while they did live happily ever after

I READ SAVING FRANCESCA.








Also the Demon's Lexicon series and Team Human (which was surprisingly emotional at the climax and had some interesting characterization bits amid an otherwise shallow-but-entertaining read) and The Last Unicorn (which was beautiful and which I need to read in one sitting). I had to return all the others but I'll get them back, and I have Unspoken and The Marriage Plot and Code Verity

but

Saving Francesca

not only reminded me of how wonderfully lucky I have been in love

but also

just

so perfect.

flawless.

wonderful.

tightly plotted and everything is doled out at just the right moment and also it's hilarious and I care so much about all the characters and I'm so happy and

go forth and read it RIGHT NOW.

I think I begin to understand why poets write love poems and lovers write letters and how they seem to contain such ridiculous effusions because in reality they are honest effusions and love is silly but true.

that is not why I am making this post.

I am making this post because this morning I went to morning prayer at church, and the priest read the homily from today's Office of Readings, and I wanted to post it here for people to see. If Holy Thursday is Christ in the Garden and Good Friday is Christ on the Cross, then Holy Saturday is Christ in the tomb, and that always struck me as a sad empty thing--the Lord is no longer on earth but nor is he in heaven; he descended to the dead.

And then he read this homily to us, and I realized that even in our earthly emptiness, for one day there is joy in hell:

From an ancient homily on Holy Saturday
The Lord descends into hell

( Something strange is happening here. )