A Note From Tom: October 26th, 2011
Hey, everyone!
Happy Holidays!
“What!? Little early with all that, ain’t it?”
Well, not really. I guess, technically, we never really left the holiday season. If you snoop around enough, you find that everyday, somewhere is a holiday.
Take today, f’r instance. Did you know that…
…Today is the birthday of Giuditta Pasta, one of the greatest Italian sopranos of the 19th century? With a last name like that, she may have been the one they had in mind when they invented the saying, “The opera ain’t over ‘til the…”)
…and today’s the birthday of C. W. Post (1854), who invented Post Toasties and Post Grape-Nuts. He was a total health food nut (a health food “grape nut”) and wanted Americans to have lots health foods to fight off all their sicknesses. (Probably a good thing he died before Post Fruitty Pebbles was born!)
…and today’s the National Anniversary of the Gun-fight at the OK Corral. Actually, it’s isn’t a national holiday. But it was a good day for Doc Holliday!
…and, in many places in the world, today, October 26, is St. Culbert of Canterbury Day!
Speaking of saints we may or may not have heard of…
Yesterday was St. Crispin’s Day.
The reason I know is that someone sent me a St. Crispin’s card. (If St. Valentine’s Day cards are called “Valentine’s”, did I get a “Crisp”?) Actually, it was a St. Crispin’s Day text. From Lee! We both love St. Crispins Day because it reminds us both of a time on a Sunday morning at Triple C, when I ridiculously quoted the famous speech (which I had never heard of!) by Henry V from Shakespeare’s “Henry V”.
Since, I’ve NEVER read “Henry V” (and don’t know hardly a thing about the Henrys, whether there were XV or LV! Or CVX!) I could have been fined for quoting Shakespeare without a license! It’s actually a speech I found quoted in a book.
And, even tho’ I was WAAAY over my head, Shakespearily speaking, the speech IS awesome!
Hank, King of England, was trying to pump up the troops against the French on the day of the battle of Agincourt in 1415. And they needed some encouragement! They were all hungry…a long way from home…lots of them were suffering from chronic diarrhea (it’s what finally got Henry “in the end”)…
As he got ready to give his super-important pre-battle speech, he remembered that it was October 25, 1415…St. Crispin’s Day! It didn’t really mean much to the troops that it was the Day of Crispin.
‘But it could!”, yelled the King!
Henry was dirty, sick, and weak. So was everyone! But the fight was before them! They needed courage their hearts didn’t yet feel. Where would it come from? Courage would come from their memories of …the future!
Listen, weary warrior!
“…This day is call'd the feast of Crispian.
He that outlives this day, and comes safe home,
Will stand a tip-toe when this day is nam'd,
And rouse him at the name of Crispian.
He that shall live this day, and see old age,
Will yearly on the vigil feast his neighbours,
And say 'To-morrow is Saint Crispian.'
Then will he strip his sleeve and show his scars,
And say 'These wounds I had on Crispian's day.'
Old men forget; yet all shall be forgot,
But he'll remember, with advantages,
What feats he did that day.
Then shall our names,
Familiar in his mouth as household words-
Harry the King, Bedford and Exeter,
Warwick and Talbot, Salisbury and Gloucester-
Be in their flowing cups freshly rememb'red.
…And Crispin Crispian shall ne'er go by,
From this day to the ending of the world,
But we in it shall be remembered-
We few, we happy few, we band of brothers
(For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother)…
And gentlemen in England now-a-bed
Shall think themselves accurs'd they were not here,
And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks
That fought with us upon Saint Crispin's day!”
Wow!
Did you get it? This is a holiday that only a few notice. October 26. St. Culbert’s Day. (“Huh? Who?”) But you and I have battles to fight today! We have to be ready to fight…
…against temptations to do stupid things we could regret to the end of our days…
…against depressions or despair, when those we love NEED us to believe for today that God is always good and wise and loving…
…against accusations of an unseen enemy who brings absurd slanderous thoughts to our minds, we who are clean and bright in the Lamb of God, and him even trying (imagine this!) to make us believe those ridiculous thoughts come from our own hearts and not from him…
And when we fight…against temptations, doubts, despair, and the devil
…and when we win!
...angels and saints in heaven watch and cheer us! And years from now in Heaven, they will never forget that on this day, October 26, the year of our Lord 2011, you and I fought our battles and won!
Happy St. Culbert of Cantebury Day, everyone!