A thought on vocations and Brideshead Revisited

As I was driving into work this morning, for some reason my thoughts drifted to Sebastian Flyte and his brother. My dim recollection of the novel is that Bridey wanted to have a religious vocation, but didn't, and Sebastian had one, but ran from it into all sorts of self-destructive behavior.

I wondered, as I drove, if that might not be the case in many of us. God comes knocking, calling us to some great purpose, and we would rather not answer. God must be wrong. He can't mean me. Then, to prove God wrong, we proceed to make ourselves unfit for the vocation, out of self-defense.

I went to four liturgies today!

I went to morning Mass and confession on my to work, and then sang for the noon Mass at my college, followed by singing for adoration and benediction(!) at said college, followed by the vigil for the feast of the birth of the Virgin Mary at my parish in the evening. Top that!

I'm exhausted, but in a good way.

A thought-provoking confluence of events and liturgy

Today is the Byzantine New Year, celebrated on September 1st because it is thought Christ went into the synagogue and read from Isaiah to begin his ministry on this day. At liturgy, we sang the following troparia, which, when juxtaposed with the news from New Orleans, give one pause to think.

O Lord, maker of the universe, who alone has power over times and seasons, bless this year with your bounty, preserve our country in safety, and keep your people in peace, save us through the prayers of the Theotokos

Lord and Savior who as God brought all things into being by a word, establishing laws and governing unerringly to your glory, at the prayers of the Theotokos, keep secure and unharmed all the elements which hold the earth together, and save the universe.

O Creator and Master of time and eternity, God of all, O merciful One, bless the course of this year, and in your boundless mercy, save all those who worship you, our one and only Master, and who cry out to you in fear: O Savior, grant a happy year to all people.