Saturday 5th February
Sunday 6th February
Monday, January 31, 2011
Sunday, January 30, 2011
#252 - Safe
Possibly an easy one or possibly a loaded one, but not one that will inspire luke-warm posts.
This prompt this week is: safe.
This prompt this week is: safe.
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Week #140 - 29th January - Sponsored by The Craft Barn
Good Morning SS friends!
This weeks challenge is sponsored by our generous regular sponsor
The Craft Barn offer a wide range of goodies for all crafters from all things 'Cuttlebug' to grunge paper, from cottage cutz dies to cosmic shimmers, then there's your essentials like cardstock and papers and adhesives.
There really is something for everyone :)
For all the latest products that have been added to the site PLEASE CLICK HERE, including their range of COPIC pens.
They have the latest Crafty Secrets and My Paper World stamps in store NOW
And it's a set of Crafty Secrets stamps that you could be using real soon if you are our challenge winner!
Crafty Secrets Cherub Clear Art Stamps include 17 separate designs in the set with 3 beautiful cherubs, a pair of wings, the word "Love", a decorative heart and lots of swirly design elements from a big 3.5" long flourish to smaller swirls and embellishing designs you can mix and build from.
The cherubs were drawn in 1904 and the detail and shading are superb!
One is holding an old camera, the other is writing in a journal book and the third cherub is tying a big bow and stands 2.5" tall.
The cherubs were drawn in 1904 and the detail and shading are superb!
One is holding an old camera, the other is writing in a journal book and the third cherub is tying a big bow and stands 2.5" tall.
Perfect! and just in time to make that special Valentine card eh? ;)
Here is this weeks sketch...
Barbara has been our Guest Design Team member this month and here is her final card ...
Thank you Barbara for sharing you cards with us.
Thank you Barbara for sharing you cards with us.
Here are the fabulous cards made by the Design Team...
Thanks for stopping by, we hope you have fun with the sketch,
Please leave your entries with Mr Linky...
Friday, January 28, 2011
Winner of challenge #139
The winner of SEVEN single digis of their own choice, courtesy of Bugaboo Stamps is...
Sian! (Mad thoughts of a crafty cow)
and here is her beautiful winning card!...
Congratulations hunni! Please choose your 7 digis from the site, then EMAIL JODIE at Bugaboo so that she can send you your prize :)
Thank you.
Jo xx
Sian! (Mad thoughts of a crafty cow)
and here is her beautiful winning card!...
Congratulations hunni! Please choose your 7 digis from the site, then EMAIL JODIE at Bugaboo so that she can send you your prize :)
Thank you.
Jo xx
A NEW WEEK
Welcome back to Spiritual Sundays. We are so happy that new people are discovering this blog and sharing with us here. We appreciate all of you. Some have been sharing faithfully for weeks, months, even years. Others have just recently started sharing. If you have not shared before and are wondering how to do it, just click on the LINKING INFO tab under the header. There are detailed instructions
Thursday, January 27, 2011
papastronsay.com
We are pleased to finally announce the launch of the new Papa Stronsay website: www.papastronsay.com
Replacing the old site, it has been quite a while in the making but worth the wait. It has all the basic information on Papa Stronsay as well as on the Sons of the Most Holy Redeemer and vocation information.
The Papa Stronsay online shop is the biggest addition which sells all of our publications. It will grow in the future to include other things as well.
We have done testing on the site, but as is usual with these kinds of things there are bound to be some bugs and glitches. Please do contact us and let us know of anything you come across which doesn't seem to work properly.
Replacing the old site, it has been quite a while in the making but worth the wait. It has all the basic information on Papa Stronsay as well as on the Sons of the Most Holy Redeemer and vocation information.
The Papa Stronsay online shop is the biggest addition which sells all of our publications. It will grow in the future to include other things as well.
We have done testing on the site, but as is usual with these kinds of things there are bound to be some bugs and glitches. Please do contact us and let us know of anything you come across which doesn't seem to work properly.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
And our 2 new DT members are....
