Friday Red Mr. Peanut Bank and Gallito Mescalito Blogging: Thanksgiving Special!

It the Holiday Season. Well, it's the Holiday Season here in Panamá; we started on November 1st! And what goes with the Holiday Season, besides lots of good food and drink and stuff? That's right: re-runs Holiday Season Classics! And here at Padre Mickey's Dance Party we have our Holiday Season Classics, just like your favorite television station, the only difference being ours aren't thirty to forty years old, and none of the characters appear as balloons in the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade. So just sit back and enjoy It's A Red Mr. Peanut Bank And Gallito Mescalito Thanksgiving, Charlie Brown!


Red Mr. Peanut Bank Well, Gallito Mescalito, it's that time of year again!
Gallito Mescalito ¡Shriek! ¿Shriek? ¡Shriek!
Red Mr. Peanut BankYes, I can understand that, the smell of roasting turkey makes you nervous, but it's only once or twice a year.
Gallito Mescalito ¡Shriek!
Red Mr. Peanut Bank Well, I don't like it that much either; all that cooking really heats up the house, and with Summer almost here it's hot enough around here!



Miss Egyptian Hippo of Love Hi boys! Up to no good, I suppose!
Red Mr. Peanut Bank Good evening, Miss Egyptian Hippo of Love. You look marvelous, as always!
Gallito Mescalito ¡Shriek!
Miss Egyptian Hippo of Love Thank you, boys; you're so sweet! Well, it's that time of year, isn't it? The days are shorter, the nights longer, the smell of burning leaves in the air, and in some places it's snowing like all get out!
Gallito Mescalito ¿Shriek?
Red Mr. Peanut Bank Yes, I agree with my loving partner; what on EARTH are you talking about?
Miss Egyptian Hippo of Love Well, not HERE, of course, but back in the ol' U.S.A. I kinda miss all that.
Gallito Mescalito ¡Shriek!
Red Mr. Peanut Bank He's right again; when we lived in the U.S. we lived in the S.F. Bay Area, where it rarely snows! But I guess the other stuff did happen. But you're from Egypt originally; I doubt you had snowy winters there!
Miss Egyptian Hippo of Love I just miss seasons! All we have here is "rainy season" and "not-quite-as-rainy season" or verano. I miss the cold.



Mr. Chompy's Chewed-up Squeaky Kitty Toy Hey dere, fellas! An' a very good evenin' ta you, Miss Egyptian Hippo of Love!
Gallito Mescalito ¡Shriek!
Miss Egyptian Hippo of Love Hello, Mr. Squeaky Cat!
Red Mr. Peanut Bank Hello, Mr. Chompy's Chewed-up Squeaky Kitty Toy!
Mr. Chompy's Chewed-up Squeaky Kitty Toy 'sup wit eveybuddy?
Red Mr. Peanut Bank We're discussing the season and the holidays.
Mr. Chompy's Chewed-up Squeaky Kitty Toy Yeah! I luvs dis tima yeah! In fact, we gots a nudder nashunal holiday on Sunday, which means we gits Mundy off! Independence from Spain Day! ¡Viva Panamá! ¡Viva Libertad!
Gallito Mescalito ¡Shriek!
Miss Egyptian Hippo of Love Well, I'm thinking of a different holiday.



Mighty Moose of Vermont, Fuzzy Southern Mountain Moose, and ¡El Penguino! Hello everybody!
The others Hello, Mighty Moose of Vermont, Fuzzy Southern Mountain Moose, and ¡El Penguino!
Red Mr. Peanut Bank Fuzzy Southern Mountain Moose, you don't look very happy? What's wrong?
Fuzzy Southern Mountain Moose Wayul, Ahm jus' feelin' a bit homesick.
¡El Penguino! She's worried about Thanksgiving. I told her it's the only estadoünidense holiday Padre and the Lovely Mona still celebrate, but she's worried it won't happen.
Mighty Moose of Vermont Come on, ¡El Penguino! You were just as worried last year. We told her it would happen but she's still worried.
Fuzzy Southern Mountain Moose Wayul, Ah've nevah been away foh such impohtant holidaze befoh.
Mr. Chompy's Chewed-up Squeaky Kitty Toy Why is dis holiday so importint' ta you guys? 'Sup wid dis?



