Thank you for your time with my blogs and welcome back in the near future.
January 12, 2010
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Filed at 4:30 p.m. ET
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Federal Reserve on Tuesday issued sweeping new rules to better protect Americans from sudden hikes in interest rates on credit cards.
The new rules, which take effect on Feb. 22, generally bar rate increases during the first year after an account is opened. After the first year, companies must provide customers with a 45-day notice before bumping up rates.
Some lenders have pushed through rate increases ahead of the new rules. That irked lawmakers in Congress who had wanted to speed up implementation of the Fed's rules.
The new rules also will ban -- with a few exceptions -- increasing the rate on existing credit card balances. For instance, if a customer is behind more than 60 days on a payment, the rate on the existing balance can be boosted.
Credit card companies also will be required to obtain a customer's consent before charging fees on transactions that exceed their credit limits and will forbid companies from issuing credit cards to people under the age of 21 unless they -- or a parent or other co-signer -- have the ability to make the required payments.
''These rules -- the most comprehensive ever seen -- herald a new era for America's credit card customers,'' said Kenneth Clayton, the American Bankers Association's point person on the matter. ''It really does put consumers in the driver's seat,'' he said.
Payments will be applied to highest interest-rate balances first, helping customers pay off their balances faster and more cheaply, he said. And, due dates will be the same every month, eliminating confusing cut-off times for payments, he added.
The Fed wrote the rules to carry out provisions of legislation passed by Congress and signed into law by President Barack Obama last year. Other provisions of that law are slated to go into effect later this year.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Tuesday of the First Week in Ordinary Time-reading
Thank you for your time with my blogs and welcome back in the near future.
January 12, 2010
Lectionary: 306
Reading 1
Responsorial Psalm
Reading 2
Gospel
Reading I
1 Sm 1:9-20
Hannah rose after a meal at Shiloh,
and presented herself before the LORD;
at the time, Eli the priest was sitting on a chair
near the doorpost of the LORD’s temple.
In her bitterness she prayed to the LORD, weeping copiously,
and she made a vow, promising: “O LORD of hosts,
if you look with pity on the misery of your handmaid,
if you remember me and do not forget me,
if you give your handmaid a male child,
I will give him to the LORD for as long as he lives;
neither wine nor liquor shall he drink,
and no razor shall ever touch his head.”
As she remained long at prayer before the LORD,
Eli watched her mouth, for Hannah was praying silently;
though her lips were moving, her voice could not be heard.
Eli, thinking her drunk, said to her,
“How long will you make a drunken show of yourself?
Sober up from your wine!”
“It isn’t that, my lord,” Hannah answered.
“I am an unhappy woman.
I have had neither wine nor liquor;
I was only pouring out my troubles to the LORD.
Do not think your handmaid a ne’er-do-well;
my prayer has been prompted by my deep sorrow and misery.”
Eli said, “Go in peace,
and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him.”
She replied, “Think kindly of your maidservant,” and left.
She went to her quarters, ate and drank with her husband,
and no longer appeared downcast.
Early the next morning they worshiped before the LORD,
and then returned to their home in Ramah.
When Elkanah had relations with his wife Hannah,
the LORD remembered her.
She conceived, and at the end of her term bore a son
whom she called Samuel, since she had asked the LORD for him.
Responsorial Psalm
1 Samuel 2:1, 4-5, 6-7, 8abcd
R. (see 1) My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.
“My heart exults in the LORD,
my horn is exalted in my God.
I have swallowed up my enemies;
I rejoice in my victory.”
R. My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.
“The bows of the mighty are broken,
while the tottering gird on strength.
The well-fed hire themselves out for bread,
while the hungry batten on spoil.
The barren wife bears seven sons,
while the mother of many languishes.”
R. My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.
“The LORD puts to death and gives life;
he casts down to the nether world;
he raises up again.
The LORD makes poor and makes rich;
he humbles, he also exalts.”
R. My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.
“He raises the needy from the dust;
from the dung heap he lifts up the poor,
To seat them with nobles
and make a glorious throne their heritage.”
R. My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.
Gospel
Mk 1:21-28
Jesus came to Capernaum with his followers,
and on the sabbath he entered the synagogue and taught.
The people were astonished at his teaching,
for he taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes.
In their synagogue was a man with an unclean spirit;
he cried out, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth?
Have you come to destroy us?
I know who you are–the Holy One of God!”
Jesus rebuked him and said, “Quiet! Come out of him!”
The unclean spirit convulsed him and with a loud cry came out of him.
All were amazed and asked one another,
“What is this?
A new teaching with authority.
He commands even the unclean spirits and they obey him.”
His fame spread everywhere throughout the whole region of Galilee.
January 12, 2010
Lectionary: 306
Reading 1
Responsorial Psalm
Reading 2
Gospel
Reading I
1 Sm 1:9-20
Hannah rose after a meal at Shiloh,
and presented herself before the LORD;
at the time, Eli the priest was sitting on a chair
near the doorpost of the LORD’s temple.
In her bitterness she prayed to the LORD, weeping copiously,
and she made a vow, promising: “O LORD of hosts,
if you look with pity on the misery of your handmaid,
if you remember me and do not forget me,
if you give your handmaid a male child,
I will give him to the LORD for as long as he lives;
neither wine nor liquor shall he drink,
and no razor shall ever touch his head.”
As she remained long at prayer before the LORD,
Eli watched her mouth, for Hannah was praying silently;
though her lips were moving, her voice could not be heard.
Eli, thinking her drunk, said to her,
“How long will you make a drunken show of yourself?
Sober up from your wine!”
“It isn’t that, my lord,” Hannah answered.
“I am an unhappy woman.
I have had neither wine nor liquor;
I was only pouring out my troubles to the LORD.
Do not think your handmaid a ne’er-do-well;
my prayer has been prompted by my deep sorrow and misery.”
Eli said, “Go in peace,
and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him.”
She replied, “Think kindly of your maidservant,” and left.
She went to her quarters, ate and drank with her husband,
and no longer appeared downcast.
Early the next morning they worshiped before the LORD,
and then returned to their home in Ramah.
When Elkanah had relations with his wife Hannah,
the LORD remembered her.
She conceived, and at the end of her term bore a son
whom she called Samuel, since she had asked the LORD for him.
Responsorial Psalm
1 Samuel 2:1, 4-5, 6-7, 8abcd
R. (see 1) My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.
“My heart exults in the LORD,
my horn is exalted in my God.
I have swallowed up my enemies;
I rejoice in my victory.”
R. My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.
“The bows of the mighty are broken,
while the tottering gird on strength.
The well-fed hire themselves out for bread,
while the hungry batten on spoil.
The barren wife bears seven sons,
while the mother of many languishes.”
R. My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.
“The LORD puts to death and gives life;
he casts down to the nether world;
he raises up again.
The LORD makes poor and makes rich;
he humbles, he also exalts.”
R. My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.
“He raises the needy from the dust;
from the dung heap he lifts up the poor,
To seat them with nobles
and make a glorious throne their heritage.”
R. My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.
Gospel
Mk 1:21-28
Jesus came to Capernaum with his followers,
and on the sabbath he entered the synagogue and taught.
The people were astonished at his teaching,
for he taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes.
In their synagogue was a man with an unclean spirit;
he cried out, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth?
Have you come to destroy us?
I know who you are–the Holy One of God!”
Jesus rebuked him and said, “Quiet! Come out of him!”
The unclean spirit convulsed him and with a loud cry came out of him.
All were amazed and asked one another,
“What is this?
A new teaching with authority.
He commands even the unclean spirits and they obey him.”
His fame spread everywhere throughout the whole region of Galilee.
Monday, January 11, 2010
BBC: Free laptop scheme is rolled out
Thank you for your time with my blogs and welcome back in the near future.
A scheme to give free laptops to pupils from poor backgrounds is being rolled out to 270,000 families in England.
The £300m Home Access scheme, first announced by Prime Minister Gordon Brown in 2008, has been piloted in two local areas.
It will allow some of the most in need children, those in care and from the poorest homes, to apply for a grant for a free laptop and broadband connection.
It aims to help bridge the achievement gap between rich and poor pupils.
A recent study from the Institute of Fiscal Studies suggested having a laptop at home could lead to a two grade improvement in one subject at GCSE.
Computer lease
But the free laptop scheme has been a long time coming with the first hint families would be provided with computers coming from Mr Brown when he was Chancellor back in 1999.
This first scheme, which formed part of the Home Computing Initiative, involved firms leasing out free computers to their employees in return to tax breaks.
It eventually gained the support of about 60 companies but was wound up after seven years.
Under this new scheme, which was due to go nationwide last autumn and was championed by former education minister Jim Knight, the family gets the laptop to keep, but the broadband connection is funded for one year.
After that they can decide whether to keep funding the connection themselves.
Not all children on free school meals, the government's benchmark for poor children, will get computers under the scheme.
But children in council care and with specific educational needs will be prioritised.
The announcement comes as new research involving 200 schools and colleges suggested 80% were seeing cuts to their IT budgets.
The poll for the technology solutions provider the Stone Group also suggested just 14% of schools offered out of hours technical support to staff.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/uk_news/education/8449485.stm
Published: 2010/01/11 11:00:59 GMT
A scheme to give free laptops to pupils from poor backgrounds is being rolled out to 270,000 families in England.
The £300m Home Access scheme, first announced by Prime Minister Gordon Brown in 2008, has been piloted in two local areas.
It will allow some of the most in need children, those in care and from the poorest homes, to apply for a grant for a free laptop and broadband connection.
It aims to help bridge the achievement gap between rich and poor pupils.
A recent study from the Institute of Fiscal Studies suggested having a laptop at home could lead to a two grade improvement in one subject at GCSE.
Computer lease
But the free laptop scheme has been a long time coming with the first hint families would be provided with computers coming from Mr Brown when he was Chancellor back in 1999.
This first scheme, which formed part of the Home Computing Initiative, involved firms leasing out free computers to their employees in return to tax breaks.
It eventually gained the support of about 60 companies but was wound up after seven years.
Under this new scheme, which was due to go nationwide last autumn and was championed by former education minister Jim Knight, the family gets the laptop to keep, but the broadband connection is funded for one year.
After that they can decide whether to keep funding the connection themselves.
Not all children on free school meals, the government's benchmark for poor children, will get computers under the scheme.
But children in council care and with specific educational needs will be prioritised.
The announcement comes as new research involving 200 schools and colleges suggested 80% were seeing cuts to their IT budgets.
The poll for the technology solutions provider the Stone Group also suggested just 14% of schools offered out of hours technical support to staff.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/uk_news/education/8449485.stm
Published: 2010/01/11 11:00:59 GMT
Monday of the First Week in Ordinary Time - Daily Reading
Thank you for your time with my blogs and welcome back in the near future.
January 11, 2010
Lectionary: 305
Reading 1
Responsorial Psalm
Reading 2
Gospel
Reading I
1 Sm 1:1-8
There was a certain man from Ramathaim, Elkanah by name,
a Zuphite from the hill country of Ephraim.
He was the son of Jeroham, son of Elihu,
son of Tohu, son of Zuph, an Ephraimite.
He had two wives, one named Hannah, the other Peninnah;
Peninnah had children, but Hannah was childless.
This man regularly went on pilgrimage from his city
to worship the LORD of hosts and to sacrifice to him at Shiloh,
where the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas,
were ministering as priests of the LORD.
When the day came for Elkanah to offer sacrifice,
he used to give a portion each to his wife Peninnah
and to all her sons and daughters,
but a double portion to Hannah because he loved her,
though the LORD had made her barren.
Her rival, to upset her, turned it into a constant reproach to her
that the LORD had left her barren.
This went on year after year;
each time they made their pilgrimage to the sanctuary of the LORD,
Peninnah would approach her,
and Hannah would weep and refuse to eat.
Her husband Elkanah used to ask her:
“Hannah, why do you weep, and why do you refuse to eat?
Why do you grieve?
Am I not more to you than ten sons?”
Responsorial Psalm
116:12-13, 14-17, 18-19
R. (17a) To you, Lord, I will offer a sacrifice of praise.
or:
R. Alleluia.
How shall I make a return to the LORD
for all the good he has done for me?
The cup of salvation I will take up,
and I will call upon the name of the LORD.
R. To you, Lord, I will offer a sacrifice of praise.
or:
R. Alleluia.
My vows to the LORD I will pay
in the presence of all his people.
Precious in the eyes of the LORD
is the death of his faithful ones.
O LORD, I am your servant;
I am your servant, the son of your handmaid;
you have loosed my bonds.
