Also, the reason why the earlier Latin translations were so defective is that they weren't official at all. They had been produced mostly in North Africa by anyone who wanted to make a translation. Bible scholars call it the Vetus Latina. The first place that the church operated in Latin was North Africa. The Roman church was found mainly among a Greek speaking minority at the time the Vetus Latina was translated.
"And behold, Wisdom, the albatross, has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the incubation period for her who was called barren; for nothing will be impossible for God."
I unironically want to be updated on the albatross story. I've always loved birds of all kinds, and albatrosses carry a certain kind of unexpected majesty to them. If I remember correctly, one genus, the wandering albatross, has the largest wingspan of any flying bird, reaching up to 11 feet--twice the height of many adults! They regularly circumnavigate the globe around the Southern Ocean, and it's possible that they are able to sleep as they soar, allowing for this unthinkably long flights.
Thanks JD! I’m an avid and enthusiastic birdwatcher, and I learned a lot more about albatrosses today thanks to you! This is one of my favorite weekly newsletters you have written. If I ever see an albatross in the wild, I’ll definitely try and get a photo and send it to you and Ed.
Being the lunatic that I am, I prefer to describe albatrosses as soaring or gliding. They flap their wings only when taking off and landing. They kind of lock their wings into place and so can travel thousands of miles on wind currents without ever coming to land. Like vultures, but much nicer.
> I pretended I knew about the poem just now so you all would think of me as literary and cultured.
One time I was in Half Price Books in the aisle *next to* the Christianity aisle, and the thought occurred to me that in some thread on the internet I had been quoting the one tagline from St Augustine that everyone knows "Lord make me chaste BUT NOT YET" (whimsical! relatable!), but that I had never read the book it came from (or, to be clear, any book by anyone whose name starts with "Saint"), and struck in the moment by a somewhat vain desire not to be intellectually dishonest (because I generally do not quote sources I have not read) I ventured into the Christianity aisle and bought Confessions of St Augustine and went home and read it, and someone could write an epic disaster poem about that also.
Soon after ending my prodigal it was suggested I read ‘The Confessions’.
Although I am an avid and fast reader, it took me two weeks to get through it. This was because - as a lot of (maybe most) men can relate to Augustine’s story - it hit me hard. Several times I experienced a kind of arrow in the heart reaction to what he described.
That book was very significant in maturing my faith in the Faith.
Later on I learned that many artistic images of St. Augustine of Hippo depict him with an arrow in his heart.
Not entirely relevant to anything but wanted to share that last night's observation of the IC marks the one year anniversary of my recommitting myself to the Church. I wept openly at the service last year (and have on multiple occasions since at sites and Masses related to Mary) and that was how I knew I was truly ready and not just back on a whim. (note that I do not cry often)
Last night I cried for a different reason: Only 6 of us attended a special evening Mass for those who work during the day. Half of that number was my family.
I thanked Father for doing it even though so few came, even after he made sure everyone knew it was available.
This sense of loss when compared to the Church of my teen years sometimes hits me really, really hard. I wish I knew how to help but I can barely help myself.
Thank you for sharing parts of your journey, Rob. That is disheartening that the mass was so lightly attended. The evening mass I made it to after my shift was attended by more people than I had honestly expected, but still far fewer than an average Sunday.
You helped by being there. I'm sure your priest appreciated your thanks. In a lot of ways, to be Catholic today is to marked by a sense of loss. Haunted by it even. That's something I struggled with as a convert on my own way into the church, and I can't say I really understand what to do in the face of that loss any more than you do.
Cost As low as $3,991 + ~$2,200 flight = $6,200/person
Honest question for all of the more erudite Rome travelers out there:
How does an average family with two adults and four young kids make a trip like this work?
I mean, yeah, leave the kids home until they get older and let them figure out a pilgrimage on their own, but how can an average middle class family with one working parent make this fit into their budgets (even just a parent's only trip)?
