tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-369142082024-03-13T18:13:30.125-05:00Padre Mickey's Dance PartyRantings and Ravings and the Occasional Sane Comment of a priest blogging from the Global Center. I have a camera and I'm not afraid to use it! Now with Lovely Mona!!Padre Mickeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07580459577853346369noreply@blogger.comBlogger3074125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36914208.post-38022508900545793252023-12-23T18:20:00.000-05:002023-12-23T18:20:06.699-05:00The Red Mr. Peanut Bank and Gallito Mescalito Christmas Special, all in ONE POST this year!!<p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 11px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p><br /></p>Some may doubt this, but we here are the Dance Party are Traditionalists. We are Traditionalists in as far as we have our traditions, sacred traditions, sacred, secret traditions, which you can't learn until you've <s>lived through</s> passed the <s>hazing ritual</s> super fun initiation joke.<br /><br />We also believe in establishing new, improved traditions. Yes, we are the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/New-Traditionalists-Devo/dp/B000784WOA">New Traditionalists</a>. If one lives in the U.S.A., one can not turn on the Television Receiver Machine without seeing traditional Television programs: The Peanuts Christmas Special, The Pee-Wee Herman Christmas Special, How The Grinch Stole Christmas, Frosty the Snowman, Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer, Bad Santa, <s>Naughty Edy the Elf Does the North Pole</s>, and, the classic It's A Hanukkah Christmas This Kawnzaa, Charlie Brown! We, the management and staff of Padre Mickey's Dance Party, present our lovely holiday tradition: the Red Mr. Peanut Bank and Gallito Mescalito Christmas Pageant Posts. Heck, we figure there must be at least three of you Gentle Readers who missed this last year. Plus, isn't if great to see Bunrab, the Filthiest Toy in the House looking so plump and un-simian or un-chickie like? Of course it is! So, may you all be touched with the Holiday Spirit of over-eating, drinking to excess, insane materialism, and parump-a-pum-pum! Also, instead of running this thang for three weeks, we're going for ONE LARGE POST this year, so, good for us! ¡Desfrutalo! Also, the Red Mr. Peanut Bank and Gallito Mescalito Christmas Special was created long ago when yer Padre was in Panama, so there will probably be Panamanian references. LIVE WITH THEM!<br /><br /><a href="http://bp3.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R1nfvikKHsI/AAAAAAAAEjk/G0GqS_wHnoI/s1600-h/The+Boys.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5141386457445441218" src="https://bp3.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R1nfvikKHsI/AAAAAAAAEjk/G0GqS_wHnoI/s320/The+Boys.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank</i> Hello, Gallito Mescalito; how are things?<br /><i>Gallito Mescalito</i> ¡Shriek! Shrieky-shrieky-shriek.<br /><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank</i> Well, I've noticed that, too, but you know how Padre feels about Advent.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R1nfvykKHtI/AAAAAAAAEjs/gP_l7CI9LwM/s1600-h/Advent+Wreath.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5141386461740408530" src="https://bp0.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R1nfvykKHtI/AAAAAAAAEjs/gP_l7CI9LwM/s320/Advent+Wreath.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><i>Gallito Mescalito</i> ¡Shriek! ¡Shrriieekk!<br /><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank</i> That's right. He doesn't care what the rest of the neighborhood is doing; he only wants an Advent Wreath right now.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://bp2.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R1nfwSkKHuI/AAAAAAAAEj0/2jGw1ZXLOZU/s1600-h/with+decoration1.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5141386470330343138" src="https://bp2.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R1nfwSkKHuI/AAAAAAAAEj0/2jGw1ZXLOZU/s320/with+decoration1.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><i>Gallito Mescalito</i> ¡Shriek!<br /><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank</i> Where did that Christmas decoration come from?<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://bp2.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R1nfwSkKHvI/AAAAAAAAEj8/acl6hbJSloQ/s1600-h/with+decoration2.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5141386470330343154" src="https://bp2.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R1nfwSkKHvI/AAAAAAAAEj8/acl6hbJSloQ/s320/with+decoration2.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><i>Gallito Mescalito</i> ¡Shriek!<br /><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank</i> And that! Where did that reindeer come from?<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://bp3.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R1nfgikKHpI/AAAAAAAAEjM/CxO8amCRJDY/s1600-h/with+decoration+3.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5141386199747403410" src="https://bp3.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R1nfgikKHpI/AAAAAAAAEjM/CxO8amCRJDY/s320/with+decoration+3.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><i>Gallito Mescalito</i> ¡¡SHRRIIIEEEEKKK!!<br /><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank</i> AAARRRGGGHH! Where did YOU come from¨_<br /><i>TP Roll Santa</i> Ho! Ho! Ho! Happy Advent!<br /><i>Gallito Mescalito</i> ¡Shriek!<br /><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank</i> You need to get out of here for a few weeks!<br /><i>TP Roll Santa</i> Ho! Ho! Ho!<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://bp3.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R1nfhikKHqI/AAAAAAAAEjU/7orl9Qrd1YA/s1600-h/with+cat.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5141386216927272610" src="https://bp3.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R1nfhikKHqI/AAAAAAAAEjU/7orl9Qrd1YA/s320/with+cat.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><i>Mr. Chompy's Chewed-up Squeaky Kitty Toy</i> Hey, Bank. Hey, Boid. 'sup?<br /><i>Gallito Mescalito</i> ¡Shriek!<br /><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank</i> Oh, hello, Cat! We were discussing the season.<br /><i>Mr. Chompy's Chewed-up Squeaky Kitty Toy</i> I see dat da neighbohs all gots dere lights and trees up! An' as always, we only gots dat wreath.<br /><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank</i> Well, we just chased the TP Santa away!<br /><i>Mr. Chompy's Chewed-up Squeaky Kitty Toy</i> Well, can't we have jus' a lil' decarashun?<br /><i>Gallito Mescalito</i> ¡Shriek!<br /><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank</i> Okay. I'll put up the Nacimiento Mola.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://bp3.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R1nfhikKHrI/AAAAAAAAEjc/wbOSsF7HmYc/s1600-h/with+hippo.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5141386216927272626" src="https://bp3.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R1nfhikKHrI/AAAAAAAAEjc/wbOSsF7HmYc/s320/with+hippo.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><i>Gallito Mescalito</i> ¡Shriek!<br /><i>Mr. Chompy's Chewed-up Squeaky Kitty Toy</i> Cool!<br /><i>Miss Egyptian Hippo of Love</i> Hi boys. Nice backdrop!<br /><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank</i> Hello, Miss Egyptian Hippo of Love! We've been discussing the season.<br /><i>Miss Egyptian Hippo of Love</i> And Padre Mickey's obsession with Advent?<br /><i>Gallito Mescalito</i> ¡Shriek!<br /><i>Mr. Chompy's Chewed-up Squeaky Kitty Toy</i> Yup!<br /><i>Miss Egyptian Hippo of Love</i> Say, Red Mr. Peanut Bank, the doggy toys have been talking with me, as well as the rest of the cast, and they want to put on a Christmas Pageant. Would you supervise?<br /><i>Gallito Mescalito</i> ¡Shriek!<br /><i>Mr. Chompy's Chewed-up Squeaky Kitty Toy</i> Yeah!<br /><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank</i> A Christmas Pageant!?! Well, I suppose so.<br /><i>Gallito Mescalito</i> ¡Shriek! ¡Shrriieekk!<br /><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank</i> I'm sorry, Gallito Mescalito; there's no way on earth you could be the Narrator! Maybe you can be Gabriel...<br /><i>Mr. Chompy's Chewed-up Squeaky Kitty Toy</i> I WANNA BE AN ANGEL!!!<br /><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank</i> You look more like a shepherd to me; the Chief Shepherd, but a shepherd nonetheless!<br /><i>Miss Egyptian Hippo of Love</i> Er, I think I'l go tell the others that you are casting right now.<br /><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank</i> Okay. Thank you, Miss Egyptian Hippo of Love.<br /><i>Gallito Mescalito</i> ¡Shriek!<br /><i>Mr. Chompy's Chewed-up Squeaky Kitty Toy</i> I know wut yoo means. A shepherd anna angel. Wut's he tinkin'?<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R1neoCkKHlI/AAAAAAAAEis/V8X5ap2gTL0/s1600-h/moose+and+penquin.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5141385229084794450" src="https://bp1.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R1neoCkKHlI/AAAAAAAAEis/V8X5ap2gTL0/s320/moose+and+penquin.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><i>Mighty Moose of Vermont and El Penguino</i> Hi, Everybody!<br /><i>Everybody</i> Hi, guys!<br /><i>Mighty Moose of Vermont</i> We hear that there may be a Christmas Pageant and we want to participate.<br /><i>Mr. Chompy's Chewed-up Squeaky Kitty Toy</i> Hey, Moose! You can be a cow at da manger!<br /><i>Miss Egyptian Hippo of Love</i> And El Penguino can be the Baby Jesus!<br /><i>El Penguino</i> ¿El Divino Niño? ¡PORfaVOR!<br /> <i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank</i> Well, we're still casting. Don't worry.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://bp2.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R1neoSkKHmI/AAAAAAAAEi0/QejnQZ77fQY/s1600-h/magi.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5141385233379761762" src="https://bp2.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R1neoSkKHmI/AAAAAAAAEi0/QejnQZ77fQY/s320/magi.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><i>Diablito Sucio y ¡El Toro!</i> ¡El Tres Reyes! ¡EL TRES REYES!<br /><i>Squeaky Gorilla</i> Yeah, we wanna be the Free Kings! , <i>skeek</i><br /><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank</i> I'm sorry, but this is a Christmas Pageant. The Three Kings appear at the Epiphany Pageant. What is that noise?<br /><i>Squeaky Gorilla</i> Sheesh! <i>skeek</i> You sure are strict!<i>skeek</i> What noise?<i>skeek</i><br /><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank</i> THAT NOISE! Look, you guys are going to be shepherds. The Wise Men show up at another pageant.<br /><i>Diablito Sucio y ¡El Toro!</i> ¿Pastores? ¡Está Bién! <br /><i>Squeaky Gorilla</i> Okay<i>skeek</i> We'll be shepherds. <i>skeek</i> But keep us in mind for the Epiphany Pageant! <i>skeek</i><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://bp3.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R1neoikKHnI/AAAAAAAAEi8/kGWeAPaN41s/s1600-h/BVMs.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5141385237674729074" src="https://bp3.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R1neoikKHnI/AAAAAAAAEi8/kGWeAPaN41s/s320/BVMs.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank</i> Hello, Ladies! I suppose you both want to be the Blessed Virgin?<br /><i>Wooden Kuna Doll</i> Si, Señor.<br /><i>Miss Egyptian Hippo of Love</i> That's right, pal. And you'd best make the CORRECT decision!<br /><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank</i> Give me a few days, ladies; give me a few days!<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://bp3.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R1neWikKHiI/AAAAAAAAEiU/vOraGu1VjPE/s1600-h/Angels.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5141384928437083682" src="https://bp3.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R1neWikKHiI/AAAAAAAAEiU/vOraGu1VjPE/s320/Angels.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><i>Telly Tubbies</i> Wanna be in show! Wanna be in show!<br /><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank</i> Sure, no problem. You four will be angels.<br /><i>Telly Tubbies</i> Yay! Big Hug!<br /><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank</i> Sheesh!<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R1neXCkKHjI/AAAAAAAAEic/CrCbf-MWRiY/s1600-h/Gabriel.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5141384937027018290" src="https://bp1.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R1neXCkKHjI/AAAAAAAAEic/CrCbf-MWRiY/s320/Gabriel.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><i>Guatemalan Apocalyptic Angel</i> Hi! I want to be a shepherd!<br /><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank</i> Really? I thought that you would be Michael, the Commander of the Heavenly Host, Praising God and saying: Glory to God!<br /><i>Guatemalan Apocalyptic Angel</i> But I want to be a shepherd. Or a sheep! Or even a donkey!<br /><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank</i> Well, let me think about this...<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R1nfHykKHoI/AAAAAAAAEjE/jk4t8ui7E4Q/s1600-h/santa.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5141385774545641090" src="https://bp0.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R1nfHykKHoI/AAAAAAAAEjE/jk4t8ui7E4Q/s320/santa.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><i>Toilet Paper Roll Santa</i> Ho! Ho! Ho! I want to be Joseph!<br /><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank</i> No! No! No! You won't be in this pageant!<br /><i>Toilet Paper Roll Santa</i> Darn! Darn! Darn!<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R1neXCkKHkI/AAAAAAAAEik/Em-oXv8YShI/s1600-h/Bunrab.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5141384937027018306" src="https://bp1.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R1neXCkKHkI/AAAAAAAAEik/Em-oXv8YShI/s320/Bunrab.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank</i> Bunrab! So good to see you! Are you willing to be in our Christmas Pageant?<br /><i>Bunrab, the Filthiest Toy in the House</i> Yes. I'd love a part if you can spare one.<br /><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank</i> I think that you would be great as the Narrator. Also, would you be willing to help me write the script?<br /><i>Bunrab, the Filthiest Toy in the House</i> Sure! Hey, I think the rooster should play Joseph!<br /><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank</i> Really? Why?<br /><i>Bunrab, the Filthiest Toy in the House</i> Because the Holy Family doesn't have any lines! It'll be great!<br /><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank</i> We have a week ahead of us!<br /><br />Will the casting make sense? Will a terrible fight break out between Wooden Kuna Doll and Miss Egyptian Hippo of Love? Will the Pageant include all of Mary Sue's favorite Christmas Carols? Can we drag this out for a few more days? Tune in tomorrow, hopefully, for answers to all these questions!!!
<p> </p><i>As you recall, last <s>week</s> yesterday the Dance Party Players asked Red Mr. Peanut Bank to help them put on a Christmas Pageant. Our story continues.....</i><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R2MeTy6c53I/AAAAAAAAEqM/rrmM022sYQY/s1600-h/peanut+nacimiento.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5143988524820522866" src="https://bp0.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R2MeTy6c53I/AAAAAAAAEqM/rrmM022sYQY/s320/peanut+nacimiento.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank</i> I love to walk the neighborhood and see all the nacimientos on display. Yikes! That reminds me! I wonder how the Dance Party Christmas Pageant is coming along?<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://bp2.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R2MeUS6c54I/AAAAAAAAEqU/dfkZLzyS-YI/s1600-h/bunrabwrites.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5143988533410457474" src="https://bp2.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R2MeUS6c54I/AAAAAAAAEqU/dfkZLzyS-YI/s320/bunrabwrites.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><i>Bunrab, the Filthiest Toy in the House</i> Hmmm... Και ποιμενες ησαν εν χωρα τη . . .<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://bp2.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R2MeDS6c50I/AAAAAAAAEp0/IBLGGMj5ynY/s1600-h/bankbook.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5143988241352681282" src="https://bp2.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R2MeDS6c50I/AAAAAAAAEp0/IBLGGMj5ynY/s320/bankbook.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank</i> Wow! That's some funny writing. What's going on here?<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://bp2.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R2Mf8S6c55I/AAAAAAAAEqc/KZaWT86g9Ho/s1600-h/bank+n+bunrab.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5143990320116852626" src="https://bp2.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R2Mf8S6c55I/AAAAAAAAEqc/KZaWT86g9Ho/s320/bank+n+bunrab.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><i>Bunrab, the Filthiest Toy in the House</i> Hello, Red Mr. Peanut Bank! How are you?<br /><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank</i> Fine, thanks. And you? And what are these books?<br /><i>Bunrab, the Filthiest Toy in the House</i> I'm fine. I'm exploring the ancient texts to write the script for the Christmas Pageant.<br /><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank</i> How's it coming along?<br /><i>Bunrab, the Filthiest Toy in the House</i> Well, My Hebrew is terrible but my Greek is okay, so I think I'll have it ready by rehearsal. Have you decided who will play the Baby Jesus?<br /><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank</i> No, not yet. Well, I think I'll leave you alone to work.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://bp3.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R2MeDi6c52I/AAAAAAAAEqE/MnCUxkOyI-o/s1600-h/bank+n+girls.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5143988245647648610" src="https://bp3.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R2MeDi6c52I/AAAAAAAAEqE/MnCUxkOyI-o/s320/bank+n+girls.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank</i> Buenas tardes.<br /><i>Wooden Kuna Doll</i> Buenas tardes, Señor Mani Rojo.<br /><i>Miss Egyptian Hippo of Love</i> Buenas tardes, Red Mr. Peanut Bank. We're studying this icon of the Blessed Virgin and the Holy Child. As you know, we both want to play the BVM in the pageant. Have you made a decision on the part yet?<br /><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank</i> Well, no. I hope you will both audition tomorrow.<br /><i>Wooden Kuna Doll</i> ¡Sí, Señor!<br /><i>Miss Egyptian Hippo of Love</i> You know we'll be there. Hey, who's going to play the Baby Jesus? The only one around here who looks like the Baby Jesus in that icon is that red Telly Tubbie!<br /><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank</i> I don't know. Well, good to see you both!<br /><i>Wooden Kuna Doll</i> Adios, Señor Mani Rojo.<br /><i>Miss Egyptian Hippo of Love</i> Ciao, babe!<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R2MduC6c5xI/AAAAAAAAEpc/tTK6r4AyPRA/s1600-h/bank+n+critters.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5143987876280461074" src="https://bp1.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R2MduC6c5xI/AAAAAAAAEpc/tTK6r4AyPRA/s320/bank+n+critters.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank</i> Hi fellas. What's going on here?<br /><i>El Penguino</i> Oh, hello, Red Mr. Peanut Bank! These guys are all deciding who will be a cow and who will be a sheep.<br /><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank</i> Who will be what?<br /><i>El Penguino</i> They've decided they'll arm wrestle. Loser is a cow. Or donkey.<br /><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank</i> Well, not that this isn't interesting, but I must run!<br /><i>Gallito Mescalito</i> ¿Shriek?<br /><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank</i> No, I don't know who will play the Baby Jesus yet. Maybe Poh.<br /><i>Gallito Mescalito</i> ¡SHRIEK!<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://bp2.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R2MduS6c5yI/AAAAAAAAEpk/Z9GS1uh9dsI/s1600-h/penguino1.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5143987880575428386" src="https://bp2.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R2MduS6c5yI/AAAAAAAAEpk/Z9GS1uh9dsI/s320/penguino1.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><i>El Penguino</i> This is terrible. I think I'll go help the angels.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://bp2.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R2MduS6c5zI/AAAAAAAAEps/uf4LSwaMkwo/s1600-h/bank+n+santa.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5143987880575428402" src="https://bp2.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R2MduS6c5zI/AAAAAAAAEps/uf4LSwaMkwo/s320/bank+n+santa.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank</i> Santa! What are <b>YOU</b> doing here? Shouldn't you be at the North Pole, or at least at the Mall?<br /><i>Santa</i> Well, since you won't let me play Joseph in the Christmas Pageant, I offered my help in making costumes. Plus, the elves have it under control at the North Pole, except for those Episcopal Elves who spend all their time doing that Terrible Version of the Macarena! And then there are those Fallen Elves who hang out at Kendall Harmon's place. But I digress. . . Look at all this fabric!<br /><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank</i> Do you know what you're doing?<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://bp3.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R2Mdei6c5uI/AAAAAAAAEpE/biKjfDSiUW0/s1600-h/santa.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5143987609992488674" src="https://bp3.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R2Mdei6c5uI/AAAAAAAAEpE/biKjfDSiUW0/s320/santa.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><i>Santa</i> Of course I do. Who the heck do you think made all those cute outfits for the elves? I've got a machine, I've got fabric, I've got a tape, and these costumes will be <b>FABULOUS!!!</b><br /><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank, off camera</i> Okay. If you can't trust Santa, who can you trust?<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://bp3.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R2Mdei6c5vI/AAAAAAAAEpM/FuDMjuCaSJM/s1600-h/sleeves.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5143987609992488690" src="https://bp3.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R2Mdei6c5vI/AAAAAAAAEpM/FuDMjuCaSJM/s320/sleeves.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><i>Mr. Chompy's Chewed-up Squeaky Kitty Toy</i> Mistah Sanna, sir. Dis sleeve is way too big!<br /><i>Santa</i> It's not done yet, silly! We just need to take it in a bit!<br /><i>Mr. Chompy's Chewed-up Squeaky Kitty Toy</i> But did da shepahds really weah dis color?<br /><i>Gallito Mescalito</i> Shriek! SHRIEEK!!<br /><i>Santa</i> What are you talking about, you silly rooster! You are a Vision in that fluffy cotton! Look, Kitty, you will be the most handsome Shepherd ever to hold a crook, and Rooster, you will be the cutest, fluffiest, and most lovable little lamb ever to see the Baby Jesus! Yes you will! You will!<br /><i>Mr. Chompy's Chewed-up Squeaky Kitty Toy</i> Say, who's gonna be da Baby Jeezus anyway?<br /><i>Santa</i> How would I know? But I'll bet it will be the sweetest little baby Jesus ever seen since the original!! Maybe it will be Poh!<br /><i>Gallito Mescalito</i> ¡SHRIEK!<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R2Mdey6c5wI/AAAAAAAAEpU/TPhiEmnsgME/s1600-h/dipsy+fly.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5143987614287456002" src="https://bp0.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R2Mdey6c5wI/AAAAAAAAEpU/TPhiEmnsgME/s320/dipsy+fly.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank</i> El Penguino, what is going on here?<br /><i>Dipsy</i> Woah! WOAH!<br /><i>El Penguino</i> Well, I thought I do some wire work with the angels<br /><i>La-la, Poh, and Tinky Winky</i> Dipsy fly! Dipsy fly!<br /><i>El Penguino</i> So, did you pick a Baby Jesus yet?<br /><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank</i> No, not yet. I don't know, this looks somewhat dangerous!<br /><i>Dipsy</i> Woah! WOOAAOOH!<br /><i>La-la, Poh, and Tinky Winky</i> Dipsy fly! Dipsy fly!<br /><i>El Penguino</i> Nah, don't worry. Everything will be fine!!<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R2MdLy6c5rI/AAAAAAAAEos/0g2byQ8Ui70/s1600-h/crash.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5143987287869941426" src="https://bp0.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R2MdLy6c5rI/AAAAAAAAEos/0g2byQ8Ui70/s320/crash.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><i>Gallito Mescalito</i> ¡SHRIEK!<br /><i>Miss Egyptian Hippo of Love</i> Good Lord! What is going on?<br /><i>Mr. Chompy's Chewed-up Squeaky Kitty Toy</i> Dis whole outfit is too big! Sumbuddy hep me!<br /><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank</i> This does not look good!<br /><i>Dipsy</i> Woah! WOOAAOOH!<br /><i>La-la, Poh, and Tinky Winky</i> Dipsy crash. DIPSY CRASH!<br /><i>Bunrab, the Filthiest Toy in the House</i> Hey! I'm trying to write here! You little green weirdo!!<br /><i>El Penguino</i> Yow! Im outta here!<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R2MdMC6c5sI/AAAAAAAAEo0/l7zeDHMI2ZM/s1600-h/sleepin.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5143987292164908738" src="https://bp1.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R2MdMC6c5sI/AAAAAAAAEo0/l7zeDHMI2ZM/s320/sleepin.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><i>El Penguino</i> I'm tired. I think I'll climb in this bed and take a nap. Plus, it looks like a good place to hide. Yawn. I wonder who will play the Baby Jesus? Yawn<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://bp2.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R2MdMS6c5tI/AAAAAAAAEo8/SbNXdUVyxKo/s1600-h/fin.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5143987296459876050" src="https://bp2.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R2MdMS6c5tI/AAAAAAAAEo8/SbNXdUVyxKo/s320/fin.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><i>El Penguino</i> Snnnnnnoooooorrrrrrrre
