A Rosary for St. Joseph

The Rosary is a wonderful meditation on the life of Christ. It takes us through the joyful mysteries of his announcement and birth, to sorrowful thoughts of his passion, and finishes with glorious reflections on resurrection and heaven.

Recently, Luminous Mysteries have been added. These include the Baptism of Jesus, The Wedding at Cana, the Proclamation of the Gospel, the Transfiguration, and the Eucharist.

Jesus and Mary rightly deserve to be the primary focus of the Rosary. Yet, in this day and age, when so many families are fragmented for various reasons, it might be appropriate to include the Holy Family’s hidden years—thirty of them. To do this it might be helpful to reflect on the patriarch of the family, the man who is husband, father, breadwinner, and protector. Like so many husbands and fathers, strength of virtue embraces tenderness, courage, and lots of hard work. If the Holy Family was strong, it is because Joseph was strong.

Here then are some ideas that form a new series of mysteries of the Rosary that honor St. Joseph.

First Mystery: Joseph is betrothed to Mary

A young man falls in love with a beautiful virgin. He is engaged in the traditional Hebrew ceremony, which lasts a week or more. Joy is balanced against obedience—an established man betrothed to a young virgin who had vowed herself to God. The loveliest woman on earth is ready to share her perfect chastity with an equally chaste spouse.

Second Mystery: Joseph takes Mary into his home

Picture the delighted husband carrying his wife across the threshold. Fear about the child that is not his is now gone, thanks to the angel's message. Joseph joyfully shares his warm home, his carpenter shop, his dreams for the future with his pregnant Mary ready to protect and provide.

Third Mystery: Joseph Starts a New Life

The man faithful to the law endures the terrors in Bethlehem. Equally faithful to the call of God, he flees into Egypt. Like so many men who have to change jobs or job locations, Joseph must bring his little family to a strange land with a strange language and re-start his carpentry business, changing the styles to fit his Egyptian customers. In those early years he must protect Mary and Jesus and help them adjust to being away from home.

Fourth Mystery: Joseph Brings his Family to Nazareth

Think of the joy the Holy Family experiences in coming home to settle in Nazareth. The little carpenter shop soon is not just a workshop, it is a school where Jesus learns his father’s trade. There Mary, now safely among family can cook, keep house, tend her garden, and make clothes for her two charges. What delight to spend many years in the company of so virtuous a man as Joseph.

Fifth Mystery: Joseph Dies in the Arms of Jesus and Mary

According to tradition, Joseph was not present at the crucifixion. Instead, before those terrible days arrived, he died peacefully with Jesus and Mary at his side, thus becoming the Patron of a Happy Death. Let us reflect on the peace and joy of dying in the arms of Jesus and Mary.

White Christmas

White Christmas, starring Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye, warms the hearts of all who watch annual Christmas specials. Sitting on their favorite easy chair in their cozy living room, they can romanticize all they want. But do they really crave a white Christmas? Or are their White Christmas dreams just a fantasy?

Old timers are often called snow birds, not because they fly north to enjoy a White Christmas, but because they head south for warmer conditions. Arthritic joints like it hot, while unstable old legs seek less slippery sidewalks. They look for a holiday where they can take a walk in the park without wearing heavy coats or boots.

http://larrywall.hubpages.com/question/191323/does-living-in-a-snowy-area-have-more-advantages-or-disadvantages

If you had spent your first 20 years of life above 40 degrees of latitude, you might have a gentle view of snow. Munich, my hometown, is above the 48^th parallel. That translates into seasons that include a healthy sprinkling of snow in winter. Most people know the downside of winter, i.e. avalanches, white-outs, ice storms, black ice, and icicles—big ones that kill. There are power outages, and falling trees and power lines, not to mention frostbite. Even I can remember walking home in the snow with my toes nearly falling off and then bracing for the bite of them warming up painfully. Those who have grown up in snowy conditions know to dress, how to stay indoors, and how to rev up the generator. They’ve learned to survive in conditions fit for an Eskimo. A wintry trip to Wisconsin renewed memories:

Soft sheets furrowed white

Diamond sparkles in light.

Sugar coated red pines

Iced branches and lines

Snow-angels, snowballs

Ice skating and fun falls

Comet Lovejoy Still Bright

Comet Lovejoy continues to burn. Currently in the Corona Borealis it is dimming from its earlier appearance in Leo. Nevertheless, the comet is still fun to follow as he moves through the different star fields. Today's ephemeris are:RA 16 05 08 and the Declination is +34 41 55
What do the numbers mean? RA stands for Right Ascension. That designation refers to longitudinal lines superimposed on the sky. In other words, the numbers given are written in hours, minutes and seconds.
Yes, you've guessed right--Declination is equivalent to latitude and is written in degrees. The listed positions puts the comet squarely between  Kappa and Tau, the two stars on the upper border of the Corona. Both stars shine at nearly 5th magnitude.  The comet itself is dimmer. If you would like to follow the ephemeris which are calculated cometary orbits here is the link: 
http://in-the-sky.org/cometephem.php?obj=ck13r010 

Here's a page of Edmund's Mag 6 Star chart. It shows the RA and Dec. The pencil marks are the comet's position as seen two days ago.

