Data for Saturday, January 31, 2009

Saint of the Day --- John Bosco (1815 - 1888) -- priest, educator

Scripture of the Day --- Isaiah 51: 4-6 -- [Selection based on the Daily Office Lectionary in the Book of Common Prayer] --"Listen to me, my people, and give ear to me, my nation; for a law will go forth from me, and my justice for a light to the peoples. My deliverance draws near speedily, my salvation has gone forth, and my arms will rule the peoples; the coastlands wait for me, and for my arm they hope. Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look at the earth beneath; for the heavens will vanish like smoke, the earth will wear out like a garment, and they who dwell in it will die like gnats; but my salvation will be for ever, and my deliverance will never be ended." (Comment: In this passage, the prophet --- perhaps the second to write under the name Isaiah --- writes a message to the children of Israel worded as one coning directly from God. This comes in the same part of Isaiah as the "servant songs", which Christians understand as prophecies fortelling the coming of Christ, Jesus. So when Christians read "My deliverance draws near speedily ... my salvation will be for ever", we understand that Christ is our deliverance and through him (if we accept the covenat of Christ) our salvation will be for ever.")

Word of the Day --- ministered -- 1) attended to the wants and needs of others; 2) functioned as a cleric (pastor, priest, deacon, , etc.) or lay minister.

Place of the Day --- Kozel’sk (Козельск), Kaluzhskaya, Russia -- 54°01'52"N, 35°47'21"E - a town on the Zhizdra River and highway P-94 located 31 miles SW on the district capital, Kaluga and 132 miles SW of the Russian capital, Moscow (Москва)

Data for Friday, January 30, 2009

Saint of the Day --- Hyacintha of Mariscotti (1585 - 1640), Franciscan nun

Scripture of the Day --- Psalm 40: 5-6 -- [Selection based on the Daily Office Lectionary in the Book of Common Prayer] - Great things are they that you have done, O LORD my God! how great your wonders and your plans for us! there is none who can be compared with you. Oh, that I could make them known and tell them! but they are more than I can count. (NRSV)

Word of the Day --- licorice -- (alternate spelling - liquorice) - a perennial bush-like plant, Glycyrrhiza glabra, native to the Mediterranean area; 2) the dried, black, sweet tasting root of this plant; 3) a type of candy flavored with an extract from this plant. Photo of Glycyrrhiza glabra from http://www.pontefractliquorice.co.uk .




Place of the Day --- Durgāpur, West Bengal, India -- 23°29'48"N, 87°19'28"E - A large industrial city on the Damodar River accessible from highway NH2 and located about 90 NE of Kolkata (Calcutta), the capital of the province of West Bengal Photo of Durgāpur Steel plant from Wikipedia "Durgapur" article.

Data for Thursday, Janaury 29, 2009

Saints of the Day --- Lydia, Dorcas and Phoebe, three women of faith mentioned in the New Testament -- in Acts 16:11-15,40; in Acts 9:36-42 and in Philippians 1:1, 1 Timothy 3:8,12.

Scripture of the Day --- Psalm 118:14-17, 21-23 -- [Selection based on the Daily Office Lectionary in the Book of Common Prayer] The LORD is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. Hark, glad songs of victory in the tents of the righteous: "The right hand of the LORD does valiantly, the right hand of the LORD is exalted, the right hand of the LORD does valiantly!" I shall not die, but I shall live, and recount the deeds of the LORD. ... I thank thee that thou hast answered me and hast become my salvation. 22 The stone which the builders rejected has become the head of the corner. This is the LORD's doing; it is marvelous in our eyes.

Word of the Day --- baryons -- subatomic particles that are comprised of three quarks and which participate in strong interactions.

Place of the Day --- Sarcham-e Pā’īn, Zanjan, Iran -- 37°03'58"N, 47°56'42"E - a populated place on Highway A01, about 40 miles NW of the provincial capital, Zanjan and about 215 miles WNW of the national capital, Tehran.

Data for Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Placeholder Entry

Data for Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Placeholder entry

Data for Monday, January 26, 2009

Observance of the Day --- Conversion of the Apostle Paul (transferred from Sunday, January 25) In Acts 26:9-21, the story of this event is told (by the evangelist Luke) in the words of Paul testifying before King Agrippa, the King of Judea.

