Happy Bastille Day


Today marks Bastille day- 
Mon Dieu - I recognise those rebellious traits in my self !
So today let's celebrate liberté, égalité, and fraternité 

 Ooh la la !!

















I  Love donkeys - the rare Poitou is the oldest breed of donkey in France.

















Warm wishes to the French who despite their dismal performance in the World Cup can still celebrate today the storming of the Bastille on July 14th, 1789, the beginning of the French Revolution, a symbol of the establishment of the modern nation. The Bastille was a prison and a symbol of the absolute and arbitrary power of King Louis XVI's Ancient Regime.
By capturing this symbol, the people signaled that the king's power was no longer absolute: power should be based on the Nation and be limited by a separation of powers. 
The storming of the prison was a symbol of liberty and the fight against oppression for all French citizens; like the tri-colored flag, it symbolized the Republic's three ideals: Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity.
It marked the end of absolute monarchy, the birth of the sovereign Nation, and, eventually, the creation of the Republic. 

Now to feast on croissants, pommes frites and Burgundy with Bœuf bourguignon,  Champagne,Frogs Legs with Pinot Blanc , Quiche Lorraine, Crème brûlée,Crepes, Pain au chocolat, Baguettes with brie, Bordeaux. Châteauneuf-du-Pape...................  


What is Bastille Day all about ?  Click here for more information

I subscribe to a daily meditation in my e.mail from Richard Rohr and this is the one today 

Question of the Day:
Why does God love us?

God cares, for some wonderful reason, despite all of our smallness and silliness. Divine love does not depend on our doing nice or right things.  Divine love is not determined by the worthiness of the object of love but by the Subject, who is always and only Love.  God does not love us if we change, as we almost all think; but God loves us so that we can change.
No matter what we do, God, in great love and humility, says, “That’s what I work with.  That’s all I work with!”  It’s the mustard seed with which God does great things.  Our life experiences, “good and bad alike,” are invited to the great wedding feast (Matthew 22:10). They are the raw material that God uses to prepare the banquet.
~Richard Rohr
June 2010
Mantra for the day : Be in Love

 
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5 comments:

claire bangasser said...

Happy, Happy Birthday, Phil! Thank you for being my friend!

Today is also our older daughter's birthday. Like you, she was a Bastille Day baby!

Much much love to you and yours.

Concord Pastor said...

Happy Birthday, Phil - even if a bit belated! Perhaps your celebration will spill over into the next day anyway!

ROBERTA said...

enjoy your birthday...though it's actually the birthday month that needs to be celebrated!!!1

Blue Eyed Ennis said...

Hi everyone,
It was wonderful to find these birthday greetings in my mail box and added to a great birthday.

Claire - it is lovely to know that your daughter and myself share the day.
Austin - thanks for remembering me and yes, I may prolong the celebrations a little!!

Roberta- thank-you so much for taking time to visit and I love the idea of a whole birthday month.

You are all in my thoughts and prayers. I am truly blessed.

Tim said...

Phil, how have I fallen so far behind?

First, belated happy birthday! And your thoughts on Jonah here are simply superb. Falling apart... yes, giving ourselves over to our circumstances in order to find God and His mercy in them. Until we're in the belly of the whale, we won't learn--and grow--to do that when the sun shines and we're strolling along the beach. And that's the sign of maturity, I think, finding God when and where we're not compelled to look for Him.

My, Phil, you've been so busy (or I've been too preoccupied). It's going to take some time to catch up with all the riches you've laid before us. Please be patient. I want to take proper time to savor everything I've missed... it make take a while.

Blessings,
Tim