<p> </p><a href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R2xOjy6c7RI/AAAAAAAAE1k/KTpqCTUVXIM/s1600-h/bank+and+bunrab.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5146574851046960402" src="https://bp1.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R2xOjy6c7RI/AAAAAAAAE1k/KTpqCTUVXIM/s320/bank+and+bunrab.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank</i> Well, Bunrab, tonight's the night! Are you ready?<br /><i>Bunrab, the Filthiest Toy in the House</i> As ready as I can be. The rehearsals went much better than expected, and they've decided not to use wires on the angels, gracias a Dios! Are you ready to be the Narrator?<br /><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank</i> Of course! I love being Narrator.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R2xOjy6c7SI/AAAAAAAAE1s/glZC_4OVq_8/s1600-h/santa+y+costumes1.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5146574851046960418" src="https://bp1.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R2xOjy6c7SI/AAAAAAAAE1s/glZC_4OVq_8/s320/santa+y+costumes1.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><i>Mr. Chompy's Chewed-up Squeaky Kitty Toy</i> Well, the sleeves are okay, but I'm having trouble holdin' dis stick ting.<br /><i>¡El Toro!</i> ¿Parecer una oveja? ¿Esta traje engañar a nadie?<br /><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank</i> Hello Santa, hello Mr. Chompy's Chewed-up Kitty Toy, hola ¡El Toro! Are you about ready?<br /><i>Santa</i> Yes, it's show time! All the costumes are fabulous and our cast are ALL STARS!!!<br /><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank</i> Well, good, because these two are on first.<br /><br /><a href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R2xOai6c7OI/AAAAAAAAE1M/Vs-mAOdTjr4/s1600-h/santa+y+costumes2.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5146574692133170402" src="https://bp0.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R2xOai6c7OI/AAAAAAAAE1M/Vs-mAOdTjr4/s320/santa+y+costumes2.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><i>Santa</i> No problem!! Kitty, you are a beautiful shepherd, and all the sheep will follow you anywhere!<br /><i>Mr. Chompy's Chewed-up Squeaky Kitty Toy</i> Tanks, Santa! Yer not too bad yerself! I gotta get to da stage.<br /><i>Santa</i> And you! YOU! You are the wooliest little lamb I've ever seen! Yes you are! Yes you are!!<br /><i>¡El Toro!</i> ¡POR faVOR!<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R2xOai6c7PI/AAAAAAAAE1U/uN0MYMJ0x54/s1600-h/welcome.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5146574692133170418" src="https://bp0.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R2xOai6c7PI/AAAAAAAAE1U/uN0MYMJ0x54/s320/welcome.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank</i> Welcome to Padre Mickey's Dance Party's Christmas Pageant! We hope that you enjoy all the hard work our cast has put into this production.<br /><i>Bunrab, the Filthiest Toy in the House, whispering</i> Psst! Don't forget las celulares!<br /><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank</i> Oh, yes! Please turn off your cell phones and pagers, or put them on vibrate. Also, this pageant is for entertainment purposes only. Please, no wagering! And now, our pageant.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R2xOay6c7QI/AAAAAAAAE1c/OkhsoUHACr0/s1600-h/shepherds1.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5146574696428137730" src="https://bp1.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R2xOay6c7QI/AAAAAAAAE1c/OkhsoUHACr0/s320/shepherds1.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank, off camera</i> In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flocks by night.<br /><i>Mr. Chompy's Chewed-up Squeaky Kitty Toy, whispering</i> No you stand dere, and you, you go ovah dere. An you, jest stan' still!<br />Ahem, Oh, what a beautiful, quiet nite. I suppose dat nuttin' 'citin' will happen tuhnite.<br /><i>¡El Toro!</i> Baa. Baa.<br /><i>Squeaky Gorilla</i> Baa <i>skeek</i> Baa<br /><br /><a href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R2xOMy6c7LI/AAAAAAAAE00/uv5-Js783m4/s1600-h/angel1.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5146574455909969074" src="https://bp1.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R2xOMy6c7LI/AAAAAAAAE00/uv5-Js783m4/s320/angel1.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank, off camera</i> Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.<br /><i>Mr. Chompy's Chewed-up Squeaky Kitty Toy</i> Wut da ...<br /><i>¡El Toro!</i> BAA!! BAA!!<br /><i>Squeaky Gorilla</i> BAA! <i>skeek</i> BAA!!<br /><i>Guatemalan Apocalyptic Angel</i> Yikes! What is that in the sky?<br /><br /><a href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R2xOMy6c7MI/AAAAAAAAE08/dxy9N0lNOBM/s1600-h/angel2.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5146574455909969090" src="https://bp1.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R2xOMy6c7MI/AAAAAAAAE08/dxy9N0lNOBM/s320/angel2.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank, off camera</i> But the angel said to them<br /><i>Wooden Kuna Doll</i> Do not be afraid; for see----I am bringin' you good news of great joy for all de peoples: to you is born this day in the city of David (pero not in Chriqui, el otro ciudad David) a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord.<br /><br /><a href="http://bp2.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R2xONC6c7NI/AAAAAAAAE1E/L6Py1Cz9P-I/s1600-h/angels1.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5146574460204936402" src="https://bp2.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R2xONC6c7NI/AAAAAAAAE1E/L6Py1Cz9P-I/s320/angels1.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><i>Wooden Kuna Doll</i> This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.<br /><i>Telly Tubbies</i> Ina manger! Ina manger! Da Messiah! Da Messiah!<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R2xN2y6c7HI/AAAAAAAAE0U/aLPMGB1U81c/s1600-h/heavenly+hosts1.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5146574077952846962" src="https://bp1.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R2xN2y6c7HI/AAAAAAAAE0U/aLPMGB1U81c/s320/heavenly+hosts1.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank, off camera</i> And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying<br /><i>The Heavenly Host</i> Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors!<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://bp2.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R2xN3C6c7II/AAAAAAAAE0c/1b1G9VnGG-g/s1600-h/heavenly+hosts2.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5146574082247814274" src="https://bp2.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R2xN3C6c7II/AAAAAAAAE0c/1b1G9VnGG-g/s320/heavenly+hosts2.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><i>Mr. Chompy's Chewed-up Squeaky Kitty Toy</i> Whoa!!<br /><i>¡El Toro!</i> BAA!! BAA!!<br /><i>Squeaky Gorilla</i> BAA! <i>skeek</i> BAA!!<br /><i>Guatemalan Apocalyptic Angel</i> Wow! They're really good!<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://bp3.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R2xN3S6c7JI/AAAAAAAAE0k/-cJI8tvHM08/s1600-h/shepherds2.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5146574086542781586" src="https://bp3.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R2xN3S6c7JI/AAAAAAAAE0k/-cJI8tvHM08/s320/shepherds2.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank, off camera</i> When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another<br /><i>Mr. Chompy's Chewed-up Squeaky Kitty Toy</i> Hey! Let us go now tuh Betlehem and see dis ting what takes place, which da Lowd maked known tuh us!<br /><i>Guatemalan Apocalyptic Angel</i> Sounds good to me! Plus, it's cold out here.<br /><i>¡El Toro!</i> Baa. Baa.<br /><i>Squeaky Gorilla</i> Baa <i>skeek</i> Baa<br /><i>Guatemalan Apocalyptic Angel</i> What is that noise?<br /><i>Mr. Chompy's Chewed-up Squeaky Kitty Toy</i> Don' ask!<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://bp3.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R2xN3S6c7KI/AAAAAAAAE0s/QhVdmt25Gds/s1600-h/holy+family+y+animales.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5146574086542781602" src="https://bp3.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R2xN3S6c7KI/AAAAAAAAE0s/QhVdmt25Gds/s320/holy+family+y+animales.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank, off camera</i> So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger.<br /><i>Gallito Mescalito</i> Shrie <i>Miss Egyptian Hippo of Love</i> SHUSH! Not now!<br /><br /><a href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R2xNVi6c7EI/AAAAAAAAEz8/lwk4_ZRpxZQ/s1600-h/holy+family+y+pastores1.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5146573506722196546" src="https://bp0.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R2xNVi6c7EI/AAAAAAAAEz8/lwk4_ZRpxZQ/s320/holy+family+y+pastores1.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank, off camera</i> When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child<br /><i>Mr. Chompy's Chewed-up Squeaky Kitty Toy</i> No! Really! Dere wuz angels an' everting!<br /><i>¡El Toro!</i> Baa. Baa.<br /><i>Squeaky Gorilla</i> Baa <i>skeek</i> Baa<br /><i>Guatemalan Apocalyptic Angel</i> No, it's true! I saw it with my own eyes, and let me tell you, I know all about angels!<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R2xNVi6c7FI/AAAAAAAAE0E/it1cjZFFnL0/s1600-h/holy+family+y+angeles.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5146573506722196562" src="https://bp0.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R2xNVi6c7FI/AAAAAAAAE0E/it1cjZFFnL0/s320/holy+family+y+angeles.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank, off camera</i> And all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them.<br /><i>Farm animals</i> Yeah, that's some story! Angels, ya say?<br /><i>The Mighty Moose of Vermont</i> Mooooose. Mooooooose. I am a cow! Mooooose.<br /><br /><a href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R2xNVy6c7GI/AAAAAAAAE0M/TeJE7d0MEBs/s1600-h/santo+ni%C3%B1o.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5146573511017163874" src="https://bp1.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R2xNVy6c7GI/AAAAAAAAE0M/TeJE7d0MEBs/s320/santo+ni%C3%B1o.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank, off camera</i> But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://bp3.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R2xM5S6c7BI/AAAAAAAAEzk/QW9Lrf0UkaA/s1600-h/Santo+ni%C3%B1o2.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5146573021390892050" src="https://bp3.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R2xM5S6c7BI/AAAAAAAAEzk/QW9Lrf0UkaA/s320/Santo+ni%C3%B1o2.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><i>El Penguino</i> Is this thing over yet? 'Cuz I'm sweatin ta def in this bankie!!!<br /><br /><a href="http://bp2.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R2xM6C6c7CI/AAAAAAAAEzs/C-fPSPvC1qg/s1600-h/todos.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5146573034275793954" src="https://bp2.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R2xM6C6c7CI/AAAAAAAAEzs/C-fPSPvC1qg/s320/todos.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank</i> Please give our cast a round of applause!<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://bp2.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R2xM6C6c7DI/AAAAAAAAEz0/eZcltwiemZA/s1600-h/good+night.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5146573034275793970" src="https://bp2.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R2xM6C6c7DI/AAAAAAAAEz0/eZcltwiemZA/s320/good+night.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank</i> That ends our program for the evening. There is chicha, sorril, and empanadas in the lobby. Merry Christmas, and Good night!<br /><i>Miss Egyptian Hippo of Love</i> Okay, now!<br /><i>Gallito Mescalito</i> ¡¡¡SSSSHHHHHRRRRRIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEKKKKK!!!Padre Mickeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07580459577853346369noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36914208.post-30943448205134669882023-12-21T11:29:00.001-05:002023-12-21T11:29:18.468-05:00Feast of Thomas, Apostle and Martyr<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/SU4js_YqLgI/AAAAAAAAN6M/JtLNeZd0KaU/s1600-h/thomas.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5282198668788248066" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/SU4js_YqLgI/AAAAAAAAN6M/JtLNeZd0KaU/s320/thomas.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: right; height: 250px; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; width: 159px;" /></a><br />
<i>Everliving God, who strengthened your apostle Thomas with firm and certain faith in your Son’s resurrection: Grant us so perfectly and without doubt to believe in Jesus Christ, our Lord and our God, that our faith may never be found wanting in your sight; through him who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.</i><br />
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Today is the feast of my favorite apostle, Thomas. I was ordained a priest on his Feast Day (well, it fell on a Sunday that year, so I was priested the next day, Dec. 22. Tomorrow is the twenty-sixth anniversary of my priesting.) and that was no accident. I think that he is the coolest apostle. Peter used to say anything that popped into his head; James and John, the Thunder Boys (thanks, Robbin!) were in the Inner Circle with Peter; Simon was either a Freedom Fighter or a Terrorist, depending upon your point of view; Andrew was the First Called and served as a liaison between Jesus and the other disciples; Matthew's gospel insured his fame, and the rest (and especially Mathias) were so boring that we don't know anything about them except that their names appear on lists. But Thomas, well, Thomas was kind of modern, in my opinion. He needed some proof before he was going to believe something. When Jesus appeared to the others in the Upper Room while Thomas was away, he didn't accept their story. He said he would believe when he touched Jesus' wounds. I've always thought that Thomas was treated unfairly by the Church, with them calling him "Doubting Thomas." He didn't really doubt; he didn't say "You guys are lying! I don't believe a word!" He just wanted some proof before he accepted the story. He spent a lot of time with those guys so I expect he knew them pretty well. Maybe he thought that they were inclined to jump to conclusions without thinking things through; we know Peter had that tendency. Maybe they used to play tricks on him. While the others were all locked away in the Upper Room, Thomas was away. I don't know what he was doing, but he certainly wasn't hiding in fear of the authorities. When Jesus appeared to those present in the Upper Room, they didn't recognize him until he showed them his wounds. Then they rejoiced. When Thomas showed up, they told him what happened and he delivered his famous line. A week later, Jesus appeared while Thomas was present. This time Jesus showed Thomas his wounds and even had Thomas touch them. What did Thomas say? Did he say, "I don't know, this all seems a bit strange"? Did he say, "Yuck! Why did you have me touch your wounds?" Did he say, "Are you really Jesus or is this some kind of sick joke?" No. He said, "My Master! My God!" Those don't sound like the words of a Doubter, of a Sceptic. No, those are the words of one who recognizes who Jesus is, those are the words of one who truly believes. Thomas was a good and faithful person; the fact that he wasn't cowering behind locked doors with the others says something about his character. It was Thomas who was willing to follow Jesus to Judea when Jesus wanted to see his friend Lazarus. The others were worried that Jesus' enemies would try to kill him. Thomas said, "Let us also go, that we may die with him." It was Thomas who, in John's version of the Last Supper, interrupts Jesus for some clarification, to ask: "Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?" It isn't that Thomas didn't want to believe, he just wanted to believe for the right reasons, he didn't want to simply "jump on the bandwagon." I think that it is important to remember that nome of the others believed that Jesus was resurrected until Jesus showed them his wounds; they just saw Jesus before Thomas, it doesn't make them any better or more faithful.<br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/SU4jEndjwTI/AAAAAAAAN58/ngDHe4auTlQ/s1600-h/saintthomastheapostle.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5282197975171580210" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/SU4jEndjwTI/AAAAAAAAN58/ngDHe4auTlQ/s320/saintthomastheapostle.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: right; height: 295px; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
I love the <i>Acts of Thomas</i> and that wild story about Thomas' time in India, even though I'm sure it's a bunch of hooey, especially since Jesus sells Thomas to a slave trader so that Thomas would be a slave to the Raja of Malabar. I like the idea that Thomas went to India and started the Church there, but I doubt the veracity of most of those stories. However, I love the story in the <i>Acts of Thomas</i> (and can’t help but tell it) in which the Raja orders Thomas to build him the greatest and most beautiful palace in the world. Thomas tells the Raja that a building of such magnitude will be very expensive but the Raja really wants this building and gives Thomas lots of gold, which Thomas promptly takes and gives to the poor. When Thomas ran out of money, he asked the Raja for more, and the Raja gave him more, which he continued to distribute to the poor. When the Raja learned of what was going on, he called Thomas before him and demanded an accounting. Thomas told the Raja that he was building him a spectacular palace <i>in heaven</i>, and through mystic means of which we have no information, was able to show the Raja his palace in a vision. The Raja was so impressed that he converted to Christianity. A great story and another example of Thomas’ character.<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/SU4i7G90jrI/AAAAAAAAN50/ftwX6BiHB2M/s1600-h/459420229_8e7bbe0780_o.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5282197811829706418" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/SU4i7G90jrI/AAAAAAAAN50/ftwX6BiHB2M/s320/459420229_8e7bbe0780_o.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 320px; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 240px;" /></a><br />
I think that the example of Thomas is an important and worthy example to Christians, because he didn't just accept things without looking in to them. We all know people who think that blind faith is important, but blind faith, a faith which is not based upon reason, will lead one into trouble. Way too many false Christs have led people astray because their followers refused to question, because they were afraid of their doubts. During my wayward youth, I spent some four years in a psuedo-Hindu meditation cult with a guru. We were told "never leave room for doubt in your mind" and "never question the purity of the master," but the "master" was a fraud and needed to be questioned! A true Master does not need to tell his followers not to doubt, because he does not see doubt as a threat to faith, but as a normal part of the spiritual process. Thomas wasn't hard to convince; when Jesus appeared to him and showed him his wounds, Thomas didn't debate with Jesus, he said "My Master! My God!" Peter and the Beloved Disciple didn't believe the women when they returned from the empty tomb and said that they had seen the Lord, and none of the disciples believed until Jesus showed them his wounds. God gave us large brains capable of reason and thought, and God expects us to use these brains even in spiritual matters. Questioning and study are all part of loving God with all our minds. Thomas and the women and the others all believed because they saw the Resurrected Jesus. The believed because they saw the and touched the nail marks. They believed because the Resurrected Jesus appeared in their midst and talked with them. Jesus said that we who believe without seeing are blessed, and Christians throughout the centuries and millennia have held on to the promise of that blessing, because we have no choice, really. We have believed without seeing. But I must admit, if I was given the choice of being blessed in that manner or actually seeing the risen Christ and touching the nail marks and putting my hand in his side, I would exchange places with Thomas in a heart beat!<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/SU4jkdANAuI/AAAAAAAAN6E/aNPYITcuox4/s1600-h/St_Thomas_icon-sm.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5282198522119914210" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/SU4jkdANAuI/AAAAAAAAN6E/aNPYITcuox4/s320/St_Thomas_icon-sm.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 304px; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 300px;" /></a>
<i>This post was visited by the Alter Guild</i>Padre Mickeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07580459577853346369noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36914208.post-31896163446855071482023-12-07T15:25:00.004-05:002023-12-07T15:25:40.866-05:00Feast of Ambrose, Bishop of Milan<a href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R1k8EykKHfI/AAAAAAAAEh8/KN3r-lopgXY/s1600-h/A-ambrose2.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5141206502610705906" src="https://bp0.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R1k8EykKHfI/AAAAAAAAEh8/KN3r-lopgXY/s320/A-ambrose2.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: right; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px;" /></a> <i>O God, you gave your servant Ambrose grace eloquently to proclaim your righteousness in the great congregation, and fearlessly to bear reproach for the honor of your Name: Mercifully grant to all bishops and pastors such excellence in preaching and faithfulness in ministering your Word, that your people may be partakers with them of the glory that shall be revealed; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.</i><br /><br /><br />Ambrose was born in the year 337 to a Christian family. His father, Aurelius, was Prefect of Gaul, governing all of Britain, France, Spain,Portugal, part of Germany, and the islands of Sardinia, Corsica, and Sicily. His father’s palace was in Trier, Germany, but his mother had a palace in Rome. Ambrose spent part of the year in Germany and part in Rome. According to his biographer, Paulinus, the pope and other important bishops used to visit his mother’s palace regularly. One day the ladies of the house were kissing the hands of the bishops, and young Ambrose, holding out his hand, mocked them and said, “You should do the same for me since I am going to be a bishop.” He was very close to his siblings, Marcellina and Satyrus. When his sister Marcellina took a vow of virginity, he did the same, and both Ambrose and Satyrus followed in their father’s footsteps, studying literature, law, and rhetoric in Rome and they both served as barristers in the Court of the Praetorian Prefect of Italy. They were both appointed Prefects. <br /><br /><a href="http://bp2.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R1k7KSkKHeI/AAAAAAAAEh0/6ZHR7WymdLM/s1600-h/ambrose_1.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5141205497588358626" src="https://bp2.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R1k7KSkKHeI/AAAAAAAAEh0/6ZHR7WymdLM/s320/ambrose_1.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: right; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px;" /></a>Ambrose was appointed Prefect of the province of Aemilia-Liguria in Upper Italy, with its headquarters in Milan. Ambrose was a good administrator and a popular governor. In the year 374, Auxentius, the bishop of Milan, died. The Church in Milan was divided between those who were loyal to the Nicene Creed and those who supported the ideas of Arius. The Nicene and Arian parties of the Church in Milan prepared to fight for their particular candidates to be elected bishop. We’ve talked before about how the people of that era would actually fight and come to blows over theology and dogma, and the situation in Milan threatened to turn violent. Ambrose, the prefect, went to the basilica in Milan to try to prevent an uproar. He spoke to those gathered at the basilica and he didn’t take sides in the dispute. Suddenly someone shouted “Ambrose for bishop!” The cry was taken up by others and Ambrose was elected bishop. He was not interested in the position, plus, he wasn’t even a baptized Christian, let alone clergy! He pushed his way out of the cathedral and headed back to his palace. He figured that if he proved himself to be as cruel and evil as the Emperor Valentinian the people would change their minds. He ordered some prisoners to be tortured, figuring that this would convince the people that they had made a mistake in their choice, but the crowed followed him around Milan, saying, “Your sin be on us!” He invited Women of Loose Virtue to his palace, yet the crowd still shouted “Your sin be on us!” Then he told them that he was going to retire from the world and become a hermit, but no one was buying it. Finally, he decided to make a break for it and snuck out the side door of the palace late one night to escape. It was a moonless night and he took the wrong road and got lost. In the morning he discovered his mistake; he was entering Milan through the Roman gate. This time he was kept under “Palace Arrest;” a guard kept watch while a messenger was sent to Valentinian, explaining what was going on and requesting an imperial seal on the people’s decision. Valentinan probably had his reasons for getting Ambrose out of the position of Prefect, and so he sent a fast courier to give the Christians of Milan his assent to Ambrose’s episcopacy. However, Ambrose had made another break for it and was hiding at his friend, Leontius’ country house. The Pope got involved and ordered that anyone harboring Ambrose must, under pain of severe punishment, give him up immediately (which was the Christian thing to do, of course!). That was too much for Leontius, who turned his good buddy Ambrose in to the authorities. Ambrose was arrested and led back to Milan under armed guard.<br /><br />Ambrose’ elevation to bishop took place over six days. First, he was baptized, then moved through the minor orders: appointed to doorkeeper one day; the next day appointed Lector; the following day appointed to the office of exorcist; the next day he became a subdeacon. On the last three days he was ordained deacon, priest, and finally, bishop. No one had ever risen through the ranks so quickly!<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R1k7CykKHdI/AAAAAAAAEhs/WppicIdqBW0/s1600-h/_St_Ambrose_of_Milan_in_Kotar_Yugoslavia.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5141205368739339730" src="https://bp0.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R1k7CykKHdI/AAAAAAAAEhs/WppicIdqBW0/s320/_St_Ambrose_of_Milan_in_Kotar_Yugoslavia.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px;" /></a>Ambrose was very interested in relics, and one of the first acts of his episcopacy was to write Bishop Basil of Caesarea to request that the remains of St. Dionysius be brought to the cathedral in Milan. Basil agreed, and sent along a letter with the relics which called Ambrose <i>a man of noble birth, of high office, of lofty character, of astonishing eloquence</i>. Ambrose also searched for relics in Milan, checking the martyrologies and it is claimed that he discovered the relics of saints Gervasius and Protasius, who had been martyred by Nero, and also saint Nazarius, as well as saints Agricola and Vitalis, whose remains he discovered on a visit to Bologna.<br /><br />Ambrose cared for the poor. In order to insure that the poor were cared for, he often sold the churches gold-plated vessels. When the Arians accused him of sacrilege for these actions, he responded, “which do you consider more valuable, church vessels or living souls?” He lived simply and fasted often as a means of saving money for the diocese. He had already given away his own inheritance to help the poor, and he couldn’t understand why wealthy Christians didn’t do the same. When his brother Satyrus died without leaving a will, Ambrose and his sister Marcellina inherited the fortune. They sold all of it and used the proceeds to help the poor. Satyrus’ death put Ambrose into a depression, which he decided to cure through work and study. He wasn’t much of a reader before, but after Satyrus death he began to study and read and write. Because he could read and write Greek, which was unusual for those in the West at that time, he was able to study the Christian scriptures in their original language, as well as the writings of Philo, Origen, Athanasius, and Basil of Caesarea. His rhetorical skills enabled him to be a great preacher, and his preaching and theological discussions helped bring about the conversion of Augustine of Hippo. Ambrose was a great theologian, and he was also a poet and composer of music. In fact, five hymns in the 1940 Hymnal and eleven hymns in the 1982 Hymnal are attributed to him.<br /><br />Ambrose had a full, active, and fulfilling episcopacy, but, like many bishops of his era, he was an antisemite. He interacted with popes and emperors and never stopped caring for the poor. The winter of the year 396 was a difficult winter for him, as he was slowly dying. He had many secretaries who stayed next to his bed as he whispered his commentaries and letters and sermons. His chief secretary and biographer, Paulinus wrote that one day he saw a flame shaped like a small shield covering Ambrose’s head. Ambrose then sucked the flame down into his mouth and his face became dead white for a few minutes. Everyone in Italy was praying for Ambrose’s recovery; even the Regent, Stilicho, had issued an imperial order which read <i>Ambrose must recover.</i> The Regent said, “When Ambrose dies we shall see the ruin of Italy.” When Ambrose heard this, he said, “I have not so lived among you as to be ashamed to live on’ but I am not afraid to die, for our Lord is good.” A few days before he died he said that he saw Jesus coming to get him, sitting by his bedside. He lay with his arms stretched out in the form of a cross and prayed for several days. He died the day before Easter on April 4, 397, at the age of 58. He was bishop of Milan for twenty-three years and four months.Padre Mickeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07580459577853346369noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36914208.post-83103755568803678042023-12-06T13:17:00.003-05:002023-12-06T13:17:42.152-05:00Feast of Nicholas, Bishop of Myra<p> </p><a href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R1fkwkllKKI/AAAAAAAAEg8/F3w28PYCfOY/s1600-h/nicholas.gif" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5140829022772865186" src="https://bp0.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R1fkwkllKKI/AAAAAAAAEg8/F3w28PYCfOY/s320/nicholas.gif" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px;" /></a><i>Almighty God, in your love you gave your servant Nicholas of Myra a perpetual name for deeds of kindness both on land and sea: Grant, we pray, that your Church may never<br />cease to work for the happiness of children, the safety of sailors, the relief of the poor, and the help of those tossed by tempests of doubt or grief; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.</i><br /><br />St. Nicholas is one of the most popular saints on the calendar; he is honored by the Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Anglican, and even Reformed Protestant churches. He is the person upon whom the Santa Claus <s>myth</s> story is based. As is usually the case, we don't have a lot of good historical information on Nicholas. We know he lived in Asia Minor in the late Third/early Fourth century. We know that he was Bishop of Myra, and we know that he died on December 6, 342. Other than those facts, all the stories about Nicholas are based upon church tradition and legends and some of them may not have even happened, but they are good stories, full of dreams and miracles.<br /><br />According to tradition, Nicholas was born in the town of Patar in Lycia, in what we now call the nation of Turkey. He was orphaned at an early age and had to live with his uncle in a monastery. His late parents were wealthy and left him a good inheritance, but he gave most of it away to the poor and needy since he was living in a monastery and didn't really need any of it. He wanted to be a monk like us uncle, but one night he had a dream in which Jesus gave him a jeweled copy of the four gospels, and he took this dream as a sign that he was to become a priest, and he did so at the age of 17 (I guess the Commission on Ministry had different age requirements in those days). He was a very generous person and there are many stories about his generosity. Once he met a man in great need, and the man had decided to sell a carpet which was very dear to him and his wife. Father Nicholas bought the carpet from the man at a ridiculously high price, and then gave the carpet to the man's wife as a gift. The most famous story is that of a poor man with three daughters. He had no money to provide them with dowries and was worried that they would never be married and would probably face slavery as a result of their poverty. Nicholas tossed a bag of gold coins into the eldest daughter's window one night, and she was soon married. A while later, he tossed a bag of gold coins into the second daughter's window and she, too, was soon married. When it came time to provide a dowry for the third daughter, Nicholas came to toss a bag of gold coins into her window but it was closed, so he tossed it down the chimney, and the bag of coins fell into her shoes (and she, too, was soon married). This legend is the basis of the tradition in some countries of St. Nicholas putting chocolate coins wrapped in gold foil in children's shoes. It's also the basis of the story of Santa Claus coming down the chimney with gifts for good boys and girls on Christmas Eve.