View allAll Photos Tagged Humility
to accept my humanness... to know that i am not greater than, nor lesser than anyone else... to realize there is room for all ... to be rid of petty jealousy... to know that life is for living, not competing... to keep my ego in check... for allowing something greater than myself to guide me... for all this i pray.
amen.
Buddha Bar -Desire
www.youtube.com/watch?v=PB8Dk9k-iVw
"A Lover knows only humility,
He has no choice.
He steals into your alley at night,
He has no choice.
He longs to kiss every lock of your hair,
Don’t fret,
He has no choice.
In his frenzied Love for you,
He longs to break the chains of his imprisonment,
He has no choice.
A Lover asked his Beloved,
“Do you Love yourself more than you Love me?”
Beloved replied:
“I have died to myself and I live for you,
I’ve disappeared from myself and my attributes,
I am present only for you.
I’ve forgotten all my learnings,
But from knowing you I have become a scholar.
I have lost all my strength,
But from your power I am able.
I Love Myself,
I Love You.
I Love You,
I Love Myself.”
I am your Lover,
Come to my side,
I will open the gate to your Love.
Come settle with me,
Let us be neighbors in the Stars.
You have been hiding so long,
Endlessly drifting in the Sea of my Love.
Even so, you have always been connected to me.
Concealed, revealed, in the norm, in the un-manifest.
I am Life itself.
You have been a prisoner of a little pond,
I am the Ocean and it’s turbulent flood.
Come merge with me.
Leave this world of ignorance
Be with me,
I will open the gate to your Love.
I Desire you more than food or drink.
My body, my senses, my Mind,
Hunger for your taste.
I can sense your presence in my Heart.
Although you belong to all the world,
I wait in Silent Passion,
For one gesture, one glance from You."
(Taken from “The Love Poems of Rumi”)
Special thanks to Alex Y. for helping out with post production. You can check out his awesome work at: www.flickr.com/photos/114739792@N02
Metaphysical certainty is not God, though it contains something of Him. This is why Sufis accompany even their certainties with this formula: ''And God is more wise".
A cult of the intelligence and mental passion take man further from truth. Intelligence withdraws as soon as man puts his trust in it alone. Mental passion pursuing intellectual intuition is like the wind which blows out the light of a candle.
Monomania of the spirit, with the unconsious pretension, the prejudice, the insatiability and the haste which are its concomitants, is incompatible with sanctity.
Sanctity introduces in the flux of thoughts an element of humility and of charity, and so of calm and of generosity. This element, far from being hurtful to the spiritual impetus or the sometimes violent force of truth, delivers the spirit from the vexations of passions and thus guarantees both the integrity of thought and the purity of inspiration.
According to the Sufis mental passion must be ranked as one of the "associations" with Satan, like other forms of"idolatry" of the passions. It could not directly have God for its object, for, were God its direct object, it would lose its specifically negative characteristics.
Man must beware of two things: first of replacing God, in practice if not in theory, by the functions and products of the intellect, or of considering Him only in connection with this faculty; and, secondly, of putting the "mechanical" factors of spirituality in the place of the human values - the virtues - or only considering virtues in relation to their "technical" utility and not in relation to their beauty.
Intelligence has only one nature, that of being luminous. But it has diverse functions and different modes of working and these appear as so many particular intelligences. Intelligence with a "logical", "mathematical" or- one might say - "abstract" quality is not enough for attaining all aspects of the real.
It would be impossible to insist too often on the importance of the "visual" or "aesthetic" function of the intellective faculty.
Everything is in reality like a play of alternations between what is determined in advance - starting from principles - and what is incalculable and in some way unforeseeable, of which we have to get to know by concrete identification and not by abstract "discernment".
In speculations about formal elements it would be a handicap
to lack this aesthetic function of intellect. A religion is revealed, not only by its doctrine, but also by its general form, and this has its own characteristic beauty, which is reflected in its every aspect from its "mythology" to its art.
