I hope everyone had a joyful Christmas celebration with loved ones.In a post below I mentioned the wonderful CD, from Cambridge's King's College Choir, of Christmas music by Benjamin Britten. One offering on the recording that I did not mention was Britten's setting of some poems of the 18th century English religious writer, Christopher Smart.Smart was a Cambridge scholar who three times was confined for religious "madness" -- which the Britannica defines as "a mild religious mania." (Who, then, of those who frequent dotCommonweal can be considered "sane?").Smart's "madness" notwithstanding (or because of it), he counted as friends Samuel Johnson, David Garrick, and Oliver Goldsmith. I read the following excerpt from Smart-Britten as a sort of grace before yesterday's Christmas dinner, since there were a number of cat-aficianados gathered around the table:

For I will consider my cat Geoffry: for he is the servant of the living God, duly and daily serving him.For at the first glance of the glory of God in the East, he worships in his way.For this is done by wreathing his body seven times round with elegant quickness.For he knows that God is his Saviour, for God has blessed him in the variety of his movements.For there is nothing sweeter than his peace when at rest.For I am possessed of a cat, surpassing in beauty, for whom I take occasion to bless Almighty God.

Would that we all, like Francis of Assisi and Christopher Smart, were possessed of so mild a religious mania.Happy feast of Stephen!