With this our final round of Saintly Kitsch, the last spot in the Faithful Four is up for grabs. After a close race, Hilda of Whitby snuck by Harriet Tubman yesterday to join Frances Perkins and Oscar Romero as Lent Madness semi-finalists. Today it's Luke the Evangelist squaring off against Dorothy Day. Will the writer of Luke-Acts add another illustrious chapter to his legacy or will Dorothy carpe diem?
To get to this point Luke defeated Absalom Jones and John Donne while Dorothy made it past Edward Thomas Demby and Benedict of Nursia.
We've seen mugs and tote bags and trucker hats this week. Most of the Lent Madness faithful have enjoyed the respite from the serious business of learning even as the choices have become ever more agonizing. A handful have stormed off in a huff (though we have a funny feeling they're still voting). It's hard to believe there are only three voting days left in Lent Madness 2013. On Monday Frances Perkins will face Hilda of Whitby; on Tuesday it's Oscar Romero versus the winner of today's match-up; and on Spy Wednesday the two remaining saints grapple for the Golden Halo!
Luke the Evangelist
Keep your iPhone cases and T-shirts. Kitsch is not just about the cheap stuff. Questionable religious taste belongs to rich and poor alike, and for truly high-end saintly kitsch, apparently you need an evangelist.
It’s obvious that Luke, whose Mary extolled a God who has sent the rich away empty, would need a 14 
Karat Gold prayer medal. This stunning beauty, originally priced at $2,438.99, is available on Amazon for only $928.99 -- a 62% savings! Of course, it will take a couple days extra to ship from the seller, a company named (and I am not making this up) CleverEve Inc. Clever, indeed! Especially since numerous other 14K gold St. Luke pendants can be found on Amazon or eBay at prices ranging from $157. This one, for a mere $199, is especially tasteful.
If you are looking for something more practical and economical, perhaps this Italian Charm Watch with Stainless Steel Band would do the trick. Available on eBay, the St. Luke watch “has 16 stainless steel blank Italian charm links and measures approx. 5.1/2", fully expanded approx. 7.1/2" and will fit most average sized wrists.” Add extra charm with extra charms! Question: Is Luke looking up like that in pain after being stabbed from the back by the watch hands? Or is he merely resting his hand on the mechanism to manage his carpal tunnel syndrome after writing the bulk of the New Testament?
You might wish to match the watch with these fabulous St. Luke earrings. That is, if you want to picture 
Luke as a creepy bibliophile, inviting to look closely at your earlobes and his etchings.
But for the truly highbrow, what you really want is Art, such as this “Nicely Cast European Silver Saint Luke.” I have no doubt that it is, as the seller describes, “a finely cast, European silver figurine made during the 19th century…in fabulous overall condition.” And to be fair, if kitsch describes something mass-produced, then this does not fit the bill. However, if you allow your definition to stretch to religious representations of dubious taste, one might allow that spending $960 for a 4½ inch tall silver representation of a gospel writer particularly concerned with the poor and needy might merit the mantle of kitsch.
Dorothy Day
Like beauty, kitsch -- especially as it relates to the saints -- is in the eye of the beholder. What seems to some as appallingly cheesy as dogs playing poker with Elvis appears to others as magnificently inspiring as the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, where, as it happens, we once lost a son to a dense pack tourists for 30 long minutes. But that’s another story.
Dorothy Day, the American lay woman who co-founded the Catholic Worker movement and served tirelessly throughout her life on behalf of people living in poverty, did indeed spawn kitsch, but, like the woman herself who always wore donated clothes and lived a very simple life, it’s austere kitsch.
There is the famous poster by Bob Fitch who captured Day’s calm demeanor framed by police at a 
California protest organized by the United Field Workers in 1973. Seventy-six years old at the time, she was arrested later that day.
Those who are intent in promoting Day for sainthood have recognized the power of t-shirts and bumper stickers to make their case. The “Sainthood Now” campaign seems to speak with a revolutionary tone that Day might have endorsed for a less self-referential cause.
Speaking of revolution, this t-shirt captures the spirit of her conversion nicely, “The greatest challenge of the day is how to bring about a revolution of the heart.” Ain’t that the truth?
Of course, not all Google searches turn up treasures you can buy -- or even see. For example, the Dorothy Day Archives at Marquette University apparently house, tucked away in some “Raiders of the Lost Ark” storeroom, the following items:
Hair clippings! S
tockings!
