Thursday, March 25, 2010
Irish Thursdays- Happy Annunciation Day!
Today is a two in one! Yes, the first is an Irish lamb :)
The Lamb of God! God became flesh and died for us!
I love how Mary is always shown reading a book. Was she religious, or a book worm? I'm glad in the last picture, Waterhouse depicts her reading a scroll. That's much more likely, since books weren't invented yet. You have to love Waterhouse's color palette too.
Monday, March 22, 2010
Miracle Monday
New series I just thought of, Miracle Mondays! (Isn't it nice when it alliterates? I didn't have the same luck with Irish Thursdays.) I'll post miracle stories from the Church Fathers and the lives of the saints. I can already think of some fun ones!
St. Columba
St. Columba started out life the same way a lot of saints did, a rich kid who got himself in trouble. He was similar to St. Patrick in this way. He started a battle between two clans over possession of a book, which just goes to show how important books were back then. As penance, he exiled himself from Ireland and made is way into pagan Scotland.
Now, under Brehon Law (Irish Law), the worst penalty was exile. (They did not have capital punishment.) In a clan based society, your livelihood depended entirely on your family, your people. They would put an exiled man in a boat with no oars and a bit of food and water (not enough to survive on for long), and basically give him over to God's mercy. Later, men who wished to emulate the Desert Fathers of the East set out in boats like exiled men looking for a "desert in the sea," where they could pray and separate themselves from the world. These men were called peregrinato.
Iona is an island labeled A. It looks like it's attached to the mainland in this map, but it's not. It's just so small, you just can't really see it, but I wanted to show you how far he went from Northern Ireland.
So, St. Columba willingly undertook this worst of all penalties, and set sail from his home in northern Ireland towards the islands of Scotland to find one that was uninhabited.
This story is from the vita (life) of St. Columba of Iona written by Adamnan (Ad'-av-nawn) the ninth abbot of Iona, who succeeded St. Columba.
Iona Today
St. Columba was well-known for his prophesy. God gave him knowledge of many future things: the outcome of battles, when and where people would die, and apparently even sins that were being committed far away.
One night he woke up his fellow monks and urged them all to pray because at that moment a horrible sin was being committed. Later Lugaid, another monk, but one who did not live at Iona, came to visit the island, bringing with him a penitent man who came to search for the healing of his soul. When the boat they were coming on neared the shore, St. Columba suddenly sat up and called to Dermot, a younger monk, and told him to run down to the shore and command the penitent man to not set food on the island. The man told Dermot that he would not eat food anymore if he could not see St. Columba right away. St. Columba knew that this was the man who had committed the grievous sin. He was reluctant to do anything for him. Another monk lectured St. Columba telling him about how God forgives sinners. Obviously, Columba knew this, so he told his fellow monk. "Yes, but this is the man who has committed the sin of Cain (killed his brother) and also lain with his mother!"
St. Columba finally went down to the shore and saw that the man was kneeling on the shore! St. Columba said to him, "If you do not return home to Ireland, but spend 12 years being a missionary among the Britons (pagans at the time), then God may forgive you." So, the man left, contented, but St. Columba was troubled. He said to his fellow monks, "Pray for this man because he will not remain in Briton, but he will return to Ireland and not seek forgiveness for his sins. Because of this he will be given over to the hands of his enemies when he returns." All of what St. Columba foretold came true.
So, what are we to make of this? To modern sensibilities this seems like an unforgiving kind of Christianity. That may be the case, but I think there is more to the story than a crotchety old man and a very wayward young man. First of all, think of Iona as a safe haven from which the monks can pray and seek God. They have purposely separated themselves from the world to do this more fully. They see their prayers as powerful tools that the Lord can use to impact the lives of his children that are in the world for good. So, the monks live lives that are similar to Jesus'. They're not married, they live simply, they pray a lot, they support themselves by working the land. They also served as missionaries. Often they did not have to go to people, often people came to them, as seen in this story. The island of Iona is a symbol of the purity of the group of monks. St. Columba's admonition that the (un)penitent sinner not be allowed to set food on the land was a practical one. He did not want the sin of the man to infect his monastery. It might seem silly to us, but see it as a symbol. Sin is like a disease, in that it can spread from person to person. So, the pure haven of the monks was tained by the footstep of the sinful man.
Now, this man was not just sinful, he was pretty far gone. He was so bad that:
This story reminds me of the story in Kings when Naaman comes to Elisha's house to find a cure for leprosy. Elisha will not come out to Naaman, but sends his servant Gehazi instead to give him instructions. This angers Naaman so much that he is about to not go and follow the simple instructions that were given to him. How could he not come out to see me!? He was so angry. His servants had to sweet talk him into doing what the prophet had ordered. Was Naaman's real problem leprosy, or was it a lack of humility?