COMET LOVEJOY

http://www.steamboattoday.com/news/2013/nov/11/comet-lovejoy-upstages-ison/

Lately many crystal clear nights have dazzled this amateur astronomer. Out in the wee morning hours (3 am through 5 am), the sky is studded with jewels.  The hunt for Comet ISON, expected to become naked eye within a week, goes on. One would think that a 10 x 50 binocular would haul it in. But no, the Virgo field of stars still cradles empty space. With such nightly disappointments over the proclaimed “comet of the century” amateurs like me happily stare at other things in the sky; for example, M-81 and M-82 or a quick sweep of Mars and Jupiter with its tiny moons. A satellite, a meteorite, a bolide now and then, like the one that streaked across the dipper last night, pumps the adrenaline.

Of course, other comets are in the sky in the pre-dawn hours.

http://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/highlights/The-Other-Great-Morning-Comet-231157211.html  

Encke and Lovejoy are up. My search of posted internet locations, as well as a look at my Edmund Mag-6 maps fixed the coordinates in my mind. According to reports, 3 am Pacific Time, since I live in Southern California, would be ideal for getting out under the stars.

Bingo! High in the sky just north of the sickle of Leo’s head, Lovejoy makes its appearance. No longer crushed by ISON’s poor showing, Lovejoy has stolen my astronomer’s heart. Bright as the Andromeda galaxy in my 10 x 50 Celestial Innovations Binocular with its 6.5 degree field, Comet Lovejoy kept me up through 5 am. Of course it’s rounder than the galaxy, has a brighter head and bulges slightly right, it's tail? Here's the best image as I saw it.

http://www.space.com/23580-comet-lovejoy-visibility-night-sky.html

So get out your binoculars!

http://vimeo.com/79188919 

This site shows both ISON and Lovejoy in time lapse video. Although ISON needs telescopic capability, Lovejoy puts on an almost naked eye show.

Comet Ison

From the Dome

Hats and Flags

Drill team is exciting. It’s also unnerving. Shay is a typical horse frightened by anything new. First practice had her whirling. I wasn’t on her.  It was the first time she saw a flag that was attached to another rider flapping in the wind.

The benefit of drill team is its knowledgeable leaders.  “I’ll take her,” Christine called out. She ponied her around the ring close to the flag about five rounds.  Then she said, “She’s ready.”

I mounted and followed the drill team around the ring inching closer to the flag. She did OK. Fast forward one week. Shay behaved well. After all, I’d trained her at home. Using our own flag I put her in our ring and let her run circles around me and the flag. She was willing to come close for a carrot. By the time we were done, she dared nearing the flag in order to enter her stall where I’d put some carrots.

The winds had been high, the sun bright. No hat would bear the brunt of the 35+ mph winds without blowing off my head; except one--an alpine fedora. For some strange reason, those head hugging hats were invented to withstand the alpine gusts. And they do. I’m so fortunate my late Auntie Hilde sent it to me many moons ago. I’d not used it except for Halloween “dirndl” costumes. This time, I wore it this time in my windy horse ring. It never budged off my head. My alpine ancestors were soooo smart!!!  

 

a windblown feather

Feast Of St. Francis

Today all you animal lovers should hug your pets. Francis loved not only birds and wolves but all of nature. We also ought to pray for our Pope, his namesake. He leads a simple life just as Francis did. Don't forget our priests who will be out today to bless numerous pets in Francis' honor.

Our own pet activities included:
1. Shampooing our accident prone rug with our little steam machine..

2. Shampooing our dog with our I-Pethead dry shampoo. Both she and the rug smell nice now.

3. Praying at our home Pet Cemetery with St. Francis.

Of course our other animals weren't left out. Shay the horse was well fed, but in her stall, because of today's high winds. Our eclectic taste-budded Bear the guinea pig got her lettuce, cilantro, carrot shreds, candied dry fruit and grass, and Dottie the dog got a change in diet to Pedigree, which she favors over the last mix of feeds. Her hair will stay long during the cold winter months. No trim for her.

Oh, and the clowns will get their fish flakes and the tank will be cleaned too. The sanitation crew snails will munch on the algae growing on the tank's rocks and walls.

Have a fun St. Francis day and love those wonderful beasties that brighten our lives.