Overcast but the blue sky in patches shows Phoebus at work...

And it is no colder than yesterday; if anything it feels marginally warmer. Today is the feast of the martyrs Saints Cletus and Marcellinus, popes (Introibo; at Wikipedia, Pope Saint Cletus and Pope Saint Marcellinus). This Marcellinus is not the one in the Canon Romanus; he may have given up the Faith in the persecution of Diocletian (it is all pretty murky; Saint Augustine evidently says he didn't) but by the end had returned to it and suffered martyrdom for it. Saint-Eugène is I think not streaming Holy Mass today. 

Dr Peter Kwasniewski at New Liturgical Movement this morning. 

.. The pandemic has only accelerated the already glaring differences between the traditional practice of Catholicism and its modern substitute. The loss of faith evidenced statistically is understandable, even predictable, given that the main catechism for most Catholics is the Mass. A concerted return to the traditional liturgy is not simply beneficial but necessary for the continued life of our churches. Bishops who do not grasp this in time will preside over the white-chasubled funerals of their cremated dioceses.

In the cycles of history, including the history of salvation unfolded for us in Scripture, we perceive times of exile, as well as the varied responses people make to their exilic condition. It seems that we are living in a peculiar time marked by institutional self-exile, as if the Church had become its own Pharaoh and Pilate. That is no excuse for failing to do what we can and must as children of Israel, as disciples of Christ; rather, it is the perfect opportunity to pray for and seek a return to Catholic tradition, having at its heart a liturgy that is worthy of-- and truly communicative of-- the most important work the Church does, and, consequently, that is capable of serving as the foundation for a coherent future. 

Saint-Eugène is streaming Mass in ten minutes or so, at 1000. One of the other people who follow the Mass over there pointed out that it is also the feast of Our Lady of Good Counsel. 

Post Vesperas. Such a lovely afternoon it became: breezy, sunny, Spring. Am going to watch 90 minutes of political discussion between Professor Chad Pecknold of the Catholic University of America and Professor... Burns, his name is, although I know nothing about him. Evidently there is a disagreement; no challenge with pistols at sundown, I trust, although judging from some Twitter texts about this conversation it seems that there are some sparks anyway if not flames. From a conference at the University of Dallas ten days or so ago.

 

It is also the feast of Saint Stephen (14th century), of Saint Paschasius Radbertus (9th century), and of Saint Riquier (7th century).

V. Et álibi aliórum plurimórum sanctórum Mártyrum et Confessórum, atque sanctárum Vírginum. R. Deo grátias.

LDVM