The Early Church Fathers, Sunday, July 31, 2011 - Theodore

When [Christ] gave the bread he did not say, "This is the symbol of my body" but, "This is my body." In the same way when he gave the cup of his blood he did not say. "This is the symbol of my blood," but, "This is my blood," for he wanted us to look upon the [Eucharistic elements] after their reception of grace and the coming of the Holy Spirit not according to their nature, but receive them as they are, the body and blood of our Lord. We ought . . . not regard [the elements] merely as bread and cup) but as the body and blood of the Lord, into which they were transformed by the descent of the Holy Spirit. (Catechetical Homilies 5:1 [A.D. 405])

If it's worth doing . . .

I'd like to share a quote from Brenda Ueland’s book If you want to Write, a delightful read.

“It is our nasty twentieth-century materialism that makes us feel: what is the use of writing, painting, etc., unless one has an audience or gets cash for it? Socrates and the men of the Renaissance did so much because the rewards were intrinsic, i.e., the enlargement of the soul. Yes we are all thoroughly materialistic about such things. 'What's the use?' we say, of doing anything unless you make money or get applause? for when a man is dead he is dead.' Socrates and the Greeks decided that a man's life should be devoted to 'the tendance of the Soul' (Soul included intelligence, imagination, spirit, understanding, personality) for the soul lived eternally, in all probability. I think it is all right to work for money, to work to have things enjoyed by people, even very limited ones; but the mistake is to feel that the work, the effort, the search is not the important and the exciting thing. One cannot strive to write a cheap, popular story without learning more about cheapness. But enough. I may very well be getting to raving.”

Ueland, Brenda (2010). If You Want to Write (Kindle Locations 359-367). Wilder Publications. Kindle Edition.

Founders Friday, Friday, July 29, 2011 – John Adams

Image via Wikipedia

Each individual of the society has a right to be protected by it in the enjoyment of his life, liberty, and property, according to standing laws. He is obliged, consequently, to contribute his share to the expense of this protection; and to give his personal service, or an equivalent, when necessary. But no part of the property of any individual can, with justice, be taken from him, or applied to public uses, without his own consent, or that of the representative body of the people. In fine, the people of this commonwealth are not controllable by any other laws than those to which their constitutional representative body have given their consent.

Thoughts on Government, 1776

Wacky Wednesday, Wednesday, July 27, 2011 -- Don Rickles

It's Wednesday, we'vemade it half way through the week, it's time to sit back and enjoy a laugh with Don Rickles, and another kinda famous guy.

The Early Church Fathers, Sunday, July 24, 2011 – St Justin Martyr

Image via Wikipedia

We call this food Eucharist, and no one else is permitted to partake of it, except one who believes our teaching to be true and who has been washed in the washing which is for the remission of sins and for regeneration [i.e., has received baptism] and is thereby living as Christ enjoined. For not as common bread nor common drink do we receive these, but since Jesus Christ our Savior was made incarnate by the word of God and had both flesh and blood for our salvation, so too, as we have been taught, the food which has been made into the Eucharist by the Eucharistic prayer set down by him, and by the change of which our blood and flesh is nurtured, is both the flesh and the blood of that incarnated Jesus. (First Apology 66 [A.D. 151]).

Founders Friday, Friday, July 22, 2011 – Elbridge Gerry

Whenever governments mean to invade the rights and liberties of the people, they always attempt to destroy the militia, in order to raise an army upon their ruins.

Image via Wikipedia

Elbridge Gerry

Wacky Wednesday, Wednesday, July 20, 2011, Allan Sherman - Hello Muddah Hello Faddah (1963)

It's Wednesday, we've made it half way through the week.  It's time  to kick back and enjoy a laugh from Allen Sherman, once a very popular guy, mostly on the basis of this song.