Diablito Sucio y Wooden Kuna Doll Si. ¿Es este fiesta más importante qué la Día de Independencia de España? ¿Por qué?
Mr. Chompy's Chewed-up Squeaky Kitty Toy Yeah, I'm wunderin' 'bout dis, too. Is dis anuver one of yer Gringo "weah betteah dan you" tings?
Gallito Mescalito ¡Shriek!
Los Juegetes de los estados unidos No! It's just different!!!
Red Mr. Peanut Bank No, no, no! It's not more important than Panamanian holidays; it's just different. It is an important holiday to the Lovely Mona and Padre and their extended family and the estadoünidense toys and knick-knacks because they like the idea of taking one specific day to thank God for their many blessings, and because it is an important part of the mythology of the U.S.A., not that Padre and the Lovely Mona buy the myth (although they both have family members who are participants in the story!).
Las Jugetes Panamañas What is the myth? Tell us, TELL US!!!



Red Mr. Peanut Bank Well, it all started with the Puritans Pilgrims and their search for a land in which they could oppress others find religious freedom. . .

Announcer We'll return to It's A Red Mr. Peanut Bank and Gallito Mescalto Thanksgiving, Charlie Brown! right after this Important Message.



Before the break which was guaranteed to offend EVERYONE!, Red Mr. Peanut Bank promised to tell Padre Mickey's twisted, totally warped enlightened version of the Myth of the First Thanksgiving. As we would never want a toy bank to go back on Padre's its word, we now present Padre Mickey's Dance Party's Friday Red Mr. Peanut Bank and Gallito Mescalito Blogging Players in The First Thanksgiving

Narrator Once upon a time, several centuries ago, there was a group living in England, who, having been driven insane by the more fringe elements of the Protestant Reformation, decided that everyone in England must believe as did they, be as pure as were they, and be just as grumpy. They were known as Puritans The majority of Believers in England disagreed, and made life even more miserable for these folks, until they finally left England for the Netherlands, where, soon tiring of a diet of chocolate, edam, and tulips, they made their way to The New World to make life miserable for Padre Mickey's relatives. Europe's favorite population decimator, small pox, had already cleared the way for the Pilgrims (as they were now called) so that there was plenty of room! Landing in an area they named Plymouth, after the place from which they had been evicted, their leader gave thanks to God. . .

Red Mr. Peanut Bank Now thank we all our God, with hearts and hands and voices, that we have arrived safely in this heathen, yet almost empty land, where we are free to worship God in our own manner, and may make sure that everyone else worships God in our own manner, too!
Other Pilgrims Amen!


Narrator The Pilgrims soon met the indigenous inhabitants of the land. . .

Chompy's Chewed-up Squeaky Kitty Toy Hey dere, peoples wut don' look nuffin' like us! Watcha up to?
Red Mr. Peanut Bank We are the Pilgrims, and we have come to this nearly empty land to live in peace and worship our God in our own manner. We are trying to plant our crops. And what is your name, almost naked guy? And why are you wearing that feather?
Chompy's Chewed-up Squeaky Kitty Toy My name is Tisquantum, but you kin' call me Squanto. An' I weahs a feddah cuz it looks much coolah dan dat ting on toppa yer head! Uhm, ya know, dem seeds won't grow in dis climate.



Miss Egyptian Hippo of Love And how did you learn our tongue? Hast the Holy Spirit descended upon you to give you this gift? I doubt it, you being such a heathen savage!
Chompy's Chewed-up Squeaky Kitty Toy No, no Espíritu Santo. Sum sumbich white guy captured me and my friends Manida, Skidwarres, Nahanada and Assacumet a while back n' dragged us kickin' an screamin' in a big nasty boat to your pitiful island and taught us yer funny langige. But, like I sed, dem seeds won't grow in dis climate. . .
Miss Egyptian Hippo of Love Sir, these are the seeds our God commanded us to bring and plant!
Chompy's Chewed-up Squeaky Kitty Toy Well, dat's too bad 'cuz dey ain't gunna woik heah. Hey! Massasoit! Go grab some maize and some fish. Let's show dese rubes howta do it, or dey gonna starve and be botherin' us all wintah for food!


