Our Hearts Are Restless

According to my mother, this is a slightly odd website, but this article is absolutely brilliant.  I'll quote some parts here but the full article itself deserves a read.   The seminal idea of western music is that music reflects the harmonies and moral order of the universe and, therefore, has a divine origin. This idea came to the Greeks in the eighth century AD, endured through the centuries, stimulated a vast musical repertoire, and sputtered out during the decadent twentieth century. The implication of the traditional idea of music is that music can embody objective realities and manifest intrinsic values, and is not just about subjective personal taste or the passing fads of a culture. Furthermore, music formulated according a higher order suggests to the listener that the heavens, the earth, and nature are really there, embody orderly forms, and manifest a divine beauty and harmony that reflects the Creator. The fact that man can listen to and participate in the sublime har...

II. The Name, Titles, and Symbols of the Holy Spirit The proper name of the Holy Spirit 691    “Holy Spirit” is the proper name of the one whom we adore and glorify with the Father and the Son. The Church has received this name from the Lord and professes it in the Baptism of her new children. 16 The term “Spirit” translates the Hebrew word  ruah,  which, in its primary sense, means breath, air, wind. Jesus indeed uses the sensory image of the wind to suggest to Nicodemus the transcendent newness of him who is personally God’s breath, the divine Spirit. 17  On the other hand, “Spirit” and “Holy” are divine attributes common to the three divine persons. By joining the two terms, Scripture, liturgy, and theological language designate the inexpressible person of the Holy Spirit, without any possible equivocation with other uses of the terms “spirit” and “holy.” Titles of the Holy Spirit 692    When he proclaims and promises the coming of the Holy Spirit, Jesus calls him the “Paraclete,” l...

Well, I realized that it was high time for me to post a poem for this month of October.  I decided that perhaps I should poke around and find a new poem, one I hadn't read before, and utilize the skills I've gained both from my mother's teaching and what I've learned at school to understand something without having to be taught the meaning of it directly.  In this process, I came across several fun poems for the month of October and the season of Autumn!  The first was the favorite of those I found, the others interesting ones I thought were good enough not to pass up.  I've also included a couple that I knew of already, but rediscovered. October  by Hilaire Belloc Look, how those steep woods on the mountain's face Burn, burn against the sunset; now the cold Invades our very noon: the year's grown old, Mornings are dark, and evenings come apace. The vines below have lost their purple grace, And in Forreze the white wrack backward rolled, Hangs to the hills t...

Well, I will be the first to admit that I have neglected posting for weeks and weeks and weeks...mostly because Sophomore year is when the professors decide to throw as much homework at you as possible!  It's been one heck of a semester.  For some reason, not just has the reading/work load been more intense, but the entire semester has been rather a strain.  I think God decided to see how much I could handle.  Hopefully I've proved myself. Lots of interesting things happening this semester.  Learning to lead Morning Prayer, Vespers and Compline; getting used to new professors and awesome but challenging classes; meeting the pope's personal theologian (another picture of that below!); discovering how awesome my roommate is and how much like my sister; hosting seniors for homecoming weekend; going through some of the worst and best days of my little life so far; getting to know new friends, adjusting to the loss of some old; helping another friend with managing her depression...