View allAll Photos Tagged Humility
This photograph was taken with a sufficiently long lens to avoid disturbing my two subjects and to avoid giving offence as I would not normally choose to photograph a homeless person on the street. However, this was a situation that I could not resist because of the tenderness and the humility to be found in their interaction.
Santo Niño de Cebu is a representation of the Child Jesus, somewhat related to the Infant Jesus of Prague. Santo Niño de Cebu literally means "holy child of Cebu". The image was brought to the archipelago that would later become known as the Philippines on Ferdinand Magellan's near-circumnavigation and in 1521 was given to the Queen Juana of Cebu, who was later baptized into the Catholic faith along with her husband, Rajah Humabon, and their people. After the Spaniards turned against the Cebuanos, the Spaniards burned a good part of Cebu, and the image was caught in the blaze.
In 1565 with the arrival of the Spanish conquistadores led by Miguel López de Legazpi, the image was found relatively unscathed. The image was quickly acknowledged as miraculous, and a church was later constructed on the site of the discovery. Today, the Basilica Minore del Santo Niño is an important historical and religious landmark in Cebu, with devotees forming long queues to pay their respects to the Holy Child.
The Santo Niño was long considered to be the patron "saint" of Cebu. However, the Santo Niño is a representation of Jesus Christ as a child. The Catholic Church in the Philippines sets the Holy Child as an example of humility and as a celebration of the Incarnation. Many Cebuanos do not consider the Christmas Season over until the Feast of the Santo Niño.
With this in mind, in 2002, Cebu Archbishop Cardinal Ricardo Vidal declared Jesus' mother Mary, under the title of Our Lady of Guadalupe to be the principal patroness of Cebu. This upset some Santo Niño devotees, who felt that the declaration "demoted" the Holy Child. However, the declaration is consistent with Catholic thought requiring a patron saint be a human saint who has gone to his or her heavenly reward and who prays to God on behalf of the living, rather than a divine being himself.
Since the Holy Child is a representation of Jesus, the Second Person of the Trinity, he cannot, as God, be considered a patron. In that sense, Cardinal Vidal's move was to actually install a patron saint for Cebu, when before there was none. He did not, however, abolish the feast or the traditional street celebrations.
Source: Wikipedia.org
I blogged this with a message for all of you: my wonderful creative friends
coastalforestdweller.blogspot.com/2011/05/with-humility-w...
Humility in the Shambhala tradition also involves some kind of playfulness,
which is a sense of humor.
Real humility is genuineness.
Chögyam Trungpa, Buddhist Teacher
Name: Toya Dominique LaJax
Hometown: La Puente, California
Likes: Genuine people, humility, music, cosmetics, and tacos.
Dislikes: Fame-whores, cockiness, political incorrectness, and bigots.
Why I Should Be Picked For BFF 5: "I want to be a part of #BFF5 because I feel that Maxine and I would vibe really well. I used to be a member of a popular teen-pop group with my six other siblings called LaJax7, but we disbanded in 2009 due to creative differences and our record label folding. I had become too old to maintain relevance in the limelight. I started gaining weight and turned to reality television to escape my own reality. Ever since I started watching BFF, I knew that I would have an instant connection with Maxine if I was ever on the show and dreamed of one day being on it. I decided two years ago to create a better version of myself and try to fulfill my dream of becoming one of Maxine's friends. Plus, I want to add diversity in a room full of bleach-blonde suck ups."
Faceclaim: Vanessa Morgan
www.evandellphotography.com | Facebook | Twitter | Tumblr Blog
had two shoots to do on the Rise Records Tour, one for Memphis May Fire, and Decoder. but i took candid shots all day, and for once im gonna share those.
either design fail, or on purpose still quite a sight to see
view ORIGINAL size for best quality
natural light
5d mrk ii
50mm f1.4 usm
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ALL IMAGES ©OPYWRITTEN BY Evan Dell Photography NONE ARE TO BE USED/POSTED/DUPLICATED ETC. WITHOUT OUR PERMISSION
This coneflower plant was added to my beach garden this summer. It blooms among a couple varieties of white daises, Russian sage, lavender, white petunia, white pansy, white lobelia, dusty miller and mounts of blue fescue. I love this white section of plantings against the aged cedar shingle siding of my cottage. It's all so beachy.
I arrived this week to find my white garden browning on the edges and preparing for winter. I was touched by their graceful and elegant bearing. Such poise and humility they possessed in their imperfection. There was a message for me in the observation!
True humility accepts both our dignity and our depravity in the same breath. We are never either/or we are always both/and!
I hope that if you, like me, have blown it lately or felt that you've missed the mark more than you've hit it, that you would not be too hard on yourself...that you would have the grace to accept that you are human...beautifully and wonderfully human!
I can't let my present victories lie to me about my pending failures!
Sorry for the sermon...rest assured, I won't take an offering!!!
Love you guys!
View from Punta Gnifetti (Signalkuppe)
The Signalkuppe (in German, pronounced seen-yall-koo-pay) also known as Punta Gnifetti (in Italian) (4,554 m) is a peak in the Pennine Alps on the border between Italy and Switzerland. It is a subpeak of Monte Rosa. The mountain is named after 'the Signal', a prominent gendarme atop the east ridge, named Cresta Signal.
The first ascent was made by Giovanni Gnifetti, a parish priest from Alagna Valsesia, together with J. Farinetti, C. Ferraris, C. Grober, J. and G. Giordiano and their porters on 9 August 1842.
The highest hut in Europe, the Margherita Hut (named after Italy's Queen consort Margherita of Savoy) lies on the summit of the mountain.
A quiet sunset. No loud colors, no day that ends with a bang. Maybe more of a sigh.
I met a man this evening. I still don't know his name. But I do know, I took one look at the beer in his hand, his cut off dripping shorts, the late model car with cracked tail lights and held together with plastic where the rust had removed the rest, and I judged. And I was angry. I had come looking for solitude and it wouldn't be found here.
But then he spoke. And he shared with me the joy he had in coming out to this spot when he wasn't working, just to watch the sun set. And to play with the dog he found abandoned along the road. She liked swimming. And he liked pleasing her. And as he spoke, he walked around the small area of the shore, gathering the trash of others and carrying it to a barrel; close, but too far for some.
I found myself embarrassed in my own judgment. In my own self absorption. And in my own busy-ness; forgetting to enjoy the reason I was here, worried instead by the mechanics.
And so I left with a pretty view, but a much better lesson. And I drove away humbled.