Narrator And so Squanto and Massasoit and their people taught the Pilgrims how to plant corn and squash and pole beans and which nuts were safe to eat. . .

Mighty Moose of Vermont See, you dig a little hole,put a dead fishy in it, place a kernel of maize on top of the dead fishy, then cover it all up; make a little hill. Then move over about eight inches and do it again.
¡El Penguino! 'sup with the dead fishy?
Mighty Moose of Vermont It fertilizes the maize so you get a nice, big, healthy plant. And it's not as nasty as that manure your people use!
¡El Penguino! Heh! You savage! Poop is great!
Mighty Moose of Vermont Yeah. Sure. So, why aren't you wearing a hat with a buckle on it?
¡El Penguino! I AM wearing one. It's just so tiny you can't see it with your heathen eyes.
Mighty Moose of Vermont Oh-kay. So, dig another hole, take a dead fishy. . .


Narrator Eventually, the song of Harvest Home was raised, all was safely gathered in, ere the winter storms began, and the Pilgrims decided to thank the Lord of the Harvest with a feast. . .

Fuzzy Southern Mountain Moose An weyul invaht Squanto an' hiyus friens', too, as theyah wuah SUCH a biyguh haylp!
Red Mr. Peanut Bank That's a great idea. What will be the main course? We don't have any cattle for roast beef, and they eat venison all the time.
Gallito Mescalito Shrie--cough, cough--er, gobble gobble!
Fuzzy Southern Mountain Moose Hmm, thayut maht be reyul good!
Red Mr. Peanut Bank Er, how about pumpkin soup in the pumpkin? That could be Very Elegant!

Announcer: We interrupt this program for this important Breaking News!

Obama Outlines Moral, Philosophical Justifications For Turkey Pardon


Announcer And now, we return to It's A Red Mr. Peanut Bank and Gallito Mescalito Thanksgiving, Charlie Brown! already in progress. . .

¡El Toro! Yoohoo! Mr. Pavo!
Crocagator Heh Heh Heh Thanksgiving dinner.
Gallito Mescalito Gobble gobb--¡¡¡SSSSHHHHHRRRRRRIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEKKKKKK!!!




Red Mr. Peanut Bank Well, we're gathered together to ask the Lord's blessing, you at your table and we at ours, as we really can't be mixing with the likes of you. You know, He, the Lord, hastens and chastens, His will to make known!
Chompy's Chewed-up Squeaky Kitty Toy Really! Well, ya know, we gots a little diff'rint teolugie an' understandin' of da Great Spirit! Ya see, WE believes dat. . .
Red Mr. Peanut Bank No one wants to hear your heathen ideas! We came here to worship God in OUR OWN MANNER, and we expect everyone else to worship God in our own manner, too! Now eat your pumpkin soup!


Narrator' And everyone gave thanks to God, with heart and hands and voices, and ate and had a wonderful time.

Chompy's Chewed-up Squeaky Kitty Toy Well, dat was great! burp See ya next yeah!
Red Mr. Peanut Bank Don't count on it!




Miss Egyptian Hippo of Love What hath the Lord in store next for the Pilgrims in His Divine Plan?
Red Mr. Peanut Bank Well, we survived our first year and survived dinner with the Heathen Savages. Now it's time to get to work! Time to start taking their land and pushing their sorry heathen bottoms West until they can go West no further!




Gallito Mescalito Gobble Gobble!, er, ¡¡Shrrriiieeekk!!

Friday Random Top Ten

It's not on the list, but it IS part of any Important Thanksgiving Tradition!

Ya pushes "shuffle" and ya takes yer chances. . .