... Bente and Karita
Congratulations ladies! and a warm welcome to our design team! :)
we hope that you will enjoy working with us as much as we are looking forward to working with you :)
Bente and Karita will share their first cards as SS DT members on Saturday 5th February :)
Can I just say a huge thank you on behalf of all the design team to everyone who entered our DT call,
You are all wonderful cardmakers, it's a shame that we can only choose just 2 of you.
Many thanks!
Jo xx
Congratulations ladies! and a warm welcome to our design team! :)
we hope that you will enjoy working with us as much as we are looking forward to working with you :)
Bente and Karita will share their first cards as SS DT members on Saturday 5th February :)
Can I just say a huge thank you on behalf of all the design team to everyone who entered our DT call,
You are all wonderful cardmakers, it's a shame that we can only choose just 2 of you.
Many thanks!
Jo xx
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
O wad some Pow'r the giftie gie us
25 January
Robbie Burn's Night
Robbie Burn's Night
O wad some Pow'r the giftie gie us
To see oursels as others see us
It wad frae monie a blunder free us
An' foolish notion
What airs in dress an' gait wad lea'e us
An' ev'n Devotion
Translation:
Oh, that God would give us the very smallest of gifts
To be able to see ourselves as others see us
It would save us from many mistakes
and foolish thoughts
We would change the way we look and gesture
and to how and what we apply our time and attention.
To see oursels as others see us
It wad frae monie a blunder free us
An' foolish notion
What airs in dress an' gait wad lea'e us
An' ev'n Devotion
Translation:
Oh, that God would give us the very smallest of gifts
To be able to see ourselves as others see us
It would save us from many mistakes
and foolish thoughts
We would change the way we look and gesture
and to how and what we apply our time and attention.
These lines are from Robbie Burn's poem
To a Louse
where he records the shame of a lady in church
who is unaware that a large louse
is crawling around on her new hat, a Lunardi
-the height of the fashion in 1785.
The poet chastises the louse for not realising how important his host is,
and then reflects that, to a louse, we are all equal prey,
and that we would be disabused of our pretensions
if we were to see ourselves through each others' eyes.
To a Louse
where he records the shame of a lady in church
who is unaware that a large louse
is crawling around on her new hat, a Lunardi
-the height of the fashion in 1785.
The poet chastises the louse for not realising how important his host is,
and then reflects that, to a louse, we are all equal prey,
and that we would be disabused of our pretensions
if we were to see ourselves through each others' eyes.
Bishop John Geddes
One of Burns’ most enthusiastic admirers was Dr John Geddes,
Catholic bishop and Vicar Apostolic for the Lowlands.
He was the elder brother of the biblical critic and priest Alexander Geddes,
also known to Burns.
John and Alexander Geddes knew something of the harsh, rural life that Burns had lived:
the two brothers had been junior seminarians at Scalan,
a tiny (illegal) house of formation near Glenlivet,
Diocese of Aberdeen,
for lads destined for the priesthood.
They wore the kilt, lived on salmon and porridge,
and washed in an icy stream each morning,
in a valley surrounded by moutains where,
according to Alexander,
the sun never shone.
More about Robbie Burns and Bishop Geddes here.
Catholic bishop and Vicar Apostolic for the Lowlands.
He was the elder brother of the biblical critic and priest Alexander Geddes,
also known to Burns.
John and Alexander Geddes knew something of the harsh, rural life that Burns had lived:
the two brothers had been junior seminarians at Scalan,
a tiny (illegal) house of formation near Glenlivet,
Diocese of Aberdeen,
for lads destined for the priesthood.
They wore the kilt, lived on salmon and porridge,
and washed in an icy stream each morning,
in a valley surrounded by moutains where,
according to Alexander,
the sun never shone.
More about Robbie Burns and Bishop Geddes here.
To a Louse
Ha! Whare ye gaun, ye crowlin ferlie?
Ha! Where are you going, you crawling wonder?
