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My conversion to Orthodoxy began one day while I was reordering the Library catalogues of the monastery I belong to. This monastery belonged to the Franciscan order, founded in my country of Spain. While I was classifying different old articles concerning the Holy Inquisition, I happened to come across an article that was truly impressive, dating back to 1647. This article described a decision of the Holy Inquisition that anathematized as heretic any Christian who dared believe, accept or preach to others that he supported the apostolic validity of the Apostle Paul. It was about a horrible finding that my mind could not comprehend. I immediately thought to calm my soul that perhaps it was due to a typographical error or due to some forgery, which was not so uncommon in the western Church of that time when the articles were written. However, my disturbance and my surprise became greater after researching and confirming that the decision of the Holy Inquisition that was referred to in the article was authentic. In fact already during two earlier occasions, namely in 1327 and 1331, the Popes John 22nd and Clemens 6th had condemned and anathematized any one who dared deny that the Apostle Paul during his entire apostolic life, was totally subordinate to the ecclesiastic monarchal authority of the first Pope and king of the Church, namely the Apostle Peter. And a lot later Pope Pius 10th, in 1907 and Benedict 15th, in 1920, had repeated the same anathemas and the same condemnations.
I had therefore to dismiss any possibility of it being due to an inadvertent misquoting or forgery. So I was thus confronted with a serious problem of conscience.
Personally it was impossible for me to accept that the Apostle Paul was disposed off under whatever Papal command. The independence of his apostolic work among nations, against that which characterized the apostolic work of Peter among the circumcised, for me was the unshakeable event that shouted from the Holy Bible.
The thing was totally clear to me who he was, as the explaining works of the Fathers on this issue do not leave the slightest doubt. "Paul- writes St Chrysostom- declares his equality with the rest of the apostles and should be compared not only with all the others but with the first one of them, to prove that each one had the same authority". Truly, together all the Fathers agree that "all the rest of the apostles were the same like Peter, namely they were endowed with the same honour and authority". It was impossible for who ever of them, to exercise higher authority from the rest, for the apostolic title that each had was the "highest authority, the peak of authorities". They were all shepherds, while the flock was one. And the flock was shepherded by the apostles in conformity by all".
The matter was therefore crystal clear. Despite this, the Roman teaching was against the situation. This way for the first time in my life, I experienced a frightful dilemma. What could I say? On one side the Bible and the Holy Tradition and on the other side the teaching of the Church? According to the Roman theology it is essential for our salvation to believe that the Church is a pure monarchy, whose monarch is the Pope. This way, the synod of the Vatican, voting together all the earlier convictions, it declared officially that "if any one says ……. that Peter (who is assumed to be the first Pope) was not ordained by Christ as the leader of the Apostles and visible Head of all the Church ………. is under anathema".
I am addressing my confessor.
Within this psychological disturbance I addressed my confessor and naively described the situation. He was one of the most famous priests of the monastery. He heard me with sadness, aware that it involved a very difficult problem. Having thought for a few minutes while looking in vain for an acceptable resolution, he finally told me the following that I confess I did not expect.
The Bible and the Fathers have harmed you, my child. Set it and them aside and confine yourself to following the infallible teachings of the Church and do not let yourself become victim of such thoughts. Never allow creatures of God whoever they may be, to scandalize your faith in God and the Church.
This answer he gave very explicitly, caused my confusion to grow. I always held that especially the Word of God is the only thing that one cannot set aside.
Without allowing me any time to respond, my confessor added: "In exchange, I shall give you a list of prominent authors in whose works your faith will relax and be supported". And asking me if I had something else "more interesting" to ask, he terminated our conversation.
Few days later, my confessor departed from the monastery for a preaching tour of Churches of the monastic order. He left me the list of authors, recommending that I read them. And he asked me to inform him of my progress in this reading by writing him.
Even though his words did not convince me in the least, I collected these books and started to read them as objectively and attentively as possible.
The majority of the books were theological texts and manuals of papal decisions as well as of ecumenical synods. I threw myself to the study with genuine interest, having only the Bible as my guide, "Thy law is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my paths". (Ps 118:105).
As I progressed in my study of those books, I would understand more and more, that I was unaware of the nature of my Church. Having been proselytized in Christianity and baptized as soon as I completed my encyclical studies, I continued with philosophical studies and then as I speak to you I was just at the beginning of the theological studies. It concerned of a science totally new to me. Until then Christianity and the Roman Church was for me an amalgam, something absolutely indivisible. In my monastic life I was only concerned with their exterior view and I was given no reason to examine in depth the bases and reasons of the organic structure of my Church.
The preposterous Teaching about the Pope.
Exactly then, within the bouquet of articles, that wisely my spiritual leader had put together, the true nature of this monarchal system, known as the Roman Church, started to unravel. I suppose a summary of her characteristics would not be superfluous.
First of all, to the Roman Catholics, the Christian Church "is nothing more than an absolute monarchy" whose monarch is the Pope who functions in all her facets as such. On this papist monarchy "all the power and stability of the Church is found" which otherwise "would not have been possible". The same Christianity is supported completely by Papism. And still some more, "Papism is the most significant agent of Christianity", "it is its zenith and its essence".
The monarchic authority of the Pope as supreme leader and the visible head of the Church, cornerstone, Universal Infallible Teacher of the Faith, Representative (Vicar) of God on earth, shepherd of shepherds and Supreme Hierarch, `is totally dynamic and dominant and embraces all the teachings and legal rights that the Church has. "Divine right " is extended on all and individually on each baptized man across the whole world. This dictatorial authority can be exercised at any time, over anything and on any Christian across the world, whether lay or clergy, and in any church of any denomination and language it may be, in consideration of the Pope being the supreme bishop of every ecclesiastical diocese in the world.
People who refuse to recognize all this authority and do not submit blindly, are schismatic, heretic, impious and sacrilegious and their souls are already destined to eternal damnation, for it is essential for our salvation that we believe in the institution of Papism and submit to it and its representatives. This way the Pope incarnates that imaginary Leader, prophesied by Cicero, writing that all must recognize him to be holy.
Always in the roman teaching, "accepting that the Pope has the right to intervene and judge all spiritual issues of everyone and each Christian separately, that much more does he have the right to do the same in their worldly affairs. He cannot be limited to judging only through spiritual penalties, denying the eternal salvation to those who do not submit to him, but also he has the right to exercise authority over the faithful. For the Church has two knives, symbol of her spiritual and worldly power. The first of these is in the hands of the clergy, the other in the hands of Kings and soldiers, who though they too are under the will and service of the clergy".
The Pope, maintaining that he is the representative of Him whose "kingdom is not of this world", of Him who forbade the Apostles to imitate the kings of the world who "conquer the nations" and nominates himself as a worldly king, thus continuing the imperialism of Rome. At different periods he in fact had become lord over great expanses, he declared bloody wars against other Christian kings, to acquire other land expanses, or even to satisfy his thirst for more wealth and power. He owned a great number of slaves. He played a central role and many times a decisive role in political history. The duty of the Christian lords is to retreat in the face "of the divine right king" surrendering to him their kingdom and their politico-ecclesiastic throne, "that was created to ennoble and anchor all the other thrones of the world". To day the worldly capital of the pope is confined to the Vatican City. It concerns an autonomous nation with diplomatic representations in the governments of both hemispheres, with army, weapons police, jails, currency etc.
And as crown and peak of the almightiness of the Pope, he has one more faithful privilege that even the most ignoble idolaters could not even imagine- the infallible divine right, according to the dogmatic rule of the Vatican Synod that took place on 1870. Since then on "humanity ought to address to him whatever it addresses to the Lord: you have words of eternal life". From now on, there is no need of the Holy Spirit to guide the Church "to all the truth". There is no more need of the Holy Bible nor of the Sacred Tradition for thus there is a god on earth, based on the infallible, the Pope is the only canon of Truth who can even express things contrary to the judgment of all the Church, declare new dogmas, which the faithful ought to accept if they do not wish to be cut off from their salvation. "It depends only on his will and intention to deem whatever he wishes, as sacred and holy within the Church" and the decratalian letters must be deemed, believed and obeyed "as canonical epistles". Since he is an infallible Pope, he must receive blind obedience. Cardinal Bellarmine, who was declared saint by the Roman Church, says this simply: "If the Pope some day imposed sins and forbade virtues, the Church is obliged to believe that these sins are good and these virtues are bad".
The answer of my confessor
Having read all those books, I felt myself as a stranger within my Church, whose organizational composition has no relation to the Church that the Lord built and organized by the Apostles and their disciples and as intended by the Holy Fathers. Under this belief I wrote my first letter to my superior- "I read your books. I shall not contravene the divine warrants so that I may follow the human teachings that have no basis at all in the Holy Bible. Such teachings are a string of foolishness by Papism. From the provisions of the Holy Bible we can understand the nature of the Church and not through human decisions and theories. The truth of faith does not spring but from the Holy Bible and from the Tradition of the whole Church".
The reply came fast- You have not followed my advice- complained my elder- and exposed your soul to the dangerous impact of the Holy Bible, which, like fire burns and blackens when it does not shine. In such situations like yours, the Popes have pronounced that it "is a scandalous error for one to believe that all the Christians could read the Holy Bible", and the theologians assure us that the Holy Bible "is a dark cloud". "For one to believe in the enlightenment and clarity of the Bible is a heterodox dogma" so claim our infallible leaders. "As far as the Tradition, I do not consider it necessary to remind you that we should primarily follow the Pope on matters of faith. The Pope is worth in this case thousands of Augustinians, Jeronymuses, Gregories, Chrysostoms………..".This letter accomplished to strengthen my opinion rather than demolish it. It was impossible for me to place the Holy Bible below the Pope. By attacking the Holy Bible, my Church was losing every worthy belief ahead of me, and was becoming one with the heretics who "being elected by the Bible turn against it". This was the last contact I had with my elder.
