My husband and son went to DC this past weekend for a guys’ sports trip – encompassing a college basketball game and wrestling match at son’s alma mater, American U, and hiking around his undergrad haunts in the beautiful spring-like weather.
They went to the National Cathedral for Mass Sunday morning and were surprised and pleased when an unexpected little ceremony took place. The priest introduced to the congregants the Episcopal Bishop of the Armed Forces and the Chief of Chaplains, who came to dedicate a Bible for the newly formed United States Space Force.
Every branch of the military has a unique Bible used in taking the oath of office when a new chief of staff is sworn in. Major General John Raymond, First Chief of Space Operations, was there to receive the Bible and announced the Good Book will soon be taken into space.
The Bishop’s prayer was lovely and inspiring. He prayed “for our Commander in Chief and 45th President, who looked to the heavens & dared to dream of a safer future for all mankind; for the General and for the men & women of newly created US Space Force, wherever they may go . . . Guard and guide all those who purpose that the final frontier be a place where God will triumph over evil, love over hate, and life over death.”
If you want to watch the Mass, the video is HERE and the Bible dedication starts around 59:00.
EDIT: POTUS just announced the new logo – so cool! –
ST UnWoked & UnVaxxed! 
Hey patachilles, great to see you posting here, and great post! Space Force is very exciting, God Bless President Trump 🙂
P.S. I have cousins in Bucks County-beautiful country down there, although it is very difficult to get a beer there. We were in Bucks County several years ago for a wedding, and one of my cousins wanted a six pack to bring back to the hotel-there was a wine shop on every corner, but no liquor stores where you could just buy beer. Good times, good memories 🙂
LikeLiked by 3 people
Haha! Yes, PA still has the antiquated state stores here – but a couple years ago they relaxed on the beer, now you can get a growler at the Acme if you want.
LikeLiked by 3 people
The instigator has returned to the scene of the crime. Thank you so much!
I will circle back in a bit after reading your post. Thanks for this (OP) also. I am very much looking forward to reading it.
LikeLiked by 3 people
Glad you took up the digital pencil at last, dear Pencil-Pal; and, wow! just wow! How cool is this?!
LikeLiked by 3 people
I knew you’d enjoy this, Nanda! My husband was floored & honored that they chanced to be there for this special dedication.
LikeLiked by 3 people
So cool, like reading from Genesis and taking communion on Apollo 8, on Christmas Eve – at “Earth-rise”.
LikeLiked by 3 people
OMG, I actually got a little verklempt near the end.
Will have to circle back again to make a hopefully coherent comment after regaining my composure.
ST Unleashed! OP of the day!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Remember the poem Reagan recited after the Challenger disaster?
O I have slipped the surly bonds of earth
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings!
Sunward I’ve climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth
Of sun-split clouds, and done a hundred things
You have not dreamed of! Wheeled and soared and swung
High in the sunlit silence! Hovering there,
I’ve chased the shouting wind along, and flung
My eager craft through footless halls of air!
Up, up the long delirious burning blue
I’ve topped the windswept heights with easy grace,
Where never lark, nor even eagle, flew.
And as with silent, lifting mind I’ve trod
The high untrespassed sanctity of space,
Put out my hand, and touched the face of God.
—John Gillespie McPhee,”High Flight”
LikeLiked by 3 people
No ma’am, I am not sure if I ever heard the poem. It is magical. God bless you for posting it here.
LikeLiked by 1 person
That poem is soul-stirring!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Yes and only one auto-correct Error: it’s “ where NEVER lark, nor even eagle, flew”…
LikeLiked by 3 people
auto-corrected by ST
LikeLike
And Pst, I know all the Simonettes want to thank you for designing our Christmas present! We all had great pleasure, especially ST, the scamp! with his rating system ! The artwork is really adorable.
And I can’t believe I’m in touch with the person whose cartoons I so looked forward to in The New Yorker! So exciting!
LikeLiked by 3 people
You are so talented, Pat, and your artwork brings all of us incredible joy-Thank You!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Can we please put this whole rating system brouhaha behind us? Regardless my dears, those were the shipper’s errors alone. I take no responsibility for those of you who have received the belated Christmas gift of one of your fellow #1 Simonettes.
What, me worry?
LikeLiked by 2 people
>>yeah right<<
LikeLiked by 1 person
I got my mug before anyone else, so,I was the first “victim”. It was tremendous fun, and I think brought us all closer together, which is a nice place to be!
LikeLiked by 3 people
‘Rating system’ – yeah, I got framed on that one! Scamp is right!
I just had another cartoon bought Friday by the NYer – it’s only once in a very great while that I hit with them, but pretty cool since my Dad & I used to enjoy the mag so much when he was still with us.
LikeLiked by 2 people
I wish the NYer had never changed its format. When I was a chubby adolescent here in Appalachia, it was just the coolest— well, theONY cool, urbane missive from the metropolis which ever reached us. I loved the poems! I used to cut them out and tape them to the walls of my room. I loved the cartoons! I loved the font they used and the drawings on the cover. Every February, I think it was, they re-issued the wonderful drawing of the dandy with the monocle scrutinizing the butterfly, soooo perfect.The first time I caught a glimpse of a NY we cover with an actual photograph, it was like seeing an ugly poster slapped up on the face of a pale classical edifice I had always looked on with pleasure. It was unique! Why mess with perfection?
LikeLiked by 3 people
Pat, thanks for including the link and pointing us to the start of the Bible dedication. That was a nice touch to a thoroughly delightful post.
I did watch from 0:59 to 1:04 when it seemed to end, and it was worth the 5-minute investment for me.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Interesting in the prayer (1:01:30 – 1:02:00) the pastor closes with, “…through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.”
I spoke with several senior Navy chaplains during the Omega administration and they told me that there was pressure put on them to not close their prayers with ‘in Jesus Christ name’ but instead with ‘in His name.’
I’ll admit I noticed the trend at the time.
Apparently the Trump administration is not micro-managing our military’s chaplains in the same way.
In case you are wondering, in my opinion this is a good thing.
LikeLiked by 2 people
wow, interesting catch. I think you’re probably right that post-2016 instructions have been relaxed regarding wording – while it is indeed the “National Cathedral” it’s also an Episcopal parish, and so in my opinion should be able to use its own vernacular in a blessing.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Does anyone know how swearing in new Combatant Commanders with their hand on the Bible is still possible with the now decades long all out frontal assault on Christianity in our country? Did you see that the Pelosi House has jettisoned the “so help me God” tradition in the House oath? I thought she was a rock-ribbed Catholic who prays constantly for President Trump.
I did not even know that each Combatant Command had its own Bible. I think this is glorious, but how much longer before the atheists and other anti-Christians team up to make this a thing of the past?
Finally, it tickles my fancy so that we are going to take the Good News into space. It seems we are reaching out to the hand of God. It brings to mind The Creation of Adam painting by Michelangelo.
You go America!
LikeLiked by 2 people