Five Minute Friday, October 28th

 Morning is Broken

Sunrise from my balcony at about 9 a.m.

Word Prompt this Friday: Morning

Funny that this should be the topic for Five-Minute Friday this week. It so happens that Dan and I were just talking about sunrises. See, I recently moved up from a shaded downstairs room to my own little studio on the sunrise side of the third floor of our son's "Gast Haus" in southeastern Germany (Thank-you, guys! I love it!), and I had been bragging on the sunlight up here. Dan had cause to ask, given some of the beautiful places we've gotten to live, which sunrises I liked best: the beautiful Bavarian ones over Reit im Winkl (where I am now); the grand, Rocky Mountain ones near the San Juans in Western Colorado (where we lived some years ago); or the gentle little sunrises over our rolling hills and gardens at home in Iowa right now. My answer? I didn't even have to think about it! My hands-down favorite is the sunrise from my balcony here in Germany right now. Why, you ask? Not because it's more beautiful or more meaningful, but because the Gast Haus is so close to the foothills, the sun doesn't come up over the trees until about 9:00! 😊The first time I can honestly say I've truly enjoyed sunrises! No bleary-eyed cranky impression of the sun rising here!

And there you have it. I'm not ashamed to say it: I am not a morning person. I chiefly get up for the coffee. I have to wait for the caffeine to start lubricating my brain in order to have enough function do decide if there's anything else worth having gotten up for. There's usually something, just in spite of the early hour, not because of it. Don't get me wrong, though; I do go through the motions: I'm a slug, but I get the morning things done. Sluggishly, but done. After prayers and my first cuppa and a quick scan of the news and mail, I get dressed, regardless of whether I'm going anywhere or not, I usually put on a little make-up and comb my hair. Unless I'm sick or the world is coming to an end, I make my bed and tidy things a bit. Don't be impressed by this -- these are all things that require no thought. There's no twittering around like a happy morning bird while I go about these chores. In fact, you really might want to just smile and wave when I pass. Or bring me coffee. (Ask my kids; big brownie points for this!)

On the flip side, I have to admit that I'm not a night person, either. You know those night owls who "wake up" around dinner time and then buzz around until the wee hours of the morning? Not me. Along about sundown, I'm thinking about bedtime. Not necessarily to go sleep, but to put up my sore feet (from hiking everywhere here in Germany, like they do, God bless 'em!). My usual plan is to read a book at this time. (Last night, though, I watched Hold that Ghost on my phone!) Regardless, I don't usually fall asleep before about 11 p.m or midnight. As you can see, I'm useless for anything meaningful after about 8 p.m., too, so everything that requires a brain and adrenals has to be accomplished between the hours of roughly 9 a.m. and 8 p.m., Iowa Standard Time -- which span of hours, in this part of the world, falls between 4 in the afternoon and 3 a.m. So, you can see, the overlapping conscious hours for Lisa fall between 4 p.m. and 9 p.m., German time. If you want brownie points for this end of the day, brink me a nice Cabernet. I'm an equal opportunity rewarder for both early bird and night owl brown nosers. (No, really. I would love one. Anybody out there in this zipcode...)

And, so, here we are. What time is it? I have to keep an eye out, since this exercise is supposed to take me just five minutes. At this word, it is 6:20 p.m. in Reit im Winkl and I started writing at 6:16 -- but by the time I find some fun pictures  and get this posted, it'll still be only around noon at home in the Midwest. If y'all didn't know better, you'd think I was tapping this out, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, like a morning person, wouldn't you? But, HA!  Nope. More like a mostly awake, but getting a little sleepy -- after dinner loiterer. Wishing someone would bring me that glassa.

Here's a thought, though: When I get back home to Iowa in December, my morning wake-up call (usually between 7 and 8 a.m.) will actually be between 2 and 3 p.m., body-time. 😮 Right? So much easier, jetlag-wise, going in that direction! Just might set me up to get those morning chores done bright-eyed and bushy-tailed! (😬 Or not.)

(For the record, ran over on the time -- by the time I went back and edited my typos -- and then a few more minutes to add memes and the photo! So, hmmm... I'm far from melancholic about this, just so y'all know!)

Run over to Five-minute Friday, Christian Writers Blog, to get in on the fun! 