Sacred art expresses Reality in relation to a particular spiritual vision. And aesthetic intelligence sees the manifestations of the Spirit even as the eye sees flowers or playthings.
Thus, for example, in order to understand Buddhism profoundly, if one is not a Buddhist born, it is not enough to study its doctrine; it is also necessary to penetrate into the language of Buddhist beauty as it appears in the sacramental image of the Buddha or in such features as the "sermon on the flower".
The aesthetic function of the intelligence - if you may call it
that for lack of a better term - enters not only into the form of every spiritual manifestation but also into the process of its manifestation.
Truth must be enunciated, not only in conformity with certain proportions, but also according to a certain rhythm. One cannot speak of sacred things 'just anyhow", nor can one speak of them without limitations.
Every manifestation has laws and these intelligence must observe in manifesting itself, or otherwise truth will suffer.
Intellect is not something cerebral, nor is it specifically human
or angelic. All beings "possess" it. If gold is not lead, that is because it "knows" the Divine better. Its "knowledge" is in its very form, and this amounts to saying that it does not belong to it itself, for matter could not know. None the less one can say that the rose differs from the water-lily by its intellectual particularity, by its "way of knowing" and so by its mode of intelligence.
Beings possess intelligence in their form to the extent that they are "peripheric" or "passive" and in their essence to the extent that they are "central", "active" and "conscious".
A noble animal or a lovely flower is "intellectually" superior to a base man.
God reveals himself to the plant in the form of the light of the
sun. The plant irresistibly turns itself towards the light; it could not be atheistical or impious.
The infallible "instinct" of animals is a lesser "intellect", and man's intellect may be called a higher "instinct". Between instinct and intellect there stands in some sense the reason, which owes its troubles to the fact that it constitutes a sort of "luciferian" duplication of the Divine Intelligence - the only intelligence there is.
Knowledge of facts depends on contingencies which could not enter into principial knowledge. The level of facts is, in certain respects, inverse in relation to that of principles in the sense that it includes modes and imponderables that are the extreme opposite of the wholly mathematical rigour of universal laws. At least this is so in appearance, for it goes without saying that universal principles are not contradicted.
Even beneath the veil of the inexhaustible diversity of what is possible their immutability can always be discerned, provided that the intelligence is in the requisite condition for being able to discern it.
If the intellect is, so to speak, sovereign and infallible on its own ground, it cannot exercise its discernment on the level of facts otherwise than conditionally. Moreover God may intervene on the level of facts with particular things willed by Himself that are at times unpredictable, and of such things principial knowledge could only take account a posteriori.
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Frithjof Schuon
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Quoted in: The Essential Frithjof Schuon (edited by Seyyed Hossein Nasr)
One year, two perspectives. This image is part of a 365(+1) project, my friend Tilo and I are working on. If you want to see more, check out our website zweisichtig.de.
The bird that soars on highest wing, Builds on the ground her lowly nest; And she that doth most sweetly sing, Sings in the shade when all things rest: In lark and nightingale we see What honor hath humility.
James Montgomery
Sacred Rovingian Natural Landscapes - The Transformative Journey Through the Gorges by Daniel Arrhakis (2026)
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With the music : Breath of the Night (feat. Rautu) · The Void Wanderer · Rautu by ℗ 2026 Cryo Chamber
The Transformative Journey Through the Gorges or Canyons
Reflection on Humility, Overcoming Challenges, and Connection with Nature
The Gorge as a Learning Path
The narrow and deep canyons or gorges impose themselves with their almost steep and imposing slopes, leading us to adopt a posture of humility during the journey. At the same time, they invite us to reflect on our mission in this world.
The experience of the Rovingian monk at the beginning of the journey differs significantly from that which he feels upon leaving; throughout the journey, we are challenged physically and spiritually, with the canyon being the stage for multiple trials.
This journey goes beyond a mere crossing through nature—it is a true walk of self-knowledge and a journey that transcends time and space.