Your impudence protects you sairly,
Your impudence protects you sorely,
I canna say but ye strut rarely
I can not say but you swagger rarely
Owre gauze and lace,
Over gauze and lace,
Tho' faith! I fear ye dine but sparely
Though faith! I fear you dine but sparingly
On sic a place.
On such a place.
Ye ugly, creepin, blastit wonner,
You ugly, creeping, blasted wonder,
Detested, shunn'd by saunt an' sinner,
Detested, shunned by saint and sinner,
How daur ye set your fit upon her --
How dare you set your foot upon her -
Sae fine a lady!
Such fine a lady!
Gae somewhere else and seek your dinner
Go somewhere else and seek your dinner
On some poor body.
On some poor body.
Swith! in some beggar's hauffet squattle:
Off! in some beggar's temples squat:
There you may creep, and sprawl, and sprattle
There you may creep, and sprawl, and scramble,
Wi' ither kindred, jumping cattle,
With other kindred, jumping cattle,
In shoals and nations;
In shoals and nations;
Whare horn nor bane ne'er daur unsettle
Where horn nor bone never dare unsettle
Your thick plantations.
Your thick plantations.
Now haud you there! ye're out o' sight,
Now hold you there! you are out of sight,
Below the fatt'rils, snug an' tight;
Below the falderals, snug and tight;
Na, faith ye yet! ye'll no be right,
No, faith you yet! you will not be right,
Till ye've got on it ---
Until you have got on it ---
The vera tapmost, tow'ring height
The very topmost, towering height
O' miss's bonnet.
Of miss's bonnet.
My sooth! right bauld ye set your nose out
My sooth! right bold you set your nose out,
As plump an' grey as onie grozet:
As plump and gray as any gooseberry:
O for some rank, mercurial rozet,
O for some rank, mercurial resin,
Or fell, red smeddum,
Or deadly, red powder,
I'd gie ye sic a hearty dose o't,
I would give you such a hearty dose of it,
Wad dress your droddum!
Would dress your breech!
I wad na been surpris'd to spy
I would not have been surprised to spy
You on an auld wife's flainen toy:
You on an old wife's flannel cap:
Or aiblins some bit duddie boy,
Or maybe some small ragged boy,
On's wyliecoat;
On his undervest;
But Miss's fine Lunardi! fye!
But Miss's fine balloon bonnet! fye!
How daur ye do't.
How dare you do it.
O Jenny, dinna toss your head,
O Jenny do not toss your head,
An' set your beauties a' abread!
And set your beauties all abroad!
You little ken what cursed speed
You little know what cursed speed
The blastie's makin!
The blastie's making!
Thae winks an' finger-ends, I dread,
Those winks and finger-ends, I dread,
Are notice takin'!
Are notice taking!
O wad some Power the giftie gie us
O would some Power the gift to give us
To see oursels as ithers see us!
To see ourselves as others see us!
It wad frae monie a blunder free us,
It would from many a blunder free us,
An' foolish notion:
And foolish notion:
What airs in dress an' gait wad lea'e us,
What airs in dress and gait would leave us,
An' ev'n devotion!
And even devotion!
Ha! Whare ye gaun, ye crowlin ferlie?
Ha! Where are you going, you crawling wonder?
Your impudence protects you sairly,
Your impudence protects you sorely,
I canna say but ye strut rarely
I can not say but you swagger rarely
Owre gauze and lace,
Over gauze and lace,
Tho' faith! I fear ye dine but sparely
Though faith! I fear you dine but sparingly
On sic a place.
On such a place.
Ye ugly, creepin, blastit wonner,
You ugly, creeping, blasted wonder,
Detested, shunn'd by saunt an' sinner,
Detested, shunned by saint and sinner,
How daur ye set your fit upon her --
How dare you set your foot upon her -
Sae fine a lady!
Such fine a lady!
Gae somewhere else and seek your dinner
Go somewhere else and seek your dinner
On some poor body.
On some poor body.
