Rome 24/10 – Day 32: All Saints

The curial calendar suggest that the sun rose at 06:41.  06:42 is more accurate.  But, hey!  The sun will set, according to the same, at 17:06.

The Ave Maria is at 17:30.

This is the Feast of All Saints, a Holy Day of Obligation and a (canonical) Solemnity.  Hence, although it is Friday, today you are not obliged by the Latin Church’s law to fast or abstain.

I think I’ll make a cheeseburger.  Alas, I can’t get really good pickles at any place nearby.

Apartment report: Yesterday I saw a different place, not quite as close to The Parish™ but not really all that far.   A rather prestigious street, in view of a a place which is constantly guarded by police.  I am optimistic.  St. Joseph!  Guide this with your benevolence, asking from God what is best.

Lord, for the day, I thank you.   And on this Feast of All Saints, prompt with Your graces all those who read this to be saintly in their earthly lives so they can enjoy the joys of Heaven with the holy angels and our brothers and sisters in the Church Triumphant.

Yesterday I went to the clerical shops for errands.   I had to go to Gammarelli to figure out that white pianeta situation.   Then Barbiconi for clerical shirts for a stateside priest friend.  I remembered that I need a red cincture to replace the one that is all used up.

Some fabrics.  Meh.

Hi from the happy elephant.

Hi from a bored cat.

I saw this truck outside my place and thought it worthy of a share.

“Hands dirty from work give off the scent of dignity.”

I wasn’t able to track down the source of this quote in a short amount of time so I gave up.  However, something similar is attributed to St. Francis of Assisi.  It strikes me as a communist thing, although it is redolent – if you get me – of something that John Paul II would have written about the dignity of work in Laborem exercens.   Remember John Paul II?

The other day I had a meeting with a woman who was the silver restorer for famous museum collections in London. She taught me something about cleaning gold and silver vessels. The first thing I already knew from my silver/goldsmith who made my chalice.  Use only 99% isopropyl alcohol (or very high).  She told me also to use acetone.  Fingerprints are really bad for gold plating.   So, get them off!  There is also a special wax for polishing that will protect the gold and silver. She said to use also Renaissance Micro-Crystalline Wax Polish, a tiny amount on a silver cloth.  US – HERE  UK – HERE It was quite a useful conversation. So… FATHERS! Clean the gold cup of your chalice (when needed) with high purity alcohol! (Vodka won’t work.)   In general, don’t let sacristans or kind ladies who volunteer anywhere NEAR your chalice.

Since I wrote about shirts…

HEY PRIESTS OUT THERE!

How about a clerical Guayabera shirt?

In chessy news…. HERE

(White mates in 4)