Mystic Monday: Dyngus Day Special

The Monday after Easter is known as Dyngus Day. In honor of that I am offering a special Mystic Monday. Today dear children we will visit with a Polish saint, St. Maximilian Maria Kolbe, a dear friend of mrangelmeg's and mine.

This particular saint may not be one who would be at first considered a mystic, but he did in truth have a mystical vision early on in his life. He saw the Blessed Virgin while at prayer. This is what he said later of that experience:

"That night, I asked the Mother of God what was to become of me. Then she came to me holding two crowns, one white, the other red. She asked me if I was willing to accept either of these crowns. The white one meant that I should persevere in purity, and the red that I should become a martyr. I said that I would accept them both."

He went on to become a Franciscan who worked as a great evangelist, and used radio and new technologies of the time to spread the Good News. During the early years of the Second World War he hid many Jews, protecting them from persecution and death at the hands of the Germans. For this he was eventually arrested and sent to Auschwitz where he died in the stead of another man in a retributional killing by the guards.

I leave you, dear children with this prayer of Maximilian's as he was being led away by the Gestapo with his brother friars.

Courage, my sons. Don’t you see that we are leaving on a mission? They pay our fare in the bargain. What a piece of good luck! The thing to do now is to pray well in order to win as many souls as possible. Let us, then, tell the Blessed Virgin that we are content, and that she can do with us anything she wishes” (Maximilian Mary Kolbe, when first arrested).

Pax

Dyngus Day Fun: mrangelmeg Guest Blog's from Florida

This was a from an email mrangelmeg sent a friend of our about his adventures on his TDY in Florida. Since Dyngus day is a day for fun and games I decided to spotlight it here because it is just too funny not to share with everyone:





...", I have tried my best to fit in with the locals down here.



I thought Florida was inhabited by old, retired people, but my experience has been that it is mostly young people, thousands and thousands of them, approximately in their late teens and early twenties.



In an attempt to blend in with my neighbors here at the Palms of Destin, each night I usually do five or six Jagerbombs and then spend the rest of the evening puking noisily off of my balcony. I have to be careful, though, because there are nine balconies directly above my own.



The locals must have a genetic hearing impairment because they all have to talk very, very, loudly to each other - even yelling most of the time. Alcohol seems to aggravate this condition because as they drink, they ... just ... get ... louder.



On a positive note, another misconception of mine was that youth tend to be very self-centered and focused only on their own accomplishments. However, these nice young people are always encouraging each other in various activities, especially related to intake of liquids, and removing articles of clothing. And, even though they have money to buy alcohol and drive Lexus convertibles, the natives must be fairly poor because they don't seem to be able to afford much clothing. Worse, most appear to be homeless, as they congregate in the streets, puking noisily, ... all ... night ... long. Poor things.

Anyway, I've got three more Jagerbombs to go before sunrise, and then a long drive home, so ...



all my love.

It's A Season Silly, Not Just a Sunday

I keep reminding my kids that Easter is a Season of the church year and not just a Sunday. Especially because our beloved and lately retired pastor used to breath a sigh of relief at the end of Easter Sunday Mass that Easter was Finally Over. Sheesh, where did that man go to Seminary I ask you?

Easter is a season, filled with celebrations and singing in the angelmeg household. I walk around singing Alleluia. Mostly because I haven't been able to use that word since before Ash Wednesday, but I sing it so often that the kids think I am a little off ( well even more off than usual.)

In honor of my Polish Nephew, and because the Knights are having a feast, we will be celebrating Dyngus Day this year. What is Dyngus day you ask? It is a day of merriment after the long fast of lent and the solemn celebration of Easter. It is often filled with pranks, and water. We refrain from that at the dinner of course, but my kids have already asked about stocking up on the American alternative, Silly String.

The other reason I like to celebrate Dyngus day is that it means another meal I neither have to cook or clean up after, which works for me! I only wish mrangelmeg weren't away on travel this week so that he could celebrate with us as he is the Knight in the family. Oh well our son is also a Knight and he will be our stand in "man of the house" tonight.

So, Happy Dyngus day to one and all and I hope you all celebrate the Season of Easter.

Pax