On the Feasts of Saints Simon and Jude

 

From The Liturgical Year (by Abbot Gueranger O.S.B)

Today the Church celebrates the feast of Sts. Simon and Jude whose names occur together in the Canon of the Mass and are also celebrated on the same day. Possibly this is because they both preached the Gospel in Mesopotamia and Persia where it is said they had both been sent, but in actual fact we know nothing for certain about them beyond what is told us of their being called as Apostles in the New Testament. St. Jude is the author of a short Epistle which forms part of the New Testament.

Sts. Simon and Jude
However meagre in details is the history of these glorious apostles, we learn from their brief legend how amply they contributed to this great work of generating sons of God. Without any repose, and even to the shedding of their blood, they "edified the body of Christ"; and the grateful Church thus prays to our Lord today: "O God, through the work of the apostles you have spoken your Word of love, your Son, into our world's deafness. Open our ears to hear; open our hearts to heed; open our will to obey, that we may proclaim the good news with our lives."

St. Simon is represented in art with a saw, the instrument of his martyrdom. St. Jude's square points him out as an architect of the house of God. St. Paul called himself by this name; and St. Jude, by his Catholic Epistle, has also a special right to be reckoned among our Lord's principal workmen. But our apostle had another nobility, far surpassing all earthly titles: being nephew, by his father Cleophas or Alpheus, to St. Joseph, and legal cousin to the Man-God, Jude was one of those called by their compatriots the brethren of the carpenter's Son. We may gather from St. John's Gospel another precious detail concerning him. In the admirable discourse at the close of the last Supper, our Lord said: "He that loveth Me, shall be loved of My Father: and I will love him and will manifest Myself to him." Then Jude asked Him: "Lord, how is it, that Thou wilt manifest Thyself to us, and not to the world?" And he received from Jesus this reply: "If any one love Me, he will keep My word, and My Father will love him, and We will come to him, and will make Our abode with him. He that loveth Me not keepeth not My word. And the word which you have heard is not Mine, but the Father's who sent Me."

The churches of St. Peter in Rome and Saint-Sernin at Toulouse dispute the honor of possessing the greater part of their holy remains.

St. Jude

Patron: Desperate situations; forgotten causes; hospital workers; hospitals; impossible causes; lost causes; diocese of Saint Petersburg, Florida.

Symbols: Bearded man holding an oar, a boat, boat hook, a club, an axe or a book; nearly every image depicts him wearing a medallion with a profile of Jesus, and usually with a small flame above his head; often carries a pen or sits at a writing location to make reference to the canonical Epistle; sailboat; inverted cross; square; halbert; club; loaves and fish; long cross; knotted club; boat hook; fuller's bat; lance; saw; flail; closed book; shield: red with sailboat with a cross on the mast.

St. Simon
Patron: Curriers; sawmen; sawyers; tanners.

Symbols: Boat; fish; man being sawn in two longitudinally; fish and book; oar; saw; two fishes; lance; fuller's bat; axe; cross; saw and oar saltire; fish on a boat hood; sword; shield: red background with two oars and a hatchet.

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

Some Ideas for Honoring the Day With the Children

+  Recipes for Apostle Cookies can be found here, at Catholic Culture.

+  The charming and talented City Wife at City Wife, Country Life, shares a coloring page for St. Jude here.  Coloring pages for St. Simon, however, are basically impossible to find. (Hmmm...  Maybe I should appeal to St. Jude for one??)    It is possible, however to use one of the two above black and white prints of both saints, for the children to color and craft into bookmarks or use as illustrations on copy pages. (Unfortunately they'll pixilate something awful if you enlarge them.)  It's also possible to take the colorful icon above and print it out in black and white for the children to tint.  I do this often, using a lighter shade on the grey scale on my copier.

+  Remembering the piety and zeal of  Saints Jude and Simon, and their service and love for Christ and His Church -- to the sacrifice of their lives in imitation of Our Lord: Discuss what service to Christ means in the children's station in life.  How can they serve others in love of Jesus?  Theirs is not likely a calling to martyrdom, but how can they make small sacrifices for the happiness and "smooth-running" of their own worlds?  Can they give specific examples of how they can help in the home or at school?  Can they remember to serve without complaint as the apostles did?  Can they work together toward a common good as Simon and Jude did?

