Tea at Trianon: A Teenager's Spiritual Diary

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

Saturday, September 7, 2019

A Teenager's Spiritual Diary

From The Catholic Herald:

Joe was born on December 12, 1994. He grew up in Carfin, Motherwell, with his parents, Alan and Veronica, and his younger sister Angela, whom he treasured greatly. He attended Our Lady and St Francis Primary School before going to Taylor High School. On December 20, 2011, a few days after his 17th birthday, he died of an undiagnosed heart condition at Wishaw General Hospital.

After his death, his father discovered a diary that Joe had kept throughout his teenage years. His words stood out due to their academic and mature style which seemed unusual for someone of his age. With help from staff at Taylor High, a book called Joe’s Words was created, filled with extracts from his diaries.

Joe’s writings are filled with a sense of determination to live by God’s will. He notes that after going to Mass he felt he had “returned home”. On September 14, 2010, Joe observed that “human beings have a gift: perseverance.” On the same day he wrote: “I am going to die one day so I may as well give my all to everything I do.”

Joe’s Words became a huge inspiration for people of all ages. Since his death, more than 2,000 copies have been distributed. In recent weeks there have been hundreds of requests as his story travels throughout the world thanks to a new website, joesfaith.com.
On June 10, more than 200 people gathered at Carfin Grotto to pray for Joe’s intercession. Many of them had never personally met Joe but felt drawn to his words, perspective and dedication to the Catholic faith.

In his diary, Joe wrote about increasing his prayer habit to feel closer to God. He was very aware that prayer fulfilled him with a sense of belonging. When Benedict XVI visited Scotland in September 2010, Joe wrote about the joy he experienced when attending the papal Mass at Bellahouston with his school. He described Benedict as “gentle and humble, a model of Jesus” – a description that could be applied to Joe himself. His wish in life was to help people. Through his legacy and the words he left behind, he spiritually supports more people than he could ever have imagined here on earth. (Read more.)