Naaman and the young man from this story are people who demand God to work on their own schedule. What makes the young man from St. Columba's story worse than Naaman is that the young man was supposedly a Christian and should have known better. Naaman was a pagan and idol worshiper and he eventually did what God's prophet asked him to do. The young sinner was quite a different story.
St. Columba
St. Columba started out life the same way a lot of saints did, a rich kid who got himself in trouble. He was similar to St. Patrick in this way. He started a battle between two clans over possession of a book, which just goes to show how important books were back then. As penance, he exiled himself from Ireland and made is way into pagan Scotland.
Now, under Brehon Law (Irish Law), the worst penalty was exile. (They did not have capital punishment.) In a clan based society, your livelihood depended entirely on your family, your people. They would put an exiled man in a boat with no oars and a bit of food and water (not enough to survive on for long), and basically give him over to God's mercy. Later, men who wished to emulate the Desert Fathers of the East set out in boats like exiled men looking for a "desert in the sea," where they could pray and separate themselves from the world. These men were called peregrinato.
So, St. Columba willingly undertook this worst of all penalties, and set sail from his home in northern Ireland towards the islands of Scotland to find one that was uninhabited.
This story is from the vita (life) of St. Columba of Iona written by Adamnan (Ad'-av-nawn) the ninth abbot of Iona, who succeeded St. Columba.
Iona Today
St. Columba was well-known for his prophesy. God gave him knowledge of many future things: the outcome of battles, when and where people would die, and apparently even sins that were being committed far away.
One night he woke up his fellow monks and urged them all to pray because at that moment a horrible sin was being committed. Later Lugaid, another monk, but one who did not live at Iona, came to visit the island, bringing with him a penitent man who came to search for the healing of his soul. When the boat they were coming on neared the shore, St. Columba suddenly sat up and called to Dermot, a younger monk, and told him to run down to the shore and command the penitent man to not set food on the island. The man told Dermot that he would not eat food anymore if he could not see St. Columba right away. St. Columba knew that this was the man who had committed the grievous sin. He was reluctant to do anything for him. Another monk lectured St. Columba telling him about how God forgives sinners. Obviously, Columba knew this, so he told his fellow monk. "Yes, but this is the man who has committed the sin of Cain (killed his brother) and also lain with his mother!"
St. Columba finally went down to the shore and saw that the man was kneeling on the shore! St. Columba said to him, "If you do not return home to Ireland, but spend 12 years being a missionary among the Britons (pagans at the time), then God may forgive you." So, the man left, contented, but St. Columba was troubled. He said to his fellow monks, "Pray for this man because he will not remain in Briton, but he will return to Ireland and not seek forgiveness for his sins. Because of this he will be given over to the hands of his enemies when he returns." All of what St. Columba foretold came true.
So, what are we to make of this? To modern sensibilities this seems like an unforgiving kind of Christianity. That may be the case, but I think there is more to the story than a crotchety old man and a very wayward young man. First of all, think of Iona as a safe haven from which the monks can pray and seek God. They have purposely separated themselves from the world to do this more fully. They see their prayers as powerful tools that the Lord can use to impact the lives of his children that are in the world for good. So, the monks live lives that are similar to Jesus'. They're not married, they live simply, they pray a lot, they support themselves by working the land. They also served as missionaries. Often they did not have to go to people, often people came to them, as seen in this story. The island of Iona is a symbol of the purity of the group of monks. St. Columba's admonition that the (un)penitent sinner not be allowed to set food on the land was a practical one. He did not want the sin of the man to infect his monastery. It might seem silly to us, but see it as a symbol. Sin is like a disease, in that it can spread from person to person. So, the pure haven of the monks was tained by the footstep of the sinful man.
Now, this man was not just sinful, he was pretty far gone. He was so bad that:
- Well, who would even do what he did. It's just nasty.
- He disobeyed direct orders from the abbot.
- He did not behave in a humble way. He demanded to be seen, threatening to kill himself if Columba did not come.
- He did not follow through on the penance that was given to him. He was looking for a quick fix. He wanted to play chess with God. I did this, you do this back to me and we're square right? That's not true penitence.
This story reminds me of the story in Kings when Naaman comes to Elisha's house to find a cure for leprosy. Elisha will not come out to Naaman, but sends his servant Gehazi instead to give him instructions. This angers Naaman so much that he is about to not go and follow the simple instructions that were given to him. How could he not come out to see me!? He was so angry. His servants had to sweet talk him into doing what the prophet had ordered. Was Naaman's real problem leprosy, or was it a lack of humility?
