A Memorial Day PSA, a Prohibition Party, St. Philip Neri, and Mugs, Mug, Mugs
Kendra Tierney
1. Thank you, thank you, thank you for your love and support on my last post. I knew you guys were going to be the BEST, but I was still blown away by it.
2. It's Memorial Day weekend here in the US of A.
This is a FB post the husband shared a couple years back. I think it was an excellent public service announcement, so I thought I'd share it here.
Hey, team. Here are some pro tips as you head into Memorial Day weekend. Memorial Day is for remembering those members of the armed forces who died in the service of our country, while Veterans' Day (Nov 11) is for "honoring those who served" and for "remembering those who served" (e.g. beloved deceased family members who served honorably in the armed forces but died under circumstances other than the performance of their duties as a military member). So if Uncle Joe landed in the first wave on Tarawa, got wounded and awarded the Silver Star, then came home and worked in the Ford plant till he passed away in '83, we would remember him on Veterans' Day (and hopefully pray daily for the repose of his soul, right?)While I never expect it, if you are inclined to "honor" me or express gratitude for my service, I'd recommend saving it for a day other than Memorial Day so that our fallen heroes get our full attention on the day we have specially dedicated to their memory. If you were going to formally wish me happiness on one of the two days, I'd probably go with Veterans' Day. Memorial Day is, after all, a day-long memorial which is intended to help us remember those who died while serving in the military. I will almost certainly be happy at points throughout the day, but "Happy" and "Memorial Day" are problematic when uttered or written together. I don't think we need to be somber on Memorial Day, but it is good to be mindful that it can be an emotional day for people who have lost a loved one in the service of the country. I would therefore avoid saying or posting "Happy Memorial Day."Okay, class dismissed. Go get 'em! #memorialday
We Catholics can be proud of the heroic sacrifice made by many Catholic men and women killed in the line of duty, including Catholic priest chaplains Servant of God Father Emil Kapaun, Servant of God Father Vincent Capodanno, Father Charles J. Watters, and Navy SEAL Michael A. Monsoor, a daily communicant who dove on a grenade to save two fellow SEALS.
In my own family . . .
When World War II began, my great uncle wanted to serve his country like my grandfather was doing, as a Navy Fighter pilot. When his application was turned down by the US Navy, he ran away to Canada and joined the Canadian Air Force. He was shot down and killed over Holland a few months later, on June 8, 1943. His name was Richard Dose'. He was sixteen years old.
More on Memorial Day later on in the post, but for now, let us transition to other subjects . . .
3. We threw a Prohibition Party!
Spots at the table were up for bid at our school's auction, so the guests were friends, fellow St. Monica Academy parents, and teachers at the school. It was a blast!
So much work, but a blast. And, actually, Jack's confirmation was that morning, so it really was just exactly as much work as a family could fit in between lunch and dinner, and no more.
Gus was the bouncer, Bobby was the chief steward who gave house tours, and Dr. Frankie gave out prescriptions for whiskey. (A real thing during prohibition!)
Betty and I cooked from my new favorite cookbook: The Original 1931 First Edition of the Joy of Cooking. The meal included bread salad (it's like a salad, but . . . bread instead of lettuce), pineapple aspic (I managed to control my desire to make one of the MANY fish-themed gelatine recipes), poached trout, and flaming cherries jubilee for dessert. And YES, the table DID catch on fire, but only for a minute. It didn't even leave a mark. I REGRET NOTHING.
After dinner, one of the teachers gave us lessons in the foxtrot and the charleston.
It was a great evening with great friends and I'd do it again in a heartbeat, or in a year anyway. But, whew, it makes me realize why this house had servants' quarters in the twenties. Moving furniture around and hand-washing all my grandmother/great-grandmother/great-great-grandmother's china/silver/crystal/cut-glass for thirty is no mean feat.
Of everything we did for the party, I think I'm most chuffed over the invitations. They were super fun.
The paper that guests received in the mail looked like an invitation to the Temperance Crusaders Evening of Nourishing Foods and Sober Conversation.
The wording was amusingly awkward if I do say so myself:
"Your presence is welcome at our gathering in gratitude for prohibition, which is credited for an advent of societal temperance akin to the joyful flight of birds over the lizards in a ditch. There will soon be zero eschewing of this noble ideal, and the hot prick of conscience will put every foot on the path of virtue. Your support on the way to this noble goal is worth more than 1001 rubies, a yacht on the sea, a mansion on an avenue, a good friend at your six, and may lift you up to the 19th degree in the eyes of all who behold what you stand for. To any who are a party to your steadfastness, you'll never be forgotten. Unless we are mistaken, the reading of Fordyce's Sermons will be a hit among the attendees of the evening. As will Mrs. Grundy's bread sauce, too. You will be hard pressed to bring your attentions to a more worthy cause than the eradication of appetites to your basest desires of alcohol and dancing, which steal the very shoes from the feet of suffering children and cause the secret shame of all who pass with nary a word of condemnation, and all who would try to hide behind sparkling necklaces and earbobs your unclean aims. Tomato juice will be served. Please reply promptly with regrets only."