+ St. Jude is well-known as the "saint of impossible causes."  What would the children consider an "impossible cause?"  Can they determine the difference between a worthy petition for a difficult situation  and a "pie-in-the-sky" request for something frivolous (i.e: the curing of a terminal cancer patient vs. a trip to Disneyland for a family that is financially strapped)?   Are there times when St. Jude's intercession would result in a "no" answer from Our Heavenly Father?  Why would this sometimes be the case?  Do we always know?  But does God know best?  Together, make a list of impossible -- or difficult -- causes that are worthy to place at the feet of St. Jude today.

My personal prayer:  Saints Jude and Simon, please intercede to save our world from the slippery slope it's sliding down, mentally, physically, economically, but mostly spiritually.  Guide our country -- and our world -- back to habits of morality, integrity, and Faith, but whatever the future holds for us, if a miraculous worldwide conversion is not God's Will, impress upon our individual hearts the courage and fidelity to Truth and the love of Christ that gave you the strength to persevere, even to martyrdom. Amen.

*Repost from 2014

No Nazgul

You know that scene in The Fellowship of the Ring when Sam stops in the middle of a cornfield and makes note of the fact that they are getting ready to pass the farthest spot he's ever been from home? Well, I'm on that spot today -- not in distance, so much (I've been here before), but in time.

In 34 years of marriage, I have never been away from my husband for longer than two weeks. 😳 And here, passing the two week mark, I miss him like crazy! (XOXO, Dan!!)

At least I'm not headed toward Mordor or being chased by Nazgul...

I don't think. (Looking over shoulder.) These days, you never know.

In good company with this little Hobbit,
Sophia, and her Momma and Daddy and
au pair, Erynne, regardless, so it's all good!

Getting the Geography Straight

 Most Americans are familiar with the scene from The Sound of Music, where the Von Trapp family barely slips out from under the nose of the Nazi Gestapo after a musical performance in Salzburg. They then ditch their car somewhere and hike over the alps to safety in neutral Switzerland. Right? Remember that?  Well, I was thinking about that scene the other day when we hiked (actually, it was more like a comfortable stroll) over the border into Austria from Bavaria. We had passed the sign pointing to Salzburg coming home on the autobahn the Sunday before -- and the geography was not adding up in my head, so I looked it up. Come to find out, my perception of the proximity of Austria and Switzerland has been dead wrong most of my life -- and I lay the blame squarely on the shoulders of this movie. (Who needs to look at a map when they've seen the movie, right?) 😏 Anyway, in the interest of straightening it all out for others who might also have been imagining it wrong all these years, check out the map:

Actors portraying the Von Trapps
in the 1965 musical

Europeans who have seen this movie must have scratched their heads at the escaping over the alps part. I'm guessing most of us in the US, though, just took it as fact, because, let's be honest here -- most Americans (even ones like me, educated in Catholic schools in the '70s and '80s) are pretty ignorant about European geography! (About as ignorant as Europeans are about the American borders between states, to be fair, right?) But, seriously, here's the problem with this scene: 

If you are starting from Salzburg -- which is like a gnat on the "knuckle" of the German finger (on the border, near the daisy) that pokes into Austria -- you cannot just don your lederhosen and hiking boots and willy-nilly hike over to Switzerland. The closest Swiss border lies approximately 334 miles (538 km) away from Salzburg. It would take 4 days to hike over the flattest, easiest terrain -- and would be a crazy thing to try with small children. Which is why the Von Trapps didn't do that. It would have been nuts. The Von Trapp family, in point of fact, didn't hike anywhere in their escape from the Reich, regardless of how dramatic and romantic such an escape would have been. 

The real Von Traps at their home in PA, USA
(c. 1965)

What really happened: After perpetrating the notion that they were going on vacation, the family, all the bigs, littles, mediums, and a pregnant Maria, together with George, a maid and musical director, walked out the back gate of their family villa, crossed over a few train tracks to the train station, and boarded a train for Italy. Not picturesque, but there you have it. The "escape" occurred one day before the Austrian border was sealed by the Nazis in March of 1938, but that was the only close call of the whole endeavor. Family and friends knew in advance what they intended to do, and the trip was well-planned and coordinated.

