11/30/09

Our Lady of Lourdes

This window is in the Votive Candle Chapel at the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe near LaCrosse, WI

11/29/09

St. Joseph the Worker

Cathedral of Christ the King in Superior, WI.
Symbols include a carpenter's square, lily-staff, and Star of David.

11/28/09

St. Rose of Lima

"Blessed are they that suffer persecution for justice sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" is exemplified by St. Rose of Lima.

11/15/09

Extended Holy Family



Cathedral of St. Mary in Fargo, ND.
Here we see the Holy Family but also with the parents of Mary - who were holy enough in the eyes of God to be worthy of the Immaculate Conception, and to thereby become the Grandparents of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Left to Right: St. Joachim, St. Joseph, Blessed Virgin Mary with Jesus, St. Anne

11/14/09

Home Life of the Holy Family



St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church of Hoven, SD.

11/13/09

Return from Passover

St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church of Hoven, SD
This is a very interesting window. At first glance this appears to be an adult Jesus walking with a woman and a young boy. BUT - this is actually St. Joseph, walking with Mary and the 13 year old Jesus after He has stayed behind at the Temple and had been found. Imagine how they rejoiced! I can also imagine they kept a closer eye on Him too.

11/12/09

Flight Into Egypt

(photo credit)
St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church of Hoven, SD
The privations and dangers undergone by a son are those of his mother.
Gemitus matris tuæ ne obliviscaris—Forget not the groanings of thy mother (Ecclus vii, 29).

11/11/09

Immaculate Heart of Mary

St. Stanislaus Catholic Church in Warsaw, ND

11/10/09

Death of St. Joseph


It is commonly believed that Joseph died just prior to the beginning of the public ministry of Jesus. St. Joseph has not one spoken word recorded in the Bible - which speaks volumes. His strength is in his hidden silent faith, known to God alone. St. Joseph is last spoken of in the Gospel as being present at the finding of the child Jesus in the temple.
St. Joseph is known by many titles, my two favorites are "Patron of the Family" and "Terror of Demons."
St. Jospeh - ora pro nobis!

11/9/09

Modern Descent of the Holy Spirit


Yes, more "modern" than usually suits my taste, but sometimes new and beautiful can be used in the same sentence when it comes to Catholic Church art. This in one example. I especially like the centerpeice made of Our Lady and how the Apostles look to her as their mother as they receive the flame (visible above the head of each figure) of the Holy Spirit descending from the cloud above (which is not visible). This beautiful window is perfectly in keeping with the gospel:
Acts 1 And when the days of the Pentecost were accomplished, they were all together in one place: 2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a mighty wind coming, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 And there appeared to them parted tongues as it were of fire, and it sat upon every one of them: 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they began to speak with divers tongues, according as the Holy Ghost gave them to speak.

11/8/09

Our Lady of Knock


(photo credit)

On August 21, 1879, the Virgin Mary, St. Joseph, and St. John the Evangelist appeared to 15 people in Knock, Ireland. Jesus was also visible under the form of a lamb - the Almighty God who has all power in His hands, emptied Himself and took the form of a tiny Lamb.
This window is in the Votive Candle Chapel at the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe near LaCrosse, WI.

11/7/09

Hail Holy Queen

The Basilica of the National Shrine of Mary, Help of Christians, at Holy Hill, Wisconsin
Following the Rosary the Hail Holy Queen prayer is said:
Hail Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy
Our life, our sweetness and our hope.
To Thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve
To Thee do we send up sighs
Mourning and weeping in this valley of tears
Turn then Most Gracious Advocate
thine eyes of mercy toward us
and after this our exile
show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus
O Clement, O Loving, O Sweet Virgin Mary
Pray for us O Holy Mother of God
That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Amen+

11/6/09

Coronation


Window in the choir loft in The Basilica of the National Shrine of Mary, Help of Christians, at Holy Hill, Wisconsin
Mary is the Mother of the Son of God, who is the messianic King. Mary is the Mother of Christ, the Word incarnate. ... "He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David; and he will reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there will be no end." [Luke 1:32-33] ... Elizabeth greeted the Blessed Virgin, pregnant with Jesus, as "the Mother of my Lord." [Luke 1:41-43]

Mary is the perfect follower of Christ. The maid of Nazareth consented to God's plan; she journeyed on the pilgrimage of faith; she listened to God's word and kept it in her heart; she remained steadfastly in close union with her Son, all the way to the foot of the cross; she persevered in prayer with the Church. Thus in an eminent way she won the "crown of righteousness," [See 2 Timothy 4:8] the "crown of life," [See James 1:12; Revelation 2:10] the "crown of glory" [See 1 Peter 5:4] that is promised to those who follow Christ.