<br /><br />There is a tradition that Nicholas made a pilgrimage to Egypt, to visit the great Library in Alexandria, and continued on to the Holy Land, to Palestine. There is a story that on the way home the ship he was on was caught in a fierce storm an d the three sailors piloting the ship were sure that they were going to die. Father Nicholas came on deck and prayed and stilled the storm. For this reason he became known as the Patron Saint of Sailors. The ship stopped in the city of Myra. The bishop of Myra had died and there was a lot of disagreement about who should be the next bishop. The clergy and people of Myra had started a period of prayer and fasting trying to find a solution to their problem. An angel appeared to several priests in a dream and told them that they were to make a stranger, named Nicholas, the new bishop, and that he would be the first to arrive for morning prayers the next day. That same night, Father Nicholas had a dream of a mitre being placed on his head. The next morning he went to the church for morning prayers and was the first person there. He was proclaimed bishop and the mitre was placed upon his head! He was a good choice for bishop because of his concern for the poor and needy, and his love of children, and his piety and zeal for the gospel. Miracles were attributed to him, and he was nick-named the Wonder Worker. He was also a man of great courage, and he suffered arrest and torture during the persecution of Diocletian and his regent, Maximan, around the years 303 to 311. It is said that Bishop Nicholas continued to preach and teach even while in chains. When Constantine became emperor in 313 and later issued the Edict of Toleration, Christianity became tolerated (and actually favored) by the Empire and people like Nicholas were released from prison. There is an ancient tradition that Nicholas saved the lives of three soldiers who were imprisoned by appearing to the Emperor in his dreams and interceding in their behalf. Just before Constantine became emperor, the Arian Controversy was in full flower in the Church, creating great dissension and schism. The Emperor Constantine called all the bishops of the Church to Nicea in 325 to settle this dispute. Tradition states that Bishop Nicholas of Myra attended the Council and even slapped Arius in the face, but Nicholas' name does not appear on any of the lists, so this incident and Nicholas' attendance at the Council is in doubt. Nevertheless, Arianism never took hold in Myra, so the faithful teaching of Nicholas must have prevented the heresy in that city.<br /><br />Nicholas died on December 6, 342, and this day is now a feast day. During the Middle Ages it was a popular practice to elect a boy to be bishop who reigned from December 6th to December 28th, the Feast of the Holy Innocents. On that day (the 28th) the "boy bishop" had to preach a sermon in church. It also became popular to give gifts on Nicholas' feast day in honor of his own generosity, especially to children. In Germany, Switzerland, and the Netherlands, this tradition replaced the ancient yuletide celebration of Woden. After the Protestant Reformation, St. Nicholas became known as <i>Pere Noel</i> in France, <i>Father Christmas</i> in England,<i>Kriskindl</i> in Germany, <i>Grandfather Frost</i> in Russia, and <i>Sinterklaas</i> in Holland. The mispronunciation of <i>Sinterklaas</i> in the United States resulted in the name <i>Santa Claus</i>.<br /><br />It's easy to to understand how the example of the kind and generous man who truly lived the Christian life could become a symbol of love and generosity during the seasons of Advent and Christmas, the time in which we remember God's own gift to the world, the gift of Jesus the Messiah. St. Nicholas' love and compassion for the poor, the needy, and for children is an example of how we should live our lives throughout the entire year, not just at Christmas. The stories of St. Nicholas are not stories about Christmas but are stories of a man who was working to bring about the Reign of God, a man who helped the less fortunate, just as Jesus commanded. That is why he became one of the most popular saints in Christendom and why we remember him today.<br /><br />Padre Mickeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07580459577853346369noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36914208.post-13094249641681841282023-11-02T05:00:00.001-05:002023-11-02T05:00:00.163-05:00Feast of All the Faithful Departed<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhlSJTrX4SPJofjzNPHcNpq1dhnRMputMfc3u_fJyARdmLGS9C-tIV7820HFhXX4CjvBNv4Rs7M_7Lf-ycQ2HNPiPvwLC-Q-c_EZEjP2nZ8XiSIj7Zf4QNHG3EaBI7NcviVgT4twCvdMkusv0WPZhHwc4ARKTUFDqgwu8yk9eJqMfbWYv_cfEf0ow" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1494" data-original-width="2677" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhlSJTrX4SPJofjzNPHcNpq1dhnRMputMfc3u_fJyARdmLGS9C-tIV7820HFhXX4CjvBNv4Rs7M_7Lf-ycQ2HNPiPvwLC-Q-c_EZEjP2nZ8XiSIj7Zf4QNHG3EaBI7NcviVgT4twCvdMkusv0WPZhHwc4ARKTUFDqgwu8yk9eJqMfbWYv_cfEf0ow" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p><i>This is my bog-standard All Souls' Day sermon</i><br /><br />Today we are celebrating All Souls Day the day in which we commemorate those who have passed on. It is really an extension of All Saints Day which we celebrated yesterday. It's an extension of All Saints Day because all Christians are considered saints but some people consider some saint to be more holy than others, and they had trouble with the idea of commemorating holy martyrs such as Perpetua and Felicitas on the same day as they remembered their Uncle Fred, so now we have All Souls Day as the day to commemorate "lesser" saints like Uncle Fred. It is important to remember the saints like our Aunts and Uncles just as much as it is to remember James of Jerusalem, Polycarp of Smyrna, Thecla and Blandina, because the saints we know and have seen everyday can be even better examples for us of how God wants us to live. The saints who are members of our families and neighborhoods can be the examples which brought us to the point where we decided to follow Christ and God's way instead of our own way. We sang "I Sing A Song Of The Saints Of God" because of that third verse:<br /><i>They lived not only in ages past,<br />There are hundreds of thousands still,<br />The world is bright with the joyous saints<br />Who love to do Jesus' will.<br />You can meet them in school, or in lanes, or at sea,<br />In church, or in trains, or in shops, or at tea,<br />For the saints of God are just folk like me,<br />And I mean to be one too!</i><br /><br />I can think of several saints, departed and living, who influenced me. My grandfather was a minister in the Assemblies of God church and he was a missionary in China and the Philippine Islands. He and his family were captured by the Japanese during WWII and although he was tortured he never lost his faith. He was well educated, which was unusual for pastors in his church, and his example was a great model for me. I studied both Hebrew and Greek in seminary because he had done so (I was terrible in Hebrew). When I was an acolyte at Sukiran Chapel in Okinawa and was first introduced to the Episcopal Church, Chaplain Bennett was a great influence on me. He showed me that one could approach God and religion from an intellectual standpoint and he gave me a love for beautiful liturgy. My mentor, the Rev. Eckford deKay, former Rector of St. Francis' Church in San José, California, took me under his wing when I began to consider ordination, and he told me to join the Vestry and become a delegate to Diocesan Convention. He said that if I still wanted to be a priest after Vestry and Convention he'd take me to see the bishop, and as a result of his advice I was much less naïve and idealistic about Church politics than my classmates in seminary. All my professors in seminary were great influences on me, but the Rev. Dr. Jon Kater was quite instrumental in my coming to Panamá, and it was Bishop Hayes who convinced me that this was where I should be. My friend Elizabeth Leigh helped me understand the importance of the environment and our duty to be good stewards of this earth, and Janet Levi taught me patience and the importance of being true to one's art. So that's two living saints and five who have joined the Great Cloud of Witnesses who have influenced me and brought me to where I am now.<br /><br />I'll bet everyone in this room can name several people, family members and friends and teachers and even clergy, who have influenced them and encouraged them in their spiritual journey, and all these people are saints, because a saint is someone whose life is an example and model. We don't pray to the saints; we know that they were human beings just like us, but they are people who are examples of what is possible when we let God control our lives. Saints are not without sin; many saints, both great and lesser, lived less than perfect lives at one time, but all of them came to the point where they were able to surrender themselves to God's will and live the life that God wanted of them, and that is why their lives were beacons to us all. They were able to be vulnerable enough so that God could work through them; they were able to be transparent enough so that God's light would shine through them, and that we would be attracted to their examples. And just as these people were examples to us, we, everyone in this room, is an example to someone else! Whether you like it or not, as a Christian, you, too, are a saint, and the way you are living your life is an example to someone. Those moments when you are vulnerable enough to let God work through you, those moments when you are transparent enough to let God shine through you, you become an example of the Christian life to someone else. <br /><br />You are a Christian, you are a saint, those moments when you can surrender yourself to God's will are the moments when you are a beacon to those who are lost. Those who have passed on, those who have departed this world, have been great influences on our lives, and it is important to remember them. I grew up on Okinawa, and the local religion there is much like the Shinto religion of Japan. In Japan, China, and Okinawa, the Cult of the Ancestors is very important. Some believe that one's ancestors keep looking out for those in this world, and that it is important to honor one's ancestors. One way the ancestors are honored is by remembering them, and most homes in Okinawa have a family altar, and on that altar is a lacquerware plaque with the names of all the departed family members, going all the way back to the first member of the family. On the festival of Obon, it is believed that the ancestors return to this world to visit, and the names of all the ancestors are read as a means of remembering them. We will be doing something similar in a few minutes, when I read the necrology, or list of the Faithful Departed. And when you hear the name of a family member read aloud, you will remember them, and they will come alive again in your memory, if only for a few seconds. This is one type of immortality.<br /><br />So, I am going to read the names of the Faithful Departed, a list of over 700 names. We've just gone though a tough month, losing five members in just two weeks, and their names are included on this list. While the names are being read, I ask you to sit quietly in contemplation, in reflection. Think of those who have gone on before. Think of those whose names you recognize, and think of how thy influenced your life. Think about those everyday saints who helped bring you to where you are now, and I want you to think of how wonderful it will be on the Last Day when we are all reunited and we join them around the Banquet Table at the Wedding Feast of the Lamb.</p>Padre Mickeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07580459577853346369noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36914208.post-68903283761591525582023-11-01T09:41:00.000-05:002023-11-01T09:41:08.823-05:00The Feast of All Saints<a href="http://bp3.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/RynAGnKqpyI/AAAAAAAAED8/u75QYojkv5Q/s1600-h/allsaints.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5127840870563489570" src="https://bp3.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/RynAGnKqpyI/AAAAAAAAED8/u75QYojkv5Q/s400/allsaints.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px;" /></a>All Saints Day is the day on which we remember the martyrs, those who died for their faith, those who refused to sacrifice to the emperor and were thrown to the beasts and gladiators in the arena. Others were tied to stakes and burned while others died deaths too terrible to mention here in God's house. In the earliest days of the Church, martyrs were remembered on the day of their martyrdom; the faithful would gather at the grave of the martyr and would pray and sing hymns. But by the time of the final persecutions towards the end of the fourth century, there were too many martyrs to commemorate on the day of their deaths plus many that had died and whose names had not been recorded. The Christians in Rome were remembering the martyrs, known and unknown, on a special day by the year 373. All Saints Day was celebrated on May 13 for many centuries, but Pope Greogory III ded icated a new church on November 1 and declared that day All Saints Day. In the year 836 Pope Gregory IV declared a universal observance of All Saints on that day and that has been the date ever since.<br /><br />We remember the martyrs because their example of bravery and standing for their faith helped the church to grow and also helped defeat those who persecuted the Church. The very first Christian martyr was the Deacon Stephen. James of Jerusalem, the brother of Jesus, was martyred by an angry mob. Later persecutions were committed by the Roman authorities and they were much more cruel than the stonings by the Jews. When we read the accounts of the martyrdoms of Perpetua and Felicitatus, of the martyrs of Lyon, of Bishop Polycarp, and the hundreds of martyrs in the “History of the Church” by Bishop Eusebius, we learn that their brave example changed the opinion of people against the persecutors and in favor of the Christians. When the people of the Roman empire saw the martyrs face death willingly and refusing to give in to their torturers, they began to wonder what gave them such courage and many people were converted to Christ. Even though the martyrs were brave, that was not the case for all Christians. Imagine how frightened you would be if you knew that because you are a member of San Cristóbal, you could be arrested and torn apart by lions and bears in an arena where everyone in Parque Lefevre and Rio Abajo would watch you die. Some people are brave, but many of us are not always so full of courage! The Apostle John discussed this in his vision of the Final Days. John had been exiled to Patmos, a small island, because he had been preaching in Edessa. John wanted to warn Christians of the persecution to come and he wanted to help them face it bravely. He warned the Christians that fierce persecutions would take place, but if they remained faithful, they would be rewarded with eternal life in the City of Light, the City of God. They would all stand before the throne of the Lamb where they would serve him day and night within his temple. The image of the Temple was important because the book of the Apocalypse was probably written after the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple. To serve God in the Temple was an image which gave people hope. John saw 144,000 people from every tribe of Israel standing before the throne, but then he saw “a great multitude that no man could number, from every nation and tribe and people and tongue, standing before the throne, clothed in white robes with palm branches in their hands, crying out in a loud voice: “Salvation belongs to our God who sits upon the throne, and to the Lamb!” John was told that these people were the ones who had come through the great tribulation. They had washed their robes white in the blood of the Lamb. As their reward they serve God in the Temple, but also, they have been rewarded because “the One who sits upon the throne will shelter them with his presence. They shall hunger no more, nor thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water; and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” They were also promised that their deaths would be avenged by God. This vision gave people hope, it reminded them that God loved them and that they would not suffer in vain or die in vain. Because they knew God loved them and that they would have every tear wiped away, they were able to face their trials with courage and this courage inspired others to turn to Christ and receive eternal life. John was fortunate enough to leave Patmos, and he returned to Edessa and later died an old man, in Ephesus.<br /><br />Most of us are very fortunate; Christianity is not illegal where we live and we probably won't have to face persecution. We probably won't be threatened with death for gathering at our churches every Sunday to share the bread and wine, but people are being martyred for the faith in parts of Africa and in Pakistan and in Iraq. Christians have been killed in the past fifty years in El Salvador, Nicaragua, Guatemala, and even Panama by governments hostile to their dedication to the teachings of Jesus. We need to continue to pray for the Christians around the world who are living under persecution. <br /><br />The lectionary designates a reading of the Beatitudes on All Saints Day, either the version from Matthew’s or Luke’s gospels. The Beatitudes bestow a blessing for who one is or for what one does. Many of us have been poor at some time in our lives. Jesus said that the poor or poor in spirit have the kingdom of heaven. We a have mourned at some time, and there are people mourning right now, but you are blessed because you shall be comforted. You who are meek are blessed and will inherit the earth. You who hunger and thirst for righteousness, those of you who love God with your whole mind, you are blessed and will be satisfied. You who are merciful are blessed for you shall obtain mercy. You who are pure in heart are blessed and shall see God. Those of you who are peacemakers, who work to end strife at home, at work, in your community and in the world are blessed and will be called the children of God. There are special blessings for the martyrs, for the persecuted. You who are persecuted for righteousness sake, you will have the kingdom of heaven, just as will the poor. And all of us are blessed when people revile us and persecute us and utter all kinds of evil against us falsely on account of Christ. Those who are martyrs, those who are persecuted, rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven. All of us here are either poor, mourning, meek, hungering and thirsting for righteousness, merciful, or peacemakers. Some of you may fall under several blessings, and some may even be suffering persecution. Know that you are blessed, that you are loved by God. Know that your reward is great in heaven. Know that you are saints, and that, one day, you, too, will stand before the throne of the Lamb and will shout with the other heroes of the faith, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits upon the throne, and to the Lamb!”<br /><br /><i>Almighty God, you have knit together your elect in one communion and fellowship in the mystical body of your Son Christ our Lord: Give us grace so to follow your blessed saints in all virtuous and godly living, that we may come to those ineffable joys that you have prepared for those who truly love you; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.</i>Padre Mickeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07580459577853346369noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36914208.post-85607661218213402202023-05-18T09:25:00.005-05:002023-05-18T14:50:31.542-05:00The Feast of the Ascension<i>Hey, guys, it's kinda crowded up here!</i><br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/S-sZPF58aGI/AAAAAAAAUyw/abTTz7p4F5E/s1600/010_Perugino_Pietro_The_Ascension_of_Christ.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470493919445543010" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/S-sZPF58aGI/AAAAAAAAUyw/abTTz7p4F5E/s400/010_Perugino_Pietro_The_Ascension_of_Christ.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 300px;" /></a><br />
<i>In Which Padre Mickey Rambles On And On About The Ascension</i><br />
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Ascension Day is an interesting event to celebrate, and I will admit that this is a feast which carries some complications for a scientific minded, late twentieth-early twenty-first century North American like myself. We have a different understanding of the universe than did the original audience of the story of the Ascension. Many people in that part of the world believed in what we call a three tiered universe: there was the underworld, then our world, then the heavens. They believed that the ground separated the underworld and this world, and that something similar to a large curtain separated this world from the heavens. This curtain had little holes in it, and God’s glory shone through those holes, and that is what we call the stars. In a three tiered universe, certain beings were capable of moving between the three worlds. Greek mythology was full of stories of heroes who visited the underworld, and in our Nicene Creed we say that Jesus "descended into hell." The Church also teaches that he "ascended into heaven." The story of the Ascension appears in the three synoptic gospels, and in the second part of Luke’s work, the <i>Acts of the Apostles</i>. In John’s gospel the Ascension happens of the day of Resurrection and apparently there were no witnesses to the event. Now, when you read Luke’s two versions of this event, and the versions in the other gospels, for that matter, one is led to believe that Jesus floated up in the sky until he got to heaven. In a three tiered universe such a thing is possible, as one simply passes through that curtain which separates the two worlds and one will be at the Throne of the Father in no time. We, however, live in a different time; most of us remember the trips to the moon made by the astronauts of the 1970’s. We live in a time in which the sky is filled with satellites which make it possible for us to communicate with the other side of the planet in seconds. We live in a time when we have seen photographs of the planet taken from outer space. We live in the time of the James Webb Telescope which has enabled us to see far across "the vast expanse of interstellar space." This knowledge of the universe, and this perspective of the universe, makes it difficult for many of us to think of Jesus as floating up to heaven; I imagine him rising up and up and up and up past the moon, past the asteroid belt, past Jupiter and the large planets, past our solar system (just like Voyager I and Voyager II), past the galaxies; I guess he would just keep rising and rising forever!!! But fortunately, that is <b>not</b> what Ascension Day is about. If the Ascension is not about Jesus floating up to heaven, what is it about? It has to do with several theological points, it has to do with the theology of the Holy Trinity. The Ascension is the moment when Jesus, the Son, the Redeemer, the Second Person of the Trinity, came into the presence of the Father, the Creator, the First Person of the Trinity. This is the moment when the Son came into the presence of the Father because he had accomplished the task given to him by the Creator. The theology of the Ascension has been an important part of Jesus’ story from the very beginning of the Church. It has always been an important part of the Christology of the Church. The theology of the Ascension has been an important aspect of Christology from the earliest days of the Church for several reasons. The first reason is that the Ascension represents the culmination of the earthly mission of Jesus. His death and resurrection could not have their full effect until Jesus ascended to the presence of the Father, to whom he presented his finished work of atonement. We teach that Jesus had two natures, that he was fully human and fully divine, and it was at this moment that the humanity of Jesus was taken up to God and glorified. This aspect of the Ascension, this aspect of the Resurrection, was very important to the early Christians, and St. Paul speaks of it several times in his letters to the Christians around the Mediterranean. The Ascension is also important because it tells us that the earthly body of Jesus is no longer present within time and space. The earthly body of Jesus now belongs to the Son of God in eternity, that is why the stories have him floating up into the heavens, so that there was no question of Jesus’ body being left behind, otherwise people might say that he wasn’t resurrected, he was revived somehow and then died later. Some people actually do make such a claim; there is a tomb in Japan and a tomb in Pakistan which are supposed to hold the body of Jesus.<br />
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The Resurrected and Ascended Jesus is not present to us in the way he was present to the disciples. We now seek the presence of Jesus within our gathering, because he told us that when two or three are gathered in his name, he is in our midst. We now seek his presence in the Holy Sacrament of the Eucharist, where he is present in the sharing of the bread and wine. We now seek his presence in the faces of the poor, in the faces of those we meet and in the faces of those we love. The Ascension is a theological event, not what we would consider an historical event.<br />
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Another important aspect of the Ascension is that the Son had to come into the presence of the Father so that the Third Person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit, could be sent to us. Jesus promised that after he ascended to the Father, he would send the Comforter, the Advocate, but the Holy Spirit could not come to do its work among us until the Son had ascended to the Father. And because the Holy Spirit has come among us, we are now able to do what Jesus has commanded us to do. The Holy Spirit helps us to love one another as Christ loves us, to love the Lord with all our heart and soul and mind, and to feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, heal the sick, visit the prisoner and welcome the stranger. So instead of celebrating Jesus floating up to heaven, let us prepare for the celebration of the coming of the Holy Spirit.Padre Mickeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07580459577853346369noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36914208.post-73074431132990193332023-04-09T05:00:00.001-05:002023-04-09T05:00:00.253-05:00The Feast of the ResurrectionHappy Easter!<br /><a href="http://bp2.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R-YtvKNCbAI/AAAAAAAAGM0/NbHJxbmK8R8/s1600-h/fra-angelico-resurrection-women695x800.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5180878709552475138" src="https://bp2.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R-YtvKNCbAI/AAAAAAAAGM0/NbHJxbmK8R8/s400/fra-angelico-resurrection-women695x800.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><br />Mark 16:1-8<br /><br />And when the sabbath was past, Mary Mag'dalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salo'me, bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. And very early on the first day of the week they went to the tomb when the sun had risen. And they were saying to one another, "Who will roll away the stone for us from the door of the tomb?" And looking up, they saw that the stone was rolled back; --it was very large. And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe; and they were amazed. And he said to them, "Do not be amazed; you seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen, he is not here; see the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him, as he told you." And they went out and fled from the tomb; for trembling and astonishment had come upon them; and they said nothing to any one, for they were afraid.<br /><br /><a href="http://bp3.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R-YtvaNCbBI/AAAAAAAAGM8/sVNuVe0VDRg/s1600-h/resurrection_icon.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5180878713847442450" src="https://bp3.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R-YtvaNCbBI/AAAAAAAAGM8/sVNuVe0VDRg/s400/resurrection_icon.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a>Padre Mickeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07580459577853346369noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36914208.post-79837190821238068372023-04-08T20:00:00.001-05:002023-04-08T20:00:00.235-05:00The Great Vigil of EasterThe Great Vigil of Easter
