Saint Dominic with Cross

Saint Dominic with Cross

Mother Francis Raphael discovered “a picture Our Lady in the church of St. James at Muret, which was built as a memorial of the victory in the course of the same year, we see a picture representing the Blessed Virgin giving the Rosary to St. Dominic, who holds in his right hand a crucifix pierced with three arrows; on the other side of our Lady kneel Simon de Montfort and Fulk of Toulouse.  A facsimile of this picture, and of the same date, was long kept in the Dominican church at Toulouse.”   

Mother Francis Raphael was careful to admit it was not possible to determine whether this picture alluded to an event which really took place, or was itself the origin of the tradition and the painting can no longer be found.  long forgotten tradition holds that Saint Dominic ascended one of the towers at the Battle of Muret in order to display the crucifix for the encouragement of the Christian troops.  This crucifix was shot through with arrows by the heretics who despised it and preserved in a church in Toulouse.  Centuries later a crucifix pierced all over with arrows, supposed to have been the identical one used by Saint Dominic on the occasion, was on display in Toulouse.  However, this intriguing story has been repudiated by many hagiographers. 

The cross pierced by arrows was adopted by the Counts of Toulouse and eventually became the symbol of the whole Occitan region.  The heretics who battled against the Christians rejected the cross and the belief that the crucifixion and resurrection of Our Lord led to salvation.  Heretics who recanted were forced to wear the yellow cross shot through with arrows on their clothing as a sign of humiliation.  Thus the same symbol is known as the Cathar Cross and reference to its connection with Saint Dominic fell by the wayside.  The cross known throughout the world as the Dominican Cross is half black and half white creating a 3-dimensional effect.  Rather than arms ending in an arrow shape, the arms of the Dominican Cross end in the lily shape known as the fleur-de-lis.
  

Drane, Augusta Theodosia (Mother Francis Raphael), The Life of St. Dominic and a Sketch of the Dominican Order with an Introduction to the America edition by Rev Joseph Sadoc Alemany, D.D., P. O’Shea Publisher, New York, New York, 1867, (p. 50).

Saint Dominic’s Prophecy

Battle of Muret

The position of the crusaders seemed gloomy as they headed into the battle against the heretics at Muret. They were greatly outnumbered.  The Cistercians at the monastery in Toulouse, where Saint Dominic was praying the rosary with a group of soldiers, asked him how he thought the battle would turn out.  After a lengthy silence Saint Dominic replied, “There will be a time when the malice of the men of Toulouse will have its end; but it is far away.  There will be much blood shed first, and a king will die in battle.” At first they thought this prediction referred to Prince Louis of France, the son of Philip Augustus, who had joined the army of the crusaders in the previous February but Saint Dominic said it would not touch him, but another.  Soon afterwards Saint Dominic left to join the crusaders.

Mother Francis Raphael Drane wrote that as the king of Aragon appeared with an army of 100,000 men on September 13, 2013 , “the scene that morning within the walls of Muret was surely a religious one. Eight hundred devoted men, fortified by praying the rosary and the sacraments of reconciliation, were about, as it seemed to human judgment, to lay down their lives as a sacrifice for the faith. There might be seen how the holy sacrifice was celebrated in the presence of them all; and how, when the Bishop of Uzès turned to say the last 'Dominus vobiscum,' De Montfort knelt before him clad in armour, and said, 'And I consecrate my blood and life for God and His faith;' and how the swords and shields of the combatants were once more offered on the altar; and when it was over, and the horsemen were gathering together, and the very sound of the attack was at the gates, these men all once more dismounted, and bent their knee to venerate and kiss the crucifix, extended to them by the Bishop of Toulouse.”

Fortified by faith the soldiers rode out to battle, and the priests returned to the church to pray.  Drane wrote, “Nothing more heroic is to be found in the whole history of chivalry, than this battle of Muret. It was a single charge. They rode through the open gates, and after a feigned movement of retreat, they suddenly turned rein and dashed right on the ranks of their opponents with the impetuosity of a mountain-torrent.  Swift as lightning they broke through the troops that opposed their onward course, scattering them before their horses hoofs with something of supernatural energy, nor did they draw bridle till they reached the centre of the army where the king himself was stationed surrounded by the flower of his nobles and followers.  A moment's fierce struggle ensued; but the fall of the king decided the fortune of the day. Terrified by the shock of that tremendous charge, as it hurled itself upon them, the whole army fled in panic. The voice and example of their chief might again have rallied them, but that was wanting; Peter of Aragon lay dead on the field, and Dominic's prophecy was fulfilled”

Drane, Augusta Theodosia (Mother Francis Raphael), The Life of St. Dominic and a Sketch of the Dominican Order with an Introduction to the America edition by Rev Joseph Sadoc Alemany, D.D., P. O’Shea Publisher, New York, New York, 1867, (p. 46-49).

Confraternity of the Rosary

Our Lady Delivering the Rosary Saint Dominic

The praying of the Dominican Rosary spread and people soon were divided into those who fanatical about its adoption and those who despised and ridiculed it as a childish devotion.  According to Mother Francis Raphael Drane that after Saint Dominic preached to the people about the Rosary “One of the bishops of Toulouse spoke of it afterwards with contempt, saying it was only fit for women and children. He was soon convinced of his error; for shortly afterwards, falling into great persecution and calumnies, he seemed in a vision to see himself plunged into thick mire from which there was no way of escape. Raising his eyes, he saw above him the forms of our Lady and Saint Dominic who let down to him a chain made of a hundred and fifty rings, fifteen of which were gold; and laying hold of this he found himself safely drawn to dry land. By this he understood, that it was by means of the devotion of the Rosary he should be delivered from his enemies, which shortly took place after he had devoutly commenced its use.”  