And unlike web searches on St. Luke the Evangelist or, say, Macrina the Younger, it is possible for a Celebrity 
Blogger to land on the Jacksonville PD’s website and realize that in 2005 Dorothy Day, aged 56 -- after what must have been a bad night -- was arrested for domestic assault. Obviously not our Dorothy Day.
Day wrote, “My strength returns to me with my cup of coffee and the reading of the psalms.”
That brings us to the most ubiquitous of kitsch: the mug, both travel and ceramic, and its night-before cousin, the stein.
Then there is this deliciously funny mug. My boss, Bishop Steve Lane, has a terrific laugh and it’s fun to find ways to crack him up, which, verily, he did yesterday when I told him about this mug.
But always, always, we circle back to where we started. Back to truth and beauty and its beholder. One of the best finds of all is a mural of Dorothy Day painted by Amanda Webber at Luther Place Memorial Church in Washington, D.C.
Other doorways at the church are arrayed with murals of St. Martin of Birmingham and St. Francis of Assisi. At the dedication of the Dorothy Day door in May 2011, Pastor Karen Brau said, “We celebrate today the gifts of Biblical hospitality lived out in the life of St. Dorothy Day of New York. A woman who came to her faith in adulthood, St. Dorothy took the words of Jesus so seriously that she sought ways to live out Jesus’ love for all people, particularly the most vulnerable — the poor.”
And the people said, “Amen.”
-- Heidi Shott
Vote!
[poll id="73"]
97 comments on “Luke the Evangelist vs. Dorothy Day”
Luke used the Force day by day...
Dorothy Day, who was probably at least partially inspired by the Magnificat and who carried on the tradition of strong women related by Luke. (The Battle of the Kitsch was a tie.)
As we near the final vote, the choices become harder. As soon as I clicked for St. Luke, I was filled with voter's remorse. how could I ignore Dorothy Day?! Was I too self centered, voting for Luke because St. Luke's is my parish and I'm laid up with a broken foot and am relying on doctors this week?
I'm sure Ms. Day will forgive me, but it's getting hard to take the pressure.
That's OK. I don't think she was a very good mother.
and in the not so bling-y kitsch department, would you consider novels? As a teenager, I thought I had cornered the market on understanding Luke, simply by reading Taylor Caldwell's Dear and Glorious Physician. My willing suspension of disbelief was that strong! Luke all the way!!
That kneeler? needlepoint of the winged bull?...I did it!
Jon, blessings and prayers for safe and joyful recovery - I was an Emergency Room chaplain for four years - ICU, TCU, NICU and the Emergency Dept. I still minister there when called. Luke has my vote.
I respect immensely Dorothy Day, but Luke lays the basis for the social gospel, especially in the Magnificat and the Parables of Jesus, so Luke it is.
Luke, my favorite Evangelist and patron of the (mostly Methodist, liturgical reform) Order of St. Luke, has my vote today. "My soul doth magnify the Lord"
Luke - the patron saint of anyone who ever listened to the Spirit, changed his/her mind, and discovered new truth hidden in ancient texts, just waiting to be discovered all that time.
Gotta be Luke! Sorry, Dorothy--most worthy, indeed, but against a Gospel-writer? What more is there to say?
You are right on- that did it tho the Opus Dei mug ........
I think I should point out that the super-frilly Luke medal that says "St. Luke Pray for Us" is actually the "especially tasteful" $199 edition. The less elaborate one is the one retailing for $2438.99.
Luke for me. I don't seem to be very good at predicting anything in LM but I would like to see the final round be Luke & Francis Perkins. I just don't want to decide between them!
Ditto -- am thinking, do I send a message to the Supremes or Congress?
Another archivist here, swayed by the Dorothy Day papers. Though really the overarching question in my mind is, who would be the tougher match up against Archbishop Romero (my pick for the Halo this year)?
Have to go with Luke. He's part of the foundation upon which Dorothy built.
Folks who think LM kitsch is a distraction don't understand how beautifully two clear-headed insightful writers can keep our eyes on the prize despite all that glitters, gleams, clinks & blares around us.
Excellent job especially today, Celebrity Bloggers!! Bless you for pointing out the Magnificat challenge of the iron(y) in the gold, Laura, and for showing us the assured & determined calm of God's call to justice in the storm of protest, Heidi.
