Ave Maria

 

 

AVE MARIA, gratia plena, Dominus tecum. Benedicta tu in mulieribus, et benedictus fructus ventris tui, Iesus. Sancta Maria, Mater Dei, ora pro nobis peccatoribus, nunc, et in hora mortis nostrae. Amen. 

I love this

When little kids sleep they are completely knocked out. I love this true to life image of little Jesus and Mary.

a contemporary artist worth watching

I just discovered web page of contemporary artist, Nelson Carlin. His work is interesting. His paintings of Jesus are awful, he makes the Lord look pretty and his depiction of St. Gianna looks like she's being dive bombed by cherubs and made me laugh but his paintings of St. Torribo and St. Frances Cabrini are stunning and his priest and seminarian series is incredibly moving. His best work in my eyes was a still life of the Blessed Sacrament. Much of his religious work can be seen at the American Our Lady of Guadalupe shrine.

The Confession

Full of Grace

HT to the All About Mary tumblr blog

Contemplation

the most beautiful Our Lady of of Fatima statue I've ever seen

 

It's in Braga, Portugal

random thoughts

*On Sunday Rocky and I visited the Cathedral of Mary our Queen in Baltimore. The last time we visited we were horrified. This time was better. Archbishops O’Brien and now Lori must have tightened things up. The Blessed Sacrament chapel was not dusty and the lights were on. We saw the new archbishop and Rocky spoke to him briefly while I wandered off to look at the chapels. I’m not sure what style the artwork and stained glass are; art deco revival perhaps but it was handsome. I prefer the basilica downtown or St. Alphonsus but I’m glad we went. Later we visited the Divine Mercy shrine. Poor old Father was desperately trying to get out of the church and back to the rectory. I got out of his way,asked him no dumb tourist questions and let him shuffle on. Later we ate at Roccos in Little Italy. I only have one word ---well two for Roccos: don’t go. Nuff said there.

 

*Father Rutler has the amazing story of a little known, saintly man here.

*This young woman’s post on her love of her chapel veil got 63 comments. That’s pretty interesting to me. I started collecting veils years ago and then one day I decided that if I meant what I was saying about honoring God, and giving Him homage that I would never give to any living person it was time to use my veils. Some women at church glared at me. I shrugged my shoulders because I don’t go to church looking for socializing anyway. Today, nobody glares and several women--young and old-- wear mantillas or snoods themselves. It has nothing to do with me of course, I think there is a hunger for rediscovering Catholic tradition.

*In your charity, please pray for these Syrian nuns.   


 

*I was not surprised by the whole business with the man who is the voice of Elmo from Sesame Street being accused of debauching a minor. Nor am I surprised that the accuser has recanted. The media has been very restrained concerning this story---that I find peculiar.




* The National Gallery in London, England has a foul insult to Our Lady on display.

Atonement for Neglecting to Honor Mary

Lord, forgive all reviling of Mary's name!
We beseech Thee, hear us!
Lord, forgive all contempt of her Immaculate Conception!
We beseech Thee, hear us!
Lord, forgive all coldness in the honoring of Mary!
We beseech Thee, hear us!
Lord, forgive all contempt of Mary's pictures! We beseech Thee, hear us!
Lord, forgive all neglect of the Holy Rosary!
We beseech Thee, hear us!
Lord, forgive all indifference to Mary's Motherly love!

 

This is beautiful

 

 

When people saw this painting the artist was accused of having Catholic sympathies which shows you how tough it must have been to be a Catholic in England in the 1850s.

a Russian Madonna and Child

Incredibly cute

The Church does not have a secret nursery for where they raise nuns and priests. Pray for vocations and come, squeal in delight with me at these two incredibly cute little babes who were St. Teresa and St. Therese for Halloween.

One of my favorite old songs....

Christ before Pilate

 

 

Pilate therefore saith to him: Speakest thou not to me? Knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee, and I have power to release thee?    Jesus answered: Thou shouldst not have any power against me, unless it were given thee from above.  