 After spending a short time in Italy, the family wound up in London. By September of 1938, they'd sailed for New York where they performed in concerts throughout the northeast. As most know, the family ended up settling in the state of Pennsylvania and supported themselves chiefly through music, and eventually books and proceeds from the movie based on their life (1965). Or well, it was sort of based on their life. Names and ages of the children were changed, the courtship  of Maria and George was not as swoony as in the movie -- and they did not hike over the alps. 

Here's the pancake: The crazy fact of the matter is that, if they had actually hiked over the mountains closest to Salzburg, the Von Trapps may well have landed right in the lap of the Nazi powers in Obersalzberg -- the site of Adolf Hitler's famous mountain retreat. It was by far the smarter idea to take the train!

*Sources: https://www.history.com/news/the-real-history-behind-the-sound-of-music

https://the-take.com/read/as-seen-in-the-sound-of-music-did-the-von-trapps-escape-the-nazis-by-hiking-over-the-mountains

At Kevvy's and Ina's Haus

About a ten minute walk around the corner and a little ways up the foothills. 

No trolls under any of the bridges. Sophia throws rocks every time she passes over to make sure.

Sophia Philomena. Check out the size of that maple leaf! Sophie understands both English and German, but speaks mostly English, because Momma and Daddy usually converse in English together. Her English has a slight bit of a German accent, though, that makes it sound sooo cute!

There are many things about Germany and the culture of the people that differ from America. Neither good nor bad -- just different, and fun to note and wonder about. There are no "super stores" here, for one thing -- something I love and hate at the same time. As an American, I'm just used to the convenience of one-stop shopping, but seeing how the many small specialty stores keep the little German villages alive and thriving with multitudes of family-owned businesses -- I mourn for the days that this was also true in America -- when more people were actually able to work for themselves. It does make for slightly awkward shopping for an American, though, who can't figure out where to find things... 

On the subject of shopping, many might not realize how much less expensive groceries are here! Good deli meat and cheese is half the cost that we were used to a year ago (can't even keep up with how high it must be getting now in the US...). An 8oz can of diced tomatoes, for instance, costs less than half a dollar. Pasta is half the US cost. Shampoo and cleaning products seem to be about the same, though. German chocolate is excruciatingly inexpensive... (And Germans do love the sweets like danishes, etc. Very tempting on the breakfast table, let me tell you!) And breads! So many good hearty breads! These are about the same or a bit less the cost than America, but taste better and there's more variety. Produce seems to be roughly the same prices, too -- maybe cheaper, depending on what it is. But -- no Monsanto here, folks. You are getting a far better product!  Eggs in Germany (about the same price as home) are stored in the cabinet and not in the fridge because the "bloom" here is not washed off. (I wish it were done that way in America!) Almost everything comes in smaller sizes than we are used to, though, as far as product packaging, in general. A large coffee in Europe is a small coffee in America. 😒 Good luck finding a 2 liter or gallon jug of fruit juice. You just have to buy two! Don't bother asking for ice. If they bring you any, it'll be three pieces in a little dish. (Not kidding.) Here's a funny thing, too. You can't find cheddar cheese! Or at least it's not common. (Gosh, how I take cheddar for granted!) Most of the cheese is white cheese -- and varieties that I've never tasted before. It is all very good, though! And the sausages! Lekker! This is the place to come for deli meats! 

On the other hand, pricewise, we took a little walk down the main street of Reit im Winkl village and looked in at some of the clothing stores -- and, undoubtedly because this is a tourist destination (ski village) -- the prices were astronomical! (Well, at least to a thrift store shopper like I am, they were! A sweater for $75 was typical.) Most of the very expensive clothing, though, was the traditional folk styles, made of real wool and very high quality. Clothing that lasts a lifetime. If I had a million dollars, I'd buy dirndls and lederhosen for all of my grandchildren!  (Sorry, though, kids.)