Naaman and the young man from this story are people who demand God to work on their own schedule. What makes the young man from St. Columba's story worse than Naaman is that the young man was supposedly a Christian and should have known better. Naaman was a pagan and idol worshiper and he eventually did what God's prophet asked him to do. The young sinner was quite a different story.
Friday, March 19, 2010
Happy St. Joseph's Day!
Yes, today is the 5th Friday of Lent, but it's also St. Joseph's Feast Day!
Here are our plans:
1. Eat a meatless feast.
Italians have a special love for St. Joseph, so it seemed fitting for the feast to be an Italian one. We're going to have homemade spinach stromboli and the easy version of zeppole. These are basically creme puffs. I'm going to be making mango pudding as the filling. It's lactose free! (It's milk free for that matter.)
2. Go to Stations of the Cross.
Here are our plans:
1. Eat a meatless feast.
Italians have a special love for St. Joseph, so it seemed fitting for the feast to be an Italian one. We're going to have homemade spinach stromboli and the easy version of zeppole. These are basically creme puffs. I'm going to be making mango pudding as the filling. It's lactose free! (It's milk free for that matter.)
2. Go to Stations of the Cross.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Irish Thursdays
All photographs are taken by me, and therefore, please don't sell them :)
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Giveaway!
I have yet to win one, but you never know! Here's another giveaway to share with you all!
http://www.cookingforseven.com/2010/03/review-giveaway-malachis-harvest-granola/
By the way, I love this blog! She has some great food ideas and recipes!
http://www.cookingforseven.com/2010/03/review-giveaway-malachis-harvest-granola/
By the way, I love this blog! She has some great food ideas and recipes!
Title Reveal!
(I think) I've been waiting for this day to finally reveal what the title of this blog comes from.
I'm sure some of you already knew this, and I might have let it slip earlier, but here's the full quotation on this beautiful day!
St. Patrick's Confessio
In case it's not immediately obvious :) a "confessio" is a confession. St. Patrick wrote this when he came under attack from bishops and priests back home. They accused him of being an upstart basically, they might have been afraid of how quickly he had managed to convert the majority of Ireland and they were probably a tad jealous, since the Germanic tribes they were working on were far more stubborn.
If you read through the confession you can learn a few major things.
1. Saint Patrick is a picture of humility.
2. Saint Patrick wasn't perfect. He admits to having committed a grievous sin in his youth. Scholars still debate what the sin might have been.
3. Saint Patrick knew his Bible!
4. Saint Patrick was courageous. He went through a lot.
There's also a letter attributed to him written to Coroticus, a leader of supposedly Christian men. This letter is fascinating. The main purpose of the letter is to beg for the release of Christian Irish men and women who were taken into slavery by Coroticus' men. As you know, Patrick himself was taken into slavery by Irish pirates, so for this to happen to his own recently converted Irish, it must have been devastating to him.
As you can read on the sign, in Irish he is called Naomh Pádraig (neehv pah-drigc)
I wish we had some more historically accurate renditions of St. Patrick. He probably didn't wear green, or even a bishop's hat, I bet he did have the staff though.
And, yes, the banishing of the snakes is a myth, but one with a purpose. It's believed there never were snakes in Ireland at all since the Ice Age. The story worked as a way of explaining why there were no snakes, and as a way of demonstrating that St. Pádriag's God was real, because God gave the saint power over nature.
Another idea is that the druids may have been known as "snakes," so the story is meant to be read as St. Patrick cast out the druids.
I'm sure some of you already knew this, and I might have let it slip earlier, but here's the full quotation on this beautiful day!
St. Patrick's Confessio
1 I, Patrick, a sinner, a most simple countryman, the least of all the faithful and most contemptible to many, had for father the deacon Calpurnius, son of the late Potitus, a priest, of the settlement [vicus] of Bannavem Taburniae; he had a small villa nearby where I was taken captive. I was at that time about sixteen years of age. I did not, indeed, know the true God; and I was taken into captivity in Ireland with many thousands of people, according to our desserts, for quite drawn away from God, we did not keep his precepts, nor were we obedient to our priests who used to remind us of our salvation. And the Lord brought down on us the fury of his being and scattered us among many nations, even to the ends of the earth, where I, in my smallness, am now to be found among foreigners.
2 And there the Lord opened my mind to an awareness of my unbelief, in order that, even so late, I might remember my transgressions and turn with all my heart to the Lord my God, who had regard for my insignificance and pitied my youth and ignorance. And he watched over me before I knew him, and before I learned sense or even distinguished between good and evil, and he protected me, and consoled me as a father would his son.
