2011 EX LIBRIS :: "WOMEN IN THE DAYS OF THE CATHEDRALS" A MARVELLOUS WOMAN IN A.D. 841

Revealing surprisingly attractive personalities in dark and distant times.

We are often left with an absolutely false and depressing view of Medieval times, and in fact, the word itself has become a pejorative term, doing a great injustice to the people of those times and their achievements in the face of barbarian Viking, Mohammedan (from North Africa) and Magyar (from Hungary) raiders. 

Some 650 years before Rabelais, and later Montaigne wrote their treatises on Education, a laywoman, wife and mother named Dhouda wrote "A Manual for My Son " which was published in French in 1975.

Charlemagne had been crowned Emperor by the Pope in the year 800. But upon his death, in 814, his three sons began to fight among themselves over who should rule. Dhouda was of noble birth and began to write her work at age 40 years in 841 . The times were troubled indeed and it must have been hard to know where to stand. Dhouda's husband was Bernard of Septimania who was executed for treason in 844 for supporting Pepin of Aquitaine in the struggle against his brother Charles the Bald. Dhouda's son William was also executed for treason five years  later in 849.  

But, in 841, all of that lay in the future. Before we read somethings she wrote, we need to know something about her. She was, like all educated Catholics of her time totally immersed in knowledge and love of Sacred Scripture - both New and Old Testament were her daily points of reference, as they were for her sons. So she could confidently write to them making allusions to details of Sacred Scripture with no doubt that they would understand. She was a prayerful person, praying the Divine Office every day. She was a very down to earth, practical achiever, managing the family estates whilst her husband and sons were away for extended periods on military campaigns. This practicality of hers even extended to negotiating loans when extra funds were needed for the estates. She was a devoted wife and mother as will become plain, and in so  many ways she was a model of Christian living. Let us hear her words, from this work which occupies 370 pages in the modern translation,   the first of which to Son William was "Lege"("Read") :
First she urges him "to read and to pray ". "" In your involvement in the preoccupations of this world, do not neglect buying yourself many books with which you can, through the teaching of the holy Fathers and masters, discover and learn about God the Creator more than you can find here........you have and will have  books to read, to leaf through, to meditate, to deepen, to understand, and you will even very easily find scholars to teach you.They will provide you with examples of the good you can do to comply with your double duty( no doubt to his father and to his lord.)..She later went on.."People who apparently succeed in the world and are rich in possessions and who nevertheless, with dark malice, never cease to  envy and to tear apart their neighbour as much as they can, and this under  cover of honesty  ..... those I invite you to watch, to flee from  , to avoid" Perhaps surprisingly, only 10 of the 370 pages are taken up with issues of morality. Dhouda is always humble and tenderly respectful in addressing her Son :  "I pray and suggest humbly to you..", "I exhort you my son....", "I , your mother, however lowly I am according to my smallness and the limits of my understanding...."                                           

This was a labour of love and that is a key feature of her writing : "Love God, seek God, love your younger brother, love your friends and the companions among whom you live at the royal or Imperial Court, love the poor and the unhappy, love everyone so that you may be loved by all, cherish them so as to be cherished by them."

If the above book were to be purchased for the full story of Dhouda alone , it would be worthwhile. The lengthy account of Dhouda from pp 45 to 54  is a joy to read and I have only been able to give my readers a brief taste here. I urge you to track down the Book and get to know more about this dear lady from 1,200 years ago! 

A final, fitting consequence of her life: Her Grandson William the Pious was instrumental in the founding of the great Abbey of Cluny which led the reform of the monastic movement and truly flourished for centuries to the greater glory of God.

2011 IDENTITY : HOW OTHERS SEE US AND HOW WE SEE OURSELVES

This post first appeared on 27th October,2011. 

It seems timely as my 77th Birthday is only 14 days distant.

First Holy Communion - Front Row Second on Left 1947

In some ways, I suppose, we are most ourselves in the eyes of others when we are little children.We are just little  - whoever. It is that simple. 

But within our own being we are then not yet fully ourselves, because we are not free to say whatever we wish , and in fact we do not yet have ideas or opinions on many, even most subjects. Later as teenagers we have strongly felt opinions or prejudices , sometimes ill-informed, but not at all times freely expressed. Our identity is gradually unfolding to the world like a  flower.Our sense of our own identity is powerful at this time. Others' sense of our identity, will then depend on how successfully or completely we have negotiated the shoals of puberty. Most of our peers , being in just the same stage of confusion as we are at some stages, will think we are great or a drag. Older folk will see the forming personality more readily and begin to react accordingly, but often they will react to the projected personality which at this stage may be somewhat at odds with the authentic personality now formed.