1. Dusk Genesis
2. Natural Beauty Neil Young
3. I'm Waiting To Run The Original Five Blind Boys
4. You'll Miss Me They Might Be Giants
5. Everything Merges With The Night Brian Eno
6. You've Got To Earn It The Staple Singers
7. Married Woman Lord Kitty
8. Knives Out Radiohead
9. Station To Station David Bowie
10. Surfer Joe The Surfaris

Weird list, eh? That's because the iTunes on the home computer is just a bit different than the one on the computer at the office. Kinda all over the place and only one song from the twenty-first century. I almost stopped with the Eno song as it is the favorite of the Lovely Mona and Padre Mickey. We gots Panamanian calypso and the Surfaris. I guess this is an eclectic list.

Watchoo listenin' to?

Thanksgiving Day in the U.S.A.

Well, it's Thanksgiving Day again, the only estadoünidense holiday the Lovely Mona and I still celebrate. We'll be having our extended family over for turkey and all the trimmins' (as the kids say) on Friday, as today is not a holiday in Panamá and everybody is working. Monday, however, is an official day off in honor of Día de Independencia de España, which actually takes place on Sunday. So it all works out! We still miss those who won't be at the table again; I give thanks for the friendship of both Janet and Elizabeth and really miss them both.

I'm thankful for so much, especially for the Dance Party community and all your support now and in the past. I'm thankful for all your thoughtful and clever comments and for meeting the East Coast Contingent earlier last year. I'm thankful that we got to meet so many blogger friends, and it's always good to see Matty Boy. I'm even thankful for FaceBook onnacounna I've found many old friends from the old days. It's been a tough year as we have been unsuccessful in finding a position in the U.S.A., but we're trusting that it is all in God's hands and we will share Thanksgiving next year with our biological fambly.

And now, the traditional and offical Dance Party Favorite Thanksgiving Day Message:

"You have taken the land which is rightfully ours. Years from now, my people will be forced to live in mobile homes on reservations. Your people will wear cardigans and drink highballs. We will sell our bracelets by the roadsides. You will play golf and enjoy hot hors d'oeuvres. My people will have pain and degradation. Your people will have stick shifts. The gods of my tribe have spoken. They have said, "Do not trust the pilgrims, especially Sarah Miller. And for all these reasons, I have decided to scalp you and burn your village to the ground."
Wednesday Addams in Addams' Family Values

Domingo Pasado en Parroquia San Cristóbal

We celebrated Harvest Thanksgiving/Christ the King on Sunday, November 21. The Altar Guild decorated the chancel with fresh vegetables and fruit, and we also had baskets of fruit and vegetables which were brought up to the altar with the gifts. It was a bilingual service, combining both the 7:30 and 10:30 services. We sang hymns in both languages, and finished the service with Crown Him With Many Crowns. If we were in the U.S.A. we'd celebrate Thanksgiving on Wednesday night or Thursday morning, but it isn't a holiday here in Panamá and everyone is at work on Wednesday and Thursday. The Lovely Mona and I will be celebrating Thanksgiving with our extended family on Friday evening, as it is easier to leave work early on Friday since Sunday is "Independence from Spain" day so we all get Monday off and leaving early on a long weekend is an honored tradition around the world!

After the service we had our Parish Thanksgiving luncheon, the first to be held in our new Parish Hall. I roasted one of the six turkeys consumed. As you can see, we had lots of food and lots of friends and family and lots and lots of fun! Here is photographic proof:
Saturday


Sunday!!

Feast of St. Clement of Rome, Bishop and Martyr

Almighty God, you chose your servant Clement of Rome to recall the Church in Corinth to obedience and stability: Grant that your Church may be grounded and settled in your truth by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit; reveal to it what is not yet known; fill up what is lacking; confirm what
has already been revealed; and keep it blameless in your service; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

