Good Friday

 

The Altars are stripped, the Tabernacles empty and Christ dies on the Cross, consummatum est, it is finished. I found this powerful, from Morning Prayer:

For the ungodly said, reasoning with themselves, but not aright, Our life is short and tedious, and in the death of a man there is no remedy: neither was there any man known to have returned from the grave. Therefore let us lie in wait for the righteous; because he is not for our turn, and he is clean contrary to our doings: he upbraideth us with our offending the law, and objecteth to our infamy the transgressings of our education. He professeth to have the knowledge of God: and he calleth himself the child of the Lord. He was made to reprove our thoughts. He is grievous unto us even to behold: for his life is not like other men's, his ways are of another fashion. We are esteemed of him as counterfeits: he abstaineth from our ways as from filthiness: he pronounceth the end of the just to be blessed, and maketh his boast that God is his father. Let us see if his words be true: and let us prove what shall happen in the end of him. For if the just man be the son of God, he will help him, and deliver him from the hand of his enemies. Let us examine him with despitefulness and torture, that we may know his meekness, and prove his patience. Let us condemn him with a shameful death: for by his own saying he shall be respected. Such things they did imagine, and were deceived: for their own wickedness hath blinded them. As for the mysteries of God, they knew them not: neither hoped they for the wages of righteousness, nor discerned a reward for blameless souls. For God created man to be immortal, and made him to be an image of his own eternity. Nevertheless through envy of the devil came death into the world: and they that do hold of his side do find it. (Wisdom 2:1, 12-24)

 

Nevertheless through envy of the devil came death into the world: and they that do hold of his side do find it. Yes indeed.

In Hoc Signo,

LSP

Spy Wednesday

 

Did you know that Holy Wednesday's known as Spy Wednesday, marking the clandestine treachery of Judas who made a bargain with the High priest for thirty pieces of silver to betray Jesus. According to Catholic Culture: 

In Poland, the young people throw an effigy of Judas from the top of a church steeple. Then it is dragged through the village amidst hurling sticks and stones. What remains of the effigy is drowned in a nearby stream or pond.

 

Judas hanged himself and the Book of Acts recounts that his body burst open on falling to the ground on what became known as the "field of blood." So much for the "son of perdition." Traitors might want to take this salutary tale to heart.

Cheers,

LSP

So What's Going On?

 

Yes, it's Holy Tuesday and the culminating week of Lent, the focal point of the liturgical year. No shortage of material for reflection in that, but what else? Only a massive cargo ship crashing into the  Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, and bringing the bridge down, thus effectively closing one of North America's largest ports.

Here's an 8x video of the event:

Is #BaltimoreBridgeCollapse a Black swan event🤔🤔 #Biden

pic.twitter.com/X4AHcb7GGF

— Akki Yadav (@beingArk_) March 26, 2024

 

Does that look like an accident to you?  Lara Logan thinks not, posting on X:

Multiple intel sources: Baltimore bridge collapse was an “absolutely brilliant strategic attack” on US critical infrastructure - most likely cyber - & our intel agencies know it. In information warfare terms, they just divided the US along the Mason Dixon line exactly like the Civil War. 

Second busiest strategic roadway in the nation for hazardous material now down for 4-5 years - which is how long they say it will take to recover. Bridge was built specifically to move hazardous material - fuel, diesel, propane gas, nitrogen, highly flammable materials, chemicals and oversized cargo that cannot fit in the tunnels - that supply chain now crippled. 

Make no mistake: this was an extraordinary attack in terms of planning, timing & execution. 

The two critical components on that bridge are the two load-bearing pylons on each end, closest to the shore. They are bigger, thicker and deeper than anything else. These are the anchor points and they knew that hitting either one one of them would be a fatal wound to the integrity of the bridge. 

Half a mile of bridge went in the river - likely you will have to build a new one. Also caused so much damage to the structural integrity of the bottom concrete part that you cannot see & won’t know until they take the wreckage apart. Structural destruction likely absolute. 

 

She goes on, quoting a "source:"

“They have figured out how to bring us down. As long as you stay away from the teeth of the US military, you can pick the US apart. We are arrogant and ignorant - lethal combination. Obama said they would fundamentally change America and they did. We are in a free-fall ride on a roller coaster right now - no brakes - just picking up speed.”

 

That's Lara, but what's your call, a tragic accident, incompetence, Black Swan or some kind of attack by our several enemies? Serious question on any count, and now Baltimore's in even more trouble than it already was.

Situation Developing,

LSP

The Archdeacon Of Racist Drivel

 

Archdeacon Miranda Threlfall-Holmes blasted "whiteness" and "patriarchy" on social media last week, stating:

I went to a conference on whiteness last autumn. It was very good, very interesting and made me realise: whiteness is to race as patriarchy is to gender. So yes, let’s have anti whiteness, & let’s smash the patriarchy. That’s not anti-white, or anti-men, it’s anti-oppression.

 

Threlfall-Holmes is Archdeacon of Liverpool. Keen-eyed readers will notice zhe's white. And you can read about the venerable if shrinking COE's obsession with racism and white middle class self-loathing here and here  and here.

Please, someone, anyone, make this dropped-on-head-as-infant drivel stop.

Thanks,

LSP

Palm Sunday

Behold beauty from Farrer:

AFTER Jesus had died on the cross, his disciples hoped to keep his body with them as a sacred relic. They shut it in with stone, they came to embalm it. St. Magdalen was disconsolate that she could not find it. But Jesus had given his body to them at the Supper in the form in which he meant them to have it, a form which did not inolve its being stored on earth. He would continually give it them from heaven, where he lives. It is a heavenly being he bestows on us, it is in his heavenly body that he unites us. Lift up your hearts; by this sacrament you are parts of Christ, and Christ is the heart of heaven.