<a href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R-XQG6NCa_I/AAAAAAAAGMs/TCLzMbvlPD8/s1600-h/franscesca_resurrection539x600.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5180775763481357298" src="https://bp0.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R-XQG6NCa_I/AAAAAAAAGMs/TCLzMbvlPD8/s400/franscesca_resurrection539x600.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><br />Alleluia! Christ is Risen!<br />The Lord is Risen indeed! Alleluia!<br /><i>This sermon was written by St. John Chrysostom, the Patriarch or Arch-bishop of Constantinople in the fifth century. He gave this sermon at Hagia Sophia, the great cathedral of Constantinople at the Easter Vigil in the year 400. This is the sermon I would have given tonight (in español) at the Great Vigil of Easter if I were still in active ministry.</i><br /><br />Is there anyone who is a devout lover of God?<br />Let them enjoy this beautiful bright festival!<br />Is there anyone who is a grateful servant?<br />Let them rejoice and enter into the joy of their Lord!<br /><br />Are there any weary with fasting?<br />Let them now receive their wages!<br />If any have toiled from the first hour,<br />let them receive their due reward;<br />If any have come after the third hour,<br />let him with gratitude join in the Feast!<br />And he that arrived after the sixth hour,<br />let him not doubt; for he too shall sustain no loss.<br />And if any delayed until the ninth hour,<br />let him not hesitate; but let him come too.<br />And he who arrived only at the eleventh hour,<br />let him not be afraid by reason of his delay.<br /><br />For the Lord is gracious and receives the last even as the first.<br />He gives rest to him that comes at the eleventh hour,<br />as well as to him that toiled from the first.<br />To this one He gives, and upon another He bestows.<br />He accepts the works as He greets the endeavor.<br />The deed He honors and the intention He commends.<br /><br />Let us all enter into the joy of the Lord!<br />First and last alike receive your reward;<br />rich and poor, rejoice together!<br />Sober and slothful, celebrate the day!<br /><br />You that have kept the fast, and you that have not,<br />rejoice today for the Table is richly laden!<br />Feast royally on it, the calf is a fatted one.<br />Let no one go away hungry. Partake, all, of the cup of faith.<br />Enjoy all the riches of His goodness!<br /><br />Let no one grieve at his poverty,<br />for the universal kingdom has been revealed.<br />Let no one mourn that he has fallen again and again;<br />for forgiveness has risen from the grave.<br />Let no one fear death, for the Death of our Savior has set us free.<br />He has destroyed it by enduring it.<br /><br />He destroyed Hades when He descended into it.<br />He put it into an uproar even as it tasted of His flesh.<br />Isaiah foretold this when he said,<br />"You, O Hell, have been troubled by encountering Him below."<br /><br />Hell was in an uproar because it was done away with.<br />It was in an uproar because it is mocked.<br />It was in an uproar, for it is destroyed.<br />It is in an uproar, for it is annihilated.<br />It is in an uproar, for it is now made captive.<br />Hell took a body, and discovered God.<br />It took earth, and encountered Heaven.<br />It took what it saw, and was overcome by what it did not see.<br />O death, where is thy sting?<br />O Hades, where is thy victory?<br /><br />Christ is Risen, and you, O death, are annihilated!<br />Christ is Risen, and the evil ones are cast down!<br />Christ is Risen, and the angels rejoice!<br />Christ is Risen, and life is liberated!<br />Christ is Risen, and the tomb is emptied of its dead;<br />for Christ having risen from the dead,<br />is become the first-fruits of those who have fallen asleep.<br />To Him be Glory and Power forever and ever. <br />Amen!<br /><br /><i>Almighty God, who through your only-begotten Son Jesus Christ overcame death and opened to us the gate of everlasting life: Grant that we, who celebrate with joy the day of the Lord’s resurrection, may be raised from the death of sin by your life-giving Spirit; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.</i>Padre Mickeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07580459577853346369noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36914208.post-87940398821579710552023-04-08T08:30:00.001-05:002023-04-08T08:30:00.250-05:00Holy Saturday<a href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R-TxDKNCa-I/AAAAAAAAGMk/XkGBYMk_1RQ/s1600-h/owtomb.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5180530507963853794" src="https://bp0.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R-TxDKNCa-I/AAAAAAAAGMk/XkGBYMk_1RQ/s400/owtomb.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><br />
<i>O God, Creator of heaven and earth: Grant that, as the crucified body of your dear Son was laid in the tomb and rested on this holy Sabbath, so we may await with him the coming of the third day, and rise with him to newness of life; who now lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.</i><br />
<br />
Matthew 27:57-66<br />
When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who was also a disciple of Jesus. He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus; then Pilate ordered it to be given to him. So Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn in the rock. He then rolled a great stone to the door of the tomb and went away. Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there, sitting opposite the tomb. The next day, that is, after the day of Preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate and said, "Sir, we remember what that impostor said while he was still alive, "After three days I will rise again.'<br />
Therefore command the tomb to be made secure until the third day; otherwise his disciples may go and steal him away, and tell the people, "He has been raised from the dead,' and the last deception would be worse than the first."<br />
Pilate said to them, "You have a guard of soldiers; go, make it as secure as you can." So they went with the guard and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone.<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://bp3.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R-Tw86NCa9I/AAAAAAAAGMc/KqqdU-1hLxU/s1600-h/crosstomb.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5180530400589671378" src="https://bp3.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R-Tw86NCa9I/AAAAAAAAGMc/KqqdU-1hLxU/s320/crosstomb.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a>Padre Mickeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07580459577853346369noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36914208.post-53490075036440533892023-04-07T08:00:00.001-05:002023-04-07T08:00:00.247-05:00Good Friday Viernes Santo Stations of the Cross Vía Crucis<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/Sdp-AK7S2RI/AAAAAAAAP80/wzHzL7i1I7E/s1600-h/P1030104.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321704451089815826" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/Sdp-AK7S2RI/AAAAAAAAP80/wzHzL7i1I7E/s400/P1030104.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
<b>FIRST STATION<br />Jesus is condemned to death</b><br />
<br />
We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you:<br />
<i>Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.</i><br />
<br />
As soon as it was morning, the chief priests, with the elders and scribes, and the whole council, held a consultation; and they bound Jesus and led him away and delivered him to Pilate. And they all condemned him and said, "He deserves to die." When Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judgment seat at a place called the Pavement, but in the Hebrew, Gabbatha. Then he handed Jesus over to them to be crucified.<br />
<br />
V. God did not spare his own Son:<br />
R. But delivered him up for us all.<br />
<br />
Let us pray:<br />
<br />
Almighty God, whose most dear Son went not up to joy but first he suffered pain, and entered not into glory before he was crucified: Mercifully grant that we, walking in the way of the cross, may find it none other than the way of life and peace; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord. Amen.<br />
<br />
<i>Holy God,<br />Holy and Mighty,<br />Holy Immortal One,<br />Have mercy upon us.</i><br />
<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/Sdp9_yEFp8I/AAAAAAAAP8s/M5UL2LKzE-4/s1600-h/P1030105.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321704444415813570" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/Sdp9_yEFp8I/AAAAAAAAP8s/M5UL2LKzE-4/s400/P1030105.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
<b>SEGUNDA ESTACIÓN<br />Jesús toma su cruz</b><br />
<br />
Te adoramos, oh Cristo, y te bendecimos:<br />
<i>Que por tu santa cruz has redimido al mundo.</i><br />
<br />
Jesús salió, cargando su cruz, al lugar llamado de la Calavera, y en hebreo, Gólgota. Y aunque era Hijo, por lo que padeció aprendió obediencia. Como cordero fue llevado al matadero; y como oveja delante de sus trasquiladores, enmudeció, y no abrió su boca. El Cordero que fue inmolado es digno de tomar el poder, las riquezas, la sabiduría, la fortaleza, la honra, la gloria, la alabanza.<br />
<br />
V. El Señor cargó en él el pecado de todos:<br />
R. Por las transgresiones de mi pueblo fue muerto.<br />
<br />
Oremos:<br />
<br />
Dios todopoderoso, cuyo amado Hijo sufrió voluntariamente la agonía y el oprobio de la cruz por nuestra redención: Danos valor para tomar nuestra cruz y seguirle; quien vive y reina por los siglos de los siglos. Amén.<br />
<br />
<i>Santo Dios,<br />Santo Poderoso,<br />Santo Inmortal,<br />Ten piedad de nosotros.</i><br />
<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/Sdp9_ywEtEI/AAAAAAAAP8k/8WLo2kEKtF0/s1600-h/P1030106.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321704444600300610" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/Sdp9_ywEtEI/AAAAAAAAP8k/8WLo2kEKtF0/s400/P1030106.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
<b>THIRD STATION<br />Jesus falls the first time</b><br />
<br />
We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you:<br />
<i>Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.</i><br />
<br />
Christ Jesus, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped; but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, and was born in human likeness. And being found in human form he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him, and bestowed on him the name which is above every name. Come, let us bow down, and bend the knee, and kneel before the Lord our Maker, for he is the Lord our God.<br />
<br />
V. Surely he has borne our griefs:<br />
R. And carried our sorrows.<br />
<br />
Let us pray:<br />
<br />
O God, you know us to be set in the midst of so many and great dangers, that by reason of the frailty of our nature we cannot always stand upright: Grant us such strength and protection as may support us in all dangers, and carry us through all temptations; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.<br />
<br />
<i>Holy God,<br />Holy and Mighty,<br />Holy Immortal One,<br />Have mercy upon us.</i><br />
<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/Sdp9_qgJ0pI/AAAAAAAAP8c/bYdn2DBoLqA/s1600-h/P1030107.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321704442386043538" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/Sdp9_qgJ0pI/AAAAAAAAP8c/bYdn2DBoLqA/s400/P1030107.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
<b>CUARTA ESTACIÓN<br />Jesús encuentra a su afligida madre</b><br />
<br />
Te adoramos, oh Cristo, y te bendecimos:<br />
<i>Que por tu santa cruz has redimido al mundo.</i><br />
<br />
¿A quién te haré semejante, hija de Jerusalén? ¿A quién te compararé para consolarte, oh virgen hija de Sión? Porque grande como el mar es tu quebrantamiento. Bienaventurados los que lloran, porque ellos recibirán consolación. El Señor será tu luz eterna, y tus días de duelo terminarán.<br />
<br />
V. Una espada traspasará tu misma alma:<br />
R. Y llenará tu corazón de amargo dolor.<br />
<br />
Oremos:<br />
<br />
Oh Dios, que quisiste que en la pasión de tu Hijo una espada de aflicción traspasara el alma de la bendita Virgen María, su madre: Concede misericordiosamente que tu Iglesia, habiendo participado con ella en su pasión, sea hecha digna de participar en el gozo de su resurrección; quien vive y reina por los siglos de los siglos. Amén.<br />
<br />
<i>Santo Dios,<br />Santo Poderoso,<br />Santo Inmortal,<br />Ten piedad de nosotros.</i><br />
<br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/Sdp9n_QOMNI/AAAAAAAAP8U/3NoV3CYovM0/s1600-h/P1030109.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321704035639505106" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/Sdp9n_QOMNI/AAAAAAAAP8U/3NoV3CYovM0/s400/P1030109.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
<b>FIFTH STATION<br />The Cross is laid on Simon of Cyrene</b><br />
<br />
We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you:<br />
<i>Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.</i><br />
<br />
As they led Jesus away, they came upon a man of Cyrene, Simon by name, who was coming in from the country, and laid on him the cross to carry it behind Jesus. "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."<br />
<br />
V. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me:<br />
R. Cannot be my disciple.<br />
<br />
Let us pray:<br />
<br />
Heavenly Father, whose blessed Son came not to be served but to serve: Bless all who, following in his steps, give themselves to the service of others; that with wisdom, patience, and courage, they may minister in his Name to the suffering, the friendless, and the needy; for the love of him who laid down his life for us, your Son our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.<br />
<br />
<i>Holy God,<br />Holy and Mighty,<br />Holy Immortal One,<br />Have mercy upon us.</i><br />
<br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/Sdp9npXn4dI/AAAAAAAAP8M/jrNCdfKjSQY/s1600-h/P1030110.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321704029764968914" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/Sdp9npXn4dI/AAAAAAAAP8M/jrNCdfKjSQY/s400/P1030110.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
<b>SEXTA ESTACIÓN<br />Una mujer enjuga el rostro de Jesús</b><br />
<br />
Te adoramos, oh Cristo, y te bendecimos:<br />
<i>Que por tu santa cruz has redimido al mundo.</i><br />
<br />
Lo hemos visto sin belleza ni esplendor, su aspecto no era nada atrayente; fue despreciado y rebajado. Era un hombre lleno de dolor, acostumbrado al sufrimiento. Lo despreciamos como a alguien que no merece ser visto, no lo tuvimos en cuenta y sin embargo él estaba cansado con nuestros sufrimientos, estaba soportando nuestros propios dolores. Mas él fue herido por nuestras rebeliones, molido por nuestros pecados; el castigo de nuestra paz cayó sobre él, y por su llaga hemos sido sanados.<br />
<br />
V. Restáuranos, oh Señor Dios de los ejércitos:<br />
R. Muestra la luz de tu rostro, y seremos salvos.<br />
<br />
Oremos:<br />
<br />
Oh Dios, que antes de la pasión de tu unigénito Hijo, revelaste su gloria en el monte santo: Concede que, al contemplar por fe la luz de su rostro, seamos fortalecidos para llevar nuestra cruz y ser transformados a su imagen de gloria en gloria; por Jesucristo nuestro Señor. Amén.<br />
<br />
<i>Santo Dios,<br />Santo Poderoso,<br />Santo Inmortal,<br />Ten piedad de nosotros.</i><br />
<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/Sdp9ns3xRSI/AAAAAAAAP8E/v6AxcaSOieU/s1600-h/P1030111.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321704030705108258" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/Sdp9ns3xRSI/AAAAAAAAP8E/v6AxcaSOieU/s400/P1030111.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
<b>SEVENTH STATION<br />Jesus falls a second time</b><br />
<br />
We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you:<br />
<i>Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.</i><br />
<br />
Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth. For the transgression of my people was he stricken.<br />
<br />
V. But as for me, I am a worm and no man:<br />
R. Scorned by all and despised by the people.<br />
<br />
Let us pray:<br />
<br />
Almighty and everliving God, in your tender love for the human race you sent your Son our Savior Jesus Christ to take upon him our nature, and to suffer death upon the cross, giving us the example of his great humility: Mercifully grant that we may walk in the way of his suffering, and also share in his resurrection; who lives and reigns for ever and ever. Amen.<br />
<br />
<i>Holy God,<br />Holy and Mighty,<br />Holy Immortal One,<br />Have mercy upon us.</i><br />
<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/Sdp9nXnxhOI/AAAAAAAAP78/CX5uRfzXVqk/s1600-h/P1030112.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321704025000871138" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/Sdp9nXnxhOI/AAAAAAAAP78/CX5uRfzXVqk/s400/P1030112.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
<b>OCTAVA ESTACIÓN<br />Jesús encuentra a las mujeres de Jerusalén</b><br />
<br />
Te adoramos, oh Cristo, y te bendecimos:<br />
<i>Que por tu santa cruz has redimido al mundo.</i><br />
<br />
Y seguía a Jesús gran multitud del pueblo, entre ellos mujeres que lloraban y se lamentaban por él. Pero Jesús, vuelto hacia ellas, les dijo: "Hijas de Jerusalén, no lloren por mí, sino lloren por ustedes mismas y por sus hijos".<br />
<br />
V. Los que sembraron con lágrimas:<br />
R. Con regocijo segarán.<br />
<br />
Oremos:<br />
<br />
Enseña a tu Iglesia, oh Señor, a llorar por los pecados de que es culpable, y a arrepentirse y olvidarlos; para que, por medio de tu gracia indulgente, el resultado de nuestras iniquidades no recaiga sobre nuestros hijos ni los hijos de nuestros hijos; por Jesucristo nuestro Señor. Amén.<br />
<br />
<i>Santo Dios,<br />Santo Poderoso,<br />Santo Inmortal,<br />Ten piedad de nosotros.</i><br />
<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/Sdp9nCpyC0I/AAAAAAAAP70/6zBDAg7fV-A/s1600-h/P1030113.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321704019372149570" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/Sdp9nCpyC0I/AAAAAAAAP70/6zBDAg7fV-A/s400/P1030113.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
<b>NINTH STATION<br />Jesus falls a third time</b><br />
<br />
We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you:<br />
<i>Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.</i><br />
<br />
I am the man who has seen affliction under the rod of his wrath; he has driven and brought me into darkness without any light. He has besieged me and enveloped me with bitterness and tribulation; he has made me dwell in darkness like the dead of long ago. Though I call and cry for help, he shuts out my prayer. He has made my teeth grind on gravel, and made me cower in ashes. "Remember, O Lord, my affliction and bitterness, the wormwood and the gall!"<br />
<br />
V. He was led like a lamb to the slaughter:<br />
R. And like a sheep that before its shearers is mute, so he opened not his mouth.<br />
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Let us pray:<br />
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O God, by the passion of your blessed Son you made an instrument of shameful death to be for us the means of life: Grant us so to glory in the cross of Christ, that we may gladly suffer shame and loss for the sake of your Son our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.<br />
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<i>Holy God,<br />Holy and Mighty,<br />Holy Immortal One,<br />Have mercy upon us.</i><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/Sdp88pDpb8I/AAAAAAAAP7s/uTx9NQwLRME/s1600-h/P1030114.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321703290946809794" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/Sdp88pDpb8I/AAAAAAAAP7s/uTx9NQwLRME/s400/P1030114.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
<b>DÉCIMA ESTACIÓN<br />Jesús es despojado de sus vestiduras</b><br />
<br />
Te adoramos, oh Cristo, y te bendecimos:<br />
<i>Que por tu santa cruz has redimido al mundo.</i><br />
<br />
Cuando llegaron a un lugar llamado Gólgota, que significa de la Calavera, le dieron a beber vinagre mezclado con hiel; pero después de haberlo probado, no quiso beberlo. Y repartieron entre sí sus vestiduras, echando suertes. Esto fue para que se cumpliese la Escritura, que dice: "Repartieron entre sí mis vestiduras, y sobre mi ropa echaron suertes".<br />
<br />
V. Hiel me dieron a comer:<br />
V. Y cuando tuve sed me dieron a beber vinagre.<br />
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Oremos:<br />
<br />
Señor Dios, cuyo bendito Hijo nuestro Salvador entregó su cuerpo a los azotes y su rostro al esputo: Otórganos tu gracia para soportar gozosamente los sufrimientos de esta vida temporal, confiados en la gloria que ha de ser revelada; por Jesucristo nuestro Señor. Amén.<br />
<br />
<i>Santo Dios,<br />Santo Poderoso,<br />Santo Inmortal,<br />Ten piedad de nosotros.</i><br />
<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/Sdp88fAJS7I/AAAAAAAAP7k/D72f2bwIFIA/s1600-h/P1030115.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321703288247765938" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/Sdp88fAJS7I/AAAAAAAAP7k/D72f2bwIFIA/s400/P1030115.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
<b>ELEVENTH STATION<br />Jesus is nailed to the Cross</b><br />
<br />
We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you:<br />
<i>Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.</i><br />
<br />
When they came to the place which is called The Skull, there they crucified him; and with him they crucified two criminals, one on the right, the other on the left, and Jesus between them. And the scripture was fulfilled which says, "He was numbered with the transgressors."<br />
<br />
V. They pierce my hands and my feet:<br />
R. They stare and gloat over me.<br />
<br />
Let us pray:<br />
<br />
Lord Jesus Christ, you stretched out your arms of love on the hard wood of the cross that everyone might come within the reach of your saving embrace: So clothe us in your Spirit that we, reaching forth our hands in love, may bring those who do not know you to the knowledge and love of you; for the honor of your Name. Amen.<br />
<br />
<i>Holy God,<br />Holy and Mighty,<br />Holy Immortal One,<br />Have mercy upon us.</i><br />
<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/Sdp88OW7I8I/AAAAAAAAP7c/sU3_NTXBVog/s1600-h/P1030116.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321703283779904450" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/Sdp88OW7I8I/AAAAAAAAP7c/sU3_NTXBVog/s400/P1030116.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
<b>DUODÉCIMA ESTACIÓN<br />Jesús muere en la cruz</b><br />
<br />
Te adoramos, oh Cristo, y te bendecimos:<br />
<i>Que por tu santa cruz has redimido al mundo.</i><br />
<br />
Cuando vio Jesús a su madre, y al discípulo a quien él amaba, que estaba presente, dijo a su madre: "Mujer, he ahí tu hijo". Después dijo al discípulo: "He ahí tu madre". Cuando Jesús hubo tomado el vinagre, dijo: "Consumado es". Y entonces clamando a gran voz dijo: "Padre, en tus manos encomiendo mi espíritu". Y habiendo inclinado la cabeza, entregó el espíritu.<br />
<br />
V. Por nosotros Cristo se hizo obediente hasta la muerte:<br />
R. Y muerte de cruz.<br />
<br />
Oremos:<br />
<br />
Oh Dios, que por nuestra redención entregaste a tu unigénito Hijo a muerte de cruz, y por su resurrección gloriosa nos libraste del poder de nuestro enemigo: Concédenos morir diariamente al pecado, de tal manera que vivamos siempre con él, en el gozo de su resurrección; quien vive y reina ahora y por siempre. Amén.<br />
<br />
<i>Santo Dios,<br />Santo Poderoso,<br />Santo Inmortal,<br />Ten piedad de nosotros.</i><br />
<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/Sdp878LLFfI/AAAAAAAAP7U/idIXBmHodP0/s1600-h/P1030117.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321703278898779634" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/Sdp878LLFfI/AAAAAAAAP7U/idIXBmHodP0/s400/P1030117.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
<b>THIRTEENTH STATION<br />The body of Jesus is placed in the arms of his mother</b><br />
<br />
We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you:<br />
<i>Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.</i><br />
<br />
All you who pass by, behold and see if there is any sorrow like my sorrow. My eyes are spent with weeping; my soul is in tumult; my heart is poured out in grief because of the downfall of my people. "Do not call me Naomi (which means Pleasant), call me Mara (which means Bitter); for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me."<br />
<br />
V. Her tears run down her cheeks:<br />
R. And she has none to comfort her.<br />
<br />
Let us pray:<br />
<br />
Lord Jesus Christ, by your death you took away the sting of death: Grant to us your servants so to follow in faith where you have led the way, that we may at length fall asleep peacefully in you and wake up in your likeness; for your tender mercies' sake. Amen.<br />
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<i>Holy God,<br />Holy and Mighty,<br />Holy Immortal One,<br />Have mercy upon us.</i><br />
<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/Sdp87ktUpHI/AAAAAAAAP7M/gGzaSi_YT9c/s1600-h/P1030119.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321703272599561330" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/Sdp87ktUpHI/AAAAAAAAP7M/gGzaSi_YT9c/s400/P1030119.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
<b>DÉCIMACUARTA ESTACIÓN<br />Jesús es puesto en la tumba</b><br />
<br />
Te adoramos, oh Cristo, y te bendecimos:<br />
<i>Que por tu santa cruz has redimido al mundo.</i><br />
<br />
Cuando llegó la noche, vino un hombre rico de Arimatea, llamado José, quien también era un discípulo de Jesús. Este fue a Pilato y pidió el cuerpo de Jesús. Entonces Pilato mandó que se le diese. Y tomando José el cuerpo, lo envolvió en una sábana limpia, y lo puso en su sepulcro nuevo, que había labrado en la peña; y rodó una gran piedra a la entrada del sepulcro.<br />
<br />
V. No me abandonarás en el sepulcro:<br />
R. Ni permitirás que tu Santo vea corrupción.<br />
<br />
Oremos:<br />
<br />
Oh Dios, tu bendito Hijo fue puesto en la tumba en un huerto, y descansó en el día del sábado: Concede que nosotros, los que hemos sido sepultados con él en las aguas del bautismo, encontremos nuestro perfecto descanso en su eterno y glorioso reino; donde él vive y reina por los siglos de los siglos. Amén.<br />
<br />
<i>Santo Dios,<br />Santo Poderoso,<br />Santo Inmortal,<br />Ten piedad de nosotros.</i><br />
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Oh Salvador del mundo, que por tu cruz y preciosa sangre nos has redimido:<br />
<i>Sálvanos y ayúdanos, humildemente te suplicamos, oh Señor.</i><br />
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Oremos:<br />
<br />
Te damos gracias, Padre celestial, porque nos has librado del dominio del pecado y de la muerte y nos has traído al reino de tu Hijo; y te rogamos que, así como por su muerte nos ha hecho volver a la vida, por su amor nos exalte a los gozos eternos; quien vive y reina contigo, en la unidad del Espíritu Santo, un solo Dios, ahora y por siempre. Amén.<br />
<br />
To Christ our Lord who loves us, and washed us in his own blood, and made us a kingdom of priests to serve his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
Padre Mickeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07580459577853346369noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36914208.post-66349150945115150912023-04-06T18:30:00.003-05:002023-04-06T18:30:49.639-05:00Maundy Thursday<i>Almighty Father, whose dear Son, on the night before he suffered, instituted the Sacrament of his Body and Blood: Mercifully grant that we may receive it thankfully in remembrance of Jesus Christ our Lord, who in these holy mysteries gives us a pledge of eternal life; and who now lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.</i><br />
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<a href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R-JYCqNCa5I/AAAAAAAAGL8/rY_KXTJPLvs/s1600-h/john13-duccio.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5179799324141448082" src="https://bp0.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R-JYCqNCa5I/AAAAAAAAGL8/rY_KXTJPLvs/s320/john13-duccio.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px;" /></a><br />
John 13:1-5<br />
Now before the festival of the Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart from this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.<br />
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The devil had already put it into the heart of Judas son of Simon Iscariot to betray him. And during supper Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going to God, got up from the table, took off his outer robe, and tied a towel around himself. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel that was tied around him. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, "Lord, are you going to wash my feet?" Jesus answered, "You do not know now what I am doing, but later you will understand." Peter said to him, "You will never wash my feet." Jesus answered, "Unless I wash you, you have no share with me." Simon Peter said to him, "Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!" Jesus said to him, "One who has bathed does not need to wash, except for the feet, but is entirely clean. And you are clean, though not all of you." For he knew who was to betray him; for this reason he said, "Not all of you are clean."<br />
<br />
After he had washed their feet, had put on his robe, and had returned to the table, he said to them, "Do you know what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord—and you are right, for that is what I am. So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you.<br />
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<a href="http://bp3.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R-JXcaNCa4I/AAAAAAAAGL0/ba_gyvVt4kk/s1600-h/GhirlandaioLastSupper.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5179798667011451778" src="https://bp3.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R-JXcaNCa4I/AAAAAAAAGL0/ba_gyvVt4kk/s320/GhirlandaioLastSupper.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: right; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px;" /></a><br />
