February 19, 2015

Hopkins reading schedule for lent 2015

Posted by swede1875 under Catholic, Lent
Leave a Comment 

Dear reader.

I have compiled a reading schedule for the wreck of Deutschland with comments.

It is based on the 40 days of lent. Sundays and days of feast is not in the schedule. However I will try to find texts that might be interesting concerning Hopkins for those day as well.

I’m very glad that these comments still are of interest to some. I’m sorry for my sometimes slightly broken English. Feedback is appreciated!

Have a miserable lent everyone! šŸ˜‰

hopkins

Days of Lent 2015

1st Sunday of Lent 22/2

Interludium: https://swede1875.wordpress.com/2007/04/19/as-kingfishers-catch-fire/

2nd Sunday of lent 1/3
Interludium: https://swede1875.wordpress.com/2007/04/20/a-pale-young-boy/

3rd Sunday of Lent 8/3
Interludium: https://swede1875.wordpress.com/2007/04/18/a-meeting-with-cardinal-john-henry-newman/

4th Sunday of Lent 15/3
Laetare Sunday Interludium: https://swede1875.wordpress.com/2007/09/

5th Sunday of lent 22/3
Passion Sunday Interludium:Ā https://swede1875.wordpress.com/2007/11/28/liberating-walls-and-narrow-spaces/

6th Sunday of Lent 29/3
Palm Sunday Interludium:Ā https://swede1875.wordpress.com/2007/07/31/contemplation-to-gain-love/

Easter week

 

November 13, 2009

Why go through Mary?

Posted by swede1875 under Catholic
[9] Comments 

– Why go through Mary?

– Because God did.

guds_moder_fran_vladimir

šŸ˜‰

 

October 12, 2009

Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood

Posted by swede1875 under Poetry | Tags: , , , , , , |
[6] Comments 

There has been a lot of talk about the Pre-Raphaelites this year. London housed theĀ  J.W. Waterhouse ā€“ the Modern Pre-Raphaelite exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts this summer. It seemed like there where flyer’s everywhere. In Stockholm we had a major exhibitions called PRB, The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood at the National museum. On a huge poster outside the museum the sad eyes of Dante Gabriel Rosetti gazed out over the waters of central Stockholm.

Franny Moyles book Desperate Romantics – The Private Lives of the Pre-Raphaelites” was published in January 2009 and was also made into a tv serie, Desperate Romantics shown earlier this year. And right now, on BBC four a brand new BBC documentary is being aired, called the pre-Raphealites.

2009 is certainly a year of the PRB.

The Brotherhood was a group of friends who acted against what they percieved as the poses and idiosyncrasy of art in their time. They wanted to present a more realistic representation of the world. They believed the mannerism in art was as a legacy of the painter Raphael – Hence they looked for inspiration beyond him: they tried to capture the spirit of the pre-Raphaelite art.

Trailer from the Nationalmuseum exhibition

The brotherhood had a great impact on the Arts and Crafts movement, at the end of the nineteen century but they are also remembered for their often very detailed paintings of medieval allegories and / or religious motifs. The dead Ophelia floating on water by John Millais or the famous Jesus the Light of the World by William Hunt in St Pauls Cathedral is great examples of their work.

Painting depicting Jesus standing with a lantern in his hand, knocking on a door

ā€œBehold, I stand at the door and knock, if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.ā€Revelation 3:20

Additionaly to paintings there where pre-raphaelite poetry. The cold autumn winds and piles of autum-colored leafs reminds me of this beautiful Autumn Song by Dante Gabriel Rosetti:

Autumn Song

Know’st thou not at the fall of the leaf
How the heart feels a languid grief
Laid on it for a covering,
And how sleep seems a goodly thing
In Autumn at the fall of the leaf?

And how the swift beat of the brain
Falters because it is in vain,
In Autumn at the fall of the leaf
Knowest thou not? and how the chief
Of joys seems ā€“ not to suffer pain?

Know’st thou not at the fall of the leaf
How the soul feels like a dried sheaf
Bound up at length for harvesting,
And how death seems a comely thing
in Autumn at the fall of the leaf?

Autumn is a time of loss. Summers end in a season of sleep and death. Parting is such sweet sorrow, as Shakespeare said, and in this poem the sweet sorrow is condensed to the moment in time when a leaf falls to the ground. I find the rhythm has a remarkable surge, almost with an inverted feel to it with the drumming rhythm of the first verse: Know’st thou not at the fall of the leaf.

I sometime see this poem mistakenly attributed to Dante Alighieri. I’m sure Dante Gabriel Rosetti’s father Gabriele Rossetti would have been very proud. Gabriele was a famous Dante scholar of his days and translated the medieval poet into English. Gabriele gave his son the name of Dante in honor of the great Italian poet.

However, Autumn Song is a Rosetti poem from the nineteen century. Not a medieval sonett by Alighieri.

 

September 19, 2009

Long time, no sea

Posted by swede1875 under writing
[5] Comments 

No sea too long time

Hi all long distance friends. The title should rather be: no time -> no see, but then I wouldn’t been able to use the lovely picture. Lately I’ve been busy running around looking stressed out, but I thought it was high time to do something I liked instead. Hence, a new blog post. By the way, I’ve started to write a book. 5 hours each sunday I’m free dwelling on 1900-century life and thoughts. And saints. Theres a lot of saints in my book (as in all good books)! šŸ˜‰

Its a very fulfilling hobby.

Hope all old blog acquaintances are thriving.

See you!

 

February 25, 2009

Ash Wednesday

Posted by swede1875 under Ash Wednesday, Lent
[4] Comments 

Today – Ash Wednesday – is the first day of Lent. A time of abstinence where we offer up our evasions, those little things that makes life easier and makes life and its hardship a bit more distant, so to speak.