In a similar story a noble woman opposed to the confraternities that had sprung up around this devotion had a vision in which a large number of men and women surrounded by a great blaze of light were praying the Rosary.  For every Hail Mary they sang a beautiful star emerged from their mouths.  Our Lady said to the woman, “In this book are written the names of the brethren and sisters of my Rosary, but thy name is not written; and because thou hast persuaded many not to enter it, there shall befall thee a sickness for a time, which yet shall turn to thy salvation.” Upon waking the woman was paralyzed until she had her name added to the roster of the confraternity.  As soon as she did so, she was healed.  Miracles like these caused the propagation of the Rosary all over France.  With it the doctrine of the Incarnation was quickly spread throughout the land and the Albigensian heresy was defeated.  It came to be believed that invoking the name of Mary in prayer would stamp out heresy wherever it arose and increase the fervor of the faithful.

Drane, Augusta Theodosia (Mother Francis Raphael), The Life of St. Dominic and a Sketch of the Dominican Order with an Introduction to the America edition by Rev Joseph Sadoc Alemany, D.D., P. O’Shea Publisher, New York, New York, 1867, (p. 43).

Our Lady of Prouille

Monastery at Prouille

Mother Francis Raphael  observed that the political upheaval and religious battles of the 12^th century had resulted in the impoverishment of many noble families who were forced to conceal their faith in order to survive.  Consequently their children were educated by men and women who placed more worldly interests ahead of religious conviction.  This was especially detrimental to the proper upbringing of girls who gave themselves to child-bearing at early age and lacked the opportunity to find proper spiritual guidance later in life.  The fact they would then pass on their own misguided instruction to their offspring only served to augment the problem.  “This evil was very soon perceived by the quick eye of Dominic, and so deplorably did he feel the cruelty which exposed these souls to the certain ruin of their religious principles, that he determined on a very strenuous effort to oppose it, and to provide some means for the education of the daughters of Catholics in the true faith.  For this purpose he resolved to found a monastery, where, within the protection of strict enclosure, and under the charge of a few holy women whom he gathered together out of the suffering provinces, these children might be nurtured under the Church's shadow.  The spot chosen for this purpose was Prouille.”

 

The monastery founded by Saint Dominic at Prouille in 1207 was situated in a small village at the foot of the Pyrenees and dedicated to Our Lady.  Notre Dame de Prouille is the first of numerous monasteries, convents and schools placed under Our Lady’s patronage by the Dominican Order.  Count Simon de Montfort joined Saint Dominic in crusading against the Albigensian heresy and offered his financial support and military protection of Prouille.  The little community consisted at first of nine women of distinction converted by the preaching and miracles of Saint Dominic but in time it flourished to over a hundred members and gave rise to at least twelve other Dominican foundations.  Although popular legend says that the Blessed Virgin appeared to Saint Dominic at Prouille, Mother Francis Raphael points out that this event more likely occurred at the sanctuary of Notre Dame de Dreche near Albi.  Notre Dame de Prouille is still noteworthy as the first of thousands of religious institutions dedicated to Our Lady founded by the Dominican Order.

Drane, Augusta Theodosia (Mother Francis Raphael), The Life of St. Dominic and a Sketch of the Dominican Order with an Introduction to the America edition by Rev Joseph Sadoc Alemany, D.D., P. O’Shea Publisher, New York, New York, 1867, (p. 18-29).

Origins of the Rosary

Queen Blanche of Castile and her son, Saint Louis IX

Mother Francis Raphael Drane published The Life of St. Dominic and a Sketch of the Dominican Order anonymously in 1867. For years Bishop Joseph Sadoc Alemany was mistakenly credited with this legend which was read in every Dominican convent and seminary in the United States. Archbishop Alemany wrote only the introduction of this work, and highly praised Mother Frances Raphael Drane’s work as a precious gem and admired her prose for its distinguished elegance. However, this introduction was removed from copies of the book in some libraries and its real author went largely unknown.  Bishop Alemany hoped that this profile of Saint Dominic would heal divisions between Protestants and Catholics in America believing that, “American non-Catholics earnestly searching after truth will see in Saint Dominic, the unflinching lover of truth, the gentle yet powerful advocate of truth and the undying martyr of charity to his fellow man.”  He recommended that Catholics should especially be familiar with it and ensured that every Dominican community read aloud from it during meals.

Mother Frances Raphael Drane’s life of Saint Dominic describes the traditions of the Order that developed out of the founder’s spiritual practices. The best known of these practices is the praying of the Rosary. People of many religions prayed with beads and used them to keep track of prayers, but Saint Dominic developed the sequence of joyful, sorrowful and glorious mysteries that depict preach of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and employed it as a way of preaching the faith and correcting misinterpretations. The first mention of the Rosary in Saint Dominic’s life was on a mission to visit Queen Blanche of Castile in the French court. “Finding Queen Blanche in much affliction on account of her being without children, Saint Dominic recommended to her the use of the Rosary. The Queen … not only adopted the devotion herself, but propagated it among her people and distributed Rosaries amongst them, engaging them to join their prayers to hers, that her desire might be granted” This event occurred prior to 1214 when Queen Blanche finally gave birth Louis IX, the only canonized king of France, the saint from whom the city of Saint Louis, Missouri takes its name. Dominicans have been praying the Rosary ever since and for eight hundred years it has been closely associated with the Order. Many Dominicans wear one around the waist as part of their habit or carry one with them daily.