As is often the case with these first-century saints, we do not know much about the life of Clement. Some of the ancient sources claim that he was a member of the family of T. Flavius Clemens, cousin of the Emperor Domatian, but most scholars in our time believe that he was actually an ex-slave of that household. Some sources, including Origen, believed that he is the person mentioned by St. Paul in Philippians 4:3 Yes, and I ask you also, my loyal companion, help these women, for they have struggled beside me in the work of the gospel, together with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are in the Book of Life. Clement's name does appear on the different lists of the Bishops of Rome, so it is safe to call him one of the Popes. Hegesippus, Irenaeus, and Jerome all list him as third after St. Peter, while Hippolytus and Augustine list him as second after St. Peter. Irenaeus of Lyon wrote that Clement saw the blessed Apostles and conversed with them, and had yet ringing in his ears the preaching of the Apostles and had their tradition before his eyes, and not he only for many were then surviving who had been taught by the Apostles. St. Epiphanius repeated a story about Clement being ordained by St. Peter and refusing the office of bishop at first: Whether he received episcopal ordination from Peter inthe life-time o the Apostles, and declined the office, for he says in one of his epistles, "I retire, I depart, let the people of God be in peace," (for we have found this set down in certain Memoirs), or whether he was appointed by the Bishop Cletus after he had succeeded the Apostles, we do not clearly know.

When we call Clement the Bishop of Rome, we must realize that the office was quite different than it is now. As far as we can tell, bishops who were sole rulers of the local congregation were not yet known in Rome; in fact, in his epistle,Clement seems to speak of bishops and presbyters, or priests, as if these were identical terms. There is another book written about the same time as his epistle, The Shepherd, by Hermas, which says that, of two copies of a certain vision One is to be sent to Clement and the other to Grapte; and Clement shall then send it to the cities abroad, for that is his business. It is possible that Clement was one of several leaders of the Church in Rome, and that he was in charge of relations with churches in other cities.

Most of what we know about Clement comes from an epistle he wrote to the Christians in Corinth around the year 96. There are some other writings attributed to him, but most sources, including Eusebius, do not believe that he wrote anything other than the one epistle. If Clement was in charge of relations with churches in other cities, it makes sense that he would write to the Christians in Corinth. The reason for his letter was that the feuds and dissensions which had threatened the unity of the Christian community in Corinth during Paul's time had reappeared a generation later. Some of the younger hot-heads had risen up against their lawfully appointed presbyters and ran them out of office! According to others, the deposed ministers had always performed their duties without reproach and were good leaders of their communities, but I guess they were not doing things the way these younger men thought things should be done. It is quite possible that the dispute was more personal than doctrinal and it may have been the action of an insubordinate minority who resent the authority of their seniors. Clement denounced the handful of individuals as the troublemakers, but he included the entire Corinthian church in his criticism. He asserted that, as a result of their material prosperity, the Corinthian Church had become swollen with pride, and that this had given rise to the present jealousy, strife and disorder. In the epistle, Clement gives an account of salvation history and he also speaks of the importance of authority and respect for those whom God has put in authority. He explains the authority of bishops. and he also explains the importance of a clergy who serve both God and God's people, the Church. It was Clement's great hope that his epistle would induce the erring sheep of Corinth to repent of their pride, learn the grace of humility and find their way back to the peace and unity of Christian brotherhood. He quotes the Hebrew scriptures (which were the only scriptures of the Church at that time) throughout the epistle, although it can be confusing since he strings quotations from different books together so that it seems as if the come from the same source. The Epistle of Clement was widely known and held in very great esteem by those of the early Church. It was publicly read in numerous churches and regarded as scripture in some communities.

There is an apocryphal Acts of St. Clement in Greek. It relates how Clement converted Theodora, wife of Sisinnius, a courtier of Nerva, and after performing numerous miracles, he converted Sisinnius and four hundred and twenty-three other persons of high and noble rank. The Emperor Trajan heard of the conversions and banished Clement to the Crimea, where he quenched the thirst of two thousand Christians with a water miracle. The entire country was converted and seventy-five churches were built. This upset Trajan so much that he ordered Clement to be arrested. Clement was chained to an iron anchor and thrown into the sea, where he received the Crown of Martyrdom. Yet every year, the tide receded two miles, revealing a shrine built by angels which housed Clement's bones. In the year 868, St. Cyril (of Cyril and Methodius fame) passed through Crimea, and he dug up some bones from a mound, where he also found an anchor; he believed that these were the relics of St. Clement. These relics are now in the altar of St. Clement's Church in Rome.