The Pope is everything and the Church is nothing
However I did not stop there. I had already started to "skid due to the skid" of my Church. I had taken a road that I was not allowed to stop until I found a positive solution. The drama of those days was that I had estranged myself from Papism, but I did not accost any other ecclesiastical reality. Orthodoxy and Protestantism then were for me vague ideas and I had not reached the time and opportunity to ascertain that they could offer something to soothe my agony. Despite all this I continued to love my Church that made me a Christian and I bore her symbol. I still needed more profound thinking to reach slowly, with trouble and grief to the conclusion that the Church I loved was not part of the papist system.
Truly, against the monocracy of the Pope, the authority of the Church and of the bishopric body, is not intrinsically subordinate. Because according to the Roman theology "the authority of the Church exists only when it is characterized and harmonized by the Pope. In all other cases it is nullified". This way it is the same thing whether the Pope is with the Church or the Pope is without the Church, in other words, the Pope is everything and the Church is nothing. Very correctly did the bishop Maren write, "It would have been more accurate if the Roman Catholics when they recite the "I believe" would say "And in one Pope" instead of "And in one …….Church".
The importance and function of the bishops in the Roman Church is no more than that of representatives of the papist authority to which the bishops submit like the lay faithful. This regime they try to uphold under the 22nd chapter of St John's gospel, which according to the Roman interpretation "the Lord entrusts the Apostle Peter, the first Pope, the shepherding of His lambs and of His sheep", namely, He bestows on him the job of the Chief Shepherd with exclusive rights on all the faithful, who are the lambs and all the others, Apostles and Bishops, namely, the sheep.
However, the bishops in the Roman Church, are not even successors to the Apostles, for as it dogmatizes, this Church "the apostolic authority was lacking with the Apostles and was not passed down her successors, the bishops. Only the Papist authority of Peter, namely the Popes. The bishops then, having not inherited any apostolic authority, have no other authority but the one given to them, not directly from God but by the Extreme Pontiff of Rome.
And the Ecumenical synods also have no other value than the one given to them by the Bishop of Rome, "for they cannot be anything else except conferences of Christianity that are called under the authenticity and authority of the Pope". Suffice the Pope to exit the hall of the Synod saying "I am not in there anymore" to stop from that moment on the Ecumenical Synod from having any validity, if it is not authorized and validated by the Pope, who could impose through his authority on the faithful.
The frightful answer of a Jesuit.
I almost gave up on my studies during that period, taking advantage of the hours that my order allowed me to retire to my cell, to think of nothing else but my big problem. For whole months I would study the structure and organization of the early Church, straight from the apostolic and patristic sources. However, all this work could not be done totally in secrecy. It looked obvious that my exterior life was greatly affected by this great concern which had overwhelmed all my interest and sapped all my strength. I never lost an opportunity to enquire from outside the monastery whatever could contribute towards shedding light to my problem. This way I started to discuss the topic with known ecclesiastical acquaintances in relation to the trust I had in their frankness and their heart. This way I would receive continuously impressions and opinions on the topic which were for me always interesting and significant.
I found most of these clerics more fanatical than I expected. Even though they were deeply aware of the absurdity of the teaching on the Pope, being stuck to the idea that "the required submission to the Pope demands a blind consent of our views" and in the other maxim by the founder of Jesuits by which "That we may possess the truth and not fall in fallacy, we owe it to always depend on the basic and immovable axiom that what we see as white in reality it is black, if that is what the hierarchy of the Church tells us". With this fantastic bias a priest of the order of Jesus, entrusted me with the following thought:-
"What you tell me I acknowledge that they are most logical and very clear and true. However, for us Jesuits, apart from the usual three vows, we give a fourth one during the day of our tonsure. This fourth vow is more important than the vow of purity, obedience and poverty. It is the vow that we must totally submit to the Pope. This way, I prefer to go to hell with the Pope than to Paradise with all your truths.
A few centuries ago they would have burnt you in the fires of Holy Inquisition.
According to the opinion of most of them, I was a heretic. Here's what a bishop wrote to me, "A few centuries ago, the ideas you have, would have been enough to bring you to the fires of Holy Inquisition".
However, despite all this I intended to stay in the monastery and give myself to the purely spiritual life, leaving the responsibility to the hierarchy for the deceit and its correction. But could the important things of the soul be safe on a road of super physical life, where the arbitrariness of the Pope could pile up new dogmas and false teachings concerning the pious life of the Church? Moreover, since the purity of teaching was built with falsehoods about the pope, who could reassure me that this stain would not spread into the other parts of the evangelical faith?
It is therefore not strange if the holy men within the Roman Church started to sound the alarm by saying such as: "Who knows if the minor means of salvation that flood us, do not cause us to forget our only Saviour, Jesus…."? "Today our spiritual life appears like a multi-branch and multi-leaf tree, where the souls do no more know where the trunk is, that everything rests on, and where the roots are that feed it".
"With such a manner we have decorated and overloaded our religiocity, so that the face of Him who is the "focus of the issue" is lost inside the decorations" Being therefore convinced that the spiritual life within the bosom of the papist Church will expose me to dangers, I ended up taking the decisive step. I abandoned the monastery and after a little while I declared I did not belong to the Roman Church. Some others seemed prepared until then to follow me, but at the last moment no one proved prepared to sacrifice so radically his position within the Church, with the honour and consideration he enjoyed.
This way I abandoned the Roman Church, whose leader, forgetting that the Kingdom of the Son of God "is not of this world" and that "he who is called to the bishopric is not called to any high position or authority but to the diaconate of all the Church", but imitating him who "wishing in his pride to be like god, he lost the true glory, put on the false one" and "sat in the temple of God as god". Rightly did Bernard De Klaraval write about the Pope: "There is no more horrible poison for you, no sword more dangerous, than the thirst and passion of domination". Coming out of Papism, I followed my voice of conscience that was the voice of God. And this voice was telling me, "Leave her ……. So you may not partake of her sins and that you may not receive of her wounds". How after my departure I fell in the embrace of Orthodoxy, in the light of the absolute and spotless Truth, this I will describe at a later opportunity.
Secondly, as my departure from Papism became more broadly known within the ecclesiastical circles and was receiving more enthusiastic response in the Spanish and French protestant circles, so was my position becoming more precarious.
In the correspondence I received, the threatening and anonymous abusive letters were plentiful. They would accuse me that I was creating an anti-papist wave around me and I was leading by my example into "apostasy" Roman Catholic clerics "who were dogmatically sick" and who had publicly expressed a sympathetic feeling for my case.
This fact forced me to leave Barcelona, and settle in Madrid where I was put up – without my seeking – by Anglicans and through them I came in contact with the Ecumenical Council of Churches.
Not even there did I manage to remain inconspicuous. After every sermon at different Anglican Churches, a steadily increasing number of listeners sought to know me and to confidently discuss with me some ecclesiological topics.
Without therefore wishing it, a steadily increasing circle of people started forming around me, with most being anti-papists. This situation was exposing me to the authorities, because in the confidential meetings I had agreed to attend, some Roman Catholic clerics started to appear, who were generally known "for their lacking and weakening faith, regarding the primacy and infallibility of the Highest Hierarch of Rome".
The fanatical vindictiveness that some papists bore against my person, I saw it fully expressed and hit its zenith the day I replied publicly to a detailed ecclesiological dissertation, which they had sent to me as an ultimate step to remove me from the "trap of heresy" that I had fallen in. That work of apologetic character had the expressive title: "The Pope vicar of our Lord on earth" and the slogan that the arguments in the book ended up with, was the following: "Due to the infallibility of the Pope, the Roman Catholics are today the only Christians who could be certain for what they believe".
In the columns of a Portuguese book review, I replied: "The reality is that due to this infallibility you are the only Christians who cannot be certain about what they will demand that you believe tomorrow". My article ended with the following sentence: "Soon on the road you walk, you will name the Lord, vicar of the Pope in heaven".
Soon after I published in Buenos Aires my three volume study, I put an end to the skirmishes with the papists. In that study I had collected all the clauses in the patristic literature of the first four centuries, which directly or indirectly refer to the "primacy clauses" (Matt 16 :18-19; John21: 15-17; Luke 22: 31-32). I proved that the teachings about the Pope were absolutely foreign and contrary to the interpretation given by the Fathers on the issue. And the interpretation of the Fathers is exactly the rule on which we understand the Holy Bible.
During that period, even though from unrelated situations, for the first time I came in contact with Orthodoxy. Before I continue to recount the events, I owe it to confess here that my ideas about Orthodoxy had suffered an important development from the beginning of my spiritual odyssey. Certain discussions I had on ecclesiological topics with a group of Orthodox Polish, who passed through my country and the information I received from the Ecumenical Council regarding the existence and life in Orthodox circles in the West, had caused me a real interest. Furthermore, I started to get different Russian and Greek books and magazines from London and Berlin, as well as some of the prized books that were provided by archimandrite Benedict Katsenavakis in Napoli, Italy. Thus my interest in Orthodoxy would continue to grow.
Slowly, slowly in this way I started losing my inner biases against the Orthodox Church. These biases present Orthodoxy as schismatic, without spiritual life, drained group of small churches that do not have the characteristics of the true Church of Christ. And the schism that had cut her off, "had the devil for father and the pride of the patriarch Photios for mother".
So when I started to correspond with a respected member of the Orthodox hierarchy in the West- whose name I do not believe I am permitted to publish due to my personal criterion that was based on those original informations, I was thus totally free from every bias against Orthodoxy and I could spiritually gaze objectively. I soon realized and even with a pleasant surprise that my negative stance I had against Papism was conforming completely to the ecclesiological teaching of Orthodoxy. The respectable hierarch agreed to this coincidence in his letters but refrained from expressing himself more broadly because he was aware that I lived in a protestant surrounding.
The Orthodox in the West are not at all susceptible to proselytism. Only when our correspondence continued enough, the Orthodox bishop showed me to read the superb book by Sergei Boulgakov, "Orthodoxy" and the not less in depth dissertation, under the same title by metropolitan Seraphim. In the mean time I had also written specifically to the Ecumenical Patriarchate.
