A Gothic Mystery

Wake of Malice by Eleanor Bourg Nicholson is a mystery that called me by name.  The story had everything I like.  The setting is Ireland, around the turn of the twentieth century. There are gypsies, priests, vampires, romance, curses, demons, and my favorite exorcist, the friar, Father Thomas Edmund Gilroy.

The story begins with journalists Hugh Buckley and Freddie Jones assigned to go to write what's happening in an Irish Village.  A priest has been accused of stealing money. He is the second to be murdred.

When Hugh and Freddy arrive, the priest is accused of murder of the man he allegedly stole from. Other murders follow, in ritual, macabre manners, suggesting demonic activity.

One odd boy is accused.  Some gypsies are locked up.  The daughter of one of the victims, is suspected.

Our hero, Father Thomas Edmund is almost murdered, but he was found before he died, by Hugh.

What I enjoy about these mysteries is they're not creepy.  There's evil but it's not drawn out to creep you out.  Besides, Father Thomas Edmund always wins.  You can't figure out who's doing the murders and is the evil one, until it's time. Wake of Malice is easy to read and enjoy.

A Humbling Process

 Being a Lector is a humbling experience.  Probably delivering a sermon or homily, is even more so.

Not only does a Lector have to sashay up the aisle in procession holding the Book of Gospels up in the air like a ring-card girl announcing what round the fighters are performing. 

but once the Lector is standing at the altar, he has to look out over a sea of faces looking back at him.   The Lector can't wonder what the people are thinking.  He has to focus on his job--getting the Word across.  But you can still see sleepy people, questioning faces, etc.  One time, a man laughed out loud at my delivery!

How's that for humbling!

A Real Life Heroine

 Another book review: The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon is historical fiction.  The chief protagonist is Martha Ballard, a real person who lived in Maine, 1789.  Her family is real, probably taken from a census, but the story, a mystery, a thriller, a good tale.

The setting is next to the Kennebec River.  Martha is a midwife, but does quite a bit of doctoring, too.  When the minister's wife is raped, Martha takes her side.  Surprisingly, or maybe not, for those times, the people in the village, are not too sympathetic.  Her husband was not liked, and the villagers want him out.  Unfortunately, the raped yielded a baby.  Martha delivers in more ways than one.

The frozen Kennebec also yields a frozen body--one of the rapists.  Since he was accused, no one puts too much thought into it.  Good riddance.  But Martha sees that the victim was beat-up and hung.  The clues as to the perpetrators are throughout the chapters.  

Justice does prevail and life goes on.  Ariel Lawhon writes with compassion and a sense of history.  

Lenten Reading

 Arise from Darkness by Father Benedict J. Groeschel, CFR, was a good book to read, during Lent. I always enjoy reading Father Groeschel; I find him humorous in his practical assessments of situations and descriptions. I read a chapter, a day. Each chapter will put problems into perspective: death, tragedy, hardships, etc.  At the end of each chapter was a prayer addressing the topic of the chapter.

The end of the book were some interesting prayers to use as suggestions, for different life situations.  All in all, it was a helpful book.

Take the Hint

 When I went to see Father Linus, this morning, we naturally started the conversation with the weather, which is pretty nasty.  It's a cold, rainy day, but we added at least "we don't have the horrible weather the mid-west is having.

Nor the earthquake in Myanmar.  

Not to mention the wars, the violent uprisings, and protests, every country seems to be having!

Also, our own personal turmoil."

Immediately, I thought of my own turmoil.  Yesterday, my husband was hacked.  He thought he was talking to the police, but it was a scam.  The bad guys got a lot of our personal information.  We are trying to sort it all out.  Please pray for us.

Reflecting upon what Father Linus said about the violent, upsetting situations in the world and our own personal lives, maybe God is trying to tell people to come to Him.  I know I have turned to Him.  I hope others do, too.

Ecclesiastical Prayer Group

 Overtime, I've belonged to a couple of prayer groups.  They've been in parishes and we prayed for various things.  We would pray for any intention.  Some prayer groups even had prayer lines dedicated to callers' intentions, which varied.

Anyway, I'd like to know why the prayer group, "Prayer League of Emperor Charles for the peace of the people," was given the designation an "ecclesiastical prayer group," in 1963 by Benedict XV.  It seems like any other prayer group, I have known, only more of them, world-wide.

When Charles was born, Austria was teeming with discontent.  Remember the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand set off WWI. As a child, a stigmatic nun prophesized that Charles would have much trouble in his life as emperor and as a father and leader.  A prayer group was set up specifically to pray for him, as he grew.

Countess Karolyi cursed Emperor Franz Joseph because he executed her son.  

"May heaven and hell blast your happiness! May your family be exterminated! May you be smitten in the persons of those you best love! May your children be brought to ruin, and may your life be wrecked, and yet may you live on in lonely, unbroken and horrible grief to tremble when you recall the name of Karolyi!"

Ah, a prayer group dedicated to praying for the future Emperor would be a good idea. Charles died age 35, leaving behind 8 children.  The prayer group then prayed for his beatification, which did happen in 2004.  Now the prayer group continues to pray for varia, especially peace.

Last Words

 Assist

Last words before execution are the final statements made by individuals facing death, often reflecting their thoughts or feelings at that moment. These words can vary widely, from expressions of love to declarations of innocence or peace.

 Wikipedia the-independent.com

Auto-generated based on listed sources. May contain inaccuracies.

I just spent some time reading some "last words," some have spoken.  I find them odd.  What were they really thinking?  Did they understand where they were going?

Anyway, one who did understand, was Jesus.  Being omniscient, He knew He was going to be executed, and what did He say?

 Do this in memory of me.