The following is a prayer from Clement's epistle: Teach us, O Lord, to hope in your Name, which is the source and fount of all creation. Open the eyes of our hearts to know you, who alone are Highest amid the highest, and ever abides Holy amidst the holy. You bring down the haughtiness of the proud, and scatter the devices of the people. You set up the lowly on high, and you cast down the lofty. Riches and poverty, death and life, are in your hand; you alone are the discerner of every spirit and the God of all flesh. Your eyes behold the depths and survey the works of humanity, you are the aid of those in peril the Savour of those who despair, the creator and overseer of everything that has breath. By you the nations of the earth are increased; and from humanity you have chose out such as love you through your dear child Jesus Christ, by whom you have taught us and raise us to sanctification and honor. Grant us, O Lord, your help and protection. Deliver the afflicted, pity the lowly, raise the fallen, reveal yourself to the needy, heal the sick and bring home your wandering people. Feed the hungry, ransom the captive, support the weak, comfort the faint-hearted. Let all the nations of the earth know that you are God alone, that Jesus Christ is your child, and that we are your people and the sheep of your pasture. . .

November 22, 1963

Today is the 47th anniversary of the assassination of president John F. Kennedy, and there appears to be a few mentions of this fact today, which is much better than what happened on the 45th anniversary of his murder. I read an article by Mrs. Kennedy's Secret Service person and there was mention of the fact on NPR this morning. For many of us of a Certain Age ahem! this was a defining moment in our lives, but nowadays the anniversary slips by with little comment.

For me, November 22, 1963 was really November 23, 1963, due to the International Date Line. I was in the third grade at Okinawa Christian School. My friend, Michael Bennett, the Nazarene missionary kid, had spent the night. Our house had a small apartment attached, and so Michael and I spent the night in there, up half the night laughing and making third grader type jokes (waddaya mean, I still do those, Grandmère Mimi?). One of the ways we entertained ourselves that evening was mocking a photograph of President Kennedy making a speech; he was pointing in to the crowd, and we had him saying silly things. Eventually, we went to sleep.

Early the next morning, as we were enjoying our breakfast of Rice Krispies and planing the day, my mother came and knocked on the apartment door. We opened the door, and she came in, sat down at the table and said, "I want you boys to be kind of quiet today and not run all over the neighborhood. Something very bad happened last night and you need to keep it down." We asked what happened, and she said, "Some body killed President Kennedy last night." Then she left. Michael and I just looked at each other in disbelief. Being the children of Evangelical Missionaries, and going to a school where we had an hour of Bible Class every morning, taught with a strong dose of Evangelical Protestant theology, which had convinced my nine-year-old self that God would punish people for any mistake, whether they knew they had messed-up or not, we knew that we were in big trouble. I was pretty sure that God was punishing us for making fun of the president the night before (just a LITTLE egocentric, eh?). I'm not sure if Michael Bennett carried the same guilt, but he seemed to be as troubled as I.

I remember my parents and other missionaries having discussions about the assassination for the next few days, and my father was convinced it was a conspiracy. I remember going with him to Ft. Buckner, one of the large U.S. military bases on the island to watch the flag, which was flying at half-mast, come down and listening to the bugler sound To the Colours and then Taps. I remember how sad everyone was: estadoünidense, Okinawans, Chinese, Japanese, Indians, Fillipinos, everyone I knew. And I remember how this event seem to affect everything for years afterwards.

President John F. Kennedy was assassinated forty-seven years ago today, and this year there is some acknowledgment this tragic moment in history. Many of the readers here are around the same age as me; share your memories in the comments if you feel so inclined.

Feast of St. Cecilia, Martyr

Today is the feast of St. Cecilia, a young woman who was martyred in Rome around the year 230. She is the patron saint of musicians because, according to the Acts of Cecilia, she heard heavenly music on her way to her wedding. She was one of the most venerated martyrs of the Ancient Church and her feast has been celebrated in the Roman Church since the fourth century. The Acts of Cecilia was written in the fifth century, and its text was the basis for the version in the Golden Legend, a collection of the lives of saints written in the thirteenth century. What follows is my retelling of the story of Cecilia according to the version of the tale in the Golden Legend.