R. To you, Lord, I will offer a sacrifice of praise.
or:
R. Alleluia.
My vows to the LORD I will pay
in the presence of all his people,
In the courts of the house of the LORD,
in your midst, O Jerusalem.
R. To you, Lord, I will offer a sacrifice of praise.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Gospel
Mk 1:14-20
After John had been arrested,
Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the Gospel of God:
“This is the time of fulfillment.
The Kingdom of God is at hand.
Repent, and believe in the Gospel.”
As he passed by the Sea of Galilee,
he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting their nets into the sea;
they were fishermen.
Jesus said to them,
“Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
Then they left their nets and followed him.
He walked along a little farther
and saw James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John.
They too were in a boat mending their nets.
Then he called them.
So they left their father Zebedee in the boat
along with the hired men and followed him.
January 11, 2010
Lectionary: 305
Reading 1
Responsorial Psalm
Reading 2
Gospel
Reading I
1 Sm 1:1-8
There was a certain man from Ramathaim, Elkanah by name,
a Zuphite from the hill country of Ephraim.
He was the son of Jeroham, son of Elihu,
son of Tohu, son of Zuph, an Ephraimite.
He had two wives, one named Hannah, the other Peninnah;
Peninnah had children, but Hannah was childless.
This man regularly went on pilgrimage from his city
to worship the LORD of hosts and to sacrifice to him at Shiloh,
where the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas,
were ministering as priests of the LORD.
When the day came for Elkanah to offer sacrifice,
he used to give a portion each to his wife Peninnah
and to all her sons and daughters,
but a double portion to Hannah because he loved her,
though the LORD had made her barren.
Her rival, to upset her, turned it into a constant reproach to her
that the LORD had left her barren.
This went on year after year;
each time they made their pilgrimage to the sanctuary of the LORD,
Peninnah would approach her,
and Hannah would weep and refuse to eat.
Her husband Elkanah used to ask her:
“Hannah, why do you weep, and why do you refuse to eat?
Why do you grieve?
Am I not more to you than ten sons?”
Responsorial Psalm
116:12-13, 14-17, 18-19
R. (17a) To you, Lord, I will offer a sacrifice of praise.
or:
R. Alleluia.
How shall I make a return to the LORD
for all the good he has done for me?
The cup of salvation I will take up,
and I will call upon the name of the LORD.
R. To you, Lord, I will offer a sacrifice of praise.
or:
R. Alleluia.
My vows to the LORD I will pay
in the presence of all his people.
Precious in the eyes of the LORD
is the death of his faithful ones.
O LORD, I am your servant;
I am your servant, the son of your handmaid;
you have loosed my bonds.
R. To you, Lord, I will offer a sacrifice of praise.
or:
R. Alleluia.
My vows to the LORD I will pay
in the presence of all his people,
In the courts of the house of the LORD,
in your midst, O Jerusalem.
R. To you, Lord, I will offer a sacrifice of praise.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Gospel
Mk 1:14-20
After John had been arrested,
Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the Gospel of God:
“This is the time of fulfillment.
The Kingdom of God is at hand.
Repent, and believe in the Gospel.”
As he passed by the Sea of Galilee,
he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting their nets into the sea;
they were fishermen.
Jesus said to them,
“Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
Then they left their nets and followed him.
He walked along a little farther
and saw James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John.
They too were in a boat mending their nets.
Then he called them.
So they left their father Zebedee in the boat
along with the hired men and followed him.
Sunday, January 10, 2010
The Baptism of the Lord
Thank you for your time with my blogs and welcome back in the near future.
January 10, 2010
Lectionary: 21
Reading 1
Responsorial Psalm
Reading 2
Gospel
Reading I
Is 42:1-4, 6-7 or Is 40:1-5, 9-11
Thus says the LORD:
Here is my servant whom I uphold,
my chosen one with whom I am pleased,
upon whom I have put my spirit;
he shall bring forth justice to the nations,
not crying out, not shouting,
not making his voice heard in the street.
a bruised reed he shall not break,
and a smoldering wick he shall not quench,
until he establishes justice on the earth;
the coastlands will wait for his teaching.
I, the LORD, have called you for the victory of justice,
I have grasped you by the hand;
I formed you, and set you
as a covenant of the people,
a light for the nations,
to open the eyes of the blind,
to bring out prisoners from confinement,
and from the dungeon, those who live in darkness.
or
Comfort, give comfort to my people,
says your God.
Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her
that her service is at an end,
her guilt is expiated;
indeed, she has received from the hand of the LORD
double for all her sins.
A voice cries out:
In the desert prepare the way of the LORD!
Make straight in the wasteland a highway for our God!
Every valley shall be filled in,
every mountain and hill shall be made low;
the rugged land shall be made a plain,
the rough country, a broad valley.Then the glory of the LORD shall be revealed,
and all people shall see it together;
for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.
Go up on to a high mountain,
Zion, herald of glad tidings;
cry out at the top of your voice,
Jerusalem, herald of good news!
Fear not to cry out
and say to the cities of Judah:
Here is your God!
Here comes with power
the Lord GOD,
who rules by a strong arm;
here is his reward with him,
his recompense before him.
Like a shepherd he feeds his flock;
in his arms he gathers the lambs,
carrying them in his bosom,
and leading the ewes with care.
Responsorial Psalm
Ps 29:1-2, 3-4, 3, 9-10.
(11b) The Lord will bless his people with peace.
Give to the LORD, you sons of God,
give to the LORD glory and praise,
Give to the LORD the glory due his name;
adore the LORD in holy attire.
The Lord will bless his people with peace.
The voice of the LORD is over the waters,
the LORD, over vast waters.
The voice of the LORD is mighty;
the voice of the LORD is majestic.
The Lord will bless his people with peace.
The God of glory thunders,
and in his temple all say, “Glory!”
The LORD is enthroned above the flood;
the LORD is enthroned as king forever.
The Lord will bless his people with peace.
Reading II
Acts 10:34-38 or Ti 2:11-14; 3:4-7
Peter proceeded to speak to those gathered
in the house of Cornelius, saying:
“In truth, I see that God shows no partiality.
Rather, in every nation whoever fears him and acts uprightly
is acceptable to him.
You know the word that he sent to the Israelites
as he proclaimed peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all,
what has happened all over Judea,
beginning in Galilee after the baptism
that John preached,
how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth
with the Holy Spirit and power.
He went about doing good
and healing all those oppressed by the devil,
for God was with him.”
or
Beloved:
The grace of God has appeared, saving all
and training us to reject godless ways and worldly desires
and to live temperately, justly, and devoutly in this age,
as we await the blessed hope,
the appearance of the glory of our great God
and savior Jesus Christ,
who gave himself for us to deliver us from all lawlessness
and to cleanse for himself a people as his own,
eager to do what is good.
When the kindness and generous love
of God our savior appeared,
not because of any righteous deeds we had done
but because of his mercy,
He saved us through the bath of rebirth
and renewal by the Holy Spirit,
whom he richly poured out on us
through Jesus Christ our savior,
so that we might be justified by his grace
and become heirs in hope of eternal life.
Gospel
Lk 3:15-16, 21-22
The people were filled with expectation,
and all were asking in their hearts
whether John might be the Christ.
John answered them all, saying,
“I am baptizing you with water,
but one mightier than I is coming.
I am not worthy to loosen the thongs of his sandals.
He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.”
After all the people had been baptized
and Jesus also had been baptized and was praying,
heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended upon him
in bodily form like a dove.
And a voice came from heaven,
“You are my beloved Son;
with you I am well pleased.”
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Christmas weekday reading on Jan. 9, 2009
Thank you for your time with my blogs and welcome back in the near future.
January 9, 2010
Christmas Weekday
Lectionary: 217
Reading 1
Responsorial Psalm
Reading 2
Gospel
Reading I
1 Jn 5:14-21
Beloved:
We have this confidence in him
that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.
And if we know that he hears us in regard to whatever we ask,
we know that what we have asked him for is ours.
If anyone sees his brother sinning, if the sin is not deadly,
he should pray to God and he will give him life.
This is only for those whose sin is not deadly.
There is such a thing as deadly sin,
about which I do not say that you should pray.
All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin that is not deadly.
We know that anyone begotten by God does not sin;
but the one begotten by God he protects,
and the Evil One cannot touch him.
We know that we belong to God,
and the whole world is under the power of the Evil One.
We also know that the Son of God has come
and has given us discernment to know the one who is true.
And we are in the one who is true,
in his Son Jesus Christ.
He is the true God and eternal life.
Children, be on your guard against idols.
Responsorial Psalm
149:1-2, 3-4, 5-6a and 9b
R. (see 4a) The Lord takes delight in his people.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Sing to the LORD a new song
of praise in the assembly of the faithful.
Let Israel be glad in their maker,
let the children of Zion rejoice in their king.
R. The Lord takes delight in his people.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Let them praise his name in the festive dance,
let them sing praise to him with timbrel and harp.
For the LORD loves his people,
and he adorns the lowly with victory.
R. The Lord takes delight in his people.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Let the faithful exult in glory;
let them sing for joy upon their couches;
Let the high praises of God be in their throats.
This is the glory of all his faithful. Alleluia.
R. The Lord takes delight in his people.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Gospel
Jn 3:22-30
Jesus and his disciples went into the region of Judea,
where he spent some time with them baptizing.
John was also baptizing in Aenon near Salim,
because there was an abundance of water there,
and people came to be baptized,
for John had not yet been imprisoned.
Now a dispute arose between the disciples of John and a Jew
about ceremonial washings.
So they came to John and said to him,
“Rabbi, the one who was with you across the Jordan,
to whom you testified,
here he is baptizing and everyone is coming to him.”
John answered and said,
“No one can receive anything except what has been given from heaven.
You yourselves can testify that I said that I am not the Christ,
but that I was sent before him.
The one who has the bride is the bridegroom;
the best man, who stands and listens for him,
rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice.
So this joy of mine has been made complete.
He must increase; I must decrease.”
January 9, 2010
Christmas Weekday
Lectionary: 217
Reading 1
Responsorial Psalm
Reading 2
Gospel
Reading I
1 Jn 5:14-21
Beloved:
We have this confidence in him
that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.
And if we know that he hears us in regard to whatever we ask,
we know that what we have asked him for is ours.
If anyone sees his brother sinning, if the sin is not deadly,
he should pray to God and he will give him life.
This is only for those whose sin is not deadly.
There is such a thing as deadly sin,
about which I do not say that you should pray.
All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin that is not deadly.
We know that anyone begotten by God does not sin;
but the one begotten by God he protects,
and the Evil One cannot touch him.
We know that we belong to God,
and the whole world is under the power of the Evil One.
We also know that the Son of God has come
and has given us discernment to know the one who is true.
And we are in the one who is true,
in his Son Jesus Christ.
He is the true God and eternal life.
Children, be on your guard against idols.
Responsorial Psalm
149:1-2, 3-4, 5-6a and 9b
R. (see 4a) The Lord takes delight in his people.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Sing to the LORD a new song
of praise in the assembly of the faithful.
Let Israel be glad in their maker,
let the children of Zion rejoice in their king.
R. The Lord takes delight in his people.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Let them praise his name in the festive dance,
let them sing praise to him with timbrel and harp.
For the LORD loves his people,
and he adorns the lowly with victory.
R. The Lord takes delight in his people.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Let the faithful exult in glory;
let them sing for joy upon their couches;
Let the high praises of God be in their throats.
This is the glory of all his faithful. Alleluia.
R. The Lord takes delight in his people.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Gospel
Jn 3:22-30
Jesus and his disciples went into the region of Judea,
where he spent some time with them baptizing.
John was also baptizing in Aenon near Salim,
because there was an abundance of water there,
and people came to be baptized,
for John had not yet been imprisoned.
Now a dispute arose between the disciples of John and a Jew
about ceremonial washings.
So they came to John and said to him,
“Rabbi, the one who was with you across the Jordan,
to whom you testified,
here he is baptizing and everyone is coming to him.”
John answered and said,
“No one can receive anything except what has been given from heaven.
You yourselves can testify that I said that I am not the Christ,
but that I was sent before him.
The one who has the bride is the bridegroom;
the best man, who stands and listens for him,
rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice.
So this joy of mine has been made complete.
He must increase; I must decrease.”
Friday, January 8, 2010
NYT: In Winter Gardens, a Marriage of Botany and Stark Beauty
Thank you for your time with my blogs and welcome back in the near future.