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<br /></div>Padre Mickeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07580459577853346369noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36914208.post-85973510668110831712023-02-14T11:31:00.003-05:002023-02-14T12:28:50.110-05:00Feast of Cyril and Methodius, Missionaries<a href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R7Qs-roU-vI/AAAAAAAAFqI/BlSjQM6N-8M/s1600-h/image004.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5166804127876184818" src="https://bp0.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R7Qs-roU-vI/AAAAAAAAFqI/BlSjQM6N-8M/s320/image004.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px;" /></a><br />Today is St. Valentine's Day, but no one is really sure who this St. Valentine was. He may have been a Roman priest martyred during the reign of the Emperor Claudius in the mid third century, or he may have been the bishop of Terni, who was taken to Rome and martyred and whose remains were returned to Terni. The feast of St. Valentinus was once on the Roman calendar but he was dropped quite a while back, and now his day is more of a "Hallmark Holiday" a holiday for selling greeting cards, flowers, and chocolates.<br /><br />Today is also the Feast of Saints Cyril and Methodius, two very important saints. Cyril and Methodius were brothers and lived in Thessalonica, a town where Christians were gathering very early in the history of the Church. Methodius was born around the year 815 and his brother Constantine was born around the year 826. Constantine studied philosophy and later became a monk, taking on the name of Cyril. As a philosophy student, Cyril also studied languages and was well-versed in Hebrew, Arabic, and even the Samaritan dialect. In the year 860, Photius, the patriarch of Constantinople selected Cyril and Methodius as the first missionaries to the Slavs. He chose them not only because Cyril was good with languages, but because as children both brothers spent a lot of time around the Slavs who lived in Thessalonica; they learned the Slavic language and were fluent in that language. They were the natural choice to be missionaries to the Slavs. Their first missionary trip in 860 was to the Khazars who lived north of the Caucasus region, but it was unsuccessful and the Khazars actually ended up accepting Judaism instead of Christianity. In the year 863, Rostislav, prince of Moravia (which is the area we now call the Czech Republic), requested Christian missionaries be sent. He had one requirement: that the missionaries be able to preach to the people in their own language and must do services in Slavonic, which meant that they needed Bibles and service books in Slavonic. So, before they even left for Moravia, the brothers started translating the Bible into Slavonic. There was not actual Slavonic alphabet so they had to invent one with which they would write their translations of the Bible and prayer books. The alphabet invented by St. Cyril is called Glagolithic and his followers invented another alphabet called Cyrillic which is the alphabet used in Russia and the former Eastern Block nations to this day. They translated the Bible into the dialect they had learned as boys, a Macedonian dialect of slavonic spoken around Thessalonica, an this language is now called Church Slavonic, and it is the liturgical language of the Russian Orthodox Church and the Slavonic Orthodox Churches. This is very important, because the Slavs were one of the few peoples who heard the gospel read in their own language instead of Greek or Latin, the major languages of the Church at that time. The Roman church always insisted that everything be done in Latin, but the Eastern church felt that it was important that services and readings be done in the vernacular of the people, the same concept which is accepted in the Anglican Communion. Cyril and Methodius ran into some trouble in Moravia and in Bulgaria; the Church in the West had sent German missionaries and they did not like the Greek Orthodox monks working in their area. The brothers were doing services in the language of the people while the Germans did everything in Latin; the brothers recited the Nicene Creed in its Eastern form without the <i>filioque</i>. In order to end German interference with the mission, Cyril asked for the protection of the Pope as he really didn't get involved in the East-West arguments and the Church was still united at that time; Cyril just wanted to continue working in Slavonic. The brothers traveled to Rome in 868 to speak to Pope Hadrian II, and he received them favorably and gave full support to their mission, allowing them to work in Slavonic, and even approved their translations of the Bible and service books. Unfortunately, Cyril died in Rome in 869, and when Methodius returned to Moravia, the Germans ignored the Pope's decision and obstructed him in every way; they even put Methodius in prison for a year!<br />When Methodius died in the year 885, the Germans ran his followers out of the country and even sold some of them into slavery (fine Christian people!). The Slavonic church lasted there for another two hundred years but then vanished; it seemed as if the mission of Cyril and Methodius had failed. but while their mission died in Moravia their translations moved in to Bulgaria, Serbia, and Russia, and Church Slavonic is the liturgical language of those areas. The Church grew and spread throughout that area and even lasted through fifty years of Communist oppression.<br /><br />Some of the issues that Cyril and Methodius dealt with are still important today. The issue of language is a very important issue here. I think that what saints Cyril and Methodius taught us is that it is important that people hear the gospel and worship in the language with which they are familiar, whether that language be English, Español, or Slavonic. When people hear the gospel in their own language the church takes root and grows. Cyril knew that it was important that the peoples of the Caucasus hear the Word in their own words and he was willing to go to those who spoke Latin to get the support he needed, because he knew that the Church is large enough to include everybody, whether they speak Español, English, Nippon-go, Hungarian, Greek or Slavonic, God hears us no matter what language we speak. What is important is that we remember that we are One Body, we are united as one body in Christ. One of the oldest Eucharistic prayers we have is in the <i>Didache</i> and it says "as this grain was once scattered over the hills and was brought together as one loaf of bread, so may your Church be brought together from the ends of the earth into your Kingdom." Let us take the example of saints Cyril and Methodius to heart realizing that the Church is One Body in Christ.<div><br /><i>Almighty and everlasting God, by the power of the Holy Spirit you moved your servant Cyril and his brother Methodius to bring the light of the Gospel to a hostile and divided people: Overcome all bitterness and strife among us by the love of Christ, and make us one united family under the banner of the Prince of Peace; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.</i><br /><a href="http://bp2.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R7QtFLoU-wI/AAAAAAAAFqQ/FuVu6vf2RT0/s1600-h/KyrillMethodios.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5166804239545334530" src="https://bp2.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R7QtFLoU-wI/AAAAAAAAFqQ/FuVu6vf2RT0/s320/KyrillMethodios.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: right; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px;" /></a></div>Padre Mickeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07580459577853346369noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36914208.post-1913647338841054492022-12-24T12:40:00.004-05:002022-12-24T12:40:43.801-05:00It's the Thrilling Conclusion to the Red Mr. Peanut Bank and Gallito Mescalito Christmas Special, Charlie Brown! or Part 3<p> </p><a href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R2xOjy6c7RI/AAAAAAAAE1k/KTpqCTUVXIM/s1600-h/bank+and+bunrab.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5146574851046960402" src="https://bp1.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R2xOjy6c7RI/AAAAAAAAE1k/KTpqCTUVXIM/s320/bank+and+bunrab.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank</i> Well, Bunrab, tonight's the night! Are you ready?<br /><i>Bunrab, the Filthiest Toy in the House</i> As ready as I can be. The rehearsals went much better than expected, and they've decided not to use wires on the angels, gracias a Dios! Are you ready to be the Narrator?<br /><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank</i> Of course! I love being Narrator.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R2xOjy6c7SI/AAAAAAAAE1s/glZC_4OVq_8/s1600-h/santa+y+costumes1.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5146574851046960418" src="https://bp1.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R2xOjy6c7SI/AAAAAAAAE1s/glZC_4OVq_8/s320/santa+y+costumes1.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><i>Mr. Chompy's Chewed-up Squeaky Kitty Toy</i> Well, the sleeves are okay, but I'm having trouble holdin' dis stick ting.<br /><i>¡El Toro!</i> ¿Parecer una oveja? ¿Esta traje engañar a nadie?<br /><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank</i> Hello Santa, hello Mr. Chompy's Chewed-up Kitty Toy, hola ¡El Toro! Are you about ready?<br /><i>Santa</i> Yes, it's show time! All the costumes are fabulous and our cast are ALL STARS!!!<br /><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank</i> Well, good, because these two are on first.<br /><br /><a href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R2xOai6c7OI/AAAAAAAAE1M/Vs-mAOdTjr4/s1600-h/santa+y+costumes2.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5146574692133170402" src="https://bp0.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R2xOai6c7OI/AAAAAAAAE1M/Vs-mAOdTjr4/s320/santa+y+costumes2.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><i>Santa</i> No problem!! Kitty, you are a beautiful shepherd, and all the sheep will follow you anywhere!<br /><i>Mr. Chompy's Chewed-up Squeaky Kitty Toy</i> Tanks, Santa! Yer not too bad yerself! I gotta get to da stage.<br /><i>Santa</i> And you! YOU! You are the wooliest little lamb I've ever seen! Yes you are! Yes you are!!<br /><i>¡El Toro!</i> ¡POR faVOR!<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R2xOai6c7PI/AAAAAAAAE1U/uN0MYMJ0x54/s1600-h/welcome.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5146574692133170418" src="https://bp0.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R2xOai6c7PI/AAAAAAAAE1U/uN0MYMJ0x54/s320/welcome.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank</i> Welcome to Padre Mickey's Dance Party's Christmas Pageant! We hope that you enjoy all the hard work our cast has put into this production.<br /><i>Bunrab, the Filthiest Toy in the House, whispering</i> Psst! Don't forget las celulares!<br /><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank</i> Oh, yes! Please turn off your cell phones and pagers, or put them on vibrate. Also, this pageant is for entertainment purposes only. Please, no wagering! And now, our pageant.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R2xOay6c7QI/AAAAAAAAE1c/OkhsoUHACr0/s1600-h/shepherds1.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5146574696428137730" src="https://bp1.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R2xOay6c7QI/AAAAAAAAE1c/OkhsoUHACr0/s320/shepherds1.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank, off camera</i> In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flocks by night.<br /><i>Mr. Chompy's Chewed-up Squeaky Kitty Toy, whispering</i> No you stand dere, and you, you go ovah dere. An you, jest stan' still!<br />Ahem, Oh, what a beautiful, quiet nite. I suppose dat nuttin' 'citin' will happen tuhnite.<br /><i>¡El Toro!</i> Baa. Baa.<br /><i>Squeaky Gorilla</i> Baa <i>skeek</i> Baa<br /><br /><a href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R2xOMy6c7LI/AAAAAAAAE00/uv5-Js783m4/s1600-h/angel1.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5146574455909969074" src="https://bp1.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R2xOMy6c7LI/AAAAAAAAE00/uv5-Js783m4/s320/angel1.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank, off camera</i> Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.<br /><i>Mr. Chompy's Chewed-up Squeaky Kitty Toy</i> Wut da ...<br /><i>¡El Toro!</i> BAA!! BAA!!<br /><i>Squeaky Gorilla</i> BAA! <i>skeek</i> BAA!!<br /><i>Guatemalan Apocalyptic Angel</i> Yikes! What is that in the sky?<br /><br /><a href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R2xOMy6c7MI/AAAAAAAAE08/dxy9N0lNOBM/s1600-h/angel2.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5146574455909969090" src="https://bp1.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R2xOMy6c7MI/AAAAAAAAE08/dxy9N0lNOBM/s320/angel2.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank, off camera</i> But the angel said to them<br /><i>Wooden Kuna Doll</i> Do not be afraid; for see----I am bringin' you good news of great joy for all de peoples: to you is born this day in the city of David (pero not in Chriqui, el otro ciudad David) a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord.<br /><br /><a href="http://bp2.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R2xONC6c7NI/AAAAAAAAE1E/L6Py1Cz9P-I/s1600-h/angels1.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5146574460204936402" src="https://bp2.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R2xONC6c7NI/AAAAAAAAE1E/L6Py1Cz9P-I/s320/angels1.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><i>Wooden Kuna Doll</i> This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.<br /><i>Telly Tubbies</i> Ina manger! Ina manger! Da Messiah! Da Messiah!<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R2xN2y6c7HI/AAAAAAAAE0U/aLPMGB1U81c/s1600-h/heavenly+hosts1.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5146574077952846962" src="https://bp1.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R2xN2y6c7HI/AAAAAAAAE0U/aLPMGB1U81c/s320/heavenly+hosts1.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank, off camera</i> And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying<br /><i>The Heavenly Host</i> Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors!<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://bp2.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R2xN3C6c7II/AAAAAAAAE0c/1b1G9VnGG-g/s1600-h/heavenly+hosts2.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5146574082247814274" src="https://bp2.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R2xN3C6c7II/AAAAAAAAE0c/1b1G9VnGG-g/s320/heavenly+hosts2.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><i>Mr. Chompy's Chewed-up Squeaky Kitty Toy</i> Whoa!!<br /><i>¡El Toro!</i> BAA!! BAA!!<br /><i>Squeaky Gorilla</i> BAA! <i>skeek</i> BAA!!<br /><i>Guatemalan Apocalyptic Angel</i> Wow! They're really good!<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://bp3.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R2xN3S6c7JI/AAAAAAAAE0k/-cJI8tvHM08/s1600-h/shepherds2.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5146574086542781586" src="https://bp3.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R2xN3S6c7JI/AAAAAAAAE0k/-cJI8tvHM08/s320/shepherds2.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank, off camera</i> When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another<br /><i>Mr. Chompy's Chewed-up Squeaky Kitty Toy</i> Hey! Let us go now tuh Betlehem and see dis ting what takes place, which da Lowd maked known tuh us!<br /><i>Guatemalan Apocalyptic Angel</i> Sounds good to me! Plus, it's cold out here.<br /><i>¡El Toro!</i> Baa. Baa.<br /><i>Squeaky Gorilla</i> Baa <i>skeek</i> Baa<br /><i>Guatemalan Apocalyptic Angel</i> What is that noise?<br /><i>Mr. Chompy's Chewed-up Squeaky Kitty Toy</i> Don' ask!<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://bp3.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R2xN3S6c7KI/AAAAAAAAE0s/QhVdmt25Gds/s1600-h/holy+family+y+animales.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5146574086542781602" src="https://bp3.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R2xN3S6c7KI/AAAAAAAAE0s/QhVdmt25Gds/s320/holy+family+y+animales.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank, off camera</i> So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger.<br /><i>Gallito Mescalito</i> Shrie <i>Miss Egyptian Hippo of Love</i> SHUSH! Not now!<br /><br /><a href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R2xNVi6c7EI/AAAAAAAAEz8/lwk4_ZRpxZQ/s1600-h/holy+family+y+pastores1.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5146573506722196546" src="https://bp0.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R2xNVi6c7EI/AAAAAAAAEz8/lwk4_ZRpxZQ/s320/holy+family+y+pastores1.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank, off camera</i> When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child<br /><i>Mr. Chompy's Chewed-up Squeaky Kitty Toy</i> No! Really! Dere wuz angels an' everting!<br /><i>¡El Toro!</i> Baa. Baa.<br /><i>Squeaky Gorilla</i> Baa <i>skeek</i> Baa<br /><i>Guatemalan Apocalyptic Angel</i> No, it's true! I saw it with my own eyes, and let me tell you, I know all about angels!<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R2xNVi6c7FI/AAAAAAAAE0E/it1cjZFFnL0/s1600-h/holy+family+y+angeles.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5146573506722196562" src="https://bp0.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R2xNVi6c7FI/AAAAAAAAE0E/it1cjZFFnL0/s320/holy+family+y+angeles.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank, off camera</i> And all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them.<br /><i>Farm animals</i> Yeah, that's some story! Angels, ya say?<br /><i>The Mighty Moose of Vermont</i> Mooooose. Mooooooose. I am a cow! Mooooose.<br /><br /><a href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R2xNVy6c7GI/AAAAAAAAE0M/TeJE7d0MEBs/s1600-h/santo+ni%C3%B1o.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5146573511017163874" src="https://bp1.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R2xNVy6c7GI/AAAAAAAAE0M/TeJE7d0MEBs/s320/santo+ni%C3%B1o.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank, off camera</i> But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://bp3.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R2xM5S6c7BI/AAAAAAAAEzk/QW9Lrf0UkaA/s1600-h/Santo+ni%C3%B1o2.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5146573021390892050" src="https://bp3.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R2xM5S6c7BI/AAAAAAAAEzk/QW9Lrf0UkaA/s320/Santo+ni%C3%B1o2.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><i>El Penguino</i> Is this thing over yet? 'Cuz I'm sweatin ta def in this bankie!!!<br /><br /><a href="http://bp2.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R2xM6C6c7CI/AAAAAAAAEzs/C-fPSPvC1qg/s1600-h/todos.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5146573034275793954" src="https://bp2.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R2xM6C6c7CI/AAAAAAAAEzs/C-fPSPvC1qg/s320/todos.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank</i> Please give our cast a round of applause!<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://bp2.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R2xM6C6c7DI/AAAAAAAAEz0/eZcltwiemZA/s1600-h/good+night.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5146573034275793970" src="https://bp2.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R2xM6C6c7DI/AAAAAAAAEz0/eZcltwiemZA/s320/good+night.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank</i> That ends our program for the evening. There is chicha, sorril, and empanadas in the lobby. Merry Christmas, and Good night!<br /><i>Miss Egyptian Hippo of Love</i> Okay, now!<br /><i>Gallito Mescalito</i> ¡¡¡SSSSHHHHHRRRRRIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEKKKKK!!!Padre Mickeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07580459577853346369noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36914208.post-31921416302717954862022-12-24T12:38:00.003-05:002022-12-24T12:38:58.209-05:00It's the Red Mr. Peanut Bank and Gallito Mescalito Christmas Special, Charlie Brown! Part 2<p> </p><i>As you recall, last <s>week</s> yesterday the Dance Party Players asked Red Mr. Peanut Bank to help them put on a Christmas Pageant. Our story continues.....</i><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R2MeTy6c53I/AAAAAAAAEqM/rrmM022sYQY/s1600-h/peanut+nacimiento.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5143988524820522866" src="https://bp0.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R2MeTy6c53I/AAAAAAAAEqM/rrmM022sYQY/s320/peanut+nacimiento.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank</i> I love to walk the neighborhood and see all the nacimientos on display. Yikes! That reminds me! I wonder how the Dance Party Christmas Pageant is coming along?<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://bp2.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R2MeUS6c54I/AAAAAAAAEqU/dfkZLzyS-YI/s1600-h/bunrabwrites.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5143988533410457474" src="https://bp2.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R2MeUS6c54I/AAAAAAAAEqU/dfkZLzyS-YI/s320/bunrabwrites.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><i>Bunrab, the Filthiest Toy in the House</i> Hmmm... Και ποιμενες ησαν εν χωρα τη . . .<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://bp2.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R2MeDS6c50I/AAAAAAAAEp0/IBLGGMj5ynY/s1600-h/bankbook.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5143988241352681282" src="https://bp2.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R2MeDS6c50I/AAAAAAAAEp0/IBLGGMj5ynY/s320/bankbook.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank</i> Wow! That's some funny writing. What's going on here?<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://bp2.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R2Mf8S6c55I/AAAAAAAAEqc/KZaWT86g9Ho/s1600-h/bank+n+bunrab.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5143990320116852626" src="https://bp2.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R2Mf8S6c55I/AAAAAAAAEqc/KZaWT86g9Ho/s320/bank+n+bunrab.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><i>Bunrab, the Filthiest Toy in the House</i> Hello, Red Mr. Peanut Bank! How are you?<br /><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank</i> Fine, thanks. And you? And what are these books?<br /><i>Bunrab, the Filthiest Toy in the House</i> I'm fine. I'm exploring the ancient texts to write the script for the Christmas Pageant.<br /><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank</i> How's it coming along?<br /><i>Bunrab, the Filthiest Toy in the House</i> Well, My Hebrew is terrible but my Greek is okay, so I think I'll have it ready by rehearsal. Have you decided who will play the Baby Jesus?<br /><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank</i> No, not yet. Well, I think I'll leave you alone to work.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://bp3.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R2MeDi6c52I/AAAAAAAAEqE/MnCUxkOyI-o/s1600-h/bank+n+girls.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5143988245647648610" src="https://bp3.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R2MeDi6c52I/AAAAAAAAEqE/MnCUxkOyI-o/s320/bank+n+girls.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank</i> Buenas tardes.<br /><i>Wooden Kuna Doll</i> Buenas tardes, Señor Mani Rojo.<br /><i>Miss Egyptian Hippo of Love</i> Buenas tardes, Red Mr. Peanut Bank. We're studying this icon of the Blessed Virgin and the Holy Child. As you know, we both want to play the BVM in the pageant. Have you made a decision on the part yet?<br /><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank</i> Well, no. I hope you will both audition tomorrow.<br /><i>Wooden Kuna Doll</i> ¡Sí, Señor!<br /><i>Miss Egyptian Hippo of Love</i> You know we'll be there. Hey, who's going to play the Baby Jesus? The only one around here who looks like the Baby Jesus in that icon is that red Telly Tubbie!<br /><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank</i> I don't know. Well, good to see you both!<br /><i>Wooden Kuna Doll</i> Adios, Señor Mani Rojo.<br /><i>Miss Egyptian Hippo of Love</i> Ciao, babe!<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R2MduC6c5xI/AAAAAAAAEpc/tTK6r4AyPRA/s1600-h/bank+n+critters.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5143987876280461074" src="https://bp1.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R2MduC6c5xI/AAAAAAAAEpc/tTK6r4AyPRA/s320/bank+n+critters.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank</i> Hi fellas. What's going on here?<br /><i>El Penguino</i> Oh, hello, Red Mr. Peanut Bank! These guys are all deciding who will be a cow and who will be a sheep.<br /><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank</i> Who will be what?<br /><i>El Penguino</i> They've decided they'll arm wrestle. Loser is a cow. Or donkey.<br /><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank</i> Well, not that this isn't interesting, but I must run!<br /><i>Gallito Mescalito</i> ¿Shriek?<br /><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank</i> No, I don't know who will play the Baby Jesus yet. Maybe Poh.<br /><i>Gallito Mescalito</i> ¡SHRIEK!<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://bp2.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R2MduS6c5yI/AAAAAAAAEpk/Z9GS1uh9dsI/s1600-h/penguino1.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5143987880575428386" src="https://bp2.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R2MduS6c5yI/AAAAAAAAEpk/Z9GS1uh9dsI/s320/penguino1.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><i>El Penguino</i> This is terrible. I think I'll go help the angels.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://bp2.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R2MduS6c5zI/AAAAAAAAEps/uf4LSwaMkwo/s1600-h/bank+n+santa.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5143987880575428402" src="https://bp2.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R2MduS6c5zI/AAAAAAAAEps/uf4LSwaMkwo/s320/bank+n+santa.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank</i> Santa! What are <b>YOU</b> doing here? Shouldn't you be at the North Pole, or at least at the Mall?<br /><i>Santa</i> Well, since you won't let me play Joseph in the Christmas Pageant, I offered my help in making costumes. Plus, the elves have it under control at the North Pole, except for those Episcopal Elves who spend all their time doing that Terrible Version of the Macarena! And then there are those Fallen Elves who hang out at Kendall Harmon's place. But I digress. . . Look at all this fabric!<br /><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank</i> Do you know what you're doing?<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://bp3.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R2Mdei6c5uI/AAAAAAAAEpE/biKjfDSiUW0/s1600-h/santa.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5143987609992488674" src="https://bp3.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R2Mdei6c5uI/AAAAAAAAEpE/biKjfDSiUW0/s320/santa.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><i>Santa</i> Of course I do. Who the heck do you think made all those cute outfits for the elves? I've got a machine, I've got fabric, I've got a tape, and these costumes will be <b>FABULOUS!!!</b><br /><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank, off camera</i> Okay. If you can't trust Santa, who can you trust?<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://bp3.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R2Mdei6c5vI/AAAAAAAAEpM/FuDMjuCaSJM/s1600-h/sleeves.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5143987609992488690" src="https://bp3.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R2Mdei6c5vI/AAAAAAAAEpM/FuDMjuCaSJM/s320/sleeves.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><i>Mr. Chompy's Chewed-up Squeaky Kitty Toy</i> Mistah Sanna, sir. Dis sleeve is way too big!<br /><i>Santa</i> It's not done yet, silly! We just need to take it in a bit!<br /><i>Mr. Chompy's Chewed-up Squeaky Kitty Toy</i> But did da shepahds really weah dis color?<br /><i>Gallito Mescalito</i> Shriek! SHRIEEK!!<br /><i>Santa</i> What are you talking about, you silly rooster! You are a Vision in that fluffy cotton! Look, Kitty, you will be the most handsome Shepherd ever to hold a crook, and Rooster, you will be the cutest, fluffiest, and most lovable little lamb ever to see the Baby Jesus! Yes you will! You will!<br /><i>Mr. Chompy's Chewed-up Squeaky Kitty Toy</i> Say, who's gonna be da Baby Jeezus anyway?<br /><i>Santa</i> How would I know? But I'll bet it will be the sweetest little baby Jesus ever seen since the original!! Maybe it will be Poh!<br /><i>Gallito Mescalito</i> ¡SHRIEK!<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R2Mdey6c5wI/AAAAAAAAEpU/TPhiEmnsgME/s1600-h/dipsy+fly.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5143987614287456002" src="https://bp0.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R2Mdey6c5wI/AAAAAAAAEpU/TPhiEmnsgME/s320/dipsy+fly.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank</i> El Penguino, what is going on here?<br /><i>Dipsy</i> Woah! WOAH!<br /><i>El Penguino</i> Well, I thought I do some wire work with the angels<br /><i>La-la, Poh, and Tinky Winky</i> Dipsy fly! Dipsy fly!<br /><i>El Penguino</i> So, did you pick a Baby Jesus yet?<br /><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank</i> No, not yet. I don't know, this looks somewhat dangerous!<br /><i>Dipsy</i> Woah! WOOAAOOH!<br /><i>La-la, Poh, and Tinky Winky</i> Dipsy fly! Dipsy fly!<br /><i>El Penguino</i> Nah, don't worry. Everything will be fine!!<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R2MdLy6c5rI/AAAAAAAAEos/0g2byQ8Ui70/s1600-h/crash.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5143987287869941426" src="https://bp0.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R2MdLy6c5rI/AAAAAAAAEos/0g2byQ8Ui70/s320/crash.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><i>Gallito Mescalito</i> ¡SHRIEK!<br /><i>Miss Egyptian Hippo of Love</i> Good Lord! What is going on?<br /><i>Mr. Chompy's Chewed-up Squeaky Kitty Toy</i> Dis whole outfit is too big! Sumbuddy hep me!<br /><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank</i> This does not look good!<br /><i>Dipsy</i> Woah! WOOAAOOH!<br /><i>La-la, Poh, and Tinky Winky</i> Dipsy crash. DIPSY CRASH!<br /><i>Bunrab, the Filthiest Toy in the House</i> Hey! I'm trying to write here! You little green weirdo!!<br /><i>El Penguino</i> Yow! Im outta here!<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R2MdMC6c5sI/AAAAAAAAEo0/l7zeDHMI2ZM/s1600-h/sleepin.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5143987292164908738" src="https://bp1.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R2MdMC6c5sI/AAAAAAAAEo0/l7zeDHMI2ZM/s320/sleepin.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><i>El Penguino</i> I'm tired. I think I'll climb in this bed and take a nap. Plus, it looks like a good place to hide. Yawn. I wonder who will play the Baby Jesus? Yawn<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://bp2.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R2MdMS6c5tI/AAAAAAAAEo8/SbNXdUVyxKo/s1600-h/fin.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5143987296459876050" src="https://bp2.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R2MdMS6c5tI/AAAAAAAAEo8/SbNXdUVyxKo/s320/fin.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><i>El Penguino</i> Snnnnnnoooooorrrrrrrre