Scripture of the Day --- Galatians 1:13 - 17a, 22-23 -- [Selection based on the Daily Office Lectionary in the Book of Common Prayer] - For you have heard of my former life in Judaism, [says Saint Paul in this letter to the Christians in Galatia] how I persecuted the church of God violently and tried to destroy it; and I advanced in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people, so extremely zealous was I for the traditions of my fathers. But when he who had set me apart before I was born, and had called me through his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son to me, in order that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not confer with flesh and blood, nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me [for threee years and then visited Cephas there, and met with James , the Lord's brother, but stayed there only for fifteen days] ... but [then] I went away into Arabia; and again I returned to Damascus. And I was still not known by sight to the churches of Christ in Judea; they only heard it said, "He who once persecuted us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy."


Word of the Day --- cinnabars -- 1. moths of the species Callimorpha jacobaeae L. 2. (singular) a mineral, mercuric sulfide, often occring in a crystalline form, used as ore for the production of mercury 3. a shade of the color red characteristc of the mineral cinnabar

Place of the Day --- Abstatt, Baden-Württemberg , Germany -- 49°04'16"N, 09°17'34"E -a village about 6 miles SE of the city of Heilbronn and about 21 miles NNE of the provincial capital, Stuttgart.

Data for Sunday, January 25, 2009

Observance of the Day ---- Third Sunday after Epiphany

Collect: (prayer for intentions that align,more or less, with the scriptures readings which are designated for this particular Sunday) Give us grace, O Lord, to answer readily the call of our Savior Jesus Christ and proclaim to all people the Good Newsomf his salvation, that we and the whole world may perceive the glory of his marvelous works; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Scripture --- Selected from the Eucharistic Lectionary for Year B -- Mark 1:14-20 -- Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent, and believe in the gospel." And passing along by the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net in the sea; for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, "Follow me and I will make you become fishers of [people]." And immediately they left their nets and followed him., And going on a little farther, he saw James the son of Zeb'edee and John his brother, who were in their boat mending the nets. And immediately he called them; and they left their father Zeb'edee in the boat with the hired servants, and followed him. (RSV - The Bible text designated RSV is from The Holy Bible: Revised Standard Version. Copyright 1946, 1952, 1959, 1973 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. All rights reserved. Used by permission.) [Comment: This departure of the four disciples from their homes sounds pretty abrupt. But remember that Mark's gospel is a gospel of action; he wastes no words on filling in the details. I expect that God in his providence had caused the groundwork to be laid so that their decision to leave was the culmination of a series of fortunate events.]

Place of the Day --- Carrollton, Ohio, USA -- 40°34'25"N, 81°05'16"W --a town that is the seat of Carroll County, 25 miles SE of the city of Canton and 42 miles SE of Akron and 71 miles SE of Cleveland. This image of the Carroll County courthouse was uploaded from the Wikipedia article on "Carroll County"

Data for Saturday, January 24, 2009

Saint of the Day --- Francis de Sales (1567 - 1622), Bishop of Geneva

Scripture of the Day --- Psalm 43:3-4 -- 3 Oh send out thy light and thy truth; let them lead me, let them bring me to thy holy hill and to thy dwelling! Then I will go to the altar of God, to God my exceeding joy; and I will praise thee with the lyre, O God, my God. (RSV)

Word of the Day --- reload -- to place an additional quantity of material on a platform or in a receptacle from where it may be used or deployed; to empty a firearm of its expended shell, if necssary, and load it with more ammunition

Place of the Day --- Borisoglebsk, Voronezhskaya, Russia --51°22'34"N, 42°04'24"E - a town located about 126 miles ESE of the city of Voronezh, the district capital via Highway A-144.

Zeitgeist --- There's an old hymn (translated from Latin by Benjamin Webb) "Oh love, how deep, how broad, how high....that ... the Son of God, should take our mortal form for mortal's sake" And the following verses follow a pattern illustrated here by the fifth verse; "For us he rose from death again; for us he went on high to reign; for us he sent his Spirit here -- to guide, to strengthen and to cheer". And here is how Barak Obama saluted the builders of our nation, "the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things" "For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and traveled across oceans... . For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West; endured the lash of the whip and plowed the hard earth. For us they fought and died in place like Concord and Gettysburg; Normandy and Khe Sanh."