January 8, 2010
By PAULA DEITZ
UNLIKE the tragic hero of Franz Schubert’s song cycle “Winter Journey” (“Tearless I must face the cold/Through the bitter weather”), multitudes of New Yorkers joyously headed for Central Park to experience in bright sunlight the season’s first pristine snowfall on a preholiday Sunday. And in late-afternoon dusk, under the glow of lamplight, the glistening field of white seemed etched by circuitous paths marked in the distance by streams of brightly clad walkers and the shadowy silhouettes of fences. “Invigorating crisp, clean air” was the motto of the day.
For me the winter walk, with or without snow, offers visual pleasures akin to an appreciation of sculpture with the gnarly shapes of trees unadorned and with myriad bare branches like delicate abstract drawings. But more important, with the new year begun, January ushers in an introspective period best indulged on solitary walks without the usual distractions of colorful palettes and lush foliage.
Yet, there is much to see in the subtleties, especially in the variety of plants in local botanic gardens across the country. Since their earliest days in Europe, attached to universities, botanic gardens have thrived in urban centers; their beauty derives from scientific displays required for the orderly study and conservation of plants. But like local parks, they also play an important role as social and community environments.
For a brisk winter stroll I selected the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, which this year is celebrating the centennial of its founding in 1910. Within its compact 52 acres surrounded by city streets, the visitor experiences several individual spaces pioneered there, like the Japanese Hill-and-Pond Garden and the bonsai collection, begun in 1925. In a microcosm of the winter landscape the bonsai curator Julian S. Velasco has arranged several maples, one 115 years old, so that their leafless, outstretched miniature canopies blend through the glass wall with the haze of layered bare branches outside in the main garden. In contrast, a deep rose bonsai camellia echoes one in the Japanese garden by a rustic shelter. Here also, near the orange torii gate, an ever-blooming cherry tree of the palest pink was in blossom, a fragile mate to a bright green pine pruned into traditional cloud formations.
“In winter,” said Scot Medbury, the garden’s president, “one learns to recalibrate observations to detect the slow evolution of nature, the unfolding of witch hazel or the first snow drops. And in discovering the human scale of closed and open spaces here, one achieves an inner calm.”
Still, standing in front of the massive outstretched boughs of the bare yellowwood tree provides a majestic moment, and the deep purple or white clusters of beauty berries from the verbena family are shockingly beautiful against the fresh snow. Elsewhere, one notices the mottled trunks of lace-bark pines, the gray velvet wraps around magnolia buds, the conifers’ deep range of blues and greens and the stubborn scarlet oak that refuses to lose its copper leaves. Yes, there are luxuriant tropical houses, but outside is the place for stark beauty.
Though botanic gardens exist to harbor native and exotic plants in pleasing habitats, the grounds also offer opportunities for landscape designs that can create an atmosphere of enchantment. With its 60 acres of lakes surrounding 9 islands connected by bridges, the Chicago Botanic Garden harks back to the famous 18th-century Garden of Perfect Brightness, the Qianlong emperor’s pleasure-garden complex of lakes at the Old Summer Palace outside Beijing. In a frozen landscape, the high arched bridge to Chicago’s Japanese stroll garden resembles the “Nihon Bridge Seen in the Snow,” one of Hiroshige’s enticing views.
Visitors either tramp along trails in 100 acres of woodland, snowshoe around the garden’s perimeter or ice skate on the broad esplanade originally designed by Dan Kiley with pools and fountains. While the garden’s prominent Midwest prairies are burned off in spring and fall, remaining dried grasses persist as waving figurative elements against the snow like the yellowed weeping willows at the water’s edge.
“Botanic gardens give a freedom of movement outdoors missing on wintry city streets,” says the garden’s president, Sophia Siskel, who is often seen out walking, hat pulled over her ears. “It’s like swimming underwater thinking about myself inside myself in a way I don’t do on a hot summer day.”
Winter is something else in the mild climate of the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden in California, dedicated to preserving native flora of the region and maintaining a seed collection of local endangered species. The garden is one of the places associated with the prolific landscape gardener Beatrix Farrand. Last May, though, 60 of its 78 acres were destroyed, including thickly treed hillsides, when the rampaging Jesusita fire blew down Mission Canyon.
Fortunately the garden’s meadow was preserved, and, nature being resilient, young green shoots are appearing around burnt stumps, and seasonal blooms of baja snapdragons, California poppies and frothy verbena are as plentiful as ever on a winter walk. The unexpected consequences of this disaster are the newly opened vistas of the Santa Ynez Mountains and views of the Pacific Ocean out to the Channel Islands. Seeing a garden in recovery mode with new prospects is surely an inspiration in the early days of a new year.
The Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden in Coral Gables, Fla., suffered from nature’s brutality when Hurricane Andrew struck in 1992 and uprooted its valuable collection of palms and ancient cycads. Designed as a stroll garden by William Lyman Phillips in the Olmsted tradition, and now totally regenerated, the Fairchild features paths that lead visitors through an allée of flowering trees into an infinity of exuberant tropical foliage and cascades of bougainvillea vines. With its active rain forest and lakeside mangrove glades the garden may appear to offer visitors a contrast to the spare wintry adventures in the North, and yet the sense of isolation amid so much botanical profusion may promote an equal amount of introspection.
Finally, in the Zen vein of contemplation, the landscape architect Chris Reed has designed a temporary installation not in a botanic garden but in Radcliffe Yard in Cambridge, Mass., that creates a dialogue between natural materials and the passage of time and succeeds in provoking thoughts about the rapidity of change. Commissioned for the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study’s 10th anniversary, the installation, “Stock-Pile,” features a landscape of 10 cone-shaped piles of stone, aggregate, sand and soil on a diamond-shaped grid with two piles of planted ferns in a parking lot.
Exposed to the elements these miniature mountains are allowed to degrade gently, unlike the famous pristine stone pile at the Silver Pavilion in Kyoto, Japan. Now blanketed in snow, these undulating Cambridge piles melting away are a reminder in the new year that time is both of the essence and fleeting.
IF YOU GO
Brooklyn Botanic Garden, 900 Washington Avenue (off Eastern Parkway), (718) 623-7200, bbg.org. Tuesday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Saturday, Sunday and holidays, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Chicago Botanic Garden, 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe, IL,(847) 835-5440, chicagobotanic.org. Open every day, 8 a.m. to sunset.
Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, 1212 Mission Canyon Road, Santa Barbara, Calif., (805) 682-4726, SantaBarbaraBotanicGarden.org. Open every day, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., November through February; 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., March through October.
Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, 10901 Old Cutler Road, Coral Gables, Fla., (305) 667-1651, fairchildgarden.org. Open every day, 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
“Stock-Pile,” Radcliffe Yard, Cambridge, Mass., open all the time.
Christmas weekday reading on Jan. 8, 2009
Thank you for your time with my blogs and welcome back in the near future.
January 8, 2010
Christmas Weekday
Lectionary: 216
Reading 1
Responsorial Psalm
Reading 2
Gospel
Reading I
1 Jn 5:5-13
Beloved:
Who indeed is the victor over the world
but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
This is the one who came through water and Blood, Jesus Christ,
not by water alone, but by water and Blood.
The Spirit is the one who testifies,
and the Spirit is truth.
So there are three who testify,
the Spirit, the water, and the Blood,
and the three are of one accord.
If we accept human testimony,
the testimony of God is surely greater.
Now the testimony of God is this,
that he has testified on behalf of his Son.
Whoever believes in the Son of God
has this testimony within himself.
Whoever does not believe God has made him a liar
by not believing the testimony God has given about his Son.
And this is the testimony:
God gave us eternal life,
and this life is in his Son.
Whoever possesses the Son has life;
whoever does not possess the Son of God does not have life.
I write these things to you so that you may know
that you have eternal life,
you who believe in the name of the Son of God.
Responsorial Psalm
147:12-13, 14-15, 19-20
R. (12a) Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Glorify the LORD, O Jerusalem;
praise your God, O Zion.
For he has strengthened the bars of your gates;
he has blessed your children within you.
R. Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.
or:
R. Alleluia.
He has granted peace in your borders;
with the best of wheat he fills you.
He sends forth his command to the earth;
swiftly runs his word!
R. Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.
or:
R. Alleluia.
He has proclaimed his word to Jacob,
his statutes and his ordinances to Israel.
He has not done thus for any other nation;
his ordinances he has not made known to them. Alleluia.
R. Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Gospel
Lk 5:12-16
It happened that there was a man full of leprosy in one of the towns where Jesus was;
and when he saw Jesus,
he fell prostrate, pleaded with him, and said,
“Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean.”
Jesus stretched out his hand, touched him, and said,
“I do will it. Be made clean.”
And the leprosy left him immediately.
Then he ordered him not to tell anyone, but
“Go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing
what Moses prescribed; that will be proof for them.”
The report about him spread all the more,
and great crowds assembled to listen to him
and to be cured of their ailments,
but he would withdraw to deserted places to pray.
January 8, 2010
Christmas Weekday
Lectionary: 216
Reading 1
Responsorial Psalm
Reading 2
Gospel
Reading I
1 Jn 5:5-13
Beloved:
Who indeed is the victor over the world
but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
This is the one who came through water and Blood, Jesus Christ,
not by water alone, but by water and Blood.
The Spirit is the one who testifies,
and the Spirit is truth.
So there are three who testify,
the Spirit, the water, and the Blood,
and the three are of one accord.
If we accept human testimony,
the testimony of God is surely greater.
Now the testimony of God is this,
that he has testified on behalf of his Son.
Whoever believes in the Son of God
has this testimony within himself.
Whoever does not believe God has made him a liar
by not believing the testimony God has given about his Son.
And this is the testimony:
God gave us eternal life,
and this life is in his Son.
Whoever possesses the Son has life;
whoever does not possess the Son of God does not have life.
I write these things to you so that you may know
that you have eternal life,
you who believe in the name of the Son of God.
Responsorial Psalm
147:12-13, 14-15, 19-20
R. (12a) Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Glorify the LORD, O Jerusalem;
praise your God, O Zion.
For he has strengthened the bars of your gates;
he has blessed your children within you.
R. Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.
or:
R. Alleluia.
He has granted peace in your borders;
with the best of wheat he fills you.
He sends forth his command to the earth;
swiftly runs his word!
R. Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.
or:
R. Alleluia.
He has proclaimed his word to Jacob,
his statutes and his ordinances to Israel.
He has not done thus for any other nation;
his ordinances he has not made known to them. Alleluia.
R. Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Gospel
Lk 5:12-16
It happened that there was a man full of leprosy in one of the towns where Jesus was;
and when he saw Jesus,
he fell prostrate, pleaded with him, and said,
“Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean.”
Jesus stretched out his hand, touched him, and said,
“I do will it. Be made clean.”
And the leprosy left him immediately.
Then he ordered him not to tell anyone, but
“Go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing
what Moses prescribed; that will be proof for them.”
The report about him spread all the more,
and great crowds assembled to listen to him
and to be cured of their ailments,
but he would withdraw to deserted places to pray.
Thursday, January 7, 2010
ChristmasWeekday-Reading on Jan. 7, 2009
Thank you for your time with my blogs and welcome back in the near future.
January 7, 2010
Christmas Weekday
Lectionary: 215
Reading 1
Responsorial Psalm
Reading 2
Gospel
Reading I
1 Jn 4:19–5:4
Beloved, we love God because
he first loved us.
If anyone says, “I love God,”
but hates his brother, he is a liar;
for whoever does not love a brother whom he has seen
cannot love God whom he has not seen.
This is the commandment we have from him:
Whoever loves God must also love his brother.
Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is begotten by God,
and everyone who loves the Father
loves also the one begotten by him.
In this way we know that we love the children of God
when we love God and obey his commandments.
For the love of God is this,
that we keep his commandments.
And his commandments are not burdensome,
for whoever is begotten by God conquers the world.
And the victory that conquers the world is our faith.
Responsorial Psalm
72:1-2, 14 and 15bc, 17
R. (see 11) Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
O God, with your judgment endow the king,
and with your justice, the king’s son;
He shall govern your people with justice
and your afflicted ones with judgment.
R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
From fraud and violence he shall redeem them,
and precious shall their blood be in his sight.
May they be prayed for continually;
day by day shall they bless him.
R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
May his name be blessed forever;
as long as the sun his name shall remain.
In him shall all the tribes of the earth be blessed;
all the nations shall proclaim his happiness.
R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
Gospel
Lk 4:14-22
Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit,
and news of him spread throughout the whole region.
He taught in their synagogues and was praised by all.
He came to Nazareth, where he had grown up,
and went according to his custom
into the synagogue on the sabbath day.