St. Cecilia was born of noble Roman lineage. Her parents were Christians and Cecilia was baptized as a baby. She “fostered and nourished the faith of Christ from the time she lay in her cradle,” she kept the gospel in her heart and said prayers day and night. At an early age she dedicated herself to remain a virgin. Her parents arranged a marriage with a young man named Valerian even though he was not a Christian. When the day of her wedding came, she heard heavenly music and sang in her soul, “O Lord, I pray that my heart and body may remain pure so that I may not be confused or perplexed.” That night, when she and Valerian retired to the Wedding Chamber, she said, “My sweet, beloved husband. I have a secret to tell you. Promise that you will tell no one what I am about to share with you.” Valerian was curious and promised to tell no one. Cecilia said, “I have an angel that loves me and protects my body whether I am asleep or awake. I have dedicated myself to be a virgin for the glory of God, and I am afraid that if you try to take my virginity the angel will kill you. But if you promise to love me only in a holy and pure manner, he will love you as I love you and will protect you, too.” Well, as one might expect, this wasn’t exactly what Valerian wanted to hear on his wedding night, and he said, “If you want me to believe this, I will have to see this angel. And if it turns out that there is no angel and that you love someone else, I swear that I will kill both you and your lover with my own sword!” Cecilia said, “If you believe and are baptized, you will see the angel.” She then told Valerian to to the Via Appia, three miles outside of Rome. There he would see the Bishop of Rome, Pope Urban, working with the poor and the sick. Valerian was to tell the pope what Cecilia said and listen to the pope, and if he believed what Pope Urban said, be baptized. Valerian followed instructions, and Pope Urban was happy to talk with him and baptize him. Pope Urban said, "One God, one faith, one baptism, one God and father of all, above all, and in us all, everywhere. Do you believe this?” Valerian responded, “There is nothing truer under heaven!” and was baptized. Then he returned to Cecilia and the Wedding Chamber. When he entered the Wedding Chamber he saw Cecilia talking with an angel. The angel had two crowns of roses and lilies. He gave one to Cecilia and one to Valerian and said, “Keep these crowns with a pure and undefiled body for I have brought them from Paradise and they will never fade or lose their scent or wither. They can only be seen by those who live chaste and pure lives. And because you listened and followed Cecilia’s wise counsel, what ever you wish shall be granted to you, Valerian.” Valerian told the angel, “There is no one in this world more dear to me than my brother, and I want him to know the truth of the gospel, too.” The angel replied, “Your petition pleases our Lord, and you both will come to him by the palm of martyrdom.” A few days later, Tyburtius, Valerian’s brother, came to visit the newlyweds. He was amazed because he smelled roses and lilies but didn’t see any in the room. Valerian told him that he and Cecilia had crowns of flowers which he couldn’t see, but if he believed he would see them, and he then preached the gospel to his brother. Tyburtius was converted that day and baptized by Pope Urban. After that he saw angels everyday and was constantly blessed by God.
Almachius, provost of Rome, was persecuting Christians and many were being executed for refusing to offer incense to the image of Jupiter. Valerian and Tyburtius were burying the martyrs and giving their goods to the poor. Word of their activities spread throughout the city, and Almachius had them called before him and ordered them to sacrifice to the image of Jupiter. They refused and were condemned to be beheaded. They were taken four miles outside of the city and beheaded, and Cecilia took their bodies and buried them. The man who arrested them, Maximus, was converted by their preaching. He went home and preached to his household and friends, and they, too were converted. Cecilia came to his house with priests and all were baptized. When Almachius heard that Maximus had converted and was baptized, he had Maximus beaten with whips with lead tips until he died. Cecilia took Maximus’ body and buried it with Valerian and Tyburtius. When Almachius heard of Cecilia’s activities, he had her arrested, too. She was brought to court, where she preached to the judges and lawyers. She converted them all to the faith, and they were crying to think that such a beautiful young woman should be condemned to death. She said to them, “Oh you good young men, I will not lose my youth, but change it into something more valuable, like changing clay into gold or a dirty place into a beautiful, clean palace. God will reward a hundred fold for one small gift of life. Do you believe what I have said?” They all answered, “We believe Christ to be very God and you are his servant.” Then Pope Urban was called and four hundred people were baptized that day! Almachius had Cecilia brought before him and questioned her, but she showed him no respect at all. He said, “Do you realize what power I have?” She replied, “Your power is nothing to fear, it is like a bladder full of wind which disappears when pricked with a needle and never meant anything to anyone.” He said, “I have the power to have you executed. Now sacrifice to Jupiter.” She refused, of course, and was condemned to death. Cecilia was taken home and condemned to be suffocated in her bath; the heat was turned up to its highest level, and should have suffocated her, but when the soldiers came in hoping to find her lifeless body, the room was cool and comfortable and she was quite alive. Almachius then ordered that she be beheaded in her bathroom. The executioner struck her neck three times with his sword but was unable to behead her. He left her there in her own blood, half alive and half dead, for three days. She continued to preach and made arrangements that all her goods go to the poor. She sent many people to Pope Urban to be baptized, saying, “ I asked God to let me live three more days so that I could commend these souls to you and ask that my house be used as a church.” Then she died and Pope Urban and the deacons took her body and buried her among the bishops and consecrated her house to be used as a church.