The Symbolism of the Journey
Humility of the Slopes
The narrowing of the path nullifies the ego of the traveler. Faced with the monumental scale of the rock, our physical smallness becomes evident, opening space for spiritual growth and the pursuit of inner greatness.
Physical Challenge as a Mirror
The effort required by the climbs and the uneven terrain test not only the muscles, but also the resilience and patience of the hiker. Each obstacle encountered becomes a practical lesson in overcoming and perseverance.
Crossing Time
In the silence that inhabits the depths of the canyon, the noise of the modern world disappears. This Rovingian journey, marked by deliberate wandering, values the state of presence more than the final destination, making the journey a space for contemplation and introspection.
The Impact on Personal Mission
Upon exiting the gorge, the vastness of the horizon acquires a renewed meaning. The act of crossing symbolizes a purification of vision and spirit.
Clarification
The isolation provided by the canyon allows the hiker to listen to their own inner voice, which often remains muffled in daily life.
Renewal
The exit from the canyon represents a rebirth, carrying with it the lessons learned in the shadows of the steep walls.
Connection
At the end of the crossing, one understands that our mission is not to dominate nature, but rather to integrate ourselves into it with wisdom and respect.
The Inner Metamorphosis
This new perspective transforms the geographical hike into an authentic inner metamorphosis. The canyon ceases to be a mere geological accident, becoming a liminal space—a portal where the hiker is no longer the same upon exiting, revealing a profound personal transformation.
In any case, the hike should always be just that, a crossing; staying longer is not recommended, as the canyons are powerful energetic ecosystems where antagonistic forces sometimes exist, or due to their rugged and impactful geomorphology, they can intensify feelings and alter consciousness.
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A Jornada Transformadora pelo Desfiladeiro
Reflexão sobre Humildade, Superação e Conexão com a Natureza
O Desfiladeiro como Percurso de Aprendizagem
Os desfiladeiros estreitos e profundos impõem-se com as suas vertentes quase íngremes e imponentes, levando-nos a adotar uma postura de humildade durante o percurso. Ao mesmo tempo, convidam-nos a refletir sobre a nossa missão neste mundo.
A experiência do monge rovingiano no início do trajeto difere significativamente daquela que sente ao sair; ao longo da jornada, somos desafiados fisicamente e espiritualmente, sendo o desfiladeiro palco de múltiplas provas.
Este percurso vai além da mera travessia pela natureza — é uma verdadeira caminhada de autoconhecimento e uma travessia que transcende o tempo e o espaço.
A Simbologia do Percurso
Humildade das Vertentes
O estreitamento do caminho anula o ego do caminhante. Diante da escala monumental da pedra, torna-se evidente a nossa pequenez física, o que abre espaço para o crescimento espiritual e para a busca de grandeza interior.
Desafio Físico como Espelho
O esforço exigido pelas subidas e a irregularidade do solo testam não apenas os músculos, mas também a resiliência e a paciência do caminhante. Cada obstáculo encontrado transforma-se numa lição prática sobre superação e perseverança.
Travessia do Tempo
No silêncio que habita as profundezas do desfiladeiro, o barulho do mundo moderno desaparece. Esta jornada rovingiana, marcada por uma errância deliberada, valoriza mais o estado de presença do que o destino final, tornando o percurso um espaço de contemplação e introspeção.
O Impacto na Missão Pessoal
Ao sair do desfiladeiro, a amplitude do horizonte adquire um significado renovado. O ato de atravessar simboliza uma purificação da visão e do espírito.
Clarificação
O isolamento proporcionado pelo desfiladeiro permite ao caminhante escutar a própria voz interna, que muitas vezes permanece abafada no quotidiano.
Renovação
A saída do desfiladeiro representa um renascimento, transportando consigo as lições adquiridas nas sombras das paredes íngremes.
Conexão
Ao fim da travessia, compreende-se que a nossa missão não passa por dominar a natureza, mas sim por integrarmo-nos nela com sabedoria e respeito.