Data for Friday, January 23, 2009

Hero of the Day --- Ildephonsus, (? -667) , Bishop of Toledo --

The uploaded image is a representation of this saint in the framed detail from a painting by El Greco, as posting in the Wikipedia aticle for "Ildephonsus"

Scripture of the Day --- Mark 44:37-41 -- And a great storm of wind arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. But [Jesus] was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and [his disciples] woke him and said to him, "Teacher, do you not care if we perish?" And he awoke and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Peace! Be still!" And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. He said to them, "Why are you afraid? Have you no faith?" And they were filled with awe, and said to one another, "Who then is this, that even wind and sea obey him?" (RSV)

Word of the Day --- scarps -- lines of cliffs formed by the faulting or fracturing or warping of rock formations and and their subsequent erosion; escarpments

Place of the Day --- Somerseta, Preiļu, Latvia --- 56°07'55"N, 27°00'24"E -- a village on Highway P62 located about 16 miles SE of the city of Preiļu, the county seat and 25 miles NW of Daugavpils, the second largest city of Latvia. The uploaded image is photo of the Basilica of Our Lady of Aglona. Algona is a nearby village, close enough to include the village of Somseta in its municipal goverrnment.

Zeitgeist --- "When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child. But, when I became a man, I put away the things of a child. " So said St Paul (1st Corinthians 13:11). "... in the words of Scripture, the time has cometo set aside childish things." ---- "petty grievances and false promises ... recriminations and worn-out dogmas" So said Barack Obama in his inaugural address.

Data for Thursday, January 22, 2009

Saint of the Day --- Vincent of Saragossa ( ? - 304), Deacon and Martyr --

Scripture of the Day --- Mark 4:30-32 And [Jesus] said, "With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable shall we use for it? It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is [one of] the smallest of all the seeds on earth; yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all [forbs], and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade." (RSV, edited) [Note: The term "forb" is used to describe durable non-woody plants. The term "shrub" in the Bible connotes a woody plant, a category that does not include the mustard plant. The term "smallest of all the seeds" must be interpreted with respect to the natural history knowledge of the first century Judaean. I think the point is that if you seek the kingdom of God ,you will sow the seed for an outstanding life that will benefit others.]

Word of the Day --- wrangled -- 1) quarreled noisily, angrily or disruptively; 2) herded and cared for horses, or other livestock

Place of the Day --- Edendale, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa -- 29°38'54"S, 30°17'40"E - expressway exit / (former?) railway station - a central point in a area of dispersed rural settlement, 7 miles SW of Pietermaritzburg and 46 miles ENE of the state capital, Durban.

Zeitgeist --- "gathering clouds and rising storms" This would seem to be the phrase that President Obama's speech writer must have originally had in mind for the second paragraph of his inaugural address. It hangs together and makes a strong impression --- a little too strong evidently. In the actual speech a less pessimistic wording was used.

Data for Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Saint of the Day --- Agnes (291-304) of Rome, a martyr

Scripture of the Day --- Mark 4:14-20 -- [Jesus explains to his disciples the Parable of the Sower who plants the seed by casting it over the ground.] "The sower sows the word. And these are the ones [the people who react like the soil] along the path, where the word is sown; when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word which is sown in them. And these in like manner are the ones sown upon rocky ground, who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy; and they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away. And others are the ones sown among thorns; they are those who hear the word, but the cares of the world, and the delight in riches, and the desire for other things, enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. But those that were sown upon the good soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold." (RSV)

Word of the Day --- barre --1) a handrail mounted on a wall of a ballet studio to help dancers maintain their balance; 2) a fingering technique for a stringed musical instrument with a fretboard, whereby a finger is laid across the strings along a fret so as to stop the sound. Photo uploaded from http://www.flickr.com , contributed by Oude School under Creative Commons copyright

Place of the Day --- Deir ez-Zor, Syria -- 35°19'58"N, 40°08'27"E --a city on the Euphrates River in Syria, about 80 miles upstream (NW) from Iraq; it is a district capital on Highway 7, about 250 miles ENE of the national capital Dimashq (Damacus). Photo of an iconic Euphrates River bridge uploaded from http://www.flickr.com , contributed by hazy jenius under Creative Commons copyright.