Swith! in some beggar's hauffet squattle:
Off! in some beggar's temples squat:
There you may creep, and sprawl, and sprattle
There you may creep, and sprawl, and scramble,
Wi' ither kindred, jumping cattle,
With other kindred, jumping cattle,
In shoals and nations;
In shoals and nations;
Whare horn nor bane ne'er daur unsettle
Where horn nor bone never dare unsettle
Your thick plantations.
Your thick plantations.
Now haud you there! ye're out o' sight,
Now hold you there! you are out of sight,
Below the fatt'rils, snug an' tight;
Below the falderals, snug and tight;
Na, faith ye yet! ye'll no be right,
No, faith you yet! you will not be right,
Till ye've got on it ---
Until you have got on it ---
The vera tapmost, tow'ring height
The very topmost, towering height
O' miss's bonnet.
Of miss's bonnet.
My sooth! right bauld ye set your nose out
My sooth! right bold you set your nose out,
As plump an' grey as onie grozet:
As plump and gray as any gooseberry:
O for some rank, mercurial rozet,
O for some rank, mercurial resin,
Or fell, red smeddum,
Or deadly, red powder,
I'd gie ye sic a hearty dose o't,
I would give you such a hearty dose of it,
Wad dress your droddum!
Would dress your breech!
I wad na been surpris'd to spy
I would not have been surprised to spy
You on an auld wife's flainen toy:
You on an old wife's flannel cap:
Or aiblins some bit duddie boy,
Or maybe some small ragged boy,
On's wyliecoat;
On his undervest;
But Miss's fine Lunardi! fye!
But Miss's fine balloon bonnet! fye!
How daur ye do't.
How dare you do it.
O Jenny, dinna toss your head,
O Jenny do not toss your head,
An' set your beauties a' abread!
And set your beauties all abroad!
You little ken what cursed speed
You little know what cursed speed
The blastie's makin!
The blastie's making!
Thae winks an' finger-ends, I dread,
Those winks and finger-ends, I dread,
Are notice takin'!
Are notice taking!
O wad some Power the giftie gie us
O would some Power the gift to give us
To see oursels as ithers see us!
To see ourselves as others see us!
It wad frae monie a blunder free us,
It would from many a blunder free us,
An' foolish notion:
And foolish notion:
What airs in dress an' gait wad lea'e us,
What airs in dress and gait would leave us,
An' ev'n devotion!
And even devotion!
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Markets - January 24th to 30th
Saturday 29th January
Booroondara *Special Extra Market*
Churchill Island
Echuca
Myrtleford
Sunday 30th January
Melbourne Showgrounds
Mulgrave
#251 - Eternity
Apologies for the delay everyone. It's the same old argument between my computer and blogger.
I thought I'd go enormous this week, so the prompt is: eternity.
I thought I'd go enormous this week, so the prompt is: eternity.
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Week #139 - 22nd January - Sponsored by Bugaboo Stamps
Good Morning!
Thank you for joining in the challenge last week, it's time for a new sketch :)
This week we are sponsored by the wonderful... Bugaboo Stamps.
A fabulous place for cute and whimsical digi stamps, and sassy ladies too! ;)
You are bound to find the perfect image for that special card
The images print very crisp and clear and are an absolute dream to colour!
go ahead...make someone smile.
Have you seen the Love/Valentine digis?
There's images suitable for young and old alike.
If you are our challenge winner this week, you can choose SEVEN single digis, courtesy of Jodie from Bugaboo Stamps.
You are bound to find the perfect image for that special card
The images print very crisp and clear and are an absolute dream to colour!
go ahead...make someone smile.
Have you seen the Love/Valentine digis?
There's images suitable for young and old alike.
If you are our challenge winner this week, you can choose SEVEN single digis, courtesy of Jodie from Bugaboo Stamps.
WOW! thank you Jodie! xx
Here is this weeks sketch...
Guest Designer
Here's Barbara's beautiful card...
Here's Barbara's beautiful card...
And from the fabulous Design Team...
