In Flanders fields the poppies blow Between the crosses, row on row, That mark our place, and in the sky, The larks, still bravely singing, fly, Scarce heard amid the guns below. We are the dead; short days ago We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow, Loved and were loved, and now we lie In … Continue reading In Flanders Fields
History
“Sail On!”
Behind him lay the gray Azores, Behind, the Gates of Hercules; Before him not the ghost of shores; Before him only shoreless seas. The good mate said: “Now must we pray, For lo! the very stars are gone. Brave Adm’r’l, speak: what shall I say?” “Why say: ‘Sail on! sail on! and on!’” “My men … Continue reading “Sail On!”
Saint John Henry Newman
It's rare that we get good news from the Church these days, so cherish it when it comes! Cardinal Newman, the great English convert of the 19th century, whose return to Rome sparked something of a Catholic renaissance in that noble, yet obstinate island kingdom, is now declared a Saint. Cardinal Newman is one of … Continue reading Saint John Henry Newman
It Came From Rifftrax: ‘Flying Stewardess’
This is one of those shorts that's as fascinating as a window into the past as it is amusing. In this case, a look at air travel in the 1940s. I do not recommend watching this short just before taking a trip, as thinking of the roomy seating, tasty-looking four-course meals, and sleeper berths of … Continue reading It Came From Rifftrax: ‘Flying Stewardess’
Fun Facts
Bishop Sheen on the Three Confessions
Broadcasted 1957: Ven. Bishop Fulton Sheen traces the course of human sentiment through three great 'Confessions:' those of St. Augustine, of Abelard, and of Jean-Jacque Rousseau: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGGSxxuBtMk Money quote: "Jean-Jacque, therefore, gave birth to an entirely new concept of how to handle a conflict: namely, give way to it and call it right."
One Hundred Years Dead
"Death had to take him sleeping, for if Roosevelt had been awake, there would have been a fight." -Vice-President Thomas Marshall On January 6th, 1919, Col. Theodore Roosevelt died. It's now been one hundred years since that most colorful of American Presidents, one of the few whose lives were larger than the office he held, … Continue reading One Hundred Years Dead
Picture of the Day
Hat-tip: Church Pop John Wayne and his son, Patrick, venerate a statue of the Blessed Virgin in Cong, Ireland in 1950 during filming of The Quiet Man. For those who don't know, the great John Wayne, though far from perfect (especially regarding marital fidelity), was a devout believer his whole life, and throughout his life was … Continue reading Picture of the Day
Veni, Vidi, Deus Vicit
For September 12, recalling the charge of King Jan Sobieski of Poland that saved Vienna and Christendom from the invading Turks. Until recently, that was the high water mark of the Muslim invasion of Europe and started the liberation of eastern Europe. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75zmIj_4LFQ
Thought: Who Writes History?
Everyone knows the canard "History is written by the winners." Few people ever point that it's sheer nonsense. Are there no Confederate histories of the American Civil War? No British histories of the American Revolution? No Christian histories of the Crusades? The greatest of all historians - Thucydides - wrote from the point of view … Continue reading Thought: Who Writes History?
Serpent's Den 