Sunday Potpourri No. 49

Pretty Good Day

It was a busy Saturday of college football watching for me yesterday, as all of my rooting interests were in action. The toughest result for me was in the game where two of those interests played each other. Notre Dame defeated Army easily, winning 44-6
in a game played in San Antonio. Mixed feelings about that one.

Iowa State partially made up for that by beating the hated Kansas Jayhawks 31-24 in Lawrence.

The victory was the first Big XII Conference win for the Cyclones this season, a bright spot in an otherwise disappointing season.

Fresh off their thrilling 28-27 victory over Notre Dame last week, Navy played another nail-biter, beating conference rival Tulsa 42-40 at Annapolis.

It was the Midshipmen's 15th straight home victory, the second-longest current streak in the nation. They are now 7-2 on the season.

In a wild game at home, Air Force improved to 7-3 with a 49-46 win over Colorado State. It wasn't until the Rams turned the ball over in the closing seconds that the Falcons could exhale.

It was one of those games where the defenses got run over with some regularity, but ultimately it was a big defensive play that decided the game's outcome.

My best friend Skip's No. 10 Penn State Nittany Lions also won, beating Indiana 45-31
in a crazy, back-and-forth battle.

"Not much cursing yesterday, so you should have some good ones left for the Chiefs game."

I expect I'll need some, yes...

Feast Day

Statue in St. Peter's Basilica by Enrico Tadolini

Today is the feast day of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, also known as Mother Cabrini.

Born in 1850 in Sant'Angelo Lodigiano
in northern Italy, she was turned down when she tried to join a religious order because of her frailty and poor health, so in 1880 she decided to found a religious order of her own, the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.





Urged by Pope Leo XIII to travel to America for missionary work among Italian-American immigrants, she wound up founding schools, orphanages, and hospitals all over the country. She became a naturalized citizen of the United States in 1909.

Her naturalization became significant when she was beatified by Pope Piux XI in 1938 and canonized by Pope Pius XII in 1946, making her the first naturalized American citizen to be named a saint.

She is the patron of immigrants and hospital administrators.

Gobble, Gobble

"Pardon us! Just passing through!"

When I'm on my way to St. Peter's for Mass on Sunday mornings,
I have to be especially vigilant for much of the drive because of these dumb-ass wild turkeys who decide to cross the road with no regard for whether there are any cars coming.


I love all of God's creatures, even the dumb ones, but jeez...

"Why don't you just gun it when they do that?"

What part of "all of God's creatures" wasn't clear to you?

Bustid, Dood!

From the wry comic strip FoxTrot, by Bill Amend, which you should read every Sunday.

Until Next Time...

This week's Music Recommendation is the new album by British trumpeter Alison Balsom, who has been winning awards and wowing audiences since beginning her professional performing career in 2001 at just age 23.

The album features Alison performing works by Arcangelo Corelli, Johann Friedrich Fasch, Giuseppi Torelli, and J.S. Bach.

It is all great stuff, but my favorite is the Bach setting of the traditional Christmas carol "In Dulci Jubilo" ("In Sweet Rejoicing"), BWV 729.

The piece is a favorite postlude for church organists at the conclusion of services during Christmastide.



Today's send-off is Alison's stirring performance of the piece, joined by organist Stephen Cleobury of King's College, Cambridge. Enjoy...