Alleluia! Today is the Fifth Sunday of Easter (Cantate Sunday), the Optional Memorial of Saint Louis Mary de Montfort, Priest (died 1716), the Optional Memorial of Saint Peter Chanel, Priest and Martyr (died 1841), and the Optional Memorial of Saint Gianna Beretta Molla. We note that today is National Arbor Day, and the first day of the first weekend of the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. Today is also the World Day for Safety and Health at Work, Workers’ Memorial Day, and the fourth day of the first weekend of the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival.
Cantate Sunday gets its name from the first word of the Introit at Mass on this day, “Cantate Domino novum canticum”, “Sing to the Lord a new song”, in the same way that Gaudete Sunday (the Third Sunday of Advent) and Laetare Sunday (the Fourth Sunday of Lent) received their names. These names, which are as old probably as the twelfth century, appear to have been in common use in the Middle Ages and to have been employed to signify the date in secular affairs as well as in ecclesiastical usage. John of Salisbury, Bishop of Chartres (d. 1182), was one of the earliest writers to use the name of Cantate Sunday. Our Gospel (Year B) is from John 15:1-8: “Jesus said to his disciples: “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower. He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit, and every one that does he prunes so that it bears more fruit. You are already pruned because of the word that I spoke to you. Remain in me, as I remain in you. Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing. Anyone who does not remain in me will be thrown out like a branch and wither; people will gather them and throw them into a fire and they will be burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask for whatever you want and it will be done for you. By this is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.”” Saint Louis Mary de Montfort, Priest (died 1716) was born into a poor family as Louis Mary Grignion in 1673 at Montfort-La-Cane, Brittany, France. While a seminarian in Paris, he delighted in researching the writings of the Church Fathers, Doctors and Saints as they related to the Blessed Virgin Mary, to whom he was singularly devoted. As an adult he identified himself not by his family name of Grignion, but by the place of his baptism, Montfort. Ordained in 1700, and under Mary’s inspiration, he founded the Congregation of the Daughters of Divine Wisdom, a religious institute of women devoted to the care of the destitute. During this work, he began his apostolate of preaching the Rosary and authentic Marian devotion. He preached so forcefully and effectively against the errors of Jansenism that he was expelled from several dioceses in France. In Rome Pope Clement XI conferred on him the title and authority of Missionary Apostolic, which enabled him to continue his apostolate after returning to France. He preached Mary everywhere and to everyone. A member of the Third Order of Saint Dominic, Louis was one of the greatest apostles of the Rosary in his day, and by means his miraculously inspiring book, The Secret of the Rosary, he is still so today; the most common manner of reciting the Rosary is the method that originated with Saint Louis’s preaching. In 1715 he founded a missionary band known as the Company of Mary. The cause for his declaration as a Doctor of the Church is now being pursued. We also honor Saint Peter Chanel, Priest and Martyr (died 1841). Born in 1803 at Cuet, Ain, France as Pierre Louis Marie Chanel, his was a peasant family, and he was a shepherd as a boy. An excellent student at seminary, he was ordained in 1827 at age twenty-four and assigned to Crozet, a parish in decline; he turned it around, in part because of his ministry to the sick, and brought about a spiritual revival. He wished to become a missionary, and joined the Society of Mary (Marist Fathers) in 1831; he then taught at their Belley seminary for five years. In 1836 he led a band of missionaries to the South West Pacific, an area where cannibalism had only recently been outlawed. On the island of Futuna Chanel converted many to Christianity, often as a result of his work with the sick; he also learned the local language, and taught in the local school. The group was initially well received by the island’s king, Niuliki, but once the missionaries learned the local language and began preaching directly to the people, the king grew restive. He believed that Christianity would take away his prerogatives as high priest and king. When the king’s son, Meitala, sought to be baptized, the king sent a favoured warrior, his son-in-law, Musumusu, to “do whatever was necessary” to resolve the problem. Musumusu initially went to Meitala and the two fought. Musumusu, injured in the fracas, went to Chanel’s hut feigning need of medical attention; when Chanel turned away to get his medical supplies, Musumusu clubbed Chanel on the head, killing him. Early the next year a French ship disinterred his remains, and they arrived back in France in 1850. Meanwhile, the entire island of Funuta was converted to Catholicism; Musumusu himself converted and as he lay dying expressed the desire that he be buried outside the church at Poi (erected over the spot where Chanel was martyred) so that those who came to revere Peter Chanel in the Church would walk over his grave to get into the church. The Saint’s relics were returned to Futuna in 1977, and rest in a place of honor in the church. He was the first Martyr in Oceania, and is the Patron Saint of Oceania. Our third Saint is Saint Gianna Beretta Molla, Wife and Mother (died 1962). Born in 1922 in Magenta, Italy as Gianna Beretta, she grew up in Lombardy. In 1942 she began her study of medicine in Milan. Outside of her schooling she was active in Azione Cattolica. She received a medical diploma