Praying for JXXIV

The keeper told us she went over to the wonderful shrine of Blessed JXXIII, lit candles and prayed for radical contingency and JXXIV.

Mass of Thanksgiving

The keeper told us that it was going to be quite a historic day.  We thought this might mean a new kitten. However, it was all about the Pope--we understand he has had a kitten, though. She headed down to what she sometimes calls, among other names, Holy Hill, for an all day meeting.  She told us that the Cathedral bells pealed at the moment the Pope officially lay down his office.  She said it was quite moving. That inspired her to take a break from the meeting to participate in a Mass of Thanksgiving at St. James.  She told us that she didn't understand why the whole meeting didn't attend, but she wasn't in charge of the gathering. But she felt it was important to mark this historic transition and make room for radical contingency.

From my Android phone on T-Mobile. The first nationwide 4G network.

Waiting for A Friend

Life is back to normal again.  She is back with us, and that doesn't mean we are all sitting around the house singing, "Cum Bah Ya" though. She left us to meet a friend who is in town from the genteel South. They were old travel partners and shared much. So, the keeper was excited, but alas, the friend   thought the lunch was tomorrow and was still in Tacoma.

So, the keeper dined alone on a wonderful Avgolemono. It would have been more fun to have shared it. Such is life. 

Welcome Home

We heard the shuttle pull up.  We heard her voice and tried to look unimpressed. The croci had already gotten a little party ready, however.

Adios, Land of Sun

We had a sense  that she might be on her way home to us. The sun came out.  She told us that the sun came out as it usually does down there. They almost missed their shuttle because the keeper forgot to check her phone messages, one of which was that the new pickup time was 1/2 hour earlier. But the driver was kind.

Fantasyland

They ended the night at the Mission style great room chatting away in the mission chairs by the fire solving all kinds  of problems.  Goodnight, moon!

Looking for Belle

They headed to Disneyland to find Belle and an autograph for IF, but they found Legos instead and a fine Margarita.

                                                                             

Moon

The moon rose over the palm trees as they were sent out of the Arena.

More Theologians

Nancy and Eddy were friends in their youth. They are still friends.

Reception line

A line formed for photo opps with Archbishop Gomez. He seems like a gentle, pastoral soul with some real guts.

Closing Liturgy

The keeper attended the final liturgy with the Archbishop, and a gaggle of other bishops, abbots, priests, deacons and wives, 200 choirs members, 25 liturgical dancers, a huge posse of  instrumentalists, including an accordionist and Irish bagpiper, and 30,000 members of the assembly. It was pretty Hollywood!  They arrived ten minutes early, but the only spaces left in the arena were behind the huge scrim/ altar backdrop.  So they saw everything through a gauzy haze. The Archbishop prayed for Cardinal Mahoney.

At the Feet of Wisdom

We are  sitting in the most inspiring presentation by Timothy Radcliffe, OP. How to live in he tension of living obediently to the various authorities within the Church? How to take part in the ongoing Holy Conversation?

Catching Up With the Latest News

The keeper had a great lunch with STM  alums and Sarah and Mark, and of course they chatted through the hall of books and other religious bric a brac.

Great Theologians

We are indeed lucky to live with someone who has friends who are theological pioneers. We are not sure what this has to do with our lives as felines, but we do know that it has a lot to do with the books which our keeper reads and the kinds of conversations she gets herself into. Here are Nancy, Tim Matovina, and Virgilio Elizondo who frequently shape the keeper's ideas.

Mass with AB Gomez

We attended a Mass in Spanish with the Archbishop of Los Angeles. There were many liturgical dancers.

Sede Vacante

We are praying to Blessed John XXIII for John XXIV!

Entering the Mystery

We hear that the keeper and Nancy had a great day at the Congress. The keeper was very happy with her workshop choices, and  was pleased to learn about how to host parish dialogues and forums on difficult issues. Then she was blown away by the  poet David Whyte and his poetry and his concept of the Courageous Conversation. Then she spent a wonderful hour with Richard Rohr as he held forth on his latest book, "Immortal Diamond."

In the Sun

Best of All

The sun was setting as they headed out for margaritas and dinner and great conversation.
Oh, California, you enchant us!