What else stands out as different in Bavaria? Engineering, as you might guess. The windows and doors are all better construction than we usually see at home. Many or most windows (and doors, too, occasionally) have hinges that allow you to open them two different directions -- outward like normal, hinged on the sides, but also upward, with the hinge on bottom and a vent-like opening at top. Skylights are very common, too. I'm not sure how common it is, but I've see several houses (including here at Haus Davis) where the curtain rods extend out a good deal further from the window than we are inclined to hang our curtains in America. I'm not sure why. And windows don't have screens -- but bugs don't seem to be a problem. Not sure why that is, either! 

There are horse troughs scattered throughout the
little Bavarian villages -- but no public restrooms.

In the way of function, I've come to the conclusion that Germans are just tougher than we are, as it seems they don't have -- probably don't want -- the big squishy couches and chairs that we're used to in the US. More relaxing and visiting occurs around tables here, I've observed. The living room furniture I've seen so far is straighter, stiffer, and composed of more wood than the American way. It seems common, too, that many of the glasses and dishes in German households are not stored in the kitchen proper, but in the dining room, and only food is stored in the kitchen, along with pots and pans and silverware. This is true, for sure, in Haus Davis -- but I've seen it elsewhere, so am guessing it's a thing. Kevvy and Ina have high quality cabinetry in their gasthaus kitchens with bi-fold cabinet doors that open upward instead of outward. (I'm going to have to get a picture to show this, as it is hard to explain -- but very cool.)

  

On the subject of  storage furniture, closets aren't common here; most folks hang their clothes in wardrobes. Fireplaces seem to be standard. At least in this part of the country, Germans seem to especially appreciate wood heat -- and extraordinarily tall woodpiles are a common feature in German yards and patios. Yards in the towns are tiny for the most part, but parks and walking trails crisscross the whole countryside and are very much used. The German people are walkers! (My feet are killing me, I tell ya!) 

Unlike stereotypical Americans, most Germans pretty much stay to themselves -- even before the Chinavirus days, this was true. They are not rude (like the French, bless them. 😬), but -- in a public situation, like in a store or airport -- they are not gregarious by any stretch of the imagination. Let's say they are guardedly polite. But Germans are efficient. And healthy! And neat. All the towns in this corner of Bavaria, at any rate, are just lovely. They are required by some kind of coding to adhere to a certain style of Bavarian architecture, full of balconies, window boxes, shutters, and chimneys. All the houses have a wood or wood-look trim and balconies -- over wood siding or what I think must be white stucco, and most roofs are some kind of terra-cotta colored slate or tile (?). All hedges are trimmed perfectly (they must use levels!), and the gardens are almost always tidy. By American standards it is rather regimented, I guess, but no more than some neighborhood associations require. And the effect is beautiful. Very traditional -- and what, in your mind's eye -- you picture when you think of a vacation in Heidi Country, snow-covered mountains included. This is in the little corner of Bavaria that Kevin and Ina live in, mind you. I haven't been much north of Munich, so can't vouch for all of Germany!

 

In the two trips I've gotten to take overseas so far, I have learned one thing overall: travel is definitely mind expanding. You can't help but learn there are are a bazillion ways to skin the proverbial cat. In other words, if you're going to get the most out of  a European adventure, you really have to leave your American habits and pre-conceived notions behind! Without regret. Jump right in as much as you can! I love finding out new ways of doing things (Ina grinds a lot of her grains for breadmaking, for instance!) -- being guilted into habits I know I should adopt (like lots more fresh air and exercise!)  -- and being amazed at cultural differences that aren't really that different! (Everyone loves good coffee, beer, and bakery items!) 

But there's also this: Another great benefit of seeing the world is that you learn a new appreciation for what we have and how we do things in America. (Big Coffee, ice, and slouchy couches, to name a few). Getting to see a little part of Europe has definitely forced me out of my American cocoon -- in a good way. I see where we could definitely do some things better in the US, but I love my country all the more for the contrast, too. I would never want to live anywhere than the good ole' US of A. But a little piece of me is permanently over here in Bavaria now, because my son and his family are here! And is it beautiful here -- and rich in tradition and history -- particularly of a Catholic variety here in Bavaria! I'm looking forward to more explorations of this beautiful, historic world -- but the best thing about being here is just getting to enjoy this far-flung, but very dear, branch of the Davis family tree! Deo Gratias that I've had the opportunity! No telling what the future holds. Don't waste a moment.

