The St Andrew Novena

The St Andrew Novena, which as we've mentioned before isn't to St Andrew and isn't really a novena, begins today.

The text:

Hail and blessed be the hour and moment in which the Son of God was born of the most pure Virgin Mary, at midnight, in Bethlehem, in piercing cold. In that hour, vouchsafe, O my God! to hear my prayer and grant my desires, through the merits of Our Saviour Jesus Christ, and of His Blessed Mother. Amen.

The tradition is that it be said throughout the day a total of 15 times each day until Christmas day.  Mrs Vidal writes of it here and says

(It) is said to be instrumental in bringing many graces. An old Italian nun once told me it was supposed to be pondered fifteen times a day, rather like the prayer of the rosary, so that the soul comes to taste the meaning of the words, and enter into the ineffable mystery.

There isn't any history or explanation on the web that I've been able to find.  It's a shame.  I'd like to know more.

29 November

In the old Irish calendar this is the feast of St. Brendan of Birr. According to D’Arcy’s The Saints of Ireland he was descended from “the race of Fergus MacRoy, which was said to have produced more heroes and more saints than any other of the Celtic septs.” He was founder of the school of Birr which produced the beautifully ornamented “Irish book now in the Bodleian library, the Gospels of MacRegal (scribe and bishop, abbot of Birr, who died in 822).” quotes all from D’Arcy

One of the old  Irish calendars also gives  this day to St Fianait.  But  who was she?   The internet sayeth not.  All I have is  the name on the calendar.

In the Carmelite calendar this is the feast of Ss. Denis of the Nativity, O.C.D. and Bl Redemptus of the Cross, O.C.D.  Bl Denis had his throat slit and Bl Redemptus had his head split open by the natives of Sumatra when they refused to renounce Christ for Mohammedanism.

The Ancient Observance Carmelites have a  page in their honour here.

A collect from the old Carmelite breviary:

O God, Who in Thy wondrous providence, didst lead blessed Dionysius and Redemptus through the perils of the sea to the palm of martyrdom, grant through their intercession that in the midst of earthly vicissitudes and worldly desires we may remain steadfast even unto death in the confession of Thy name. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Otherwise, as we have mentioned before, the 29th of November is the  birthday of Vin Scully,  Archbishop Lefebvre, and Janet Napolitano.  And,  FWIW, Cary Grant and Cardinal Wolsey both died on this day, in their respective centuries,  of course.  Horoscope fans, make of that what you will.

And finally, I had  the third colonoscopy of  my life today and to the distress of a few, the relief  of my wife and me, and of no interest at all to most of humanity I do not have colon cancer.  Proving mostly, I suppose, that I should not compose blog posts when deprived of sleep and still under the influence of industrial strength sedatives.

Thinking of repairing your parish organ were you?

Not so fast.   Especially if you're in Spain, apparently.

Has it been that long?

Indeed it has.  Here it is almost Thanksgiving and The Inn has been sorely neglected since Walsingham Day.

Since our last exciting episode the Memsahib has acquired a new car, I've left the local pipe band  (on very good terms, to be sure;  just too many commitments that would require bilocation), the choir has been singing some challenging pieces (for me, anyway), the dem team for the LA branch of the RSCDS performed at the Seaside Highland Games and I did not make a complete ass of myself, I'm scheduled to play for the St Andrew's Ball and have hardly begun to practice, and between the two of us Herself and I have visited a small battalion of doctors, none of whom have found anything much but - just to be on the safe side - why don't we visit this next specialist to check out this piece of business which might be something untoward.  So we'll do that and with the help of God they won't find anything either.

And while puttering about on the web I found  this page, which is full of interesting ideas.  Not as juicy as Breitbart perhaps but it makes for variety.