Happy St. Alphege's Day & President Barack Unræd: St.Alphege, Pray for Us!

I love Mass at Sacred Heart, the little French Mission Chapel located east of Morgan Park at 116th % Church Street. It is a rickety little place, rickety simple souls pray for their families and community.

Mass is always said by retired priests of the Archdiocese or from the Missions. Smart old guys with miles of experience and leagues of learning.

Today's Gospel came from John - odd ball stuff usually. The tale of doubting Thomas and etc. but the treat came in the homily about St. Alphege* - English monk, hermit, abbot and adviser to King Ethelred.

King Ethelred the Unready sent Alphege to treat with the invading Danes. Ethelred the Unready. I went back to my Bright's Old English Grammar and Reader after Mass and recalled that unready or Unræd means -badly advised. Despite Alphrege's piety and learning the members of Witan (Anglo Saxon Council) pushed Ethelred to policies that caused England's enemies to defeat it at every turn Ethelred means 'Wise Council,' but the unfortunate kings full name is Æþelræd Unræd or 'Wise Council Unadvised.'

This put me in mind of President Obama a talented man Unready for the Presidency and Mal-Advised - or Advised by the Unwise.
President Obama The Unready - Barack Unræd

I do Hope that I am wrong. So, far President Obama has lived up to my very low expectations. Good Lord talk about unwise advice!

Janet Napolitano
Tim Geithner
Hillary 'Pirates Make Me Giggle' Clinto
Eric 'Y'all Cowards' Holder



Mad world! mad kings! mad composition!
John, to stop Arthur's tide in the whole,
Hath willingly departed with a part;
And France, whose armour conscience buckled on,
Whom zeal and charity brought to the field
As God's own soldier, rounded in the ear
With that same purpose-changer, that sly devil,
That broker that still breaks the pate of faith,
That daily break-vow, he that wins of all,
Of kings, of beggars, old men, young men, maids,
Who having no external thing to lose
But the word 'maid,' cheats the poor maid of that;
That smooth-fac'd gentleman, tickling commodity,
Commodity, the bias of the world—
The world, who of itself is peised well,
Made to run even upon even ground,
Till this advantage, this vile-drawing bias,
This sway of motion, this commodity,
Makes it take head from all indifferency,
From all direction, purpose, course, intent—
And this same bias, this commodity,
This bawd, this broker, this all-changing word,
Clapp'd on the outward eye of fickle France,
Hath drawn him from his own determin'd aid,
From a resolv'd and honourable war,
To a most base and vile-concluded peace.
And why rail I on this commodity?
But for because he hath not woo'd me yet;
Not that I have the power to clutch my hand
When his fair angels would salute my palm,
But for my hand, as unattempted yet,
Like a poor beggar raileth on the rich.
Well, whiles I am a beggar, I will rail
And say there is no sin but to be rich;
And being rich, my virtue then shall be
To say there is no vice but beggary.
Since kings break faith upon commodity,
Gain, be my lord, for I will worship thee.

Act II of King John



*St. Alphege
Feastday: April 19
1012


Archbishop and "the First Martyr of Canterbury." He was born in 953 and became a monk in the Deerhurst Monastery in Gloucester, England, asking after a few years to become a hermit. He received permission for this vocation and retired to a small hut near Somerset, England. In 984 Alphege assumed the role of abbot of the abbey of Bath, founded by St. Dunstan and by his own efforts. Many of his disciples from Somerset joined him at Bath. In that same year, Alphege succeeded Ethelwold as bishop of Winchester. He served there for two decades, famed for his care of the poor and for his own austere life. King Aethelred the Unready used his abilities in 994, sending him to mediate with invading Danes. The Danish chieftain Anlaf converted to Christianity as a result of his meetings with Alphege, although he and the other chief, Swein, demanded tribute from the Anglo-Saxons of the region. Anlaf vowed never to lead his troops against Britain again. In 1005 Alphege became the successor to Aleric as the archbishop of Canterbury, receiving the pallium in Rome from Pope John XVIII. He returned to England in time to be captured by the Danes pillaging the southern regions. The Danes besieged Canterbury and took Alphege captive. The ransom for his release was about three thousand pounds and went unpaid. Alphege refused to give the Danes that much, an act which infuriated them. He was hit with an ax and then beaten to death. Revered as a martyr, Alphege's remains were placed in St. Paul's Church in London. The body, moved to Canterbury in 1023, was discovered to be incorrupt in 1105. Relics of St. Alphege are also in Bath, Glastonbury, Ramsey, Reading, Durham, Yorkminster and in Westminster Abbey. His emblem is an ax, and he is depicted in his pontifical vestments or as a shepherd defending his flock.