TTFN!

I'll check in as I'm able!

God Bless!

Last Nine Days of the Month of the Rosary

Ferial Day

PS> I forgot to mention recycling. Aye Yi Yi. That is a whole other subject. They take trash to a whole other level here in Germany... More on that another day!

Not All Who Wander Are Lost

So, for anyone who doesn't know, I'll be blogging until mid-December from Reit im Winkl, Bavaria, the home of our son, Kevin (See Kevin in the sidebar -- with link to his Catholic Family Podcasts!), his beautiful wife, Ina -- and little grandbaby, Sophia the Magnificent. 

As you might guess, it's absolutely beautiful here! And Kevvy and Ina's "Gasthaus" -- or "AirB-n-B," a traditional Bavarian "chalet," is truly splendid above all things! I highly recommend it as a place to stay for anyone visiting this part of the world! Located in a mountainous corner of southwestern Germany (im winkl means "in the corner"), it's a very doable drive to Austria, Switzerland, and northern Italy. The rooms, themselves, are lovely -- with amazing views from big balconies!  (See Haus Davis here.)

For anyone who wonders about international travel right now, I had no trouble flying here last week on Lufthansa with only a negative Chinavirus test and the usual passport. There were masks required on the plane, but they weren't enforced with a whip (so to speak). Everyone at both airports was gracious (no Karens!) -- and the people here in this little corner of Germany are pretty laid-back, it seems, about, yu know -- the "craziness" out there -- and are just going about life as normal as they can get away with, the same as folks in Iowa. 😊

We plan to go on a little bit of "looky-looing" over the next few weeks, and I'll share the sights on the blog here, as I get around to it. I tell you, though, honestly; if I just stayed right here at Haus Davis for the next two months, I wouldn't mind a bit! Of all the views I've gotten to see so far, their greatest value is as a backdrop for the people I love!

Second Son, Kevin and his first daughter, Sophia! We're all excited to
welcome Bavarian baby Davis #2, grandbaby #12 in the spring!

The door of the chapel of Mary Immaculate Conception, in Oberdarching,
where we attended Mass on Sunday, Fr. Johannes Heine presiding.

Another Rosary Walk begun at this Shrine, between Reit im Winkl
and Haus Davis. (Our friend, Sophie's au pair, Erynne, on the overlook.)

Sophia Philomena always cracking jokes! (Erynne is a good audience!)

One of many very old buildings in and around Reit im Winkl. Check out the date on this one, right above and to the right of the family name. This is a small restaurant. (I'd love to see the inside!)

The town church, St. Pancratius. Word has it that the interior was ruined after
Vatican II and just too sad to even have a look at. But the exterior
 is still remarkable. Look at that beautiful autumn blue sky!

Sophia and Ina on the streets of Reit.

Art and Catholic statues everywhere
in this corner of Bavaria

Erynne, Sophia, and Kitty we met on walk into the town proper of Reit in Winkl

A forest path between Haus Davis and the 
town that is sprinkled with fun (somewhat odd)
things to engage the imaginations of children.

Afternoon walk on path that goes through a big meadow used for cross-country skiing during the winter. About 10 minutes from Haus Davis.

I neglected to get a picture of the house/barn
this sign describes -- but take a look at the dates!

Stepping into the tiny chapel in the middle of Reit im Winkl dedicated to St.
Pancratius, who seems to be a patron of the town. Just tiny and simple and lovely.

St. Pancratius * (See below. He wasn't
really a soldier...)

The altar. Not sure if it's actually a blessed
altar -- but if it is/was, it's old enough to be
the real thing. The history here is so amazingly
steeped in the Faith. It is everywhere preserved --
at least physically. The Novus Ordo is pretty much
the only game in town around here, sadly.

The exterior of the tiny chapel. So simple!

There's a stable in Reit im Winkl. It's common to
see folks enjoying the scenery on horseback. These
log "troughs" in the town are the neatest thing!

Rosary prayed here. 💝

Sophia with her buddy, our Omaha friend,
 Erynne E., au pair and helper at Haus Davis.

Time for rosary. 💖

First snow on the mountains. I can't remember what they're called -- but I think
they are in Austria. Reit im Winkl is just this side of the Austrian border.