In those books I found myself. There was not even a single paragraph that did not meet completely the agreement of my conscience. So much in these works as in others, that they would send to me with encouraging letters -now even from Greece- I clearly saw how the Orthodox teaching is profound and purely evangelical and that the Orthodox are the only Christians who believe like the Christians of the catacombs and of the Fathers of the Church of the golden age, the only ones who can repeat with holy boasting the patristic saying, "We believe in whatever we received from the Apostles".
That period I wrote two books, one with the title "The concept of Church according to the Western Fathers" and the other with the title "Your God, our God and God". These books were to be published in South America, but I did not proceed with their release, so that I may not give an easy and dangerous hold to the protestant propaganda.
From the Orthodox side they advised me to let go my simply negative position against Papism, in which I was dirtied and to shape my personal "I believe" from which they could judge how far I was from the Anglican Church as well as the Orthodox.
It was a hard task that I summarized with the following sentences: "I believe in everything that are included in the Canonic books of the Old and New Testament, according to the interpretation of the ecclesiastical Tradition, namely the Ecumenical Synods that were truly ecumenical and to the unanimous teaching of the Holy Fathers that are acknowledged catholically as such".
From then on I began to understand that the sympathy of the Protestants towards me was cooling down, except of the Anglicans who were governed by some meaningful support. And it is only now that the Orthodox interest, despite being late, as always, started to manifest itself and to attract me to Orthodoxy as one "possibly Catechumen".
The undertakings of a polish university professor, whom I knew, cemented my conviction that Orthodoxy is supported by the meaningful truths of Christianity. I understood that every Christian of the other confessions, is required to sacrifice some significant part of the faith to arrive at the complete dogmatic purity and only an Orthodox Christian is not so required. For only he lives and remains in the substance of Christianity and the revealed and unaltered truth.
So, I did no more feel myself alone against the almighty Roman Catholicism and the coolness that the Protestants displayed against me. There were in the East and scattered around the world, 280 million Christians who belonged to the Orthodox Church and with whom I felt in communion of faith.
The accusation of the theological mummification of Orthodoxy had for me no value, because I had now understood that this fixed and stable perseverance of the Orthodox teaching of truth, was not a spiritual solidified rock, but an everlasting flow, like the current of the waterfall that seems to remain always the same yet the waters always change.
Slowly, slowly the Orthodox started to consider me as one of their own. "That we speak to this Spaniard about Orthodoxy- wrote a famous archimandrite- is not proselytism". They and I perceived that I was already berthed in the port of Orthodoxy, that I was finally breathing freely in the bosom of the Mother Church. In this period I was finally Orthodox without realizing it, and like the disciples that walked towards Emmaus close to the Divine Teacher, I had covered a stretch close to Orthodoxy without conclusively recognizing the Truth but at the end.
When I was assured of this reality, I wrote a long dissertation on my case, to the Ecumenical Patriarchate and to the Archbishop of Athens through the Apostolic Diaconate of the Church of Greece. And having no more to do with Spain – where today there does not exist an Orthodox community – I left my country and went to France where I asked to become a member of the Orthodox Church, having earlier let some more time for the fruit of my change to ripen. During this period I further deepened my knowledge of Orthodoxy and strengthened my relationship with her hierarchy. When I became fully confident of myself, I took the decisive step and officially became received in the true Church of Christ as her member. I wished to realize this great event in Greece, the recognized country of Orthodoxy, where I came to study theology. The blessed Archbishop of Athens received me patristically. His love and interest were beyond my expectations. I should say the same for the then chancellor of the Sacred Archbishopric and presently bishop Dionysus of Rogon who showed me patristic love. It is needless to add that in such an atmosphere of love and warmth, the Holy Synod did not take long to decide my canonical acceptance in the bosom of the Orthodox Church. During that all night sacred ceremony I was honoured with the name of the Apostle of Nations and following that, I became received as a monk in the Holy Penteli Monastery. Soon after, I was tonsured deacon by the Holy Bishop of Rogon.
Since then I live within the love, sympathy and understanding of the Greek Church and all her members. I ask from all, their prayers and their spiritual support that I may always stand worthy of the Grace that was given me by the Lord.
From the "Theodromia" magazine, Issue 1, January -March 2006
This article of the then Hierodeacon Fr. Paul Ballester-Convollier was published in two follow up articles by the "Kivotos" Magazine, July 1953, p. 285-291 and December 1953 p. 483- 485. The previous Franciscan monk who had turned to Orthodoxy was made titlebearing bishop Nanzizian of the Holy Hierobishopric of North and South America with its seat in Mexico. There he was met with a martyric death, the confessor of the Orthodox faith. The news of his murder was reported on the first page of the newspaper "Kathemerini" (Saturday 4 February1984) thus: "THE GREEK ORTHODOX BISHOP PAUL WAS MURDERED IN MEXICO. As it became known from the city of Mexico, before yesterday the bishop Nianzizian Paul Di Ballester of the Greek archbishopric of North and South America died. He was murdered by a 70 year old Mexican, previous military and suffering from psychiatric illness. The funeral was attended by the Archbishop Jacob who was aware of the work of the active bishop. It should be pointed out that Bishop Paul was of Spanish origin, was received into Orthodoxy as an adult and excelled as a shepherd and author. The Mexican authorities do not exclude the possibility that his murderer was driven to his act through some sort of fanaticism.


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Home » Full Catalogue » SATIE, ERIK: Dada Works & Entractes
SATIE, ERIK: Dada Works & Entractes
Third in the LTM Satie series, this collects Satie's Dada associated works: Trois Morceaux en Forme de Poire (four-handed), Ragtime Dada, Relache parts 1&2 (the score for Picabia's multimedia event of the same name, which also included Rene Clair's film Entr'acte, the music for which Satie also wrote, known now as 'Cinema'). Relache and Cinema are orchestral works and here appear in piano transcriptions (Relache by Satie himself and Cinema in a four-handed arrangement by Darius Milhaud, which is brilliant; this was such a revolutionary piece in it's iterative way). With useful and comprehensive notes and pictures.
Code: LTMCD2474
Price: £14.00

subset: commoncrawl


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the Week of Proper 20 / Ordinary 25
Bible Commentaries Henry's Complete Commentary on the Bible Henry's Complete
It should seem David penned this psalm upon occasion of his deliverance, by the power and goodness of God, from some great and pressing trouble, by which he was in danger of being overwhelmed; probably it was some trouble of mind arising from a sense of sin and of God's displeasure against him for it; whatever it was, the same Spirit that indited his praises for that deliverance was in him, at the same time, a Spirit of prophecy, testifying of the sufferings of Christ and the glory that should follow; or, ere he was aware, he was led to speak of his undertaking, and the discharge of his undertaking, in words that must be applied to Christ only; and therefore how far the praises that here go before that illustrious prophecy, and the prayers that follow, may safely and profitably be applied to him it will be worth while to consider. In this psalm, I. David records God's favour to him in delivering him out of his deep distress, with thankfulness to his praise, Psalms 40:1-5. II. Thence he takes occasion to speak of the work of our redemption by Christ, Psalms 40:6-10. III. That gives him encouragement to pray to God for mercy and grace both for himself and for his friends, Psalms 40:11-17. If, in singing this psalm, we mix faith with the prophecy of Christ, and join in sincerity with the praises and prayers here offered up, we make melody wit our hearts to the Lord.
Verses 1-5
|The Benefit of Confidence in God.
To the chief musician. A psalm of David.
1 I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. 2 He brought me up also out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. 3 And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD. 4 Blessed is that man that maketh the LORD his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies. 5 Many, O LORD my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered.
In these verses we have,
I. The great distress and trouble that the psalmist had been in. He had been plunged into a horrible pit and into miry clay (Psalms 40:2; Psalms 40:2), out of which he could not work himself, and in which he found himself sinking yet further. He says nothing here either of the sickness of his body or the insults of his enemies, and therefore we have reason to think it was some inward disquiet and perplexity of spirit that was now his greatest grievance. Despondency of spirit under the sense of Gods withdrawings, and prevailing doubts and fears about the eternal state, are indeed a horrible pit and miry clay, and have been so to many a dear child of God.
II. His humble attendance upon God and his believing expectations from him in those depths: I waited patiently for the Lord,Psalms 40:1; Psalms 40:1. Waiting, I waited. He expected relief from no other than from God; the same hand that tears must heal, that smites must bind up (Hosea 6:1), or it will never be done. From God he expected relief, and he was big with expectation, not doubting but it would come in due time. There is power enough in God to help the weakest, and grace enough in God to help the unworthiest, of all his people that trust in him. But he waited patiently, which intimates that the relief did not come quickly; yet he doubted not but it would come, and resolved to continue believing, and hoping, and praying, till it did come. Those whose expectation is from God may wait with assurance, but must wait with patience. Now this is very applicable to Christ. His agony, both in the garden and on the cross, was the same continued, and it was a horrible pit and miry clay. Then was his soul troubled and exceedingly sorrowful; but then he prayed, Father, glorify thy name; Father, save me; then he kept hold of his relation to his Father, "My God, my God," and thus waited patiently for him.
III. His comfortable experience of God's goodness to him in his distress, which he records for the honour of God and his own and others' encouragement.
1. God answered his prayers: He inclined unto me and heard my cry. Those that wait patiently for God, though they may wait long, do not wait in vain. Our Lord Jesus was heard in that he feared,Hebrews 5:7. Nay, he was sure that the Father heard him always.
