
Come burn the Roman empire down, we'll change the flag today
It's the human heart I'm changing, this young rebel he did say
Down among the bushes of Jerusalem
We're taking him to Calvary, it's easier you see
Than try and turn the other cheek, and love thine enemy
We're loyal to our own crowd, to our scribes and pharisee
Down among the bushes of Jerusalem
Jerusalem, Jerusalem, down among the bushes of Jerusalem
- "The Bushes of Jerusalem," The Irish Rovers
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THE CHURCH OF SAINT MARY THE VIRGIN (EPISCOPAL)
CHRISTMAS EVE
Choral Music & Carols 10:30 PM
O Magnum mysterium – Gabrieli (c. 1554/1557–1612)
Salve regina – Poulenc (1899–1963)
Sing lullaby – Howells (1892–1983)
Procession & Solemn Mass 11:00 PM
Sermon by the Reverend Stephen Gerth
Missa ‘Laetatus sum’ – Victoria (1548–1611)
O Magnum mysterium – Gabrieli (c. 1554/1557–1612)
Bethlehem Down – Warlock (1894–1930)
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Nine of of the 18 photos from Bonfire Night in Lewes - one of my curated digital gallerys on Flickr; click through to the gallery; once there, click the Next button to view the images.
via www.flickr.com
Scan of a print I purchased at The Tom Paine Printing Press, Lewes. Click to enlarge.
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Lord, You know better than I know myself that I am growing older and will someday be old. Keep me from the fatal habit of thinking I must say something on every subject and on every occassion. Release me from the craving to straighten out everybody's affairs. Make me thoughtful, but not moody. Helpful, but not bossy. With my vast store of wisdom, it seems a pity not to use it all, but You know, Lord, I want a few friends at the end.
Keep my mind free from the endless recital of details; give me wings to get to the point. Seal my lips on my aches and pains. They are increasing, and love of rehearsing them is becoming sweeter as the years go by. I dare not ask for grace enough to enjoy the tales of others' pains, but help me to endure them with patience.
I dare not ask for improved memory, but for a growing humility and a lessening cocksureness when my memory seems to clash with the memories of others. Teach me the glorious lesson that occassionally, I may be mistaken.
Keep me reasonably sweet. I do not want to be a saint - some of them are so hard to live with. But a sour old person is one of the crowning works of the devil. Give me the ability to see good things in unexpected places, and talents in unexpected people. And give me, Lord, the grace to tell them so.
Amen
This prayer is attributed various places online to an anonymous 17th-century author, as having been "found in an old English church," and as being called the "17th Century Nun's Prayer" or the "Old Nun's Prayer." But not one of these online attributions that I'm aware of cite a source for any one of those three claims.
But, who needs a possibly make-believe nun anyway when we've got the very real Sister Wendy Beckett?
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WHEREAS, The issue of marriage equality for same sex couples has come to the forefront recently in New York City as well as in the national consciousness; and
WHEREAS, Community Board Five has supported marriage equality for same-sex couples per a resolution passed on July 11, 2002; and
via www.cb5.org
Hmmm...Nine years ago today.
And in the same 2005 meeting as the resolution reiterating the call for marriage equality, CB5 recommended denial of a parade permit to the Ancient Order of Hibernians because of their discriminatory policies for their ("the") St. Patrick's Day parade.
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He was also among the smartest in the half-million force, scoring a perfect score on his aptitude test, a feat the Army says is rare.
Andrew was so well-liked his comrades named a combat outpost for the soldier with the infectious smile. COP Wilfahrt sits 6 kilometers from Kandahar. To his buddies, it is not named for a gay soldier, but for one who fought with valor.
"Mom, everyone knows [I'm gay]. Nobody cares," he told his mother in their final conversation, a phone call from Afghanistan on Thanksgiving.
.....
Andrew never denied his sexuality. But like so many, he struggled with what it means to be gay in America. Yet it was only one part of him. He was so much more. In the note on his laptop, he never used the words gay or homosexual to define himself. His younger sister, Martha, says it's the least interesting thing about him.
via www.cnn.com
A smart, wise younger sister. She gets it.
Also from the news profile:
Jeff's greatest regret is not hugging his son when he first told him he was gay. "This is how it is for an old fool of a man. This moment is the burden I carry."
.....
Republican Rep. John Kriesel, who lost his legs while serving in Iraq, sent Andrew's photo around the floor during debate in the Minnesota House. A few years ago, he said, he would have defined marriage as solely between heterosexuals. But his military service changed that.
"This amendment doesn't represent what I went to fight for," he told lawmakers."I cannot look at this family and look at this picture and say, 'You know what, Corporal, you were good enough to fight for your country and give your life, but you were not good enough to marry the person you love.' I can't do that."
Andrew didn't have a significant other. If he had, the partner wouldn't have been allowed to escort his body home from Dover Air Force Base, nor would he have received Andrew's $100,000 death benefit.
.....
"We will never forget him and are honored to have served with such an outstanding person," platoon leader 1st Lt. Brandon LaMar said in a letter informing the family of the naming of the outpost.
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The Order of Santiago or the Order of Saint James of Compostela was founded in the 12th century, and owes its name to the national patron of Spain, Santiago (St. James the Greater), under whose banner the Christians of Galicia and Asturias began in the 9th century to combat and drive back the Muslims of the Iberian Peninsula.
via en.wikipedia.org
On 5 July, or possibly 3 July, 1175, Pope Alexander III recognized the Order of Santiago, which followed the Augustian rule.
Wikipedia:
Today the Order of Santiago still exists under the Spanish crown. Currently there are 35 knights and 30 novices in the order. Admission to the order is determined if the applicant has noble ancestry.
Its symbol is, in heraldic terminology, cross fleury fitchy--a red cross terminating in a sword--which Velázquez is wearing in his 1656 self-portrait. (See image. More on crosses in heraldry here.)
The Portuguese branch of the order is The (Royal) Military Order of Saint James of the Sword.
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Praise for The Rap Guide to Evolution:
“…by and large, he proselytizes about evolution not by attacking its deniers, but by revealing the subject’s scope, from natural selection to the evolution of human culture and language. At the same time, he teases the audience, sends up post-modernism, mocks himself and satirizes the genre of hip-hop, all with fizzing energy and spell-binding charisma. Like I said, astonishing.” - The New York Times
“Brilliantly conceived and effervescently performed…not only is it factually correct, it’s also dazzlingly intelligent…after seeing this show, you'll never look at a hip-hop music video in the same way again!” ★★★★ - The Scotsman, Edinburgh
“One of the world’s great intelligent rappers…what Baba does is amazing - his knowledge of rap genres and styles is encyclopaedic…a flash of verbal fireworks!” ★★★★ - BroadwayBaby.com, Edinburgh
“The juxtaposition of hip-hop with Darwin is striking. By boldly making use of hip-hop in a most unusual but still provocative way, Brinkman harmoniously fuses art with evolution.” ★★★★ - Time Out Magazine, Hong Kong
“A work of genius. Never since Charles Darwin have we had a more eloquent exposition” ★★★★
Dr. Mark Pallen, author of The Rough Guide to Evolution
“With lyrics that were sometimes sly, often hilarious, and always smart and thought-provoking, Brinkman married the fast, complex, literate delivery of Eminem with the evolutionary expertise and confrontational manner of Dawkins… Anyone provided with an open mind and a hint of musical rhythm should rush out to see this show if they’re fortunate enough for it to make an appearance nearby.” - Science Magazine, Cambridge
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