WFB : RIP

This is not the long post I have promised. Alas, it has taken a catastrophe to get me to the keyboard.

Réquiem æternam dona ei, Dómine.
Et lux perpétua lúceat ei.
Requiéscat in pace.
Amen.
Anima ejus, et ánimæ ómnium fidélium defunctórum, per misericórdiam Dei requiéscant in pace.
Amen.

William Frank Buckley, Jr. 1925-2008

I cannot recall exactly when I became aware of Bill Buckley's writing; no doubt it was about 5 minutes before I became aware of his genius. It seems that I have always read him, admired him, and on all but a few things agreed with him.
In 1980, when I was 16, I remember wanting John Anderson to win the presidency because I had bought into the liberal media's contention that Reagan was a loose cannon. Carter had already ruined the Democratic Party for me, and I became a Republican at the exact moment in history that Reagan fired the air traffic controllers. I have pulled for the GOP ever since, and I imagine that it was pretty early in my conservatism that I discovered WFB. Conservatism has never had a more intelligent, gracious, and humorous advocate, and I miss him sorely already just knowing that he is gone. I am at least fortunate in this : he wrote so much that I have many of his books yet to read, and then re-read. In that respect, like all great thinkers, he will never die.
His Catholicism was an indelible part of who he was, and I can gratefully say that his erudite voice was one of the many I have been blessed to hear calling me to return to Holy Mother Church. In politics and Faith he has truly been one of my earthly guiding lights.
As they said of Lincoln, now he belongs to the ages. He is without a doubt (or soon will be) in the company of "Dutch" Reagan, Jeanne Kirkpatrick, Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, and John Paul the Great. So many titans lost over the years of my adulthood. The Baroness Thatcher will no doubt be the next to escape to glory. It makes me even more grateful to have Benedict as our Pope; may it be many years before I have to note his passing here.
I went to the Cathedral this afternoon and prayed the Glorious Mysteries for you, Bill, in the Latin you loved so much. Though I never got to meet you in life, I look forward very much to our first conversation. RIP

III Lent

Just came from Confession, Mass, and Benediction at the Cathedral, the latter two in the Extraordinary Rite. I feel positively bathed, inside and out, in the Sacrament. What a gift ! Deo gratias !

I have neglected this for far too long, but again I have little time. Not having daily access to a computer puts a real damper on this, but I'm going to make a good long entry this week, no matter what.

Last weekend was the CHRP retreat at St. Mary's, and I must say it was a most excellent and moving experience. My many Evangelical friends would be pleased with the way it was conducted, though I doubt they would have been pleased with John, one of the visiting men from St. John Neumann Parish who sponsored the event. He was a lifelong Protestant with a voluminous knowledge of Scripture --until he attended a CHRP weekend and "made his submission to Rome" ! This evening we have a follow-up meeting to explore "formation". Later on that....

Yesterday was the 44th. anniversary of my Baptism, and last night (or tonight ? I'm not quite sure) the 28th. anniversary of the spiritual experience I had, a distinct calling to serve God, at little Rocky Hock United Methodist Church in VA. More on these later as well.

Ash Wednesday

It has been way too long since I've posted, and I have no time today, either. I hope to start back up with regularity soon; today I'll just post this Lenten prayer, courtesy of the inimitable Fr. Z :

"Sacrificium quadragesimalis initii sollemniter immolamus,te, Domine, deprecantes,ut per paenitentiae caritatis laboresa noxiis voluptatibus temperemus,et, a peccatis mundati,ad celebrandam Filii tui passionemmereamur esse devoti.
(Super oblata prayer for Ash Wednesday)

This prayer has roots in the ancient Gelasian and the Gregorian Sacramentary.

REALLY LITERAL VERSION:
Praying to You, O Lord,we solemnly raise up the Sacrifice of the beginning of Lent, so that through the exertions of the charity of penitence we may abstain from harmful pleasures, and, cleansed from sins, we may be worthy to be dedicated to celebrating the Passion of Your Son. "

May we all keep a holy Lent.

Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God :
That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.