in 1949 and opened an office in Mesero, near her hometown of Magenta, where she specialized in pediatrics. She hoped to join her brother, a missionary priest in Brazil, where she intended to offer her medical expertise in gynecology to poor women. However, her chronic ill health made this impractical, and she continued her practice in Italy. In 1955 she married Pietro Molla; in the next few year she had three children and two miscarriages. In 1961 she was again pregnant, and in her second month was diagnosed with a fibroma on her uterus. Given the choices of an abortion, a complete hysterectomy, or removal of only the fibroma, Molla opted for procedure that would not result in the death of the fetus. The fibroma was removed, and she had complications throughout the pregnancy, but maintained that given a choice, she would always choose the baby’s life over her own. On April 21st, 1962, Good Friday of that year, Molla went to the hospital, where her fourth child, Gianna Emanuela, was successfully delivered via Caesarean section. However, Molla continued to have severe pain, and died of septic peritonitis seven days after the birth. She was beatified in 1994 and canonized in 2004; for the first time in the history of the church, a husband witnessed his wife’s canonization. She is the Patron Saint of mothers, physicians, and unborn children. The World Day for Safety and Health at Work is a United Nations international day that is celebrated every April 28th. It is concerned about safe work and awareness of the dimensions and consequences of work-related accidents and diseases; to place occupational safety and health (OSH) on the international and national agendas; and to provide support to the national efforts for the improvement of national OSH systems and programs in line with relevant international labor standards. In 1970 the AFL-CIO declared April 28th as “Workers’ Memorial Day” to honor the hundreds of thousands of working people killed and injured on the job every year. Following the passage of the Occupational Safety and Health Act by the United States Congress in 1970, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration was formed in 1971. For years Workers’ Memorial Day events have been organized in North America, and then worldwide. Workers’ Memorial Day is now an international day of remembrance of workers killed in incidents at work, or by diseases caused by work, and annually on April 28th. Today is also the fourth day of the first weekend of the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. Volunteers work with the Fest from the second week of April through the closing day. By participating in the program volunteers not only get to be part of the festival, but are also rewarded by participating in an event that gives back to our community in New Orleans. Profits generated from the festival are used throughout the community to implement many programs and service initiatives underwritten by the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival and Foundation, Inc. Volunteering with Jazz Fest helps to support the continuation of these valuable programs within the community. Today’s lineup includes Anderson .Paak & The Free Nationals, Heart, Juvenile with Mannie Fresh, Michael Franti & Spearhead, and The Allman Betts Band.
Last night I started reading The Cat Who Brought Down the House by Lilian Jackson Braun (Ebook). And our LSU Tigers won the second game of a three-game three-day Home SEC College Baseball series with the Auburn Tigers by the score of 3 to 2.
Richard fed the cats and went to drink coffee. I woke up at 7:45 am, and, since yesterday was the first day it hit ninety degrees, I put on some old jeans and showered the front plants, the butterfly garden, and the porch plants. I plan to do that first thing in the morning each morning, unless it rains. I posted to Facebook that today was the World Day for Safety and Health at Work, and posted to Facebook that today was Workers’ Memorial Day. Richard came home, and I did my Book Devotional Reading. I then set up my medications for the week beginning next Sunday, and I renewed four prescriptions on the Walmart Pharmacy App; I also have two over the counter medications to get next time I am at Walmart. I ate my breakfast toast and read the Sunday papers out on the porch, and I did my Internet Devotional Reading. I then started making bread. Liz Ellen called, and I finished making bread. I continued reading A Real Right to Vote: How a Constitutional Amendment Can Safeguard American Democracy by Richard L. Hasen (Ebook). I then wrapped up my bread for the freezer. Our #6 LSU Lady Tigers won the third game of a three-game three-day Home SEC College Softball series with the #15 Arkansas Razorbacks by the score of 1 to 0; our #6 LSU Lady Tigers (35-13, 11-12) will be playing the first game of a three-game, three-day College Softball Series with the Liberty Flames (31-19, 19-5) on Friday, May 3rd; these games will end the regular season, and the SEC Tournament will begin on Tuesday, May 7th in Auburn, Alabama. And our LSU Tigers lost the third game of a three-game three-day Home SEC College Baseball series with the Auburn Tigers by the score of 5 to 7; our LSU Tigers (28-17, 7-14) will be playing a Home College Baseball game with the Grambling State University Tigers (18-22, 15-6) on Tuesday, April 30th. We watched Gone With the Wind (1939), which won the Oscars for Best Picture, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress (for Hattie McDaniel, the first African-American person to win an Oscar), Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction, and Best Editing, and was also the first film in color to win Best Picture. Richard went to drink a beer during the first half of the movie, and we ate the last of the stuffed bell peppers for dinner. And I will now finish this Daily Update, do some reading, and go to bed.