Data for Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Saint of the Day --- Fabian ( ? - 250), Bishop of Rome

Scripture of the Day --- Ephesians 4: 17, 20, 22-32 -- Now this I affirm and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the [average people] do, in the futility of their minds ... You did not so learn Christ! -- Put off your old nature which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and put on the new nature, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. Therefore, putting away falsehood, let every one speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. Be angry but do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil. Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his hands, so that he may be able to give to those in need. Let no evil talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for edifying, as fits the occasion, that it may impart grace to those who hear. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, in whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, with all malice, and be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

Word of the Day --- yardmaster -- (in the US) an individual in charge of a railroad yard

Place of the Day --- Adul, Maharashtra, India -- 19°42'45"N, 75°32'05"E - a town on national highway 211 about 18 miles SE of the city of Aurangabad and about 183 miles ENE of the provincial capital, Mumbai

Data for Monday, January 19, 2009

Observance of the Day --- Confession of Peter the Apostle [tranferred from Sunday, January 18] On this day the church remembers how the Apostle Peter was led by God's grace to acknowledge Jesus as the Christ (Matthew 16:13-20), and join with Peter, and with all Christians around the world in hailing Jesus as our Lord, God, and Savior. (adapted from commentary by James Kiefer)

Scripture of the Day --- Ephesians 4:1-7 -- I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all lowliness and meekness, with patience, forbearing one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of us all, who is above all and through all and in all. But grace was given to each of us according to the measure of Christ's gift. [Comment: This is the continuation of a letter from the Apostle Paul, imprisoned in Rome --- or someone who has assumed this persona for pedagogic effect --- to the Christians in the city of Ephesus,; it's a combination of guidance and basic insruction in Christrianity 101]

Word of the Day --- earshot -- the range or distance over which one can hear or be heard [definition from the Compact Oxford English Dictionary of Current English]

Place of the Day --- Österfärnebo, Gävleborgs Län, Sweden -- 60°18'33"N, 16°47'52"E - this community is located on Highway 272 about 22 miles S of the town of Sandvik and 28 miles SW of the city of Gävle which is the political cener of this district.

Data for Sunday, January 18, 2009

Observance of the Day --- Second Sunday after Epiphany

Collect: (prayer for intentions that align,more or less, with the scriptures readings which are designated for this particular Sunday) Almighty God, whose Son our Savior Jesus Christ is the light of the world: Grant that your people, illumined by your Word and Sacraments, may shine with the radiance of Christ's glory, that he may be known, worshiped, and obeyed to the ends of the earth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Selected Scripture of the Day --- John 1: 45-51 -- Philip found Nathanael, and said to him, "We have found him of whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph." Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Philip said to him, "Come and see." Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and said of him, "Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!" Nathanael said to him, "How do you know me?" Jesus answered him, "Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you." Nathanael answered him, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!" Jesus answered him, "Because I said to you, I saw you under the fig tree, do you believe? You shall see greater things than these." And he said to him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man." (RSV) [Comment: The last verse is a reference to the vision of the patriarch Jacob -- Genesis 28:12-22 -- and a sign that Jesus would be in direct communication with God. BTW - John is the only one of the four gospel writer who mentions the apostle Nathanael, but he never mentions Bartholomew who is included by the other gospel writers in the list of the 12 apostles. As far as we know, the gospel references to Nathanael and Bartholomew pertain to the same person.]

Place of the Day --- Wannee, Florida, USA -- 29°43'06"N, 82°56'29"W - a rural settlement along the Suwanee River, about 5 miles ESE of the village of Bell on US Highway 129, and about 10 miles NE of the town of Trenton, the seat of Gilchrist County and about 36 miles W of the city of Gainesville.

