Lambs for God

Today, the feast of St. Agnes, Pope Leo XIV was presented two lambs. The animals were later blessed, and the wool from the lambs will be used to make the pallia, a band of white wool with black crosses worn by metropolitan archbishops, given to them by the pope.

The lamb blessing on the feast of St. Agnes going back at least 500 years. St. Agnes, a virgin martyr from the 4th century, is often depicted holding a lamb, as agnus in Latin means “lamb.” The lambs come from Trappist monks, who used to pay their rent with the lambs. In the summer, Benedictine nuns will use the wool to make the pallia.

The lambs presented for the blessing were decorated in red and white flowers and placed in baskets (to prevent them from running around during the blessing). Their adorable baaing could be heard during the pope’s prayer.

What a sweet tradition.

Monday Motivation: MLK

"Love is the greatest force in the universe. It is the heartbeat of the moral cosmos. He who loves is a participant in the being of God."

"True peace is not merely the absence of tension; it is the presence of justice." 

“Every time I look at the cross I am reminded of the greatness of God and the redemptive power of Jesus Christ. I am reminded of the beauty of sacrificial love and the majesty of unswerving devotion to truth.”

"We shall overcome because the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice."

"I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. This is why right, temporarily defeated, is stronger than evil triumphant."

When One Door Closes...

Between Christmas Eve and Epiphany, the four Holy Doors in Rome were closed, officially concluding the Jubilee. So much has happened since Christmas Eve 2024 when Pope Francis opened the Holy Door.

I did not plan to go to Rome, but I found myself there. There was no loud revelation, but the moments of grace have been dripping in ever since.

I never would have imagined that there would be an American pope. And then I found myself only a few feet away from him.

No need to mention all that has gone on in the country. But it’s clear to say the world is much different.

Open doors are invitations. They are thresholds into something new. There is an expectation that things will be different on the other side. We are invited to enter, to experience, to be changed. Holy Doors invite us to enter into God’s will, with the promise there is grace and blessings within. I am grateful I accepted that invitation.

The Jubilee is closed. Which feels like an ending, and a sad one at that. Does that mean this year is just…normal? But really, a jubilee is a reset; it is meant to make the going forward easier. It is a time of grace and forgiveness so that we can start anew, unburdened.

I don’t think this year will be unburdened; no time is. But that is why opportunities of grace are so important. The next invitation of grace probably won’t be as conspicuous as the large bronze doors of a basilica. But I hope that I will answer. And enter.

Happy Berchtoldstag!

Berchtoldstag is a holiday celebrated in Switzerland and Liechtenstein on Jan. 2. It celebrates Duke Berchtold V and the founding of Bern. 

Beyond its historical meaning, the feast day may allude to the word “berchten” which means to walk around asking for food. It’s also possible that it alludes to a word from the Middle High German “berhttac,” which means epiphany. The holiday seems to have taken hold in areas where Protestantism abolished the traditional celebration of Epiphany. So Berchtoldstag can serve as a sort of a replacement New Year / Epiphany celebration.  

Gatherings, folk dancing, and feasts are traditional ways to celebrate. There is also a large focus on eating nuts and nut-based activities. Children make hocks, four nuts placed together with a fifth placed on top.

In Hallwil, there is a parade which includes characters: the jumpfere dressed in white, the spielchärtler wearing a robe of playing cards, a character wearing holly or fir branches or straw, an old woman who sprays water from a pan, and the schnäggehüüslig wearing a snail shell.

I had never heard of this holiday until about a month ago. It sounds like a light-hearted, fun holiday.