saturdaysundayhome: September 2007

Today is the feast day of Our Lady of Las Lajas. After hearing Her story, which I had never heard before, I thought it so amazing that it should be made as public as possible. Please read on.

In Columbia in the 18th century, there were two villages about 6 miles apart. These were the villages of Potosi and Ipiales. They were linked by a road which was often very busy with people commuting from one village to the next. One of these travelers was an Indian lady by the name of Maria Mueses de Quinones, who lived in Potosi. One day in 1784, she traveling this road with her young daughter strapped to her back, according to the Indian custom. The little girl, whose name was Rosa, had been both deaf and mute from birth.
Now about half way between the two villages, the road passes through a deep gorge at a place called Las Lajas which is translated “The Rock Slabs”. In this gorge was a cave, which the still superstitious people believed to be possessed, and even the very dwelling place of the devil. As Maria Mueses de Quinones passed through this gorge, she was overcome by a sudden and great fatigue so that she felt compelled to rest. She decided to rest in the cave, but being aware of its supposed inhabitant kept close to the entrance. As she was resting, she felt something touch her on the shoulder, as if to encourage her to enter the cave. Needless to say she was terrified and fled.
Sometime afterwards, Maria was once again traveling the same road. As she descended into the gorge, a violent storm began. Having nowhere else to shelter herself, she took cover by the cave. She did not, however have the courage to enter the cave, but kept just outside it, remembering her previous experience. While sitting there, she let her daughter Rosa down from her back. After a short amount of time, Rosa went off to play by the cave. Suddenly the deaf mute little girl called out “Mummy, mummy, there's a lady in here with a child in her arms!”. Maria didn't wait to have a look for herself, but once again grabbed her daughter and left. When Maria began to tell people about what had happened, nobody believed her at first, but as the story began to spread, some started to think that perhaps it was true, since it was undeniable that little Rosa was now able to speak whereas before she could not.
After a while, Rosa disappeared from her house. Maria was very worried about where she could have gone, and after looking all over for her, guessed that she had gone to the cave in Las Lajas, since she had often been heard to say that the woman was calling her. Maria hurried to Las Lajas as fast as she could. She arrived to find her daughter kneeling in front of a beautiful woman, and playing with a small boy who had come down from the arms of the woman. Maria fell to her knees before the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Maria did not want to become an object of ridicule, and so she kept the event to herself. However, after some time, Rosa fell very ill, and eventually died. Maria was absolutely distraught. She took Rosa's lifeless body into her arms, and went to the cave at Las Lajas to beg

Our Lady to restore Rosa's life. Being unable to leave poor Maria in such a state of misery, our heavenly Mother answered her prayers and gave Rosa back her life. It was not long before the news spread, and a large crowd gathered and made its way to the cave. When they arrived, they discovered a wonderful image imprinted on the rock of Our Lady, represented as an Indian with the child Jesus in her arms, and St Dominic on one side receiving the rosary, and St Francis on the other receiving the Franciscan cord. This Miraculous image could not be explained, and the Indians proclaimed her to be their Queen.
In more recent times, geologists from Germany visited Las Lajas to do tests on the image. After finding that there was no paint or pigment of any kind, they drilled small holes in to image, only to discover that the image and all the colours go back 4 feet into the rock! In the early 20th Century, a magnificent Church was erected on the site.

There are many spiritual diseases, but surely it is a perfect example of spiritual blindness, that anyone can see or hear of this ongoing miracle, and not declare it supernatural, and conclude that God exists. Let us pray to Our Lady of Las Lajas for those who are overtaken by this spiritual blindness, that they may be given the grace to see, and for ourselves, that we may never be found suffering from this malicious spiritual disease. Lord, that I may see.

Our Lady of Las Lajas, Pray for us

For the glory of God and of His Holy Mother - Part 3

Having begun the project of the wall and shrine on the feast of the Immaculate conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, it was very fitting that her statue should be installed in the almost completed shrine, on the feast of the Nativity of the same Most Blessed Virgin Mary. Seated, as she is, on the Papa Stronsay pier, where at high tide she is surrounded by the sea, we ask this Star of the Sea to protect us from every evil, but especially the least relaxation in any form.