A Metamorfose Interior
Esta nova perspetiva transforma a caminhada geográfica numa autêntica metamorfose interior. O desfiladeiro deixa de ser um mero acidente geológico, tornando-se um espaço liminar — um portal onde o caminhante já não é o mesmo ao sair, evidenciando uma profunda transformação pessoal.
De qualquer forma a caminhada deve ser sempre isso mesmo, uma travessia, não se recomenda a permanência, pois os desfiladeiros são ecossistemas energéticos poderosos e onde por vezes existem forças antagonistas ou em virtude da sua geomorfologia acidentada e impactante pode potenciar sentimentos e alterar consciências.
Playing in the courtyard was discouraged as a kid. Besides risking offending adults with noise, if there's time for play or exercise then that's time that could be used for helping family, studying, or looking for work. It was a working class neighborhood that was relatively safe due to a few notorious mafia members making their homes in the area so it wasn't like living in the projects. Money was usually tight, it rarely felt that way.
Tall uneven stacks of boxes lined up against a wall covered with spider web cracks showing maybe a century of repeated application of paint. There aren't any adults here now that follow humility to the point of it becoming hamartia, just piles of memories accumulated over the past three decades waiting to be rediscovered and kept. Looking over the sofa for a clear seat, a nylon dao was sitting on it unused.
A katana was given to a family member for their birthday some time ago. A $70 gift is very thoughtful, but this sword-like-object with its two-piece stainless steel blade was decorative and would shatter when struck or flung into a ceiling when the lightly wield rat-tail tang broke. I got them a Chinese nylon dao from Kult of Athena that could take the punishment of being hit if not safe for full-speed sparring because of its rigidity. A free hour can be spared and it's been a week since I've done any longsword drills. I grabbed my gloves and opened the rusty-hinged door to go play in the courtyard.
The dao's weight of 1.5lbs. and a center of balance of about 7 inches was in line with not only real daos but with a lot of Western military sabres. Ignoring the fact that the extra blade width at the point of percussion made it difficult to do some guards and the lack of serious hand guard made some hanging guards look ridiculously reckless, a lot of the very, very basic Western military sabre exercises can be done with something that only cost $35.
A week of off time was certainly felt when doing some two-handed longsword exercises modified to cut with only the true edge. Knowing the weight, center of balance, and points of percussion can give a rough idea of the feel of a sword. Sabres and other blades with complex distal silhouette can introduce rotational and aero behavior that become apparent only after handling. Wearing gloves, the dao with its slippery molded grip and tip-heavy mass has a tendency to roll outwards away from the centerline. I'm fairly slow with the dao and suspect that it can benefit with a lot of momentum techniques such as allowing follow-through to go into a guard or an attack.
An old lady I haven't seen in years looks on through the screen door with disapproval. I am slow and inefficient with movement, sometimes I lead with the foot instead of the hand, and I have non-existent footwork. But I know what I'm doing because I have safety gear which means I'm not a mall ninja, see? I held up a gloved hand and waved and the old lady nodded her approval, disappearing to make plans for my arranged marriage to one of her beautiful relatives I'm sure.
Out of breath from being out of shape I noticed I'm using a nylon Chinese practice sword for Western military sabre and European longsword drills, and a turn of the previous century Brooklyn tenement brick and architecture as guides for cutting lines in a near ninety degree New York summer. It fits this courtyard, this amalgamation of culture, sweat, and spirit of using whats available. I stiffen my back and my feet came together. Bringing the dao up to my face I gave a salute without thought.
A few days later with some spare fifteen minutes before leaving I got around to shooting the courtyard. I usually hear the other kids playing here growing up but was convinced to never give much thought to the point of it all. There is a point - many in fact - and at the same time it would be fine if there wasn't any. Maybe that salute was made not so much for what was in front of me or even behind, just what is here. I'm glad that I was finally able to play here for the last time.
My comments on the Chinese nylon dao:
www.flickr.com/photos/vmax137/16536171359/in/album-721576...