Data for Saturday, January 17, 2009

Saint of the Day --- Antony (251-356 ), Abbot in Egypt The uploaded image shows Saint Anthony, the Abbot and Saint Paul of Egypt the hermit (remembered on Monday) in a detailed view of a painting by Diego Velazquez (Image found at http://cgfa.sunsite.dk )

Scripture of the Day --- Psalm 110: 1-4 The Lord says to my lord, "Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool." The Lord sends out from Zion your mighty scepter. Rule in the midst of your foes. Your people will offer themselves willingly on the day you lead your forces on the holy mountains. From the womb of the morning, like dew, your youth will come to you. The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind, "You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek." [Comment: Based on numerous New Testament references, acccording to a Bible commentary --- Jamieson, Fausset & Brown --- this Psalm celebrates the exaltation of Christ to the throne of an eternal and increasing kingdom, and a perpetual priesthood.]

Word of the Day --- mania -- 1) an intense enthusiasm, interest, or desire; 2) a craze; 3) violent abnormal behavior; 4) a manifestation of bipolar disorder, characterized by numerous and rapidly changing ideas, exaggerated gaiety, irritability or sexuality, and decreased sleep (definition based on entry in The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth EditionCopyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.)

Place of the Day --- Valia, Gujarat, India -- 21°34'21"N, 73°09'29"E - a town at the intersection of State Highways 13 & 165, 12 miles ESE of the town of Ankleshwar and about 16 miles SE (direct) from the city of Bharuch, the district center and about 108 miles SSE of Ahmadabad, the leading city of the Gujarat state.

Data for Friday, January 16, 2009

Saint of the Day --- Saint Fursey of Peronne (c.567 - 648) -- monk, abbot, missionary


Scripture of the Day --- Psalm 16: 7-11 -- I will bless the LORD who gives me counsel; *my heart teaches me, night after night. I have set the LORD always before me; *because he is at my right hand I shall not fall. My heart, therefore, is glad, and my spirit rejoices; *my body also shall rest in hope. For you will not abandon me to the grave, *nor let your holy one see the Pit. You will show me the path of life; *in your presence there is fullness of joy,and in your right hand are pleasures for evermore. (NRSV)

Word of the Day --- impersonates -- third person singular form of verb to impersonate - 1) to mimic (someone's) behavior, often for comic effect; 2) to assume the appearance of someone for dratamic or security purposes; 3) to assume the identity of someone, with respect to documents and credit cards, etc. for criminal or covert purposes.

Place of the Day --- Bramen, Jawa Tengah (Central Java), Indonesia --07°41'23"S, 110°36'10"E -- a village near Highway 2 about 2 miles NE of the town of Klaten and about 18 miles ENE of the independant city of Yogyakarta. Uploaded image shows Mount Merapi, a nearby volcano which had a major eruption in 2006. Photo by Eric Lafforgue, a small version of the image posted at http://www.flickr.com - © All rights reserved.

Data for Thursday, January 15, 2009

Saint of the Day --- Paul of Egypt (ca. 230 - 342) hermit

Scripture of the Day --- Ephesians 2:17-21 -- And [Christ Jesus] came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near; for through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord; in whom you also are built into it for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit. (RSV)

[AC Exegesis: The apostle Paul, or someone who adopted his technique of ministry, has written the above text as part of a letter to cetain Christians in 1st century Ephesis in Asia Minor, which is today part of Turkey. He is encouraging unity among believers from diverse backgrounds, whom, he says, are all citizens of the household of God, who is known to them through the Holy Spirit and and united in God's new temple, which is, figuratively, the entire Christian community (holy, catholic, diverse and apostolic), --- God's edifice, built with Christ as the chief cornerstone.]

Word of the Day --- adorably -- [behaved or acted] in a delightful, attractive or charming manner

Place of the Day --- San Marcos de Colon, Choluteca, Honduras -- 13°26'02"N, 86°48'39"W - a town on the Pan-American Highway, about 5 miles W of the Nicaraguan border and about 25 miles ENE of the district capital, Choluteca. As the crow flies, this town is about 50 miles SE of the national capital Tegucigalpa.

Data for Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Saint of the Day --- Sava (ca. 1175 - 1235) -- monk, Archbishop of the Serbs

Scripture of the Day --- Ephesians 2:1-2a, 3-5a., 6a -- And [God] made you alive, when you were dead through the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world. ... Among these we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, following the desires of body and mind, and so we were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ ... and raised us up with him... (RSV, modified)

Word of the Day --- homelands -- the territories of the place in which [someone] was born or where [somewhat] lives

Place of the Day --- Homeland, Polk County, Florida, USA -- 27°49'04"N, 81°49'28"W a village located along US Highway 17, about 4 miles S of the town of Bartow and about 15 miles S of the city Lakeland, which is the county seat.