                                                      1958 On ferry leaving Circular Quay

As we reach the stage of being a young man or woman,our identity just completed, begins to be moulded by strong external influences,our equally mature peers, our studies, our vocation and or, employment.This effect works on how we see ourselves and how we are seen by others.To take exceptional cases, the young Sailor sees himself as just that and is likewise perceived as a sailor. In the employment sphere  the young man or woman can come to identify themselves with the corporation which employs them. The Sailor is a NAVY man and affects to have no time for Soldiers/ the Army or Airmen/the Air Force. The Commonwealth Banker will affect to look down on The Westpac man.Others will come to identify the individual with that employment. "Here comes the NAVY!"as he enters a social gathering. Or, "What has the Commonwealth Bank got to say for himself??"This phenomenon has even been publicly acknowledged in St.George Bank's TV Commercials, distinguishing its man as socially acceptable whereas a mere "banker"was not.

THE FRENCH BANKER 1986

More important than all of these for the average man is his identity as a husband, father and grandfather, this is an enduring underpinning of the superstructure.And it is itself ideally resting on the foundation of his relationship with God.

Magnetic Island with my beautiful family 
- that is me behind the camera -the Paterfamilias.1986

So, where am I going with this?

Well, in my time I have been:
the Catholic Schoolboy
the Steam Locomotive Buff
the aspiring Seminarian
the Seminarian
the ex-Seminarian
the young Commonwealth Public Servant
the Solicitor for Railways young man
Mr Commonwealth Bank
the Naval Reservist
the Man from United Dominions
The Man from the Banque Nationale de Paris
The Man from the Archdiocese of Brisbane
The Man from Ignatius Press
The Publisher of Foundation
The Queenslander
and always, through it all The Catholic

But all the employment identities are long since gone,and the question arises
then, what is my identity now?

                                                                       FLORENCE, 2009

 At 71 years I am still The Catholic, The Husband, Father, Grandfather, the Publisher of FOUNDATION .the Queenslander at heart, the Blogger of "VEXILLA REGIS"http://vexilla-regis.blogspot.com/, of" EDWARD BECKMANN "  http://edwardbeckmann.blogspot.com/                                                                                  of  "CONRAD BECKMANN "http://conradbeckmann.blogspot.com/ of "CARL DOPMEYER "http://carldopmeyer.blogspot.com/ and most recently of " PORTA FIDEI - DOOR OF FAITH "http://portafidei.blogspot.com/ , not to mention this Blog.

I once heard a mature man address another in the middle of a formal meeting saying : "Stripped to the core M...... I am a PATRIOT"to the considerable embarrassment of everyone else in the room. Not that we didn't all consider ourselves PATRIOTS, but in Australia we don't go about saying such things to colleagues - it seems absurdly pretentious. Happily, though there were suppressed smirks ,no-one actually laughed .But it was a close-run thing. Due allowance was made for the fact that he was in the Advertising business. But, at the heart of it , it was a pretty sad statement : stripped to the core of our being, patriotism though admirable in every way, comes nowhere near the fundamental importance of our relationship with God. 

So, when it all falls away, "stripped to the core"I am a Catholic.

 I have been through all my life, and with God's Grace I shall be, through all my life and beyond. That is what Jesus Christ wanted for everyone.All else that really matters in my life is my wife , children and grandchildren all my family and friends and yes,I am also a Patriot.

TONY DIXON

2011 MOVIE :COMPANY MEN - BEEN THERE TWICE AND BEEN DONE BY THAT

Originally posted 12th March, 2011

                                                          COMPANY MEN

To-day with my dear wife,I went to the movies. We saw "COMPANY MEN".

Without hesitation I urge you to see it. It is very much a story of our times - the shedding of activities and employees by major companies seeking to ride out difficult times. Along the way , we are shown the degrading effects of being "let go" , of family and personal degradation by the rolling consequences of lost position and status. And interestingly and very accurately, we are shown how tough it is even for small business operators to stay afloat in hard times. We are still feeling the "crush of the wagon wheels"as a Wyoming Jesuit once hoped I would avoid.

The acting and direction are brilliant, the whole being very tightly managed and free of unnecessary theatrics, making it so much more effective.

Having been twice a victim of such a situation, though with very different backgrounds, I found the movie very realistic, and telling. In fact, afterwards I could scarcely talk about it without being moved to tears. Go! See it! Please, for my sake and yours - these are uncertain times.You may begin to understand.

I thank God someone has made this movie , and with such integrity.

2012 SOCIAL COMMENTARY SIGNS OF MADNESS

SIGNS OF MADNESS 

SIGNS OF THE TIMES

I am more and more inclining to the view that the multiplication of the number of signs in our modern world , and the increasing idiocy of their use, are themselves a "sign"of a society wide psychological breakdown.


Anywhere I sit in a Sydney suburban train there is a list of prohibitions, each within its own red circle with diagonal slash banning eating, drinking, alcohol,feet on seats, loud music, etc. etc. Big Nanny takes NOTHING for granted - certainly not the possibility that you might be a normal well adjusted gentlemanly/ladylike -as the case may be- citizen.