31/52 - The Big Five Two
"Sense shines with a double luster when it is set in humility. An able yet humble man is a jewel worth a kingdom" ~William Penn
Dad came by the house after his soccer game to drop his notebook because him and mom think there it has a virus, (I warned them about checking out porn sites…hahahaha). So he got suckered into this shot and I had to be quick about too. This is the second shot I have done of him and as much as he hates having his picture taken he is always a good sport about it..Oh the humility.
Don't worry before this project is up my mom is gonna be in one of the shots, just got to figure out a way to sucker her into it..hahahaha
on the setup shot, unfortunately I didn't have time to take one but it is the same setup done for Day 299/365. The only change to the setup was power settings, Mer held a silver reflector below, and the direction he was looking, hence the light falloff on his face.
Strobists:
AB800 camera front boomed up on axis from dad in beauty dish with sock @stop between 1/16 and 1/8
1/160 @F/9
ISO 100
Nikon 80-200mm 2.8
Triggered with Cybersync
“See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their Angels in Heaven always look upon the face of my heavenly Father...” Matthew 18:10
MEDITATION
"Whose glory do you seek?"
“Jesus made a dramatic gesture by placing a child next to Himself to show His disciples who really is the greatest in the kingdom of God. What can a little child possibly teach us about greatness? Children in the ancient world had no rights, position, or privileges of their own. They were socially at the "bottom of the rung" and at the service of their parents, much like the household staff and domestic servants. What is the significance of Jesus' gesture? Jesus elevated a little child in the presence of His disciples by placing the child in a privileged position of honor at His right side…”
PRAYER
"Lord Jesus, teach me YOUR way of humility and simplicity of heart that I may find perfect Joy in YOU. May YOUR Light shine through me that others may see YOUR Truth and LOVE and find Hope and Peace in YOU."
dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/readings/2018/aug14.htm
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Filename - The Angels in Heaven - IMG_0570 2016
Following the Son...
Blessings,
Sharon 🌻
God's Beauty In Nature is calling us into a deeper relationship with Him...
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Bloggers are welcome to use my artwork with, “Image from Art4TheGlryOfGod by Sharon under Creative Commons license”, and a link back to the images you use and please let me know in the comment section below, thank you...
Art4TheGlryOfGod Photography by Sharon
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Faith, Hope & Love in daily Art meditations...
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#prints available upon request
“One day, as the crowds were gathering, Christ went up the hillside with his disciples and sat down and taught them there: “Humble men are very fortunate for the Kingdom of Heaven is given to them.” Now, we should clarify some of our terms here. First of all, “Kingdom of Heaven, in spiritual life, means God-consciousness. It’s not a place off somewhere in some other world or many, many millions and millions and billions of miles beyond the physical universe. “Kingdom of Heaven”, as Christ said, “is within”. It’s a state of consciousness. When the mind becomes completely calm, then the inner Reality which is hidden by thoughts, starts to shine and one feels one is in heaven. It means one is happy and peaceful. That’s heaven. So this is what Christ means when he says, “The Kingdom of Heaven”. Also, many times he refers to the Father: “My Father sent me” “I and the Father are one.” When he says Father, what he’s talking about is Supreme Consciousness, the Absolute Being, Satchitananda, the Ocean of Awareness, the Source of the world. That’s called the Father. Not that the Father is a man, a big man with a beard, or without a beard. But the Father is Reality, impersonal Reality.”—Swami Paramatmananda, “Talks, Volume 1”, p. 85
31th Jan :SAINT FRANCIS XAVIER M. BIANCHI,The Apostle of Naples
(Relic of Saint Francis Bianchi's bones at my family's chapel)
Preface
If our love for St. Francis Bianchi does not impair our judgment, we can affirm that all the requisites desirable in a saint for our modern days are to be found in him. His life of union with Christ reveals his ascetic soul. Besides possessing the gift of miracles, he also experienced the torment of excruciating suffering and the joy of exhilarating ecstasy. Being a positive and efficient individual, endowed with the admirable faculty of easy adjustment to given situations, he knew how to pass with ease from contemplation to action. Even in the final years of his life, he preserved intact the perennial youth of his heart, reflected in his particular fondness for the youth.
He manifested an inspiring kindness toward the poor; still, he did not disdain the rich whom he guided and directed in the ways of God. He befriended the simple and, at the same time, kept a close contact with the nobility. With his intelligence and perception, being accepted in both the academic and simple circles, he was keenly aware of all the problems which troubled his time.
He underwent the mortifications of an anchorite, that is, the mortifications of one who has withdrawn from the world for the sake of religious seclusion. At all times, however, he radiated a joy which even during the martyrdom of his illness knew no shadow.
He possessed the heart and sensitivity of a true artist. He might have carved a lasting niche for himself in this field had not the thirst of his soul induced him to embrace the road of the apostolate.
The historical vicissitudes of his tempestuous times found an attentive and watchful spectator in him. With the eye of a prophet, he followed the rapid ascent of Napoleon and predicted his defeat and decline right up to that eventful year 1815, which saw the disappearance of the Napoleonic greatness.
Agonizing in spirit, he accompanied the sorrowful Way of the Cross of Pius VII and foretold the great sorrows that the Pope was to endure, as well as the peaceful triumphs which were to follow. King Charles Emmanuel IV and the Venerable Clotilde of Savoy, during the humiliating time of their exile, were to find a consoling angel in him.
He raised his hand in benediction against the fury of Vesuvius and amazingly stopped the flow of the devastating lava.
During a century highlighted with anger and vengeance, and ravished with hatred, he preached by his own example the word of love which gives light and life to the world. Not one event of his day found him either uninterested or indifferent. He had his eyes keenly fixed upon all the questions of his day and he evaluated each individual with the care and prudence befitting a man of God.
In a historical period which was defined as barren, superficial and anti-mystic, he renewed the vigorous ardor and fervent impetus of the greatest lovers of Christ.
By renouncing the world, he dominated it with humility mixed with the wonder of a living love for sacrifices. He was a man of his times, but above all he was a saint. Thus, he was truly a complete man, a saint who still today generates a strong, kind, and irresistible fascination among his devotees, those wishing to be close to him just as those who were fortunate enough to experience the joy of his nearness on the streets of Naples which were the site of his sleepless apostolate.
I. A BEAUTIFUL DAWN
St. Francis Xavier M. Bianchi was born in Arpino on December 2, 1743. The child was baptized on the following day. His parents, Carlo and Faustina Morelli, gave him the names of Francis, Xavier, Philip, and Justinian.
