Lent Madness: Theresa of Avila vs. George Herbert
Posted: March 26, 2010 Filed under: Lent Madness 12 Comments
Who will face Julian of Norwich in the Championship? That’s what this match-up between Theresa of Avila and George Herbert will determine. Will it be an all women’s final? Or will George Herbert be able to pull off the upset? So far he’s been the cinderella of Lent Madness. But midnight is soon approaching.
To get to the Final Four, Theresa defeated Bartholomew, Richard Hooker, and Hildegard of Bingen. George Herbert marched past Aiden, Joseph, and John Chrysostom. View the full tournament bracket here: Lent Madness 2010
Herbert’s run has been assisted by prolific (and astute, amusing, etc) blogger Scott Gunn. Father Gunn blogs at Seven Whole Days, a phrase which comes straight out of Herbert’s poetry — “Seven whole days, not one in seven, I will praise thee” — and is incorporated into the hymn “King of Glory, King of Peace.”
As we did with the other Final Four match-up, I’m posting a single hideous work of art depicting the saint in question. The medium doesn’t matter — painting, sculpture, stained glass. It just has to be ugly. Or bizzarre as is the case with this representation of Theresa. Okay. Ugly and bizarre. Am I the only one worried that she’ll ruin her white dress?
I’m afraid there’s no bad art of George Herbert. He just doesn’t lend himself to it — which is either a plus or minus depending on your perspective. A bad painting of George Herbert Walker Bush will have to suffice.
Vote!
Clergy Family Confidential 
Gah! How dare you tarnish the reputation of George Herbert by invoking George H. W. Bush! I hope this does not harm our noble poet in this competition.
Tim, you may have baited Scott past his normally high and noble level of tolerance. Your choices of bad art have exceeded my wildest dreams, and that’s really something “special” because it’s a tossup for me between religious kitsch/Bad religious art/STUPID Liturgy/Hohohorrrrid vestments… Gag… Hack…’Cuse me I fell into a rant…and purple writing.
To complement GHW Bush’s portrait on velvet I submit this quote from George I: “I have lots of opinions — strong opinions — but I don’t always agree with them.” So there.
Ahem… Tim, please refer to long-ago msg re: AidAn… not that he’s likely to appear here again, unless you do a Losers Lent Madness before the Rapture.
Snarkily yours,
Barbara “I am not a fundalit” Baxter
Fr. Gunn has explained to me in great detail how painful my loss of eternal salvation will be if I do not vote for George Herbert.
Yeah, well…give me a call and I’ll explain the fires of eternal hell if you don’t vote for Theresa.
What a terrible thing to have to choose between two such stellar people! (And I can’t think of any two people less alike than George Herbert & George Bush 41!) With deep apologies to Teresa, I’m going with Herbert on this one. His poetry is sublime. And in English.
The hymns made the difference. But watch out in the final showdown, George, Dame Julian has a cat.
Got to be Theresa of Avila if only to get an all woman final in something for once!!
As I’ve been cautious to avoid mixing politics with religion, I cast no ballot, save to share Julian’s mystic vision that “all will be well” – as all who are called to Christ are winners in the final victory.
Nonetheless, I am am still wary of the potential for ‘hanging chads’~
There may be a hanging Chad, but we know there can’t be pregnant Chad. This is because St. Chad is male.
When does this poll officially close? I’m getting a little nervous about the potential for last minute hanky-panky. It would be most unfortunate to have to convene an Ecclesiastical Court to declare George H. as the true winner.
It’s in the books! Theresa falls to George Herbert. Go vote in the championship!