A Within-the-Octave of Easter post!

I really wanted to get this post up on Easter Sunday, but my work schedule on Saturday (13 hours), my sleep schedule, my visit-my-family-for-Easter schedule, and Easter Mass schedule all collided. Thusly, here is Easter's post:

The Easter homily of St. John Chrysostom

If any man be devout and loveth God, let him enjoy this fair and radiant triumphal feast! If any man be a wise servant, let him rejoicing enter into the joy of his Lord.

If any have laboured long in fasting, let him now receive his recompense. If any have wrought from the first hour, let him today receive his just reward. If any have come at the third hour, let him with thankfulness keep the feast. If any have arrived at the sixth hour, let him have no misgivings; because he shall in nowise be deprived thereof. If any have delayed until the ninth hour, let him draw near, fearing nothing. And if any have tarried even until the eleventh hour, let him, also, be not alarmed at his tardiness.

For the Lord, who is jealous of his honour, will accept the last even as the first. He giveth rest unto him who cometh at the eleventh hour, even as unto him who hath wrought from the first hour. And He showeth mercy upon the last, and careth for the first; and to the one He giveth, and upon the other He bestoweth gifts. And He both accepteth the deeds, and welcometh the intention, and honoureth the acts and praises the offering.

Wherefore, enter ye all into the joy of your Lord; receive your reward, both the first, and likewise the second. You rich and poor together, hold high festival! You sober and you heedless, honour the day! Rejoice today, both you who have fasted and you who have disregarded the fast. The table is full-laden; feast ye all sumptuously. The calf is fatted; let no one go hungry away. Enjoy ye all the feast of faith: Receive ye all the riches of loving-kindness.

Let no one bewail his poverty, for the universal Kingdom has been revealed. Let no one weep for his iniquities, for pardon has shown forth from the grave. Let no one fear death, for the Saviour's death has set us free. He that was held prisoner of it has annihilated it.

By descending into Hell, He made Hell captive. He embittered it when it tasted of His flesh. And Isaiah, foretelling this, did cry: "Hell," said he, "was embittered when it encountered Thee in the lower regions."

It was embittered, for it was abolished. It was embittered, for it was mocked. It was embittered, for it was slain. It was embittered, for it was overthrown. It was embittered, for it was fettered in chains. It took a body, and met God face to face. It took earth, and encountered Heaven. It took that which was seen, and fell upon the unseen.

O Death, where is thy sting? O Hell, where is thy victory?

Christ is risen, and thou art overthrown! Christ is risen, and the demons are fallen! Christ is risen, and the angels rejoice! Christ is risen, and life reigns! Christ is risen, and not one dead remains in the grave. For Christ, being risen from the dead, is become the first-fruits of those who have fallen asleep.

To Him be glory and dominion unto ages of ages.

Amen.

Oh! I DO remember something!

I think everyone who reads my blog knows I struggle with the fact that I'm into guys. If not, you know now. This next sentence will not seem to be related to the previous sentences, but it really is: I was reading an interview with Anne Rice (I believe it was in Christianity Today magazine) about her novel, Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt. CT has archived the article, so I'm not sure this is the right one. In the interview, she mentioned, and I'm paraphrasing horribly, that she didn't "disown" her previous works because they were her method of working the darkness out of her life. I've thought about writing a story, perhaps novel length, entirely for my own amusement, about a couple of twenty-something guys who are lovers but become chaste Catholics. There would be graphic sexual "scenes" in the work. This way I could work out my sexual feelings and my intellectual and emotional crises in story-form. I'm not sure I'll actually make the attempt, but am giving it serious consideration. I could follow David Shaner's lead and publish it in small installments online (David has two "series" on his blog). What have you, my reading public, to say about this?

A rather curious phenomenon occurs when I sit down at my computer.

It's one I've mentioned before, although I don't remember in which post. While I'm driving down the road, my mind thinks of many things I'd like to blog about. When I get home and sit down at my computer, they all magically leave my mind! And it's amazing how quickly the phenomenon occurs! It's 6:52am. I should be sleeping, right now, but I can't. My vacation started yesterday, and the night before I stayed up till sometime after 8am (I usually go to bed at 4 in the morning.) My intention was to go to bed early on Tuesday night, but I suffer from insomnia every once in a while, and I suffered from it on Tuesday night (which was really Wednesday morning, it being after midnight and all). So I slept till 4 in the afternoon. Now, I can’t get to sleep. I'm going to make myself stay up till noon, then I'll sleep till 3pm and hopefully go to bed early. I'm straying from the point.

Okay, so I forget whatever it is that I want to write about whenever I sit down in front of the computer. And I forget quickly. As I said above, I was trying to sleep, but my brain was active. It was thinking about things I can blog about. So I get up, turn on the computer, and promptly forget what I was going to write about! @#&!!