 

Agony in the Garden

Saint Kateri

Most paintings of St. Kateri are terrible and done by people who either make her look white or who think that all Indians look like the Cheyenne. This life sized portrait by Kevin Gordon is going to hang at the Shrine of Our Lady of Martyrs in New York and I like it. My favorite image of her this one painted by  painted by Father Chauchetière  who actually knew her and I think the modern portrayal is pretty close to it.  The orginial painting can be found at the St. Kateri shrine in Quebec.

Athaliah lives

Most people think the most horrible woman in the bible was Jezebel or Herodias. No, it was Athaliah, the daughter of Jezebel. After the death of her husband, the king, she ruled Judah alone and had all the male children of the House of David killed. These were her own grandsons, nephews, and great nephews.  Athaliah wanted what she wanted and those babies were in her way. They had to go. Athaliah lived over three thousand years ago but her spirit lives and thrives.

From today's Liturgy of the Hours

 

 

 

The Lord, judge over all Psalm 74 (75)

God will not judge by appearances, but he will rule with justice and fairness.

We shall give you thanks, O God,

give thanks and call on your name.

We shall recount your marvels.

At the moment that I have decreed

I shall hand down my judgements.

If the earth trembles with all that is in it,

it is I who set firm its pillars.

I have said to the boastful, ‘Stop boasting!’

I have said to the wicked, ‘Stop showing off your strength!’

Stop flaunting your strength to the heavens;

stop speaking boldly against God!

For triumph does not come

from the east or the west;

it does not come from the wilderness.

It is God who is the judge:

he raises some, abases others.

The cup in the Lord’s hand

is foaming with wine that is drugged.

He pours it out and they will drain it.

All the sinners of the earth shall drink.

But I will proclaim him for ever,

and sing of the God of Jacob.

I will smash the strength of the wicked,

and the power of the just shall prevail.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,

as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,

world without end.

Amen.

God will not judge by appearances, but he will rule with justice and fairness.

100 years-- a thought for election day

Imagine if Cardinal Dolan had stood up at the Al Smith dinner and asked for one moment of silence for each child aborted since 1973, and then imagine the looks on everyone's faces if he'd informed his guests that it would take about 100 years to do so. Do you think that would've gotten a good laugh?

Mea culpa, dudes

I'm sorry. From the moment you started school onward your teachers have been trying to turn you into a little girl. Your normal, fantastic masculine swagger has been attacked, and medicated by the millions.  Perhaps that's why so many guys have retreated into backward baseball cap, saggy shorts, and sneakers all the time man-boys as some kind of defense method.

If you are the son of a single mother who brought her lovers home you were probably exposed to more than a little boy should  and if any of the lovers were dangerous you might have spent your young lives at home being threatened or abused. Again, I'm sorry. Secular society failed you--- a few people spoke up, like Dan Quayle but they were shouted down, and the rest of us took the hint and relentlessly minded our own business. Today, too late for you I know, a few more people are looking at crime and mental illness statistics and pointing out that the sons of single mothers have suffered and dish it out in disproportionate numbers but this is dry and clinical and except for Ann Coulter, it's only spoken of quietly and in like minded company. The Church failed you, your fathers failed you and I'm no longer shocked at the intense misogyny I'm seein  in even Catholic 20-30 year olds .... but guys all women aren't raving feminists. Truly.

Lessons from Sandy

1. Have an emergency plan and kit.
2. When the governor says evacuate, haul yourself out of there.
3. Buy emergency food now. Get something that can be eaten without heat or water.
4. Buy bottles of water.
5. If you decide to stay in your home make sure you have plastic bags so  you can relieve yourself in them in case the water is out.
6. Don't expect anybody to come get you soon.
7. Either befriend your neighbors or be aware of the fact that in an emergency they may be part of your problem.
8. Buy blankets and if you can't afford or don't have room for real blankets get the emergency shiny metallic ones. They fold down to the size of a handkerchief and I keep some in the car, one at work and one in my purse. It's so tiny folded up I don't even notice it in my bag.
9. You need to buy at least four  big flashlights for home and one for the car. I keep a tiny one in my bag at all times.

All Souls Day

Eternal rest grant unto them Oh Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them, may they rest in peace. Amen

All Saints Day

Don't forget to go to Mass....

 

Oh Church Triumphant, pray for us.