2. He silenced his fears, and stilled the tumult of his spirits, and gave him a settled peace of conscience (Psalms 40:2; Psalms 40:2): "He brought me up out of that horrible pit of despondency and despair, scattered the clouds, and shone brightly upon my soul, with the assurances of his favour; and not only so, but set my feet upon a rock and established my goings." Those that have been under the prevalency of a religious melancholy, and by the grace of God have been relieved, may apply this very feelingly to themselves; they are brought up out of a horrible pit. (1.) The mercy is completed by the setting of their feet upon a rock, where they find firm footing, are as much elevated with the hopes of heaven as they were before cast down with the fears of hell. Christ is the rock on which a poor soul may stand fast, and on whose meditation alone between us and God we can build any solid hopes or satisfaction. (2.) It is continued in the establishment of their goings. Where God has given a stedfast hope he expects there should be a steady regular conversation; and, if that be the blessed fruit of it, we have reason to acknowledge, with abundance of thankfulness, the riches and power of his grace.
3. He filled him with joy, as well as peace, in believing: "He has put a new song in my mouth; he has given me cause to rejoice and a heart to rejoice." He was brought, as it were, into a new world, and that filled his mouth with a new song, even praise to our God; for to his praise and glory must all our songs be sung. Fresh mercies, especially such as we never before received, call for new songs. This is applicable to our Lord Jesus in his reception to paradise, his resurrection from the grave, and his exaltation to the joy and glory set before him; he was brought out of the horrible pit, set upon a rock, and had a new song put into his mouth.
IV. The good improvement that should be made of this instance of God's goodness to David.
1. David's experience would be an encouragement to many to hope in God, and, for that end, he leaves it here upon record: Many shall see, and fear, and trust in the Lord. They shall fear the Lord and his justice, which brought David, and the Son of David, into that horrible pit, and shall say, If this be done to the green tree, what shall be done to the dry? They shall fear the Lord and his goodness, in filling the mouth of David, and the Son of David, with new songs of joy and praise. There is a holy reverent fear of God, which is not only consistent with, but the foundation of, our hope in him. They shall not fear him and shun him, but fear him and trust in him in their greatest straits, not doubting but to find him as able and ready to help as David did in his distress. God's dealings with our Lord Jesus are our great encouragement to trust in God; when it pleased the Lord to bruise him, and put him to grief for our sins, he demanded our debt from him; and when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand, he made it to appear that he had accepted the payment he made and was satisfied with it; and what greater encouragement can we have to fear and worship God and totrust in him?. See Romans 4:25; Romans 5:1; Romans 5:2. The psalmist invites others to make God their hope, as he did, by pronouncing those happy that do so (Psalms 40:4; Psalms 40:4): "Blessed is the man that makes the Lord his trust, and him only (that has great and good thoughts of him, and is entirely devoted to him), and respects not the proud, does not do as those do that trust in themselves, nor depends upon those who proudly encourage others to trust in them; for both the one and the other turn aside to lies, as indeed all those do that turn aside from God." This is applicable, particularly, to our faith in Christ. Blessed are those that trust in him, and in his righteousness alone, and respect not the proud Pharisees, that set up their own righteousness in competition with that, that will not be governed by their dictates, nor turn aside to lies, with the unbelieving Jews, who submit not to the righteousness of God,Romans 10:3. Blessed are those that escape this temptation.
2. The joyful sense he had of this mercy led him to observe, with thankfulness, the many other favours he had received from God, Psalms 40:5; Psalms 40:5. When God puts new songs into our mouth we must not forget our former songs, but repeat them: "Many, O Lord my God! are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, both for me and others; this is but one of many." Many are the benefits with which we are daily loaded both by the providence and by the grace of God. (1.) They are his works, not only the gifts of his bounty, but the operations of his power. He works for us, he works in us, and thus he favours us with matter, not only for thanks, but for praise. (2.) They are his wonderful works, the contrivance of them admirable, his condescension to us in bestowing them upon us admirable; eternity itself will be short enough to be spent in the admiration of them. (3.) All his wonderful works are the product of his thoughts to us-ward. He does all according to the counsel of his own will (Ephesians 1:11), the purposes of his grace which he purposed in himself,Ephesians 3:11. They are the projects of infinite wisdom, the designs of everlasting love (1 Corinthians 2:7; Jeremiah 31:3), thoughts of good and not of evil,Jeremiah 29:11. His gifts and callings will therefore be without repentance, because they are not sudden resolves, but the result of his thoughts, his many thoughts, to us-ward. (4.) They are innumerable; they cannot be methodized or reckoned up in order. There is an order in all God's works, but there are so many that present themselves to our view at once that we know not where to begin nor which to name next; the order of them, and their natural references and dependencies, and how the links of the golden chain are joined, are a mystery to us, and what we shall not be able to account for till the veil be rent and the mystery of God finished. Nor can they be counted, not the very heads of them. When we have said the most we can of the wonders of divine love to us we must conclude with an et cætera--and such like, and adore the depth, despairing to find the bottom.
Verses 6-10
|Insufficiency of the Legal Sacrifices; The Efficacy of Christ's Sacrifice.
6 Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required. 7 Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me, 8 I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart. 9 I have preached righteousness in the great congregation: lo, I have not refrained my lips, O LORD, thou knowest. 10 I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart; I have declared thy faithfulness and thy salvation: I have not concealed thy lovingkindness and thy truth from the great congregation.
The psalmist, being struck with amazement at the wonderful works that God had done for his people, is strangely carried out here to foretel that work of wonder which excels all the rest and is the foundation and fountain of all, that of our redemption by our Lord Jesus Christ. God's thoughts, which were to us-ward concerning that work, were the most curious, the most copious, the most gracious, and therefore to be most admired. This paragraph is quoted by the apostle (Hebrews 10:5-7, c.) and applied to Christ and his undertaking for us. As in the institutions, so in the devotions, of the Old Testament saints were aware of and, when the apostle would show us the Redeemer's voluntary undertaking of his work, he does not fetch his account out of the book of God's secret counsels, which belong not to us, but from the things revealed. Observe,
I. The utter insufficiency of the legal sacrifices to atone for sin in order to our peace with God and our happiness in him: Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; thou wouldst not have the Redeemer to offer them. Something he must have to offer, but not these (Hebrews 8:3); therefore he must not be of the house of Aaron, Hebrews 7:14. Or, In the days of the Messiah burnt-offering and sin-offering will be no longer required, but all those ceremonial institutions will be abolished. But that is not all: even while the law concerning them was in full force it might be said, God did not desire them, nor accept them, for their own sake. They could not take away the guilt of sin by satisfying God's justice. The life of a sheep, which is so much inferior in value to that of a man (Matthew 12:12), could not pretend to be an equivalent, much less an expedient to preserve the honour of God's government and laws and repair the injury done to that honour by the sin of man. They could not take away the terror of sin by pacifying the conscience, nor the power of sin by sanctifying the nature; it was impossible, Hebrews 9:9; Hebrews 10:1-4. What there was in them that was valuable resulted from their reference to Jesus Christ, of whom they were types--shadows indeed, but shadows of good things to come, and trials of the faith and obedience of God's people, of their obedience of God's people, of their obedience to the law and their faith in the gospel. But the substance must come, which is Christ, who must bring that glory to God and that grace to man which it was impossible those sacrifices should ever do.
II. The designation of our Lord Jesus to the work and office of Mediator: My ears hast thou opened. God the Father disposed him to the undertaking (Isaiah 50:5; Isaiah 50:6) and then obliged him to go through with it. My ear hast thou digged. It is supposed to allude to the law and custom of binding servants to serve for ever by boring their ear to the doorpost; see Exodus 21:6. Our Lord Jesus was so in love with his undertaking that he would not go out free from it, and therefore engaged to persevere for ever in it; and for this reason he is able to save us to the uttermost, because he has engaged to serve his Father to the uttermost, who upholds him in it, Isaiah 42:1.
III. His own voluntary consent to this undertaking: "Then said I, Lo, I come; then, when sacrifice and offering would not do, rather than the work should be undone; I said, Lo, I come, to enter the lists with the powers of darkness, and to advance the interests of God's glory and kingdom." This intimates three things:-- 1. That he freely offered himself to this service, to which he was under no obligation at all prior to his own voluntary engagement. It was no sooner proposed to him than, with the greatest cheerfulness, he consented to it, and was wonderfully well pleased with the undertaking. Had he not been perfectly voluntary in it, he could not have been a surety, he could not have been a sacrifice; for it is by this will (this animus offerentis--mind of the offerer) that we are sanctified, Hebrews 10:10. 2. That he firmly obliged himself to it: "I come; I promise to come in the fulness of time." And therefore the apostle says, "It was when he came into the world that he had an actual regard to this promise, by which he had engaged his heart to approach unto God." He thus entered into bonds, not only to show the greatness of his love, but because he was to have the honour of his undertaking before he had fully performed it. Though the price was not paid, it was secured to be paid, so that he was the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. 3. That he frankly owned himself engaged: He said, Lo, I come, said it all along to the Old Testament saints, who therefore knew him by the title of ho erchomenos--He that should come. This word was the foundation on which they built their faith and hope, and which they looked and longed for the accomplishment of.
IV. The reason why he came, in pursuance of his undertaking--because in the volume of the book it was written of him, 1. In the close rolls of the divine decree and counsel; there it was written that his ear was opened, and he said, Lo, I come; there the covenant of redemption was recorded, the counsel of redemption was recorded, the counsel of peace between the Father and the Son; and to that he had an eye in all he did, the commandment he received of his Father. 2. In the letters patent of the Old Testament. Moses and all the prophets testified of him; in all the volumes of that book something or other was written of him, which he had an eye to, that all might be accomplished, John 19:28.
V. The pleasure he took in his undertaking. Having freely offered himself to it, he did not fail, nor was discouraged, but proceeded with all possible satisfaction to himself (Psalms 40:8; Psalms 40:9): I delight to do thy will, O my God! It was to Christ his me at and drink to go on with the work appointed to him (John 3:34); and the reason here given is, Thy law is within my heart; it is written there, it rules there. It is meant of the law concerning the work and office of the Mediator, what he was to do and suffer; this law was dear to him and had an influence upon him in his whole undertaking. Note, When the law of God is written in our hearts our duty will be our delight.
