Friday, April 15, 2005

The Feast of St. Hunna
is today. There is information on her here.
It is also the feast of Blessed Damien de Veuster,SS.CC., Priest.
The author Robert Louis Stevenson wrote an eloquent defense of him, which is a bit of a "proto-fisk" of a letter written by a Protestant minister.

My favorite part:

"Damien was COARSE."

It is very possible. You make us sorry for the lepers, who had only a coarse old peasant for their friend and father. But you, who were so refined, why were you not there, to cheer them with the lights of culture? Or may I remind you that we have
some reason to doubt if John the Baptist were genteel; and in the case of Peter,on whose career you doubtless dwell approvingly in the pulpit, no doubt at all he was a "coarse, headstrong" fisherman! Yet even in our Protestant Bibles Peter is called Saint.

"Damien was DIRTY."

He was. Think of the poor lepers annoyed with this dirty comrade! But the clean Dr. Hyde was at his food in a fine house.

"Damien was HEADSTRONG."

I believe you are right again; and I thank God for his strong head and heart.

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