Saturday, January 06, 2018

A saint for our time …

 Evelyn Waugh's Epiphany Prayer of a Mother for the Conversion of Her Son - OnePeterFive. (Hat tip, Dave Lull.)

You are my especial patrons,” said Helena, “and patrons of all late-comers, of all who have had a tedious journey to make to the truth, of all who are confused with knowledge and speculation, of all who through politeness make themselves partners in guilt, of all who stand in danger by reason of their talents.

2 comments:

  1. In a letter of January 9, 1945 to his wife, Waugh wrote

    "Have you ever considered how the Epiphany is the feast of the artists. I thought so very strongly this year. After St Joseph and the angels and the shepherds and even the ox and the ass have had their share of the crib, twelve days later appears an enormous caravan with negro pages and ostrich plumes. They have come an enormous journey across a desert and the splendid gifts look much less splendid than they did in Babylon. The wise men committed every sort of betise -- even asking the way of Herod & provoking the massacre of the innocents ---but they got there in the end and their gifts were accepted.

    I have always detested Christmas. Now I shall always celebrate the Epiphany instead."

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  2. Thank you for that, George. Very much. I read Helena recently. It is very good.

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