He stood up to read and was handed a scroll of the prophet Isaiah.
He unrolled the scroll and found the passage where it was written:
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to bring glad tidings to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives
and recovery of sight to the blind,
to let the oppressed go free,
and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.
Rolling up the scroll, he handed it back to the attendant and sat down,
and the eyes of all in the synagogue looked intently at him.
He said to them,
“Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.”
And all spoke highly of him
and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth.
January 7, 2010
Christmas Weekday
Lectionary: 215
Reading 1
Responsorial Psalm
Reading 2
Gospel
Reading I
1 Jn 4:19–5:4
Beloved, we love God because
he first loved us.
If anyone says, “I love God,”
but hates his brother, he is a liar;
for whoever does not love a brother whom he has seen
cannot love God whom he has not seen.
This is the commandment we have from him:
Whoever loves God must also love his brother.
Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is begotten by God,
and everyone who loves the Father
loves also the one begotten by him.
In this way we know that we love the children of God
when we love God and obey his commandments.
For the love of God is this,
that we keep his commandments.
And his commandments are not burdensome,
for whoever is begotten by God conquers the world.
And the victory that conquers the world is our faith.
Responsorial Psalm
72:1-2, 14 and 15bc, 17
R. (see 11) Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
O God, with your judgment endow the king,
and with your justice, the king’s son;
He shall govern your people with justice
and your afflicted ones with judgment.
R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
From fraud and violence he shall redeem them,
and precious shall their blood be in his sight.
May they be prayed for continually;
day by day shall they bless him.
R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
May his name be blessed forever;
as long as the sun his name shall remain.
In him shall all the tribes of the earth be blessed;
all the nations shall proclaim his happiness.
R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
Gospel
Lk 4:14-22
Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit,
and news of him spread throughout the whole region.
He taught in their synagogues and was praised by all.
He came to Nazareth, where he had grown up,
and went according to his custom
into the synagogue on the sabbath day.
He stood up to read and was handed a scroll of the prophet Isaiah.
He unrolled the scroll and found the passage where it was written:
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to bring glad tidings to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives
and recovery of sight to the blind,
to let the oppressed go free,
and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.
Rolling up the scroll, he handed it back to the attendant and sat down,
and the eyes of all in the synagogue looked intently at him.
He said to them,
“Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.”
And all spoke highly of him
and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth.
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
BBC: Google phone to protect ad empire
Thank you for your time with my blogs and welcome back in the near future.
By Maggie Shiels
Technology reporter, BBC News, Silicon Valley
Google has said it is defending its online advertising empire with the launch of its own brand mobile phone.
It is the first time Google has designed and sold its own consumer hardware device.
Google said the Nexus One represented the next frontier in the company's $20bn (£12.4bn) core business - selling advertising through search.
"It's all about the mobile web, and advertising is their bread and butter," said analyst Michael Gartenberg.
"It's the latest salvo from Google on the wireless industry. The landmark news here is that Google is now a consumer electronics retail company," added Mr Gartenberg, of Interpret.
“ The Nexus One means this will be the first time Apple has to be reactive ”
Robert Scoble Tech blogger
Google, like many in the industry, recognises that more and more people are accessing the web via their mobile phones rather than through their desktop or personal computers.
In the developing world, the majority of users are going online for the first time using a smartphone.
"The new paradigm is mobile computing and mobility," David B Yoffie, a professor at Harvard Business School, told the New York Times.
"That has the potential to change the economics of the internet business and to redistribute profits yet again."
Apple 'cool' fading?
Google has called the Nexus One a super phone, no doubt to set the device apart from the other players, including the BlackBerry and Apple's iPhone.
Despite its much anticipated arrival on the scene, many industry watchers do not think the Nexus One is an iPhone killer, though they do believe it will force Apple to step up its game.
NEXUS ONE HANDSET
# 3.7 inch touchscreen
# 1GHz snapdragon processor
# 5 Megapixel camera with LED flash
# GPS and compass
# Accelerometer
# Noise cancellation technology
# Voice recognition can be used with all applications
# Light sensor changes screen brightness to conserve power
# 512MB Flash memory with SD card slot (expandable to 32GB)
"Google is coming at the mobile industry with a lot of horses and I think 2010 is the first time Apple is going to have to chase something," said technology blogger Robert Scoble of Scoblizer.com.
"For the last three years the iPhone has been way out in front in the mobile space in terms of mindshare. The Nexus One means this will be the first time Apple has to be reactive," Mr Scoble told the BBC.
To date, the iPhone has sold about 30 million units and spawned countless imitators, including this new phone.
The technology blog TechCrunch said that the Nexus One looked more like the iPhone than any other phone on the market.
There is no physical keyboard, it has a removable battery, a 5 megapixel camera, touchscreen, and is driven by Google's Android operating system.
Google says the phone is as thin as a number 2 pencil, at 11.5mm, and as light as a Swiss army knife keychain at 130g.
"The Nexus One is an important milestone in the smartphone market," said TechCrunch founder Michael Arrington.
"This is a software company frustrated with making compromises with hardware manufacturers, that has taken the product bull by the horns. When combined with Google Voice, there is no phone on the market today that can touch the Nexus One."
Google has voice-enabled all text boxes on the device, which means that users can put together an e-mail message or tweet by speaking into the phone rather than typing text on the touch screen.
Pricing models
As well as going into the hardware business, Google is also trying out something different by offering the phone to users without being tied to a contract with a mobile phone operator.
It is offering the Nexus One through its online store at $179 (£112) if users sign up to a two-year plan with T-Mobile, or $529 (£332) without a plan.
Some believe Google should have been braver with its pricing options and offered a sweetener by subsidising the phone through its advertising revenue.
"It would have been nice to see them roll out something a bit more unique," Danny Sullivan, editor of SearchEngineLand.com, told BBC News.
"Google has speculated in the past that there one day might be phones that are entirely ad-supported and because Google is this huge ad behemoth, this was a natural opportunity to roll out a phone like that."
The Nexus One was built by Taiwanese electronics manufacturer HTC.
It joins about 20 other devices that already run on the Android operating system.
At the moment, the Nexus One is only available in the US but will be sold in Europe, Hong Kong and Singapore in the spring through Vodafone. Google said it hoped to add other devices and carriers for sale in the future.
Crossover
Google's emergence as a retailer is regarded as an escalation in the budding rivalry between Google and Apple.
But it is not all one way.
Ahead of the launch of the Nexus One, Apple announced a deal to buy mobile advertising service Quattro Wireless. It is seen as an effort to counter Google's planned $750 million acquisition of rival AdMob.
"If there is any doubt that 2010 is the year of Mobile Advertising, Apple just cleared up any speculation," said Paran Johar, chief marketing officer of competing mobile ad network Jumptap.
"For pessimists who thought the Google acquisition of Admob was a fluke, this reinforces that mobile advertising is here to stay," he said.
"Handset manufacturers, software providers, infrastructure vendors, and carriers are all looking to connect the dots and carve out a share of what will be the primary access point of the Internet in five years."
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/technology/8442712.stm
Published: 2010/01/06 04:33:45 GMT
Daily Reading-Christmas Weekday-Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2010
Thank you for your time with my blogs and welcome back in the near future.
January 6, 2010
Christmas Weekday
Lectionary: 214
Reading 1
Responsorial Psalm
Reading 2
Gospel
Reading I
1 Jn 4:11-18
Beloved, if God so loved us,
we also must love one another.
No one has ever seen God.
Yet, if we love one another, God remains in us,
and his love is brought to perfection in us.
This is how we know that we remain in him and he in us,
that he has given us of his Spirit.
Moreover, we have seen and testify
that the Father sent his Son as savior of the world.
Whoever acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God,
God remains in him and he in God.
We have come to know and to believe in the love God has for us.
God is love, and whoever remains in love remains in God and God in him.
In this is love brought to perfection among us,
that we have confidence on the day of judgment
because as he is, so are we in this world.
There is no fear in love,
but perfect love drives out fear
because fear has to do with punishment,
and so one who fears is not yet perfect in love.
Responsorial Psalm
72:1-2, 10, 12-13
R. (see 11) Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
O God, with your judgment endow the king,
and with your justice, the king’s son;
He shall govern your people with justice
and your afflicted ones with judgment.
R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
The kings of Tarshish and the Isles shall offer gifts;
the kings of Arabia and Seba shall bring tribute.
R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
For he shall rescue the poor when he cries out,
and the afflicted when he has no one to help him.
He shall have pity for the lowly and the poor;
the lives of the poor he shall save.
R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
Gospel
Mk 6:45-52
After the five thousand had eaten and were satisfied,
Jesus made his disciples get into the boat
and precede him to the other side toward Bethsaida,
while he dismissed the crowd.
And when he had taken leave of them,
he went off to the mountain to pray.
When it was evening,
the boat was far out on the sea and he was alone on shore.
Then he saw that they were tossed about while rowing,
for the wind was against them.
About the fourth watch of the night,
he came toward them walking on the sea.
He meant to pass by them.
But when they saw him walking on the sea,
they thought it was a ghost and cried out.
They had all seen him and were terrified.
But at once he spoke with them,
“Take courage, it is I, do not be afraid!”
He got into the boat with them and the wind died down.
They were completely astounded.
They had not understood the incident of the loaves.
On the contrary, their hearts were hardened.
January 6, 2010
Christmas Weekday
Lectionary: 214
Reading 1
Responsorial Psalm
Reading 2
Gospel
Reading I
1 Jn 4:11-18
Beloved, if God so loved us,
we also must love one another.
No one has ever seen God.
Yet, if we love one another, God remains in us,
and his love is brought to perfection in us.
This is how we know that we remain in him and he in us,
that he has given us of his Spirit.
Moreover, we have seen and testify
that the Father sent his Son as savior of the world.
Whoever acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God,
God remains in him and he in God.
We have come to know and to believe in the love God has for us.
God is love, and whoever remains in love remains in God and God in him.
In this is love brought to perfection among us,
that we have confidence on the day of judgment
because as he is, so are we in this world.
There is no fear in love,
but perfect love drives out fear
because fear has to do with punishment,
and so one who fears is not yet perfect in love.
Responsorial Psalm
72:1-2, 10, 12-13
R. (see 11) Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
O God, with your judgment endow the king,
and with your justice, the king’s son;
He shall govern your people with justice
and your afflicted ones with judgment.
R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
The kings of Tarshish and the Isles shall offer gifts;
the kings of Arabia and Seba shall bring tribute.
R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
For he shall rescue the poor when he cries out,
and the afflicted when he has no one to help him.
He shall have pity for the lowly and the poor;
the lives of the poor he shall save.
R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
Gospel
Mk 6:45-52
After the five thousand had eaten and were satisfied,
Jesus made his disciples get into the boat
and precede him to the other side toward Bethsaida,
while he dismissed the crowd.
And when he had taken leave of them,
he went off to the mountain to pray.
When it was evening,
the boat was far out on the sea and he was alone on shore.
Then he saw that they were tossed about while rowing,
for the wind was against them.
About the fourth watch of the night,
he came toward them walking on the sea.
He meant to pass by them.
But when they saw him walking on the sea,
they thought it was a ghost and cried out.
They had all seen him and were terrified.
But at once he spoke with them,
“Take courage, it is I, do not be afraid!”
He got into the boat with them and the wind died down.
They were completely astounded.
They had not understood the incident of the loaves.
On the contrary, their hearts were hardened.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
NYT: New Health Rule: Quit Worrying About Your Health
Thank you for your time with my blogs and welcome back in the near future.
January 5, 2010
Well
By Tara Parker-Pope
Have you had your five to nine servings of vegetables today? Exercised for an hour? Cut back on saturated fat and gotten eight hours of sleep?
Dictating the rules for healthful living has become a cottage industry, with Web sites, talk shows and books (and health columns like this one) devoted to the dos and don’ts of staying healthy.
But when it comes to achieving these goals, many of us feel we are falling far short. Whether you’re a busy parent who can’t find time for exercise, a chronic dieter struggling to lose 20 pounds or a multitasker who gets by on six hours of sleep, it is virtually impossible to follow the rules.
Now Dr. Susan M. Love, one of the country’s most respected women’s health specialists, offers a new rule: stop worrying about your health.
In the new book, “Live a Little! Breaking the Rules Won’t Break Your Health” (Crown), Dr. Love makes the case that perfect health is a myth and that most of us are living far more healthful lives than we realize.
Dr. Love, a clinical professor of surgery at the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, says that failing to live by the various health rules is a major source of stress and guilt, particularly for women. For most of us, “pretty healthy” is healthy enough.