I see and hear people taking family pilgrimages to Rome, but I just can't pencil in how this would fit into a budget. The only solutions I see are "be less poor" and "put it on the credit card and pay the balance off in 10 years."
It's part of the reason that I am floored by those who think they need to take yearly Disney vacations. Am I just too safe with our finances that I am unwilling to put the family into debt for a fantastic event? I don't even know where to start when there is always mortgages, insurance, food, possible catastrophic vehicle repairs/replacement, and all of life's other known and unknown expenses to plan...
First of all, you're right. I couldn't afford to take my family on this trip or go on it.
Second of all, if you're paying $2,200 for a flight to Rome, you're dramatically overpaying.
But I take your point: This is not a trip for everyone, and, like I said, I couldn't afford it for my family. But Pillar readers have asked us to arrange a pilgrimage like this, and some people can afford it: retired people or families doing well. And if they're going to Rome, which is a great gift, we'd invite them to come with us, because we love Rome and would be glad to share it with those for whom it is accessible.
That it's expensive is why we're doing a raffle to be able to invite a pillar reader to come along with us for free, including airfare.
I'm very glad you're planning this pilgrimage so, please, nobody take what I wrote as criticism. I hope this trip gets fully booked in record time, as this looks like it would be tremendous fun, spiritual, and educational!
Yeah, the airfare was a shot from the hip since the airlines I saw weren't booking out this far (Google said the average price for a Dec. trip to Rome is $760 to $2,100 and I was planning for the worse with this being a busy time during a Jubilee). I guess my main point was that I'm not sure how so many people plan trips like this, especially for an inferior trip to Disneyworld. I'm trying to convince my kids that tent camping in Colorado next summer would be the best trip to have...even though they would miss out on a hotel with a pool.
For those of you who make this trip: Take lots of photos for me (and maybe a small prayer)!
Hi, Philip! I tent camped with my family in Colorado every summer for 10 years and it was our only mode of “whole” family vacation. Those are some of my most precious memories. God bless you and yours!
Hi Philip, just wanting to give my perspective here. We are a single income family with 10 children under 16 and we travel internationally quite a bit. Part of how we travel the world is homeschooling all of our children (not having to travel on a school schedule means things are much cheaper), my wife spends a lot of time searching for flight/airbnb deals, living near a cheaper international airport, and basically just prioritizing travel over other things. Last Christmas, we spent the month of December in Italy (Assisi, Rome, Florence, and Pisa) and our flights were 6k for all of us- so definitely lower than the Google projections. Every family is different but I just wanted to offer the “it is possible, even with 10 children!” view. I do work in IT, but at a university, so I’m not making Silicon Valley money. It’s just a big passion of ours to expose our children to the world and we make adjustments to make that possible.
I always jealously thought those travel blog people jet-setting around the world were so out of touch with the "reality" (read, my reality) of having a bunch of kids and needing to feed, clothe, and educate them according to the Greatest Commandment. Then you, Joseph, come along and burst my bubble of protection with a story like this.
Thank you for the bucket of cold water, and the intense inspiration to try to pull off something like this as well. Well done to you and your wife!
Another thing you could do, JD, is have some form where those of us Pillar readers unable to afford to go on the pilgrimage submit prayer intentions that those of you going on pilgrimage could pray for while you are there, and pray for all Pillar readers at the tomb of Pope Benedict XVI and lay a wreath or bouquet of flowers there at his tomb (I can‘t afford to go on the pilgrimage but I would gladly submit prayer intentions for you all going to carry with you and I would also chip in a little money towards a wreath or bouquet of flowers for you all going to lay at the tomb of Benedict XVI on behalf of all Pillar readers.
