Some quotes on death and light

“When he shall die,
Take him and cut him out in little stars,
And he will make the face of heaven so fine
That all the world will be in love with night
And pay no worship to the garish sun.”
― William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet

"One does not become enlightened by imagining figures of light, but by making the darkness conscious. The latter procedure, however, is disagreeable and therefore not popular.”
― C.G. Jung

“When you get to the end of all the light you know and it's time to step into the darkness of the unknown, faith is knowing that one of two things shall happen: either you will be given something solid to stand on, or you will be taught how to fly.”
― Edward Teller

“Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering
There is a crack in everything
That's how the light gets in.”
― Leonard Cohen

"I think that the dying pray at the last not 'please,' but 'thank you,' as a guest thanks his host at the door. Falling from airplanes the people are crying thank you, thank you. Divinity is not playful. The universe was not made in jest but in solemn incomprehensible earnest. By a power that is unfathomably secret, and holy, and fleet. There is nothing to be done about it, but ignore it, or see."

― Annie Dillard, Pilgrim at Tinker Creek

"Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him. May his soul, and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace."

"In the tender compassion of our God, the dawn from on high shall break upon us, to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, and to guide our feet into the way of peace." Luke 1:78

Always Check the Date

I am pained to say that a couple of readers were upset by our last post, thinking it an affront to the Holy Father. I assure you, none was meant. It was merely an April Fool's jest from my all-too-satirical sense of humor. When March ends, always check the dateline of any story. And try to laugh at silliness.

Pope Francis Announces He Will Canonize the Living

Vatican, 4/1/2016---In a move to streamline the Church's procedures for making new saints, Pope Francis will begin canonizing living persons. Although a departure from the customary process, which required proven miracles and a gradual elevation to the honors of the altar, the Holy Father expects his new program to be met with universal approbation. "The new canonizations will incur far less bureaucracy and the expense of prosecuting the cause of a saint," said Father Federico Lombardi, Vatican communications director. "And dropping the requirement that the proposed saint actually be dead will render the process fairer, because it will exclude no one." Instead of a lengthy process carried on my religious communities, bishops, or other elites, the new criteria will speed up the progress by incorporating the latest technology, Lombardi said. "For the first time, the Catholic faithful will have a direct say in who becomes a saint. They will be able to vote in an online poll for their favorite candidate, living or dead," he added. As an expression of ecumenical spirit, non-Catholics will also be allowed to vote. "We are an inclusive Church," Lombardi said, "and we want our feast days to reflect that."