Br. Mark, C.SS.R. places the two adoring angels into the shrine to await the arrival of their Queen.

The setting sun shows its face for the occasion.

The statue is very heavy, and was brought to the pier in the van. It was definitely a case of ‘many hands make light work’ to get it from the van to the shrine.

The procession for the blessing leaves the sacristy and makes its way to the shrine.

Rev. Fr Anthony Mary, C.SS.R. blesses the statues and shrine.

The community gathers around for the blessing.

O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to Thee.

Week 37: Markets for This Week

Wednesday 12th September
CERES Organic Market

Saturday 15th September
Bayswater Farmers' Market
Boroondara Farmers' Market
Buninyong Farmers' Market
Carlton Gardens Farmers' Market **new market starts today
Central Murray Farmers' Market
CERES Organic Market
Drouin Farmers' Market
Gasworks Farmers' Market
Healesville Organic Market
Kilmore Highland and Produce Market
Knox Farmers' Market
Moyhu Farmers' Market
Port Fairy Farmers' Market
Sunraysia Farmers' Market
Wellington Farmers' Market

Sunday 16th September
Girgarre Farmers' Market
Sanctuary Lakes Farmers' Market
Talbot Farmers' Market
Werribee Farmers' Market
Yarra Valley Regional Farmers' Market

Thursday, September 6, 2007

#76 - Writing

I spent several blissful hours in two different bookstores today. I noticed that the reference sections had a lot of books about writing - the art, the craft, the feeling, the inspiration, the companies, the how-to, etc., etc. So I thought that might be an interesting prompt this week. Tell us what comes up when you think: writing.

1. tori
2. ~kathryn~
3. harmonyinline
4. mks
5. karen travels
6. herb urban
7. just jinny
8. muse
9. ana
10. thunkful
11. liza's eyeview
12. not for robots (laini)
13. olsum's diary
14. saoirse redgrave
15. arboleda
16. lacithecat
17. xegbp
18. fledgling poet
19. kiah
20. kamsin
21. autrice deldrago
22. mardougrrl
23. danae sinclair
24. elspeth
25. raven
26. gautami tripathy
27. rob kistner
28. onion
29. marcy
30. awareness
31. melba
32. tumblewords
33. gill
34. nuttersnotes
35. jo
36. j
37. redness
38. greenishlady
39. regina clare jane
40. stacy
41. ra
42. matthew
43. alphawoman
44. left-handed trees
45. novel nymph
46. patois
47. waspgoddess
48. claire
49. laini
50. lissa
51. me
52. poppy fields
53. joezul
54. robin
55. becca
56. l.b.
57. sentient marrow
58. summer
59. paisley
60. karina
61. josie two shoes
62. ingrid
63. gilson
64. missmeliss
65. amber
66. dahlia and balu
67. goodnight, mom
68. clockworkchris
69. sister ae
70. kel x
71. forgetfulone
72. myrtle beached whale
73. frances
74. jessie
75. inland empire girl
76. pip
77. tica
78. cmm
79. marie
80. write from karen
81. january
82. colleen
83. cynthia e. bagley
84. lori-lyn
85. deirdre
86. shelby
87. nicole
88. cynthia
89. ther
90. jane poe (aka deborah)
91. ren.kat
92. lucy
93. e_journeys
94. anasalwa
95. message from the muse
96. nonizamboni
97. jennifer hicks
98. mjinga
99. jone
100. lisrobbe
101. laundrygirl
102. marilyn
103. chelle
104. sage
105. roswellgray
106. giggles
107. michelle (la vie en rose)
108. raymond pert
109. rose
110. wenda
111. tinker
112. visions and voices studio
113. j. matthew saunders

Monday, September 3, 2007

For the glory of God and of His Holy Mother - Part 2

Good weather comes but once a year, and so we make the best use of it we can while it lasts. Our main attention has been focused on getting the first stage of our pier wall completed.