Fabulous basketball game yesterday - Davidson vs. Kansas. I watch so little sports these days, to my detriment. I could use a lot less negative nabob-ism in the form of news and more heroic striving in the way of sports. Today, by the way, is a Holy Sports Day of Obligation in Cincy: it's Red's Opening Day!
I was checking emails this morning and afterwards got up from the desk (which faces a wall & window) and lo & behold who do I see behind me on the bed? My dog and my cat, the lion and the lamb (I'm undecided which is which), lying next to one another.
My greeting to them: "Hello fellow creations of God! How are you doing, fellow creatures of God?"
I'm reminded of the gospel verse about preaching the gospel to "all creatures", not just all humans.
Yesterday was Thomas Sunday and I find the gospel passage fascinating and not just because it involves my patron saint. I'll never forget reading a commenter on Amy Welborn's blog - this was back in 2002 or so - who lamented that he'd never had a supernatural experience of God despite longing for one for so many years.
One of my more memorable experiences was praying before the shrine of St. Therese of the Little Flower and noticing the unmistakable scent of roses. It happened twice in the 300+ times I'd been there. I thought it miraculous though I've always wondered whether perhaps it was just the rose perfume of another patron of the shrine.
But to that forlorn commenter I think Christ's words are so powerful: "blessed are they who do not see, yet still believe". Jesus didn't say, "it's understandable that you didn't believe, Thomas, since you weren't here with the others last time when I showed myself" or "Thomas, I've given you a lot here so more is expected of you than those who haven't seen what you've seen". That commenter on Amy's blog is more blessed than those who have received something more tangible.
I did not know that the Annunciation is an older feast than Christmas (remembered today rather than on March 25th because of Easter week).
Christmas was derived from 3/25 (9 months) rather than vice-versa. And in very old Christianity 3/25 was also the day of the Crucifixion. A fine symmetry in that: that Jesus arrived on earth and left this earth on the same day.
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