Scholagladiatoria's military saber solo drill:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=CYGLtIDc1vQ&index=3&list=...
Scholagladiatoria's military saber solo footwork drill:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=qla_16L7PSU&list=PLMUtS78Zxry...
Scholagladiatoria's basic lunge:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=7sTibCWaues&index=35&list...
Roland Warzecha's Tactics 2: Fighting in True Times:
"The Christian humility of the servant of God is much greater than the riches and pride of the king".
This mosaic of St Agatha, 3rd-century virgin martyr of Sicily, is in the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.
Where are you going? Wait! Don’t you see how beautiful I am?! WHAT? That the true beauty is hidden inside? …
Don’t go away - PLEASE - stay here for a while with me.
I … I will learn a humility …
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My author crochet brooch:-)
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the moment I think i am, i'm not!
Screwtape examines the virtue of Humility:
Your patient has become humble; have you drawn his attention to the fact? All virtues are less formidable to us once the man is aware that he has them, but this is specially true of humility. Catch him at the moment when he is really poor in spirit and smuggle into his mind the gratifying reflection, ‘By jove! I’m being humble’, and almost immediately pride—pride at his own humility—will appear. If he awakes to the danger and tries to smother this new form of pride, make him proud of his attempt—and so on, through as many stages as you please. But don’t try this too long, for fear you awake his sense of humour and proportion, in which case he will merely laugh at you and go to bed.
But there are other profitable ways of fixing his attention on the virtue of Humility. By this virtue, as by all the others, our Enemy wants to turn the man’s attention away from self to Him, and to the man’s neighbours. All the abjection and self-hatred are designed, in the long run, solely for this end; unless they attain this end they do us little harm; and they may even do us good if they keep the man concerned with himself, and, above all, if self-contempt can be made the starting point for contempt of other selves, and thus for gloom, cynicism, and cruelty.
From The Screwtape Letters
C.S. Lewis
“Do you see a person wise in their own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for them” (Proverbs 26:12). God hates pride. How do we explain God’s abhorrence of the haughty heart? Simple. God resists the proud because the proud resist God. Arrogance will not admit to sin. The heart of pride never confesses, never repents, never asks for forgiveness. Pride is the hidden reef that shipwrecks the soul.
Pride comes at a high price. Don’t pay it. Choose instead to stand on the offer of grace. “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (1 Peter 5:5). Isn’t it easy to see why? Humility is happy to do what pride will not. The humble heart is quick to acknowledge the need for God, eager to confess sin, willing to kneel before heaven’s mighty hand. And because God’s promises are unbreakable, our hope is unshakable!
Unshakable Hope. Max Lucado
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I know...humble pie would have been a better choice of picture. :-) :-) :-)
عمل فقير حقير محتاج برحمت خدا
محمد رضا بن استاد حسين بناء اصفهاني 1028
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مسجدشيخ لطف الله مسجد شاهکار دیگری از معماری و کاشیکاری قرن یازدهم هجری است به فرمان شاه عباس اول در مدت هجده سال بناشدهاست. سر در معرق آن تا پایان سال ۱۰۱۱ هجری ساخته وپرداخته شده واتمام ساختمان و تزئینات آن در سال ۱۰۲۸هجری بودهاست.
کتیبه سر در آن به خط ثلث علیرضا عباسی و مورخ به سال ۱۰۱۲ هجری است، معمار و بنای مسجداستادمحمدرضااصفهانی بودهاست که نام او در داخل محراب زیبای مسجد در دو لوحه کوچک به این شرح ذکرشده عمل فقیر حقیر محتاج برحمت خدا محمدرضا بن استاد حسین بنا اصفهانی ۱۰۲۸ خطوط و کتیبههای داخل مسجد کار علیرضا عباسی خطاط بسیار مشهور زمان شاه عباس و باقر بنّا خوشنویس گمنام آن عصر است که نمونه خط زیبای ثلث او باخط علیرضا عباسی برابری میکند.