Just got back from a pilgrimage to Italy (so we won't be joining The Pillar's) where we visited the Holy House of Loreto. While there we heard a very reasonable explanation of how a portion of Mary's home in Nazareth came to be there. The story we heard is also found in this article from the National Catholic Register. https://www.ncregister.com/blog/the-holy-house-of-loreto-italy. Basically, the Angeli family, not angels, moved 3 walls of her domicile (the 4th wall being the back of the cave found in the Church of the Annunciation in Nazareth), stone by stone, from the Levant, eventually to the Italian peninsula, at the end of the time of the Crusader kingdoms there.
My wife and I recently had the opportunity to attend a Ukrainian Catholic liturgy. The bit where Father Deacon would step out from behind the iconostasis, raise his right arm holding his stole, and chant “Wisdom! Be attentive!” (or a couple of times just “Wisdom!”) may well have been my favorite part.
(Apart from receiving the Body and Blood of Our Lord, of course.)
About that albatross... a story, that seems to be true, was told in the book, _A Ship of Gold in a Deep Blue Sea_. The S.S. Central America sank in a hurricane in 1857 along with tons of gold. Many of the passengers drowned. Some of them were saved by a Swedish ship that had survived the hurricane. The Swedish captain was on deck as the storm cleared, when an albatross flew into his face and beat its wings. He took this as a sign of ... something .... and turned his ship at right angles to its path. Half an hour later he went right through the wreckage of the SS Central American and picked up a hundred of its drowning passengers. It was later determined through interviews with survivors and the captain that the albatross flew into his face just as the other ship finally sank.
Jerome did present Pope Damasus wiith the New Testament translation. The Old Testament translation was not completed until many years later.
Now I know!
Also, the reason why the earlier Latin translations were so defective is that they weren't official at all. They had been produced mostly in North Africa by anyone who wanted to make a translation. Bible scholars call it the Vetus Latina. The first place that the church operated in Latin was North Africa. The Roman church was found mainly among a Greek speaking minority at the time the Vetus Latina was translated.
"And behold, Wisdom, the albatross, has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the incubation period for her who was called barren; for nothing will be impossible for God."
One of the best comments I’ve ever read on the Internet! 🙂
*golf clap*
I unironically want to be updated on the albatross story. I've always loved birds of all kinds, and albatrosses carry a certain kind of unexpected majesty to them. If I remember correctly, one genus, the wandering albatross, has the largest wingspan of any flying bird, reaching up to 11 feet--twice the height of many adults! They regularly circumnavigate the globe around the Southern Ocean, and it's possible that they are able to sleep as they soar, allowing for this unthinkably long flights.
Thanks JD! I’m an avid and enthusiastic birdwatcher, and I learned a lot more about albatrosses today thanks to you! This is one of my favorite weekly newsletters you have written. If I ever see an albatross in the wild, I’ll definitely try and get a photo and send it to you and Ed.
Being the lunatic that I am, I prefer to describe albatrosses as soaring or gliding. They flap their wings only when taking off and landing. They kind of lock their wings into place and so can travel thousands of miles on wind currents without ever coming to land. Like vultures, but much nicer.
> I pretended I knew about the poem just now so you all would think of me as literary and cultured.
One time I was in Half Price Books in the aisle *next to* the Christianity aisle, and the thought occurred to me that in some thread on the internet I had been quoting the one tagline from St Augustine that everyone knows "Lord make me chaste BUT NOT YET" (whimsical! relatable!), but that I had never read the book it came from (or, to be clear, any book by anyone whose name starts with "Saint"), and struck in the moment by a somewhat vain desire not to be intellectually dishonest (because I generally do not quote sources I have not read) I ventured into the Christianity aisle and bought Confessions of St Augustine and went home and read it, and someone could write an epic disaster poem about that also.
Soon after ending my prodigal it was suggested I read ‘The Confessions’.
Although I am an avid and fast reader, it took me two weeks to get through it. This was because - as a lot of (maybe most) men can relate to Augustine’s story - it hit me hard. Several times I experienced a kind of arrow in the heart reaction to what he described.
That book was very significant in maturing my faith in the Faith.
Later on I learned that many artistic images of St. Augustine of Hippo depict him with an arrow in his heart.
