On making provisions for sacred things

John McIntosh Patrick, Arching Boughs, Flocklones (1955)

I missed my chance yesterday to write about Saint Jerome, patron of translators, scourge of unscholarly doofuses like Saint Augustine. Today I'm stuck with Remigius of Rheims, who baptized Clovis, King of the Franks. It is said that when Remigius was asked to baptize a dying pagan, he found that there was no Oil of the Catechumens or Sacred Chrism to do the job properly, so he placed two vials on the altar, prayed over them, and found them filled with the holy oils.

My own provision for sacred things involves an email to my favorite liturgical artist, commissioning a festal stole and a red stole. I suppose I could just pray for them to materialize, but I'm not sure my prayer would be powerful and effective--I am arguably not as righteous as Elijah--and I really do want to have something beautiful to wear when my new bishop is consecrated.