Very little has been preserved of his childhood. He grew up in an environment which was warm with faith and resplendent with his father’s honesty and his mother unusual virtues. From his mother he learned tender love for God and neighbor, and this made him amiable to all. It was from her example that he developed a special love for the sick and the poor. His mother transformed a section of their home into a small hospital where several beds were always prepared for the sick that lacked assistance. If any of them died in her home, she provided for their funeral and burial with care and generosity.
II. THE DIVINE CALL
When he was twelve years old, he was entrusted to the Barnabites who in Arpino directed the school of Ss. Charles and Philip. He was barely thirteen years of age when, among the students of theology and philosophy, he was chosen to compose and deliver a short sermon on the patronage of the Virgin Mary. The brief but well-placed pauses punctuating his discourse surprised his listeners. There was vigor and enthusiasm in all that he said. Above all, there was his great love for the sorrowful and good Mother Mary.
His companions nicknamed him Panciotto (chubby) because of his rosy and plump features. “Here comes Panciotto!” they could be heard whispering in the places where groups gathered. With this, the vulgar conversations in which they might have been engaged came to an abrupt end.
Meanwhile, a mysterious and irresistible voice was drawing the young man toward the Sanctuary. God had placed his hand upon him and was saying to him, “You are mine!” On March 26, 1757 the Bishop, who eight years before had made him a soldier of Christ at his confirmation, cut his hair and traced the tonsure upon his head. It was the young man’s desire, however, to serve God in a religious family. Although he was a disciple of the Barnabites, he gave his preference for the Society of Jesus. He was directed in this choice by his devotion to St. Francis Xavier, whose name he bore.
He made his plans known but there was opposition by his family. They agreed to his becoming a priest but not to be a religious. It was for this reason that in order to dissuade him, they sent Francis to the diocesan seminary in Nola (outside Naples). Francis obediently bowed his head in assent. God, however, was to guide his elect in a manner very different from that envisioned by humans.
III. IN THE SHADOW OF THE SANCTUARY
God’s will manifested itself more clearly at Nola. It was here that Francis met St. Alphonsus Liguori who had come to preach a spiritual retreat to the seminarians. It was this saintly man who very decisively induced the wavering Francis to embrace religious life.
His parents insisted he put aside his clerical habit and go to Naples to enroll in the University law school. Through friends who had been ill informed, he was directed to a certain rental house which continually resounded with disorderly shouts, loud singing, and vulgar words. The meek and saintly young man clearly and simply described the director of this house as a “fine deceitful fellow.” He was so uneasy here that he became ill. Things even went so far that the money his family had given him to buy books was stolen. “It was then,” the young man wrote to his uncle, a priest “that I became visibly disturbed.” It was his uncle who induced Francis’ parents to permit him to return home. Confronted with his firm and decisive determination, all opposition fell. A short while later he was able to leave for the Novitiate of the Barnabites in Zagarolo. He had a letter from the Superior of the Barnabites in Arpino who wrote of him, “He is healthy with a good complexion. He is of sanguine nature and has a happy disposition. He presents a fine appearance and is of good stature. He gives every indication of being skillful and prudent. He has excellent natural talents; he writes well. He is humble, decisive, and not scrupulous. He frequents the Sacraments.”
The year of his Novitiate passed quickly, and the Fathers were able to testify that he was “a young man of the highest saintly habits, very devout, and humble, possessing the greatest talents. He gives clear indication of becoming a learned religious who will be a credit to the Congregation and a great asset to his fellow men.”
On December 28, 1763 Francis swore fidelity to his God in the perpetual observance of poverty, chastity, and obedience. The voice of obedience decreed that he immediately leave for Macerata where he was to study philosophy and science. He remained there from January, 1764 until October of the following year, at which time he experienced difficulty with his lungs. In the spring of 1766 he journeyed first to Arpino and then to Naples, where he began his study of theology, and where he fully recovered.
He completed his sacred studies in Naples at St. Charles alle Mortelle. On January 25, 1767 he was ordained a priest. Four days later the newly ordained ascended the altar to offer his first Eucharistic Sacrifice.
IV. A PRIEST AND A TEACHER
In September 1767 he was assigned as a professor of humanities at the school of the Barnabites in Arpino. Even from his teaching desk, commenting upon Latin and Italian authors, he knew how to radiate Christ. He was more intent on educating than on instructing, on forming hearts than on informing minds. He knew how to enrich the teaching of the usual subjects with a personal touch. Above all, he never forgot that he was a priest; consequently, he alternated his ministry with his teaching, especially by preaching the Word of God.
In the autumn of 1769 he was sent by his Superiors to the College of St. Charles in Naples as a professor of philosophy and mathematics to the Barnabite seminarians. Because of the unfair laws in the Kingdom of Naples, the Barnabites had been compelled to combine both Novices and Scholastics within the same dwelling.
On the evening of September 18, 1771, St. Francis was in his cell with Domenico Ceraso, one of two novices. Together, they were very devoutly alternating the recitation of the Psalms. The other novice, Francis M. Castelli, was in agony at his father’s house in St. Anastasia, where the Superiors had sent him in the hope he might regain his health. Unexpectedly, God had manifested to St. Francis what was happening at St. Anastasia. In spirit he saw the suffering Castelli giving his last breath. Interrupting the recitation of the Psalms, he said to Domenico, “Let us kneel and recite a De Profundis. At this very moment Francis has passed away.” The news which arrived the following day confirmed the truthfulness of the Saint’s vision.
V. THE SUPERIOR
God was already beginning to manifest His marvels in the newly-ordained priest who with youthful dedication had committed himself to his two-fold ministry in the Church and in the school.
In April 1773, Fr. Bianchi was elected Superior of St. Mary in Cosmedin at Portanova. He got there at a critical moment: the civil authorities were arbitrarily interfering in the election of his predecessor. He had much to suffer and was compelled to face great difficulties. With kindness and gentleness, however, he was able to win the people to himself.
There were abuses which had to be removed. With prudence and long-suffering patience, he was successful in eradicating them, making some concessions in form so as to obtain results in substance. There were times when the work was oppressing. In his correspondence dating from this period, frequent reference to this fact can be found. “I must get out of the maze of business…I am extremely busy”, “I am filled to the brim with bothersome matters…,” “It is very hot, and there is always something to be done…” At all times, however, one could see how practical this man (who had always lived among books) was given the assurance with which he handled the thorniest matters.