Data for Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Saint of the Day --- Hilary of Poitiers (315-367) -- Bishop and Theologian

Scripture of the Day --- Isaiah 40:28-30 [...] The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary, his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint..

Word of the Day --- spenders -- people who pay out money in order to obtain goods or hie services

Place of the Day --- Deshkovka, Kaluzhskaya, Russia -- 54°00'28"N, 35°47'16"E a rural settlement, 2 about miles south of the town of Kozel'sk and roughly 40 miles southeast of the district capital of Kaluga.

Data for Monday, January 12, 2009

Saint of the Day --- Aelred O. Cist. (1109-1167) Abbot of Rievaulx

Scripture of the Day --- Ephesians 1:9-10,13-14 -- For [God the Father] has made known to us in all wisdom and insight the mystery of his will, according to his purpose which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fulness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. ... In him you ..., who have heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and have believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, which is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory. - (RSV) The Bible text designated RSV is from The Holy Bible: Revised Standard Version. Copyright 1946, 1952, 1959, 1973 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. All rights reserved. Used by permission..

Word of the Day --- manliness -- the trait of being manly, having the characteristics of an adult male (Note - The WOD is generated by a quasi-random algorithm applied to a datum entry specific and unique to this particular date.)

Place of the Day --- Kleidorf, Bavaria, Germany -- 48°31'11"N, 11°52'20"E -- a hamlet about 1 miles W of the village of Mauern, 9 miles NNE of Freising the district center and about 25 miles NNE of the state capital, Munich.

Data for Sunday, January, 11, 2009

Observance of the Day ---First Sunday after Epiphany: The Baptism of Christ

Orientation: For the past two weeks, the Church has been celebrating the birth of Jesus, as the incarnation of Christ. Now we fast forward 30 years ahead to the beginning of Jesus' ministry as the long-expected Emmanuel (i.e. God with us)

Collect: (prayer for intentions that align with the special observance and the scriptures readings which are designated for this particular Sunday) Father in heaven, who at the baptism of Jesus in the River Jordan proclaimed him your beloved Son and anointed himwith the Holy Spirit: Grant that all who are baptized into his Name may keep the covenant they have made, and boldlyconfess him as Lord and Savior; who with you and the HolySpirit lives and reigns, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen

Selected Scripture of the Day --- Mark 1:9-11 --In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. And a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased. (NRSV)

Place of the Day --- Delisle, Ohio, USA -- 40°01'11"N, 84°33'06"W - a village on highway 49 about 6 miles SE of the town Greenville, the seat of Darke County, and about 25 miles northeast of the city of Dayton.

Data for Saturday, January 10, 2009

Saint of the Day --- William Laud, (1573-1645) Archbishop of Canterbury, and Martyr -- He served during the height of the Puritan attacks against the traditions of the church. At the beginning of the English Civil War between the Parliamentarians and the Royalists, Parliament decreed Laud's execution without a verdict of guilty at his trial.

Scripture of the Day --- Isaiah 65:1-2 -- I was ready to be sought by those who did not ask for me; I was ready to be found by those who did not seek me. I said, "Here am I, here am I," to a nation that did not call on my name. I spread out my hands all the all the day to a rebellious people, who walk in a way that is not good, following their own devices. (Comment: Through the words of the prophet, God speaks to the ancient Hebrews and perhaps to the people of the today.)


Word of the Day --- trampoline -- gymnastic and recreational apparatus consisting of a Västervikstrong taut fabric attached to coil springs and stretched horizontally inside a metal frame so to permit a gymnast jump on the fabric surface and be propelled with upward force on the rebound.
Photo: Copyright © 2003 Eurotramp Trampoline http://www.eurotramp.com/Produkte.html

Place of the Day --- Ekvik, Kalmar, Sweden -- 58°04'42"N, 16°11'00"E - a rural community located near route 35 about 28 miles NE of the town of Västervik, and roughly 80 miles north of the provincial capital of Kalmar.

