Hold Me Like Holy Water

Do the readings from the Office ever strike you as a little odd? I mean, even if you know that they aren't, because you know your Bible well enough to be that ignorant...do they still just sound a little funny? I bring this up because of today's readings for Evening Prayer. Rusty and I were praying them together, when he stopped, looked at me, and said "Does that just seem contradictory? Even though it's not?" And I couldn't help but agree. Maybe I don't make sense. But the verses I'm referring to are:

The first-born of the Egyptians he smote,
for his love endures for ever.
[...]
he flung Pharaoh and his force into the sea,
for his love endures for ever.
[...]
Nations in their greatness he struck,
for his love endures for ever.
Kings in their splendor he slew,
For his love endures for ever.

Now, maybe it's just Rusty and I, but words like "smote", "flung", "struck", and "slew" don't really bring up love-y type of images in the biblical imagination. (Now don't leave comments in my box about how I'm an idiot because the Egyptians were oppressive...I know that.) Anyone else had similar experiences of feeling like the words don't match the image they're painting in your mind?

Oh! Lest I forget! What a day for rejoicing in Nigeria - my dear friend Sr. Maria Chinweze, IHM has made final vows! Deo gratias! Congratulations to Sr. Chinweze!! :)

So in regard to the dreaded Christian Sexual Morality class...today we began St. Thomas Aquinas and the Summa. In theory, that would be wonderful. I love St. Thomas Aquinas. However, she made it quite possibly as dull, droning and dreadful as she possibly could have. Holy mackerel. I've never encountered such a horrible teaching style. I resorted to playing Father Ted games online, much as most of the students had (well, maybe not Father Ted games, but definitely not-paying-attention-in-class games). It was just b-a-d. Oy.

Internet connection is shaky. More later, possibly.

Caritas et veritas.