But they also received this:
Which, when applied to the temperance flier, revealed . . .
"Prohibition is for the birds. Ditch the zeroes and hot foot your way to 1001 Sea Avenue* at six, May 19th, for a party you'll never forget, unless we hit the sauce too hard. Bring your appetite, your dancing shoes, and the secret password: Bob's Your Uncle."
Fortunately, all the guests managed to figure it out!
*because you would all send me worried emails if I didn't, I changed this to be other than my actual address to put it on the blog.
4. It's the Feast of St. Philip Neri!
Speaking of parties, St. Philip Neri was a sixteenth century Italian priest who knew a thing or two about entertaining. He moved to Rome as a layman and spent seventeen years hanging out in the city, striking up conversations with people over coffee and on park benches, and converting them to a deeper understanding of their faith . . . by the hundreds or thousands! Eventually he became a priest, but that didn't stop him from being a guy who knew how to throw a get together. I'm personally most indebted to him for coming up with the Seven Churches Visitation on Holy Thursday, as something to do with friends as the Triduum began. So, strike up a conversation with someone today, it just might change a life!
And, if you'd like to be inspired by the words of St. Philip Neri all year long, there's an email for that.
"St. Philip Neri encouraged his spiritual children to meditate on a spiritual maxim or saying throughout each day. St. Philip Neri had so many of these sayings that, eventually, his followers organized them so there's one for every day of the year. (All 365 are available at our blog here.)
The Sacred Art Series is promoting these excellent spiritual sayings through Email, Facebook, and Twitter."
And if Will Bloomfield and The Sacred Art Series sound familiar, it's because I've featured them before. We use and recommend their the Holy Gospels of St. Luke and St. John for our middle grade kids.
It features 100 beautiful classic works of art alongside a readable Douay-Rheims story-by-story text, in a leatherette cover with a ribbon and everything. See more images of the book here, or just head on over to Amazon where the books are 25% off the retail price for this week only.
And I get to give three of them away! One here on the blog and, later in the week, I'll be giving away one on Facebook and one on Instagram. If you'd like to enter to win a copy of the Holy Gospels of St. Luke and St. John, leave a comment on this blog post that begins with the number 4. and tell me who in your life would benefit from this book. The blog winner will be announced next Saturday.
5. A Memorial Day Giveaway
Jen Buckley is the founder of Grace and Grit Design Co., a faith-inspired boutique specializing in home décor, art, gifts, and lifestyle.
She thought we might like her line of mugs . . . and she was right. We DO.
When we were deciding when to do the giveaway, Jen suggested this weekend . . .
Maybe even Memorial Day weekend since that has such meaning for our family -- my first husband and father to my three oldest was killed in Iraq in 2005. (I have so appreciated your "teaching" people the distinction between Veteran's Day & Memorial Day!) I came back to the Catholic Church after my first husband was killed and it has made all the difference in my life. And it's been on my heart to spread the Good News with faithful products ever since!
😭😭😍😍
The giveaway for the Hands Full Heart Full mug will be here on the blog.
Stay tuned to the Catholic All Year on Facebook, and @kendra_tierney and @graceandgritdesignco on Instagram for a flash giveaway sometime during the week. To enter the blog giveaway, leave a comment here on this blog post, with the number 5. and the name of a member of the armed forces who died in the service of our country. It could be a loved one, or scroll back to point number 2 and get to know one of those guys! Repeats are allowed. Let's all take a moment today to pray for the repose of the soul of Jen's husband, and my Great Uncle Dick, and everyone else in the comments.
V. Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord.
R. And let perpetual light shine upon them.
May the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.
6. Last Week's Winner is . . . Amy D!
Amy, you win the awesome purple rosary from the Catholic Woodworker, you have until Monday at noon Pacific to email me at helpdesk@catholicallyear.com to claim your prize, otherwise I'll choose another winner. The social media winner will be announced there.
The rest of you still have time to order a rosary for a dad in your life before Father's Day!
And the Chews Life discount code for Catholic All Year readers is still good. Just visit ChewsLife.com to look around and use the code CAY10 to get 10% off!
7. Because Seven Quick Takes!
Here's a one minute long video of my entire beauty routine. At full speed. And if you're thinking, but SURELY you also . . . wash your face, moisturize, remove makeup, etc? Nope. This is it. 💁😂
For evening, I use the darker end of the eyeliner combo and add NYX Roll On Shimmer in nude and chestnut.
Action items:
Pray, hope, don't worry, have an excellent weekend, hug your loved ones, leave a comment to chat about any or all of the above, leave a comment beginning with number 4 or 5 to enter the giveaways!