Data for Friday, January 9, 2009

Saint of the Day --- Adrian of Canterbury (ca. 630 -710) abbot

Scripture of the Day --- Psalm 122:1 -- I was glad when they said to me, "Let us go to the house of the LORD!"

Word of the Day --- hogan -- a traditional Navajo building used a house or a lodge; made with a wood framework with the doorway always facing east, the building is typically covered with earth.

Place of the Day --- Horta, Azores, Portugal -- 38°31'57"N, 28°37'35"W - the principal town on the island of Faial. Image by "fotoditzi" uploaded from http://www.panaramio.com and reduced in size © All rights reserved

Data for Thursday, January 8, 2009

Hero of the Day --- Nate Saint (1923 - 1946) and the martyrs of the Ecuadorean mission. For more information, several links may be found at last year's entry for this blog. http://accidentalcurmudgeon.blogspot.com/2008/01/wallpaper-for-tuesday-january-8.html

Scripture of the Day ---Psalm 113: 1-4 -- Praise the LORD! Praise, O servants of the LORD, praise the name of the LORD! Blessed be the name of the LORD from this time forth and for evermore! From the rising of the sun to its setting the name of the LORD is to be praised! The LORD is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens!

Word of the Day --- homesteaded -- past tense of verb"to homestead" - moved on to some rural land, built a house and subsequently conducted farming operations - (and, in the case of certain US government land, filed a claim for eventual owneship of the land under the provision of the Homestead Act)

Place of the Day --- Stranger, Texas, USA -- 31°19'36"N, 96°43'30"W - A settlement (possibly just a single ranch) on Ranch Road 1771, about 9 miles east of the town of Marlin, the county seat (Falls County), and roughly 25 miles SE of the city of Waco. [If there's a name of a popuated place on a map that Google Earth can find, Place of the Day may go there.]

Data for Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Saint of the Day --- Raymond of Peñafort, O.P. (ca. 1175 - 1275) legal scholar.

Scripture of the Day --- John 2:1-5 -- On the third day there was a marriage at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there; Jesus also was invited to the marriage, with his disciples. When the wine failed, the mother of Jesus said to him, "They have no wine." And Jesus said to her, "O woman, what have you to do with me? My hour has not yet come." His mother said to the servants, "Do whatever he tells you." [Observation: A message from Mary to you and me.]

Word of the Day --- blanches -- third-person singular simple present indicative form of the verb to blanch -- (transitive verb senses) to remove color or whiten something by bleaching or by removing sunlight, etc.; to scald something with boiling or hot water as a step in food proparation; to cause something to turn pale or white (intransitive verb sense) to turn white or pale

Place of the Day --- Bullas, Murcia, Spain -- 38°02'53"N, 1°40'16"W - 30 miles WNW of Murcia the provincial/regional capital

Data for Tuesday, January 6

Observance of the Day --- Feast of the Epiphany -- celebrates the manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles, i.e. the non-Jewish peoples of the world as told in Matthew 2:1-12.

Collect: O God, who by the leading of a star manifested your only Son to the Peoples of the earth: Lead us, who know you now by faith, to your presence, where we may see your glory face to face; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.

Scripture of the Day --- Ephesians:8b-12 -- This grace was given to me [says St. Paul in his letter to the church in Ephesus] to bring to the Gentiles the news of the boundless riches of Christ, and to make everyone see what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in* God who created all things; so that through the church the wisdom of God in its rich variety might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was in accordance with the eternal purpose that he has carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have access to God in boldness and confidence through faith in him.

Word of the Day --- replete -- abundantly supplied, filled to capacity

Place of the Day --- Replach, Grafenstein, Austria -- 46°38'10"N, 14°26'09"E - a hamlet between Haldach and Oberwuchl about 2 miles NW of the town of Grafenstein and about 4 miles east of the city of Klangenfurt, which is the capital of the state of Carinthia (Kärnten)

Saint of the Day --- John Nepomucene Neumann, C.Ss.R. (1811-1860) Priest, Bishop of Philadelphia

Scripture of the Day --- Hebrews 11:32, 12:1-2 [Words attributed to Saint Paul or a Christian writer of the same era writing to Jewish Christians] Time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets... Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God (RSV)

Word of the Day --- nonsectarian -- said of an organization or action that is not limited to, or for the benefit of, or directed toward a particular religion or religious sect or denomination

Place of the Day --- Warnerville, New York, USA -- 42°39'42"N, 74°30'17"W -- a hamlet in the Schoharie valley on Highways 7 & 10 about 1 mile WSW of the town of Cobleskill and about 25 miles WSW of the city of Schenectady. This location is near the northern limits of the Catskill Mountains.

