All Saints' Day 2015

Saintly

As the title suggests, today is a celebration of all Saints (and not just the named ones). It is not a moveable feast, but is always celebrated on November 1. It is a Holy Day of Obligation for Catholics, but attendance at Mass is no longer required (as it was in my childhood) unless it falls on a Sunday.

In honor of the day, I would like to mention a few saints who are especially significant in my own life, to wit:

Painting by Guido Reni, 1636

As there is no St. Terrance, my parents chose Michael as my middle name so that
I would have a namesake saint.

St. Michael is Guardian of the Church, and is also the patron saint of police officers (my dad was a cop for most of his life).

Painting by unknown artist

St. Bernardine of Siena is the patron saint of public speakers.

Painting by Giovanni Gagliardi, undated

St. John Baptist de la Salle is the patron saint of teachers, especially in Catholic schools.

Statue of St. Genesius

St. Genesius of Rome is the patron saint of theatre.

"You have much in common with St. Francis of Assisi, too."

Yes, I do...many people in my life have noticed that...

Things That Make Me Happy: Houdini Edition

Yesterday evening my beloved Kansas City Royals took a 3 games to 1 lead over the New York Mets in the 2015 World Series with a come-from-behind 5-3 victory in Game 4 at Citi Field.

All-Star 3B Mike Moustakas drove in the winning run with a single in the critical rally in the top of the 8th inning...

"Bam!"

After the Royals took the lead, manager Ned Yost brought in well-rested All-Star closer Wade Davis in the bottom of the 8th. Wade gave up a couple of hits in the bottom of the 9th to add tension, but needed only 27 pitches over the two innings to close out the game and record the save.

"This is the way we roll, Mets!"

The Royals now need to win just one more game to become World Champions for the second time in franchise history. Their first opportunity to accomplish that will be tonight at Citi Field. Game 1 starters Edinson Volquez (who just rejoined the team after attending his father's funeral) for the Royals and Matt Harvey for the Mets will match up a second time.

How Progressives Celebrate Halloween

Until Next Time...

The Benedictines of Mary, Queen of Apostles are a religious society of women pursuing
a monastic life based in Gower, Missouri, not far from the Catholic high school in St. Joseph where I taught for nine years.

Last year I discovered the wonderful recordings of liturgical music produced by these women, and I currently own all of the albums they have released to date. One of these is Angels and Saints at Ephesus, a 2013 release that is not themed around a particular time on the church calendar, as many of their recordings are. It was a natural choice for music to celebrate the Feast of All Saints.

Today's send-off is "O Deus Ego Amo Te" ("O God I Love You"), a traditional chant dating back to at least the 16th century. It is often called "The Prayer of St. Francis," although the evidence of his involvement is scant. Whoever wrote it, it is a wonderful piece, performed beautifully by the sisters. Enjoy...