VI. JOURNEYING THROUGHOUT ITALY
The General Chapter of the Order assembled in Milan in April 1779. St. Francis, together with the Superior of St. Charles alle Mortelle was appointed to represent the Neapolitan Province. Before starting off, he visited Sister Mary Frances of the Five Wounds, the Neapolitan saintly mystic. His spiritual daughter gave him words of wisdom and suggested that he record daily in detail what happened during the trip. This would keep him from the dangers of dissipation.
He left Naples on March 25 and reached Milan on April 23. The fame of his doctrine and sanctity had preceded him, and the aristocratic intelligentsia gathered around this religious man who was barely thirty-five years of age at that time. He was elected secretary of the Chapter. The new Superior General, Fr. Scipione Peruzzini, wanted him as companion during his visits to the communities in Lombardy, Piedmont, Liguria, and Romagna. He thus traveled from Turin to Genoa, from Pavia to Mantua, proceeding as far as Venice. From there he arrived in Bologna where the Barnabites had four houses. Finally, after a seven-month absence, he returned to Naples to take up once more the administration of the Portanova community.
Thoughts of Sister Mary Frances of the Five Wounds had accompanied him throughout his itinerary, and the protection of this saintly woman had been a great help to him in some moments of danger. There was, for instance, the time when he was traveling in a public carriage with Father General and others. Twilight had vanished. The coachman, who was tired and sleepy, did not realize he was dangerously close to the edge of a precipice. Suddenly the earth which had become soft owing to recent rains, gave way. The carriage overturned and the occupants fell headlong into the deep hollow. While cries of fear rose from the travelers, the Saint invoked Sister Mary Frances. Truly it was an act of Providence that all were unhurt. Yet how could they find their way to the road again in that darkness? And above all, how could they ever recover the carriage and horses? Francis invoked once more Sister Mary Frances’ help, and suddenly a young man on a horse appeared. Himself descending into the hole, he guided their way with a beaming torch, thus making their climbing out easier. With his strong arms he helped the horses out too, and recovered the carriage. He then guided the travelers to a nearby lodging-house. It just so happened, at that moment young missionaries were departing, thus leaving the rooms free for the newly-arrived. Francis was to learn later from Sister Mary Frances that the Archangel Raphael had once again visibly exerted his mission as Patron of Travelers.
VII. SAINT MARY FRANCES OF THE FIVE WOUNDS
It is time to say a few words about Sister Mary Frances of the Five Wounds and her relationship with St. Francis. Francis used to say that God had bestowed three graces upon him: baptism, religious vocation, and his acquaintance with Sister Mary Frances.
This saintly woman exerted a tremendous and decisive influence in Francis’ life. The friendship between these two great souls dates from 1777: Francis was 34 years of age then, and Sister Mary Frances was already 62 years of age. Their spiritual relationship which was to last uninterrupted for 14 years, soon became a true exercise of perfection. In this kind of friendship often the function and roles of teacher and disciple blend together.
From Francis Xavier’s very first visit, God spoke to Sister Mary Frances’ heart and revealed to her what was Francis’ way toward holiness. Fr. Bianchi never was her confessor, yet he was always told of all the gifts with which God had enriched her soul.
On Fridays she would relive the pains of Christ’s Passion, and often Francis was allowed to witness the wondrous repetition of the pains of the suffering Christ. He experienced then a saintly jealousy of that soul that was allowed to suffer because she was united with Christ in a most perfect love. At times, the saintly Sister who had a prophetic gift predicted things that were to happen. She laid her hand on his knee once and said, “Oh, how these legs will suffer!” Another time she foretold him the unjust Napoleonic suppression of Religious Orders.
While celebrating Mass, St. Francis noticed more than once that the wine he had poured in the chalice had visibly diminished and that the small particle of the Sacred Host which he had allowed to rest in the chalice according to rite had disappeared. At first he ascribed these facts to distraction or even to imagination. But he had to convince himself that the fact was true, having a mysterious explanation: Sister Mary Frances, who was ill, was nevertheless present in spirit when he celebrated the Divine Sacrifice and received Holy Communion from angelic hands. From that time on, Francis often placed besides the large host a small particle which would disappear wondrously after Consecration to satisfy the Saint’s hunger for Jesus.
It often happened that while the two were engaged in a sacred conversation, Sister Mary Frances would suddenly fall in ecstasy. The Archangel Raphael appeared visibly to her and invisibly to St. Francis who could perceive a heavenly fragrance. It also happened that while Francis was speaking of the miseries he was hoping to alleviate and of the little money he had to do this, rolls of golden coins wondrously appeared at the foot of the Crucifix. One day the Saint dared ask his privileged friend to obtain permission from God to contemplate the temporary sufferings of Purgatory. Sister Mary Frances started praying and shortly afterwards Francis could see the purging souls. While he was still alive, God revealed to Francis the future glory of his faithful servant, and allowed him to see her soul ascending to heaven in a radiant beauty beyond human imagining.
Such friendship between two great souls is not unusual. We just need remember St. Jerome and St. Paul; St. Francis of Assisi and St. Claire; St. Teresa of Avila and St. John of the Cross; St. Frances de Chantal and St. Francis de Sales. St. Francis Xavier M. Bianchi owes his ascent to the summit of perfection to his encounter with St. Frances of the Five Wounds.
VIII. "MY DEARLY BELOVED SOLITUDE"
It was St. Mary Frances' example that had St. Francis turn back to contemplation to which he had been irresistibly attracted prior to giving himself to study and ministry. Even in 1766, when he was barely 23 years of age, he wrote from Naples: "My present stay at St. Charles alle Mortelle College is very much to my liking. I feel like in a hermitage, which is exactly what I desire; that is to say, the dearly beloved solitude."
Thus, little by little the Saint began to live a new experience. Avoiding a sudden break with the past, he started retiring from all that he considered imperfect and distractive in order to form a perfect union with God. He gave up all his books and no longer had conversations with the intellectuals whom he had befriended: he just wanted to know all about sanctity. He chose for himself the smallest and most solitary cell.
This change in him could not pass unobserved by the others, nor could it escape criticism and comments. Seeing him so eagerly united and absorbed in God, his spiritual children were edified, and they lessened their visits to his cell until they stopped at all. Some envied him, calling him blessed and regretting that he deprived them of his presence. Yet there were people who called him strange, scrupulous and monomaniacal, who played him bad tricks, such as making loud noises in front of his door as if they wanted to tear it down, to distract or try him; and this they repeated for several days. As was God's will, his patience and kindness won over the thoughtlessness of his confreres; and there was peace again.