Sunset to the west -- those same mountains.

Sophia Philomena.
Heart of my heart
1/21st part.

Sophia and her Daddy at Sophie's 
favorite place, the "spielplatz."

Sophia. 💟 I kinda like this little girl!

* Who is St. Pancratius and Why is He in Reit Im Winkl?

The Specs:  St. Pancratius was a martyr of the early persecutions of the Church in Rome, dying under the evil dictatorship of Diocletion at the beginning of the 4th century. At the tender age of only 14 years, St. Pancratius resisted all the temptations of power and wealth placed before him by Diocletian, choosing instead to remain faithful to Christ. Though he was impressed by the boy's courage Diocletian, nevertheless, had him beheaded after his firm refusal to give up his Faith -- and, so sent him to Heaven on the 12th of May in 303 AD. The head of St. Pancratius (also called "St. Pancras") is preserved in the Basilica of St. Pancratius in Rome. 

Etc: Though not as well known today as many in the calendar of the saints, St. Pancratius has been venerated throughout the ages. His basilica was built by Pope Symmachus (498-514) on the site of our saint's burial, near Rome. Pope Gregory the Great, a devotee, sent St. Augustine to England carrying relics of St. Pancratius, and it is for this reason, we can see today many churches in the British Isles dedicated to St Pancratius, including St. Pancras Old Church, located in London, and one of the oldest sites of Christian worship in England.

In iconography, St. Pancratius is often depicted in the regalia of a soldier, though it is certain he was not a part of any army. Rather, it seems his connection with soldier-saints, Nereus and Achilleus, accounts for the confusion. One popular legend (though not known to have roots in reality) can be found in 18th and 19th century iconography, showing St. Pancratius' martyrdom in the arena, surrounded by beasts. One story goes that a panther refrained from attacking the young saint until the martyr gave his permission. It is more likely, however, that, being a Roman citizen, St. Pancratius was dispatched through beheading.

He is the patron saint of children, jobs, and health. He is particularly invoked against cramps, false witnesses, headaches, and perjury. His feast day is May 12, joined with that of Saints Nereus and Pancras.

There are 6 chapels or churches dedicated to St. Pancratius in Bavaria, alone, and 42 in the Northern Rhine-Westphalia region of Germany, testifying to the fact that the cultus of this young martyr is ancient and widespread throughout Europe (see here) -- and it seems, especially amongst the German people. I could find no real explanation for St. Pancratius' popularity here in Germany, but I can surmise that his youthful courage and manliness would very much appeal to the German sensibility. At any rate, it's a pleasure to get to "meet" this amazing martyr through the affection of the people of this nation! St. Pancratius, pray for us!

* Interesting: The "organ of St. Pankratius" in St. Pankratius Church in Hamburg is "the largest two-manual organ (built by Arp Schnitger). The instrument has 34 stops, of which about half are original," the organ originating back to 1688. (+ Stop laughing at the poor guy's name! It was probably a perfectly normal moniker back in 17th century Germany!)

** My apologies that the majority of these links are from wikipedia, a site I generally avoid now that I know about it. I have had trouble, however, finding other information on better sites -- that are not in German or Italian. My computer seems to think I've suddenly lost my ability to use English -- and I haven't figured out how to shake some sense into it!

War Strategy on the Feast of Our Lady of Fatima

Today is the Feast of Our Lady of Fatima, the anniversary of the miracle of the sun and Our Lady's last visit to thethree Portuguese children, Jacinta, Francisco, and Lucia. On this day, more than most, the Church begs us to remember the messages and warnings given specifically for the benefit of the modern world. Though Catholics have celebrate this feast every year since 1930 and the Church has sounded a continued orchestra of warnings in the modern era, beginning with Pope Pius the XI and Pope Leo XIII, it seems that even the most pious among us have been lulled (or deafened) to sleep. More than ever we can see the reasons for the Blessed Mother's concern, her gentle rebukes pertaining to the evils of our times, and her plea that we make reparation and pray to avoid the punishment we're bringing down upon ourselves through the constant worldwide commission of sins particularly offensive to God. 