Tomorrow is the Memorial of Catherine of Siena, Virgin and Doctor (died 1380). Tomorrow is the birthday of Richard’s sister Susan in Iowa (1946), and the birthday of my friend Julie’s husband Gus (1956). I will be going to my dental appointment tomorrow at 12:30 pm. And our New Orleans Pelicans will be playing a Home NBA game with the Oklahoma City Thunder, with the series at 3 and 0 in favor of the Thunder; our Pelicans need to start winning, or else they will be out of the playoffs after Monday’s game.
Our Parting Quote on this evening of the Fifth Sunday of Easter (Cantate Sunday) (Alleluia!) comes to us from John Singleton, American film director, screenwriter, producer, and actor (died 2019). Born in 1968 in Los Angeles, California, his father was a financial planner and his mother was a pharmaceutical company sales executive. He attended Pasadena City College, considering a career in computer science, but enrolled in the USC School of Cinematic Arts Filmic Writing program under Margaret Mehring. The program was designed to take students directly into the Hollywood system as proficient writer / directors, and while at USC he was a production assistant on a 1986 episode of Pee-wee’s Playhouse, and a production assistant on a 1988 episode of Beach Boys: Endless Summer. He graduated from USC in 1990. Singleton’s film debut Boyz n the Hood (1991), an inner city drama starring Cuba Gooding, Jr., Angela Bassett, Ice Cube, and Laurence Fishburne (Singleton played an uncredited role), was both a critical and commercial success. The film debuted at the Cannes Film Festival. For his efforts, Singleton received Academy Award nominations for Best Original Screenplay and Best Director. At age twenty-four he became the youngest person ever nominated for Best Director and the first African-American to be nominated for the award (four others – Lee Daniels, Barry Jenkins, Jordan Peele, and Spike Lee – have been nominated since). His directing ability led to the VFX-driven “Remember the Time” music video for Michael Jackson, which featured Eddie Murphy, Iman and Magic Johnson. His next films were Poetic Justice (1993) and Higher Learning (1995), which were similarly socially conscious and received mixed to positive reviews. Singleton was married to Ghanaian actress Akosua Gyamama Busia from 1996 to 1997, with whom he had a daughter. The film Rosewood (1997), Singleton’s historical drama about racial violence, was entered into the 47th Berlin International Film Festival, where it was nominated for the Golden Bear. Both this film and Baby Boy (2001) received very positive reviews and helped establish Singleton’s critical reputation. Additionally, his adaptation of Shaft (2000), starring Samuel L. Jackson in the title role, was successful critically and commercially. Singleton later turned to directing action films, such as 2 Fast 2 Furious (2003) and Four Brothers (2005), which received mixed reviews. In 2005, Singleton teamed with Craig Brewer and financed the independent film Hustle and Flow, once it was clear that most other major backers would not clear it for release. In 2002 the United States Library of Congress deemed Boyz n the Hood (1991) “culturally significant” and selected it for preservation in the National Film Registry. In 2003 Singleton received a star at the Hollywood Walk of Fame. On August 23rd, 2007, Singleton was involved in an automobile accident in which he struck a jaywalking pedestrian. Staying on the scene until police arrived, Singleton was deemed to be not under the influence of alcohol or other substances, and was released after being questioned. The pedestrian died later in the hospital. The case was turned over to the District Attorney but no charges were ever filed. It was announced in 2013 that Singleton was attached as director of a Tupac Shakur biography film. On April 3rd, 2015, Singleton reported that production was put on hold. Four days later, it was announced that following creative differences with Morgan Creek Productions, Singleton had stepped down as director, and was replaced by Carl Franklin. Singleton also stated he was planning on making a competing film about Tupac. On March 19th, 2014, before an audience of students at Loyola Marymount University, Singleton criticized popular studios for “refusing to let African-Americans direct black-themed films”. In 2015 he directed an episode of Empire, and in 2016 he directed an episode of American Crime Story. He then served as an executive producer of the crime drama series Rebel for BET in 2017 and co-created Snowfall for FX the same year. On April 17th, 2019, Singleton suffered a stroke and was placed under intensive care (died 2019): “I come from the same place as rappers. It’s cool because it’s just another form of communication. I have the same sensibilities as rappers. I’m not bourgeois and everything, thinking I’m better than folks. I see myself as the first filmmaker from the hip-hop generation. I’ve grown up with hip-hop music. The films I make have a hip-hop aesthetic. It may not have rap in it, but there’s a whole culture and politics that go with the music. It’s young, Black culture-that’s what I deal with in my films.”
From The Recamier 