On this Feast of St. Ubaldus the sun came into view at 5:47. We will lose sight of it again at 20:27.
Our ears will not hear in the Curia the un-rung Ave Maria Bell at 20:45. But it does ring at the proper solar time at The Parish™, Ss. Trinità and on my seriously cool APP!
A long time reader and follower of my daily live Mass stream was here in Rome and we met up for my Mass.
This morning The World’s Best Sacristan™ and I went to the Giuseppine in Trastevere to talk to the sisters and to look at difference varieties of lace for, potentially, a new surplice. The one I have here is not awful. However, I’m thinking about something more in the style of the place and my advancing age. (What that is, I’m not sure.) I did learn more about lace today. There are still fantastic hand made laces. I am in complete awe. The last time I was at the Giuseppine was over 35 years ago before my ordination, the anniversary of which is coming up in the next days.
The fact that I have a few photos of lace doesn’t indicate that I’ve made a move. However, this one is nice.
Is there enough?
Made by hand. Holy Cow. Good for an alb, but for a surplice?
This is nice. Classic. Restrained.
I don’t know what to do. Some of this lace is E. 150 per meter. GULP. I don’t want that…yet. I’m stingy. But, it would be a nice alb. One for Rome? Otherwise, here and in the USA, I wear a plain alb with zero lace. I have lacy albs in the USA, but… I should sell them, maybe. I don’t personally know enough seminarians to give them. I’m getting old.
NB: ladies weave beautiful lace flowers in imitation of nature to reflect God’s beauty for the sake of divine worship and I honor them by wearing what the created from love.
Meanwhile, this is what God weaves from the stuff of the earth to reflect His Truth through beauty. What a privilege to see it.
On the way away from The Parish™, I met Pippo’s crew bringing flowers for an afternoon wedding. Look how beautiful. Pippo is a master. This is Anastasia.
I’d LOVE IT if 100 of you wrote to say “Ciao da un lettore di don John”: info@pippocampodefiori.com
I had a little hate note about my sybaritic lifestyle because I ate in a restaurant (at someone’s invitation). LOL. It was the first time I’d been out (at someone’s invitation) for a while. There are those who think that if I am not rubbing gravel in my hair and drinking from a puddle between the cobblestone, then my life doesn’t suck enough. And THAT, of course, is the key to your spiritual life: your life has to suck. I think this might have been provoked by my recent SSPX post. Tonight, here is my ultra-sucky repast: broth, frozen veg, pieces of dried out bread. BUT… sorry to disappoint: it was really good! I’m easily pleased. That “pane di Lariano” had a great resurrection and “descension”.
Speaking of getting old, today and yesterday I just slept a lot. It helped that it rained.
BTW… there is a chestnut that only bishops can have a lining of an alb or surplice in red. That’s false. There is nothing in the Roman tradition that sanctions or proscribes that. Ordinary priests can have red lining for albs and surplices. PERIOD.
If I may be permitted to paraphrase the illustrious Dr. Johnson: ” Lace, sir, is like Greek: a cleric should get as much of it as he can.”
Father, please stop it. You are not old at 66. I am 79 and still hike a bit, keep bees and chickens and sometimes take long walks, and rarely take a nap. Telling yourself you are old will become a self-fulfilling prophecy. Spend time with children. That will definitely keep you young.
Atque… Comede et bibe et in gaudio Dei vive. Barbari sunt barbari semper et nihil istis placet numquam.
re: sybaritic
Do you have enough room on your Roman windowsill to grow a chestnut tree? Then you can give each complainant a chestnut inscribed with micro-calligraphy of the old chestnut about the ideal priest dressing modestly but not threadbare, driving an economical old but good new-looking car, being sociable but not going out, being healthy & well-rested but working 7/12/365, giving to charity, and doing it all on $50/month.
Welcome to older age. it is a glorious gift from God. My wife and I joke older age sounds better than old age. We appreciate all you do for us.
Wrote a note to Pippo & Co.
email to Pippo, plus “Che bei fiori!!!”
— Guy
@Charivari Rob: How about calling it the Old Chestnut Award? It will probably only be slightly less feared than the Sour Grapes Award.
The “seriously cool APP” Father Z is referring to is the Ava Maria Clock which if you have not downloaded do! I have it toggled to all the hours which has been a great joy and gift; a reminder of the sanctification of time in this space in which we live briefly for now by the grace and mercy of Our Lord.
Speaking of age, I think I am lucky not to be in my teens or even early twenties right now. Sure there were things I had to watch out for as a 1980s kid but I think today there’s much more temptations and less one-on-one time and in-person time.
There’s also many people today that ostracize others over small petty things – more than there used to be.
Fr. Z:
It wasn’t until I started reading your writings a few years back that I realized how important vestments are for a priest. Even though I was an altar boy I never really paid attention to appropriate colors (although I do remember in the sacristy vestments were put in drawers by color) depending upon the liturgical season.
I understand more about why used bedsheets can’t be used and why vestments can run up an expense. Years ago a good deacon explained as part of a homily why he wore the dramatic.
Many Catholics don’t know this either.
As a former Lutheran, the comment about your sybaritic lifestyle immediately brought back memories of Lutheran discussions about the utter sinfulness of owning TWO pairs of jeans and liking beautiful things, and other signs of wordliness. I had happily forgotten all that nonsense. What a joy to be Catholic!
Passed this on to a budding lay bobbin-lace maker (and experienced crocheter: second photo, lower left-hand corner), who thoroughly enjoyed it – but I forgot to ask if 150 euro/meter was unusual (having heard there are ominously low-priced ‘commercial’-clothing examples ‘out there’ suggesting something like a sweat-shop source).
The soup looks delicious!
Where can I find your Daily Mass stream?