VI. The publication of the gospel to the children of men, even in the great congregation,Psalms 40:9; Psalms 40:10. The same that as a priest wrought out redemption for us, as a prophet, by his own preaching first, then by his apostles, and still by his word and Spirit, makes it know to us. The great salvation began to be spoken by the Lord,Hebrews 2:3. It is the gospel of Christ that is preached to all nations. Observe, 1. What it is that is preached: It is righteousness (Psalms 40:9; Psalms 40:9), God's righteousness (Psalms 40:10; Psalms 40:10), the everlasting righteousness which Christ has brought in (Daniel 9:24); compare Romans 1:16; Romans 1:17. It is God's faithfulness to his promise, and the salvation which had long been looked for. It is God's lovingkindness and his truth, his mercy according to his word. Note, In the work of our redemption we ought to take notice how brightly all the divine attributions shine, and give to God the praise of each of them. 2. To whom it is preached--to the great congregation,Psalms 40:9; Psalms 40:9 and again Psalms 40:10; Psalms 40:10. When Christ was here on earth he preached to multitudes, thousands at a time. The gospel was preached both to Jews and Gentiles, to great congregations of both. Solemn religious assemblies are a divine institution, and in them the glory of God, in the face of Christ, ought to be both praised to the glory of God and preached for the edification of men. 3. How it is preached--freely and openly: I have not refrained my lips; I have not hid it; I have not concealed it. This intimates that whoever undertook to preach the gospel of Christ would be in great temptation to hide it and conceal it, because it must be preached with great contention and in the face of great opposition; but Christ himself, and those whom he called to that work, set their faces as a flint (Isaiah 50:7) and were wonderfully carried on in it. It is well for us that they were so, for by this means our eyes come to see this joyful light and our ears to hear this joyful sound, which otherwise we might for ever have perished in ignorance of.
Verses 11-17
|Encouragement in Prayer.
11 Withhold not thou thy tender mercies from me, O LORD: let thy lovingkindness and thy truth continually preserve me. 12 For innumerable evils have compassed me about: mine iniquities have taken hold upon me, so that I am not able to look up; they are more than the hairs of mine head: therefore my heart faileth me. 13 Be pleased, O LORD, to deliver me: O LORD, make haste to help me. 14 Let them be ashamed and confounded together that seek after my soul to destroy it; let them be driven backward and put to shame that wish me evil. 15 Let them be desolate for a reward of their shame that say unto me, Aha, aha. 16 Let all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee: let such as love thy salvation say continually, The LORD be magnified. 17 But I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinketh upon me: thou art my help and my deliverer; make no tarrying, O my God.
The psalmist, having meditated upon the work of redemption, and spoken of it in the person of the Messiah, now comes to make improvement of the doctrine of his mediation between us and God, and therefore speaks in his own person. Christ having done his Father's will, and finished his work, and given orders for the preaching of the gospel to every creature, we are encouraged to come boldly to the throne of grace, for mercy and grace.
I. This may encourage us to pray for the mercy of God, and to put ourselves under the protection of that mercy, Psalms 40:11; Psalms 40:11. "Lord, thou hast not spared thy Son, nor withheld him; withhold not thou thy tender mercies then, which thou hast laid up for us in him; for wilt thou not with him also freely give us all things?Romans 8:32. Let thy lovingkindness and thy truth continually preserve me." The best saints are in continual danger, and see themselves undone if they be not continually preserved by the grace of God; and the everlasting lovingkindness and truth of God are what we have to depend upon for our preservation to the heavenly kingdom, Psalms 61:7.
II. This may encourage us in reference to the guilt of sin, that Jesus Christ has done that towards our discharge from it which sacrifice and offering could not do. See here, 1. The frightful sight he had of sin, Psalms 40:12; Psalms 40:12. This was it that made the discovery he was now favoured with of a Redeemer very welcome to him. He saw his iniquities to be evils, the worst of evils; he saw that they compassed him about; in all the reviews of his life, and his reflections upon each step of it, still he discovered something amiss. The threatening consequences of his sin surrounded him. Look which way he would, he saw some mischief or other waiting for him, which he was conscious to himself his sins had deserved. He saw them taking hold of him, arresting him, as the bailiff does the poor debtor; he saw them to be innumerable and more than the hairs of his head. Convinced awakened consciences are apprehensive of danger from the numberless number of the sins of infirmity which seem small as hairs, but, being numerous, are very dangerous. Who can understand his errors? God numbers our hairs (Matthew 10:30), which yet we cannot number; so he keeps an account of our sins, which we keep no account of. The sight of sin so oppressed him that he could not hold up his head--I am not able to look up; much less could he keep up his heart--therefore my heart fails me. Note, The sight of our sins in their own colours would drive us to distraction, if we had not at the same time some sight of a Saviour. 2. The careful recourse he had to God under the sense of sin (Psalms 40:13; Psalms 40:13); seeing himself brought by his sins to the very brink of ruin, eternal ruin, with what a holy passion does he cry out, "Be pleased, O Lord! to deliver me (Psalms 40:13; Psalms 40:13); O save me from the wrath to come, and the present terrors I am in through the apprehensions of that wrath! I am undone, I die, I perish, without speedy relief. In a case of this nature, where the bliss of an immortal soul is concerned, delays are dangerous; therefore, O Lord! make haste to help me."
III. This may encourage us to hope for victory over our spiritual enemies that seek after our souls to destroy them (Psalms 40:14; Psalms 40:14), the roaring lion that goes about continually seeking to devour. If Christ has triumphed over them, we through him, shall be more than conquerors. In the belief of this we may pray, with humble boldness, Let them be ashamed and confounded together, and driven backward,Psalms 40:14; Psalms 40:14. Let them be desolate,Psalms 40:15; Psalms 40:15. Both the conversion of a sinner and the glorification of a saint are great disappointments to Satan, who does his utmost, with all his power and subtlety, to hinder both. Now, our Lord Jesus having undertaken to bring about the salvation of all his chosen, we may in faith pray that, in both these ways, that great adversary may be confounded. When a child of God is brought into that horrible pit, and the miry clay, Satan cries Aha! aha! thinking he has gained his point; but he shall rage when he sees the brand plucked out of the fire, and shall be desolate, for a reward of his shame. The Lord rebuke thee, O Satan! The accuser of the brethren is cast out.
IV. This may encourage all that seek God, and love his salvation, to rejoice in him and to praise him, Psalms 40:16; Psalms 40:16. See here, 1. The character of good people. Conformably to the laws of natural religion, they seek God, desire his favour, and in all their exigencies apply to him, as a people should seek unto their God; and conformably to the laws of revealed religion they love his salvation, that great salvation of which the prophets enquired and searched diligently, which the Redeemer undertook to work out when he said, Lo, I come. All that shall be saved love the salvation not only as a salvation from hell, but a salvation from sin. 2. The happiness secured to good people by this prophetic prayer. Those that seek God shall rejoice and be glad in him, and with good reason, for he will not only be found of them but will be their bountiful rewarder. Those that love his salvation shall be filled with the joy of his salvation, and shall say continually, The Lord be magnified; and thus they shall have a heaven upon earth. Blessed are those that are thus still praising God.
V. This may encourage the saints, in distress and affliction, to trust in God and comfort themselves in him, Psalms 40:17; Psalms 40:17. David himself was one of these: I am poor and needy (a king, perhaps now on the throne, and yet, being troubled in spirit, he calls himself poor and needy, in want and distress, lost and undone without a Saviour), yet the Lord thinketh upon me in and through the Mediator, by whom we are made accepted. Men forget the poor and needy, and seldom think of them; but God's thoughts, towards them (which he had spoken of Psalms 40:5; Psalms 40:5) are their support and comfort. They may assure themselves that God is their help under their troubles, and will be, in due time, their deliverer out of their troubles, and will make no long tarrying; for the vision is for an appointed time, and therefore, though it tarry, we may wait for it, for it shall come; it will come, it will not tarry.
These files are public domain and are a derivative of an electronic edition that is available on the Christian Classics Ethereal Library Website.
Henry, Matthew. "Complete Commentary on Psalms 40". "Henry's Complete Commentary on the Whole Bible". https://studylight.org/


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An equestrienne's travel adventures around the planet, or, a traveller's equestrian adventures around the planet (occasionally on foot, sometimes chasing owls, almost always with The Raven). Just Ride - Anywhere!
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Mon Amour!
Thursday September 16 2010
It's Maddy's 70th birthday party. Everyone is asked to step outside. Out of the darkness is led a dark horse, wearing a white blanket and a sash from a World Endurance Championship. Maddy starts crying. The man leading the horse starts crying. Everybody is crying.
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Leonard Liesens needed an endurance horse to ride. He needed to get into shape to ride the Tevis in America, and his endurance mare at home in Belgium was pregnant. He started searching advertisements and local barns. Someone directed him to a horse at a stable. There was just one thing about this horse - he was known as 'The horse who killed his rider.' He'd returned to his stable one day without his rider, who was later found out on the trail, dead. Nobody knows for sure what happened.
Leo went to look at the horse.
"I thought he looked like a nice horse, so I told the widow I'd buy him." She asked Leo if he didn't want to ride the horse first, and Leo said okay. He got a saddle from the barn, tacked the horse up and mounted. The horse started bucking - and threw Leo to the ground. Leo got up and climbed back on. The horse bucked and threw him off again. Leo got up and mounted him again, "this time very carefully. I gently asked him to walk around, asked for a little trot, a little canter" - and the horse let him stay on his back. Leo bought him, for $2000 Euros.
And that's how Orfeo des Iviers, top endurance horse, 2000 Belgian Champion, came into Leonard Liesens' life and to the sport of endurance.
As a 9-year-old in 1998, after completing his qualifying races, Orfeo finished 11th in a 130 km ride in Belgium, and 8th in a 160 km ride in Belgium - and that qualified him to participate in the 1998 160 km World Championship in Dubai. Orfeo finished that ride in 13 hours 35 minutes - quite a tough race in the sand (and this was in the days before the tracks were groomed) for a horse from the muddy trails of Belgium.
