Putting the pedal to the metal, the price of gas here in these USA is racing to be as expensive as the price of gas in France. Here’s a meme that’s been making the rounds sent in from “Tiny”…
A thief in Paris planned to steal some paintings from the Louvre. After careful planning, he got past security, stole the paintings, and made it safely to his van. However, he was captured only two blocks away when his van ran out of gas.
When asked how he could mastermind such a crime and then make such an obvious error, he replied, Monsieur, the reason I stole the paintings is because…
I had no Monet…
to buy Degas…
to make the Van Gogh.
I had De Gualle to do it and…
I had nothing Toulouse.
I recall standing outside the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Australia, which boasts of artists’ names engraved along the tops of the façades of the buildings, such as, “RAPHAEL, MICHAEL ANGELO, BELLINI, TITIAN.” Yes. You read that correctly.
Full disclaimer: The only reason this is at all funny to me is because I recognize myself as being not only the most un-well-read of clergy ever to have been ordained, but also the most uncultured. That’s not to fault my most cultured teachers in this small world of ours who think to have seen potential in me and went way out of their way to show this north-woods-boy the museums of the world, not the obvious ones, but small, out of the way, holding world class treasures that were on “Tours”. Fascinating how styles of art reflect the meanderings of philosophy and theology and economics and psychology and whatever of any age and culture.
There’s humor, and then there’s irony, and both together. Chesterton and Belloc have it that you can’t be Christian without a sense of irony, ironic humor or humorous irony, such as justice and mercy kissing upon the Cross of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. If you get this, because you stand with the Living Truth, you are filled to overflowing with joy in seeing life through death and the power of a soul that magnifies the Lord:
Divine and angelic artists are the best.
ARISE! LET US BE GOING! 