Road signs are far worse and visually aggressive, and repetitive and often contradictory or unclear or silent about what you want to know. "STOP", "GO BACK", "WRONG WAY" assume every driver is suffering dementia. Yet those suffering dementia are not going to comprehend the screaming message in any case. Speed limits go up and down at varying distances apart - but in this instance there is a good reason : the idea is to ensure that you cannot remember the limit and will inevitably be caught by the Police Camera and suffer the loss of "DOUBLE DEMERIT POINTS"as screamed at you in brilliant orange lights on numerous occasions along your way AND pay a hefty Fine to the near bankrupt Government. 


Another over generous source of multi faceted signage is the dreaded School Zone. These are carefully chosen areas near schools where children are rarely seen but nevertheless from 8.30 to 10.00 and 2.30 to 4.00  the driver is obliged to drive at 40 kmph whilst observing a vast array of painted patterns on the road itself , speed signs, time signs. Speed Camera Signs, Caution signs, CHILDREN CROSSING SIGNS ( they never do - Mummy has always driven the little and not so little ones to and fro . And there are so many Mummies on the road that the traffic is reduced to 10 Kmph or to Gridlock.


All of these things did not happen in the '40s and '50s.We actually walked to School or to the Train/Tram/Bus . But parents t0-day are so insecure that they dare not let the littlie walk. Strangely enough the "littlies"are now not so little and there is an immense vested interest of nutritionists( ever seen one who looked healthy?) to tell those Mummies that junior is OBESE - the chart says so! And if the littlie does walk to School , likely as not Mummy will be dobbed in by some officious School Security Staffer to the army of Department of Child Services Fascists for Child neglect!!


You might get to think I believe we are on the wrong track! You might be right!


This is an official RANT - some hyperbole has been used in its production, but no actual littlies, parents, teachers, social workers or sign makers, or erectors have been  hurt in the process. 


That feels better!

Posted 9th March 2012 by vexilla regis

Labels: FINES LITTLIES MUMMIES POLICE SPEED CAMERAS SIGNS

2012 SOCIAL COMMENTARY QUEENSLAND - NOT JUST A PLACE, BUT AN IDEA, AN IDEAL

MAP OF QUEENSLAND

WELCOME to Queensland Australia! The distinctive shape of the Queensland coastline makes it easily recognisable , even if you live in the heart of the Russian republic. Queensland used to be the poorest of Australian States, but in recent decades it has shaken off that unhappy status to become, together with Western Australia, the envy of all Australian States. And even then Queensland has particular features which assure it premier status!

The great key to the success of Queensland and Western Australia is natural resources : coal, copper , gas,iron ore, alumina. But Queensland adds to its natural resources extraordinary tourist attractions along its sub-tropical to tropical coastline! And it has plentiful ( occasionally excessive) rainfall!It has the distinction of being the great preference of Australian interstate migration and the retirement destination of choice.

My wife and I have lived 20 of the last 25 years living in Queensland. With different members of my family , the whole family or alone, I have visited all of the coastal centres past Cairns up to Cooktown, across to Normanton and Weipa down to Mt. Isa and down to Goondiwindi east of Cunnamulla and up through the centre to Roma,Emerald, Barcaldine, Longreach and Cloncurry and across to Charters Towers. It is a State of remarkable diversity geographically from tropical jungles, to rolling plains and desert, to lush highlands.

Most of the Provincial cities have populations in the range of 30,000 to 70,000 people and their wide spread and relative independence, gives the State a diverse economy, which on occasion has isolated those Provincial parts from national trends. The heart of the State's population is concentrated upon the Brisbane /Gold Coast(to the South) and Sunshine Coast( to the North) .

In the post WW II decades the State has enjoyed massive economic growth with remarkable financial discipline under 23 years of unbroken conservative Government and after several following periods of Labor Government had progressively stumbled into a strongly adverse debt situation. Earlier this year in an electoral landslide, conservative Liberal National Party Government was restored in an unprecedented landslide.And the new broom is sweeping clean whilst pushing greater development.

But Queensland is more than a geographic location, an aggregation of industries and concentration of populations. 

In the minds of its people and even of other Australians, Queensland is "different". Up to the early 1960s this "difference" was an object of ridicule in the Southern States. The smirk has long since been wiped off those Southern faces - it is now replaced by looks of envy! But for Queenslanders it has always been a source of pride, and, in the sporting world in interstate competition , the cry of "QUEENSLANDER!"is an inspiring, awesome war cry! There are no cries of "New South Welshman!"(for obvious reasons) or even "Victorian"or other - No, Queensland is different! It is an abstract ideal, a mental concept that embodies ideas of personal satisfaction, progress, quiet self-confidence and faith in the future. Yes, and all with good reason. Queensland is DIFFERENT! 

WELCOME TO QUEENSLAND!