Walking the Course

Before dinner they walked to the Convention Center to pick up their extra registration materials and check it all out without 30,000 people. They ran into Betsy Beckmann rehearsing with all the dancers and N's friends rehearsing all the music. Pretty impressive.

Waiting with John Wayne

The keeper was waiting for her friend Nancy to arrive from Boston. John Wayne kept her company till Nancy's flight arrived.

Slipping Out of Town

She left us early, but not before she slipped on the deck stairs and twisted her back. She didn't care. She said she would rather be in pain in a sunny place. When they got to the airport, they ran into Catholics from all over the Archdiocese, also eager to get out of town. She reported to us that had her flight gone down, the office of Priest Personnel would have had a major catastrophe on its hands.

Grand Theft

We had an exciting day here while the keeper was at her office. The fat squirrel stole the whole block of suet with the peanut butter in it.  Then he tried to take the hummingbird feeder, but couldn't carry it all in one errand, so dropped it in the daphne bush. The bird put up a bit of noise, but gave up. Last year the squirrel stole the whole hummingbird feeder! But we know that when he digs up all the Christmas lights he stole for his spring feast, he will get his just desserts.

Fare Thee Well, Dear Francisco

"Goodbye to my Juan, goodbye Rosalita.

Adios mis amigos, Jesus y Maria.

You won't have a name when you ride the big airplane.

All they will call you will be deportees.

"Some of us are illegal, and others not wanted.

Our work contract's out and we have to move on,

but it's six hundred miles to the Mexican border

They chase us like outlaws, like rustlers, like thieves."

 ---"Deportees"---Woodie  Guthrie and Martin Hoffman

Locked Up and Taken Away!

Does this photo look like something on late night tv with Sarah McLachlan  singing "In the Arms of the Angels" in the background while they ask for funds for the Humane Society? That's what Alice thinks, and the keeper had to agree with her. Today Alice had to pay a visit to the vet to get medical help for her allergies that have become an infection. She got an allergy shot and an antibiotic shot. And came home in a half hour. But for those of you who have never been through the trauma of being abandoned or left at a shelter, you must realize how traumatic this is for us.

We also had an epiphany this week. The keeper suddenly started to realize that Alice may have an allergy to chicken.  Well, it's the only food we haven't kept from her, and she has had allergies since she moved here.  So we are switching to an all fish, no grain regimen to see if that helps. I guess I will be eating fish too. It's fine.  I eat almost everything.

Oh My!

The keeper finally watched the last few minutes of Downton Abbey.  We confess that we had distracted her at the end with cries for treats. So she ended the evening knowing there had been an accident, but not that Matthew was the victim. It's our fault. She dotes on us. But now we have to wait 6 months to see what will become of these people! We suppose we will just have to focus on the conclave now.

Downton Finale

 Hunting Lodge

 Country Fair

 Moments of Tenderness

And a New Heir!

Back to Tacoma

She left us very early this morning to meet up with the young adults who were visiting Francisco one more time at the Detention Center before he is deported on Tuesday. They waited a long time and visited with other families visiting their detained family members. Francisco has not been sleeping very well, but is resigned to his imminent departure. He still doesn't know where they will drop him once they put him on the plane. It was an emotional departure at the end of the visit.

Back Downtown Again

She made sure we were well fed, and headed downtown, you guess where, for the Rite of Election in Spanish. A smaller group of parishes represented this year, we hear. It seems that many chose to attend the rite in their own area  in English. But she said there was important learning: children take more time to sign their names than do adults, so there was a slowdown at the signing tables. But we hear the pupusas were wonderful at the reception.  The keeper had two plates. So much for Lenten fasting!  She says there will be pupusas in heaven.

Out

Guess where the keeper and W headed tonight to celebrate the beginnings of a most amazing Lent. It was very crowded there, but delicious.  She also decided that she may accompany him to Molokai after all; she really would like to ride a mule into the leper colony.

Reclamation

We spent more time outside, checking out the birds and the trail of scents which the fluffy bearlike brown cat left all over the front shrubs and hedge. We dedicated the remainder of the afternoon to reclamation efforts.