Please leave your challenge entries with Mr Linky,
but please remember to leave the link to your blog POST, and not just your blog so that you will be eligible for the prize draw.
Friday, January 21, 2011
Winner of challenge #138
The winner of a £10 shopping spree at Bunny Zoe's Crafts is...
Coops! (Coops Cluttered Corner)
and here is her fabulous winning card...
Congratulations! Please EMAIL ME so that I can let Nikki know, and she will contact you with details of how to claim your prize :)
Thank you xx
Coops! (Coops Cluttered Corner)
and here is her fabulous winning card...
Congratulations! Please EMAIL ME so that I can let Nikki know, and she will contact you with details of how to claim your prize :)
Thank you xx
Hello Friends
Thank-you Charlotte for the reminder that you posted below. The prayer blog is such a perfect reminder for all those in need of prayer,and yes there are so many. Thank-you Charlotte for all your hard work on that blog. If this is your first time here please stop by our prayer blog and pray for those in need. Also there are links above that you can click to help you understand the guidelines for
THANK YOU xx
Our DT call is now closed, Thank you to all of you who have applied (there's been lots!), we will be going through all of the links that you have sent, and we will be making the decision as a team.
I could be emailing YOU really soon!
We will announce the new Design Team members once the new members have been confirmed.
Once again, many thanks for your response :)
Jo xx
I could be emailing YOU really soon!
We will announce the new Design Team members once the new members have been confirmed.
Once again, many thanks for your response :)
Jo xx
Apology to Catholic subscribers outside the UK
We are mortified to learn that our Catholic newspaper
destined for subscribers outside the UK
has been sitting in Aberdeen since 13 December 2010.
The mail agents in London have said
that the person who was responsible for sending the mail to their London depot
was "sick"
and
there was nobody to replace him!!
We are told that the Catholic is now on its way to London
for further onward distribution
after a delay in Aberdeen of nearly 40 days.
We are sorry that this has happened.
We wish that we could find a better alternative service.
Alas! For the moment we are stuck with Spring Mail and its TNT partner:
Their present service is spiraling.
destined for subscribers outside the UK
has been sitting in Aberdeen since 13 December 2010.
The mail agents in London have said
that the person who was responsible for sending the mail to their London depot
was "sick"
and
there was nobody to replace him!!
We are told that the Catholic is now on its way to London
for further onward distribution
after a delay in Aberdeen of nearly 40 days.
We are sorry that this has happened.
We wish that we could find a better alternative service.
Alas! For the moment we are stuck with Spring Mail and its TNT partner:
Their present service is spiraling.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Prayer Requests
Ginger will be starting a new linking session for Spiritual Sundays in a few hours, but I wanted to make a statement here for those who may come here before that time and remind all of us that there are many prayer requests on our Prayer Request blog. Quite a few have been added in the last few days and there are many who have been on the list for quite some time, but still need our prayers. I'm
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Markets - January 17th to 23rd
Wednesday 19th January
Venus Bay
Saturday 22nd January
Ballarat Lakeside
Casey-Berwick
Churchill Island
Hume Murray
Lancefield
Monty
Myrtleford
Newtown
Slow Food
Taste of Gold Monash
Traralgon
Tyabb
Yarraville
Sunday 23rd January
Kinglake
Melbourne Showgrounds
Mt Eliza
Mulgrave
Templestowe
Venus bay
Yarrawonga
#250 - Invisible
Well folks, here it is, prompt number TWO HUNDRED and FIFTY! Whoot!
I don't know if any of you have done all of them, but I do know that a lot of you have been along for this ride for awhile and others have only just joined us. I hope that you have found some inspiration here over the past 250 posts.
Without further ado, the prompt for this week is: invisible. What do you make of that?
I don't know if any of you have done all of them, but I do know that a lot of you have been along for this ride for awhile and others have only just joined us. I hope that you have found some inspiration here over the past 250 posts.
Without further ado, the prompt for this week is: invisible. What do you make of that?
