A Carpe Diem Snapshot:
At this time last year, we sold this dreamy property to a wonderful couple, who we met through our common love of beekeeping and honey. Last night, at the most idyllic time of day (and season) on the farm, when the late summer sun casts long golden rays across the fields, we explored the land and the buildings with them to see all the amazing improvements they have made over the last year. Looking at it now, I'm shocked and proud that we built up this one-of-a-kind property over the last thirteen years, and grateful that our children were able to experience a rural life, full of adventures, challenges, and freedom to roam. I am also grateful that we were able to entrust it to individuals who possess the skills and creativity to realize the property's potential. They are now the fifth caretakers of this beautiful piece of land, and we were blessed to have been able to see what their labors- over just one calendar year- have produced!
Liturgical: Readings for the Memorial of The Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary. "I will give you a new heart and place a new spirit within you, taking from your bodies your stony hearts and giving you natural hearts."
Bishop Barron's Gospel reflections today.
Today the Church celebrates the Memorial of the Queenship of Mary. The faithful, under the guidance of an unerring Catholic instinct, have ever recognized the queenly dignity of the Mother of "The King of kings and Lord of lords": the Fathers, the Doctors of the Church, Popes, down through the centuries, have given authoritative expression to this truth and the crowning testimony to this common belief is to be found clearly expressed in the wonders of art and in the profound teaching of the liturgy. In their turn theologians have shown the fitting nature of this title of Queen as applied to the Mother of God, since she was so closely associated with the redemptive work of her Son and is the Mediatrix of all graces. Pius XII, by his encyclical letter of October 11, 1954, granted the unanimous desire of the faithful and their pastors and instituted the Memorial of the Queenship of Mary, giving sanction thus to a devotion that was already paid by the faithful throughout the world to the sovereign Mother of heaven and earth.
Sanctoral: St. Philip Benize (or Benozzi)--St. Philip had special talents for leadership and organization; he was the second founder of the Servites and a great missioner. Of him the Breviary says: "His love and sympathetic consideration for the poor was truly remarkable. On one occasion he gave his own clothing to a destitute leper at Camiliano, a village near Siena, and immediately the poor, sick beggar was healed. The report of the miracle spread far and wide, and many of the cardinals who had assembled at Viterbo after the death of Clement IV (1268) for the election of Christendom's chief shepherd were minded to choose Philip, whose angelic life and mature wisdom were universally acknowledged. But as soon as the saint became aware of this, he went into hiding upon a hill until Gregory X (1271-1276) had been elected; for he sought to be spared that burdensome dignity." Philip died at Todi in Tuscany. During his last hours he requested the attending Brother to bring him his book. The Brother did not understand what he meant. "The crucifix," the saint added. That was the book the saint had studied all the days of his life. —Excerpted from The Church's Year of Grace, Pius Parsch
Human: It's the birthday of science fiction writer Ray Bradbury, born in Waukegan, Illinois (1920). When he was 12 years old, a traveling carnival came to town, and Bradbury met a magician named Mr. Electrico, who talked to him about reincarnation and immortality, and those ideas excited Bradbury so much that he withdrew from his friends and devoted himself to his imagination. He said: "I don't know if I believe in previous lives, I'm not sure I can live forever. But that young boy believed in both, and I have let him have his [way]. He has written all my stories and books for me."
Ray Bradbury was a friend of my father's; a huge book of his collected stories was given to me by my father with an inscription when I was still little. I read through those stories voraciously one snowy Christmas break when I was 13. I always intended to write Bradbury a fan letter and never got to it before he passed away. The story he wrote that impacted me the most was Something Wicked This Way Comes, with its visual representation of the passage of time, the connection between the generations, the evocative and ominous atmosphere of Autumn, the elderly but heroic father figure, etc., etc. The film adaptation is one of my favorites as well.
Natural: Following from yesterday's Michigan Fall color tour link, here's a link to a list of activities you can do while chasing those colors north.
Italian: Arruffato (messy / ruffled / matted)
English: chuffed
adjective.ˈchəft
Synonyms of chuffed
British: quite pleased : delighted
"He is chuffed to be back in Welsh rugby."
Quote: "Treasure this day and Treasure yourself, truly, neither will ever happen again." --Ray Bradbury
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