"Little novena" starts tomorrow!

Yes, tomorrow, the last of July, is the feast day of St. Ignatius Loyola, and so we shall begin our "little novena", which runs to August 8 - which is the feast of St. Dominic.

There is a LOT to pray for... we are all facing difficulties, so let us ask God for help.

After all, as Uncle told Mark, we should "Always start difficult operations with prayer":

Adjutorium nostrum in nomine Domini.
Qui fecit caelum et terram.

Our help is in the name of the Lord.
Who made heaven and earth.

And in the near future, I hope to have some news about the NEXT installment of the Saga, "The Tree of Virtues"!

Now available: How Far Is It To Bethlehem?

Yes! Nancy Brown has released her collection of Frances Alice Blogg Chesterton's writing entitled How Far Is It To Bethlehem? - it contains plays for children, poetry, even an essay or two. (And if you are wondering why that title sounds familiar, it is the title and first words of FBC's most famous poem - also a Christmas carol.) This book is an illuminating collection of writing from this deeply spiritual and talented wife of another great writer, G. K. Chesterton.

Visit here for more information, or to order it.

Great News: How Far Is It To Bethlehem?

My friend Nancy at "Flying Stars" has some great news about her new book - How Far Is It To Bethlehem? - a collection of the plays and poems of Frances Blogg Chesterton.

Yes, amazing. This book bears out a famous phrase by GKC about Christmas:

When that contrast between the cosmic creation and the little local infancy has been repeated, reiterated, underlined, emphasized, exulted in, sung, shouted, roared, not to say howled, in a hundred thousand hymns, carols, rhymes, rituals, pictures, poems, and popular sermons, it may be suggested that we hardly need a higher critic to draw our attention to something a little odd about it...
[GKC, The Everlasting Man CW2:301-2]

Indeed, it might not be too daring to suggest that in Frances' case, even more than in Gilbert's, her middle name ought to be "Christmas".

But then such ought to be the focus of all students who follow the Everlasting Man...

The Nones of July!

Yes, today is the Nones of July...

As I said last year: the Nones of July are an important date in my Saga, since it falls between the birthdays of Bernie Brown (July 6) and Marty Felsen (July 8), who were both born in 1995. It was in 2007 that they turned 12, the year of the Motu Proprio about the Latin Mass (usus antiquior) - which was also the day they first received the shirts bearing the coat of arms of the Order:
I know you are wondering about which Order this is, but I am afraid you will have to wait for the book to learn more. For your edification, here is the blazon:

Sable, a mullet radiated argent; a double tressure flory-counter-fleury Or.
Motto: ouk eimì mónos "I am not alone" (from Jn 16:32)

Of course last year I had no idea that the books of the Saga would start being available... and since it IS the Nones of July, there is GOOD NEWS. See here for details.