I have a soft spot for sighthounds...
so I noticed this story. Perhaps people could ask St. Francis of Assisi to intercede for this lost dog .

After watching the way my rattie boys...
zero in on food, I'm not surprised by this at all.

The Feast of St. Onesimus
is today. There is information on him here.
It is also the feast of St. Gilbert of Sempringham, Priest and Founder.

The Catholic Carnival
is up.

On February 14, 1853...
Venerable John Henry Newman, C.O., wrote to a friend with sad news. One of the Fathers of the recently established Birmingham Oratory had gone to his reward:

I am just going to sing a solemn Mass for the soul of our dearest Father Joseph Gordon, the news of whose death came by telegraph at ten last night. You may think in what grief we all are ... God's will be done. It is quite taking away the Spring of our year, but St. Philip knows what he is about. When I was engaged in building this house, I kept saying "Now mind me, we shall have crosses to take up for so fine a place"—and we have had a succession so great, that we alone can understand them. We talked of the chance of bereavement—I think with dear Father Joseph—little thinking it would be he.

The Feast of Sts. Cyril and Methodius
is today. There is information on them here and here.
The feast of the Sts. Valentine is today. Some years ago, I posted a poem by the Venerable which he wrote for the young daughter of a friend. Here it is again:

Valentine to a Little Girl
by Venerable John Henry Newman, C.O.

Little maiden, dost thou pine
For a faithful Valentine?
Art thou scanning timidly
Every face that meets thine eye?
Art thou fancying there may be
Fairer face than thou dost see?
Little maiden, scholar mine,
Wouldst thou have a Valentine?

Go and ask, my little child,
Ask the Mother undefiled:
Ask, for she will draw thee near,
And will whisper in thine ear:—
"Valentine! the name is good;
For it comes of lineage high,
And a famous family:
And it tells of gentle blood,
Noble blood,—and nobler still,
For its owner freely pour'd
Every drop there was to spill
In the quarrel of his Lord.
Valentine! I know the name,
Many martyrs bear the same;
And they stand in glittering ring
Round their warrior God and King, —
Who before and for them bled,—
With their robes of ruby red,
And their swords of cherub flame."

Yes! there is a plenty there,
Knights without reproach or fear,—
Such St. Denys, such St. George,
Martin, Maurice, Theodore,
And a hundred thousand more;
Guerdon gain'd and warfare o'er,
By that sea without a surge,
And beneath the eternal sky,
And the beatific Sun,
In Jerusalem above,
Valentine is every one;
Choose from out that company
Whom to serve, and whom to love.

The Oratory.
1850.

It is also the feast of Blessed Vicente Vilar David, Martyr.

The Feast of Blessed Jordan of Saxony, O.P., Priest
is today. There is information on him here.