Drane, Augusta Theodosia (Mother Francis Raphael), The Life of St. Dominic and a Sketch of the Dominican Order with an Introduction to the America edition by Rev Joseph Sadoc Alemany, D.D., P. O’Shea Publisher, New York, New York, 1867, (p. iii-8).

Our Lady of Stone

Michelangelo's Madonna in Bruges

Our Lady of Assebroek

Processional Image of Our Lady

Church of Our Lady in Bruges

Market Center of Bruges

Fifteenth Candle

White Chocolate Madonna at the Chocolate Museum, Bruges

We visited many museums in Bruges yesterday and today. I have gathered all the material needed for my presentation and now we are wrapping up our trip. We visited the Chocolate museum where the history of chocolate is told in images and samples.


We visited a lamp museum where the whole history of light was told. So many candle opportunities I was just beside myself trying to photgraph them. And today at the Diamond museum more light and brilliance! Now we hear that the Northern Lights will be visible tonight and for the rest of the week! We are just finding light everywhere!




We also toured the Hospital museum and tomorrow we'll visit the sound museum and the Beguinage. So many wonders! This is the last of your candles. Sent with prayers for good humor and good cheer for all of you.

Fourteenth Candle

At the Basilica of the Holy Blood we prayed and lit candles for our Sisters who suffer from blood illness and beginning stages of Leukemia and asked Christ's blessing on those who are working towards a cure for Leukemia and Cancer.  We prayed for all who are undergoing treatments for cancer and those who minister to them.

Thirteenth Candle

Here at another shrine dedicated to Our Lady we lit another candle where so many have left messages of thanks to Our Lady for prayers answered. Here we gave thanks for the opportunity to make this pilgrimage through the generosity of the Mariological Society and our Congregation.   Hundreds of messages of thanks carved in stone adorn the walls around this statue.  

Twelfth Candle

In the Church of Our Lady in Bruges we found this rustic image carved inside the trunk of a tree. I lit a candle here for our Marywood project and the protection of the redwood forest given into our care. I asked for Our Lady's blessing of all our land and buildings especially protection from fire. 

Eleventh Candle

Bruges is a beautiful small city with many exhibits open even in Winter.  Our first visit was to the Church of Our Lady where Michelangelo's Madonna is.  Here we lit a candle and toured the Church which contains the crypts of the last king and queen of the Hapsburg dynasty.

There are many Dominican saints including a painting of St. Dominic having a vision of the Christ child that I have not ever seen before. It is unmistakably our Saint Dominic with Gospel in one hand and lily in the other, star on his head and torch bearing dog running along at his side.

This was the first of five candles lit today. Here I prayed for the Dominican family throughout the world and left a prayer intention in the box asking for prayers for vocations to Dominican sisters throughout the world and the preaching mission.

Tenth Candle

We are in the airport waiting for the flight to Brussels.  Yesterday we toured the the theater district and Soho.  Saturday evening is a busy evening everywhere! 

We saw the musical Ghost which surpassed our expectations. We both loved the movie and couldn't imagine how it would come off as a musical. But it was even better than the movie. The woman who played the part Whoopie Goldberg played in the movie out-whoopied Whoopie ... if you can imagine that!. The acting, singing, dancing and magic were all brilliant and the audience gave a long standing ovation.  

Sam's final line to Molly, "All the love you have inside you is what you take with you" (to heaven) closes the show with a fine warm feeling and hope.  This is my prayer then for each of you.  I pray that your store of love increase daily until all that is inside you is love. 

Ninth Candle

As you can tell, we are not in synch with our itinerary.  It became evident early on that the shrines I would have liked to visit were not easily accessible by rail and public transportation so we have made do with opportunities to pray where we could find them along the way.  This ninth candle is not a candle lit so much as illumination found in the collection of illuminated manuscripts now on display in a special exhibit at the British Library.  In addition to these beautiful Psalters and Gospels and the Lindisfarne Gospels, the Gospel of St. Cuthbert from the 3rd century and ancient Judaic, Islamic, Hindi, Buddhist and Sikh Scriptural texts, we saw ancient regal maps, laws, letters and first editions of works by Darwin and Shakespeare.  

After dinner we toured the British Museum which stays open until 10:30 pm on the weekends.  Here we saw the Rosetta Stone, the Elgin Marbles, entire sections of the Parthenon and Assyrian temples.  The ninth candle is a page from the illuminated story of Creation depicting God holding dividers as he measures the earth and the heavens.  With this image of the Divine Architect we prayed for our Bold Awakening and Care of Creation committees and for all of us as we seek to re-imagine our living spaces, the future of our community and our relationship with all of creation.  May the Divine Architect bless this great work we undertake together so that it will truly be for the glory of God and not a labor indulged in vain.  May the Divine Architect help us not to be too short-sighted or too self-absorbed.       

Eighth Candle

We took the rail all the way down the length of the country from Carlisle to Canterbury.  The rain is hot on our heels. So far we have been very fortunate with mild temps and no rain.  We are heading to Canterbury to get out of the way of a storm coming across from Ireland.