God bless you all,

LSP

A Good Man

 

He was a good man and I felt privileged to deacon his requiem. He believed in the electric universe, to say nothing of Christ Himself, and here's a song:

Requiescat,

LSP

Get Off Of My Cloud

 

It's been busy here. No rest, gentle readers, for the wicked.

All Hail Our Rulers,

LSP

Just Strolling In The Rain

Most Anglican priests in North America typically stay in their parish or mission for about five years before moving on to moar cash greater and higher things. At least that's what the stats said a few years ago, and I reflected on that as I strolled through the sylvan boulevards of Olde Texas in the gentle rain. How can you possibly, as a clergyman, get to know the people and place of your cure in just five years?

Well you can't, not to any great extent, and there's a virtue in staying in one place for a length of time. Of course it helps if the place in question is congenial and involves riding, shooting, fishing and, today, gentle, soothing rain. Enjoy it while you can, fellow citizens of this bucolic rural haven in North Central Texas.

Weather reverie over, I strolled past a sign for the impending eclipse and into the food bank, which does a brisk business because no one can afford to buy food at the supermarkets, and talked to their leaderene who has to be pushing 90 but doesn't look a day younger or older than she did 15 years ago.

What a good woman and tough as nails, I used to shoot pistols with her husband, RIP, back in the day using pictures of Episcopal Church bishop figures as targets. Fun. Then it was a short saunter over to the Square, complete with its Confederate war memorial. No, no-one's even thought of taking that down, and from there to a shop I've never been in.

To be fair, it's changed hands a few times since I've been here and now advertises "alterations." Interesting, and I went inside to investigate. Sure enough, it's definitely an alterations shop and I visited with the owner who was inundated with work. Yes, she could create a suit, but didn't have the time. You see, what happens is that people, typically women, buy stuff online which doesn't fit them and then take it to be fixed. So she has a roaring trade and fair play to her, I'll go there in the future instead of driving to Dallas.

Speaking of which, Janey Tailor on the corner of Greenville and Mockingbird did a stand-up job fixing not one but four old but nice suits, DB, 3B, 2B. "You are wizards!" I exclaimed to the excellent Korean sewing crew at Janey Tailor, and they are, but now I want to shop local. I like the vibe of this shop. Next stop?

Gold Nugget Pawn. I bought my first Lee Enfield there back in the far-off mists of time and used to bring great containers of Holy Water for the staff. They said they needed it, which they doubtless did. Then the owner Miss Dale died, I buried her, and Cindy took over the operation only to sell the shop off. Now it's under new management who are staunch #2A, so we get on well. I'll offer to bless the place, maybe an exorcism'd be in order.

On the way back to the Compound, I passed by the Pick 'n Steal, still going strong after all these years, though I miss the Nepalese who used to run it, and swung 'round the corner past what used to be the Meth Shack. That's no more and's being fixed up by Jose who, is, I think, from El Salvador. A good man and maybe he'll go to Mission #1's new Spanish Mass.

Regardless, back at the front porch of the Compound I looked out on the rain of a Texan morning and thanked God for bringing me here. So much better than, say, Baltimore, Philly or the suburban ghetto Maryland suburbs of DC. 

You see, gentle readers, I've pretty much been a slum priest for much of my time, so this is most congenial, in a semi-abandoned railway town kinda way. You'll note, in passing, that priests tend to stay two years in this position before moving on, and I've stayed over fifteen, this is a record. No inclination to move either, and there you have it, and Devil take the hindmost.

In other news, my eldest texted me yesterday as I was collecting clothes from the Dallas Koreans, "Dad, they've promoted me to Sergeant." And so they had, right there in the field. I texted back, "WELL DONE. GOOD WORK." We must take our victories as we find 'em.

Stand Strong,

LSP

Stardust

 

Take it easy, kids.

Sleep tight,

LSP

SCOTUS Sides With Texas

 

The Supreme Court's sided with Texas by a slim 4-3 majority, lib justices dissenting, allowing the state to arrest and deport illegals. About time too. Here's a helpful infovideo:

WATCH: The Democrat Open Borders Plan to Entrench Single-Party Rule | Explained in Under Two Minutes pic.twitter.com/uWJxBiKive

— Western Lensman (@WesternLensman) March 19, 2024

 

The Biden admin's let in what, 10 million illegals? What a gang of criminal traitors. On topic, I always enjoy the blank, slack-jawed look leftists give when you ask them, "What will all this immigration do to workers' wages, will it make wages rise or fall?" They recover after a bit and ramble rainbow incoherently about the Statue of Liberty.

Go Texas,

LSP

Maybe You Scorn My Suits

 

Then again, maybe you don't.

All for the Cause,

LSP

Question - Two or Three Button?

 

OK, it's Lent here in the North Central Texas Exclusion Zone and everywhere else, so we're jousting with Gospel imperatives. Viz. Should a suit be two button or 3 button? Dege & Skinner, notables of the Row, seem to opt for two button, see above.

Nice, to put it mildly, no doubt about it, but perhaps three button gives that SuperTrad, strolling down St. James and Devil takes the hindmost look? I used to think so, back in the mists of time, but now? Maybe two button befits seniority. Whatever, here's cut-price Cordings by way of reference:

As you can see, gentlemen and women, we're talking salvation issues here, but hey, it's Monday and the Compound's taking a "day-off." Quite unlike Satan. Soteriology aside, what's your take on suits, two or three button? And let's not forget DB.

I say all means all, but your call,

LSP

PS. Aide Memoire, Prince Philip favored TWO BUTTON. And long cut KENT HASTE. So, there is that.