Yet there was no peace in his soul. He too experienced the situation described by St. John of the Cross as "when God plummets intellect into dark night, desire into barrenness, memory into void, and heart into bitterness." Besides, he was not free from demonic persecutions. Satan persisted in his repeated attacks upon him, but he had found an expert antagonist in Francis. The Saint knew this kind of battle from the time when, as a young confessor and in preference to many others, he had been chosen by his Archbishop as an exorcist of evil spirits. It seemed as if the enemy wanted to vindicate himself for this very reason. One day, while he was leaving the house to visit St. Mary Frances, the Saint felt that a bottle was hurled against him, although he saw no one nearby. Another time, while he was going out of his room, the Saint felt himself being raised into the air and then furiously thrust into the ground.
Another story is told of a possessed person who, whenever he felt the Saint was near, would start to shout, "Here he is; here he is!" even though he had not seen him yet. The poor wretched man one day seemed not inclined to heed the command made by the Saint in the name of God. Finally, though, he obeyed, and fell at the Saint's feet, struggling.
The persecutions of Satan also took on this particular form they called infestation. During the night, as if Satan wanted to vindicate for that man mentioned above, the Saint was tormented with illusions. The Saint tried to resist them all. This continued for a long time, until it was necessary for the Saint to sprinkle his room with holy water and even to resort to exorcism.
God was testing his servant through human and diabolic trials and found him strong and faithful as he was getting ready for his great mission as a true guide of souls.
IX. THE APOSTLE OF NAPLES
In his silence, in his solitude, in his prayers and penances, Francis had become deeply imbued with God; prayer had taken precedence over his work. From then on, prayer became his ministry. He spoke of souls to God. And from then on, he would speak of God to souls. For fifteen years the Apostle dwelt in the desert of mysticism. From then on, the contemplator would start his battle.
He did not need to go too far for his proper apostolic field. His mission was to be in Naples. The long extenuating hours in the confessional, the correspondence, his hours with the penitents who would knock at the door of his cell, the mysterious and piercing pains in his legs which would be his secret martyrdom were to be the backbone of his wondrous life. He was to be a confessor above all.
From the very beginning all kinds of individuals would gather outside his confessional: courtesans, merchants, hawkers, and people who abounded in the less affluent quarters of the city. The first penitents urged others to do the same, and so their number even more increased. He must have realized very early that it was just as much a martyrdom to confess God before men than to confess men before God. After the humble and poor, there came the great and the learned who got attracted by his doctrine: bishops, prelates, professors, doctors, lawyers, and knights were among the penitents. Each time he listened to his penitents, it was as though he was dwelling in God, and he replied in God. The penitents would leave his cell edified, and would murmur to themselves, "He is a saint. Certainly, he is a saint."
The testimony of Francesco Ferrini is sufficient to speak for all the others. When he was still a young man, he was attracted to Francis' fame. One day Ferrini decided to visit the Saint at Portanova. The Saint was not at home when he got there, so he had to wait for him by his cell. Finally, the Saint arrived. Ferrini saw him at the far end of the corridor. A light radiated about the Saint in the semi-darkness. "He is a new John the Baptist!" the young man thought, and kept looking at him in amazement and reverential fear. At first he thought it was only an illusion or just a light reflecting upon the Saint. However, watching him more closely, he realized the splendor really came from him, and the closer Francis approached him, the more the light radiated. Ferrini stood there as if in ecstasy, and the Saint invited him with an enchanting smile to enter his cell. Once inside, the Saint placed his hand upon the visitor's head and bade him to kneel. Ferrini’s heart throbbed so violently that all he could say were the words prescribed for benediction. Ferrini felt that something extraordinary was taking place within him. He was overwhelmed with a celestial sweetness, his mind was enlightened, and he experienced a fervor such as he had never felt before. When his confession ended, Francis began to speak: they were simple, ordinary words, yet they had great inward eloquence. His face shone with an ever brighter light, a mysterious light that hit the penitent's eyes, yet did not bother him. On the contrary, he felt his heart soothed.
Ferrini experienced this more than once, and so did many others who met the saint: they could notice the tremor of his entire person, the abundant tears, and the difficulty in speech caused by the mysterious emotion that pervaded him. His heartiness had the better over the most hardened and coldest hearts. What a joy it was for his spiritual children to be dismissed always by these words: "You will be with me in Paradise," or "Be happy, for Paradise is ours!"
X. HIS SPIRITUAL FAMILY
Little by little Francis' cell became a true school of perfection. The spiritual family that had originated before he retired to silence and solitude was flourishing, being attracted to him as if to a brilliant star; his disciples longed for sanctity, and in mutual attraction they all approached God as in a bright constellation.
On July 25, 1801 Francis' disciple, Fr. Tommaso Fiore, died. Fr. Fiore had been one of the most esteemed spiritual guides in Naples. All his penitents turned to St. Francis. Among them was the Venerable Battista Lossa, who left his office in the tribunal after thirty years of faithful and honorable service to become a beggar for the orphans, an almsgiver to the poor, and a comforter to the sick. St. Francis used to say of him: "He is a saint who ought to be venerated on the altars. He is another St. John of God." Venerable Lossa was also the first one to know of Francis' long-standing pains in his legs.
Other good lay people who ought to be remembered and who were very close to the Saint were: Lelio Rivera, who was Francis' companion in his visits to Christ in the most neglected and abandoned churches; Joseph Bonocore, who several times had his spiritual father as a guest in his villa; the goldsmith Francis La Ragione, a simple soul who was to learn from God what were the peculiar merits of his servant; and the painter Paul Di Maio, whose death Francis mourned in tearful verses and whose picture he kept and venerated in his cell. Yet it was among the priests that Francis had his greatest friends. One Fr. Giuseppe Romano modeled himself on the master, imitating the candor of his habits, his charity, and the spirit of penance which he disguised under his kindness; and another, the Venerable Vincent Morelli, a Theatine and Bishop of Otranto, who, during his trips to Naples, went to him with the simplicity of a child, sharing with him his doubts and the problems of his delicate conscience. One of his favorites, Fr. Agnello Coppola, obtained the gift of ecstasy and contemplation. Fr. Placido Baccher, a victim of the 1799 revolution, had been condemned to death and was miraculously set free by the Blessed Virgin. He had known the Saint in 1808. He was the radiant sunrise while Francis was the flaming sunset: and the twilight loved them. It was to him that Francis left as inheritance all the souls that were to be guided to God. To Bartholomew Corvo, his latest disciple, the Saint left his wounds, which appeared in his legs soon after Francis' death.
