Autumnal equinox, Matthew, Paul Victor

Tomorrow is the feast of St Matthew the Apostle and Evangelist. I shall leave elaboration on that to my betters. The Church Calendar is like a great pegboard of the year on which I can hang many things. Sometimes a saint's feast helps me remember someone's birthday, sometimes it is the other way around.

Matthew came first in history, though second in my mind.

Incipit to St Matthew's Gospel
folio 29r of the Book of Kells

First, for me, was the fact that my father was born on 21 September 1908. Were he still alive he would be turning 99 tomorrow.

The BB and his dad (some years ago)
[Yes, my hair was not always thin and gray
and I was, once upon a time, somewhat slender.]

So HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY DAD!

This also means it must be autumn. I confess, this photo was taken later in the year some years ago. But it is beginning to feel autumnal. The air conditioning is not kicking in every other minute (and I set it at 80, well above my personal melting point). Today clouds came in, the temperature lowered, and we had quite a cloudburst as I was leaving work. The freeway was not moving much so I thought a wide surface road would be nice. Ha! So I drove for miles along a minor river. Drove? Paddled? Hard to distinguish.

I look forward to cooler days. And turning leaves. For now the ash trees near work are still quite green, a lovely rich, dark green.

We thank you, heavenly Father, for the witness of your apostle and evangelist Matthew to the Gospel of your Son our Savior; and we pray that, after his example, we may with ready wills and hearts obey the calling of our Lord to follow him; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

--the BB