“Is the goal to live forever?” she said in a recent interview. “I would contend it’s not. It’s really to live as long as you can with the best quality of life you can. The problem was all of these women I kept meeting who were scared to death if they didn’t eat a cup of blueberries a day they would drop dead.”
The book, written with Alice D. Domar, a Harvard professor and senior staff psychologist at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, explores the research and advice in six areas of health — sleep, stress, prevention, nutrition, exercise and relationships. In all six, they write, the biggest risks are on the extremes, and the middle ground is bigger than we think.
“Everything is a U-shaped curve,” Dr. Love said. “There may be times in your life when you’ve gotten too much of this or too little of that, but being in the middle is better, and most of us are probably there already.”
Take the issue of sleep. Most people believe that it’s best to get at least eight hours a day. But the studies on which this belief is based look at how much men and women sleep under ideal conditions — silence, darkness and no responsibilities other than taking part in a sleep study. These studies tell us how much people will sleep when they have nothing else to do, but they don’t tell us anything about how much sleep we really need on a daily basis or what will happen if we get less.
A 2002 report in Archives of General Psychiatry tried to address those issues by comparing sleep habits and mortality risk. The study found that people who slept seven hours a night were the least likely to die during the six-year study period. Sleeping more than seven hours or less than five increased mortality risk. It wasn’t clear from the study whether more or less sleep increased risk or whether an underlying health problem was affecting sleep habits, but the findings did call the old “eight hours” rule into question.
The reality is that individual sleep needs can vary. Some people need very little while others need more than the average. “The issue of sleep causes a lot of guilt by women,” Dr. Love said. “We need to be more realistic. If you’re sleepy all the time, you’re not getting enough sleep for you. If you’re fine on six hours, don’t worry about it.”
Likewise, while exercise is important, many people don’t place enough value on the fitness that comes from everyday tasks like lifting and chasing children, lugging groceries and cleaning house.
And there is nothing magic about losing weight. People who are obese or underweight have higher mortality rates, but people who are overweight are just as healthy as those of normal weight — and sometimes healthier. “The goal is to be as healthy and have as good of a quality of life as you can have,” Dr. Love said. “It’s not to be thin.”
Health experts agree that moderation is important and that people should not panic about their health habits. But Dr. Elizabeth Barrett-Connor, professor of family medicine at the University of California, San Diego, cautions against interpreting a relaxed health message as an excuse to overeat or stay sedentary. “I think the problem is the slippery slope,” Dr. Barrett-Connor said. “In the process of translating this message simply to the masses, they may feel they’ve been forgiven. They shouldn’t feel like they’re sinning, but they shouldn’t feel like this is a license not to try to do better.”
Miriam E. Nelson, director of the John Hancock Research Center on Physical Activity, Nutrition and Obesity Prevention at Tufts University, who has read the book, says it may help people realize that it is easier to be healthy than they thought. “There is a large part of the population that doesn’t do anything because they’ve been overwhelmed,” Dr. Nelson said. “This book could get them interested because it’s not so complicated anymore.”
Dr. Love said she and Dr. Domar decided to write the book because many people seemed to have lost sight of what it meant to be healthy. “The point of this is to use your common sense, and if you feel good, then you’re fine,” she said. “The goal is not to get to heaven and say, ‘I’m perfect.’ It’s to use your body, have some fun and to live a little.”
Join the discussion at nytimes.com/well.
January 5, 2010
Well
By Tara Parker-Pope
Have you had your five to nine servings of vegetables today? Exercised for an hour? Cut back on saturated fat and gotten eight hours of sleep?
Dictating the rules for healthful living has become a cottage industry, with Web sites, talk shows and books (and health columns like this one) devoted to the dos and don’ts of staying healthy.
But when it comes to achieving these goals, many of us feel we are falling far short. Whether you’re a busy parent who can’t find time for exercise, a chronic dieter struggling to lose 20 pounds or a multitasker who gets by on six hours of sleep, it is virtually impossible to follow the rules.
Now Dr. Susan M. Love, one of the country’s most respected women’s health specialists, offers a new rule: stop worrying about your health.
In the new book, “Live a Little! Breaking the Rules Won’t Break Your Health” (Crown), Dr. Love makes the case that perfect health is a myth and that most of us are living far more healthful lives than we realize.
Dr. Love, a clinical professor of surgery at the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, says that failing to live by the various health rules is a major source of stress and guilt, particularly for women. For most of us, “pretty healthy” is healthy enough.
“Is the goal to live forever?” she said in a recent interview. “I would contend it’s not. It’s really to live as long as you can with the best quality of life you can. The problem was all of these women I kept meeting who were scared to death if they didn’t eat a cup of blueberries a day they would drop dead.”
The book, written with Alice D. Domar, a Harvard professor and senior staff psychologist at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, explores the research and advice in six areas of health — sleep, stress, prevention, nutrition, exercise and relationships. In all six, they write, the biggest risks are on the extremes, and the middle ground is bigger than we think.
“Everything is a U-shaped curve,” Dr. Love said. “There may be times in your life when you’ve gotten too much of this or too little of that, but being in the middle is better, and most of us are probably there already.”
Take the issue of sleep. Most people believe that it’s best to get at least eight hours a day. But the studies on which this belief is based look at how much men and women sleep under ideal conditions — silence, darkness and no responsibilities other than taking part in a sleep study. These studies tell us how much people will sleep when they have nothing else to do, but they don’t tell us anything about how much sleep we really need on a daily basis or what will happen if we get less.
A 2002 report in Archives of General Psychiatry tried to address those issues by comparing sleep habits and mortality risk. The study found that people who slept seven hours a night were the least likely to die during the six-year study period. Sleeping more than seven hours or less than five increased mortality risk. It wasn’t clear from the study whether more or less sleep increased risk or whether an underlying health problem was affecting sleep habits, but the findings did call the old “eight hours” rule into question.
The reality is that individual sleep needs can vary. Some people need very little while others need more than the average. “The issue of sleep causes a lot of guilt by women,” Dr. Love said. “We need to be more realistic. If you’re sleepy all the time, you’re not getting enough sleep for you. If you’re fine on six hours, don’t worry about it.”
Likewise, while exercise is important, many people don’t place enough value on the fitness that comes from everyday tasks like lifting and chasing children, lugging groceries and cleaning house.
And there is nothing magic about losing weight. People who are obese or underweight have higher mortality rates, but people who are overweight are just as healthy as those of normal weight — and sometimes healthier. “The goal is to be as healthy and have as good of a quality of life as you can have,” Dr. Love said. “It’s not to be thin.”
Health experts agree that moderation is important and that people should not panic about their health habits. But Dr. Elizabeth Barrett-Connor, professor of family medicine at the University of California, San Diego, cautions against interpreting a relaxed health message as an excuse to overeat or stay sedentary. “I think the problem is the slippery slope,” Dr. Barrett-Connor said. “In the process of translating this message simply to the masses, they may feel they’ve been forgiven. They shouldn’t feel like they’re sinning, but they shouldn’t feel like this is a license not to try to do better.”
Miriam E. Nelson, director of the John Hancock Research Center on Physical Activity, Nutrition and Obesity Prevention at Tufts University, who has read the book, says it may help people realize that it is easier to be healthy than they thought. “There is a large part of the population that doesn’t do anything because they’ve been overwhelmed,” Dr. Nelson said. “This book could get them interested because it’s not so complicated anymore.”
Dr. Love said she and Dr. Domar decided to write the book because many people seemed to have lost sight of what it meant to be healthy. “The point of this is to use your common sense, and if you feel good, then you’re fine,” she said. “The goal is not to get to heaven and say, ‘I’m perfect.’ It’s to use your body, have some fun and to live a little.”
Join the discussion at nytimes.com/well.
Memorial of Saint John Neumann, bishop
Thank you for your time with my blogs and welcome back in the near future.
January 5, 2010
Lectionary: 213
Reading 1
Responsorial Psalm
Reading 2
Gospel
Reading I
1 Jn 4:7-10
Beloved, let us love one another,
because love is of God;
everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God.
Whoever is without love does not know God, for God is love.
In this way the love of God was revealed to us:
God sent his only-begotten Son into the world
so that we might have life through him.
In this is love:
not that we have loved God, but that he loved us
and sent his Son as expiation for our sins.
Responsorial Psalm
72:1-2, 3-4, 7-8
R. (see 11) Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
O God, with your judgment endow the king,
and with your justice, the king’s son;
He shall govern your people with justice
and your afflicted ones with judgment.
R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
The mountains shall yield peace for the people,
and the hills justice.
He shall defend the afflicted among the people,
save the children of the poor.
R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
Justice shall flower in his days,
and profound peace, till the moon be no more.
May he rule from sea to sea,
and from the River to the ends of the earth.
R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
Gospel
Mk 6:34-44
When Jesus saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them,
for they were like sheep without a shepherd;
and he began to teach them many things.
By now it was already late and his disciples approached him and said,
“This is a deserted place and it is already very late.
Dismiss them so that they can go
to the surrounding farms and villages
and buy themselves something to eat.”
He said to them in reply,
“Give them some food yourselves.”
But they said to him,
“Are we to buy two hundred days’ wages worth of food
and give it to them to eat?”
He asked them, “How many loaves do you have? Go and see.”
And when they had found out they said,
“Five loaves and two fish.”
So he gave orders to have them sit down in groups on the green grass.
The people took their places in rows by hundreds and by fifties.
Then, taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven,
he said the blessing, broke the loaves, and gave them to his disciples
to set before the people;
he also divided the two fish among them all.
They all ate and were satisfied.
And they picked up twelve wicker baskets full of fragments
and what was left of the fish.
Those who ate of the loaves were five thousand men.
Monday, January 4, 2010
bbc: Dubai opens world's tallest tower
Thank you for your time with my blogs and welcome back in the near future.
The world's tallest building is set to be opened in the Gulf emirate of Dubai.
More than 800m (2,625ft) high and clad in 26,000 glass panels, Burj Dubai has 160 floors and more than 500,000 sq m of space for offices and apartments.
Construction began in 2004, at the height of an economic boom. The opening comes after a financial crisis which has seen Dubai bailed out by Abu Dhabi.
The exact height of the $1.5bn tower is secret, but it far exceeds that of the previous record holder, Taipei 101.
It will also lay claim to the highest occupied floor, the tallest service lift, and the world's highest observation deck - on the 124th floor. The world's highest mosque and swimming pool will meanwhile be located on the 158th and 76th floors.
Technical challenges
Though not complete on the inside, Burj Dubai will be officially opened by Dubai's ruler, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, at 2000 (1600 GMT) on Monday, 1,325 days after excavation work started.
At a ceremony to be attended by 60,000 guests, Sheikh Mohammed will also reveal the exact height of the tower that dwarfs the 508m Taipei 101 and the 629m KVLY-TV mast in the US, the tallest man-made structure. Its spire can been seen from 95km (60 miles) away.
"We weren't sure how high we could go," said Bill Baker of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, the building's structural engineer. "It was kind of an exploration... a learning experience."
Mohamed Ali Alabbar, chairman of Emaar Properties, the developer behind Burj Dubai, told the BBC that the building's design had posed unprecedented technical and logistical challenges, not just because of its height, but also because Dubai was susceptible to high winds and was close to a geological fault line.
"We have been hit with lightning twice, there was a big earthquake last year that came across from Iran, and we have had all types of wind which has hit us when we were building. The results have been good and I salute the designers and professionals who helped build it," he said.
BURJ DUBAI IN NUMBERS
# 95 : distance in km at which its spire can be seen
# 504 : rise in metres of its main service lift
# 57 : number of lifts
# 49 : number of office floors
# 1,044 : number of residential apartments
# 900 : length in feet of the fountain at the foot of the tower, the world's tallest performing fountain
# 28,261 : number of glass panels on the exterior of the tower
The design incorporates ideas from traditional Islamic architecture, while the open petals of a desert flower were the inspiration for the tower's base.
Burj Dubai will be home to 1,044 luxury apartments, 49 floors of offices and eventually a 160-room Armani-branded hotel. Around 12,000 people are expected to live and work in the tower, which is part of a 500-acre development.
However, investors are facing losses even before the tower is completed because property prices in Dubai have slumped amid the global economic crisis.
Some apartments were selling for $2,700 per sq ft, but are now going for less than half that. Analysts say it will be particularly hard to lease office space because few companies can justify paying premiums for luxury.
Emaar's government-owned parent company, Dubai World, meanwhile recently had to request a suspension in debt repayments, and Dubai had to turn to Abu Dhabi last year for bail-outs worth $25bn.