We saw beautiful green hills and more sheep than I've ever seen in my life.  We arrived just in time for Evensong at Canterbury Cathedral. It is Christian Unity week and there are prayers for the Pope and people of all denominations.  We visited the crypt of Saint Thomas a Becket and the site of his martyrdom  where I lit the eighth candle for you. Here we prayed for our family members, sisters and friends who have died recently, and those who mourn them.

Seventh Candle

Today after visiting the bones of my ancestors at St. Cuthbert's in Carlisle we toured along Hadrian's wall to Newcastle and down to Durham where we visited the Cathedral and Castle there. Durham Cathedral was built in 1083 and is the first to employ the ribbed archways that became so characteristic in the Gothic era.  It is the final resting place of St. Cuthbert and the Venerable Bede.

For the seventh candle we prayed in the Lady Chapel where a modern statue depicting a rough hewn Mary transfixed at the annunciation stands in front of the tomb of the Venerable Bede.  Here I prayed for all historians and scholars of the Word that Our Lady of the Annunciation will send many graces and the Spirit will sustain the energies needed to persevere in study.

Sixth Candle

We took the rail up through the lakes district to Carlisle on the border with Scotland. This is the home of the Royal Border Regiment but much is closed down in the winter. Carlisle Castle is an impressive fort on the west end of Hadrian's Wall.  The Cathedral was built in 1122 and has many memorials to fallen soldiers through the years of dispute at this boundary established by the Romans.  

The museum features archeological finds from Roman encampments and later times.  This city seems to have always had a military character.

My explorations on ancestry.com found that my ancestors on both mother and father's side are from this part of the world. In the 17th century there are records of my forefathers who were buried in St. Cuthbert's here in Carlisle.   We are visiting the cemetery there today to see if we can find the old bones.

It began to rain for the first time today and we ducked into a theater.  
Lo and behold "The Iron Lady" was just starting, so we took in the film.  If you haven't seen it, you will be surprised by the format which travels back and forth in time from when Margaret Thatcher was in her later years suffering from dementia and her life as Prime Minister.  The acting is super, and the film raises some interesting questions about the strains of a political life and its effects on the psyche.

I lit a candle for you in Carlisle Cathedral where I found this beautiful unnamed image of Mother and Son.  I love the way she is lifting him up to the light.  There was no place to light a candle, but I said a prayer for all of you who lift up others through your teaching, your ministry, your inspiration and your support in so many ways.  May God bless you with strength and reward you with love. 

Fifth Candle

Today we arrived at last at Stone where we were met at the rail station by Sister Pauline, the major superior of the Dominican Sisters of Stone. Over a cup of tea and some Belgian biscuits we had a nice little chat about our congregations and our own spiritual journeys. Sister Pauline gave me a copy of their recently (2011) published congregational history titled "A Peculiar Kind of Mission." I promised to send her our own when it comes out in print.

Sister Cecily gave us a tour of the archives and copies of photos and documents related to my study.  We discussed the connection between our congregation and theirs and searched for record of visits mentioned in Mother Pia's diary in their annals.  Unfortunately nothing is recorded about those visits.  Sister Cecily showed us a treasure chest of first editions and scrap books belonging to Francis Raphael Drane.  I took photos to share when I get home.

Sister Mary Henry took us an extensive tour of inside and out upstairs and down and told us the stories of the people and places who are precious to them.  I was able to videotape some of this and took photos of the shrine of Our Lady of Stone and the resting places of Mother Margaret, Francis Raphael Drane, and Bishop Ullathorne.

I lit your fifth candle and we prayed with the image of Our Lady Refuge of Sinners that is believed to be the first one used in public processions of Our Lady in England after the Act of Emancipation of Catholics in 1829.   We prayed for all members of the Dominican Order, particularly those on mission in areas where life is hard and religious are persecuted because of their faith. We prayed for perseverance in the face of difficult decisions and economic hardship and for Our Lady to protect all who preach the Gospel with Love and Truth. 

Fourth Candle

Yesterday in Stratford upon Avon we stayed in a hotel built in the 16th century and visited Shakespeare's birthplace, his daughter Susanna's home and the home he lived in after he was married. Today we visited Anne Hathaway's cottage and the farm where his mother's family lived.  Here we get a real sense of Shakespeare as a family man despite his being, as the locals say with a twinkle, "rather naughty.".

We had afternoon tea with delicious salmon and cucumber sandwiches, profiteroles and frangipane.  These scones (see attached) will have to suffice as our fourth candle as no Blessed Mother shrines were to be found.

We saw the play "Written on the Heart" about the translation of the Holy Bible into English and the controversies that raised. It reminded us of the challenges we have with the new Roman Missal.

Peace to you and all your families this fine Sunday afternoon.

Third Candle

Today we toured Stonehenge, Old Sarum and St. Thomas's Church, dedicated to the memory of Thomas a Becket.  The bus took us through the broad plains of Wiltshire where we saw pheasant, geese, sheep, pigs, bulls, deer, ravens, falcons and partridge all feeding quietly on the vast green landscape.  Here and there were burial mounds and long barrows and other ancient sites still a mystery to archeologists.

No matter how many times you've seen it in pictures when you see Stonehenge in reality the effect is humbling.  To me this ancient structure and Windsor castle seemed to be variations on the same theme. Both are massive round structures overlooking the countryside below surrounded by a protective moat and shrouded in mystery.  In the photos this similarity may not be so striking as it is when you see them back to back as we did.