Padre Mickeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07580459577853346369noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36914208.post-74838749559308910152022-12-24T12:37:00.001-05:002022-12-24T12:37:17.509-05:00It's the Red Mr. Peanut Bank and Gallito Mescalito Christmas Special, Charlie Brown! Part 1<p><br /></p>Some may doubt this, but we here are the Dance Party are Traditionalists. We are Traditionalists in as far as we have our traditions, sacred traditions, sacred, secret traditions, which you can't learn until you've <s>lived through</s> passed the <s>hazing ritual</s> super fun initiation joke.<br /><br />We also believe in establishing new, improved traditions. Yes, we are the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/New-Traditionalists-Devo/dp/B000784WOA">New Traditionalists</a>. If one lives in the U.S.A., one can not turn on the Television Receiver Machine without seeing traditional Television programs: The Peanuts Christmas Special, The Pee-Wee Herman Christmas Special, How The Grinch Stole Christmas, Frosty the Snowman, Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer, Bad Santa, <s>Naughty Edy the Elf Does the North Pole</s>, and, the classic It's A Hanukkah Christmas This Kawnzaa, Charlie Brown! We, the management and staff of Padre Mickey's Dance Party, present our lovely holiday tradition: the Red Mr. Peanut Bank and Gallito Mescalito Christmas Pageant Posts. Heck, we figure there must be at least three of you Gentle Readers who missed this last year. Plus, isn't if great to see Bunrab, the Filthiest Toy in the House looking so plump and un-simian or un-chickie like? Of course it is! So, may you all be touched with the Holiday Spirit of over-eating, drinking to excess, insane materialism, and parump-a-pum-pum! Also, instead of running this thang for three weeks, we're going for THREE DAYS this year, so, good for us! ¡Desfrutalo! <br /><br /><a href="http://bp3.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R1nfvikKHsI/AAAAAAAAEjk/G0GqS_wHnoI/s1600-h/The+Boys.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5141386457445441218" src="https://bp3.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R1nfvikKHsI/AAAAAAAAEjk/G0GqS_wHnoI/s320/The+Boys.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank</i> Hello, Gallito Mescalito; how are things?<br /><i>Gallito Mescalito</i> ¡Shriek! Shrieky-shrieky-shriek.<br /><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank</i> Well, I've noticed that, too, but you know how Padre feels about Advent.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R1nfvykKHtI/AAAAAAAAEjs/gP_l7CI9LwM/s1600-h/Advent+Wreath.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5141386461740408530" src="https://bp0.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R1nfvykKHtI/AAAAAAAAEjs/gP_l7CI9LwM/s320/Advent+Wreath.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><i>Gallito Mescalito</i> ¡Shriek! ¡Shrriieekk!<br /><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank</i> That's right. He doesn't care what the rest of the neighborhood is doing; he only wants an Advent Wreath right now.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://bp2.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R1nfwSkKHuI/AAAAAAAAEj0/2jGw1ZXLOZU/s1600-h/with+decoration1.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5141386470330343138" src="https://bp2.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R1nfwSkKHuI/AAAAAAAAEj0/2jGw1ZXLOZU/s320/with+decoration1.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><i>Gallito Mescalito</i> ¡Shriek!<br /><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank</i> Where did that Christmas decoration come from?<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://bp2.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R1nfwSkKHvI/AAAAAAAAEj8/acl6hbJSloQ/s1600-h/with+decoration2.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5141386470330343154" src="https://bp2.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R1nfwSkKHvI/AAAAAAAAEj8/acl6hbJSloQ/s320/with+decoration2.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><i>Gallito Mescalito</i> ¡Shriek!<br /><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank</i> And that! Where did that reindeer come from?<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://bp3.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R1nfgikKHpI/AAAAAAAAEjM/CxO8amCRJDY/s1600-h/with+decoration+3.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5141386199747403410" src="https://bp3.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R1nfgikKHpI/AAAAAAAAEjM/CxO8amCRJDY/s320/with+decoration+3.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><i>Gallito Mescalito</i> ¡¡SHRRIIIEEEEKKK!!<br /><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank</i> AAARRRGGGHH! Where did YOU come from¨_<br /><i>TP Roll Santa</i> Ho! Ho! Ho! Happy Advent!<br /><i>Gallito Mescalito</i> ¡Shriek!<br /><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank</i> You need to get out of here for a few weeks!<br /><i>TP Roll Santa</i> Ho! Ho! Ho!<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://bp3.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R1nfhikKHqI/AAAAAAAAEjU/7orl9Qrd1YA/s1600-h/with+cat.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5141386216927272610" src="https://bp3.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R1nfhikKHqI/AAAAAAAAEjU/7orl9Qrd1YA/s320/with+cat.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><i>Mr. Chompy's Chewed-up Squeaky Kitty Toy</i> Hey, Bank. Hey, Boid. 'sup?<br /><i>Gallito Mescalito</i> ¡Shriek!<br /><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank</i> Oh, hello, Cat! We were discussing the season.<br /><i>Mr. Chompy's Chewed-up Squeaky Kitty Toy</i> I see dat da neighbohs all gots dere lights and trees up! An' as always, we only gots dat wreath.<br /><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank</i> Well, we just chased the TP Santa away!<br /><i>Mr. Chompy's Chewed-up Squeaky Kitty Toy</i> Well, can't we have jus' a lil' decarashun?<br /><i>Gallito Mescalito</i> ¡Shriek!<br /><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank</i> Okay. I'll put up the Nacimiento Mola.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://bp3.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R1nfhikKHrI/AAAAAAAAEjc/wbOSsF7HmYc/s1600-h/with+hippo.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5141386216927272626" src="https://bp3.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R1nfhikKHrI/AAAAAAAAEjc/wbOSsF7HmYc/s320/with+hippo.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><i>Gallito Mescalito</i> ¡Shriek!<br /><i>Mr. Chompy's Chewed-up Squeaky Kitty Toy</i> Cool!<br /><i>Miss Egyptian Hippo of Love</i> Hi boys. Nice backdrop!<br /><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank</i> Hello, Miss Egyptian Hippo of Love! We've been discussing the season.<br /><i>Miss Egyptian Hippo of Love</i> And Padre Mickey's obsession with Advent?<br /><i>Gallito Mescalito</i> ¡Shriek!<br /><i>Mr. Chompy's Chewed-up Squeaky Kitty Toy</i> Yup!<br /><i>Miss Egyptian Hippo of Love</i> Say, Red Mr. Peanut Bank, the doggy toys have been talking with me, as well as the rest of the cast, and they want to put on a Christmas Pageant. Would you supervise?<br /><i>Gallito Mescalito</i> ¡Shriek!<br /><i>Mr. Chompy's Chewed-up Squeaky Kitty Toy</i> Yeah!<br /><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank</i> A Christmas Pageant!?! Well, I suppose so.<br /><i>Gallito Mescalito</i> ¡Shriek! ¡Shrriieekk!<br /><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank</i> I'm sorry, Gallito Mescalito; there's no way on earth you could be the Narrator! Maybe you can be Gabriel...<br /><i>Mr. Chompy's Chewed-up Squeaky Kitty Toy</i> I WANNA BE AN ANGEL!!!<br /><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank</i> You look more like a shepherd to me; the Chief Shepherd, but a shepherd nonetheless!<br /><i>Miss Egyptian Hippo of Love</i> Er, I think I'l go tell the others that you are casting right now.<br /><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank</i> Okay. Thank you, Miss Egyptian Hippo of Love.<br /><i>Gallito Mescalito</i> ¡Shriek!<br /><i>Mr. Chompy's Chewed-up Squeaky Kitty Toy</i> I know wut yoo means. A shepherd anna angel. Wut's he tinkin'?<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R1neoCkKHlI/AAAAAAAAEis/V8X5ap2gTL0/s1600-h/moose+and+penquin.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5141385229084794450" src="https://bp1.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R1neoCkKHlI/AAAAAAAAEis/V8X5ap2gTL0/s320/moose+and+penquin.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><i>Mighty Moose of Vermont and El Penguino</i> Hi, Everybody!<br /><i>Everybody</i> Hi, guys!<br /><i>Mighty Moose of Vermont</i> We hear that there may be a Christmas Pageant and we want to participate.<br /><i>Mr. Chompy's Chewed-up Squeaky Kitty Toy</i> Hey, Moose! You can be a cow at da manger!<br /><i>Miss Egyptian Hippo of Love</i> And El Penguino can be the Baby Jesus!<br /><i>El Penguino</i> ¿El Divino Niño? ¡PORfaVOR!<br /> <i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank</i> Well, we're still casting. Don't worry.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://bp2.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R1neoSkKHmI/AAAAAAAAEi0/QejnQZ77fQY/s1600-h/magi.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5141385233379761762" src="https://bp2.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R1neoSkKHmI/AAAAAAAAEi0/QejnQZ77fQY/s320/magi.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><i>Diablito Sucio y ¡El Toro!</i> ¡El Tres Reyes! ¡EL TRES REYES!<br /><i>Squeaky Gorilla</i> Yeah, we wanna be the Free Kings! , <i>skeek</i><br /><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank</i> I'm sorry, but this is a Christmas Pageant. The Three Kings appear at the Epiphany Pageant. What is that noise?<br /><i>Squeaky Gorilla</i> Sheesh! <i>skeek</i> You sure are strict!<i>skeek</i> What noise?<i>skeek</i><br /><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank</i> THAT NOISE! Look, you guys are going to be shepherds. The Wise Men show up at another pageant.<br /><i>Diablito Sucio y ¡El Toro!</i> ¿Pastores? ¡Está Bién! <br /><i>Squeaky Gorilla</i> Okay<i>skeek</i> We'll be shepherds. <i>skeek</i> But keep us in mind for the Epiphany Pageant! <i>skeek</i><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://bp3.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R1neoikKHnI/AAAAAAAAEi8/kGWeAPaN41s/s1600-h/BVMs.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5141385237674729074" src="https://bp3.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R1neoikKHnI/AAAAAAAAEi8/kGWeAPaN41s/s320/BVMs.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank</i> Hello, Ladies! I suppose you both want to be the Blessed Virgin?<br /><i>Wooden Kuna Doll</i> Si, Señor.<br /><i>Miss Egyptian Hippo of Love</i> That's right, pal. And you'd best make the CORRECT decision!<br /><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank</i> Give me a few days, ladies; give me a few days!<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://bp3.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R1neWikKHiI/AAAAAAAAEiU/vOraGu1VjPE/s1600-h/Angels.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5141384928437083682" src="https://bp3.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R1neWikKHiI/AAAAAAAAEiU/vOraGu1VjPE/s320/Angels.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><i>Telly Tubbies</i> Wanna be in show! Wanna be in show!<br /><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank</i> Sure, no problem. You four will be angels.<br /><i>Telly Tubbies</i> Yay! Big Hug!<br /><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank</i> Sheesh!<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R1neXCkKHjI/AAAAAAAAEic/CrCbf-MWRiY/s1600-h/Gabriel.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5141384937027018290" src="https://bp1.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R1neXCkKHjI/AAAAAAAAEic/CrCbf-MWRiY/s320/Gabriel.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><i>Guatemalan Apocalyptic Angel</i> Hi! I want to be a shepherd!<br /><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank</i> Really? I thought that you would be Michael, the Commander of the Heavenly Host, Praising God and saying: Glory to God!<br /><i>Guatemalan Apocalyptic Angel</i> But I want to be a shepherd. Or a sheep! Or even a donkey!<br /><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank</i> Well, let me think about this...<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R1nfHykKHoI/AAAAAAAAEjE/jk4t8ui7E4Q/s1600-h/santa.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5141385774545641090" src="https://bp0.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R1nfHykKHoI/AAAAAAAAEjE/jk4t8ui7E4Q/s320/santa.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><i>Toilet Paper Roll Santa</i> Ho! Ho! Ho! I want to be Joseph!<br /><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank</i> No! No! No! You won't be in this pageant!<br /><i>Toilet Paper Roll Santa</i> Darn! Darn! Darn!<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R1neXCkKHkI/AAAAAAAAEik/Em-oXv8YShI/s1600-h/Bunrab.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5141384937027018306" src="https://bp1.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R1neXCkKHkI/AAAAAAAAEik/Em-oXv8YShI/s320/Bunrab.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank</i> Bunrab! So good to see you! Are you willing to be in our Christmas Pageant?<br /><i>Bunrab, the Filthiest Toy in the House</i> Yes. I'd love a part if you can spare one.<br /><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank</i> I think that you would be great as the Narrator. Also, would you be willing to help me write the script?<br /><i>Bunrab, the Filthiest Toy in the House</i> Sure! Hey, I think the rooster should play Joseph!<br /><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank</i> Really? Why?<br /><i>Bunrab, the Filthiest Toy in the House</i> Because the Holy Family doesn't have any lines! It'll be great!<br /><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank</i> We have a week ahead of us!<br /><br />Will the casting make sense? Will a terrible fight break out between Wooden Kuna Doll and Miss Egyptian Hippo of Love? Will the Pageant include all of Mary Sue's favorite Christmas Carols? Can we drag this out for a few more days? Tune in tomorrow, hopefully, for answers to all these questions!!!Padre Mickeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07580459577853346369noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36914208.post-66284149486856429602022-12-21T11:27:00.002-05:002022-12-21T11:27:41.305-05:00Feast of Thomas, Apostle and Martyr<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/SU4js_YqLgI/AAAAAAAAN6M/JtLNeZd0KaU/s1600-h/thomas.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5282198668788248066" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/SU4js_YqLgI/AAAAAAAAN6M/JtLNeZd0KaU/s320/thomas.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: right; height: 250px; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; width: 159px;" /></a><br />
<i>Everliving God, who strengthened your apostle Thomas with firm and certain faith in your Son’s resurrection: Grant us so perfectly and without doubt to believe in Jesus Christ, our Lord and our God, that our faith may never be found wanting in your sight; through him who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.</i><br />
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Today is the feast of my favorite apostle, Thomas. I was ordained a priest on his Feast Day (well, it fell on a Sunday that year, so I was priested the next day, Dec. 22. Tomorrow is the twenty-fifth anniversary of my priesting.) and that was no accident. I think that he is the coolest apostle. Peter used to say anything that popped into his head; James and John, the Thunder Boys (thanks, Robbin!) were in the Inner Circle with Peter; Simon was either a Freedom Fighter or a Terrorist, depending upon your point of view; Andrew was the First Called and served as a liaison between Jesus and the other disciples; Matthew's gospel insured his fame, and the rest (and especially Mathias) were so boring that we don't know anything about them except that their names appear on lists. But Thomas, well, Thomas was kind of modern, in my opinion. He needed some proof before he was going to believe something. When Jesus appeared to the others in the Upper Room while Thomas was away, he didn't accept their story. He said he would believe when he touched Jesus' wounds. I've always thought that Thomas was treated unfairly by the Church, with them calling him "Doubting Thomas." He didn't really doubt; he didn't say "You guys are lying! I don't believe a word!" He just wanted some proof before he accepted the story. He spent a lot of time with those guys so I expect he knew them pretty well. Maybe he thought that they were inclined to jump to conclusions without thinking things through; we know Peter had that tendency. Maybe they used to play tricks on him. While the others were all locked away in the Upper Room, Thomas was away. I don't know what he was doing, but he certainly wasn't hiding in fear of the authorities. When Jesus appeared to those present in the Upper Room, they didn't recognize him until he showed them his wounds. Then they rejoiced. When Thomas showed up, they told him what happened and he delivered his famous line. A week later, Jesus appeared while Thomas was present. This time Jesus showed Thomas his wounds and even had Thomas touch them. What did Thomas say? Did he say, "I don't know, this all seems a bit strange"? Did he say, "Yuck! Why did you have me touch your wounds?" Did he say, "Are you really Jesus or is this some kind of sick joke?" No. He said, "My Master! My God!" Those don't sound like the words of a Doubter, of a Sceptic. No, those are the words of one who recognizes who Jesus is, those are the words of one who truly believes. Thomas was a good and faithful person; the fact that he wasn't cowering behind locked doors with the others says something about his character. It was Thomas who was willing to follow Jesus to Judea when Jesus wanted to see his friend Lazarus. The others were worried that Jesus' enemies would try to kill him. Thomas said, "Let us also go, that we may die with him." It was Thomas who, in John's version of the Last Supper, interrupts Jesus for some clarification, to ask: "Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?" It isn't that Thomas didn't want to believe, he just wanted to believe for the right reasons, he didn't want to simply "jump on the bandwagon." I think that it is important to remember that nome of the others believed that Jesus was resurrected until Jesus showed them his wounds; they just saw Jesus before Thomas, it doesn't make them any better or more faithful.<br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/SU4jEndjwTI/AAAAAAAAN58/ngDHe4auTlQ/s1600-h/saintthomastheapostle.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5282197975171580210" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/SU4jEndjwTI/AAAAAAAAN58/ngDHe4auTlQ/s320/saintthomastheapostle.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: right; height: 295px; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
I love the <i>Acts of Thomas</i> and that wild story about Thomas' time in India, even though I'm sure it's a bunch of hooey, especially since Jesus sells Thomas to a slave trader so that Thomas would be a slave to the Raja of Malabar. I like the idea that Thomas went to India and started the Church there, but I doubt the veracity of most of those stories. However, I love the story in the <i>Acts of Thomas</i> (and can’t help but tell it) in which the Raja orders Thomas to build him the greatest and most beautiful palace in the world. Thomas tells the Raja that a building of such magnitude will be very expensive but the Raja really wants this building and gives Thomas lots of gold, which Thomas promptly takes and gives to the poor. When Thomas ran out of money, he asked the Raja for more, and the Raja gave him more, which he continued to distribute to the poor. When the Raja learned of what was going on, he called Thomas before him and demanded an accounting. Thomas told the Raja that he was building him a spectacular palace <i>in heaven</i>, and through mystic means of which we have no information, was able to show the Raja his palace in a vision. The Raja was so impressed that he converted to Christianity. A great story and another example of Thomas’ character.<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/SU4i7G90jrI/AAAAAAAAN50/ftwX6BiHB2M/s1600-h/459420229_8e7bbe0780_o.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5282197811829706418" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/SU4i7G90jrI/AAAAAAAAN50/ftwX6BiHB2M/s320/459420229_8e7bbe0780_o.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 320px; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 240px;" /></a><br />
I think that the example of Thomas is an important and worthy example to Christians, because he didn't just accept things without looking in to them. We all know people who think that blind faith is important, but blind faith, a faith which is not based upon reason, will lead one into trouble. Way too many false Christs have led people astray because their followers refused to question, because they were afraid of their doubts. During my wayward youth, I spent some four years in a psuedo-Hindu meditation cult with a guru. We were told "never leave room for doubt in your mind" and "never question the purity of the master," but the "master" was a fraud and needed to be questioned! A true Master does not need to tell his followers not to doubt, because he does not see doubt as a threat to faith, but as a normal part of the spiritual process. Thomas wasn't hard to convince; when Jesus appeared to him and showed him his wounds, Thomas didn't debate with Jesus, he said "My Master! My God!" Peter and the Beloved Disciple didn't believe the women when they returned from the empty tomb and said that they had seen the Lord, and none of the disciples believed until Jesus showed them his wounds. God gave us large brains capable of reason and thought, and God expects us to use these brains even in spiritual matters. Questioning and study are all part of loving God with all our minds. Thomas and the women and the others all believed because they saw the Resurrected Jesus. The believed because they saw the and touched the nail marks. They believed because the Resurrected Jesus appeared in their midst and talked with them. Jesus said that we who believe without seeing are blessed, and Christians throughout the centuries and millennia have held on to the promise of that blessing, because we have no choice, really. We have believed without seeing. But I must admit, if I was given the choice of being blessed in that manner or actually seeing the risen Christ and touching the nail marks and putting my hand in his side, I would exchange places with Thomas in a heart beat!<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/SU4jkdANAuI/AAAAAAAAN6E/aNPYITcuox4/s1600-h/St_Thomas_icon-sm.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5282198522119914210" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/SU4jkdANAuI/AAAAAAAAN6E/aNPYITcuox4/s320/St_Thomas_icon-sm.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 304px; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 300px;" /></a>
<i>This post was visited by the Alter Guild</i>Padre Mickeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07580459577853346369noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36914208.post-90236338629836320172022-12-06T11:47:00.002-05:002022-12-06T11:47:53.577-05:00Feast of Nicholas, Bishop of Myra<a href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R1fkwkllKKI/AAAAAAAAEg8/F3w28PYCfOY/s1600-h/nicholas.gif" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5140829022772865186" src="https://bp0.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/R1fkwkllKKI/AAAAAAAAEg8/F3w28PYCfOY/s320/nicholas.gif" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px;" /></a><i>Almighty God, in your love you gave your servant Nicholas of Myra a perpetual name for deeds of kindness both on land and sea: Grant, we pray, that your Church may never<br />cease to work for the happiness of children, the safety of sailors, the relief of the poor, and the help of those tossed by tempests of doubt or grief; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.</i><br /><br />St. Nicholas is one of the most popular saints on the calendar; he is honored by the Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Anglican, and even Reformed Protestant churches. He is the person upon whom the Santa Claus <s>myth</s> story is based. As is usually the case, we don't have a lot of good historical information on Nicholas. We know he lived in Asia Minor in the late Third/early Fourth century. We know that he was Bishop of Myra, and we know that he died on December 6, 342. Other than those facts, all the stories about Nicholas are based upon church tradition and legends and some of them may not have even happened, but they are good stories, full of dreams and miracles.<br /><br />According to tradition, Nicholas was born in the town of Patar in Lycia, in what we now call the nation of Turkey. He was orphaned at an early age and had to live with his uncle in a monastery. His late parents were wealthy and left him a good inheritance, but he gave most of it away to the poor and needy since he was living in a monastery and didn't really need any of it. He wanted to be a monk like us uncle, but one night he had a dream in which Jesus gave him a jeweled copy of the four gospels, and he took this dream as a sign that he was to become a priest, and he did so at the age of 17 (I guess the Commission on Ministry had different age requirements in those days). He was a very generous person and there are many stories about his generosity. Once he met a man in great need, and the man had decided to sell a carpet which was very dear to him and his wife. Father Nicholas bought the carpet from the man at a ridiculously high price, and then gave the carpet to the man's wife as a gift. The most famous story is that of a poor man with three daughters. He had no money to provide them with dowries and was worried that they would never be married and would probably face slavery as a result of their poverty. Nicholas tossed a bag of gold coins into the eldest daughter's window one night, and she was soon married. A while later, he tossed a bag of gold coins into the second daughter's window and she, too, was soon married. When it came time to provide a dowry for the third daughter, Nicholas came to toss a bag of gold coins into her window but it was closed, so he tossed it down the chimney, and the bag of coins fell into her shoes (and she, too, was soon married). This legend is the basis of the tradition in some countries of St. Nicholas putting chocolate coins wrapped in gold foil in children's shoes. It's also the basis of the story of Santa Claus coming down the chimney with gifts for good boys and girls on Christmas Eve.<br /><br />There is a tradition that Nicholas made a pilgrimage to Egypt, to visit the great Library in Alexandria, and continued on to the Holy Land, to Palestine. There is a story that on the way home the ship he was on was caught in a fierce storm an d the three sailors piloting the ship were sure that they were going to die. Father Nicholas came on deck and prayed and stilled the storm. For this reason he became known as the Patron Saint of Sailors. The ship stopped in the city of Myra. The bishop of Myra had died and there was a lot of disagreement about who should be the next bishop. The clergy and people of Myra had started a period of prayer and fasting trying to find a solution to their problem. An angel appeared to several priests in a dream and told them that they were to make a stranger, named Nicholas, the new bishop, and that he would be the first to arrive for morning prayers the next day. That same night, Father Nicholas had a dream of a mitre being placed on his head. The next morning he went to the church for morning prayers and was the first person there. He was proclaimed bishop and the mitre was placed upon his head! He was a good choice for bishop because of his concern for the poor and needy, and his love of children, and his piety and zeal for the gospel. Miracles were attributed to him, and he was nick-named the Wonder Worker. He was also a man of great courage, and he suffered arrest and torture during the persecution of Diocletian and his regent, Maximan, around the years 303 to 311. It is said that Bishop Nicholas continued to preach and teach even while in chains. When Constantine became emperor in 313 and later issued the Edict of Toleration, Christianity became tolerated (and actually favored) by the Empire and people like Nicholas were released from prison. There is an ancient tradition that Nicholas saved the lives of three soldiers who were imprisoned by appearing to the Emperor in his dreams and interceding in their behalf. Just before Constantine became emperor, the Arian Controversy was in full flower in the Church, creating great dissension and schism. The Emperor Constantine called all the bishops of the Church to Nicea in 325 to settle this dispute. Tradition states that Bishop Nicholas of Myra attended the Council and even slapped Arius in the face, but Nicholas' name does not appear on any of the lists, so this incident and Nicholas' attendance at the Council is in doubt. Nevertheless, Arianism never took hold in Myra, so the faithful teaching of Nicholas must have prevented the heresy in that city.