Saturday, January 15, 2011
A Window to the Christmas Mysteries
The holy season of Christmas opens to our meditation the mysteries that perhaps we accept too blindly. Forming, as they do, the foundation of our Holy Faith, they should be known to some degree by all Catholics. As a young boy, I remember enquiring about certain points of the Faith; what they were exactly I no longer recall; but the answer to my many questions I remember well, it was always the same, it is still present to me: “It is a mystery.” It seemed to mean that I should abandon my questions and accept the fact blindly. Believe heartily but without understanding. This I did and often.
In conflicts about the sacred mysteries of the Virgin Birth of the Saviour and the Perpetual Virginity of the Mother of God I defended the truth with the solitary defence: It’s a mystery. There must still be many Catholics in that situation. Believing, indeed; having Faith, yes; but not being able to sound anything of the mystery except that it is a mystery. No, Faith seeks to understand, and something can be understood of the mysteries that are beyond our grasp, not perhaps very much in this life, but at least enough for us to be in admiration and reverential awe of God’s mysteries; now through a glass in a dark manner; but then face to face. (1 Cor 13:12).
Some years ago, reading an old book, I came across a beautiful explanation of the sacred Christmas mysteries. The preacher was speaking of the two nativities of the Son of God: the first in Eternity as the Only Begotten Son of the Father, and the second, at Christmas when he was born of the Virgin Mary. After the Ave Maria the preacher addressed his listeners:
I wish to explain to you the marvels of these two births by a comparison so clear and understandable, such that if you do not understand it there will be nothing in the whole world that could make you understand these mysteries. Among all the purely material creatures, none is a better image of God than the Sun.
6. Now the ray of sun comes in through the red glass window of a beautiful church: How does light pass into the glass? I don’t know. How did it come out of the glass? I don’t know. But as much as it goes into the glass so much does it come out from it. The ray enters the red glass window without opening it and it leaves it without breaking it. The ray passes through the coloured glass without affecting it, without breaking it, without ruining it at all. Thus, the Son of God has come into the world, and has passed through the the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary. How was He conceived? I do not know. How did he come to be born? I do not know. But the fact is that He was conceived and born without opening, without breaking, without affecting the virginal womb.
11. The support of this red colour which appears on the church floor is the sunbeam, because this colour does not exist without the sunbeam. Thus, what is the support of the holy humanity? It is the Son of God, it has no subsistence but Him.
13. Who is the father of this coloured sunbeam? It is the sun; but the sun has not produced the colour, it is true; but it has produced the sunbeam which is conjoint with the colour. And what is the mother? It is the stained-glass; but it has not produced the sunbeam? no, but it has produced the beaming colour, it has clothed the sunbeam with this robe of colour.
Who is the Father of Jesus Man-God? It is the eternal Father; He has not begotten with His substance the humanity of Jesus? no, it is true; but He has begotten from His substance the person of His Son, who is man.
Who is the Mother of this God-Man? It is Mary; She has not begotten the Divinity; no, but she has conceived the man who is God. She has clothed with our humanity, the Divinity of the Son of God.
It is the sunbeam in as much as it is the sunbeam, the child of the sun, for it existed long before the stained-glass; it is from the beginning of the world, it is just as old as the sun itself. But the sunbeam, as a coloured sunbeam, is younger than the stained-glass.
Who is older, Jesus or Mary?
Jesus as God or the Son of God is long before Mary; He is without beginning from eternity as is the Father and the Holy Ghost; but Jesus as man is younger than His Mother, because she was fifteen years old when She gave Him birth.
And thus the Son of God in the bosom of His Eternal Father is invisible, indescribable, inaccessible and incomprehensible: Who inhabiteth light inaccessible (1 Tim 6:16) but this same Son of God, clothed in our humanity and conversing with us has made Himself visible, palpable and sensible: Which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, says St John.
