A journal of byzantine digressionS

  • Is there someone else we can talk to?

    ✙ JMJ The Readings for Friday in the 10th Week of Ordinary Time (B2) 1 Kings 19:9A, 11-16 Matthew 5:27-32 Audistis quia dictum est antiquis… Ego autem dico vobis…  You have heard it said of old…  But I say to you… If you come to the New Testament looking for a relief from those pesky rules in…

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  • Lord, it’s hard to be humble.

    ✙ JMJ The Readings for  in the 10th Week of Ordinary Time (B2) 1 Kings 18:41-46  Matthew 5:20-26 Si ergo offers munus tuum ad altare, et ibi recordatus fueris quia frater tuus habet aliquid adversum te : relinque ibi munus tuum ante altare, et vade prius reconciliari fratri tuo : et tunc veniens offeres munus tuum. So…

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  • Brief thought on Elijah: Pick.

    TZzztztztzzzztztzztzttztzztzt CHUSHPOW ✙ JMJ The Readings for St Anthony of Padua, Doctor of the Church Wednesday in the 10th Week of Ordinary Time (B2) 1 Kings 18:20-39 Matthew 5:17-19 Usquequo claudicatis in duas partes? Si Dominus est Deus, sequimini eum : si autem Baal, sequimini illum. How long will you go limping with two different opinions? If the…

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  • The Feast of St Barnabas

    JMJ I was in New York City for the Ordination of my friend, Linda, to the Diaconate of the Episcopal Church, to be held at the Cathedral of St John the Divine, the Largest Gothic Cathedral in the world. This was the Summer of 1985: I had taken a year off of NYU and moved…

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  • This sucks worse for me than for you.

    ✙ JMJ The Readings for  the 10th Sunday of Ordinary Time (B2) Genesis 3:9-15  2 Corinthians 4:13—5:1 Mark 3:20-35 Omnia enim propter vos : ut gratia abundans, per multos in gratiarum actione, abundet in gloriam Dei. For all things are for your sakes; that the grace abounding through many, may abound in thanksgiving unto the glory…

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  • It all Flows from the Heart

    ✙ JMJ The Readings for the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of JesusFriday in the 9th Week of Ordinary Time (B2) Hosea 11:1, 3-4, 8C-9 Ephesians 3:8-12, 14-19 John 19:31-37 Ut innotescat principatibus et potestatibus in caelestibus per Ecclesiam, multiformis sapientia Dei, That through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known…

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  • What’s your cross?

    ✙ JMJ The Readings for Thursday in the 9th Week of Ordinary Time (B2) 2nd Timothy 2:8-15  Mark 12:28-34 Si commortui sumus, et convivemus : si sustinebimus, et conregnabimus : si negaverimus, et ille negabit nos : si non credimus, ille fidelis permanet, negare seipsum non potest.If we have died with him, we shall also live with him; if we…

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  • Launching on Patreon

    Take a look at my Patreon page, please. Go take a look. I’ve decided to see what we can do with this blog. A little history: I’ve been blogging since 1998 (although the earliest Archive capture is Januray of 1999). And, if by “blog” you mean an electronic journal that gets shared with friends, really,…

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  • Being the Body of Christ, the Bread of Heaven

    JMJ This piece came to mind yessterday at Corpus Christi: an essay from the 90s, rescued from Archive.org and edited. When I wrote this I was part of the bread baking guild at St Gregory of Nyssa ECUSA parish, a rota of folks who prepared the communion bread. I continued this practice in the Orthodox…

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  • Shockwaves of the Eschaton

    ✙ JMJ The Readings for the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ Exodus 24:3-8  Hebrews 9:11-15 Mark 14:12-16, 22-26 Vetustátem nóvitas,Umbram fugat véritas,Noctem lux elíminat.Now the new the old effaces,Truth away the shadow chases,Light dispels the gloom of night.O sacred banquetTardis and Tesseract of eternityFeast of RamanduLast Homely House before the wilds坎 …

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  • Preternatural Hangries

    ✙ JMJ The Readings for Friday in the 8th Week of Ordinary Time (B2) Memorial of St Justin Martyr, First Friday of June 1 Peter 4:7-13  Mark 11:11-26 Jam non amplius in aeternum ex te fructum quisquam manducet. May no man hereafter eat fruit of thee any more for ever. Jesus curses the fig tree because it…

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  • It takes a strong constitution to be Queen.

    ✙ JMJ The Readings for the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Zephaniah  3:14-18A Luke 1:39-56 Fecit potentiam in brachio suo: dispersit superbos mente cordis sui. Deposuit potentes de sede, et exaltavit humiles. Esurientes implevit bonis: et divites dimisit inanes. He hath shewed might in his arm: he hath scattered the proud in the conceit of their heart. He hath put down the…

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  • Give up Wut?

    ✙ JMJ The Readings for Tuesday in the 8th Week of Ordinary Time (B2) 1 Peter 1:10-16 Mark 10:28-31 Et coepit ei Petrus dicere : Ecce nos dimisimus omnia, et secuti sumus te. Behold, we have left all things, and have followed thee.  When it comes to giving up all things, the Apostles actually did,…

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  • I hear the Grand Slam is good.

    ✙ JMJ The Readings for Trinity Sunday (B2) Deuteronomy 4:32-34, 39-40 Romans 8:14-17 Matthew 28:16-20 Et videntes eum adoraverunt : quidam autem dubitaverunt.And seeing him they adored: but some doubted. This is my favourite verse in the New Testament. It’s huge. Because it’s the end of a pure church. The Apostles have been with Jesus for…

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  • A Catechesis of Despair.

    ✙ JMJ The Readings for  in the Week of Pentecost (B2) James 5:13-20  Mark 10:13-16 Et offerebant illi parvulos ut tangeret illos. Discipuli autem comminabantur offerentibus.And they brought to him young children, that he might touch them. And the disciples rebuked them that brought them.  When Judgement Day comes many folks who are by human…

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