In the photos I hope you can make out the interesting solar phenomenon I caught with the camera making it appear like candle in the great outdoors.  I took time to pray here for our striving to live in more harmonious atunement with the rest of the cosmos. Stonehenge was built at a time when science and religion were not divided. Rather both were expressions of the human search for understanding.  I hope we can continue to regain a better sense of that unified wisdom through our common study of the new cosmology.

Second Candle

The highlight of today's spiritual journey was the visit to Salisbury Cathedral.  We traveled by BritRail across the countryside and checked into our rooms at Sarum College, an ecumenical theological college housed inside "The Close" ...the area around the Cathedral enclosed by a great stone wall.  The more prominent part of the college was built in 1677 by Sir Christopher Wren. However, the site at 19 The Close as place of theological education dates back to the 1220's when the Cathedral itself was built.  And we think we have historic building renovation challenges! 

The theme of renovation challenges reemerged throughout the day.  We toured the tower, at 404 feet, the largest spire in England, a miraculous construction added a century later that bowed out the large four pillars in the central cross section above the quire.  From the Inside the tower, we were led up 332 very narrow steep stairs to inspect the way the builders used the native english oak, chilmark stone and purbeck marble, to accomplish the architectural feat of successfully mounting a tower weighing 6,500 tons on the immense columns below.  Our guide pointed out centuries of renovation that have helped to maintain this tower that continues to sway up to 8 inches back and forth in the wind and despite settling into a 27 inch westerly lean has survived fire and storm for 8 centuries. 

At the top of the spire there is an ancient clock mechanism that controls the bells that toll out the quarter hours and hour.  Above the clock, we were led outside the spire to a balcony that is home to some nesting falcons and enjoyed a stunning view of the city of Salisbury and the countryside around.  I will be sending video of this part of the tour later. 

Later inside the Cathedral we visited the tombs where Edward Seymour and Lady Catherine Grey, sister to Lady Jane Grey, are buried as well as numerous Bishops and local notables.  To the left of the main altar is a medieval Madonna made of the same oak as the Cathedral that dates back to the time of the original construction.  Here I lit the second candle for you.  My prayer here was for the Bold Awakening construction and the challenges we face in renovating our own historic buildings ...  which now seem far less daunting in comparison.  I asked the Blessed Mother's protection of all architects, engineers, builders and craftsmen as well as those who help maintain historic structures built in honor of and service of her Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ. 

Concluding our tour we visited the Chapter House, so called because here each day a Chapter of the Bible was read aloud in prayer prior to the meeting of the governors who convened as equals in the site of God to decide on matters for the common good.  The governing body of the Cathedral came to be called the Chapter as a result.  Our own Dominican governance descends from this concept.   The Chapter House at the Salisbury Cathedral holds the finest of four surviving leafs of the Magna Carta, the great English document that lay out the rights and freedoms of ordinary people, upon which our own democratic principles were founded.   Photographs of this fragile ancient document were not allowed. 

We are a little off our itinerary due to rail delays and subsequent rerouting of our train...an adventure itself!  Tomorrow we will visit Windsor Castle.  We've been advised by the locals to take in Bath which they claim is not to be missed if we've come so close.    For now, after carrying our luggage across the countryside and climbing the 332 steps, a bath is indeed what we most desire!

First Candle

This is a series of postings from our pilgrimage to England and Belgium where I am researching Dominican devotion to Mary in the late 19th century and its influence on Marian devotion in the United States and Canada.  I will present my findings at the annual meeting of the Mariological Society of America at Mount Angel in May.  Along the way I am stopping to pray at historic sites where I find shrines dedicated to the Blessed Mother.

We are being flexible with our plans given the fullness of our agenda and the idiosyncracies of winter transportation. Today we completed our touring and visiting in London. After a tour of the city from the upper deck of a double-decker bus, we paid a visit to St. Margaret's Church and toured Westminster Abbey, the Tower of London and the Sherlock Holmes Museum.

Seeing shrines to Our Lady in London is made especially difficult by the rampant secularization of British culture and the  ever hovering black shadow of the Reformation.  Even chapels dedicated to Our Lady lack a  quiet place to light a candle and pray.  Sadly signs point to where and how prayers once were said more often than where one might pray.
 
The highlight of the visit to London for me was arriving at the tomb of St. Edward the Confessor, who commissioned the building of the Abbey and seems to have been a good and holy man, just in time to join a small group of pilgrims invited to pray in the shrine where his tomb and that of his wife lie.  This shrine is the oldest and most fragile part of the Abbey and is off limits to tourists.  An Anglican priest led us in a centuries old litany of prayer for Christian unity and the protection of the Christian leaders of all nations, most especially her majesty the Queen.

This pause for prayer seemed especially meaningful as the tomb where Queen Elizabeth I and her sister Queen Mary are buried side by side was just across the aisle. In front of their elaborate sarcophagi was a vault marker enjoining travelers to remember those who suffered and died for the sake of their conscience and love of Christ under the division caused by the Reformation of the Church in England.

I took time to remember too our political rivalries at home in the US and how that division damages our vitality as a nation.  I prayed for the primary in my home state of New Hampshire and for a worthy opponent to emerge so that fruitful debate of the issues needing discussion can take place and move us closer to real freedom and democracy.

Later I prayed at the tombs of Anne Boleyn and Lady Jane Grey in the royal chapel of St. Paul ad Vincula in the Tower of London.

