Weblog

Candlemas

The Feast of Candlemas, a perfect time for perusing through old icons. Of all places, an online guide to Belarus, which details the Belarus school of Iconography, has this wonderful icon on it’s site.

“An art critic M.M. Shchekacihinm wrote in 1926 about tis icon: ” It is outstanding in compositional freedom and realism, especially in facial expressions. The ornamental motiff on St. Simon clothes is very interesting”.

“Composition in the icon is based on the New Testament story [Luke 1; 22-39]. According to it on the 40-th day after birth of Christ Joseph and Mary took their child to Jerusalem Cathedral to baptise and made a religious offering – two pigeons. 360 y.o. St. Simon met them in the Cathedral. There was also St. Hannah the prophet, daughter of Fanuli, who had lived at the Cathedral for 84 years. The typical composition of icons, depictinmg the Candlemas Day is as following: Mary is on the right, giving child to Simon, Joseph is behind her. Joseph brings two pigeons. Simon God-acceptor and Hannah-the Prophet are shown on the left.

Linx Redux

Last year when I reworked the links section on my blog, I more or less took a lot of interesting links and tossed them into the framework. That looked good at the time. But frankly, I really don’t visit a lot of the links here.

So that means I’ve been giving some thought to redoing everything. Again. Having a weblog is always fraught with peril when you’re clergy, obviously. But one struggles on valiantly discerning the will of the Lord.

I’ll start with this link to Dating God, the journey of a Franciscan in today’s world of high drama and secularism. I actually never go there, I just discovered it today. So I don’t know if it will make the reworked blog linx or not. (Suspense is an inherent part of my website. One never knows what one will find, or if it still be there the next day.)

A site I have been reading from time to time is Christopher’s Apologies. Christopher is a regular on Twitter, and I noticed his writing one day — very interesting.

And that’s it for now. Everything needs to be reworked when the spring cleaning comes around.

I’ve been working on some Homilies and Essays to put on the site, but one day at a time.

There Be Dragons

Now this should prove to be an interesting film.


And check out the The About Page:

There Be Dragons is an epic action-adventure romance set during the turmoil of the Spanish Civil War. The story traces the lives of two young men, Josemaria Escriva (Charlie Cox) and Manolo Torres (Wes Bentley), childhood friends who are separated by the political upheaval of pre-war Spain to find themselves on opposite sides as war erupts. Choosing peace, Josemaria becomes a priest and struggles to spread reconciliation by founding the movement Opus Dei (work of God).
there be dragons pic
Manolo chooses war and becomes a spy for the fascists. During this time, he becomes obsessed with a beautiful Hungarian revolutionary, Ildiko, who has joined the militia in pursuit of passion and purpose. But when Ildiko rejects him and gives herself to the courageous militia leader Oriol, Manolo’s jealousy leads him down a path of betrayal.

He commits heinous acts that will torment him until the end of his life. Only on Manolo’s deathbed will Josemaria’s message of forgiveness finally have a profound impact on him and on his estranged son, who comes to learn the truth of his father’s dark past.

As personal and national battles rage, the characters’ lives collide and their deepest struggles are illuminated. Only then can they face the ultimate choices that will result in tragedy or triumph and a chance for final redemption.

There Be Dragons director Roland Joffe has previously directed the highly acclaimed films The Mission (starring Robert De Niro and Jeremy Irons, nominated for seven Academy Awards and winner of “La Palme d’Or” of Cannes), and The Killing Fields (winner of three Academy Awards).
filming
The film features a stellar cast of young actors such as: Charlie Cox (Stardust), Wes Bentley (American Beauty), Rodrigo Santoro (300) and Olga Kurylenko (Quantum of Solace). Additionally, many other talented experts shared their talents including: Academy Award-winner Eugenio Zanetti (Restoration) as art director, Academy Award-winner Yvonne Blake (What Dreams May Come) as wardrobe and costume designer, and Academy Award-winner Michelle Burke (Quest for Fire, Dracula) as makeup designer.

Flower Scans


From A Carribean Garden.

Ever behind the times, I am going to have to give the scanning technique a try at some point in the not too distant future!

Spring Training: Flowers, Pollen and the Denial of Asthma

Spring is my favorite time of year, and my worst time of year. It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.
blooms on scannerSo in the realm of Mind Body Spirit, some links…

Allergies, Asthma…

While I’ve always suffered with allergies and everything that goes with that, it wasn’t until a few months after Katrina I realized I had asthma. I had been feeling horrible, was handling my allergies pretty well, given the leftover dust from reconstruction and receded flood mud, mold, etc. So one afternoon I gently excused myself from work saying I had to run by my doctor’s for an appointment, and drove over to the emergency room. (I tend to be understated.)

They took symptoms, did some x-rays, then looked perplexed and said ‘Well, you’re fine aside from the asthma.” I looked at him quizzically. “What asthma?!” He explained. And I, figuring that was it like a cold I went my way, with some new medicines. It didn’t go away on its own, I’m sad to say.

However! With the help of an excellent physician I’m still learning about it. And, one of the things I’ve come to realize is the importance of exercise. He had told me one day that if I don’t get regular aerobic exercise in the form of swimming or cycling, then I would be on oxygen by the time I’m 70. And since I’ve been having a light exercise schedule (actually, it’s been in the non-existant phase, since I am often ‘all or nothing’ …)

fitness Attempts

I geared up and headed out on my bike this morning. Ten miles, not much, but a good simple start. A year and a half ago I was walking all over creation, then swimming. Prior to that tons of cycling.

Which always leads to the subject of Pollen. I love spring, but the clouds of pollen usually do get to me in one way or another, leaving me with my head in the clouds. The pollen cast over at Pollen.com is a wonderful tool for allergic sufferers, and for their friends who don’t believe allergies exist.

Pollen and Blooms

But spring always speaks to flowers starting to bloom again. Or here in the south, to continued blooms

Garden Bloggers Bloom of the Month, sponsored by May Dreams Gardens, which links to some great blooms sites.

One of them has wonderful pictures of blooms taken with a flatbed scanner, the technique can be found here.

Some Louisiana sites: January Blooms and Zydeco Irises.

It’s important to take time out to smell the flowers. And, if we’re allergic to them it’s even more important to stay on top of our health. God’s work requires fortitude in mind, body and soul.

Fr. Kenneth Allen