مسجد شیخ لطف الله از ابنیه تاریخی بسیار مشهور است که تزئینات کاشیکاری آن در داخل از ازارهها به بالا همه از کاشیهای معرّق پوشیده شدهاست و داخل و خارج گنبد بی مانند آن نیز که از زیباترین گنبدهای جهان به شمار میرود از کاشیهای معرّق نفیس پوشیده شدهاست. باستانشناسان خارجی درمورد عظمت معماری این مسجد گفتهاند به سختی میتوان این بنا را محصول دست بشر دانست شیخ لطف الله از علمای بزرگ شیعه از مردم میس و از اهالی جبل عامل یعنی لبنان امروزی بودهاست که به دعوت شاه عباس اول در اصفهان اقامت گزید و به منظور تجلیل از او این مسجد برای تدریس و نمازگزاری وی اختصاص داده شد و نام مسجد مزبور به شیخ لطف الله از همین جهت است.
دکتر لطف الله هنرفر. شهر تاریخی اصفهان. چاپ چهارم، انتشارات گلها، ۱۳۷۶
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Sheikh Lotf Allah Mosque (Masjed-e Sheikh Lotf-o-llah in Persian or مسجد شيخ لطف الّله ) is one of the architectural masterpieces of Safavid Iranian architecture, standing on the eastern side of Naghsh-i Jahan Square, Isfahan, Iran.
It was built in 1615 by the orders of Shah Abbas I of the Safavid dynasty.
The architect (Mimar) of the edifice was Muhammad Reza ibn Ustad Hosein Banna Isfahani. He finished construction of the mosque in 1618.
Mimaran-i Iran by Zohreh Bozorg-nia. 2004.
"We are cups, constantly and quietly being filled. The trick is, knowing how to tip ourselves over and let the beautiful stuff out."
— Ray Bradbury
Seen in Lewes, Delaware. I loved the way these flowers were tipped over and spilling out onto the sidewalk. At church this past Sunday, we talked about humility. Of considering others before ourselves. Of being willing to go low. These flowers remind me of the beauty of humble hearts.
"For Abelard, the death of Christ on the Cross did not, strictly speaking, redeem man: it only offered him an example of supreme humility, charity, and self-sacrifice. Bernard asserts, against Abelard, that Christ became man precisely in order to redeem mankind from sin, deliver man from the power of the devil, and to become, instead of fallen Adam, the new head of a redeemed and sanctified human race. Jesus, says Saint Bernard, not only taught us justice but gave us justice. He not only showed us His love by dying for us on the Cross, but by the effects of His death He really and objectively causes His charity to exist and act in our hearts. In, doing so, He actually destroys sin in our souls and communicates to us a new life which is totally supernatural and divine. The effect of our redemption is therefore a complete and literal regeneration of those souls to whom its fruits are applied. Without this dogmatic basis the whole mystical theology of Saint Bernard would be incomprehensible. The purpose of all his mystical and ascetic teaching is to show us how to co-operate with the action of divine grace so that our redemption and regeneration may not remain a dead letter but may actually influence all our conduct and find expression in every part of our lives"
– Thomas Merton on St Bernard of Clairvaux whose feast is today.
My sermon for today's feast can be read here.
This cross hangs over the Altar in the Dartmouth College Catholic Center chapel.
Hand printed photograph from 35mm film. The female face lowered in dignified humility is a very powerful gesture, an archetypical symbol throughout art history.
Door Of Humility Into The Church Of The Nativity In Bethlehem The Door of Humility is the main entrance into the Church of the Nativity and is only a little over four feet in height. Other churches have large grand entrances, but this was kept small to prevent people from driving their horses or carts […]
explore1stage.wpengine.com/church-nativity-bethlehem-israel/
sources
model
browse.deviantart.com/?qh=§ion=&global=1&...
statues
lauren-lee.deviantart.com/gallery/34097151#/art/Temple-at...
clouds
lauren-lee.deviantart.com/gallery/#/art/Marco-Island-Beac...
lauren-lee.deviantart.com/gallery/41972726#/art/Beach-Eve...
palm trees
lauren-lee.deviantart.com/gallery/41972726#/art/Palm-Suns...
