First Jesus,




now Mary.

Star-Spangled Virgin: Blessed or Blasphemous?



America has co-opted pretty much everything related to God...

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I still don't know

what to think of Medjugorje.

Marija takes the apparitions to Assisi

There's just too much to comment on here.

Until Rome makes a definite statement (or as definite as they can without declaring dogma) then I'll just watch the whole thing, and smile indulgently at the folks who seem to spend more time thinking of, talking about, and praying to, Mary than Jesus.

Jesus may well have a word for us, but if His Mother is repeating it over and over then once we've heard it is it correct to continue to hang on every word that purports to be the continued apparition? The danger, of course, is then to place these words above scripture and then, ultimately, above the words of Christ. Then there's the danger for those who look for signs and wonders, who seek to know the future, who want to touch the fantastic, the other-worldly, the eternal.

I've heard some Medjugorje conversations that make me very nervous...

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Though a cynic

I certainly don't question people's faith, nor do I deny miracles, I just want to know why?

Madonna Mania

"In Ballinspittle I saw an inanimate statue of the Virgin Mary sway from side to side..."

If (bear that word in mind always) God is doing this, why is God doing this? Is God truly affecting hearts? Why does one person see something and another person not? Why doesn't God do something that would be undeniably miraculous and observed by many, the fervent believers as well as the scoffers? I just can't understand that...

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A bit dated in tone,

but very readable and every bit as important today, comes this description of the today's feast day, taken from Butler's Lives Of The Saints.

The Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Here's the Catholic Encyclopedia's article on the topic of The Immaculate Conception.

Mary, Mother of Grace and of our Lord, please pray for us that we may be given the desire and the strength to respond to God's grace to say 'yes' to God as you said yes, and to let the Holy Spirit direct our lives to follow Jesus on the path to the Father. Amen.

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It is wonderful, but...

Cloistered nun and former actress to tell story of Hollywood and faith

Reading the list of people to be present to take part in the conference it is interesting to note how many of them are priests or religious. It would be a shame for anyone to lose their vocation by being elevated to a position of celebrity. It's a real risk for these people, I think, and it has happened before...

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It's a rock



Woman Says She Found Virgin Mary on Rock

But, as long as it builds her own faith, and she doesn't try to sell it on eBay to profit off of it, who am I to criticize?

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And in some non-Catholic traditions as well...




Renewed interest growing in Mary's role in faith life, depiction in art

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OK

Oklahoma couple find image of Virgin Mary in shower tile

"An image of the Virgin Mary is in Carol Burrell's bathroom. A remodeling project included new tiles; one shows the figure of the Virgin Mary."

I have no problem with private faith and signs (as long as they aren't pushed on the public as miraculous) as things to build personal faith and piety, but why on earth would the Blessed Mother (or Jesus, or any of the saints) choose to show their image on a shower tile? THAT is what makes me go 'yeah, sure'...

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Call it what you will

more than anything else its a sign of people's need to see hope, to see love, to see that more exists than just what we see every day.

Blessed backyard? Sighting of ‘Mary’ draws thousands

For some it's a need to connect with the holy, and the desire to see that the holy really wants to connect with them. I see more likelihood of faith-building in this interpretation of light and shadow than an image on a toasted cheese sandwich or a shower floor...

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Knocking on Heaven's door

Near-death experience led to heaven's door

I have this on my Kindle. It's good, it's just the gushing part that irritates me and makes it difficult for me to read in one sitting. I trust the experiences of children more than that of adults somehow..

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They're just to be reminders

Images are to help us use all of our senses in prayer, they're not the object of our worship.

One town, two Virgin Mary statues

There shouldn't be any conflict...

...although I have to say that I've always had a bit of uncertainty about these monstrously huge statues. Of anyone.

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A pretty much unknown apparition

First U.S. Visit of the Virgin Mary Confirmed in Wisconsin

"A small-town shrine is on the verge of becoming a mass attraction."

The author of the article is a bit snarky, though, from the headline on down to his comments about the current bishop being 'not far removed from scandal himself' though he only came into a diocese that had had issues, not being involved himself despite what the sentence implies, and down to extremes of the Middle Ages...

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The more I read what he writes

the more I like what he writes, and how he writes it. I suppose that that's the way with people one agrees with...

Despise Not Prophesying

Approved apparitions and messages are one thing and, I think, we do well to listen to them. If they do not have Church approval, however, I think we do well to listen to the ones that do have Church approval. We aren't missing anything by not paying attention to the ones that don't have the Church's approval. We continue to pray...

Thanks, Mr. Shea.

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I suppose

if it remains low profile and no one tries to make money off of it, the comment at the end of the article might be the most important thing...

Visitors to Reading shop say Virgin Mary statue is crying

"Whatever is causing the tears, it's bringing smiles to many peoples' faces."

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Sigh...

Myrrh Weeping Icon Comes To Bakersfield

Even some of its copies weep myrrh? Have they all been tested by Church authorities? For myself, I'm afraid I'll have to reserve judgement until I hear the Church make a pronouncement on them...

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I found this link

on Mark P. Shea's Catholic and Enjoying it!

Timothy Jones

is an artist who is selling art prints of his work through the site above. I don't often link to a commercial site, but, while SWMBO and I tend to buy original art that we can afford rather than art prints, this fellow's images of Mary, in his religious-themed art such as the piece titled Immaculate Heart, are the best representations I've seen of a Semitic Holy Mother. Take a look at the two he's showing online, as well as the rest of his art. I really like his work!

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Apparitions approved

by the Catholic Church.

Apparitions Approved

From 'Catholic Doors'...

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In this case


the Church has ruled in favour of the apparition.

Virgin Mary apparitions put Wis. town on pilgrimage map

But only 150 years later. This sort of thing is terribly difficult for the Church to investigate and finally approve...

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Sacred Sightings?


Latest Jesus Sighting: Outside a Pub in Australia

An article with an attached slideshow of some of the purported apparitions/miracles/acts of God/pure flukes. The slideshow won't work in Safari 5, so all you Mac users will have to use Chrome or Firefox to see it. They even have a photo of what is probably the granddaddy of all, the grilled cheese sandwich that sold for $28,000 on eBay.

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No matter how many times

someone says that there are no more secrets, the crowd who look to miracles, visions, secrets and prophecy will ignore that and claim there is more...


Pope's visit to shrine of secrets

The Gnostics aren't the only group who hunger after 'hidden knowledge'. There's that wondering in all of us, and some go to the extreme in the church...

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