The BBC's Malcolm Borthwick in Dubai says developers are holding back on new flagship projects, so Burj Dubai could mark the end of an era for skyscrapers in the Gulf - at least in the short term.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/middle_east/8439618.stm
Published: 2010/01/04 13:43:04 GMT
VOA: 2009 A Good Year for Americana Music
Thank you for your time with my blogs and welcome back in the near future.
Although the final numbers won't be in for several weeks, it looks to be another tough year for the retail music industry. The slide in recorded music sales that began in 2001 showed no signs of ending this year. But not all the news is bad.
Katherine Cole | Washington 25 December 2009
Wilco's 'Wilco (The Album)' CD
Wilco's 'Wilco (The Album)' CD
There is no way around the fact that things are tough, business-wise. Billboard magazine reports that through the week ending November 29, U.S. CD sales plummeted nearly 20percent, and digital track sales rose at a much slower pace than last year, up less than 10 percent as compared to last year's 28 percent jump.
Music-wise, however, things weren't so gloomy. It was a very good year for fans of Americana music, with the roots-based style getting its own Grammy category in time for the annual awards in January. Among the five nominees is Wilco, who's CD, Wilco (The Album) is showing up on many critics "Best of 2009" lists.
Dylan, Cash release new albums
Bob Dylan
AP
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan released two very different-sounding albums this year. His Christmas album left critics and fans scratching their heads, trying to figure out if the singer-songwriter was serious. But Dylan's other release, "Together Through Life" was well-received. The album has a very "live" sound to it, and despite the bluesy sound, it's lighter in tone than its predecessor, Modern Times. There's even more than a bit of humor in the songs, especially "My Wife's Hometown."
2009 also saw the return of Rosanne Cash. Her CD, The List, has a very interesting history. When Cash turned 18 and started writing songs, her father, Johnny Cash, was concerned that she only knew the songs that were being played on the radio, and nothing else. He handed her a list of what he considered the 100 essential American songs. They include: "Girl from the North Country"; "Sea of Heartbreak"; and "500 Miles."
Mary Travers Dies
Mary Travers (2006 file photo)
AP
Mary Travers (2006 file photo)
"500 Miles" was also recorded by Peter, Paul and Mary on their 1962 debut. Mary Travers, the trio's glamorous blond who sang into the middle microphone, died in September after a long battle with leukemia. She was 72.
Singer-songwriter Gretchen Peters took up the guitar at age seven, and Peter, Paul and Mary songs like "Where Have All The Flowers Gone, were the first she learned to play. But it wasn't just Mary Traver's voice that attracted Gretchen. The harmony singing was equally important.
"That was a great education, just picking apart who sang what on the albums," Peters said. "Because sometimes, she actually sang lower than one of the guys. She would sometimes sing lower than Peter. And you'd have to kind of weed out [determine] who's singing what in the harmonies. It was not simple, simple stuff, but it was beautiful."
But not all the news was bleak in the folk music world in 2009. Lyle Lovett, Chris Smither, and Caroline Herring were among the many better-known artists who released new CDs. The year also saw notable music released by many lesser known artists, among them Lucy Wainwright Roche, Sometymes Why, and Amy Speace.
Cohen Earns Rave Reviews
Leonard Cohen's 'The Essential' Limited Edition CDLeonard Cohen's 'The Essential' Limited Edition CD
Folk fans around the world had another chance to see 75-year-old Leonard Cohen, as the legendary and formerly reclusive singer-songwriter criss-crossed the globe. In 2008, Cohen sold more than 700,000 tickets across 84 shows worldwide, and earning rave reviews from critics around the world. By the end of this year, the tour had stretched to 190 shows. And there is no end in sight. Tickets are now on sale for a series of March 2010 dates in France and Croatia, with more shows likely to be announced. 2010 will also see Leonard Cohen receiving a special lifetime achievement Grammy Award.
Cohen received more good news this year. His 2009 release, Live in London, which documents the tour in a double-CD set and a DVD concert video, is sitting atop many critics "Best of the Year" lists.
Although the final numbers won't be in for several weeks, it looks to be another tough year for the retail music industry. The slide in recorded music sales that began in 2001 showed no signs of ending this year. But not all the news is bad.
Katherine Cole | Washington 25 December 2009
Wilco's 'Wilco (The Album)' CD
Wilco's 'Wilco (The Album)' CD
There is no way around the fact that things are tough, business-wise. Billboard magazine reports that through the week ending November 29, U.S. CD sales plummeted nearly 20percent, and digital track sales rose at a much slower pace than last year, up less than 10 percent as compared to last year's 28 percent jump.
Music-wise, however, things weren't so gloomy. It was a very good year for fans of Americana music, with the roots-based style getting its own Grammy category in time for the annual awards in January. Among the five nominees is Wilco, who's CD, Wilco (The Album) is showing up on many critics "Best of 2009" lists.
Dylan, Cash release new albums
Bob Dylan
AP
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan released two very different-sounding albums this year. His Christmas album left critics and fans scratching their heads, trying to figure out if the singer-songwriter was serious. But Dylan's other release, "Together Through Life" was well-received. The album has a very "live" sound to it, and despite the bluesy sound, it's lighter in tone than its predecessor, Modern Times. There's even more than a bit of humor in the songs, especially "My Wife's Hometown."
2009 also saw the return of Rosanne Cash. Her CD, The List, has a very interesting history. When Cash turned 18 and started writing songs, her father, Johnny Cash, was concerned that she only knew the songs that were being played on the radio, and nothing else. He handed her a list of what he considered the 100 essential American songs. They include: "Girl from the North Country"; "Sea of Heartbreak"; and "500 Miles."
Mary Travers Dies
Mary Travers (2006 file photo)
AP
Mary Travers (2006 file photo)
"500 Miles" was also recorded by Peter, Paul and Mary on their 1962 debut. Mary Travers, the trio's glamorous blond who sang into the middle microphone, died in September after a long battle with leukemia. She was 72.
Singer-songwriter Gretchen Peters took up the guitar at age seven, and Peter, Paul and Mary songs like "Where Have All The Flowers Gone, were the first she learned to play. But it wasn't just Mary Traver's voice that attracted Gretchen. The harmony singing was equally important.
"That was a great education, just picking apart who sang what on the albums," Peters said. "Because sometimes, she actually sang lower than one of the guys. She would sometimes sing lower than Peter. And you'd have to kind of weed out [determine] who's singing what in the harmonies. It was not simple, simple stuff, but it was beautiful."
But not all the news was bleak in the folk music world in 2009. Lyle Lovett, Chris Smither, and Caroline Herring were among the many better-known artists who released new CDs. The year also saw notable music released by many lesser known artists, among them Lucy Wainwright Roche, Sometymes Why, and Amy Speace.
Cohen Earns Rave Reviews
Leonard Cohen's 'The Essential' Limited Edition CDLeonard Cohen's 'The Essential' Limited Edition CD
Folk fans around the world had another chance to see 75-year-old Leonard Cohen, as the legendary and formerly reclusive singer-songwriter criss-crossed the globe. In 2008, Cohen sold more than 700,000 tickets across 84 shows worldwide, and earning rave reviews from critics around the world. By the end of this year, the tour had stretched to 190 shows. And there is no end in sight. Tickets are now on sale for a series of March 2010 dates in France and Croatia, with more shows likely to be announced. 2010 will also see Leonard Cohen receiving a special lifetime achievement Grammy Award.
Cohen received more good news this year. His 2009 release, Live in London, which documents the tour in a double-CD set and a DVD concert video, is sitting atop many critics "Best of the Year" lists.
Memorial of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, religious
Thank you for your time with my blogs and welcome back in the near future.
January 4, 2010
Lectionary: 212
Reading 1
Responsorial Psalm
Reading 2
Gospel
Reading I
1 Jn 3:22–4:6
Beloved:
We receive from him whatever we ask,
because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him.
And his commandment is this:
we should believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ,
and love one another just as he commanded us.
Those who keep his commandments remain in him, and he in them,
and the way we know that he remains in us
is from the Spirit whom he gave us.
Beloved, do not trust every spirit
but test the spirits to see whether they belong to God,
because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
This is how you can know the Spirit of God:
every spirit that acknowledges Jesus Christ come in the flesh
belongs to God,
and every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus
does not belong to God.
This is the spirit of the antichrist
who, as you heard, is to come,
but in fact is already in the world.
You belong to God, children, and you have conquered them,
for the one who is in you
is greater than the one who is in the world.
They belong to the world;
accordingly, their teaching belongs to the world,
and the world listens to them.
We belong to God, and anyone who knows God listens to us,
while anyone who does not belong to God refuses to hear us.
This is how we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of deceit.
Responsorial Psalm
2:7bc-8, 10-12a
R. (8ab) I will give you all the nations for an inheritance.
The LORD said to me, “you are my Son;
this day I have begotten you.
Ask of me and I will give you
the nations for an inheritance
and the ends of the earth for your possession.”
R. I will give you all the nations for an inheritance.
And now, O kings, give heed;
take warning, you rulers of the earth.
Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice before him;
with trembling rejoice.
R. I will give you all the nations for an inheritance.
Gospel
Mt 4:12-17, 23-25
When Jesus heard that John had been arrested,
he withdrew to Galilee.
He left Nazareth and went to live in Capernaum by the sea,
in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali,
that what had been said through Isaiah the prophet
might be fulfilled:
Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali,
the way to the sea, beyond the Jordan,
Galilee of the Gentiles,
the people who sit in darkness
have seen a great light,
on those dwelling in a land overshadowed by death
light has arisen.
From that time on, Jesus began to preach and say,
“Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
He went around all of Galilee,
teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom,
and curing every disease and illness among the people.
His fame spread to all of Syria,
and they brought to him all who were sick with various diseases
and racked with pain,
those who were possessed, lunatics, and paralytics,
and he cured them.
And great crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, and Judea,
and from beyond the Jordan followed him.
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Daily Reading: The Epiphany of the Lord
Thank you for your time with my blogs and welcome back in the near future.
January 3, 2010
Lectionary: 20
Reading 1
Responsorial Psalm
Reading 2
Gospel
Reading I
Is 60:1-6
Rise up in splendor, Jerusalem! Your light has come,
the glory of the Lord shines upon you.
See, darkness covers the earth,
and thick clouds cover the peoples;
but upon you the LORD shines,
and over you appears his glory.
Nations shall walk by your light,
and kings by your shining radiance.
Raise your eyes and look about;
they all gather and come to you:
your sons come from afar,
and your daughters in the arms of their nurses.
Then you shall be radiant at what you see,
your heart shall throb and overflow,
for the riches of the sea shall be emptied out before you,
the wealth of nations shall be brought to you.
Caravans of camels shall fill you,
dromedaries from Midian and Ephah;
all from Sheba shall come
bearing gold and frankincense,
and proclaiming the praises of the LORD.
Responsorial Psalm
Ps 72:1-2, 7-8, 10-11, 12-13.
(cf. 11) Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
O God, with your judgment endow the king,
and with your justice, the king’s son;
He shall govern your people with justice
and your afflicted ones with judgment.
Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
Justice shall flower in his days,
and profound peace, till the moon be no more.
May he rule from sea to sea,
and from the River to the ends of the earth.
Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
The kings of Tarshish and the Isles shall offer gifts;
the kings of Arabia and Seba shall bring tribute.
All kings shall pay him homage,
all nations shall serve him.
Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
For he shall rescue the poor when he cries out,
and the afflicted when he has no one to help him.
He shall have pity for the lowly and the poor;
the lives of the poor he shall save.
Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
Reading II
Eph 3:2-3a, 5-6
Brothers and sisters:
You have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace
that was given to me for your benefit,
namely, that the mystery was made known to me by revelation.
It was not made known to people in other generations
as it has now been revealed
to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit:
that the Gentiles are coheirs, members of the same body,
and copartners in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.
Gospel
Mt 2:1-12
When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea,
in the days of King Herod,
behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying,
“Where is the newborn king of the Jews?
We saw his star at its rising
and have come to do him homage.”
When King Herod heard this,
he was greatly troubled,
and all Jerusalem with him.
Assembling all the chief priests and the scribes of the people,
He inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.
They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea,
for thus it has been written through the prophet:
And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
since from you shall come a ruler,
who is to shepherd my people Israel.”
Then Herod called the magi secretly
and ascertained from them the time of the star’s appearance.
He sent them to Bethlehem and said,
“Go and search diligently for the child.
