This day, the last of the Days of the Blackbird in Rome, the sun rose at 07:21 and it will set at 17:26.
The Ave Maria Bell should ring at 17:45.
In the older calendar it is the Feast of St. John Bosco, a beautiful saint. It is also the Feast of a Roman St. Marcella, who was a follower of St. Jerome. Her body is at St. Paolo fuori le mura. She died at 85 in 410. Does that year ring a non-Ave Maria bell? The Goths were convinced she had huge treasures, so they …. treated her badly. Many years before Pope St. Damasus called Jerome to Rome, she had started a prayer and study circle in her home. Jerome would eventually lodge with her. We have letters of Jerome and Marcella. In Letter 127 to Principia, who was with Marcella, Jerome describes what happened to Marcella during Alaric’s Sack of Rome:
When the soldiers entered [Marcella’s house] she is said to have received them without any look of alarm; and when they asked her for gold she pointed to her coarse dress to show them that she had no buried treasure. However they would not believe in her self-chosen poverty, but scourged her and beat her with cudgels. She is said to have felt no pain but to have thrown herself at their feet and to have pleaded with tears for you [Principia], that you might not be taken from her, or owing to your youth have to endure what she as an old woman had no occasion to fear. Christ softened their hard hearts and even among bloodstained swords natural affection asserted its rights. The barbarians conveyed both you and her to the basilica of the apostle Paul, that you might find there either a place of safety or, if not that, at least a tomb.
A glance from my pre-dawn morning walk.
I bought vongole this morning. I’ll eat vongole tonight.
In churchy news…
This is getting interesting.
The Vice President has St. Augustine, St. Thomas Aquinas, and indeed the entire mainstream Christian and natural law traditions on his side. His critics have, on their side, woolly liberal bromides and foot-stomping. https://t.co/h6jrJYqINM
— Edward Feser (@FeserEdward) January 30, 2025
This must end. INSIDE the Church as well.
Today on Capitol Hill, a Hindu said the FBI should stop persecuting the same Catholics being persecuted by the Pope. Wild times. https://t.co/71pMih84xh
— Mason-Dixon Latin Mass Society (@MDLatinMass) January 30, 2025
Please remember me when shopping online and use my affiliate links. US HERE – UK HERE WHY? This helps to pay for health insurance (massively hiked for this new year of surprises), utilities, groceries, etc.. At no extra cost, you provide help for which I am grateful.
In chessy news….
At in Wijk aan Zee Tata Steel, Gukesh is still ahead and Nodirbek is on his heels by a half point and Pragg by a full point. Fabi seems to be out of the running for 1st. There was a handshake dustup, but it seems to have be amicably settled. The oldest player in the tournament, GM Erwin L’Ami was pitted against the youngest player, IM Faustino Oro. Photo HERE
White to move and mate in 4.
[NB: I’ll hold comments with solutions ’till the next day so there won’t be “spoilers” for others.]
No one has responded to the chess problem yet, so I will offer my solution:
1. Nf6+ Kh8
2. Rg3xg7 RxR (otherwise, Rh7+ is mate)
3. Rf8+ Rg8
4. RxR mate