Someone earlier wrote of having a sense of personhood in this choice and in others. I almost always vote for the verifiable person over a legend. While I honor the Gospel of Luke, I don't really know who Luke is. I'm voting for DD.
Since it's all about the kitsch, gotta vote for Luke and those earrings! 🙂
On a serious note, Jon, God be with you in the ICU! May the Spirit of the Lord minister peace and healing to you!
Yes, but someone, or some community, did write it. I think DD is pretty cool, and has a serious ahit against the Cinderella run of Frances Perkins, but Luke and Acts are too important. I cannot vote against the Pentecost story!
A question about the mug: are we talking Opus Dei as in the Roman Catholic organization or Opus Dei as understood by St. Benedict's Rule? If it's the Rule, it seems to me that Dorothy Day's life was a shining example of Opus Dei.
Although I completely admire the work of Dorothy Day I have to go with St. Luke, his gospel includes the story of the interesting prophetess Anna (who often is overshadowed by Simeon), living day and night fasting and praying in the temple (I love a zealot), and Mary, keeping all these things in her heart. That what his gospel is to my, the heart of the story. Thanks St. Luke!
I'm pleased to see so many fellow archivists in the group. And I was especially pleased to see that Heidi described the archives as being like something from Raiders of the Lost Ark. Most writers seem unable to write the word "archives" without modifying them as "dusty old archives." (although, it's been a while since I've seen it, but I guess the archive in RotLA *was* quite dusty, and had a lot of dust webs hanging...oh well....). Any archivist worth her/his salt keep the archive as clean as possible! Peace
Dear Dorothy,
There's a quote of yours that keeps following you around; “Don't call me a saint. I don't want to be dismissed so easily.”
I am sorry to have to say this to you but "Saint, Saint, Saint, Saint, Saint."
You are really not that easy to dismiss but I am voting for Luke today.
I am personally hoping for St. Luke to prevail to the very end of Lent Madness! Go Luke!
My grandson Luke asks me to cast a vote for Luke.
Luke all the way.
"..he hath visited and redeemed his people and hath raised up a mighty salvaton for us" Who said that? Luke. That's who.
Gotta go w/ Luke - my parish's namesake...been prompting parishioners to get in the vote and make a difference for our Patron Saint! BUT - want to also recognize Saint Dorothy Day -- a formidable giant in her own right....plus she has pretty nifty kitch.
Tough choice. Luke is my favorite Gospel, and I hate to leave him out to dry. But as the Roman Catholic Church is still deciding on whether to make Dorothy Day a Saint, beating them to it by helping her win this great honor seems to express a friendly ecumenical rivalry.
Just for good measure, I know some Buddhists in Boston who were so inspired by her work they got involved in the old Catholic Worker House. So I'm cheering the fine lady on this round!
I am sorry to say that I too have decided to "quit" Lent Madness. Our parish has participated for the last two years as a way to raise money for charity but at coffee hour last Sunday I realized that I was among the few who had not already quit.
Lent Madness says that it is a fun way to learn about the saints and then vote to see who wins the Golden Halo. This means to me and I suspect many others that you should actually try to learn about the saints before you cast your vote. However from many of the comments posted many people vote based upon gender, having similar names, knowing them or knowing somebody who knows them or as a symbolic vote to right some past wrong.
I understand that there are no rules on voting, other than voting only once, but the idea of learning about saints and then voting or simply voting for reasons mentioned above are mutually exclusive and will not work. Sadly I do not know of any way to fix this issue and since fun seems to be the prevalent belief those of us who approach this as a learning exercise have no choice but to drop out.
I have enjoyed the last two years. Many of you from your comments seem to be really good folks and I wish you all the best and I sincerely hope that you continue having fun with Lent Maness. However please understand that there are also a number of people who find that fun and silliness and a learning exercise simply cannot coexist.
Best wishes to all of you.
One thing worth remembering is that a great many people vote but do not comment. The votes usually number in the thousands, and the comments never come close to that. Quite often, the majority of comments seem to favor the contender who winds up losing. Some people ignore the comments entirely. And even people who make glib/silly/snarky/off the wall comments can and do consider the saints before them with tender care and genuine respect. Hoping you'll reconsider...
Luke was a real person. He did his homework: researching primary sources, interviewing and evangelising with Paul. Luke did not promote himself. He did promote the gospel of the life and times of Jesus Christ. His voice is clear, consistent, and, sometimes, amazed.
Vote for Luke, a Real Man!