{"id":8310,"date":"2020-03-01T21:38:03","date_gmt":"2020-03-02T05:38:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/douglaslucas.com\/blog\/?p=8310"},"modified":"2020-03-07T19:18:19","modified_gmt":"2020-03-08T03:18:19","slug":"oops-i-missed-week-8","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/douglaslucas.com\/blog\/2020\/03\/01\/oops-i-missed-week-8\/","title":{"rendered":"Oops I missed week 8"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Note: In 2020, I\u2019m writing 52 blog posts, one per week<\/em>, released on Mondays or so…except when I’m not: I missed week 8!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sorry! I missed last week’s post! Here’s something of a placeholder post for week 8, to apologize and self-flagellate in sackcloth!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>

Carlo Crivelli’s painting, late 15th century, likely of St. Augustine (Source<\/a>; More<\/a>)<\/p>\n<\/div>

Years ago, when I read primary source excerpts of St. Augustine, contextualized by WT Jones<\/a>, I always liked reading them, for whatever reasons…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Woe be upon me for missing last week’s post!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At least I didn’t fling stolen pears at hogs\u2014as in his Confessions<\/a><\/em>, written in Latin around 400 a.d., St. Augustine described doing in his youth (or, well, he flung stolen pears to<\/em> hogs):<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A pear tree there was near our vineyard, laden with fruit, tempting neither for colour nor taste. To shake and rob this, some lewd young fellows of us went, late one night (having according to our pestilent custom prolonged our sports in the streets till then), and took huge loads, not for our eating, but to fling to the very hogs, having only tasted them. And this, but to do what we liked only, because it was misliked. Behold my heart, O God, behold my heart, which Thou hadst pity upon in the bottom of the bottomless pit. Now, behold, let my heart tell Thee what it sought there, that I should be gratuitously evil, having no temptation to ill, but the ill itself. It was foul, and I loved it<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Purify my soul! Etc etc ad nauseam<\/em>! What is there that can bring back faith in my blog? Perhaps this a cappella choral composition by one of my favorite classical composers (vies only with JS Bach for first place in my pantheon), the All-Night Vigil<\/em> (sometimes incorrectly called the Vespers<\/em>) by Sergei Rachmaninoff. It premiered during this month, 95 years ago, in Moscow…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=VIxQ_B3Wpzg\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Then there’s the Pussy Riot<\/a> take, part of which incorporates a motif from the Rachmaninoff. In February 2012, Pussy Riot performed their song in a cathedral and got arrested and later convicted of “hooliganism based on religious hatred,” but they also made an ethics landmark in Russia, spread their effective message, and won fans around the world. I’ll be seeing the band here in Seattle later this month (update 7 March 2020: well, coronavirus)<\/em>. An edited video for their song, \u201cMother of God, Chase Putin Away,\u201d subtitled in English and drawing upon the February 2012 performance, below (more info<\/a>):<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n