In the year 1801 King Charles Emmanuel IV of Sardinia and his wife Mary Clotilde entered the Saint's spiritual family. The revolution had caused them to go into exile, however, and their sorrow was soothed by their friendship with the Saint. In Naples, the traditional friendship that bound the Order of the Barnabites to the House of Savoy brought them to Francis. The Saint continued the spiritual assistance started in Turin by Fr. Felix De Vecchi, with whom the Queen had been corresponding for quite some time. The couple immediately felt they were before a man of God and allowed him to guide them by his enlightening wisdom. Above all was Mary Clotilde who had a particular intuition for spiritual things. She understood that Francis was endowed with supernatural gifts and spoke of him as a saint speaks of another saint. The King and his wife were often seen attending Holy Mass celebrated by the Saint and stopped to speak with him after the service; this gave them peace and hope. The Saint, however, made no exceptions and never stopped with them long enough to test the patience of other penitents among whom were businessmen and intellectuals who had little time. He mostly gave the princes brief advice and traced for them the way to follow, and he integrated his teaching with letters which, though very concise, were true beams of light to the heart and mind.
XI. THORNS AND FIRE
Like all great saints, even Francis bent under the weight of the cross. He embraced sorrow and nurtured his body with it as if it was a strengthening food for the soul.
After his soul, even his body had started suffering pains. The illness which so far had struck in a bearable way one leg had attacked the other too: both had become swollen, heavy as lead. Yet he continued with heroic good will to assist others. Now and then he felt pain like stabs which caused him to sigh and frown, and again he looked serene. Saint Francis realized that the prophecy of Sr. Mary Frances was becoming true: "Oh, how will these legs suffer!" she had said. He underwent obediently a great number of painful cures, yet kept repeating, "There is no human cure for a non-human illness. There is nothing you can do to these wounds as they are God's will."
The priest Agnello Coppola wrote: "Even though pain was violently tormenting him, he insisted that I should sing some song by St. Alphonsus de Liguori, and one could not tell if his tears were caused by his suffering or by the emotions roused by the song." To the doctors visiting him he used to say that he felt "thorns and fire" in his legs.
After a long stay in Portici, at the end of 1807 he returned to his cell in Portanova, where he continued his slow martyrdom for another seven years.
The French authorities which one time kept a worried eye on the spot where people were gathering to meet the Saint, perhaps fearing a plot or a conspiracy, were relieved because now he was but a weak and suffering old man.
The siege by the people started anew: the Father was back. He looked older from his suffering, yet his features suggested spiritual beauty and ideals. The man with a sick body was helping again those who had a sick soul. They used to say that meeting him was like experiencing Easter.
His poor legs moved people to pity; one was swollen to the utmost with a deep wound in the center and minor ones on the sides. The other was somewhat thinner but inflamed as well with black spots discharging purulent matter. He truly deserved to sign his scripts "Francis Xavier of the Cross of Jesus." The pillar of his strength was the meditation on the suffering of the Crucified Lord, and his communion with the Living Christ.
XII. THE WOUND IN HIS HEART
St. Francis offered his whole self to God as a victim in sacrifice for the expiation of sins, and God repaid him. He was to have his Pentecost in 1800. On January 7 of that year he wrote that both the Blessed Virgin Mary and Jesus had spoken of him to a blessed soul: "He will be filled with grace, virtue, fortitude of heart and spirit," said the Blessed Mother, and the Lord, "I will bestow upon him abundant graces."
On the eve of Pentecost, May 31, 1800 Francis was praying in the Dominican church of "The Divine Love." The Blessed Sacrament was solemnly exposed in the midst of flowers and countless candles. Francis' eyes fixed on the Sacred Host beamed with an unnatural light. All of a sudden a beam departed from the Host and hit him like an arrow. With an inexpressible joy Francis pressed his hand on his throbbing heart and fainted, giving a loud cry. He seemed a victim of pain; on the contrary, he was but a victim of love. His wounded heart was to contain all the charity, goodness, and joy that he would later share with other souls.
When the ecstasy was over he rose, resumed his composure, and smiled to those who had come to his aid; then he immersed himself deep in prayer once more.
From that day onward every time he administered the Sacraments or even spoke of sacred things, his heart trembled as well as his whole body, and his face shined.
XIII. THE PROPHET IN THE MIDST OF THE TEMPEST
The gift of prophecy and visions had such a great impact on the Saint's life that we cannot help speaking about it if we really want to understand his true character.
It was the year 1798. Francis was horrified to hear of the invasion of Rome by the French army and the seizure and exile of Pius VII. His spirit could see the elderly Pope travelling through Siena, Florence, Parma, Tortona, Turin, and Briançon, as if the events were happening before his eyes. God allowed him to see all this, and Francis suffered greatly when he recounted the facts to his disciples.
Toward the middle of July 1805 he looked particularly afflicted, and his disciples often heard him repeat, "Many are the sins, and the punishment is near." An earthquake hit the Molisan region, causing destruction in Aquila, Capua, and Avellino. Even Naples was hit and many buildings crumbled. The victims were only three, which truly seemed a miracle: there was a Saint praying in Portanova. The next day he told the crowd gathered around him of the devastation that had taken place in the other cities struck by the earthquake.
Meanwhile the political storm was breaking out between the Church and the secular world. The empire which succeeded the Jacobin anarchy in France was even more violent than the latter. Napoleon wanted to fight the Church even to very extreme consequences. Pius VII, however, replied with meekness, patience, and tolerance. Francis' spirit followed with distress the duel between the mild Pontiff and the overbearing Emperor.
On July 6, 1809 Pius VII was forced to leave Rome. Francis said then to his dismayed friends: "We are to consider all that is happening as a scroll in which the great plans of God are both written and hidden. Let us obediently accept God's will, in the expectancy of better times to come." But Napoleon's lucky star was to fade away, and God allowed the Saint to foresee the Emperor's ruin. On September 14, 1812 Napoleon entered burning Moscow: he had fallen into a trap. Yet from Paris came the order to all European capitals to sing a Te Deum. When the Saint heard of it, he commented bitterly: "They would have done much better had they sung a Miserere!" The next days, while entertaining himself with Agnello Coppola, he often exclaimed: "How awful, how awful! Poor young men!" On November 23 he assured his friends that the French army had been defeated and prayed even for the tyrant. To Domenic Valletta, who sarcastically was saying he would gladly poison Napoleon, Francis, horrified, replied: "You should not hate your enemy but, rather, pray for his repentance."