<br /><br />Nicholas died on December 6, 342, and this day is now a feast day. During the Middle Ages it was a popular practice to elect a boy to be bishop who reigned from December 6th to December 28th, the Feast of the Holy Innocents. On that day (the 28th) the "boy bishop" had to preach a sermon in church. It also became popular to give gifts on Nicholas' feast day in honor of his own generosity, especially to children. In Germany, Switzerland, and the Netherlands, this tradition replaced the ancient yuletide celebration of Woden. After the Protestant Reformation, St. Nicholas became known as <i>Pere Noel</i> in France, <i>Father Christmas</i> in England,<i>Kriskindl</i> in Germany, <i>Grandfather Frost</i> in Russia, and <i>Sinterklaas</i> in Holland. The mispronunciation of <i>Sinterklaas</i> in the United States resulted in the name <i>Santa Claus</i>.<br /><br />It's easy to to understand how the example of the kind and generous man who truly lived the Christian life could become a symbol of love and generosity during the seasons of Advent and Christmas, the time in which we remember God's own gift to the world, the gift of Jesus the Messiah. St. Nicholas' love and compassion for the poor, the needy, and for children is an example of how we should live our lives throughout the entire year, not just at Christmas. The stories of St. Nicholas are not stories about Christmas but are stories of a man who was working to bring about the Reign of God, a man who helped the less fortunate, just as Jesus commanded. That is why he became one of the most popular saints in Christendom and why we remember him today.<br /><br />Padre Mickeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07580459577853346369noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36914208.post-38450750068261730622022-11-23T10:52:00.012-05:002022-11-23T10:57:05.123-05:00It's Red Mr. Peanut Bank and Gallito Mescalito's Annual Thanksgiving Special! The commercial interruptions have been removed as they are too old to work.<p> <i>It is the Holiday Season! While the Patriotic Holidays start the season in Panamá, we are now in los Estados Unidos, where the season starts with Thanksgiving, so we're following the local traditions. And what goes with the Holiday Season, besides lots of good food and drink and stuff? That's right: <s>re-runs</s> Holiday Season Classics! And here at <b>Padre Mickey's Dance Party</b> 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 <b>It's A Red Mr. Peanut Bank And Gallito Mescalito Thanksgiving, Charlie Brown!</b>And, since you haven't seen our crew in ages, I'm sure you're gonna enjoy it!</i></p><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/SSdOvtmO-II/AAAAAAAAKGY/Oai6_9Woi9g/s1600-h/P1010889.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271268470461233282" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/SSdOvtmO-II/AAAAAAAAKGY/Oai6_9Woi9g/s320/P1010889.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a></div><div><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank</i> Well, Gallito Mescalito, it's that time of year again!</div><div><i>Gallito Mescalito</i> ¡Shriek! ¿Shriek? ¡Shriek!</div><div><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank</i>Yes, I can understand that, the smell of roasting turkey makes you nervous, but it's only once or twice a year.</div><div><i>Gallito Mescalito</i> ¡Shriek!</div><div><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank</i> 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!</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/SSdOkkfIhQI/AAAAAAAAKGQ/1ejhxIVKGTA/s1600-h/P1010891.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271268279036970242" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/SSdOkkfIhQI/AAAAAAAAKGQ/1ejhxIVKGTA/s320/P1010891.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a></div><div><i>Miss Egyptian Hippo of Love</i> Hi boys! Up to no good, I suppose!</div><div><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank</i> Good evening, Miss Egyptian Hippo of Love. You look marvelous, as always!</div><div><i>Gallito Mescalito</i> ¡Shriek!</div><div><i>Miss Egyptian Hippo of Love</i> 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!</div><div><i>Gallito Mescalito</i> ¿Shriek?</div><div><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank</i> Yes, I agree with my loving partner; what on <b>EARTH</b> are you talking about?</div><div><i>Miss Egyptian Hippo of Love</i> Well, not <b>HERE</b>, of course, but back in the ol' U.S.A. I kinda miss all that.</div><div><i>Gallito Mescalito</i> ¡Shriek!</div><div><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank</i> 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!</div><div><i>Miss Egyptian Hippo of Love</i> I just miss seasons! All we have here is "rainy season" and "not-quite-as-rainy season" or <i>verano</i>. I miss the cold.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/SSdOkWMIxcI/AAAAAAAAKGI/chJ4NLvivbg/s1600-h/P1010892.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271268275199198658" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/SSdOkWMIxcI/AAAAAAAAKGI/chJ4NLvivbg/s320/P1010892.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a></div><div><i>Mr. Chompy's Chewed-up Squeaky Kitty Toy</i> Hey dere, fellas! An' a very good evenin' ta you, Miss Egyptian Hippo of Love!</div><div><i>Gallito Mescalito</i> ¡Shriek!</div><div><i>Miss Egyptian Hippo of Love</i> Hello, Mr. Squeaky Cat!</div><div><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank</i> Hello, Mr. Chompy's Chewed-up Squeaky Kitty Toy!</div><div><i>Mr. Chompy's Chewed-up Squeaky Kitty Toy</i> 'sup wit eveybuddy?</div><div><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank</i> We're discussing the season and the holidays.</div><div><i>Mr. Chompy's Chewed-up Squeaky Kitty Toy</i> 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!</div><div><i>Gallito Mescalito</i> ¡Shriek!</div><div><i>Miss Egyptian Hippo of Love</i> Well, I'm thinking of a different holiday.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/SSdOkaP2M5I/AAAAAAAAKGA/3EfoUP5yXFE/s1600-h/P1010893.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271268276288500626" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/SSdOkaP2M5I/AAAAAAAAKGA/3EfoUP5yXFE/s320/P1010893.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a></div><div><i>Mighty Moose of Vermont, Fuzzy Southern Mountain Moose, and ¡El Penguino!</i> Hello everybody!</div><div><i>The others</i> Hello, Mighty Moose of Vermont, Fuzzy Southern Mountain Moose, and ¡El Penguino!</div><div><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank</i> Fuzzy Southern Mountain Moose, you don't look very happy? What's wrong?</div><div><i>Fuzzy Southern Mountain Moose</i> Wayul, Ahm jus' feelin' a bit homesick.</div><div><i>¡El Penguino!</i> 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.</div><div><i>Mighty Moose of Vermont</i> Come on, ¡El Penguino! You were just as worried last year. We told her it would happen but she's still worried.</div><div><i>Fuzzy Southern Mountain Moose</i> Wayul, Ah've nevah been away foh such impohtant holidaze befoh.</div><div><i>Mr. Chompy's Chewed-up Squeaky Kitty Toy</i> Why is dis holiday so importint' ta you guys? 'Sup wid dis?</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/SSdOkPSEFOI/AAAAAAAAKF4/uHT0fOikTeo/s1600-h/P1010894.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271268273345008866" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/SSdOkPSEFOI/AAAAAAAAKF4/uHT0fOikTeo/s320/P1010894.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a></div><div><i>Diablito Sucio y Wooden Kuna Doll</i> Si. ¿Es este fiesta más importante qué la Día de Independencia de España? ¿Por qué?</div><div><i>Mr. Chompy's Chewed-up Squeaky Kitty Toy</i> Yeah, I'm wunderin' 'bout dis, too. Is dis anuver one of yer Gringo "weah betteah dan you" tings?</div><div><i>Gallito Mescalito</i> ¡Shriek!</div><div><i>Los Juegetes de los estados unidos</i> No! It's just different!!!</div><div><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank</i> 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!).</div><div><i>Las Jugetes Panamañas</i> What is the myth? Tell us, TELL US!!!</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/SSdOjqmVe0I/AAAAAAAAKFw/IrXlctf7Qnw/s1600-h/P1010895.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271268263497923394" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/SSdOjqmVe0I/AAAAAAAAKFw/IrXlctf7Qnw/s320/P1010895.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a></div><div><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank</i> Well, it all started with the <s>Puritans</s> Pilgrims and their search for a land in which they could <s>oppress others</s> find religious freedom. . .</div><div><br /></div><div><span><b>The commercial break that was once in this spot has been removed as it is no longer functional.</b></span></div><div><span><b>Also, there are way too many Christmas commercials on my televisor, even though it isn't even Advent yet. Heathens!</b></span></div><div><br /></div><div><i>Before the break <i>which was guaranteed to offend EVERYONE!</i>, Red Mr. Peanut Bank promised to tell Padre Mickey's <s>twisted, totally warped</s> enlightened version of the Myth of the First Thanksgiving. As we would never want a toy bank to go back on <s>Padre's</s> its word, we now present <b>Padre Mickey's Dance Party's Friday Red Mr. Peanut Bank and Gallito Mescalito Blogging Players in</b></i><b> <span style="font-size: 20.799999237060547px;"><span style="color: red;">The First Thanksgiving</span></span></b></div><div><br /></div><div><i>Narrator</i> 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 <i>Puritans</i> 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. . .</div><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/STBMxGTQpSI/AAAAAAAAKPA/Kc_Re7oCmmY/s1600-h/P1.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273799570039547170" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/STBMxGTQpSI/AAAAAAAAKPA/Kc_Re7oCmmY/s320/P1.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a></div><div><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank</i> 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!</div><div><i>Other Pilgrims</i> Amen!</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><i>Narrator</i> The Pilgrims soon met the indigenous inhabitants of the land. . .</div><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/STBMwyGKSlI/AAAAAAAAKO4/ksvYj9R-_fA/s1600-h/P2.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273799564615895634" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/STBMwyGKSlI/AAAAAAAAKO4/ksvYj9R-_fA/s320/P2.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a></div><div><i>Chompy's Chewed-up Squeaky Kitty Toy</i> Hey dere, peoples wut don' look nuffin' like us! Watcha up to?</div><div><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank</i> 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?</div><div><i>Chompy's Chewed-up Squeaky Kitty Toy</i> 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.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/STBMw6KfH8I/AAAAAAAAKOw/Y7D-kzk1ksA/s1600-h/P3.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273799566781521858" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/STBMw6KfH8I/AAAAAAAAKOw/Y7D-kzk1ksA/s320/P3.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a></div><div><i>Miss Egyptian Hippo of Love</i> 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!</div><div><i>Chompy's Chewed-up Squeaky Kitty Toy</i> 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. . .</div><div><i>Miss Egyptian Hippo of Love</i> Sir, these are the seeds our God commanded us to bring and plant!</div><div><i>Chompy's Chewed-up Squeaky Kitty Toy</i> 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!</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><i>Narrator</i> 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. . .</div><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/STBMwmz8mNI/AAAAAAAAKOo/y2QEJ2zChPM/s1600-h/P4.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273799561586710738" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/STBMwmz8mNI/AAAAAAAAKOo/y2QEJ2zChPM/s320/P4.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a></div><div><i>Mighty Moose of Vermont</i> 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.</div><div><i>¡El Penguino! </i>'sup with the dead fishy?</div><div><i>Mighty Moose of Vermont</i> It fertilizes the maize so you get a nice, big, healthy plant. And it's not as nasty as that manure your people use!</div><div><i>¡El Penguino! </i>Heh! You savage! Poop is great!</div><div><i>Mighty Moose of Vermont</i> Yeah. Sure. So, why aren't you wearing a hat with a buckle on it?</div><div><i>¡El Penguino! </i>I <b>AM</b> wearing one. It's just so tiny you can't see it with your heathen eyes.</div><div><i>Mighty Moose of Vermont</i> Oh-kay. So, dig another hole, take a dead fishy. . .</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><i>Narrator</i> 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. . .</div><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/STBMwi_EfEI/AAAAAAAAKOg/lTan4_YyDwQ/s1600-h/P5.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273799560559623234" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/STBMwi_EfEI/AAAAAAAAKOg/lTan4_YyDwQ/s320/P5.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a></div><div><i>Fuzzy Southern Mountain Moose</i> An weyul invaht Squanto an' hiyus friens', too, as theyah wuah SUCH a biyguh haylp!</div><div><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank</i> 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.</div><div><i>Gallito Mescalito</i> Shrie--<i>cough, cough</i>--er, gobble gobble!</div><div><i>Fuzzy Southern Mountain Moose</i> Hmm, thayut maht be reyul good!</div><div><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank</i> Er, how about pumpkin soup in the pumpkin? That could be Very Elegant!</div><div><br /></div><div><span><b>Once again, the commercial has been removed due to the fact that it no longer functions.</b></span></div><div><span><b>Kinda messes up the joke, but, that's life!</b></span></div><div> <br /></div><div><i>Announcer</i> And now, we return to <b>It's A Red Mr. Peanut Bank and Gallito Mescalito Thanksgiving, Charlie Brown!</b> already in progress. . .</div><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/STBLvgwpX8I/AAAAAAAAKOY/q6BcKWtxjS8/s1600-h/P6.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273798443270758338" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/STBLvgwpX8I/AAAAAAAAKOY/q6BcKWtxjS8/s320/P6.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a></div><div><i>¡El Toro!</i> Yoohoo! Mr. Pavo!</div><div><i>Crocagator</i> Heh Heh Heh Thanksgiving dinner.</div><div><i>Gallito Mescalito</i> Gobble gobb--¡¡¡SSSSHHHHHRRRRRRIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEKKKKKK!!!</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/STBLvvam0NI/AAAAAAAAKOQ/G0siXpJWlPE/s1600-h/P7.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273798447204847826" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/STBLvvam0NI/AAAAAAAAKOQ/G0siXpJWlPE/s320/P7.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a></div><div><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank</i> 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!</div><div><i>Chompy's Chewed-up Squeaky Kitty Toy</i> Really! Well, ya know, we gots a little diff'rint teolugie an' understandin' of da Great Spirit! Ya see, WE believes dat. . .</div><div><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank</i> 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!</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><i>Narrator'</i> And everyone gave thanks to God, with heart and hands and voices, and ate and had a wonderful time.</div><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/STBLvaggJ7I/AAAAAAAAKOI/7aLNNOA7G-0/s1600-h/P8.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273798441592432562" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/STBLvaggJ7I/AAAAAAAAKOI/7aLNNOA7G-0/s320/P8.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a></div><div><i>Chompy's Chewed-up Squeaky Kitty Toy</i> Well, dat was great! <i>burp</i> See ya next yeah!</div><div><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank</i> Don't count on it!</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/STBLvWjV8kI/AAAAAAAAKOA/Pz49VI_onKs/s1600-h/P9.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273798440530604610" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/STBLvWjV8kI/AAAAAAAAKOA/Pz49VI_onKs/s320/P9.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a></div><div><i>Miss Egyptian Hippo of Love</i> What hath the Lord in store next for the Pilgrims in His Divine Plan?</div><div><i>Red Mr. Peanut Bank</i> 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!</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/STBLvLrt0NI/AAAAAAAAKN4/HJWWIyII5NU/s1600-h/P10.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273798437612933330" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/STBLvLrt0NI/AAAAAAAAKN4/HJWWIyII5NU/s320/P10.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a></div><div><i>Gallito Mescalito</i> Gobble Gobble!, er, ¡¡Shrrriiieeekk!!</div>Padre Mickeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07580459577853346369noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36914208.post-58097905021948277562022-11-01T09:43:00.003-05:002022-11-01T09:43:51.531-05:00Feast of All Saints<a href="http://bp3.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/RynAGnKqpyI/AAAAAAAAED8/u75QYojkv5Q/s1600-h/allsaints.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5127840870563489570" src="https://bp3.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/RynAGnKqpyI/AAAAAAAAED8/u75QYojkv5Q/s400/allsaints.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px;" /></a>All Saints Day is the day on which we remember the martyrs, those who died for their faith, those who refused to sacrifice to the emperor and were thrown to the beasts and gladiators in the arena. Others were tied to stakes and burned while others died deaths too terrible to mention here in God's house. In the earliest days of the Church, martyrs were remembered on the day of their martyrdom; the faithful would gather at the grave of the martyr and would pray and sing hymns. But by the time of the final persecutions towards the end of the fourth century, there were too many martyrs to commemorate on the day of their deaths plus many that had died and whose names had not been recorded. The Christians in Rome were remembering the martyrs, known and unknown, on a special day by the year 373. All Saints Day was celebrated on May 13 for many centuries, but Pope Greogory III ded icated a new church on November 1 and declared that day All Saints Day. In the year 836 Pope Gregory IV declared a universal observance of All Saints on that day and that has been the date ever since.<br /><br />We remember the martyrs because their example of bravery and standing for their faith helped the church to grow and also helped defeat those who persecuted the Church. The very first Christian martyr was the Deacon Stephen. James of Jerusalem, the brother of Jesus, was martyred by an angry mob. Later persecutions were committed by the Roman authorities and they were much more cruel than the stonings by the Jews. When we read the accounts of the martyrdoms of Perpetua and Felicitatus, of the martyrs of Lyon, of Bishop Polycarp, and the hundreds of martyrs in the “History of the Church” by Bishop Eusebius, we learn that their brave example changed the opinion of people against the persecutors and in favor of the Christians. When the people of the Roman empire saw the martyrs face death willingly and refusing to give in to their torturers, they began to wonder what gave them such courage and many people were converted to Christ. Even though the martyrs were brave, that was not the case for all Christians. Imagine how frightened you would be if you knew that because you are a member of San Cristóbal, you could be arrested and torn apart by lions and bears in an arena where everyone in Parque Lefevre and Rio Abajo would watch you die. Some people are brave, but many of us are not always so full of courage! The Apostle John discussed this in his vision of the Final Days. John had been exiled to Patmos, a small island, because he had been preaching in Edessa. John wanted to warn Christians of the persecution to come and he wanted to help them face it bravely. He warned the Christians that fierce persecutions would take place, but if they remained faithful, they would be rewarded with eternal life in the City of Light, the City of God. They would all stand before the throne of the Lamb where they would serve him day and night within his temple. The image of the Temple was important because the book of the Apocalypse was probably written after the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple. To serve God in the Temple was an image which gave people hope. John saw 144,000 people from every tribe of Israel standing before the throne, but then he saw “a great multitude that no man could number, from every nation and tribe and people and tongue, standing before the throne, clothed in white robes with palm branches in their hands, crying out in a loud voice: “Salvation belongs to our God who sits upon the throne, and to the Lamb!” John was told that these people were the ones who had come through the great tribulation. They had washed their robes white in the blood of the Lamb. As their reward they serve God in the Temple, but also, they have been rewarded because “the One who sits upon the throne will shelter them with his presence. They shall hunger no more, nor thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water; and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” They were also promised that their deaths would be avenged by God. This vision gave people hope, it reminded them that God loved them and that they would not suffer in vain or die in vain. Because they knew God loved them and that they would have every tear wiped away, they were able to face their trials with courage and this courage inspired others to turn to Christ and receive eternal life. John was fortunate enough to leave Patmos, and he returned to Edessa and later died an old man, in Ephesus.<br /><br />Most of us are very fortunate; Christianity is not illegal where we live and we probably won't have to face persecution. We probably won't be threatened with death for gathering at our churches every Sunday to share the bread and wine, but people are being martyred for the faith in parts of Africa and in Pakistan and in Iraq. Christians have been killed in the past fifty years in El Salvador, Nicaragua, Guatemala, and even Panama by governments hostile to their dedication to the teachings of Jesus. We need to continue to pray for the Christians around the world who are living under persecution. <br /><br />The lectionary designates a reading of the Beatitudes on All Saints Day, either the version from Matthew’s or Luke’s gospels. The Beatitudes bestow a blessing for who one is or for what one does. Many of us have been poor at some time in our lives. Jesus said that the poor or poor in spirit have the kingdom of heaven. We a have mourned at some time, and there are people mourning right now, but you are blessed because you shall be comforted. You who are meek are blessed and will inherit the earth. You who hunger and thirst for righteousness, those of you who love God with your whole mind, you are blessed and will be satisfied. You who are merciful are blessed for you shall obtain mercy. You who are pure in heart are blessed and shall see God. Those of you who are peacemakers, who work to end strife at home, at work, in your community and in the world are blessed and will be called the children of God. There are special blessings for the martyrs, for the persecuted. You who are persecuted for righteousness sake, you will have the kingdom of heaven, just as will the poor. And all of us are blessed when people revile us and persecute us and utter all kinds of evil against us falsely on account of Christ. Those who are martyrs, those who are persecuted, rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven. All of us here are either poor, mourning, meek, hungering and thirsting for righteousness, merciful, or peacemakers. Some of you may fall under several blessings, and some may even be suffering persecution. Know that you are blessed, that you are loved by God. Know that your reward is great in heaven. Know that you are saints, and that, one day, you, too, will stand before the throne of the Lamb and will shout with the other heroes of the faith, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits upon the throne, and to the Lamb!”<br /><br /><i>Almighty God, you have knit together your elect in one communion and fellowship in the mystical body of your Son Christ our Lord: Give us grace so to follow your blessed saints in all virtuous and godly living, that we may come to those ineffable joys that you have prepared for those who truly love you; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.</i>Padre Mickeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07580459577853346369noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36914208.post-41557403941159821682022-08-15T05:00:00.001-05:002022-08-15T05:00:00.227-05:00Feast of the Dormition of the Theotokos or the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Episcopal Church)<i>¡Feliz Día de Madres a todos mis amigas en Costa Rica!</i>
<br />I don't believe in a three-tiered universe, and I don't believe in the literal interpretations of the Ascension. I don't believe in the Assumption; I prefer the term "the dormition." However, I have no problem at all with honoring the Theotokus (my Nestorian tendencies aside). Instead of writing a hagiography today, I'll share some poems and paintings I've found in the intertubes.
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<br /><i>O God, you have taken to yourself the blessed Virgin Mary, mother of your incarnate Son: Grant that we, who have been redeemed by his blood, may share with her the glory of your eternal kingdom; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.</i>
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<br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/SKV1E78syII/AAAAAAAAIxA/Yg1qpab6kwQ/s1600-h/oleksa.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5234718869560281218" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/SKV1E78syII/AAAAAAAAIxA/Yg1qpab6kwQ/s400/oleksa.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a>
<br /><i>The Dormition of the Theotokus</i>
<br />
<br /><b>Mary's Assumption</b>
<br />There was silence in heaven, as if for half an hour-
<br /> Isaiah's coals of wonder sealed the lips
<br /> Of Seraph, Principality and Power,
<br /> Of all the nine angelic fellowships.
<br />
<br />The archangels, those sheer intelligences,
<br /> Were silent, with their eyes on heaven's door.
<br /> So must our fancy dower them with senses,
<br />Make them incarnate in a metaphor.
<br />
<br />There was silence in heaven as Mary entered in,
<br />For even Gabriel had not foreseen
<br /> The glory of a soul immune from sin
<br /> Throned in the body of the angels' Queen.
<br />
<br />Blessed be God and Mary in whose womb
<br /> Was woven God's incredible disguise.
<br />She gave Our Lord His Body.
<br />In the tomb He gave her hers again and bade her rise.
<br />
<br />Bright from death's slumber she arose, the flush
<br />Of a chaste joy illumining her cheeks;
<br /> Among the motherless in heaven there was a hush
<br /> To hear the way a mother laughs and speaks.
<br />
<br />Eye had not seen, nor ear of angel heard,
<br />Nor heart conceived - until Our Lady's death -
<br />What God for those that love Him had prepared
<br /> When heaven's synonym was Nazareth!
<br />
<br />Her beauty opened slowly like a flower,
<br />Beauty to them eternally bequeathed.
<br /> There was silence in heaven; as if for half an hour
<br /> No angel breathed.
<br /><i>Alfred Barrett (1906-1985) Lentfoehr, Therese, editor. I Sing of a Maiden. New York: Macmillan Company, 1947.</i>
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<br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/SKV1FCJY3LI/AAAAAAAAIxI/d2V9Js7J1X4/s1600-h/cloud02.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5234718871224114354" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/SKV1FCJY3LI/AAAAAAAAIxI/d2V9Js7J1X4/s400/cloud02.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a>
<br /><i>Peter Paul Rubens (1577-1640) The Assumption of the Virgin</i>
<br />
<br /><b>Memories of the Assumption</b>
<br />They bore her in a reverent group
<br /> To a holy place,
<br /> Left her body in the earth -
<br /> Her body, "full of grace".
<br />
<br />But Thomas, tardy, slow of foot,
<br /> Absent when she died,
<br />Spent with sorrow, craved to see
<br />Her of the Crucified.
<br />
<br />There was a swift intake of breath,
<br /> A hurried silent prayer:
<br /> Startled they opened the new-made tomb
<br /> To find but lilies there.
<br /><i>Sr. M. Angeline Robert, Cyril. Our Lady's Praise in Poetry. Poughkeepsie, NY: Marist Press, 1944.</i>
<br />
<br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/SKV1FRzdctI/AAAAAAAAIxY/C1c1ng8C9uE/s1600-h/cloud11.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5234718875427107538" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/SKV1FRzdctI/AAAAAAAAIxY/C1c1ng8C9uE/s400/cloud11.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a>
<br /><i>Bartolome Murillo (1618-1682). Assumption of the Virgin.</i>
<br />
<br /><b>The Assumption</b>
<br />No painter ever caught the magic other going--
<br /> This was a matter of an inward growing,
<br />Simple and imperceptible as thought.
<br /> It was no pageant wrought
<br />Of sounding splendor, welter of gold bars
<br /> Of molten day, mad stars,
<br /> Flurry of quick angels' winging,
<br />Bursts of their laughter ringing In wild bliss.
<br />The simple fact is this:
<br /> Love conquered at long last.
<br /> Her eager soul fled fast
<br />With a great gladness like a song
<br />Unto to her Spouse above,
<br />And her pure flesh would not be parted long
<br />For sheer love.
