The White Rose of Mary Magdalen

What a great idea for a post when I don’t have anything else to post about. Or, for when I have a lot to post about but no time to write about it.

Sombreuil Rose

Here is one of my sombreuil roses, which is doing pretty well out back. In fact they’re all doing well, except for the Lady Banks, also known as “banksia“, which never really got off the ground. I am determined to cultivate a Lady Banks at some point.

I was inspired by Fr. Stan Fortuna’s blog, in which he took a shot of a rose on a coffin and posted it. The CFR’s evidently have a charism of hipness and, while I don’t, at least I am not the only one posting a picture of a rose and calling it a day. And that after skipping two days. Of course, roses are a source of beauty, and sharing beauty is always worthwhile.

Last night I attended a lecture by Fr. Robert Barron. Well, let’s just say he doesn’t post pictures of roses and call it a day. His lecture was fascinating, although it was hovering slightly toward the periphery of my vast intellectual prowess, which absolutely surprised me. (Not.) But it was so interesting I used much of what he said in my Homily this weekend. Which was great for many reasons, the most obvious being that my Homily really needed a boost.

Humorous moment of the evening: a fellow in front of me asked Fr. Barron if he could provide some specific examples of what he was talking about, and Fr. Barron replied, “Well, that’s what the whole lecture was about.” I’ll bet the poor guy went right home and posted a picture of a rose on his blog. But the catchphrase between me and the friend with whom I attended the lecture was then, “Well that’s what the entire lecture was about.”

I’ll post the Homily tomorrow, with appropriate credit to Fr. Barron’s excellent lecture.

The Rev. Kenneth Allen