Recalling this still brings tears to my eyes.
An epic disaster poem about you reading the Confessions, or are you talking about rewriting the Confessions in epic disaster poem style?
Really, I will applaud either.
The former (like a horror movie "no don't open that door" predictable things happen.)
I was thinking the same thing: "In truth, I wish The Pillar had been around back then. We would not have lacked for things to cover."
I too am sometimes shamed when I look up a quote and it's in the Bible...
I guess you're not an Iron Maiden fan
If this had been Ed's post, it certainly would have been the song of the week.
Not entirely relevant to anything but wanted to share that last night's observation of the IC marks the one year anniversary of my recommitting myself to the Church. I wept openly at the service last year (and have on multiple occasions since at sites and Masses related to Mary) and that was how I knew I was truly ready and not just back on a whim. (note that I do not cry often)
Last night I cried for a different reason: Only 6 of us attended a special evening Mass for those who work during the day. Half of that number was my family.
I thanked Father for doing it even though so few came, even after he made sure everyone knew it was available.
This sense of loss when compared to the Church of my teen years sometimes hits me really, really hard. I wish I knew how to help but I can barely help myself.
Thank you for sharing parts of your journey, Rob. That is disheartening that the mass was so lightly attended. The evening mass I made it to after my shift was attended by more people than I had honestly expected, but still far fewer than an average Sunday.
You helped by being there. I'm sure your priest appreciated your thanks. In a lot of ways, to be Catholic today is to marked by a sense of loss. Haunted by it even. That's something I struggled with as a convert on my own way into the church, and I can't say I really understand what to do in the face of that loss any more than you do.
Very good insights, brother! Thanks for sharing!
"Liked" only to show my solidarity with you in your suffering.🙏🏻
"Consider coming to Rome with us."
Cost As low as $3,991 + ~$2,200 flight = $6,200/person
Honest question for all of the more erudite Rome travelers out there:
How does an average family with two adults and four young kids make a trip like this work?
I mean, yeah, leave the kids home until they get older and let them figure out a pilgrimage on their own, but how can an average middle class family with one working parent make this fit into their budgets (even just a parent's only trip)?
I see and hear people taking family pilgrimages to Rome, but I just can't pencil in how this would fit into a budget. The only solutions I see are "be less poor" and "put it on the credit card and pay the balance off in 10 years."
It's part of the reason that I am floored by those who think they need to take yearly Disney vacations. Am I just too safe with our finances that I am unwilling to put the family into debt for a fantastic event? I don't even know where to start when there is always mortgages, insurance, food, possible catastrophic vehicle repairs/replacement, and all of life's other known and unknown expenses to plan...
First of all, you're right. I couldn't afford to take my family on this trip or go on it.
Second of all, if you're paying $2,200 for a flight to Rome, you're dramatically overpaying.
But I take your point: This is not a trip for everyone, and, like I said, I couldn't afford it for my family. But Pillar readers have asked us to arrange a pilgrimage like this, and some people can afford it: retired people or families doing well. And if they're going to Rome, which is a great gift, we'd invite them to come with us, because we love Rome and would be glad to share it with those for whom it is accessible.
That it's expensive is why we're doing a raffle to be able to invite a pillar reader to come along with us for free, including airfare.
If you think about it as a per night cost, with many meals and tours and etc included, the price is a bit more palatable. But i totally get it.
I'm very glad you're planning this pilgrimage so, please, nobody take what I wrote as criticism. I hope this trip gets fully booked in record time, as this looks like it would be tremendous fun, spiritual, and educational!
Yeah, the airfare was a shot from the hip since the airlines I saw weren't booking out this far (Google said the average price for a Dec. trip to Rome is $760 to $2,100 and I was planning for the worse with this being a busy time during a Jubilee). I guess my main point was that I'm not sure how so many people plan trips like this, especially for an inferior trip to Disneyworld. I'm trying to convince my kids that tent camping in Colorado next summer would be the best trip to have...even though they would miss out on a hotel with a pool.