In this sense Lent is both a tribulation and the greatest grace as we get closer: Our individual path through the desert to Jerusalem.

 

February 21, 2009

The Transfiguration

Posted by swede1875 under Catholic, Christianity, gospel of mark, St Peter, The transfiguration
[2] Comments 

The reading today is about the transfiguration (From the gospel according to Saint Mark). As I’m not that knowledgeable I had a hard time to understand what was happening in this text. So I looked around a bit and thought that I could share it with you.

The transfiguration - Raphael

Here’s Mark 9:2-9

And after six days Jesus taketh with him Peter and James and John, and leadeth them up into an high mountain apart by themselves, and was transfigured before them. And his garments became shining and exceeding white as snow, so as no fuller upon earth can make white. And there appeared to them Elias with Moses; and they were talking with Jesus. And Peter answering, said to Jesus: Rabbi, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three tabernacles, one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias. For he knew not what he said: for they were struck with fear.

And there was a cloud overshadowing them: and a voice came out of the cloud, saying: This is my most beloved son; hear ye him. And immediately looking about, they saw no man any more, but Jesus only with them. And as they came down from the mountain, he charged them not to tell any man what things they had seen, till the Son of man shall be risen again from the dead. And they kept the word to themselves; questioning together what that should mean, when he shall be risen from the dead.

To my pleasant surprise it seems that I’m not the only one having a hard time to grasp what was happening here. Even the three apostles seems kind of confused too. So why did Peter say that he should start building tabernacles? Well, lets look at what Jesus, Moses and Elias is talking about.This is described in Saint Luke chapter 9:30-31:

And behold two men were talking with him. And they were Moses and Elias, Appearing in majesty. And they spoke of his decease that he should accomplish in Jerusalem.

My guess is that Peter rather thought of departure than of death. The three holy men talked about Christ’s departure from Jerusalem – which was death – But Peter did not know about Christ’s death and resurrection (as in questioning together what that should mean, when he shall be risen from the dead). He believe he just understand that Jesus will eventually departure from Jerusalem.

I believe this is the reason for Peters sudden outburst of love for carpentry and housebuilding. He finds it seemly to express his respect and love by referring to one of the three great feasts in the Hebrew liturgical calender: the Sukkot – the feast of tabernacles – an ancient Jewish festival in the remembrance of the Exodus (as in departure) and the temporary houses that was build during the great walk through the desert: Peter offers Jesus, Moses and Elias to make them tabernacles.

Isn’t this a nice thought: The great Apostle, the very first pope, was also a simple man, trying his best, and even when he doesn’t really understand, he tries so hard to do the best, and the most fitting, as he can.

– Pray for us, St. Peter, that we can act as humble and fitting as you did, when we do not understand.

 

February 9, 2009

Tack sƄ mycket

Posted by swede1875 under Catholic | Tags: , , |
1 Comment 

Thanks all for your input to my previous post. You’re such a great bunch! It seems I got the green light even though I got nothing to say… Yay!

Minutz suggested that I write in Swedish instead: I like to practice my poor English, and I very much enjoy having contact with people from all around the world so apart from the title of this post – I’ll stick to English.

Therese suggested that I write a little something about my everyday life: My dear friend. That is such a good idea and I will start doing that from time to time (even though this will let what a grumpy old man I am shine through).

Gabrielle is too kind. I’m not at all sure I have that much to share. But I’ll try to come up with something more than just intermission music. Perhaps I can share storys from my peculiar friends or my peculiar past. The only problem with that is that it will let what a peculiar man I am, shine through…

Carol suggests I find me a great poem. (Haven’t you noticed, I haven’t finished the previous one yet?) I have a great interest for literature and perhaps I can find something, on a less grand scale, to write about every now and then. I think I have some ideas…

And finally, Ann whoagrees with me that I have nothing important to say. šŸ˜‰ But then she quotes St Teresa of Avila :

Christ has no body
Christ has no body now on earth but yours,
no hands but yours,
no feet but yours,
Yours are the eyes through which is to look out
Christā€™s compassion to the world;
Yours are the feet with which he is to go about
doing good;
Yours are the hands with which he is to bless men now.

Isn’t that beautiful? (even though I doubt that I can live up to it,it is something worth striving for).

 

January 16, 2009

Posted by swede1875 under Catholic | Tags: , |
[5] Comments 

Still pondering what to do with this blog. Doesn’t feel that I have any important things to say.

Intermission music anyone?

 

December 11, 2008

A Papist approach

Posted by swede1875 under Catholic, The pope
[2] Comments 

You must love, venerate, pray and mortify yourself for the Pope, and do so with greater affection each day. For he is the foundation stone of the Church and, throughout the centuries, right to the end of time, he carries out among men that task of sanctifying and governing which Jesus entrusted to Peter.

St. JosemarĆ­a

 

October 2, 2008

In office

Posted by swede1875 under Catholic | Tags: |
[3] Comments 

I got an office earlier this week. I’ve never had one before. I remember when I was a kid and visited my grandmothers office and she let me play with all the office accessories. I loved visiting her at her work. She was such a lovely lady. Now I have an office of my own! Or almost on my own. I’m sharing it with E. And I’m like a little kid again, with staplers and binders.

E who knows that I am Catholic asked me, rather jokingly, where I would place the altar. Well, I took him on his word and later that day I went to my Catholic bookstore and bought a small Madonna figurine. I choosed a crowned one so noone would have any doubts about exactly which religion I adhere too. I got an Catholic calender too.

There are very few Catholics in Sweden and even though it started as some form of joke perhaps the little Madonna will lead people to ask questions or talk about her.

 

Next Page »