The zealous Missioner, then continued on to another point, but I paused to savor his exposition of these sacred mysteries now made as clear as day by his profound considerations. What added a poignant background to his words about the sun and colour, was reading that this young Oratorian priest, Father Lejeune, became blind at 35 years of age and never again saw light or colour. Born in 1592 he died in 1672. Although blind, he had been given special permission to celebrate Holy Mass; but, man of God that he was, he never used that permission and abstained from saying Mass those 45 years lest perhaps he might commit an irreverence at the altar while celebrating the Holy Mysteries. In this, his life speaks to our age!
In conflicts about the sacred mysteries of the Virgin Birth of the Saviour and the Perpetual Virginity of the Mother of God I defended the truth with the solitary defence: It’s a mystery. There must still be many Catholics in that situation. Believing, indeed; having Faith, yes; but not being able to sound anything of the mystery except that it is a mystery. No, Faith seeks to understand, and something can be understood of the mysteries that are beyond our grasp, not perhaps very much in this life, but at least enough for us to be in admiration and reverential awe of God’s mysteries; now through a glass in a dark manner; but then face to face. (1 Cor 13:12).
Some years ago, reading an old book, I came across a beautiful explanation of the sacred Christmas mysteries. The preacher was speaking of the two nativities of the Son of God: the first in Eternity as the Only Begotten Son of the Father, and the second, at Christmas when he was born of the Virgin Mary. After the Ave Maria the preacher addressed his listeners:
I wish to explain to you the marvels of these two births by a comparison so clear and understandable, such that if you do not understand it there will be nothing in the whole world that could make you understand these mysteries. Among all the purely material creatures, none is a better image of God than the Sun.
The sun is the Father of its ray.
1. You see that the sun produces a ray which is like its child; there is nothing more visible than the sun producing its ray, there is nothing more clear, nothing more bright and shining; and nothing more visible than the ray coming from, emanating from the sun; and nevertheless, there is nothing that is so difficult for us to see; we cannot look at it fixedly, not through lack of light, but through excessive brightness and by the debility of our eyes, the inability of our sight; thus, the Son of God is begotten of the Father, in splendoribus sanctorum, In the brightness of the saints, (Psalm 109) in the light of His Divinity by way of knowledge and science; there is nothing more intelligible than this generation, and all the same, there is so little we can understand about it: it is darkness for us because of the weakness of our comprehension.
He is from eternity like Him.
2. Again while the ray is as the child of the sun, being produced and emanating from it, even so, the ray is just as old as the sun, and if the sun were eternal, its ray would be equally eternal: thus again, while Jesus according to His Divinity, is the Son of God the Father, according to His Divinity, He is nevertheless as old as His Father, He is always like Him: He is from eternity like Him; He is without beginning like Him.
Through Him.
3. The Sun by its beam makes the earth fertile, it warms the air, and forms here below the metals and the minerals: thus the Father through the Son has created the heavens and the earth, men and angels and does all His works through His Son. Omnia per ipsum facta sunt, all things were made by Him (St. John 1:3).
The splendour of His Father.
4. The sun produces its beam without loss to its substance, it loses nothing in giving the beam its being; on the contrary, the brightness, the beauty and the ornament of the sun is its sunbeam: thus the Son of God is the splendour of the Father and the figure of His substance. It is a very great perfection of the Father, to beget a Son who is God like Him and one same God with Him.
He leaves without having gone.
5. Next, the ray leaves the sun and is sent here below; yet it leaves without having gone; it is here below, and, all the same, it dwells above. You see the sunbeam in the sun and you see it also on the earth. Thus when the Faith teaches us that the Son of God came down from Heaven and came into the world, that is not to say that He left the bosom of the Father; He always remains there and comes to earth without ever leaving heaven.
6. Now the ray of sun comes in through the red glass window of a beautiful church: How does light pass into the glass? I don’t know. How did it come out of the glass? I don’t know. But as much as it goes into the glass so much does it come out from it. The ray enters the red glass window without opening it and it leaves it without breaking it. The ray passes through the coloured glass without affecting it, without breaking it, without ruining it at all. Thus, the Son of God has come into the world, and has passed through the the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary. How was He conceived? I do not know. How did he come to be born? I do not know. But the fact is that He was conceived and born without opening, without breaking, without affecting the virginal womb.