3 Therefore, indeed, I cannot keep silent, nor would it be proper, so many favours and graces has the Lord deigned to bestow on me in the land of my captivity. For after chastisement from God, and recognizing him, our way to repay him is to exalt him and confess his wonders before every nation under heaven.
4 For there is no other God, nor ever was before, nor shall be hereafter, but God the Father, unbegotten and without beginning, in whom all things began, whose are all things, as we have been taught;and his son Jesus Christ, who manifestly always existed with the Father, before the beginning of time in the spirit with the Father,indescribably begotten before all things, and all things visible and invisible were made by him. He was made man, conquered death and was received into Heaven, to the Father who gave him all power over every name in Heaven and on Earth and in Hell, so that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord and God, in whom we believe. And we look to his imminent coming again, the judge of the living and the dead, who will render to each according to his deeds. And he poured out his Holy Spirit on us in abundance, the gift and pledge of immortality, which makes the believers and the obedient into sons of God and co-heirs of Christ who is revealed, and we worship one God in the Trinity of holy name.
5 He himself said through the prophet: 'Call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.' And again: 'It is right to reveal and publish abroad the works of God.'
In case it's not immediately obvious :) a "confessio" is a confession. St. Patrick wrote this when he came under attack from bishops and priests back home. They accused him of being an upstart basically, they might have been afraid of how quickly he had managed to convert the majority of Ireland and they were probably a tad jealous, since the Germanic tribes they were working on were far more stubborn.
If you read through the confession you can learn a few major things.
1. Saint Patrick is a picture of humility.
2. Saint Patrick wasn't perfect. He admits to having committed a grievous sin in his youth. Scholars still debate what the sin might have been.
3. Saint Patrick knew his Bible!
4. Saint Patrick was courageous. He went through a lot.
There's also a letter attributed to him written to Coroticus, a leader of supposedly Christian men. This letter is fascinating. The main purpose of the letter is to beg for the release of Christian Irish men and women who were taken into slavery by Coroticus' men. As you know, Patrick himself was taken into slavery by Irish pirates, so for this to happen to his own recently converted Irish, it must have been devastating to him.
I wish we had some more historically accurate renditions of St. Patrick. He probably didn't wear green, or even a bishop's hat, I bet he did have the staff though.
And, yes, the banishing of the snakes is a myth, but one with a purpose. It's believed there never were snakes in Ireland at all since the Ice Age. The story worked as a way of explaining why there were no snakes, and as a way of demonstrating that St. Pádriag's God was real, because God gave the saint power over nature.
Another idea is that the druids may have been known as "snakes," so the story is meant to be read as St. Patrick cast out the druids.
Yes! I got a good one!
I tried to avoid purposely picking Augustine... he's pretty obvious to pick out from some of the questions, if you've read a little of his writing. So, I ended up with Justin Martyr, which is really cool!
You’re St. Justin Martyr! You have a positive and hopeful attitude toward the world. You think that nature, history, and even the pagan philosophers were often guided by God in preparation for the Advent of the Christ. You find “seeds of the Word” in unexpected places. You’re patient and willing to explain the faith to unbelievers. |
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Lent- It affects us all to different degrees :)
Ahhh, Lent.
I really admire Orthodox Christians, but the Lord was gracious enough to give this Southern Protestant a Catholic instead of Orthodox husband.
In Orthodoxy the fasting is serious business. Fish Fridays are a cake walk compared to what they do! I'm awe inspired and impressed. We're talking no meat throughout all of Lent (all 40 days), no dairy throughout all of Lent, no olive oil or wine except on Saturday and Sunday and feast days. Oh yes, and also on certain feast days you can have fish!
Here is an amazing humorous look at Lent from the Orthodox perspective.
This blogger is actually amazing in general, and even this non-Orthodox gal gets most of his humor. Check it out. He writes some really funny cartoons about Orthodoxy, but most Christians should be able to relate.
I really admire Orthodox Christians, but the Lord was gracious enough to give this Southern Protestant a Catholic instead of Orthodox husband.
In Orthodoxy the fasting is serious business. Fish Fridays are a cake walk compared to what they do! I'm awe inspired and impressed. We're talking no meat throughout all of Lent (all 40 days), no dairy throughout all of Lent, no olive oil or wine except on Saturday and Sunday and feast days. Oh yes, and also on certain feast days you can have fish!
Here is an amazing humorous look at Lent from the Orthodox perspective.
This blogger is actually amazing in general, and even this non-Orthodox gal gets most of his humor. Check it out. He writes some really funny cartoons about Orthodoxy, but most Christians should be able to relate.
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