A Carpe Diem Snapshot:
I visited saintly ghosts of the distant past today in Santa Maria Antiqua, a sixth century church built inside the ruins of the great entry hall of the house of the Emperor Domitian in the Roman Forum. It was my first time exploring the inside of this ancient church, and I found it to be one of the more evocative churches in the city, blending pagan and Christian culture, and Western and Eastern styles and traditions. The use of lights and projected texts describing the history of the space and its saints created a serene, surreal experience as the frescos were brought to life and given stories and relevance. There were several excellent examples of "palimpsests" on the walls, which you can see in the link above. It's one of the first places I will bring the Spring semester Art and Architecture students!
Liturgical: Thursday of the Third Week of Advent
But when he came out, he was unable to speak to them, and they realized that he had seen a vision in the sanctuary.
Lk 1:5-25
Bishop Barron's Gospel reflections today.
Today is the Third of the O Antiphons, O Radix Jesse (O Root of Jesse). Christ the King, the Lord! Divine Wisdom, Adonai, the powerful God, is at the same time man with flesh and blood of the house of Jesse, the father of King David. Truly, the right of kingship has now passed from the house of David. The glory that once clothed the royal family has faded and withered, leaving only a blighted and withered root. But from this root is to spring a glorious blossom, the King of the world. "He shall rule from sea to sea and from the river unto the ends of the earth. Before Him the Ethiopians shall fall down and His enemies shall lick the ground. The kings of Tharsis and the islands shall offer presents: the kings of the Arabians and of Saba shall serve Him" (Ps. 71:8-11). To Him God has said, "Thou art My Son. . . . I will give Thee the Gentiles for Thy inheritance, and the utmost parts of the earth for Thy possession" (Ps. 2:7 ff).
Sanctoral: The Roman Martyrology commemorates Pope Blessed Urban V (1310-1370). Pope Urban was a Benedictine monk. He was elected on September 28, 1362, and was the sixth pope of the Avignon papacy. Saints Bridget of Sweden and Catherine of Siena urged him to return to Rome. He did return to Rome in 1367, but was forced to return to France, where he died, clad in the habit of his Order (December 16, A.D. 1370). The papacy did not return to Rome until under the next pope, Pope Gregory XI in 1376.
Human: It was on this day in 1843 that Charles Dickens published A Christmas Carol. A year earlier, he had read a disturbing news story about child labor in England, and so he had visited Cornwall to see for himself the horrible conditions of child workers in the mines there. Then he visited free schools for poor children. By the time he was through, he was so angry that he decided to write a book exposing the terrible situation of children in poverty, and publish it at his own expense. That was A Christmas Carol in Prose, now called just A Christmas Carol.
The Writer's Almanac edition today.
Natural: It was so cold in Moosomin, Saskatchewan, that several children got stuck to their playground equipment and had to be thawed off. (It was -43F or -41.5C.) – 1983
Italian: Addobbo (decoration / ornament)
Quote: And at last we hardly distinguish
Between the ghosts and the guests;
And a mist and shadow of sadness
Steals over our merriest jests.
From "The Meeting" by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.
Comments