Virginity made brighter.
7. Even more, the sunlight passing through the stained-glass made it more beautiful, clear, and sparkling: thus Jesus passing through the womb of Mary made Her Virginity more pure, holy and sacred.
The Virgin clothed Him with our human nature.
8. What therefore did this sunbeam do in the red stained-glass? It borrowed a little red colour, it became coloured; the stained-glass covered it with the colour of red. And what did Jesus in the womb of Mary? He clothed Himself in a human body which is composed of a little red earth: Adam, means red earth. Adam, id est terra rubra. There He is humanised, He is made man there, the Virgin clothed Him in our human nature.
Without loss.
9. The sunbeam, taking red colour from the stained glass, did not rob something from the glass, and Jesus taking from Mary our human nature, did so without any loss to Mary.
Since He entered into Mary.
10. The sunbeam, before entering the stained glass window was a sunbeam, but it was not colour nor coloured; however, since it has gone through the window and come inside the church it is a coloured sunbeam and a beaming colour, it is a colour which is a sunbeam. Thus Jesus before the Incarnation was God from all eternity, but he was not man. Now, since He entered into Mary, he is a God humanised, and a man deified, He is God who is a man, He is a man who is God.
11. The support of this red colour which appears on the church floor is the sunbeam, because this colour does not exist without the sunbeam. Thus, what is the support of the holy humanity? It is the Son of God, it has no subsistence but Him.
Only in Heaven and in the Blessed Sacrament.
12. This sunbeam, in as much as it is a sunbeam or light of the sun, is everywhere in the world; but as a coloured sunbeam it is not everywhere; it is only here and in a few other places. Jesus, as God and Son of God, is in every place; but as man he is not everywhere, He is only in Heaven and in the Blessed Sacrament.
Who is the Father of Jesus Man-God? It is the eternal Father; He has not begotten with His substance the humanity of Jesus? no, it is true; but He has begotten from His substance the person of His Son, who is man.
Who is the Mother of this God-Man? It is Mary; She has not begotten the Divinity; no, but she has conceived the man who is God. She has clothed with our humanity, the Divinity of the Son of God.
Red sunbeams from stained glass.
14. Which is the older, this coloured sunbeam or the stained-glass?It is the sunbeam in as much as it is the sunbeam, the child of the sun, for it existed long before the stained-glass; it is from the beginning of the world, it is just as old as the sun itself. But the sunbeam, as a coloured sunbeam, is younger than the stained-glass.
Who is older, Jesus or Mary?
Jesus as God or the Son of God is long before Mary; He is without beginning from eternity as is the Father and the Holy Ghost; but Jesus as man is younger than His Mother, because she was fifteen years old when She gave Him birth.
The Invisible made visible.
15. This sunbeam being from the sun is so brilliant and shining, that we cannot look at it, it dazzles and blinds the eyes of those who wish to look at it; but this same sunbeam, being clothed in a red colour, has come here below, and we can easily look at it.And thus the Son of God in the bosom of His Eternal Father is invisible, indescribable, inaccessible and incomprehensible: Who inhabiteth light inaccessible (1 Tim 6:16) but this same Son of God, clothed in our humanity and conversing with us has made Himself visible, palpable and sensible: Which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, says St John.
St. Philip Neri
Spiritual Father of Oratorians
Spiritual Father of Oratorians
The zealous Missioner, then continued on to another point, but I paused to savor his exposition of these sacred mysteries now made as clear as day by his profound considerations. What added a poignant background to his words about the sun and colour, was reading that this young Oratorian priest, Father Lejeune, became blind at 35 years of age and never again saw light or colour. Born in 1592 he died in 1672. Although blind, he had been given special permission to celebrate Holy Mass; but, man of God that he was, he never used that permission and abstained from saying Mass those 45 years lest perhaps he might commit an irreverence at the altar while celebrating the Holy Mysteries. In this, his life speaks to our age!
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