I lit a candle for you at the chapel of St. John the Baptist in the Abbey where I found a beautiful alabaster image of Our Lady.   This translucent Madonna was carved by an unnamed English nun in 1973 and placed in a niche where the outline of an ancient image can still be seen behind her.  

Before this image of the New Mary in the Old Mary's arms I prayed for the Blessed Mother's special protection over the Order and our Congregation to be vouchsafed and passed on to the next generation. I prayed for God to bless my research in his Mother's honor and to bless each of you as you stand behind one another and inspire each other to good works of praise.

Resilience for the New Year

May the ending of 2011 be filled with glad moments of thanksgiving and the beginning of 2012 glimmer with signs of hope.  With prayers for a happier healthier year for all my blog readers, I am sharing this link to ten ways to build resilience.

Jesus in the Womb

“Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus.” Luke 1:30


We know his life on this earth began in the womb, at the moment of his conception. And, so we know that the first part of his journey among us - the first part of the Word of God taking flesh and dwelling among us - was nine months in his mother's womb. But, we rarely reflect on this part of the presence of “God with us.” This exercise of our imagination for an Ignatian Contemplation with Jesus during that immersion into our life's journey is aided (except for a professional image of a developing embryo) by ultrasound images of a 5 month old child in the womb, just 10 inches long. This child will help us spend some time letting this profound reality touch our hearts and celebrate Jesus' entry into our world and to welcome Jesus into our hearts now.


From the moment that - “by the power of the Holy Spirit” - the life of Jesus began in Mary's womb, Jesus became one with us. He didn't magically appear as an adult. He began his life journey as a tiny, bundle of cells. We can imagine those cells multiplying so quickly, day by day and week by week - silently, imperceptibly. But, this human life was already “God, made one of us.” No one could imagine God could be human. And, now we can imagine our God coming among us in this developing, new life - so small, so dependent, so powerless. We can feel the gratitude welling up within us as we contemplate the unseen journey of Jesus being “knit” in his mother's womb (Psalm 139).


For more Advent Reflections visit Online Ministries at Creighton University

Son of God and Son of Mary

We can imagine that already, in this very fine development, he is taking on her flesh, her cells, her shape, her looks, her heart. It is so slow, and yet, so planned. It is a journey which none of us can remember, but which every one of us took, to become who we are. And, now we contemplate that profound solidarity with us which our Savior began - even in the womb, for us. Already, this sense we have of his entry into our experience helps us remember that he shared our human journey and we never need to feel alone, on any part of our journey. He became one of us by taking on the very way we enter this world. This transition to a life born into this world, and the continuing journey of a child, a young person, and finally as an adult, is one Jesus made, for us. And, in these moments, as we contemplate this mystery and its meaning for us, we grow in gratitude for that first coming and we grow in our longing for our relationship with Jesus to develop in intimacy and love.


Our praying is helped by our imagination. In this case, we are imagining something we know happened, but for which we have not usually had a visual image. We begin by naming our desire here. We ask to be blessed with the gift of hope. We long to be renewed in a sense of God's love for us in Jesus - by this coming here and now, where we need him the most. The promises which were fulfilled in this new life stir our hearts to have faith in those promises in the most challenging times of our journey today. This imaginative prayer allows us to pray more deeply, “Come, Lord Jesus. We await your coming. Come, O Lord.”


For more Advent Reflections visit Online Ministries at Creighton University

His Humble Foot

In this contemplation, we want to slow down our reflection and enter into the details and to acknowledge the silence, the slow growth, the precious reality of our Lord and Savior's taking on life as a human being. If we begin by imagining Jesus' foot in the womb, we can begin to savor, with wonder and awe the reality of this gift. We can picture Mary washing this little foot, right after giving birth to Jesus and laying him in the manger, unconcerned about the lowliness of that place. We can imagine that this tiny foot became the foot which walked our earth. With this foot, he learned to walk. Perhaps this foot was sandaled most of his life. Perhaps this foot was stubbed on the carpenter's bench in Joseph's workshop. This is the foot which left home and headed to the Jordan to be baptized by John. Of course, the sinful woman taught us about gratitude for his mercy by kissing and crying on this foot, and drying it with her hair. This foot stumbled along the way to his Crucifixion, where this foot was nailed to a cross - all for us.


For more Advent Reflections visit Online Ministries at Creighton University

His Healing Hand

We can imagine his hands growing in the womb, slowly becoming the hands which first touched Mary's face and Joseph's beard. This little hand developed into the hand that learned to be a carpenter, a person with a trade, for others. With this hand, he embraced children and offered his tender touch to the sick and sinners. We remember this would become the hands with which he washed his disciples' feet as an example for our life of union with him. We know one day that he took the bread and the wine in this same hand and, giving thanks to God, gave it to his disciples, saying “This is my body. This is my blood.” And, the next day, the now adult, outstretched hand was nailed to a cross - all for us.