...when Our Lord Jesus Christ and Mother Mary were poor workers here on Earth...and did the Work of God to help the needy...that poor workers were glorified for their oneness with the humility and love of Heaven...
Florence, Baptistery, South door
Humilitas, the virtue of Humility holding a candle [1330]
Andrea Pisano
Florence, Museo dell'Opera del Duomo
original photo by courtesy of Steven Zucker, smarthistory
"So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any incentive of love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfishness or conceit, but in humility count others better than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others."
– Philippians 2:1-4, which is today's 1st reading at Mass (31st week).
This carved panel is from the altar of St Charles Borromeo in Lancaster Cathedral. It shows the saintly Archbishop of Milan in prayer; the rope around his neck was worn as a sign of his penitence and his self-abasement in imitation of the Lord Crucified. St Charles' motto was 'Humilitas', humility.
'The Madonna of humility' refers to images in which the Virgin Mary is sitting on the ground, or on a low cushion, usually holding the Child Jesus on her lap. This hand-painted Japanese postcard shows the Virgin Mary wearing a kimono decorated with kikyou or Chinese bellflowers, which symbolise unchanging love.
Its a Hot ! and humility is near 90 and were along the Milwaukee Roads Iowa division Council Bluff's line with train 107 leaving the Delmar Iowa station heading to Marion Iowa in the finest green grass and mud holding the main line together in Aug 1979
a lone figure stands in silent reverence, facing the grandeur of the altar inside a palma church. her presence is humble, almost blending into the stillness of the moment, yet her stance carries a quiet strength. the light falls softly, illuminating the contours of the sacred space, pulling the viewer into a timeless connection between the human and the divine. this photograph was taken on a quiet afternoon in palma, with a leica monochrom m11, capturing the essence of solitude and introspection. the play of light and shadow, the textures of stone and fabric, all speak of a story that stretches beyond the frame.
In Gatchina, the former residence of the Russian emperors in the vicinity of St. Petersburg, on the shore of the "Black Lake", stands a small palace which bears the name "Priory Palace". Although it was originally intended to serve for only twenty years, it is already in its third century of existence. The Priory Palace is so exceptional that it surely ought to be in the "Guinness Book of Records". Everything about this building is unusual: its name, its architectural appearance, the materials and techniques of its construction, as well as the legends which are bound up with it.
Constructed for a prior of the Maltese Order, the palace never actually became a priory, although it was presented to the Order of St. John of Jerusalem by a decree of Paul I dated 23 August 1799. In the 19th century, the Priory was occupied first by the Court choristers, then by the master of the royal hunt; in Soviet times it became a place for outings, a "house of rest", a Pioneers' house, then a museum of local history. Then the palace was closed, being by now in a state of such disrepair that it seemed about to collapse into the Black Lake. At that time the palace bore a new name - people called it the "Crumbling Castle".
A romantic page of Russian history is bound up with the knights of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem, Rhodes and Malta. The year 1999 was the 900th anniversary of the founding of the order, which today numbers about 12,000 members, as well as the 200th year since the election of Tsar Paul I as the order's Grand Master.
It is in Jerusalem, the "city of cities", that the tomb of Our Lord is located. Thousands of Christian pilgrims made their way to the Holy Land to visit it. In the pilgrims' refuge attached to the church of St. John the Baptist, not far from Jerusalem, monks tended the pilgrims and received donations from them as a mark of their gratitude. The emblem of the order is a white eight-pointed cross, symbolising the eight virtues - faith, charity, truth, justice, innocence, humility, sincerity and patience. The monks were bound by their rules not only to provide help for the injured, but also to defend Christianity against the followers of Islam. Thus the order became an order of warrior-monks, who were known as "Knights of St. John" or "Knights Hospitallers". But the crusades undertaken by the order ended in failure and they were forced to flee to the island of Rhodes, which was their home for two centuries. In the year 1522 the forces of the Turkish sultan Suleiman the Magnificent attempted to capture Rhodes. After a six-month siege the Grand Master of the order, Philippe de l'Isle-Adam, surrendered the island. Full of admiration for the knights' courage, Suleiman allowed them to leave the island by ship.