When you have found him, bring me word,
that I too may go and do him homage.”
After their audience with the king they set out.
And behold, the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them,
until it came and stopped over the place where the child was.
They were overjoyed at seeing the star,
and on entering the house
they saw the child with Mary his mother.
They prostrated themselves and did him homage.
Then they opened their treasures
and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod,
they departed for their country by another way.
January 3, 2010
Lectionary: 20
Reading 1
Responsorial Psalm
Reading 2
Gospel
Reading I
Is 60:1-6
Rise up in splendor, Jerusalem! Your light has come,
the glory of the Lord shines upon you.
See, darkness covers the earth,
and thick clouds cover the peoples;
but upon you the LORD shines,
and over you appears his glory.
Nations shall walk by your light,
and kings by your shining radiance.
Raise your eyes and look about;
they all gather and come to you:
your sons come from afar,
and your daughters in the arms of their nurses.
Then you shall be radiant at what you see,
your heart shall throb and overflow,
for the riches of the sea shall be emptied out before you,
the wealth of nations shall be brought to you.
Caravans of camels shall fill you,
dromedaries from Midian and Ephah;
all from Sheba shall come
bearing gold and frankincense,
and proclaiming the praises of the LORD.
Responsorial Psalm
Ps 72:1-2, 7-8, 10-11, 12-13.
(cf. 11) Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
O God, with your judgment endow the king,
and with your justice, the king’s son;
He shall govern your people with justice
and your afflicted ones with judgment.
Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
Justice shall flower in his days,
and profound peace, till the moon be no more.
May he rule from sea to sea,
and from the River to the ends of the earth.
Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
The kings of Tarshish and the Isles shall offer gifts;
the kings of Arabia and Seba shall bring tribute.
All kings shall pay him homage,
all nations shall serve him.
Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
For he shall rescue the poor when he cries out,
and the afflicted when he has no one to help him.
He shall have pity for the lowly and the poor;
the lives of the poor he shall save.
Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
Reading II
Eph 3:2-3a, 5-6
Brothers and sisters:
You have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace
that was given to me for your benefit,
namely, that the mystery was made known to me by revelation.
It was not made known to people in other generations
as it has now been revealed
to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit:
that the Gentiles are coheirs, members of the same body,
and copartners in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.
Gospel
Mt 2:1-12
When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea,
in the days of King Herod,
behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying,
“Where is the newborn king of the Jews?
We saw his star at its rising
and have come to do him homage.”
When King Herod heard this,
he was greatly troubled,
and all Jerusalem with him.
Assembling all the chief priests and the scribes of the people,
He inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.
They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea,
for thus it has been written through the prophet:
And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
since from you shall come a ruler,
who is to shepherd my people Israel.”
Then Herod called the magi secretly
and ascertained from them the time of the star’s appearance.
He sent them to Bethlehem and said,
“Go and search diligently for the child.
When you have found him, bring me word,
that I too may go and do him homage.”
After their audience with the king they set out.
And behold, the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them,
until it came and stopped over the place where the child was.
They were overjoyed at seeing the star,
and on entering the house
they saw the child with Mary his mother.
They prostrated themselves and did him homage.
Then they opened their treasures
and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod,
they departed for their country by another way.
Saturday, January 2, 2010
And the Pursuit of Happiness
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Enjoy the most amazing story about the founding father of our country!
Happy New Year!
Enjoy the most amazing story about the founding father of our country!
Happy New Year!
NYT: In Boston, Where Change Is in the Winter Air
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January 1, 2010
By SARA RIMER
Boston — Here’s what you do: Fly into Logan International Airport here. Hop on the free No. 66 shuttle bus. Get off at the water taxi stand next to the Hyatt Harborside hotel.
Your water taxi, a blue-and-white 25-passenger boat, is waiting at the dock. You called ahead, from the bus. So what if it’s cold? Winter is a great time to visit Boston. Fewer tourists. Lower hotel rates. Ice skating and hot chocolate at the Frog Pond, on the Boston Common. But, not to worry, the water taxi is heated. Sit back on the white cushioned bench and prepare to enjoy the seven- or eight-minute trip across the harbor.
Your driver will identify the sights as they emerge out of the gleaming Boston skyline. The gold dome of Faneuil Hall, the copper dome of Quincy Market, the Custom House tower. He’ll point out Fort Point Channel, to your left, around the spot where they dumped all that tea in 1773.
And, a little farther south along the harbor, a stunning landmark of the new Boston that you’ve come to explore: the Institute of Contemporary Art. This glass-and-steel cube makes looking at the water as much a part of the experience as the exhibits inside, and has transformed this formerly desolate slice of South Boston waterfront since its opening three years ago.
You’ll arrive at the Fairmont Battery Wharf hotel. No, not the Fairmont Copley Plaza. That’s one of the grand dame hotels, in the Back Bay neighborhood. The Back Bay — Newbury Street, the Public Garden, the walk to stately Beacon Hill — is great. But you’ve done that.
You’re staying at the cool, new Fairmont boutique hotel, perched beside the northern edge of the North End, Boston’s Little Italy. Yes, that part of the waterfront. The industrial wharves have been revitalized. And now that after decades of construction, with its large cost overruns and charges of fraud, the Big Dig is finally done, replacing that hulking, traffic-clogged, elevated Central Artery with an underground highway, the North End, along with the waterfront, is newly accessible. As the boat pulls into the dock, a smiling bellman approaches with a luggage cart. The driver called ahead. The Fairmont Battery Wharf insists on such niceties. And, the really amazing thing, you don’t have to be rich to get this special treatment, or to score a luxurious room with a water view. At this time of year, rates can start at less than $200.
You pay your $10 boat fare. You check in. Then you stroll the narrow, twisting streets of the North End, one of the city’s oldest neighborhoods, full of cafes and restaurants and boutiques, and newly vibrant in the post Big Dig era. No longer do you have to thread your way beneath the Central Artery, with traffic rumbling nerve-rackingly overhead, to get between the North End and downtown.
Now you can walk boldly across Hanover Street, through the public plaza and park — underneath it is the tunnel that replaced the old elevated highway — that is the new Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway. Or you can just stand on Hanover Street on either side — the North End, or over by Faneuil Hall, or the Haymarket — and enjoy the striking city views. The city that was divided more than half a century ago by the Central Artery has been knit back together.
Continuing around the North End, you can check out the sights along the red brick Freedom Trail: the 18th-century Paul Revere house; the Old North Church, where the lanterns were hung in the steeple for Revere’s ride. Just up the street from the Revere House, a plaque on the wall at No. 4 Garden Court identifies it as the former home of John F. Fitzgerald, Boston’s legendary former mayor known as Honey Fitz, and the birthplace of his daughter, Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy.
If you’ve been reading Senator Edward M. Kennedy’s memoir, “True Compass,” the perfect book for a trip to Boston, you’ll recall that Honey Fitz led his grandson, an enthralled young Teddy, on history walks around Boston. When they reached the Old North Church, Honey Fitz, the most sociable of men, would hang out in front with the rector, catching up on the neighborhood politics, sending Teddy off to buy cannoli. The cannoli, at Mike’s Pastry, Modern Pastry and Maria’s Pastry Shop, are as irresistible as ever.
You might want to take a moment here to consider the senator’s monumental impact on Boston. That sparkling harbor you just crossed? You can thank Kennedy and former Representative Joe Moakley, who got the federal money to clean it up. And the Big Dig? With Tip O’Neill, the former speaker of the House, leading the way, Kennedy nailed the key vote for the Congressional override after President Ronald Reagan vetoed the federal financing.
By now you might be thinking of dinner. You could go to one of the traditional Italian standbys, but why not try something new? Like Neptune Oyster, with its raw bar and Paris bistro feel. Or vegan Italian, at Grezzo. Or you could eat French food, at the Michelin three-star chef Guy Martin’s new Sensing restaurant, which happens to be at the Fairmont Battery Wharf.
The next morning you get up early. You could go to a charming cafe in the North End for coffee and breakfast. But why go anywhere when there in your room is a silvery Nespresso coffee maker, and a stash of coffee capsules? You can make a perfect cup of coffee and admire the harbor views out your window.
There is so much going on — the Coast Guard installation on the next wharf; the ferries carrying commuters to the financial district from the nearby Charlestown neighborhood; the water taxis, tugs and tankers — that pretty soon you’re going to want to get outside and join the action. And learn about the history of the waterfront: Battery Wharf, for example. It is near where Paul Revere set off by rowboat in 1776 to Charlestown, where he borrowed the horse for his famous ride.
So you head out of the hotel, hang a right and make a quick stop at the Fairmont’s free, pocket maritime museum. You’re now on the HarborWalk, a 47-mile promenade — 34 miles have been completed so far — along the city’s historic waterfront, from East Boston to Charlestown to the North End and all the way to Fort Point Channel, South Boston and Dorchester. Anyone who builds along the waterfront has to provide a stretch for public access, as well as public restrooms, benches and attractive plantings.
Thanks to Vivien Li, executive director of the Boston Harbor Association, a nonprofit group, and the creative force behind the HarborWalk, the promenade is stocked with amenities. Like free binoculars. And they work.
You’ll find two pairs mounted at the back of the Fairmont. Keep walking, toward downtown, and you’ll notice more binoculars: on the promenade beside the Marriott, at Long Wharf, at the Boston Harbor Hotel, along Rowes Wharf, on the free observation deck on the 14th floor of 470 Atlantic Avenue.
Ms. Li wants visitors on a budget, especially families, to be able to enjoy Boston. So, for example, she suggests that you continue along the HarborWalk from the Fairmont to the New England Aquarium. You don’t have to pay admission and go inside. Just take the HarborWalk around the back and enjoy the seals frolicking inside the glass-walled mammals center.
A little farther along, you’ll come to the luxurious Boston Harbor Hotel. Feel free to wander into the lobby to admire the historic maps. Norman B. Leventhal, the developer, wants the public to enjoy the maps, which are part of his personal collection. You can also visit the well-appointed restrooms. Who says Boston is an unfriendly town?
Keep walking, to the Institute of Contemporary Art. Here again, Ms. Li thoughtfully points out, you don’t necessarily have to pay admission to enjoy the place. You don’t even have to go inside. You can sit on the bleachers rising from the HarborWalk, at the back of the museum, and take in the view: the harbor all around, the city skyline to your left, the planes overhead at Logan airport to your right.
You could spend all day at the museum, inside and out. But now that you’re here, you’ll also want to explore the evolving Fort Point Channel neighborhood, its streets lined with old industrial lofts and warehouse buildings that slowly are being reclaimed as commercial and residential space, with a few artists’ studios to give it a bohemian feel.
You can try Barbara Lynch’s newest restaurant, the popular, casual Sportello on Congress Street. At lunch and dinner its counter is abuzz with movers and shakers who walk over from the financial district. Ms. Lynch, who grew up in a South Boston housing project, is a chef goddess in this town. Around the corner is Flour, a bakery and cafe where you can order sandwiches, salads and homemade desserts.
There are still artists around, though not nearly as many as there used to be. You can stop in at the galleries at 300 Summer Street, and further down Summer Street at the Boston Convention Center is a show of local artists, including the gritty urban landscapes of Vincent Crotty. Eventually you’ll get back on the HarborWalk. If you’re feeling really ambitious and energetic, you can take it all the way to Dorchester, to the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum. Or head down to the dock and take the water taxi back to the Fairmont Battery Wharf.
IF YOU GO
WHAT TO DO
For water taxi service from Logan International Airport: bostonharborwatertaxi.com, citywatertaxi.com, roweswharfwatertaxi.com.
The Institute of Contemporary Art (100 Northern Avenue; 617-478-3100, icaboston.org) is open Tuesday through Sunday. Closed Mondays except for some holidays.
Maps and information about the Freedom Trail and HarborWalk are at thefreedomtrail.org and bostonharborwalk.com.
The Artist Building at 300 Summer Street (300summer.org) is in the Fort Point Channel neighborhood.
The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum (866-535-1960, 617-514-1600; jfklibrary.org) is open daily except Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day.
WHERE TO EAT
Neptune Oyster, 63 Salem Street; (617) 742-3474, neptuneoyster.com.
Grezzo, 69 Prince Street; (857) 362-7288, grezzorestaurant.com.
Sensing, at the Fairmont Battery Wharf, 3 Battery Wharf; (617) 994-9001, sensingrestaurant.com.
Sportello, 348 Congress Street; (617) 737-1234, sportelloboston.com.
Flour Bakery and Cafe, 12 Farnsworth Street; (617) 338-4333, flourbakery.com.