For more Advent Reflections visit Online Ministries at Creighton University

His Mother's Features

As we contemplate Jesus, growing in the womb, becoming our servant Savior, it is touching to imagine his developing face. This profile of a face in the womb is the merest suggestion of the growth of the human face of our God with us. At this point, he would already be taking on his mother's features and developing her eyes. He'd have her nose, her chin, her ears and eventually, her hair. On this face in the womb are the smallest signs of reacting to stimuli, even pain. This face would one day give joy to the shepherds, the first of his people to see it, and the Magi, the first of the gentiles to look upon him. When he was a baby, he must have cried and felt hunger and he must laughed and smiled a lot. We can imagine the developing face of the child of Nazareth, the Jesus who smiled at his friends, even though the rumors swirled that he was illegitimate. We can give thanks for the face which looked up to heaven at his Baptism and saw the sky opened, with that powerful affirmation from God, his Father, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Listen to him.” And the loving face of Jesus, which developed slowly and inevitably, was the face which tenderly interacted with many who had the privilege of seeing it in his lifetime. This is the same face which was spat upon and was covered with blood from the mocking crown of thorns, all for us.


For more Advent Reflections visit Online Ministries at Creighton University

His Loving Heart

As we conclude this contemplation of Jesus in the womb, we pause for a moment to reflect upon his heart, which developed, just like our hearts did, but which became not only the organ which pumped blood to invigorate the rest of his body, but which became the very image of his self-sacrificing love. In the West, we speak of the heart as the center of our emotions and feelings and the source of our loving. This little heart became a heart big enough to love sinners, the sick, the marginal. This heart was “on fire” with compassion and mercy. The heart of Jesus, which began beating in the womb of Mary, was eventually the sacred heart which was pierced with a lance on the cross and which, in the eyes of faith of John the Apostle and Evangelist, poured out the blood and water of the sacramental life of the Church which sustains us now. Into that wound in his side, the Risen Lord invited Thomas to put his hand and to believe. He told us that we are blessed who have not seen with our eyes, yet believe.


For more Advent Reflections visit Online Ministries at Creighton University

Our Merciful Savior

Lord, Jesus, we thank you for these moments of grace in which you have opened our eyes to await your coming to us with expectant hope. Just as Mary was expecting to deliver you into this world, we hope to receive you into our hearts. Through this reflection, we are deeply grateful for the human way you came to us, the deep solidarity with all of humanity you have revealed to us. We give you thanks for these images which help us put together the hidden development of your body, which you so fully gave to us in the love you showed us on earth and in the Eucharist and the Sacraments which continue to nourish us and sustain us. We feel closer to you and we ask for the further graces we need to open our hearts to your healing mercy and love. Come, O Lord.


For more Advent Reflections visit Online Ministries at Creighton University

From Pope at World Youth Day

In his homily, the pope said the vision of that sea of happy souls "fills my heart with joy."


"I think of the special love with which Jesus is looking upon you. Yes, the Lord loves you and calls you his friends," the pope told the young.


In his homily at the Mass, Pope Benedict said faith is not about understanding a bunch of facts, "it is an ability to grasp the mystery of Christ's person in all its depth."


Even if it feels like a struggle at times, faith is not primarily about people working out their thoughts about God; it starts with the gift of God's love and God's reaching out to each person, he said.


Faith entails "a personal relationship with Christ, a surrender of our whole person, with all our understanding, will and feelings," he said.


But the pope went even further, telling the young that a personal relationship with Jesus always must be transformed into action, service and love for others. In addition, it must be lived within the church, the community of believers to whom Jesus entrusted his message and his mission of salvation.


"We cannot follow Jesus on our own," he said. Those who try "approach the life of faith with the kind of individualism so prevalent today" and risk not encountering the real Jesus or "following a counterfeit Jesus," he said.


Christ asks each person, "Who do you say that I am?" the pope said.


"Respond to him with generosity and courage, as befits young hearts like your own," he told the young.


"Let me urge you to strengthen this life of faith which has been handed down from the time of the apostles," he said. "Make Christ, the Son of God, the center of your life."


In his parting words of encouragement to the young pilgrims the pope said: “There is no reason to lose heart in the face of the various obstacles we encounter in some countries. The yearning for God which the creator has placed in the hearts of young people is more powerful than all of these."


The pope urged youth to follow Christ’s passion and “take upon our own shoulders the sufferings of the world, in the certainty that God is not distant or far removed from man and his troubles.”


He also named a new doctor of the church. St. John of Avila will become the Catholic Church's 34th doctor of the church and announced that the next World Youth Day would be held in Rio de Janeiro in 2013.

For the City and the World

Sister Marcia and I are back home with lots of stories about our experiences in Madrid. The witness of so many young people full of hope and joyful in their faith have made me feel more resolved in my commitment as a religious and firmer in faith. I loved the infectious joy of these young people from around the world in the streets and on the Metro. Madrid will never be the same! What a preaching the presence of those 500,000 has been for the city and the world! More videos are available on familyrosary.org/wyd.

After the Rain the Vigil

The Pope returned when the stormed calmed with gold vestments and a magnificent monstrance was lifted up for Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. The vigil began.

Rain Down Your Love on Your People

A glorious rain fell in the midst of the Pope's opening of the vigil at Cuatros Vientos cooling the pilgrims with the welcome blessing of rain. Umbrellas and hats popped up all around. Bishops dawned their white World Youth Day safari hats and joined in the amusement giving themselves up to the miracle of a refreshing if boisterous rain. The Pope smiled contentedly under his umbrella...his white hair blowing around in decorous tufts. It was a moment of simple joy and welcome relief from the August heat for a crowd of two million..double the expected attendance. The technology crew worked overtime protecting equipment and lines from water damage. The Pope's talk, interrupted by the storm, will be published on line later. He went backstage looking amused and grateful. The young people smiling and jumping in front of the camera agreed the storm was an unexpected blessing no one could have asked for but all seemed to enjoy. Tomorrow morning we will try to gain access to the area reserved for us by our tickets. How they will empty the area tonight and refill it tomorrow remains a question...but we will try!