XIV. THE SAINT AND THE VESUVIUS
Armed with God-given strength, the Saint's wonder-working hand triumphed over destructive Vesuvius. After the devastating eruption of 1794 which had been predicted by St. Mary Frances, the volcano had become drowsy. In 1804 the volcano woke up with the rage of a hungry beast. From May until August it erupted huge clouds of smoke, and at sunset of November 22 a quake shook the earth with long, dark rumblings. Torrents of lava covered the hills all around Torre del Greco.
Fr. Francis was in Torre del Greco, guest of the Visitation retreat house which was directed by Fr. Pasquale Lombardo, one of his disciples. When danger was at its utmost, the Saint was praying and was shaken by the dwellers running around in the attempt to save what they could. He came out of his room, serenely asked everyone to keep calm, and ordered a picture of Sr. Mary Frances be placed on the roof. He himself climbed onto a terrace on top of the house together with all the other people and joined his hands in prayer. Then he raised his right hand and in the name of God he ordered the lava to stop flowing. Everyone was amazed to see the lava stop at once: Torre del Greco was safe!
The identical miracle was repeated in two other instances. Again at Torre del Greco, the Saint bade he be taken to the place where the lava was flowing, prayed with all the people, raised his blessing hand and the flow stopped as the lava turned into hard stone. There was another eruption, and people came to Portici to beg the Saint for help. Francis didn't budge: he took an image of Sr. Mary Frances and ordered the people to put it before the advancing fire. They did so and the lava that had already reached a villa stopped before the image which was hanging on a tree.
In remembrance of the miracle, Cardinal William Sanfelice had a chapel built on the spot and dedicated it to the Saint.
XV. THE DEVOTIONS OF A SAINT
"Grace attacks your heart by a threefold fire: the love for the Holy Sacrament of the Eucharist, the love for the Most Blessed Virgin free from all stains of sin, and the love for God's servant Mary Frances. Deny it if you can!" so said St. Francis, who loved God with an ardor which can be compared to the one of a St. Philip Neri or St. Therese of Jesus. He used to say: "He who really loves would sing, rave, sigh, lament, suffer, and languish. Oh, what a sweet occupation this is! May Jesus grant it all to me. Amen."
His disciples could often hear him repeat in a murmur the gentle dialogue by the Franciscan mystic Raymond Lullo: "Where are you? In love. Whence did you come? From love. Who has led you here? Love. What do you live in? In love. Where do you dwell? In love. Let love and speaking of love be your only concern."
St. Alphonsus' chants on God's love truly enraptured him. Fr. Nicholas Ruggero testifies in great simplicity: "One morning, having gone to visit the Venerable, I found him particularly cheerful; he even asked me to sing some devout prayers. I intoned, 'He who lives in God is always happy,' but I had barely completed the first stanza when I saw the Venerable completely transformed. His face was extraordinarily bright, his entire person was agitated and even seemed to have grown larger; he hardly seemed the same person. I realized he could hardly withstand such tremendous thrust of love. I should have stopped singing, yet I went on to enjoy such sweet miracle. Finally, when I saw the last of the marvel, I stopped and fled from his presence. I believed the Venerable, who was always careful in hiding himself and his gifts, would have reproached me. Someone who witnessed the fact told me that when the Venerable regained his senses he repeatedly asked, 'Where am I?' and jokingly pretending to search for a stick added, 'Where is Nicholas? He almost killed me!'" A few days later, Nicholas returned to the Saint and was gently reproached: "My dear friend, you ruined me!"
The Saint's devotion was most evident when he celebrated Mass. On July 3, 1811 he received from Rome the permission to celebrate Mass in his room, and Cardinal Caracciolo provided him at once with a wooden altar. By now, due to the pains in his legs, he was unable to rise, to move or even stand. Attempts were made to convince him to give up celebrating Mass, but he was irremovable: "When I will give up celebrating Mass, you may as well say I am dead." The celebration became a miracle renewed every morning, as he once wrote to a priest, "I am writing you amid spasms of pain. I can do nothing other than celebrate the Holy Mass, which I do every day by Divine Mercy! Ask your penitents to thank God for me, for he allows me to see each day the wonders of His omnipotence." At dawn, his companions roused him from the bed where he had spent an almost sleepless night. He then prepared for Mass. Those who came into his room saw him like a bundle of pain, his limbs stiff and racked in tremendous pain. Even putting on the vestments had become a daily agony. Once ready, two companions had to carry him to the altar gasping for breath. But once he reached the altar he could wondrously cross himself and stand up as a perfectly healthy man would do: "To the God who gives joy to my youth," the servant would reply to the first verse of the Psalm, and thus the prophecy was fulfilled in Francis. With a faint smile on his lips, he would then proceed with the rite, languishing with love, falling into ecstasy during consecration and at communion. He could, however, barely read the St. John Prologue at the conclusion of Mass and had to be carried from the altar completely exhausted. He could very well say with Paul the Apostle, "The life I live is not my own; Christ is living in me."
His devotion to the Blessed Mother had a great influence on his virtues. He called the principal Marian solemnities "the great days of Grace." As a young man we heard him sing the praises of Mary's patronage in public. The impression of an impeccable adolescence is not easily forgotten. So, here he is now a priest, inculcating the same sentiments into his spiritual children. "Let not one of you neglect to pray continually to Our Lady, especially to obtain from God the grace of always praying to her, to call upon her for help, saying: ‘Help me. Mother of mine, do help me.’ Woe to him who neglects to place himself in Mary's trust even one day!" Having heard that Fr. Placido Baccher had a statue of Mary as a child, he wanted to see it. When he had it in his hands, he pressed it to his heart weeping tenderly; but then he trembled so violently that those present had to take it away from him and asked him to look elsewhere.
One day, when he was in his cell, he suddenly uncovered his head and walked toward the stairway, crying with joy: "Our Lady is coming! God's Mother is coming!" As a matter of fact, a friend of his, who was a painter, was coming up to present him with a very beautiful painting of Our Lady Queen of Heaven. To those who asked him how he knew the painter was carrying the picture, he replied, "The Venerable Mary Frances let me know." Later he gave up the beautiful painting as an act of poverty.