A new place of refuge for the knights was found in 1530, when Charles V, king of Spain and Sicily, gave the island of Malta to the order in return for a symbolic annual payment of one hunting falcon. During the years of its residence in Malta the order of St. John developed into a very powerful and wealthy community; its knights combined a high degree of monasticism with a code of knightly honour. In the north-east of the island they built a fortress which, during the 400 years of its history, no-one has ever succeeded in taking by storm. The name of its builder - Grand Master Jean de La Vallette - has been immortalised in the name of Malta's capital, Valletta.
The French Revolution drove the knights from Malta and deprived the order of its wealth; its estates were confiscated for the benefit of the people. On 6 June 1798 Napoleon Bonaparte, on the way to Egypt, raided Malta. The order allowed the general's forces to enter the harbour, and the invulnerable fortress of Valletta fell without a shot being fired. By Napoleon's decree, all the silver from the churches built by the Hospitallers was melted down. The Grand Master von Gompesch was exiled, and the knights were compelled to leave the island within 72 hours.
Relations between the Russian state and the Maltese order were first established in 1698, when Peter I's ambassador Boris Petrovich Sheremetev was received with honour in Valletta by the head of the order Grand Master Raymond de Pereylos, and, though he was not a Catholic, became the first Russian knight of this Catholic order. During the reign of Catherine II an alliance was formed between Russia and Malta against Turkey. In the Turkish war several officers of the order fought on Russia's side. One of these was Count Yuliy Pompeevich Litta, who received a golden sword "for valour" and the third degree of the Order of St. George. And it was Litta who brought the insignia of the order to Russia for Paul I, with the request that he should take the order under his patronage. On the 29th November 1798 the solemn ceremony took place by which the Russian emperor assumed the title of Grand Master. From Malta certain holy relics were brought to Gatchina - a piece of Christ's cross, the icon of the Mother of God from Philerma, the right hand of John the Baptist.
Paul I was a great admirer of the order. From childhood he had read and re-read the Abbot Vertot's "History of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem". He was shaken by the fate of Malta and came to the aid of the order. An agreement was signed by which the Polish priorate became the Great Russian priorate. Two priorates were established - a Polish, Catholic priorate and a Russian, Orthodox priorate. The Maltese knights came to Russia, where they were granted lands and high office. The residence of the order was transferred to St. Petersburg. Paul judged that this powerful knightly order would be of assistance in the struggle against the revolutionary ideas which were then spreading in Europe. An institute of honorary commanders was established, admission to which was not dependent on proof of noble origin. The cross of the order was awarded for services to the state, either military or civil.
Paul gave to the knights of the Russian priorate the church of St. John the Baptist on St. Petersburg's Stone Island, and the Vorontsov Palace (now the Suvorov Military Academy). Next to the Vorontsov Palace the architect Giovanni Quarenghi built a Maltese chapel, and in Gatchina the architect N. A. Lvov created the Priory Palace for the French emigre Prince Conde, a former prior of the order. (A "prior" is one of the main officials of the order, and "priory" is the designation of a prior's residence.) Before succeeding to the throne, during his travels in Europe Paul had visited the country residence of Prince Conde at Chantilly. He recalled that in Paris Louis XVI had received him as a friend, but that in Chantilly Prince Conde had received him as a king. Mindful of the prince's hospitality, Paul wanted to construct a palace for him in his beloved Gatchina. But Conde never came to Gatchina, and the palace was used by the Maltese knights for meetings of the order under the presidency of their Grand Master, and as a "spare" palace.
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