It was just the beginning for a horse that was new to endurance, and for a rider who - besides finishing the Tevis Cup the previous year on one of Steph Teeter's horses, and a couple of other rides - was an endurance newbie himself. "I don't know how it is we ended up together. I was very lucky to get this horse. I made some mistakes with him, I learned along the way," Leo says... but Orfeo still had a remarkable career.
He competed in 3 other World Championships: Compiegne, France in 2000; Dubai, UAE in 2004; and Aachen, Germany in 2006 (the only one he didn't finish - "my fault" says Leo). He competed in 2 European Championships: Badajoz, Spain in 1999 (finishing 10th); and Compiegne, France in 2005 (crossed the finish line but was pulled at the finish for lameness - "my fault again," says Leo). They won Team Gold in the CEIO at La Baule, France in 2004, Team Gold in the European Championship in Compiegne, France in 2005, and a Team Bronze medal in the Dubai World Championship in 2004.
He won a 120 km race in Belgium, a 160 km race in The Netherlands, and a 140 km race in Compiegne. He won the 160 km Foridchapelle in Belgium in 2000 - and was the 2000 Belgian Champion.
In all of it, Orfeo wasn't an easy horse to ride; "he had a temper" if you pushed his buttons wrong. And he kicked just about everybody that ever crewed for him. "When he was focused on racing, he didn't like his legs touched unless he knew you were there. He was very competitive, but you could rate him. He had a very light, very smooth canter, and he could keep it up all day." One of their training spots was a beach where they in fact spent hours cantering, for 60 kilometers at a time, up and down the sand.
Another place Leo and Orfeo trained, besides the forest near their home, was in the forest not very far from Brussels. Orfeo would sometimes board at a riding stable on the edge of the forest, and Leo could slip out for a long lunch and condition his horse. It was there where Maddy met Orfeo.
Maddy owned a Newfoundland pony and a 28-year-old Thoroughbred, but she also had her eyes on Orfeo.
Two things happened: at 21 years of age, Orfeo finished a 120 km ride in Euston Park, after being pulled in his previous 3 rides in 2006, 2007 and 2009. There were apparently some grumblings in some endurance corners about Leo riding such an old horse in endurance, wondering when the poor old nag would be retired. "But what do you do with a horse like this?" Leo said. "If you stop riding him he will lose his mind! He can't just stand around in a paddock! You have to give him a job!"
The other thing that happened was that Leo took Maddy out for a ride in the forest. Leo rode another of his horses. Maddy rode Orfeo.
I know where they rode, and I know what happened. I did the same thing three years ago - on the same horse. There's a racetrack in the forest there, where you can train your racehorses over a groomed dirt oval if you like. It's the best place to canter a horse for miles - a horse with a canter like the smoothest silk, a horse that gives you confidence, that doesn't pull on you, a horse that can keep it up smoothly and easily, smiling along with you every stride.
Maddy was overwhelmed with her ride on Orfeo. "She told me, over and over, 'Thank you Leo! Oh thank you! Thank you!'" And after that, she started bugging Leo to sell Orfeo to her.
And one day, Leo made the decision that he knew was right.
To this day, 8 months later, Maddy still can't describe the night of her birthday party, when Leo surprised her with this beloved horse as a gift. The words still don't come out of her mouth - she can only mime the speechlessness and tears that flowed. "And she almost fell down!" Leo says.
And when Maddy leads her Orfeo out of the stable for us, she hugs him and talks to him, cries to us, "Mon amour! Mon amour!" When she turns Orfeo out in a paddock for us all to see, he bolts away, tail in the air, prancing, floating over the grass. He stops to look back at Maddy - who's speaking in French to him the entire time - to make sure it's okay to keep going, and he does. He turns and leaps away again, floating airs above the ground, kissing the earth on tiptoes light as a feather, snapping those fetlocks out in that magical floating trot that you see in the dressage arena. Orfeo is positively showing off for us, letting us all know that at the ripe old age of 21, he's still got what it takes.
She calls Ofreo back, and he comes up to her and stands, accepting the hugs and kisses (and, almost, tears again) with dignity, clearly enjoying behing adored by the woman who positively idolizes him. He's clearly settled well into his new job in life, of taking Maddy for easy rides in the forest, and being worshipped.
"It made me feel good to do this. I knew it was right," Leo says. "Maddy is happy, I am happy, Orfeo is happy."
8 comments:
Aawwwwww. Nice.ReplyDelete
Great story, great horse and great people.ReplyDelete
What a beautiful ending to a tragic beginning. I'm teary eyed for all of them. ~E.G.ReplyDelete
What a great story. I'm glad Maddy got her horse and the horse has a wonderful home.ReplyDelete
Oh. my. This is another one of your amazing stories full of heart and the absolute love of horses. I am soooooo happy for Maddy and her Orfeo.ReplyDelete
Bonita historia, de un buen caballo y de un mejor dueño.ReplyDelete
Saludos de Gabriel.
Bonita historia, de un buen caballo y de un mejor dueño.ReplyDelete
Saludos de Gabriel.
Beautiful story, Merri!ReplyDelete


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Dimmuborgir, Iceland
While it doesn't outwardly suggest it, Dimmuborgir with its thick grassy plains surrounding some of the world's most wild rock formations is actually an ancient lava field. While in the summer, this area is Iceland's playground for outdoors people, it is only recognizable to Game of Thrones fans in the winter. It served as the spot where Mance Rayder camped his massive army of wildlings, mammoths and giants.
Essaouira, Morocco
In the 1960's Essaouira served as the hippy hangout in Morocco that attracted rock stars like Cat Stevens and Jimi Hendrix. Today, Essaouira has become a modern city but still has that beloved laid back air to it. In Game of Thrones, this beautiful coastal desert city was transformed in to the slave trading city of Astapor. The imagery of Astapor was made most memorable by Essaouira's most famous landmark, its fortified walls.
Fort Lovrijenac, Croatia
For sprawling shots of the Red Keep in King's Landing and the surrounding city, it was not Fort Ricacoli in Malta that was used but rather Fort Lovrijenac in Croatia. The film crew switch from Malta to Croatia so that they could get easier shots of the Red Keep (Fort Lovrijenac ) and King's Landing (nearby Dubrovnik). The fort stands 37 meters high on its rocky perch just outside of Dubrovnik and serves as the perfect intimidating castle to represent the crown of Westeros.
The Mourne Mountain, Northern Ireland
The rugged Mourne Mountans in southeastern Ireland and their grassy foothills were used to film shots of the Dothraki home land of Vaes Dothrak. The long grasslands were the perfect setting for these nomadic, horse-riding people while the mountains in the distance served as their most sacred of places.
Want to know more movie filming destinations? Check out our article covering Lord of The Rings.
Travellers may not be able to enter the epic fantasy world of Westeros from George R.R. Martin's book series A Song of Ice and Fire, but they can visit the real world locations that HBO utilized in their television adaption, Game of Thrones. It is hard to believe that so many magical places could be real, that is, until it is right before your very eyes.
Fort Ricasoli, Malta
Those looking for the impressive red rock buildings that serve as the front of the Red Keep in King's Landing need only look no further than Fort Ricasoli in La Valletta, Malta. Various parts of the city have been filmed while representing the seat of kings in Westeros, most noticeably the star-shaped barricades that surround the city and the front gates used as the gates of the Red Keep. Visitors will notice that the city is visibly paler than it appears in the television show as the colour of the bleached limestone has been digitally modified to its reddish colour in the show.
Azure Window, Gozo
Gozo is Malta's smaller sister island. It is rugged and almost violent in its dramatic beauty, not unlike the Dothraki event that was filmed there. Gozo served as the site of Season One's Dothraki wedding of Khal Drogo and Daenerys Targaryen. The location on the island that was used, called the Azure Window, is a natural limestone arch that stretches out over the sea, making the area treasure for even non-Game of Thrones fans.
Ait-Ben-Haddou, Morocco
For those following Daenerys Targaryen's tracks through Slaver's Bay, one can't miss stop is Ait-Ben-Haddou in Morocco. This 'ksar,' or 'fortified city,' sits 100 kilometers southeast of Marrakech and rises majestically from the desert sands. This ancient city has been an eternal attraction to not just tourists, but filmmakers as well. Not only does it serve as Yunkai and Pentos in Game of Thrones, but it can be spotted in other films including The Mummy, Gladiator, and Prince of Persia.
Grjotagja, Iceland
Grjotagja was only featured in Game of Thrones once, but it left a lasting impression. Grjotagja is a thermal spring nestled with in a beautiful cave in Iceland. In Game of Thrones, it served as the warm love nest for Jon Snow and Ygritte on their trek with the Wildling horde, and it is definitely worth a visit in the real world. Outside, in Lake Myvtan in north-east Iceland, temperatures can drop well below freezing, but the spring inside this toasty lava cave maintains an average temperature of 50 degrees C, no wonder Jon and Ygritte got so hot.
Dubrovnik, Croatia
King's Landing is a massive city as the capital of Westeros, so it only makes sense that the different parts of the city come from locations all over the world. The sprawling overview shots of the city as well as the shots that take place in the streets below the castle take place in Dubrovnik, Croatia. Visitors viewing the city from afar will feel like they just entered Westeros, viewing this massive city that crawls out from the shoreline. Inside the crowded streets, the plots, intrigues and secrets are all palpable as visitors explore the narrow pathways and hidden alleys.
Tollymore Forest Park, Northern Ireland
Tollymore Forest Park covers more than 600 hectares at the foot of the Mourne Mountains in Northern Ireland. This park is popular for not just hiking and its scenic old growth forest but for its stunning sea views as well. Tollymore was featured several times in Game of Thrones including the show's very first scene where a Night's Watch Ranger encounters a sinister White Walker. The forest was later used as the setting where the Stark family finds their Direwolf pups and much later in the series where Theon Greyjoy was chased through these woods by the psychotic Ramsey Snow.
