Try to enter the narrow way...

Abba Matoes said that three old men went to Abba Paphnutius, who was called Cephalus, to ask a word from him. The old man said to them, 'What do you want me to say to you? A spiritual word, or a bodily word?' They said, 'A spiritual word.' The old man said to them, 'Go, and choose trials rather than stillness, shame rather than glory, and to give rather than to receive.' - Abba Matoes

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Thursday, January 07, 2010

St. Raymond 'of Pinafore'...


Today is the feast of St. Raymond, patron saint of denim jumpers, hence the title, 'of Pinafore'...
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Legenda aurea:
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King James of Aragon valued St. Raymond so highly that on several occasions he sent him on missions to the Holy Sea. At one time, however, he stoutly resisted Raymond's admonitions regarding chastity, and a miracle was required before the monarch would stop his amorous research associated with his theology of the body studies. This miracle took place on a vacation to the resort area of Majorca on which Raymond had accompanied the king in the hope of strengthening Christianity there. They had been on the island only a short time when Raymond discovered tabloid photos of the king cavorting on the beach with the courtesan Charo. The king refused to listen to Raymond's protests, and when Raymond threatened to leave the island, the king, who was afraid the story would be all over the media, threatened with death anyone who would give him passage. Thereupon, Raymond spread his pinafore on the water, set up his staff as a mast, and, having rigged up a corner of the garment as a sail, boarded this miraculous "boat," setting his course for Barcelona. He arrived there the same day, having covered 140 miles in about six hours...
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Happy feast day Ray of Stella!
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Truth be told...
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St. Raymond is actually known as of Penafort, his title being the name of his noble family.  When I was little, I used to think it was of pinafore - which so happens to be the correct term for a garment some women find themselves so attached to, otherwise known as jumpers.  I just embellished the story a wee bit to fit the clothing theme, for the true story of St. Raymond, go here.

9 comments:

Tara said...

ROFL! Terry you are such an excellent writer--you could make a ton of money writing fiction :) And, pinafores are about the most un-stylish clothing I have ever seen--like putting on a sack, no one should EVER wear them. Even worse than the dreaded capri pants on "large" women.

Anonymous said...

I call this sacrilege. I have only two saints by that name and I can never remember the other one (Nonantes??).

But I object strenuously to you mocking my main protector. And you ridicule my dreams of a magic cloak to cross waters, chasms and mountains and to save on gasoline.

St. Raymond of Pennafort was a man far ahead of his time.

You're just jealous cuz don't have any saints for whom you were named. I see a bunch of "St. Terrences" listed, but no "St. Terrance." Probably a pagan name, anyway.

And now I see that due to popular demand and modern research, probably on Google, there is now a plethora of St. Raymonds listed for me to investigate: Barbastro, Fitero, Capua, Toulouse, Bl. Raymond Lull (I may have to concentrate on some miracles for him), etc.

One of them might even have had the gift of bi-location, my real dream. A floating cloak was just a backup for bi-location.

nazareth priest said...

Thanks, Terry, for remembering St. Raymond.
He's only a commemoration in the Divine Office in the 1970 breviary, so some may have missed him.
And I ask prayers from everyone for Archbishop Raymond L. Burke on his name day?
We miss him in the La Crosse Diocese (and now we have no bishop since Monday when Archbishop Listecki became the Archbishop of Milwaukee).

Terry Nelson said...

Just wait till I rewrite Raymond No-nut-us Ray!

Cathy_of_Alex said...

Was that Ray or Belinda?

/me runs

Hey, I LOVE everybody! Remember that!

Terry Nelson said...

Oh Cath, Cath...

Dymphna said...

But, but I like my denim jumper.

Terry Nelson said...

Dymphna - I just tease about them - I actually think they look nice on women.

Jeffrey Smith said...

If the coffee I just sprayed on my keyboard ruins it, you're in big trouble.