Data for Sunday, January 4, 2009

Observance of the Day --- Second Sunday after Christmas

Orientation: On this Sunday (the 11th day of Christmas), the church is still celebrating the birth of Jesus and more importantly for us, the incarnation of Christ in human form. The church is also looking forward to the Feast of Epiphany (January 6th) which celebrates the visit of the magi (the three wise men), which is an early sign that the importance of Jesus will not be limited to the role of the long-expected Messiah for the Jews. In Jesus, the Divine Presence is made known for all the peoples of the Earth. AC

Collect of the Day: O God, who wonderfully created, and yet more wonderfully restored, the dignity of human nature: Grant that we may share the divine life of him who humbled himself to share, your Son Jesus Christ; who lives and regins with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen

An Anthem Text: But now as at the ending, The low is lifted high; The stars shall bend their voices, And every stone shall cry. In praises of the Child By whose descent among us The worlds are reconciled. Author: Richard Wilbur

Selected Scripture of the Day --- Ephesians 1:17-19 [In the words of the Apostle Paul writing to the Church in Ephesus] I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his great power. [Selected from among of the designated and alternarive readings of the Eucharistic Lectionary (ECUSA) for the Second Sunday after Christmas]

Place of the Day --- Echague, Isabella, Philippines -- 16°42'18"N, 121°40'34"E - a town located on Highway 5, about 28 miles SSW of Ilagan, the district capital and about 70 mile NE of the city of Baguio.

Data for Saturday, January 3, 2009

Saint of the Day --- Sainte Geneviève (422-502), Nun (Comment: 1000 years before Joan of Arc, she gave the people in France courage in the face of adversity)

Scripture of the Day --- John 10:7b, 9bc, 10b, 14-16 [Jesus said] I am the gate for the sheep. Those whoever enters through me will be saved. Wherever they go, they will find pastures. I have come that they may have life in all its fullness.... I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me, just as my Father knows me and I know the Father. I lay down my life for the sheep. And I have other sheep, too, that are not in this sheepfold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice; and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. (Amalgamated translation/paraphrase edited by The Accidental Curmudgeon)

Word of the Day --- colonialists -- those who advocate a policy of control by a nation over territory or people beyond its borders



Place of the Day --- National Park, Manawatu-Wanganui, New Zealand -- 39°10'25"S, 175°23'50"E - a village on the North Island, bordering Tongariro Natonal Park. It's located on State Highway 4 about 45 miles NNE of the city of Wanganui, one of the two urban centers of this amalgamated district. Uploaded here is a photo of nearby Mts. Raipahu & Tongariro which was posted at http://www.flickr.com/photos/tomraven/3040788436/ The photographer is identified as "TomRaven"

Data for Friday, January 2, 2009

The Saint of the Day --- Seraphim of Sarov (1759-1833) monk, mystic, priest

The Scripture of the Day --- John 6:37-40 -- [Jesus said to the people ] "All that the Father gives me will come to me; and him who comes to me I will not cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me; and this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up at the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that every one who sees the Son and believes in him should have eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day."

The Word of the Day --- referendums -- proposed laws or government regulations submitted for the approval of the voters in a general election, having been initiated by a legislative body, a commission or a petition from the people



The Place of the Day --- Messiger, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany -- 53°48'45"N, 12°54'59"E - a small town situated near a lake, Kummerower See and served by Route K34. This town is located about 8 miles SW of Demmin, the district seat (via Highway B194) and roughly 40 miles SE of Rostov, which is the largest city in this state, known in English as Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.


This view of Kummerower See was posted on http://www.panaramio.com by the contributor known as chpagenkopf.