Pondered In My Heart

Lenten Calendar 2015

Fresh from the pen is this year's lovely Lenten calendar, illustrated for us by Lydia Grace!

Lydia added a beautiful pelican image this year, a Christological symbol of redemption and atonement. The pelican is seen piercing its own breast so to feed its young with its own blood.

St. Thomas Aquinas references this image of Christ in his hymn, Adόro te devόte: 

Pie pelicáne, Jesu Dόmine, Me immúndum munda tuo Sánguine: Cujus una stilla salvum fácere; Totum mundum quit ab omni scélere.

Pelican of mercy, Jesus, Lord and God, Cleanse me, wretched sinner, in Thy precious Blood: Blood whereof one drop for humankind outpoured; Might from all transgression have the world restored.

We usually mount it on a piece of purple construction paper, and the young ones color one space each day as we make our way through Lent. They can color the spaces to match the liturgical color of the day - usually purple but white for feasts and rose on Laetare Sunday. A visual like this is helpful for all to see our progress on our Lenten journey as we move closer to commemorating Our Lord's passion, and finally His triumphant and glorious Resurrection. I know some grown-ups enjoy it for the visual encouragement as well.

 Download Lent 2015 LGK 2015-02-14 (C) 

Print from Adobe Reader:   Selectand check the box, .

Thank you so much Lydia! May God reward you.

Go Birding (guest post by Lydia Grace)

Have you heard of the Great Backyard Bird Count ?  Well, it begins today, Feb. 13th and you can do it.

The GBBC is an annual four-day citizen science project in which people all over the place count the birds and submit the data. This has been going on for 17 years already and it is now worldwide. I have read that folks in 135 countries did it last year.  Thus scientists can get a huge picture of bird populations all over the globe as Dick, Jane, Baby, Puff, Spot, and the Common Man gather vast quantities of data!  Isn't it a terrific idea?

[The old faithful pair of Red-tailed Hawks survey their domain from pole #1922]

Now it is for you to participate this year! The GBBC is done by all kinds of people from old sobersides birders with Swarovski opticks to kids with a bird feeder in Grandmother's backyard. Don't worry if you think you're only a beginner, there is nothing hard about it, and it is truly useful.

Here's how it goes: On one or more of the four days, Feb. 13-16th this year, count the birds you see for at least 15 minutes (noting the time), make a list of number and kind, and then enter your count on the GBBC website. There is even a handy-dandy tool that will give you a checklist of likely birds for your area: printable bird tally sheets. You can have as many counts as you want, wherever you want, with a new list every time. If you can't identify every bird, you can just do the best you can.  Go here to read all about it and register: Get Started.

[You may say, there are no birds in winter... well, if you look, you'll find some I daresay. This White-throated Sparrow, f'r instance. They're homesick when they first arrive here for the season. All they can say is , 'Oh, sweet Canada, Canada, Canada'). Don't want to miss it even if it is kind of drab.]

Important Notice: Even if there are really no birds at all, it is just as useful if you look for 15 minutes and submit data on how many birds there aren't. 

Timothy Pigeon wants YOU to join the Great Backyard Bird Count.

Please try it?

Living History: The Battle of the Bulge

On Saturday we attended a commemoration of the 70th Anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge. This event included many WWII reenactors giving impressions of many different units of various origins, and we got to observe two tactical engagements (aka battles!). Despite the freezing temperatures, the sunshine and the excitement kept us warm enough and we had a most fabulous day.

German soldiers marching to the battle area.

American GI's.

Few who fought had any 'snow camouflage' - white sheets thrown over regular uniforms.

Michael poses with a German general.

The Germans and their heavily armed vehicle. Their weapons were very loud.

German soldier in action.

The wounded lay where they fall in the snow.

Some are attended by medics.

A German is captured.

But after the battle, all wounds are healed and it's time for a smoke.

Mary Rose played Der gute Kamerad (or J'avais un camarade in French) on her whistle for this German reenactor (who is actually French);"A nice touch," he noted as he recognized the tune.

And time for a coffee break.

These are Canadian paratroopers.

Gratuitous bazooka shot.

The Irish Guards led by the bagpipes (and followed by my pipe-loving daughters).

Mary Rose happily poses with a German vehicle (wearing her new jeep cap of course).

The girls even got their picture in the news again, this time while sketching soldiers in battle. They were quoted as saying it was a pleasure to work from live models for a change instead of photographs. :-)

Roger Neighborgall, a WWII Army Ranger veteran speaks to a group of reenactor Rangers. He is holding a flag he confiscated from four Germans when he inadvertently captured them. He was just having a sandwich by the Danube, kind of off by himself, when suddenly four Germans appeared. They thought he was a German dressed as an American, but he pulled out his machine gun and showed them otherwise...