The recurring phrase 'Do Penance; Pray the Rosary', for many of us in traditional circles especially, has been a clarion call so constant that many of us take it for granted; it's a hum in the generator of Catholicism, blending in with the world's cacophony, it's background noise, like the sin and general depravity we've also become more accustomed to than we even realize. The world -- even the small world of practicing Catholics -- has developed a partial deafness that has also kept Our Lady's clarion call distant to our ears. I'm ashamed to say my ears have been as blocked as anyone's, my conviction weak; I haven't taken up arms in the fight against the evils of Modernism as I should -- though I have all the weapons at my disposal. Like many, I've lived in a kind of bubble most of my life, maybe too secure in the safety and consistency of Mass and the Sacraments, taking for granted that America would never allow my freedom of religion to be compromised, that the constitution would protect our country from the evils of Communism specifically addressed by the Blessed Mother at Fatima. Throughout my life, though we rode troughs and waves of good and evil in the US, nothing has been so dire and alarming that I've felt an overwhelming need to run for the armory -- spiritually or literally. 

That's changed in the last two years, though. Things have gotten so upside-down and backward out there in the world, the lunacy has even permeated, if not popped, our happy little Trad bubble in the Midwest. But, I don't know: is this mayhem necessarily a bad thing?

There are side benefits of these crazy times. The shortlist of crazy being: the insanity of the plandemic, the corruption in governments all over the world, the constant flow of immorality from media (that most of us carry around in our hand from sun up to sun down), the general cognitive dissonance of almost everyone, particularly in the public sphere...)  Aye-yi-yi. Makes you wince, doesn't it? Side benefits? One wonders how there could be any. But, you've heard the old saying: There are no atheists in foxholes. Bombs going off around us are bound to wake us up -- to some kind of action, right? We can be hopeful that the craziness explodes into the benefit of conversions, because these are foxholes for atheists and non-practicing Catholics to jump into, and this is war. War of the most vital kind, as it is being played out on the unforgiving, ever-changing battlefield of public perceptions (governments, education, mass media, etc), and is maiming, wounding, and killing millions of individual souls -- already made weak by lifetimes of ignorance, laziness and complaisance -- souls that don't even know they are supposed to fight.

We know, though, don't we? I speak to the choir here. (waving at you, choir) We know who we are. Those of us who have had the grace of having been born to the true Faith, those of us who have had the grace of conversion and have found the Truth of the Catholic Church where it has escaped from the evils of the hijacked seats of Rome: we have a grave responsibility to take up arms daily because we do know. Our Lady of Fatima told us the time had come to pick up the shield of penance and the sword of the rosary -- or we would regret it. It's been 103 years. Anyone who's paying attention is probably thinking a lot about regret right now -- of what we should have been doing all this time on all the different battlefronts to keep the enemy from the gates, socially, politically, and spiritually. And much could have been done. Should have been done. And not by some unknown saint, or neighbor, or (pick your favorite public figure)... but by each one of us. It's been the war of ordinary, everyday people all along -- a war played out in countless battles within the hearts of every soul that has ever lived since day one in the Garden of Eden. The question for each of us is: have I really thought of it that way, as serious and real -- and not just an idea without literal consequences?  Me? To be honest, only sporadically -- and with short-lived resolutions -- the same way I go right back to my old ways a week after Easter and forget all about Lent. I could have done better. 😕 Lots better.

But it's never too late. As long as I'm alive, I can pitch in with the Church Militant. (And, God willing and I don't blow it, I can pitch in as a member of the Church Triumphant after that!) It's not all that hard a thing to do. As Catholics we know that, though we do have a responsibility to a reasonable amount of social action, our best, most productive campaign against evil can be fought from our own homes and churches. It's doable for every single person who has a will to do it. With the help of God, the most humble among us can be the greatest warriors for good! On the wings of sanctifying grace, we can wield our rosaries, send the most mighty  troops of angels in our defense through the holy sacrifice of the Mass, lay in stores and ammunition through our prayer and sacrifices, and gain new soldiers in the fight through our good examples of charity and unbending commitment to the Truths of our Faith. Mass, rosary, little penances. A battle plan that doesn't sound grand and noble as a crusade -- but it is! And if we never took it seriously before, we have ample evidence that it is now time to do so. Look around you. This is truly war. Time to do as our Mother has told us and gird up!