WHERE TO STAY
Fairmont Battery Wharf, 3 Battery Wharf; (800) 257-7544, fairmont.com/batterywharf.
Daily Reading, Jan 2 of 2009- --Saint Basil the Great and Saint Gregory Nazianzen, bishops and doctors of the Church
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January 2, 2010
Lectionary: 205
Reading 1
Responsorial Psalm
Reading 2
Gospel
Reading I
1 Jn 2:22-28
Beloved:
Who is the liar?
Whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ.
Whoever denies the Father and the Son, this is the antichrist.
Anyone who denies the Son does not have the Father,
but whoever confesses the Son has the Father as well.
Let what you heard from the beginning remain in you.
If what you heard from the beginning remains in you,
then you will remain in the Son and in the Father.
And this is the promise that he made us: eternal life.
I write you these things about those who would deceive you.
As for you,
the anointing that you received from him remains in you,
so that you do not need anyone to teach you.
But his anointing teaches you about everything and is true and not false;
just as it taught you, remain in him.
And now, children, remain in him,
so that when he appears we may have confidence
and not be put to shame by him at his coming.
Responsorial Psalm
98:1, 2-3ab, 3cd-4
R. (3cd) All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.
Sing to the LORD a new song,
for he has done wondrous deeds;
His right hand has won victory for him,
his holy arm.
R. All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.
The LORD has made his salvation known:
in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice.
He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulness
toward the house of Israel.
R. All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.
All the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation by our God.
Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;
break into song; sing praise.
R. All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.
Gospel
Jn 1:19-28
This is the testimony of John.
When the Jews from Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to him
to ask him, “Who are you?”
He admitted and did not deny it, but admitted,
“I am not the Christ.”
So they asked him,
“What are you then? Are you Elijah?”
And he said, “I am not.”
“Are you the Prophet?”
He answered, “No.”
So they said to him,
“Who are you, so we can give an answer to those who sent us?
What do you have to say for yourself?”
He said:
“I am the voice of one crying out in the desert,
‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’
as Isaiah the prophet said.”
Some Pharisees were also sent.
They asked him,
“Why then do you baptize
if you are not the Christ or Elijah or the Prophet?”
John answered them,
“I baptize with water;
but there is one among you whom you do not recognize,
the one who is coming after me,
whose sandal strap I am not worthy to untie.”
This happened in Bethany across the Jordan,
where John was baptizing.
January 2, 2010
Lectionary: 205
Reading 1
Responsorial Psalm
Reading 2
Gospel
Reading I
1 Jn 2:22-28
Beloved:
Who is the liar?
Whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ.
Whoever denies the Father and the Son, this is the antichrist.
Anyone who denies the Son does not have the Father,
but whoever confesses the Son has the Father as well.
Let what you heard from the beginning remain in you.
If what you heard from the beginning remains in you,
then you will remain in the Son and in the Father.
And this is the promise that he made us: eternal life.
I write you these things about those who would deceive you.
As for you,
the anointing that you received from him remains in you,
so that you do not need anyone to teach you.
But his anointing teaches you about everything and is true and not false;
just as it taught you, remain in him.
And now, children, remain in him,
so that when he appears we may have confidence
and not be put to shame by him at his coming.
Responsorial Psalm
98:1, 2-3ab, 3cd-4
R. (3cd) All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.
Sing to the LORD a new song,
for he has done wondrous deeds;
His right hand has won victory for him,
his holy arm.
R. All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.
The LORD has made his salvation known:
in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice.
He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulness
toward the house of Israel.
R. All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.
All the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation by our God.
Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;
break into song; sing praise.
R. All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.
Gospel
Jn 1:19-28
This is the testimony of John.
When the Jews from Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to him
to ask him, “Who are you?”
He admitted and did not deny it, but admitted,
“I am not the Christ.”
So they asked him,
“What are you then? Are you Elijah?”
And he said, “I am not.”
“Are you the Prophet?”
He answered, “No.”
So they said to him,
“Who are you, so we can give an answer to those who sent us?
What do you have to say for yourself?”
He said:
“I am the voice of one crying out in the desert,
‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’
as Isaiah the prophet said.”
Some Pharisees were also sent.
They asked him,
“Why then do you baptize
if you are not the Christ or Elijah or the Prophet?”
John answered them,
“I baptize with water;
but there is one among you whom you do not recognize,
the one who is coming after me,
whose sandal strap I am not worthy to untie.”
This happened in Bethany across the Jordan,
where John was baptizing.
Friday, January 1, 2010
DW: New Year always holds promise of a better life
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Fireworks in Berlin on New Year's Eve
People around the world celebrate the New Year in all sorts of ways, but one thing unites them: the quest for luck in their lives. Germany has its own particular rituals when it comes to luck.
Whether it's eating lentils in Brazil, wearing flowers in India, or exchanging eggs in ancient Persia, for millennia people have performed rituals in their hope for a fresh start on New Year's Day - regardless of which calendar they use. They've also used different methods to get an inkling of what the future will bring.
In Germany, people regularly began Bleigiessen, or "pouring lead," to divine their futures around 1900, according to Alois Doering, an expert in regional traditions at the Institute for Applied Geography and Regional History (LVR) in Bonn. Records of the custom in Germany, however, date as far back as the Middle Ages.
A woman pours molten lead into waterBildunterschrift: Großansicht des Bildes mit der Bildunterschrift: What will the New Year hold?
It goes something like this: After a festive dinner on New Year's Eve, or Silvester, as it's called in German, people sit in a circle and alternately melt lead (or sometimes wax) on a spoon held above a candle. The molten lead is then poured into a vessel of cold water, where it immediately hardens.
The future in various shapes
The group then interprets the shape of the hardened lead, which becomes an indicator of what the future has in store for the lead pourer.
A ring or heart could mean marriage, an egg could herald an addition to the family,a tree could imply growth in one's capabilities, an angel could signify that the person will experience goodwill. And a boat or car could indicate an upcoming trip. There are also far-fetched interpretations, like the shape of a pineapple pointing to unrequited love.
A person holding a spoon full of lead over a candleBildunterschrift: Großansicht des Bildes mit der Bildunterschrift: Pouring lead has enjoyed greater popularity in recent years
Pouring lead is a custom that was practiced thousands of years ago in Ancient Greece. It was done throughout the year to understand not just what path one's personal life could take, but also to help forecast the political future, Doering noted.
Over the centuries and across continents, people have read everything from tea leaves, to coffee grounds, to crystal balls. Hundreds of years ago, as young women sat around peeling potatoes for dinner, they would try to "read" the letters of their future husbands' names from the peels on the floor, Doering said.
"But pouring lead is special because it's festive, which is why people like doing it as a group on New Year's Eve," Doering told Deutsche Welle.
Making sense of it all
He also noted that rituals in general - drinking champagne and kissing at midnight on New Year's Eve, baptizing babies, or remembering loved ones with a funeral service - are fundamental for communication between human beings and mark passages through life. Also, the more isolated people become, the more significant rituals are in re-establishing personal ties. People toasting to the New Year with champagne and decorationsBildunterschrift: Großansicht des Bildes mit der Bildunterschrift: Here's to the future!
As we progress in this world of high-tech or try to grapple with this financial crisis, fears among people begin to mount," Doering said. "And then people take an increased interest in superstitions, the irrational and the mystical."
Even if the lead predictions don't come true in the new year, at the very least they make for an entertaining New Year's Eve.
Author: Louisa Schaefer
Editor: Kate Bowen
NYT: Crowds in Times Square Celebrate 2010
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January 1, 2010
By SARAH WHEATON
Hundreds of thousands of revelers welcomed the new year in New York City’s Times Square, despite the rain, slushy streets and heightened security, capping worldwide celebrations that often emphasized the hopes for a more peaceful tomorrow.
The poor weather and tight security could not dampen the otherwise festive mood in midtown Manhattan, where the cast of the Broadway show “Hair” was among the acts to perform. People wearing oversized 2010 glasses rushed to grab hats proclaiming “Happy New Year” that were tossed into the crowd. But the mood of the times was perhaps best embodied by the famous ball that dropped at midnight in Times Square - which was “more energy efficient than ever before,” organizers boasted, with its 32,256 Philips Luxeon Rebel LEDs and covered in 2,688 Waterford crystals.
The celebration followed spirited festivities elsewhere. In Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, about 2 million people, most of them dressed in traditional white, gathered at Copacabana Beach. In Hyderabad, Pakistan, the street was dotted with little white lights, emanating from candles that peace marchers were holding. In Venice, a high tide that flooded low-lying parts of the city, including St. Mark’s Square, coincided with the midnight celebration.
And in the United States, the attention naturally was focused on Times Square.
"Coming here is a dream that many people have," said Francisca Lopez, 47, a tourist from Mexico, as she waved a noisemaker in the air. She had staked out a coveted spot on Broadway between 46th and 47th streets with her teenage son and daughter. "This is the first year that we’re living it."
In an interview on a live Web cast offered by the Times Square Alliance, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg reflected on the weather.
“Everybody always says that when you have a wedding and it rains, everybody’s going to be happy and have good luck,” Mr. Bloomberg said, standing under a blue umbrella. “This sort of guarantees that 2010 is going to be a great year.”
Gustavo Postal, 23, a Brazilian from Sao Paulo,, was part of the crowd that had spilled up Seventh Avenue to Central Park, huddling under awnings and doorways for shelter from the drizzle.
“I think it’s a great time to be here,” Mr. Postal said. “I think the weather is good. Not too cold. I’d rather it snow.”
About 20 minutes later, he got his wish, as small white flakes began to descend around 10:30 p.m. Many others wishes would descend from the sky at midnight, written on paper, with two tons of confetti at midnight.
The police department estimated that about a million people were gathering at the site. They were joined by thousands of officers, including 250 rookies, dispersed throughout the crowd, including some in plain clothes.
The tight security was evident at 50th Street and Broadway, where an officer kept watch over a damp pile of bookbags, which were prohibited inside the police barricades. Their owners had stuffed the contents of the bags in their pockets and abandoned them.
Elsewhere, celebrations were marred by tradition taken to the extreme. In the Philippines, hundreds of people were injured by gunfire and firecrackers — the result of a belief that loud noise will scare away evil spirits. A quieter ceremony took place at Zojoji, a large Buddhist temple in Tokyo, where worshippers released clear, helium balloons into the night sky.
In Las Vegas, officials closed Las Vegas Boulevard, as well as exits leading to the Strip off Interstate 15, The Las Vegas Review-Journal reported, in preparation for an anticipated 315,000 tourists gathering on the street famous for its ritzy hotels and gambling palaces.
Colin Moynihan and Karen Zraick contributed reporting for this article.
The Octave Day of Christmas: Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God
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January 1, 2010
The Octave Day of Christmas
Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God
Lectionary: 18
Reading 1
Responsorial Psalm
Reading 2
Gospel
Reading 1
Nm 6:22-27
The LORD said to Moses:
“Speak to Aaron and his sons and tell them:
This is how you shall bless the Israelites.
Say to them:
The LORD bless you and keep you!
The LORD let his face shine upon
you, and be gracious to you!
The LORD look upon you kindly and
give you peace!
So shall they invoke my name upon the Israelites, and I will bless them.”
Responsorial Psalm
Ps 67:2-3, 5, 6, 8
May God bless us in his mercy.
May God have pity on us and bless us;
may he let his face shine upon us.
So may your way be known upon earth;
among all nations, your salvation.
May God bless us in his mercy.
May the nations be glad and exult
because you rule the peoples in equity;
the nations on the earth you guide.
May God bless us in his mercy.
May the peoples praise you, O God;
may all the peoples praise you!
May God bless us,
and may all the ends of the earth fear him!
May God bless us in his mercy.
Reading II
Gal 4:4-7
Brothers and sisters:
When the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son,
born of a woman, born under the law,
to ransom those under the law,
so that we might receive adoption as sons.
As proof that you are sons,
God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts,
crying out, “Abba, Father!”
So you are no longer a slave but a son,
and if a son then also an heir, through God.
Gospel
Lk 2:16-21
The shepherds went in haste to Bethlehem and found Mary and Joseph,
and the infant lying in the manger.
When they saw this,
they made known the message
that had been told them about this child.
All who heard it were amazed
by what had been told them by the shepherds.
And Mary kept all these things,
reflecting on them in her heart.
Then the shepherds returned,
glorifying and praising God
for all they had heard and seen,
just as it had been told to them.
When eight days were completed for his circumcision,
he was named Jesus, the name given him by the angel
before he was conceived in the womb.
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