Thingvellir National Park, Iceland
Thingvellir National Park was first introduced in Season Three of Game of Thrones as this sprawling setting of hilly grassland and crisscrossing rivers was used to represent the Riverlands for not just Robb Stark but for Arya and Sandor Clegane's adventures as they walked from village to village looking for someone to sell Arya to. Lucky adventures may even be able to find a few shards of 'Dragonglass,' or Obsidian from cooled lava while hiking than many trails in this beautiful region.
Hofoabrekka, Iceland
Hofoabrekka is located near Vik, the southernmost city in Iceland and also it's wettest. During the summer, this region is rainy almost every day, but during winter Hofoabrekka is frightfully treacherous. There is no more fitting place to film the scenes beyond the wall where characters like Jon Snow and his brothers from the Night's Watch or Bran Stark and his companions struggle with the landscape and the creatures within. Filming this area is just as difficult as being a character within it as film crews only have a two hour gap everyday in which the landscape is not too rainy or snowy.
Trsteno Arboretum, Croatia
For those seeking to enjoy the green gardens of King's Landing, they will have to look no further than the beautifully manicured landscape of Trsteno Arboretum in Croatia. Located in the town of Trsteno, a small village just north of Dubrovnik, the garden features massive fountains, vine-covered pergolas, and rich flora through in gardens truly fit for royalty. The pavilion in the garden serves as the setting where various characters dine and chat with the Queen of Thorns, Olenna Tyrell, while that pathways have served as the setting of chats and plots by the likes of Sansa, Tyrion, Varys, Margaery, and Loras.
Castle Ward, Northern Ireland
In one of the most memorable sites used for filming in Game of Thrones, the Castle Ward overlooks Strangford Lough in Northern Ireland and serves as the courtyard setting for Winterfell. The house features Gothic and Classical styles of architecture that intertwines with native woodlands, a design that truly makes visitors feel as if they were in The North. The castle is always featured as Winterfell's courtyard, so every scene from when King Robert Baratheon first arrives in The North to the burning of the castle was set there.
The Dark Hedges, Northern Ireland
The Dark Hedges is easily one of the most beautiful avenues of trees in the world. When visitors see it as the Kingsroad outside King's Landing in Game of Thrones, people believe that there is no way such a collection of beautiful twisting branches could be a real place, but it is. The Dark Hedges, an avenue of Beech trees, was planted in the 18th century to impress visitors heading towards the Gracehill House outside Ballymoney. While featured several times in the show, the most memorable is at the end of Season One where Arya, Yoren, Gendry and Hot Pie are all leaving the city on their way to join the Night's Watch.
Doune Castle, Scotland
The medieval stronghold of Dourne near Sterling, Scotland was built in the 13th century and has remained majorly unchanged from how it stands today. While the castle has been featured in several films, in Game of Thrones is serves as the battlements of Castle Winterfell. Doune Castle was only featured in the first episode of Game of Thrones, after which the Winterfell courtyard set at Castle Ward was used.
Verdala Palace, Malta
Although only seen during a few select scenes in Season One of Game of Thrones, the Verdala Palace really made an impression as Illyrio Mopatis House in Pentos. This palace, with its grounds rich with orchard trees, is truly fit for a king. It is indeed fitting considering that the Verdala Palace has been used as the official summer residence of the president of Malta since the late 1980s. While the house itself is closed to the public, the grounds are open to exploration including the site where Daenerys and Viserys meet Khal Drogo and his Khalassar before the wedding.
Murlough Bay, Northern Ireland
Remote and rugged, Murlough Bay is one of the most beautiful stretches of Northern Irish coast. With views of Rathlin Island and Mull of Kintyre in Scotland, visitors flock here by the thousands for the sightseeing. Introduced in Season 3, Murlough Bay is used as the setting for the home of the Greyjoys, the Iron Islands. It was used when Theon Greyjoy rode to Pyke with his sister Yara and was baptised by his uncle. The area was also used when Davos Seaworth was shipwrecked after the Battle of Blackwater Bay, but that was not set in the Iron Islands.
Larrybane, Northern Ireland
Just a few kilometers from Murlough Bay is another stretch of beautiful Northern Irish coastline, Larrybane. This area was used as the setting for the Stormlands, particularly as King Renly Baratheon's camp where he breaks to hold a tourney before marching towards King's Landing. The area was also reused again when Renly parleyed with his brother King Stannis Baratheon.
Minceta Tower, Croatia
The mysterious House of the Undying in Qarth is actually the Minceta Tower located above the walls of Dubrovnik, Croatia (a town that serves as not Qarth, but rather King's Landing). While in Game of Thrones, this tower serves as the prison for Dany's dragons and holds unexpected magical visions of what is, was and will be, in reality the Minceta Tower is an important symbol to the people of Dubrovnik, representing how unconquerable the city is.


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Breaking Lorentz reciprocity
UltraChiral EPFL partners K. L. Tsakmakidis and H. Altug, in collaboration with other groups, have shown in the recent publication by K. L. Tsakmakidis et al. in Science magazine, that the time/bandwidth limit (Δω Δt ~ 2π) might not be as fundamental as physicists and engineers are accustomed to believe. By – appropriately – breaking Lorentz reciprocity in a system, i.e. by making it more and more asymmetric in its transport properties, the system can potentially greatly overcome this limitation. Could this lead to the design of high quality factor systems, operating over disproportionately large bandwidths?
This work was partially funded by ULTRACHIRAL.


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Death toll from Philippines storm, landslides climbs to 126text_fields
Manila: The death toll from a storm that devastated the Philippines shortly after Christmas rose to 126, authorities said Sunday, adding landslides caused by torrential rain were the top cause.
The storm hit central and eastern Philippine islands on December 29 and caused massive flooding and landslides.
More than 100 people died in the mountainous Bicol region southeast of Manila, regional disaster officials said.
While the Bicol region is often hit by deadly typhoons, many people failed to take necessary precautions because the storm was not strong enough to be rated as a typhoon under the government's storm alert system, according to civil defence officials.
Officials also said that many residents were reluctant to leave their homes during the Christmas holidays.
"In two days alone, Usman poured more than a month's worth of rainfall in the Bicol region," national disaster agency spokesman Edgar Posadas told AFP, using the local name for the storm which had weakened into a low pressure area.
"Our search and retrieval operations are ongoing but the sticky mud and the unstable soil are a challenge."
The death toll was likely to climb further with 26 people still missing, Posadas added.
More than 152,000 people were displaced by the storm and 75 were injured, according to the national disaster agency.
President Rodrigo Duterte visited the storm-hit areas on Friday and urged officials to build evacuation centres instead of using schools as shelters for the displaced.
About 20 typhoons and storms batter the Philippines each year, killing hundreds of people.
The deadliest in recent years was Super Typhoon Haiyan which left more than 7,360 people dead or missing across the central Philippines in 2013.


text: A landslide characterized by a shearing and rotary movement of a generally independent mass of rock or earth along a curved slip surface (concave upward) and about an axis parallel to the slope from which it descends, and by backward tilting of the mass with respect to that slope so that the slump surface often exhibits a reversed slope facing uphill. (Neuendorf, K.K.E. and others, 2011)


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Shop Category
The ultimate unique product selection is on its way
See More Related to Accessories
Shop Category
See More Related to Accessories
Bags are one of the essential accessories a person needs to have on daily basis. There are various types of bags available in the market. Some are used as functional bags for carrying big volume products, some are for fashion statements. A person can have more than one type of bags for a different occasion.
Before purchasing bags online in Mauritius, you should know that whether you need as per occasion or the type of bag matter you most. For example, you cannot carry a small handbag in your gym but you will defiantly take your gym bag in the gym. Same goes for a backpack as well. You cannot carry your college books in small handbags but they will easily cover up in backpacks.
Backpacks – These are one of the highly popular bags among youth especially men and boys. These backpacks are widely used in office, school, and college. If you are a frequent traveler then, the backpack is a great companion. All your stuff weight will be distributed on both of your shoulders. You can carry a decent stuff in your backpack due to its multiple portions and zip closure lock system. These partitions are capable enough to carry your daily essentials like a watch, mobile charger, water bottle etc.
Messenger Bags – Widely used by men, messenger bags are bigger in size and carry much more stuff as compared to sling bags. You can easily shop messenger bags online in different variation from Ubuy Mauritius.
Laptop Bags – For IT professionals, good quality laptop bags are very common to carry with. These laptop bags crafted mostly from waterproof materials and look wise they are similar to messenger bags. To keep the laptop safe, these bags have a cushioned padding inside.
Online shopping sites like Ubuy Mauritius offer you different kinds of bags from various reputed brands such as Nike, Adidas, Fastrack, Skybags, Butterflies, Puma, Wildcraft, American Tourister, and Baggit. You can shop your favorite men's bag online in Mauritius at the best possible prices.


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Goodmama fitted - GUC. Elastic is great, slight staining on inner, not as soft as it once was. $15PPD
(inside view) Goodmama fitted - GUC. Elastic is great, slight staining on inner, not as soft as it once was. $15PPD
Muttaqin 3SR in EEUC. Custom velour inner. Only used a handful of times. $20PPD
(inner view of Muttaqin 3SR)
Wiggle Worm Bottoms covers, size small. Raiders cover is microfleece, Kites is suedecloth, other 2 are fleece. These were only used a couple of times each. $6PPD each, or all for $20.
(inner view of WWB covers)
Wiggle Worm Bottoms pockets. Black is size small, Trucks is medium, I believe. Black one was a cover but I modified it to be a pocket. Black inner is suedecloth, Truck inner is fleece. These were used *maybe* twice each and are in EEUC. $6 each or $10 for both.