Sometimes it is difficult to prove that some of the martyrs of the Early Church actually existed, they are often simply a name on a martyrology, or list of martyrs. Cecilia Valerian, and Tyburtius’ names all appear in the Martyrologium Hieronymianum of Rome. It appears that her house actually was made into a church; records show that the building known as the church of St. Cecilia belonged to Gens Caecilia (Cecilia’s Family) and was donated to the church in Rome. So although the story from The Golden Legend contains elements which are difficult to believe, especially that a heterosexual man would agree to a marriage like that of Cecilia and Valerian, and while the angel seems more like a genie than a divine messenger, there is a good chance that there really was a Cecilia, Valerian, and Tyburtius. St. Cecilia was a young woman totally dedicated to Christ and the Church. The threat of death did not stop her from doing the work of the gospel, and even with her dying breath she gave all she had to the Lord. That is why she was held in such high esteem by Christians from the fifth century through the Middle Ages and that is why we remember her and her witness today.

Lord of mercy, be close to those who call upon you, with Saint Cecilia to help us hear and answer our prayers. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

We'll Advise You. . .

And you thought I didn't know about your "stickiness."

Friday Random Top Ten

Ya pushes "shuffle" and ya takes yer chances. . .

1. Are You Sure? The Staples Singers
2. The Passenger Iggy Pop
3. We Travel The Spaceways Sun-Ra and His Arkestra
4. Love For Tender Elvis Costello and the Attractions
5. Kal Ho Naa Ho Sonu Nigam
6. Airport The Motors
7. Shrivel-Up DEVO
8. Bride of the Raindogs Tom Waits
9. Hypnotist of Ladies They Might Be Giants
10. Jocko Homo DEVO

Sorry that I'm so late posting this, but it's been one of those long days. I officiated at a funeral at San Cristóbal, but the burial was at Corazól, and with the terrible traffic I didn't get back to the church until after 2:00 pm (the funeral was at 10:00am)!

Wow! I really like this list! Only one song from the Twenty-first century (Kal Ho Naa Ho), and that's problematic since I don't like these lists being so obviously from some old guy's iTunes thang, but all the songs are really great, PLUS we gots the double-DEVO action, and ya just can't go wrong with DEVO. The amazing Sun-Ra and His Arkestra make their first appearance on the list, even though they've been floating about on my iTunes thang for years. AND we gots videos for every freakin' song!!

And since ya'll been so good, here's the Jocko Homo video! Vintage DEVO!

So, watchoo listenin' to?
UPDATE UPDATE!!!
Okay kids, here's the DEVO appearance on Saturday Night Live back in 1978 which changed my life! Enjoy!!

Link:

Tuesday Miss Bebé, The World's Most Beautiful Granchile™ Blogging