Resurrecting an old post: Good Friday Gift from Hilaire Belloc and Jacques Tissot

I wrote this in 2019 shortly after the Notre Dame fire. I find this crucifixion one of the most poignant. Mary reaching out to her Son is so like the gesture of a mother reaching for her baby who perhaps has climbed something that puts him in danger. Now her reaching seems to be a gesture of uniting herself to Him on the cross and begging to take His suffering upon herself. Surely the lance that pierced His side pierced her heart.

Death of Jesus by Jacques Tissot (1836-1902)

Our Lord and Our Lady
by Hilaire Belloc

Thought for the Day: Politics Can Not Save Us

Demented Joe has announced his reelection plan. I use "his plan" advisably since we all know he couldn't find his way out of a paper bag. The video he released is a so-called cheer for "freedom" but not freedom for all. Once again, Democrats demonize half the country, the "Maga estremists," anyone who doesn't support the Democrats' evil principles.

Thought for the Day: A Little Courtesy Would Improve the Culture Immensely!

I don't have many original thoughts and this one certainly is not. It reflects an almost proverbial truth:

Courtesy is the grease that makes the gears of society run smoothly. 

Whenever I think of that word "courtesy," I think of Hilaire Belloc's poem:

                            Courtesy

                            Of Courtesy, it is much less
                            Than Courage of Heart or Holiness,
                            Yet in my Walks it seems to me
                            That the Grace of God is in Courtesy.

                            On Monks I did in Storrington fall,
                            They took me straight into their Hall;
                            I saw Three Pictures on a wall,
                            And Courtesy was in them all.

Monday Morning Musings: Three Articles that Caught my Eye!

Gilbert and Frances Chesterton

I'm pretty eclectic in my reading and, as I took a look at this morning's headlines and read back issues The Wanderer these articles caught my eye.

First -- on Chesterton -- since I went to our local Chesterton group meeting on Saturday

A few days ago, the bishop of Northampton, Peter Doyle, released a letter explaining his decision not to open a cause for sainthood for Chesterton. Among the reasons he gave was that Chesterton was anti-semitic. It's a ridiculous charge, but these days if one says a single word of criticism against Israel or Zionism or anything related to Judaism, one is often smeared with the accusation. The same thing happens with other nonsense in the culture. If you oppose killing babies you're a misogynist who hates women. If you oppose same-sex marriage you're a hate-filled homophobe. Like Jesus said, if you follow Him the world will hate you!

A Good Friday Gift from Hilaire Belloc and Jacques Tissot

Death of Jesus by Jacques Tissot (1836-1902)

Our Lord and Our Lady
by Hilaire Belloc

They warned Our Lady for the Child
That was Our Blessed Lord,
And She took Him into the desert wild,
Over the camel’s ford.