This event also hosted many WWII veterans earlier in the week and honored them with a banquet. There were just a few left around when we were there on Saturday. Pictured are Emmett Lang, Francis Chesko, and Roger Neighborgall.

Mr. Chesko was wearing a ring made from a piece of a B-17! He was a combat engineer and was tasked with blowing up a downed B-17 in Holland. The pilot told him to be extra sure to destroy the Norden bombsight! After blowing up the plane he found a little piece of it and kept it as a souvenir, and later made it into a ring.

He also showed us a lighter shaped like a miniature Coke bottle that he carried on his person all throughout the war. And here's a copy of a letter sent home during the war (sniff).

As always, the reenactors and battles and equipment are exciting, but nothing compares to meeting the veterans, hearing their stories, looking them in the eye, shaking their hands, and thanking them for their service! We also like to collect their autographs.

For further reading, John Toland's The Battle of the Bulge is very good. This is a book for young people, with material similar to his Battle: The Story of the Bulge. (We've read the children's one, but haven't gotten our hands on a copy of the other one yet.) The Veterans of the Battle of the Bulge provides links to sites with stories and testimonies from veterans. I am also hoping to get their book some time in the future - it looks fantastic. (Links above are to an interview with Mr. Chesko, an article about Mr. Neighborgall, and Mr. Lang's book.)

Candlemas

 

O Holy Lord, Father almighty, everlasting God, who hast created all things out of nothing, and by Thy command hast caused this liquid to become perfect wax by the labour of bees:  and this day didst fulfill the petition of the righteous man Simeon:  we humbly entreat Thee, that by the invocation of Thy most holy Name and through the intercession of Blessed Mary ever Virgin whose feast is today devoutly observed, and by the prayers of all Thy Saints, Thou wouldst vouchsafe to bless + and sanctify + these candles for the service of men and for the health of their bodies and souls, whether on land or on sea:  and that Thou wouldst hear from Thy holy heaven, and from the throne of Thy Majesty the voice of this Thy people, who desire to carry them in their hands in Thy honour, and to praise Thee with hymns; and that Thou wouldst be propitious to all that call upon Thee, whom Thou hast redeemed with the precious Blood of Thy Son; Who liveth and reigneth with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end.  Amen. -from the blessing of candles on Candlemas Day

Today is the Feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary. On this day we commemorate when Our Blessed Lady along with St. Joseph traveled to the temple in Jerusalem to present Our Lord, forty days after His birth, in keeping with the Mosaic Law. There the Holy Family met Simeon, the holy, aged man to whom it had been promised that he should not die before seeing the Messiah. His beautiful spontaneous words of praise, the Canticle of Simeon or Nunc Dimittis is prayed nightly as part of Compline (Night Prayer) of the Divine Office.

Today's feast is also known as Candlemas, as the blessing of candles takes place prior to the beginning of today's Mass. Candles of course symbolize light, as Our Lord is, in the words of Simeon, the Light for Revelation to the Gentiles. It is such a fitting close to the Christmas season, as after rejoicing for forty days in the mystery of the Incarnation our duty is of course to go forth and spread that Light.

Michael surprised me with this fabulous candle mold for Christmas, and he and Josiah tried it out yesterday in anticipation of the feast. We used some beeswax that was given to us by a local beekeeper, and I just love how the prayers refer to 'the labour of bees' in the making of the wax by His command. Even the tiniest creatures fulfill His plans! The mold worked wonderfully and we had lovely, golden, sweet smelling tapers to take to church to be blessed. Lydia helped Eliza make one of her famous cheesecakes to celebrate with. We even had a bit of cheery sunshine late in the afternoon to brighten up the day. We turned on all of the Christmas lights in and out of the house and are listening to our favorite Christmas music as we savor this very last bit of Christmas time.

Candlemas blessings to you and yours! Hope your day was happy and holy and full of Light.

Now Thou dost dismiss Thy servant, O Lord, according to Thy word in peace. A light to the revelation of the Gentiles: and for the glory of Thy people Israel.

 Because mine eyes have seen Thy salvation. A light to the revelation of the Gentiles: and for the glory of Thy people Israel.

Which Thou hast prepared, before the face of all peoples. A light to the revelation of the Gentiles: and for the glory of Thy people Israel.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. A light to the revelation of the Gentiles: and for the glory of Thy people Israel.

As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. A light to the revelation of the Gentiles: and for the glory of Thy people Israel. - the Canticle of Simeon, Luke 2:29-32