<br /><i>by Joachim Smet O.Carm</i>
<br />
<br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/SKV1FODhC8I/AAAAAAAAIxQ/0fV1qMAvgmE/s1600-h/cloud08.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5234718874420710338" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/SKV1FODhC8I/AAAAAAAAIxQ/0fV1qMAvgmE/s400/cloud08.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a>
<br /><i>Raffaello. The Coronation of the Virgin</i>Padre Mickeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07580459577853346369noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36914208.post-68280942326268233552022-08-10T10:01:00.001-05:002022-08-10T10:01:24.729-05:00Feast of Laurence of Rome, Deacon, Martyr, and Patron Saint of Smart Alecks<a href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/RrxT19PHaDI/AAAAAAAAC-k/yxG6v4SQyaw/s1600-h/lawrencefull1.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5097041064712693810" src="https://bp0.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/RrxT19PHaDI/AAAAAAAAC-k/yxG6v4SQyaw/s320/lawrencefull1.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px;" /></a><br /><i>Almighty God, you called your deacon Laurence to serve you with deeds of love, and gave him the crown of martyrdom: Grant that we, following his example, may fulfill your commandments by defending and supporting the poor, and by loving you with all our hearts; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.</i><br /><br />St. Laurence was one of the most popular saints of the Early Church and his popularity has lasted even to the present day. His tomb was a place of pilgrimage for the fourth century on, and the Emperor Constantine erected a chapel over the grave of Laurence; it is now the site of the church of St. Laurence-outside-the-Walls in Rome. What <b>I</b> like about St. Laurence was that he was a bit of a smart-aleck; when you read his story you will learn that he was not one to be overwhelmed with respect for the authority of the Roman Empire.<br /><br />Laurence was one of seven Deacons in the Church in Rome; their Bishop was Pope Sixtus II, who was also martyred and is considered a saint. Deacon Laurence was in charge of the material goods of the Church, and he was also a kind of Church Archivist; he had a list of all the members of the church in Rome. In the year 258, during the reign of the Emperor Valerian, a persecution broke out in Rome. This persecution was directed primarily towards the clergy and the laity of the upper classes. All properties used by the Church were confiscated, and Christian assemblies were forbidden. On August 4, 258, Pope Sixtus and six of his deacons were apprehended in the catacombs. The catacombs were underground burial places, very much like caves, all connected by tunnels which extended for hundreds of miles, where the Christians buried their dead. They would also hold prayers for the dead in the catacombs and would celebrate the Eucharist in the catacombs on the anniversary of the death of a martyr. Pope Sixtus and six deacons were arrested and taken off to be executed. According to an account by St. Ambrose, the fourth century Bishop of Milan, when Laurence saw his bishop being taken away by the police, he followed him and called out to him, saying, "Father, where are you going without your son? Holy Priest, where are you hurrying to without your Deacon? You have never offered sacrifice without an attendant. Are you displeased with me, my Father? Have you found me unworthy? Prove, then, whether you have chosen a fitting servant. To him to whom you have trusted the distribution of the Savior's blood, to him whom you have granted fellowship in the partaking of the Sacraments, why do you refuse this person a part in your death?" Pope Sixtus replied, "I am not leaving you or forsaking you. Greater struggles yet await you. We old men have to undergo an easier fight; a more glorious triumph over the Tyrant awaits you, young man. Don't cry; after three days you will follow me." Pope Sixtus II and four deacons were martyred in the catacombs.<br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/SJ7XUDDF_qI/AAAAAAAAIsI/Jm5jLWap5ZI/s1600-h/saint_Lawrence_Deacon_Martyr.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5232856556466732706" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/SJ7XUDDF_qI/AAAAAAAAIsI/Jm5jLWap5ZI/s320/saint_Lawrence_Deacon_Martyr.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: right; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px;" /></a><br />The Prefect of Rome had heard that the Church in Rome had a huge treasure hidden away and he wanted it to pay his soldiers. He ordered Laurence to bring the treasure of the Church to him. Laurence told him that it would take three days to gather the treasure together, and the Prefect gave him that much time. Laurence went throughout the city, gathering up the poor, the crippled, the blind, the widows and orphans that the Church supported. Three days later Laurence assembled them all in front of the palace of the Prefect, and then called him out "to see the wondrous riches of our God." When the Prefect saw the poor and ill before him, he was not amused. He ordered that Laurence be executed. A huge grill was prepared over a slow coal fire so that the execution would be slow and painful. Laurence was tied to the grill and put over the fire. As is often the case with the martyrs, his love for Christ filled him with strength and he lasted a long time; in fact, at one point he said, "Turn me over; I'm done on this side!" Just before he died, he said, "It's cooked enough now." He then prayed that the city of Rome would be converted and that the message of Christ would spread throughout the world. He perfected his martyrdom on August 10, 258.<br /><br />One of the earliest documents commemorating the martyrdom of St. Laurence is the <i>Hymn in Honor of the Passion of the Blessed Martyr Laurence</i> composed in the year 405 by Aurelius Prudentius Clemens, a Christian from Spain. However, the account by St. Ambrose of Milan is earlier and is part of a treatise he wrote in the year 391 entitled <i>On the Duties of the Clergy</i>. but Prudentius' account is more complete. Let me share some of it with you:<br /><i>First of the seven ministers, who nearest to the altar stand,<br />Levite in holy orders high and eminent above the rest.<br />He guarded well the sacred rites and kept in trust with faithful keys<br />The precious treasure of the Church, dispensing riches vowed to God.</i><br />The comes the section on Sixtus:<br /><i>The Pontiff Sixtus, from the cross, on which he hung saw at its foot<br />His deacon Laurence weeping sore, and these prophetic words he spoke:<br />"Let tears of sorrow cease to flow at my departure from this life;<br />My brother, I but lead the way, and you will follow in three days."</i><br />Here are the stanzas about Laurence and the Prefect:<br /><i> "Our church is very rich," he said, "I must confess that it has wealth;<br />Our treasuries are filled with gold not found elsewhere in all the world."<br />He hastens through the city streets, and in three days he gathers up<br />The poor and sick, a mighty throng of all in need of kindly alms.<br />He sought in every public square the needy who were wont to be<br />Fed from the stores of Mother Church and he as steward knew them well.<br /><br />The Prefect deigns to follow him; the sacred portal soon they reach, <br />Where stands a ghastly multitude of poor drawn up in grim array.<br />The air is rent with cries for alms; the Prefect shudders in dismay,<br />And turns on Laurence glaring eyes, with threats of dreadful punishment. <br />"These poor of ours are sick and lame, but beautiful and whole within.<br />They bare with them a spirit fair and free from taint and misery.<br /><br />These humble paupers you despise and look upon as vile outcasts,<br />Their ulcerous limbs will lay aside and put on bodies incorrupt. <br />When freed at last from tainted flesh their souls, from chains of earth released,<br />Will shine resplendent with new life in their celestial fatherland.<br />Not foul and shabby or infirm as now they seem to scornful eyes,<br />But fair, in radiant vesture clad, with crowns of gold upon their heads."</i><br /><br />As I said earlier, the Prefect was not amused by Laurence's little joke and ordered that Laurence be executed:<br /><i>Thus spoke the Prefect, at his nod forthwith the executioner<br />Stripped off the holy martyr's robes and laid him bound upon the pyre.</i><br /><br />Prudentius says that the martyr's face was luminous and that it shone a glorious light that was only noticed by the baptized.<br />The poet then presents the final moments of the life of St. Laurence:<br /><i>When slow, consuming heat had seared the flesh of Laurence for a space,<br />He calmly from his gridiron made this terse proposal to the judge:<br /><b>"Pray turn my body, on one side already broiled sufficiently,<br />And see how well your Vulcan's fire has wrought its cruel punishment."</b><br /><br />The Prefect bade him to be turned. Then Laurence spoke: "I am well baked,<br />And whether better cooked or raw, make trial by a taste of me."<br />He said these words in way of jest; Then rising shining eyes to heaven<br />And sighing deeply, thus he prayed with pity for unholy Rome.<br /><br />Thus ended Laurence's fervent prayer, thus ended, too, his earthly life:<br />With these last words his eager soul escaped with joy from carnal chains.<br />Some noble Romans, who were led by his amazing fortitude<br />To faith in Christ, then bore away the hero's body from the scene.</i><br /><br />In his second letter to the Christians in Corinth, St. Paul said, "The point is this: those who sow sparingly will also reap sparingly, and those who sow bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must do as they have made up their minds to do..." Laurence made up his mind to serve Christ, to care for the sick, the poor, the hungry, and the naked, and he saw them not as the needy, but as the treasure of the Church. He did sow bountifully, and his witness unto death made a profound impression on many in Rome. His prayer for the conversion of Rome was answered when, in a mere seventy or so years after his martyrdom, the Emperor Constantine issued the Edict of Toleration and began to show favor upon the Church and the persecutions, at least in Rome, ended. May we all have the eyes of St. Laurence and see the poor as the "wondrous treasure of our God."<br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/SJ7Wz7SUllI/AAAAAAAAIsA/uawqslGfIk8/s1600-h/StL-763666.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5232856004627306066" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/SJ7Wz7SUllI/AAAAAAAAIsA/uawqslGfIk8/s320/StL-763666.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><br /><i>St. Laurence, Super Hero!</i>Padre Mickeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07580459577853346369noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36914208.post-32412806181169765502022-07-22T09:13:00.003-05:002022-07-22T09:13:41.242-05:00Feast of Mary of Magdala, Apostle to the Apostles<i>Almighty God, whose blessed Son restored Mary Magdalene to health of body and of mind, and called her to be a witness of his resurrection: Mercifully grant that by your grace we may be healed from all our infirmities and know you in the power of his unending life; who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, now and for ever. Amen.</i><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/TEcDF2kwE3I/AAAAAAAAVjY/U2UiGtmZ9WU/s1600/Maria_Magdalene_icon.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496365269312869234" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/TEcDF2kwE3I/AAAAAAAAVjY/U2UiGtmZ9WU/s320/Maria_Magdalene_icon.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: right; height: 300px; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 222px;" /></a><br />
Today is the Feast of Mary of Magdala, the Apostle to the Apostles, a saint whose memory has been much maligned over the millennia by misogynist clergy like Pope Gregory the Great.<br />
<br />
Mary of Magdala has become a popular Biblical figure once again, due to the popularity of the <s>piece of junk I should've written and made a million on</s> novel <i>The DaVinci Code</i>. She was a popular figure in the early days of Christianity, too, for different reasons, and some Gnostic groups claimed that she was the leader of the Church rather than James or Peter. We do know that she was one of the women who followed Jesus. According to Luke’s Gospel: <i>And it so happened soon afterward that he traveled through towns and villages, preaching and announcing the good news of God’s imperial rule. The twelve were with him, and also some women whom he had cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary the one from Magdala, from whom seven demons had taken their leave...</i><br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/TEcDA_d8KpI/AAAAAAAAVjQ/WY4i2ep38LA/s1600/marymag.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496365185800874642" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/TEcDA_d8KpI/AAAAAAAAVjQ/WY4i2ep38LA/s320/marymag.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 320px; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 248px;" /></a><br />
For some reason, possibly misogynist or because he felt threatened by the ministry of women, Pope Gregory the Great identified Mary Magdala as the "reformed sinner" or former prostitute in a sermon, and this image has remained in popular imagination. Some mistake her for Mary of Bethany and she has been identified with the woman who washed and anointed Jesus’ feet, but that is not what the scriptures say. According to the scriptures she was healed by Jesus and followed him; she was at the foot of the cross (according to the gospel attributed to John), and she was one of the first to see the empty tomb and the Resurrected Jesus. The story of her weeping at the tomb, her accusations to the one she thinks is the gardener, and then her sheer joy at the realization that she is talking to Jesus is one of the most touching and inspiring of the Resurrection stories. <br />
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A heretical-Gnostic understanding of Mary’s place among the Twelve is an important aspect of <i>The DaVinci Code</i>, and it is based on the non-canonical <i>Gospel of Philip</i>, as well as the terrible <i>Life of Mary Magdalen</i> in the <i>Legenda Aurea</i>, a thirteenth-century document by Jacopo di Voragine. According to the <i>Legenda Aurea</i>, Mary was named after a fortress, Magdalum. She and her siblings, Lazarus and Martha, were or noble birth, the children of Syrus and Eucharia. The family was very wealthy, and their riches were distributed amongst their three children: Mary owned the Castle Magdalum, Lazarus received a part of Jerusalem, and Martha received the village of Bethany. Mary became a woman of the streets (?!), Lazarus a knight (!?), and Martha took care of the the possessions of both Mary and Lazarus "with great prudence." So, Mary, whose love of wealth and pleasure had led her to lead a most dissolute life and be known as "a sinner," wandered into Simon the Leper's house while Jesus was visiting and preaching. She walked up to Jesus, washed his feet with her tears, dried them with her hair and anointed them. Simon protested, Jesus defended her action and forgave her sins. After the Lord was crucified, resurrected, and ascended to heaven, Mary traveled with St. Maximus, under the orders of St. Peter. She and Lazarus and Martha and Maximus traveled as missionaries for a while. Eventually Mary decided to retire to the Forest: <i>Mary Magdalene desired meditation and went into the forest wilderness where she lived incognito for thirty years in a place prepared for her by the hands of angels. In this place there were neither fountains nor trees nor grass. This indicates that our Lord did not want to sustain her with earthly food but with heavenly nourishment. Every day she was led to the heavens by the angels—seven times for the seven hours of prayer—and with her own ears she heard the chants of the heavenly hosts. And every day she was taken back to earth with this sweet nourishment so that she never needed earthly food.</i> After thirty years of living on "spiritual nourishment", she died and was buried in Aix, in Southern France, by Bishop Maximus. <br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/TEcC7U2YY-I/AAAAAAAAVjI/Br2KOkxyTc4/s1600/marymags1.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496365088461317090" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/TEcC7U2YY-I/AAAAAAAAVjI/Br2KOkxyTc4/s320/marymags1.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: right; height: 320px; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; width: 252px;" /></a><br />
There are several verses in the <i>Gospel of Philip</i> which claim that Mary Magdala was the mate of Jesus, that they were man and wife, and that they were also united spirits and had to marry for some cosmic reason. That Jesus and Mary were married is also the basis of a book titled <i>Holy Blood, Holy Grail</i> which was on the New York Time’s Best Seller list a few years ago, along with <i>The DaVinci Code</i>. The authors of <i>Holy Blood, Holy Grail</i>, ("historians" who chucked the historic method out the window for this book) claim that after the crucifixion, Mary Magdala, pregnant with Jesus’ child, left Palestine for Gaul, and that the royal family of France are the descendants of Jesus. Now, I don’t have any problem with the idea that Jesus may have been married, and I have no problem with the idea that he could have been married to Mary of Magdala; I have no theological opposition to the idea, but the idea that the Royal Family of France, or the Royal Family of <b>any</b> country is descended from Jesus is something with which I have a lot of trouble! I don't believe that the Emperor of Japan is descended from the Sun Goddess, either.<br />
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There is a non-canonical book called the <i>Gospel of Mary</i>, and it claims that Mary Magdala was a leader of the early church, and I’m sure that she was a leader, but I don’t think that Jesus loved her more than the others, as is claimed in that gospel. Mary of Magdala is regarded as the equal of an Apostle in the Eastern Church, and I think that this makes sense as she was the first person to witness the Resurrected Jesus. As far as the DaVinci Code’s claim that she was the “personification of the Divine Feminine” in the earliest days of Christianity, I must disagree, as the Divine Feminine is manifested in <i>Sofia</i>, or Wisdom, also a manifestation of the Holy Spirit.<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/TEcC1m4p35I/AAAAAAAAVjA/GbQFu08k8PQ/s1600/St_Mary_Magdalen.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496364990223474578" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/TEcC1m4p35I/AAAAAAAAVjA/GbQFu08k8PQ/s320/St_Mary_Magdalen.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 320px; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 251px;" /></a><br />
Here is a poem about Our Mary of Magdala written by Christine Schenk, CSJ.<br />
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<b>Mary of Magdala</b><br />
<i>What say you, Magdalen?<br />Fellow traveler, Jesus' friend,<br />Courageous companion<br />Who accompanies <br />Death's bitter-shroud end.<br />No prostitute you,<br />A Woman Jew<br />And Apostle.<br />Denigrated, despised<br />by jealousy, fear, and more.<br />Betrayed by your brothers,<br />whose spin control<br />requires you go from<br />WomanWitness to Whore.<br />And besides, it would still be alright.<br />(Unlike many a man-creature,<br />you well understand the<br />odd God ways of the Teacher).<br />Did you blame yourself, my sister,<br />for their failure to comprehend <br />All of Love's bold claims <br />for<br />Newborn Jesus-Way ?<br />Mary, WomanWitness, WomanFriend,<br />What have you to say? <br />Only</i><br />
"Rabbo'ni!"<br />
<br />
<i>Christ comes again.<br />Amen, Alleluia, Amen.</i>Padre Mickeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07580459577853346369noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36914208.post-60183017266744226672022-07-04T16:04:00.007-05:002022-07-04T16:28:01.333-05:00Feast of St. Independence Day<i>Hey kids! It's that time of year again!</i>
<a href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/SG5CVbhkgSI/AAAAAAAAH44/ELgL-oAMbCk/s1600-h/070302230147_Uncle_Sam_LG.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5219181954102231330" src="https://bp1.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/SG5CVbhkgSI/AAAAAAAAH44/ELgL-oAMbCk/s320/070302230147_Uncle_Sam_LG.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px;" /></a><br />St. Independence Day was born on July 4, 1776, in the city of Philadelphia in the British colony of Pennsylvania, or "Penn's Woods," and then again on January 14, 1784, in the city of Philadelphia in the state of Pennsylvania in the newly-formed United States of America.<br /><br />Also known as "Uncle Sam," St. Independence Day had the amazing power of causing men to enlist in the U.S. military merely by pointing at them. His charism of salesmanship enabled him to sell hot dogs, baseball, beer, and Grateful Dead records. <br /><br />At the age of 18, young Mr. Day, who had an almost unnatural hankering for apples, wandered about the countryside of the new nation, carrying apple seeds from his home state of Pennsylvania. He created nurseries in the wilderness so that his land-stealing countrymen would have sustenance as they cheated the indigenous people of their ancestral homelands. He negotiated disputes between pioneer settlers and shared his religious beliefs with anyone unlucky enough to get him started on the subject. He wore ragged clothing and a pot on his head, an image which became very popular with young people in the late 1960's and early 1970's, who, in homage to St. Independence Day, called themselves "pot heads." He also cut down many trees as possible in the areas of Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota, with the help of his Big Blue Ox, Babe. After his flirtation with the exciting and ruggedly manly world of the Lumberjack, he rode a tornado down to Pecos, Texas, spending a few years as a cowboy, using a cougar for a horse and harnessing the Rio Grande to water his ranch. He gave up the cowboy life to become a steel-drivin' man. During the early years of the Twenty-first century, he was waterboarded and tortured by members of the Bush administration and chased by remote controlled drones by the Obama administration, but has managed, barely, to survive. Don't get me started on the MAGA crap!<div><br />St. Independence Day's contributions to theology are, firstly, the concept that God created the United States of America as a Christian nation to spread the gospel, first throughout the central continent of North America by the means of Manifest Destiny, and then throughout the world as a side-effect of imperial wars, and secondly, the Prosperity Gospel in which God rains cash, cars, and big houses upon those who roll on the floor and swing from the drapes in a spittle-flecked ecstatic state while proof-texting Bible verses. Amazingly, this theology is quite popular amongst those living in dire poverty in parts of the Developing World.<br /><br />The Feast of St. Independence Day is celebrated by watching parades, blowing things up, and eating as many hot dogs as possible within a two-minute period.<br /><br /><a href="http://bp2.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/SG55G1KLWRI/AAAAAAAAH5I/TstRdll6fDg/s1600-h/jesusflag.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5219242176424925458" src="https://bp2.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/SG55G1KLWRI/AAAAAAAAH5I/TstRdll6fDg/s320/jesusflag.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><br /></div>
https://youtu.be/j4x0sE0wKCkPadre Mickeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07580459577853346369noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36914208.post-30151281154804685762022-06-02T09:58:00.000-05:002022-06-02T09:58:02.626-05:00Blandina and her Companions, the Martyrs of Lyon<i>Grant, O Lord, that we who keep the feast of the holy martyrs Blandina and her companions may be rooted and grounded in love of you, and may endure the sufferings of this life for the glory that shall be revealed in us; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.</i><br /><a href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/SEPTL6kMsGI/AAAAAAAAHO4/vprpWDowLfg/s1600-h/lyons-martyrs.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5207237795823530082" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/SEPTL6kMsGI/AAAAAAAAHO4/vprpWDowLfg/s320/lyons-martyrs.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: right; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px;" /></a><br />In the year 177 a persecution began in the Gallic cities of Vienne and Lyons. These two cities were missionary centers in Gaul and attracted Christians from Greece and Asia. The bishop in Lyons was Pothinus, an elderly man of great faith. Christians were being excluded from the social life of Vienne and Lyons and pagan mobs would throw stones and insults at them when they were seen in the market place or at the public baths. Because the Christian Eucharist was not open to outsiders, many stories spread about what went on in these gatherings. Stories spread that Christians were eating the flesh and drinking the blood of babies, who they had rolled in flour before killing them. Another story was that they would hold meals with dogs tied to candle sticks (probably large menorahs). According to the stories floating about town, at one point in the meal, the celebrant would throw some meat to the dogs, who would them lunge for the meat and pull down the menorahs, extinguishing them and in the resulting darkness, an orgy would take place, complete with incestuous acts. These stories made people think that Christians were a threat to the morals of the community so they encouraged their persecution. Really, no one wants incestuous cannibals in the neighborhood! After a while, Christians were banned from any public place in Lyons. If people saw Christians in a public place, they would curse them, beat them, drag them along the ground, stone them and imprison them. When they confessed Christ they were locked up in the Gaol and awaited the governor’s arrival. <br /><br />This was very difficult for the Christians; some were strong but others just couldn’t take the pressure and would recant. There were others who were willing to be witnesses, to be martyrs for Christ. One day a group was brought before the governor: Sanctus, a deacon from Vienne; Maturus, a recently baptized Christian; Attalus, who had always been a pillar and support of the Church in his native Perganum; and Blandina, a female slave, who turned out to be the strongest of the group. When brought before the governor and accused, she said, “I am a Christian: we do nothing to be ashamed of.” Sanctus the deacon was a strong person, too. His torturers had hoped that they would be able to force him to say something improper; they would demand his name, race, an birthplace, or whether he was a slave or free, and to every question he replied: “I am a Christian.” When they ran out of ideas, they pressed red-hot copper plates against the most sensitive parts of his body. He stood strong, refusing to give in to them. His body was one huge bruise, but he still stood firm. After a few days they put him on the rack, hoping that this would break him. But instead of collapsing and giving in, Sanctus’ body became erect and straight and recovered its former appearance. One woman, Biblis had denied Christ, but was still tortured. While she was on the rack she came to her senses, coming out of a deep sleep and realizing that she was in danger of eternal punishment in hell. She said to the slanderers, “How could children be eaten by people who are not even allowed to eat the blood of brute beasts?” She joined the ranks of the martyrs. The bishop Ponthinus was over ninety years old and, of course, quite weak physically; he suffered problems with his breathing. He was brought to the governor before the entire populace of the city, with the crowd jeering and shouting at him. The governor asked him, “Who is the Christians’ God?” Ponthius answered, “If you are a fit person you will know!” He was dragged among the crowd, who rained blows upon his body and others throwing whatever they could find at him. They threw the barely breathing bishop into a dungeon, where he died two days later. Instead of scaring the others, his death inspired them to embrace the crown of martyrdom. Marturus, Sanctus, Attalus and Blandina were taken into the amphitheatre to face the wild beasts. There, in front of everyone, Maturus and Sanctus were taken through all manner of punishments, as if this was their first day in the arena. They ran the gauntlet of whips; they were mauled by the beasts; they endured every torment that the frenzied mob of the arena demanded. They were placed in iron chairs and their flesh roasted until people were suffocating from the stench, yet they heard nothing from Sanctus other than “I am a Christian.” Sanctus and Maturus finally expired, but Blandina was hung on a post and exposed as food for the wild beasts let into the arena. She looked to the others as if she was hanging on a cross, and her prayers and encouragement to the others inspired the others, who, in their agony, saw their Lord and Savior crucified for them, reminding them that anyone who suffered for the glory of Christ has fellowship forever with the living God. Since the beasts hadn’t eaten her yet, she was taken down from the pole and returned to the gaol for another day. Attalus had to walk about the arena wearing a placard which read <i>This is Attalus the Christian</i> while the crowd heaped its fury upon him. However, the governor learned that Attalus was a Roman citizen, and so he returned him to the gaol while awaiting instructions from Caesar. The witness of Blandina and Attalus inspired those who, in an earlier bout of weakness had denied Christ, returned and stood before the governor confessing their faith in Christ. Alexander, a doctor from Phrygia who had lived in Gaul for many years, returned to confess before the governor. The crowd was furious that someone who had recanted would now confess Christ, and they screamed at him. The governor made him come forward and asked who he was. Alexander answered, “A Christian.” This angered the governor and he was condemned to the beasts. The next day he was taken into the arena with Attalus. Once again, they endured the entire gauntlet of punishments. They died that day. Alexander didn’t make a sound, not even a groan, but communed with God in his heart. When Attalus was placed in the iron chair, he finally cried out while the smell of roasting flesh rose from his body, “Look! Eating men is what <i>you</i> are doing! <i>We</i> neither eat men nor indulge in any malpractices.” They asked him what name God answered to and he replied, “God hasn’t a name like a person.”<br /><a href="http://bp2.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/SEPTFakMsFI/AAAAAAAAHOw/JVZ9vatkU0Y/s1600-h/themartyrsoflyons.gif" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5207237684154380370" src="http://bp2.blogger.com/_4ePTWhu3J64/SEPTFakMsFI/AAAAAAAAHOw/JVZ9vatkU0Y/s320/themartyrsoflyons.gif" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px;" /></a><br />To top everything off, Blandina was returned to the arena with Ponticus, a youth of about fifteen years. They were forced to watch Attalus and Alexander being tortured and were constantly told to renounce the Lord, but they stood firm. Of course, this enraged the crowd, and the two were subject to all the tortures which Alexander and Attalus had suffered, and after each horror were commanded to recant, but they held firm. The crowd noticed that Blandina was encouraging Ponticus, and he bravely endured every punishment until he finally gave his spirit back to God. According to Irenaeus’ account, <i>Last of all, like a noble mother who had encouraged her children and sent them before her in triumph to the King, blessed Blandina herself passed through all the ordeals of all her children and hastened to rejoin them, rejoicing and exulting at her departure as if invited to a wedding supper, not thrown to the beasts.</i> Blandina suffered the whips, then the beasts, then the griddle, and then was finally dropped into a basket and thrown to a bull. She was tossed all over the arena, but was totally indifferent to it all; she was communing with Christ and preparing to be with Him. She, too, finally was sacrificed, and the crowd said that they had never known a woman suffer so much for so long. <br /><br />One might think that this was enough for the crowd, but one would be wrong. Even though the martyrs were now all dead, they still vented their rage on their lifeless bodies. Those who had died in prison, such as Bishop Ponthius, bodies were thrown to the dogs, and the corpses watched day and night so that none of the Christians could take the bodies and bury them properly. Then they took the remains and burned them. Other bodies were left exposed to the elements, the heads removed from the torsos. These, too, were watched and a proper burial denied. After six days of being exposed to every kind of insult and to the open sky, the bodies were finally burnt to ashes and swept into the river, denying any burial. They did this because they thought that, by destroying the bodies, they would defeat God and rob the dead of their rebirth; <i>”in order that they may have no hope of resurrection, the belief that has led them to bring into this country a new foreign cult and treat torture with contempt, going willingly and cheerfully to their death. now let’s see if they’ll rise again, and if their god can help them and save them from our hands.”</i> Bishop Eusebius, in his <i>History of the Church</i>, writes “So much may profitably be said about the affection of those blessed ones for their brothers who had fallen from grace, in view of the inhuman and merciless attitude of those who later behaved so harshly towards the members of Christ’s body.” Sanctus, Attalus, Alexander, Ponticus, Bishop Ponthius, Blandina and the others were true Christian soldiers, because they fought against the forces of evil which wanted to destroy the followers of Christ. Remember their witness next time you hear someone claiming persecution because they can’t pray at a High School football game or teach Bible stories in a Public School.Padre Mickeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07580459577853346369noreply@blogger.com0