11/5/09

Assumption


~Notice our Lady's feet are not touching the ground?

MUNIFICENTISSIMUS DEUS
Pope Pius XII
5. Now God has willed that the Blessed Virgin Mary should be exempted from this general rule. She, by an entirely unique privilege, completely overcame sin by her Immaculate Conception, and as a result she was not subject to the law of remaining in the corruption of the grave, and she did not have to wait until the end of time for the redemption of her body.
6. Thus, when it was solemnly proclaimed that Mary, the Virgin Mother of God, was from the very beginning free from the taint of original sin, the minds of the faithful were filled with a stronger hope that the day might soon come when the dogma of the Virgin Mary's bodily Assumption into heaven would also be defined by the Church's supreme teaching authority.
~Excerpt from the Apostolic Constitution defining "ex cathedra" (from the chair of Peter) the dogma of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin)
Obtained at EWTN
BTW - a DOGMA is an official teaching of the Roman Catholic Church which is binding upon ALL Catholics. To wonder about, to question even to doubt is not a sin (as far as I'm aware) but to DISSENT or REJECT this teaching is gravely sinful.

11/4/09

Ascension

St. Pancras Church, London, England
I love this window depicted just the feet of His Majesty before He is taken from the sight of the Apostles.
Grant, we beseech Thee, almighty God, that we who believe Thine only-begotten Son our Redeemer, to have ascended this day into heaven,may ourselves dwell in spirit amid heavenly things. ~Roman Missal, 6th-8th Century

11/3/09

Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ

St. Pancras Church, London, England
The Gospel of Mark 16, 1-7 places before our eyes the faithful holy women who, at the first rays of the Sunday dawn, run to the sepulchre, and on the way, wonder: "Who will roll back the stone from the door of the sepulchre for us?" This preoccupation, although it is well justified on account of the size and weight of the stone, does not deter them from proceeding with their plans; they are too much taken up with the desire of finding Jesus! And behold! hardly have they arrived when they see "the stone rolled back". They enter the tomb and find an Angel who greets them with the glad announcement: "He is risen; He is not here." At this time, Jesus does not let Himself be found or seen; but a little later when, in obedience to the command of the Angel, the women leave the tomb to bring the news to the disciples, He will appear before them saying, "All hail!" (Matthew 28, 9), and their joy will be overwhelming.

11/2/09

The Crucifixion

St. Pancras Church, London, England
The most important reason for strongly encouraging the practice of the Rosary is that it represents a most effective means of fostering among the faithful that commitment to the contemplation of the Christian mystery... (John Paul II, "Rosarium Virginis Mariae", 5)
Two others also, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him. And when they came to the place which is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on the right and one on the left. And Jesus said, "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do." And they cast lots to divide his garments.

11/1/09

Carrying of the Cross

You yourself must decide of your own free will to take up the cross; otherwise, your tongue may say that you are imitating Christ, but your actions will belie your words. That way, you will never get to know the Master intimately, or love him truly. It is really important that we Christians convince ourselves of this. We are not walking with Our Lord unless we are spontaneously depriving ourselves of many things that our whims, vanity, pleasure or self-interest clamour for. Not a single day should pass that has not been seasoned with the salt and grace of mortification; and, please get rid of the idea that you would then be miserable. What a sad little happiness you will have if you don't learn to overcome yourself, if you let your passions and fancies dominate and crush you, instead of courageously taking up your cross! (Friends of God, 129)

To love the Cross means being able to put oneself out, gladly, for the love of Christ, though it's hard -- and because it's hard. You have enough experience to know that this is not a contradiction. (The Forge, 519)