Feast of St. Dominic

Today, the Catholic Church celebrates the Feast of St. Dominic (1170-1221). He was the founder of the Order of Preachers. Interestingly, he is the patron saint for astronomers. Interested readers should try to know more about him.
I stay in Chai Wan today and tomorrow. Mum seems to be very happy. She had actually made such a request many times before but only now do I make up my mind to entertain her wish. Yesterday, she only consumed a quarter of a bottle of brandy. It seems to be a very good start. Her anticipation was enough to keep her from overdrinking.
She had a lot to tell me, though many of the stories had been told many times before. Those were not just the good old days. With her tales, I could reconstruct how this confident rich young lady of twenties, roaming around with her two soul-mates, sharing the same bed, girlie-talking all through the nights etc. I could also envision how a young man of the countryside followed her, trying to step on her sandal from behind --- what a way to introduce himself to a young lady of his fancy. Unfortunately, many of the people in her stories have already passed away. Such is the inevitable sadness of being advanced in age.
When it was 4:30, she started to struggle a bit and became restless. At 5:15, she succumbed to her drinking urge. She entered her room and consumed probably the remaining three-quarters of the bottle of brandy. The alcohol began to swing her mood and she started retelling darker and more negative stories.
It took more than two and a half year after marriage for mum to be able to move to Hong Kong to meet my father who worked as a shopkeeper in a stamp collecting shop. My father had served only two bosses throughout his career. And that was the first boss. His income was meagre but the boss was generous enough to provide boarding for his employees. Living space was congested and the only privacy was a piece of 'curtain' hanging between the beds. At night, mum had to ward off groping hands from the other side of the 'curtain' by placing me in between as her shield. She had to endure such humiliations because my father was not able to earn enough money to rent a cubicle of our own! I believe in her stories and this was also part of the Hong Kong perseverance stories of the late 1950's.
On a more positive note, mum always prides herself for not abandoning her husband and children though at that time, a number of couples broke up because of poverty. She endures and sees our living standard improving to this day. From our perspective, it is a pity for her to waste her life away on alcohol. May God have mercy on her soul.
Today, we read Nahum. He is a minor prophet and has left us only three chapters. His oracles were directed against Nineveh, the capital of Assyria. Unlike Jeremiah, there was no accusations against Israel or Judah. However, we find an image shared by both Jeremiah and Nahum.
Behold, I am against you, says the LORD of hosts, and will lift up your skirts over your face;
and I will let nations look on your nakedness and kingdoms on your shame (Nahum 3:5).
I myself will lift up your skirts over your face, and your shame will be seen (Jeremiah 13:26).
Nahum was speaking against Assyria in around 622 BC while Jeremiah against Judah some thirty years later. Jeremiah saw Babylon as an instrument of God. If Babylon had fulfilled Nahum's prophecy in raping Assyria, Babylon would do the same to Judah.

My dear Advocate, everyone of us is a story, a song. Some songs are joyful while some are sad. May our songs be sung, pleasing to You. St. Dominic, pray for us that our songs be attractive enough to pass on the Gospel of Jesus. Amen.