Tea at Trianon: The Most Important Things in Life

John Wilson Croker on Marie-Antoinette

"We have followed the history of Marie Antoinette with the greatest diligence and scrupulosity. We have lived in those times. We have talked with some of her friends and some of her enemies; we have read, certainly not all, but hundreds of the libels written against her; and we have, in short, examined her life with– if we may be allowed to say so of ourselves– something of the accuracy of contemporaries, the diligence of inquirers, and the impartiality of historians, all combined; and we feel it our duty to declare, in as a solemn a manner as literature admits of, our well-matured opinion that every reproach against the morals of the queen was a gross calumny– that she was, as we have said, one of the purest of human beings."

~from History of the Guillotine by John Wilson Croker, 1844

Edmund Burke on Marie-Antoinette

"It is now sixteen or seventeen years since I saw the queen of France, then dauphiness, at Versailles; and surely there never lighted on this orb, which she hardly seemed to touch, a more delightful vision. I saw her just above the horizon, decorating and cheering the elevated sphere she had just begun to move in, glittering like a morning star full of life and splendor and joy. Oh, what a revolution....Little did I dream that I should have lived to see such disasters fall upon her, in a nation of gallant men, in a nation of men of honor and of cavaliers! I thought ten thousand swords must have leaped from their scabbards, to avenge even a look which threatened her with insult. But the age of chivalry is gone; that of sophisters, economists, and calculators has succeeded...."

~Edmund Burke, October 1790

Monday, December 4, 2017

The Most Important Things in Life

From Monsignor Pope:

Taking care of possessions and showing prudence about money are both admirable traits in moderation, but excesses that hinder or outright bar the enjoyment of good things is to elevate things above people. The most important things in life aren’t things at all. Jesus once reminded us that the Sabbath was made for man. He said this to correct those who were so litigious about the rules of the Sabbath that the whole point was being lost. The Sabbath should be a joy, not a constant jeopardy. The rules were meant to frame the joy not eliminate it.

In this video below there is something of the message I am trying to convey. In it, a little girl dances her way through the house, causing near disasters of various sorts. In the end, though, she causes little damage. The company would have us insure things so that we can enjoy them rather than being limited by them. This gives the girl the freedom to be a little girl, enjoying her home without being burdened by the fear of breakage.

Insurance has its place, but even more so does detachment and prizing people more than things. Reasonable precautions and responsible limits are good, but things are meant to be used. This means that they may get dented, scratched, and show signs of wear and tear. That’s OK—people are enjoying them and being blessed. (Read more.)