"Innocent hands are hands that are not used for acts of violence," Papa Ratzi told the reverent crowd in St. Peter's Square this morning during Palm Sunday services. "They are hands that are not sullied by corruption and bribes." Thanks to Mother Angelica, EWTN is out there on cable, sending images [above screen shot] and words from Vatican City live to us here stateside in the wee hours. Just for fun, note the blue and orange stripes of that Swiss Guard soldier in the background. Nothing surpasses the visual -- and musical -- splendor of the traditional Catholic Church display. And those Prada shoes that Papa Ratzi favors: Wonderful!
"Look to the 23rd Psalm" advises our imail correspondent in response to our quest for guidance as to what to say in a Palm Sunday post. Herewith, the King James [Is there any other worth it's salt?] version:
1The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
3He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
4Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
5Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
6Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.
Even as we were brought up in the least-liturgical of Christian churches -- the Unitarian, once a brave, truth-seeking New England faith, now way beyond the pale in the aftermath of its engobblement by the left -- we did memorize the 23rd Psalm way back when, and rereading it today, with its poetry and understanding of the human condition restoring our soul, our cup ranneth over. Thanks, Miss Suzanne, for reminding us.
A most memorable psalm. In my days in the Greenwood Grammar School in Wakefield, Ma. the history teacher taught us about religions and gave as an example representing Christianity, the 23rd Psalm, which even today after not having read it or recited it for fifty years I can still recite from memory.
Posted by: goomp | April 01, 2007 at 02:23 PM
My grandmother didn't go to church for most of her adult years because of her epilepsy. Yet she was quoting the 23rd Psalm on her deathbed. And she had Alzheimers. Her father was from New England and raised as a Congregationalist.
Posted by: Laura Lee Donoho | April 02, 2007 at 06:13 PM