Cuatros Vientos

Today we attended Mass in the Palacio de Deportes with over 50 Bishops from the USCCB and 300 priests at World Youth Day. We closed up our stations in the Internet Cafe and Vocations Cafe and went out to the old town to visit the Cathedral and Palace. We had lunch at El Botin...the oldest restaurant in the world according to Guinness Book of World Records. While we were in the restaurant the Pope passed by on his way to meet with the Seminarians. That makes twice we ran into him when we weren't looking for him. God's grace! When you are trying to run into him you have a long wait and a huge crowd. Now the pilgrims are on their way to Cuatros Vientos for the all night vigil. The Metro is amazingly efficient but very crowded right now. I'm catching up with uploading videoclips to The Teknosista Channel . This one is about the Internet Cafe.

Video of Pope's Arrival

World Youth Day welcomes Pope Benedict XVI's arrival at Plaza de Cibeles.

WYD Photo Album

This is a Link to my Facebook photos of Sister Marcia doing vocation work at the Palacio de Deportes, the Rosary Chapel and Eucharistic Adoration space, Mass with the Diocese of San Jose in the Jesuit Church of Franciso de Borja and waiting along the route of the Pope's arrival. I captured video of the Pope mobile moving along the route to Plaza de Cibeles for the welcoming.

Day of the Pope's arrival in Madrid

More photos from the day of the Pope's arrival are in the album on my facebook page. 

Viva il Papa!

The Pope arrives in Madrid today and people are lining the streets and singing songs. All along the route you can see bright colored flags of all the nations and young people in groups of 30-40 chanting Viva il Papa and waving. It is so heartening to see how the young are faithful to the Church and witnessing the faith with joy and hope. The message the presence of these 500,000+ speaks a profound truth that God is loved in the presence of the Holy Sacraments of the Church and in the Spirit of Communion alive in the Body. While the mainstream media promotes a false message that young people have no interest in their religion and that religious vocation is dying out, what we see with our eyes and hear with our ears at World Youth Day preaches the Truth that God is alive in our Church in our time.

The Teknosista's Shared Playlists

You can access my video playlists on YouTube

Live Streaming Video from World Youth Day

At the Media Center at the LOVE AND LIFE CENTER in Palacio de Deportes, we are uploading videos daily to the library and sharing live streaming video of events as they unfold. You can join us from home by going to this link.... http://www.livestream.com/wydcentral

Images of Christ at Museo del Prado

Sister Marcia and I saw some of the most amazing images of Jesus Christ ever painted at the Prado today. 

This link will let you see them from home...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16yLX8pjKwo

Volare

I am so excited to be packed and ready to go to Madrid finally! I'm watching a movie called Real: The Movie about the soccer team and those who follow them. I've been watching movies made in Madrid for weeks trying to catch flavor and the accent of Madrid and increase my comprehension of spoken Spanish. Marcia and I will be at Palacio de Deportes during the day and at all the major events. My only regret is not getting tickets for the grand finale soccer game. Soccer is my favorite sport. I played fullback in games at college in the U.S. and Austria. Right full back. No one came down my side of the field and made a goal ... ever! They came down my side, but if they did, they quickly decided to try the other side and not come back. I am easygoing in personality, but relentless by nature. I would not leave my mark alone until I had the ball out of there with many injuries to show for it. After two serious injuries, I gave it up in senior year. I have the bad left knee to show for it. No regrets though. I still love to watch it. I hope to take some great photos and video clips of all the events at which I'm present to share with young people. I am already hyped for World Youth Day 2014. Where will it be??? It is a tradition for a World Youth Day location to be announced at the World Youth Day preceding it... Does anyone have a guess? Tomorrow morning at 5:00 I am off to Madrid. I love to fly! Volare!!!

Even the Rain

If you have not seen the movie Even the Rain, it is worth watching. There is an insightful interplay between the filming of a movie about the quest for gold at the time of the landing of Columbus in the new world and the quest for water in the present day. It is available on streaming video on Netflix. Spanish and Quechan with English subtitles.

Blessed Volunteers of Moreau

Yesterday, we had the blessings of a "cast of thousands" crew of volunteers from Moreau Catholic High School in Hayward. They contributed a day of service to us on our feast day. My sisters and I were amazed that they were able to paint 2 hallways, 15 rooms, 14 utility and storage areas and 4 telephone rooms in just one day! We have let this work go undone for many years because of the expense. In making decisions about how to employ our financial resources we consider what is most needed. These areas seemed never to fit the answer to that question...and yet we see them every day. Fresh paint is such a joy! We promised to keep this generous principal and her staff in prayer for the rest of year. May their example of humble service help to bring many into closer union with God and the family of faith. Though it is true that we are saved by faith which gives us hope when all seems dark and despair threatens to deceive us, it is also true that good works help us to find the courage to have faith because of the inner peace they bring us. As many are out of work I hope that all people can find creative ways of doing good works so they do not lose heart. There are so many places that need help. Volunteering is good for the soul and for the community. Blessings on all our Dominican Volunteers and the teachers and staff of Moreau Catholic High School.

Getting Ready for World Youth Day?

Here is a link to events at World Youth Day in Madrid for Dominican Young Adults in Spain.