HOSANNA TO THE UNSEEN !!!!

"One cannot know God as long as one seeks to solve "the problem of God." To seek to solve the problem of God is to seek to see one's own eyes. One cannot see his own eyes because they are that with which he sees and God is the light by which we see------ by which we see not a clearly defined "object" called God, but everything else in the invisible one... We exist solely for this, to be the place He has chosen for His presence, His manifestation in the world, His epiphany." (Thomas Merton)

"The Nazz"

"'The Nazz' had them pretty eyes. He wanted everybody to see out of His eyes so they could see how pretty it was.”

---Lord Buckley,
Speaking of Jesus of
Nazareth

The Transfiguration

Given a glimpse of paradise the rabbi says, “But where are all the saints, the holy ones?”
“Rabbi, you of all people should know --- the saints aren’t in Paradise. Paradise is in the saints! Oh, they come here, some of them, but they usually opt to return to earth so they can see the glory of God everywhere.”

And then he thought to himself. What in the world do people see when they look at me? Do they see that paradise is within me and marvel at the glory of God shining on my face? He thought again: How do I see all the people in my life, in the world? Do I see the glory of God shining radiantly on their faces? O God, have pity on me, on us all, and give me eyes to perceive your glory among us.

"Be it done unto me according to thy word." The announcement has been made and heard. The world is with child.

In all the busy-ness of the weekend, the feast of The Annunciation of Mary sailed under my radar.It was celebrated on Monday this year but the official date is March 25 ------nine months before Christmas (sorry.) It is the one day during Lent the church calendar allows the "Gloria" to be sung and white vestments to be worn. It also gives me a chance to share one of my favorite paintings:



"The Annunciation" by Henry Ossawa Tanner (1859-1937)

Can You Guess This Photo's Title?

Seriously. See if you can come up with a "top three" list. When you feel like knowing for sure, it's posted at the bottom of the very first posting [Feb. 8.]

Allegri: Miserere Dei

This motet was written by Gregorio Allegri during the 1630s. It was so coveted by the Catholic Church, that Pope Urban VIII forbid it to be copied or played anywhere but in the Sistine Chapel on Ash Wednesday, once a year. (And yes, that's a 12 year old boy singing that high C throughout!) Mozart when he was 14 years old, came and listened to it and promptly wrote it out from memory. He gave it to a publisher in London, and after that the Catholic Church lifted the ban.(More info on Wikipedia)
It might strike you as a bit long (about 12 mins.) but it's presented here as time for meditation on the essential things, and, besides, the last thirty seconds of the motet is exquisite!

Dawn, Day, Dusk, Dark...

" Now I am grown-up and have not time for anything but the essentials."
-------------Thomas Merton
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +



I have found a marvelous collection of Merton's words, shaped into daily prayers.
It is "THOMAS MERTON: A BOOK OF HOURS", put together by Kathleen Deignan and published by SORIN BOOKS, Notre Dame, Ind. It really is well done.

The Sounds of Prayer

From her lips to God's ear...

Lillian.mp3

The lovely 93 year-old "Busia" Lillian (seen with a 4th generation Andrew)recites the prayers of the rosary in Polish, as she did as a child.
1. Sign of the Cross(W imie Ocja I Syna I Ducha Swietego.)
2. Our Father(Ojcze Nasz)
3. Hail Mary (Zdrowas Marya)
4. Doxology (Cwala Ojcu...)

Herman Melville

"Yes, there is death in this business of whaling -- a speechlessly quick chaotic bundling of a man into Eternity. But what then? Methinks we have hugely mistaken this matter of Life and Death. Methinks that what they call my shadow here on earth is my true substance. Methinks that in looking at things spiritual, we are too much like oysters observing the sun through the water, and thinking that thick water the thinnest of air. Methinks my body is but the lees of my better being. In fact take my body who will, take it I say, it is not me."

-----from "Moby Dick"