For those of you who make this trip: Take lots of photos for me (and maybe a small prayer)!
totally get it. let's hang out when you come to colorado.
Hi, Philip! I tent camped with my family in Colorado every summer for 10 years and it was our only mode of “whole” family vacation. Those are some of my most precious memories. God bless you and yours!
same!
Hi Philip, just wanting to give my perspective here. We are a single income family with 10 children under 16 and we travel internationally quite a bit. Part of how we travel the world is homeschooling all of our children (not having to travel on a school schedule means things are much cheaper), my wife spends a lot of time searching for flight/airbnb deals, living near a cheaper international airport, and basically just prioritizing travel over other things. Last Christmas, we spent the month of December in Italy (Assisi, Rome, Florence, and Pisa) and our flights were 6k for all of us- so definitely lower than the Google projections. Every family is different but I just wanted to offer the “it is possible, even with 10 children!” view. I do work in IT, but at a university, so I’m not making Silicon Valley money. It’s just a big passion of ours to expose our children to the world and we make adjustments to make that possible.
that's awesome.
Awesome!
I always jealously thought those travel blog people jet-setting around the world were so out of touch with the "reality" (read, my reality) of having a bunch of kids and needing to feed, clothe, and educate them according to the Greatest Commandment. Then you, Joseph, come along and burst my bubble of protection with a story like this.
Thank you for the bucket of cold water, and the intense inspiration to try to pull off something like this as well. Well done to you and your wife!
Another thing you could do, JD, is have some form where those of us Pillar readers unable to afford to go on the pilgrimage submit prayer intentions that those of you going on pilgrimage could pray for while you are there, and pray for all Pillar readers at the tomb of Pope Benedict XVI and lay a wreath or bouquet of flowers there at his tomb (I can‘t afford to go on the pilgrimage but I would gladly submit prayer intentions for you all going to carry with you and I would also chip in a little money towards a wreath or bouquet of flowers for you all going to lay at the tomb of Benedict XVI on behalf of all Pillar readers.
Just got back from a pilgrimage to Italy (so we won't be joining The Pillar's) where we visited the Holy House of Loreto. While there we heard a very reasonable explanation of how a portion of Mary's home in Nazareth came to be there. The story we heard is also found in this article from the National Catholic Register. https://www.ncregister.com/blog/the-holy-house-of-loreto-italy. Basically, the Angeli family, not angels, moved 3 walls of her domicile (the 4th wall being the back of the cave found in the Church of the Annunciation in Nazareth), stone by stone, from the Levant, eventually to the Italian peninsula, at the end of the time of the Crusader kingdoms there.
Is that the same CUA that has over 500 million dollars in its endowment fund?
My wife and I recently had the opportunity to attend a Ukrainian Catholic liturgy. The bit where Father Deacon would step out from behind the iconostasis, raise his right arm holding his stole, and chant “Wisdom! Be attentive!” (or a couple of times just “Wisdom!”) may well have been my favorite part.
(Apart from receiving the Body and Blood of Our Lord, of course.)
Wisdom-a delightful name for a long-lived bird. And a virtue we all can use more of.
About that albatross... a story, that seems to be true, was told in the book, _A Ship of Gold in a Deep Blue Sea_. The S.S. Central America sank in a hurricane in 1857 along with tons of gold. Many of the passengers drowned. Some of them were saved by a Swedish ship that had survived the hurricane. The Swedish captain was on deck as the storm cleared, when an albatross flew into his face and beat its wings. He took this as a sign of ... something .... and turned his ship at right angles to its path. Half an hour later he went right through the wreckage of the SS Central American and picked up a hundred of its drowning passengers. It was later determined through interviews with survivors and the captain that the albatross flew into his face just as the other ship finally sank.
whoa.
The Genghis Khan of albatrosses: her progeny will dominate the genetic future of all albatrossdom!