(inside of WWB pockets)
WAHM small AIO. GUC, no stains. $5PPD
(inner view of WAHM AIO)
Kissaluvs terry fitted, size 0. Free with purchase of any other diaper.
Gorgeous Ring-a-Ding ring sling with a super long tail - approx. 100" from ring to tail! Barely used, in excellent condition. $30PPD
Playtex Hip Hammock - barely used, in excellent condition. $15
0-3 mo. snowsuit, NWT. $5
Infant bouncer with lights/music/mirror. Great condition, barely used. $15
Diaper Champ, good condition. $5
Graco Contempo high chair. Was recalled in 2006, but we got/installed the repair kit. Good condition, a few scratches on tray. Folds up very compact! $40 firm.
Child desk, in good condition. Pegboard under lid. $10
Child's 4x4 in great condition. Missing charger. $20
Little Tikes adjustable height basketball hoop. Missing net (will search for it). $15
Venturer home theatre system with DVD player. Works, but disc tray sticks a bit at times. $25
Nintendo Gamecube with 2 controllers, memory card, all cords, and carrying case. Also includes Gameboy Player. Excellent condition. $80
RCA stereo with 5 disc changer. $30
Sharp microwave. Works, but carousel plate is chipped. $5
Epson printer/scanner/copier. Print heads need cleaning. $15
Proform 485e Elliptical. Great condition, just replaced bearings last year, and not used much since. $100
Portable charcoal grill. $5
Microwave/kitchen hutch. $15
Bottle and mug set, NIB. $5
Antique coffee table in good condition. Few scratches/gouges on legs. Center glass is amber colored and intact (was put away for protection when picture was taken). $30
Desk chair, good condition but missing a few bolts on arms. $5
Sharp vacuum cleaner, in working condition. $5
Bookcase, great condition. $10


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Library Search
The NRFC Library is a collection of materials to build a knowledge base around fathers, fatherhood, and operating a Responsible Fatherhood program. It also houses all resources created by the NRFC, including fact sheets, PSAs, and past webinars.
Use the search options provided below to find resources that you are interested in.
Transnational migratory labor remains a primary method many Filipinos use in an effort to gain financial security for their families. Based on data collected from an urban Southern Visayan province during the summer of 2007, this study examined a sample of 116 OFW (Overseas Filipino Workers)…


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|#ifndef foostaticserviceshfoo
|#define foostaticserviceshfoo
|This file is part of avahi.
|avahi is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it
|under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public License as
|published by the Free Software Foundation; either version 2.1 of the
|License, or (at your option) any later version.
|avahi is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT
|ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY
|or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the GNU Lesser General
|Public License for more details.
|You should have received a copy of the GNU Lesser General Public
|License along with avahi; if not, write to the Free Software
|Foundation, Inc., 59 Temple Place, Suite 330, Boston, MA 02111-1307
|void static_service_load(int in_chroot);
|void static_service_free_all(void);
|void static_service_add_to_server(void);
|void static_service_remove_from_server(void);


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The Washington Post – May 1, 2014
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. — The Navajo Nation and a group founded by former New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson and actor Robert Redford said Thursday they have agreed on a plan to manage thousands of wild horses on the reservation and keep the animals from being sent to slaughter houses.
The memorandum of agreement calls for adoptions, triages, veterinarian services, sanctuaries and funding to feed the animals. Richardson said it will result in a long-term, humane solution to an overpopulation of horses on the vast, remote reservation that has few financial resources.
Navajo President Ben Shelly reversed his support for a return to domestic horse slaughter and halted wild horse roundups on the reservation after meeting with Richardson last October. He said Thursday that horses are sacred to the Navajo people and must be managed responsibly.
Critics of the roundups on the Navajo Nation had complained that the tribe ran down horses to the point of injury, separated mares from foals and took domestic horses from their owners. Off the reservation, public outcry over alleged abuse during roundups of thousands of mustangs prompted the U.S. Bureau of Land Management to issue new policy directives emphasizing compassion and concern for wild horses on federal lands in the West.
The Navajo Nation has estimated that some 75,000 feral horses are drinking wells dry and causing ecological damage to the drought-stricken range — a figure that has been questioned as being too high. The tribe was rounding up and selling horses, knowing that some likely would make their way to horse slaughter plants south of the border.
Under the agreement with the Foundation to Protect New Mexico Wildlife, the Navajo Nation no longer will make public statements in support of horse slaughter. The tribe said it will stop sending horses to slaughter facilities or selling them to people who do after sufficient money is obtained for a humane horse management program. The agreement does not list a dollar amount or a timeframe, but Richardson said "we look forward to getting right to work."
Two Navajo groups said that management approach was unacceptable because it continues to allow for horse slaughter as a way to manage herds. The groups said they will be watching closely to ensure that Navajos' cultural and traditional ties to horses are reflected in any management plan.
"While not all of these concerns have been addressed to date, the Navajo Nation's willingness to enter into the MOU is an important first step in ensuring that horse (and) range management decisions will be more humane and better informed going forward," said Howard Shanker, an attorney for the groups.
The tribe isn't currently conducting roundups, according to its Department of Agriculture.
A formal signing of the agreement is planned this summer in the tribal capital of Window Rock with Richardson and Redford, and is set to expire a year from that date. A number of animal welfare groups have pledged support.
"The Navajo Nation's efforts to create humane horse management programs will serve as a model for other tribes and will be a source of pride for the entire tribe for years to come," said Stephanie Boyles Griffin of the Humane Society.
Richardson and Redford created the Foundation to Protect New Mexico Wildlife last year to fight efforts by a Roswell, New Mexico, company and others to slaughter horses.


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Max Rameau, by Miami Workers Center, via Flickr
In Rochester, N.Y., activists are fighting to win control of Catherine Lennon-Griffin's foreclosed, bank-owned home as a community land trust, at her request -- making this one of the first examples in the country of a neighborhood winning back a bank-owned residence and designating it for community use.
Lennon-Griffin has been re-occupying her home Avenue since last Mother's Day, after being forcibly evicted in March by a SWAT team with dozens of officers and police cars. The eviction was so shocking that Lennon-Griffin's 72-year-old neighbor ran out of her own home in her pajamas shouting, "This is not America when we are removing people from their homes!" until she was arrested along with six others.
This repossession would not only be a victory for Catherine Lennon-Griffin and her grandchildren, who lived in a homeless shelter until the reoccupation, and a major setback to Bank of America, the current leader both in national foreclosures and in settlements for illegal and fraudulent mortgage activity. Winning this house would also be one of the first concrete successes for activists who see the housing crisis as an opportunity to reimagine American society's use of land on a mass scale.
"We are in a transformative moment," says Max Rameau of Take Back the Land, the group working with Lennon-Griffin's neighborhood. "Because this crisis is firmly rooted in the housing crisis, I think we're going to have significant changes in the way people think about not just housing but land itself." Since its inception in 2006, Take Back the Land has helped communities take over dozens of abandoned, bank-owned homes in Miami, Madison, Rochester and other cities, both to provide housing for those in need and to challenge entrenched ideas about privatization, control of space and how to de-commodify community needs.
Take Back the Land's approach overlaps in many ways with the Occupy movement. Rameau is strongly opposed to stating demands, for example, because he doesn't want to undersell the potential of this moment. (He compares housing groups that demand principal reductions to the early phases of the 1955 Montgomery bus boycotts, when the demand was not desegregation but merely "segregation with dignity.") The group is focused on underlying causes and human rights, treating the current wave of foreclosures as one symptom of the larger inequalities in land relations and our nation's failure to designate a family's shelter a basic human right. Finally, like Occupy, Take Back the Land sees the solution as mass action -- in this case, widespread home and land takeovers.
"If we were to go to Bank of America right now and say, 'Hand over all your vacant properties!' they would laugh at us and then call the police," says Rameau. "But if we went to them and said, 'We are now in control of 250,000 of your properties,' I think we'd be in a very different position. At some point it will cost the banks more to evict us from all these homes than the value of the homes. We need to reach that critical mass."
With a new wave of foreclosures coming this year, people across the country are clamoring for change more drastic than the $26 billion settlement for underwater homeowners approved earlier this month. Nearly 50 percent of Americans supported a moratorium on foreclosures in 2010, a rarely-cited figure that flies in the face of the those who insist that principal reductions pose a moral hazard and that underwater homeowners merely want a free house.
In mid-May, Chicago housing and Occupy groups are planning to take over dozens, if not hundreds, of vacant properties. Even in a conservative city like Raleigh, N.C., where those facing foreclosure say that the culture is filled with shame and alienation, Nikki Shelton and the group Mortgage Fraud NC briefly took back Shelton's foreclosed home two weeks ago. In Philadelphia and Detroit, urban gardeners are turning vacant lots into community gardens. Last weekend, 300 people near Berkeley, Calif., took over a tract of University of California-owned land that had been slated for privatization -- ironically, in order to become a high-end grocery store.
However, we are still far from taking over a quarter of a million homes or abandoning the individualistic, "manifest destiny" belief in private land ownership as the crux of society. Rameau is well aware of the other potential outcome of this decisive moment: increased privatization and consolidation of land in the hands of the few.
"I think it is very easy to see -- although I don't think that people in general are thinking about it -- that in 10 or 20 years the U.S. could have five landowners," he warns. "We could have advanced capitalism in terms of the economy but feudalism in the way land relationships work.
"But if we can articulate a map of how land relationships would work, how a society would be organized in which housing is a human right and how community control of land would operate, I think we can win that argument and convince enough people to join the fight and win."
Laura Gottesdiener is author of A Dream Foreclosed: The Great Eviction and the Fight to Live in America, forthcoming from Zuccotti Park Press, www.zuccottiparkpress.com. She has published in The Huffington Post, Ms. magazine, The Arizona Republic, The New Haven Advocate and other publications. She has organized with Occupy Wall Street and other anti-foreclosure organizations, and has lived in homes, apartments, tents and in Zuccotti Park. Laura is currently a precarious renter and has no aspirations to own a home.