The more God visited him in suffering, the greater his devotion grew, and Mary's pains became the focal point of his meditation. It was through the intercession of Our Lady of Sorrow that he obtained the grace of being able to celebrate the Sacrifice of the Mass in spite of his pains.
He miraculously restored health to his disciple Louis Voipe, after reciting together the Litanies of the Blessed Mother. When the health of Blaise Brasca, a priest, had failed completely, the Saint restored it again by reciting the Litanies. Five years later Blaise fell ill once more, and his family turned again to the Saint for help, but his reply was: "The years were added to King Hezekiah only once."
He never dismissed anyone before he found a way to introduce Mary into the conversation, suggesting filial confidence by calling her Our Dear Mother. Bonocore relates: "One day I was with the Saint speaking about spiritual matters. I revealed to him my desire to increase my love for God. The Venerable suggested to me various means to attain this, particularly to visit more often the Blessed Sacrament during the Forty Hours Devotion. In this regard he told of someone (Bonocore himself) who in making the visits had the unique fortune to see the Blessed Mother coming to her Son in the Blessed Sacrament to entreat for gifts and graces for those who were present adoring Him. That was the very time when that person profited greatly by these gifts! Then the Venerable added: 'Pray to the Divine Mother for you to be allowed to stay at the feet of the Blessed Sacrament and so find yourself in similar circumstances.’”
During his last years, the Rosary became his constant companion. At sunset on January 30, the day before his death, someone suggested to recite the Rosary. Francis agreed with joy and joined the others who, perhaps, never said it with greater devotion. At the end of the Rosary he asked for the picture of Our Lady, called the Divine Shepherdess. He looked at it with great affection, kissed it repeatedly, and then returned it. A short while later he asked for the picture again and looked as if he were languishing with filial love for his dear Mother who was about to come for him.
He had well realized and preached that the shortest, surest, and most beautiful way to Jesus was, no doubt, through Mary.
XVI. THE MARTYRDOM OF CHARITY
The unending charity of Fr. Francis Xavier M. Bianchi deserved him the title of Apostle of Naples.
Stricken in 1800 by a strange illness, he believed he had come to the end of his life, but Sr. Mary Frances assured him, however, that he was still to live long, so as to do much more good to humanity. Not one of his sick penitents was ever deprived of his full, loving, and sometimes even miraculous assistance. In the hospitals, he went from bed to bed, saying a comforting word to each and every person who was sick. Then, he would address them all together, encouraging them to sanctify their sufferings. Sometimes his humility would cause him to flee from the hospitals when the sick would cry out: "The saint has performed a miracle!"
His special concern, however, was for vagrant or corrupt young women. He would gladly give his life to save those unwary young people and their dreams and hopes from corruption.
He gave his constant advice and help to the people of the convents of St. Raphael, of Providence, of Holy Cross, of St. Mary Magdalene dei Pazzi, and of the Visitation. He was not even embarrassed to beg for them, and he did it with great eloquence, especially when there were urgent cases to solve.
Baccher attests to the fact that "he took every care not only for their spiritual guidance, but also for their temporal needs." He found very valuable collaborators for his work among the wealthy and powerful penitents who gave their assistance voluntarily. For some he had even stipulated a monthly sum to be offered and was punctual in collecting in person or through a messenger. He was doing this for God's poor, and nothing else mattered.
His confessor, Fr. Ceraso, affirmed: "I never heard that anyone who went to him for help was left without receiving it. People came to him in a continual stream."
In 1808, when it became difficult for him to get around because of his legs, his worst torment was not the "thorns and fire" in his legs, but the fact that he was no longer able to help his convents as he wished. He then resorted to beg by correspondence with letters filled with faith and encouragement. That year a very interesting incident happened. One night he urged Vincent Parlati to come with him in his carriage on the following day to go to the convent of St. Raphael. The following evening they presented themselves at the convent unexpected. Fr. Francis first went to pray in the chapel and then stopped to talk with the Superior. They had just started conversing when they heard a great confusion: the inmates of the house were asking for more food. Francis let them come to him to express their grievance. When he finally managed to quiet them down, he spoke to them about God and of His paternal and divine goodness and providence. "Have no doubt," he said, "you will have everything you need. Starting tomorrow, you will have as usual and even more." He then left the convent, but he did not want to return to the carriage. Leaning on Parlati, they walked up the road in spite of the pain in his legs. They had barely gone a few steps when they met Dr. Amantea, who was greatly surprised to see the Saint on the road and at that hour. Francis brushed aside the small talk and without any further ado he acquainted him with the situation at the convent of St. Raphael. The Doctor took 200 Ducats from his purse and placed them in his hands. Later, when Parlati asked him what had prompted him to take that particular road, Francis replied: "I just thought it was a good road, and indeed it was!"
The following year Parlati found himself 740 Ducats short to pay a debt. There was despair in his heart for not being able to keep his promise and because of the shame upon his honor. He had already mentioned this predicament to the Saint three times. He had entreated him to make an exception for this time and to lend him the money from his special fund. The Saint pretended to listen to him and then kept repeating, "Have faith, have faith!" Finally he spoke more explicitly, telling Parlati to get all the money he had without counting it and to have faith in God. As the payday came, the poor man could not sleep, yet hoped for a miracle. He went to pay his debt. He counted the money, and the full amount was there, plus 150 Ducats to spare. Francis had assured him: "Tomorrow you will pay your debt and you will have more money than you need."
When the Saint's sufferings became unbearable, some of his friends decided to close the doors at twelve in order to allow him some time to rest. But either because of indiscretion, or faith, or necessity, some managed to get the key and, through a private entrance, they managed to reach the Saint at all hours just as before. He himself never showed any impatience; instead, he was always gay, serene, and calm. He listened to them for long hours; he absolved them and blessed them. He was a man for all, forgetting his pains, and ignoring completely the needs of his weak body. Sometimes, though, this weakness had the upper hand: he could not keep his head up while speaking to somebody. Sometimes he fainted in the arms of whoever was sitting at his side, confessing to him or listening to him speak of God. There is martyrdom where one gives his blood for the faith, but there is also another martyrdom where one gives his whole life for love.
Toward the beginning of 1808 the Barnabite, Fr. Vincent Sangermano, returned after 27 years as a missionary in Burma. He told Fr. Francis of the wonders he had experienced in the midst of God’s people in Burma and also of the horrible battles he had to wage against the devil. Hearing these inspiring stories, the Saint's face became radiant with joy and ardent desire. One day, he exclaimed: "Oh, how many times I have yearned to wear the purple!" which greatly surprised those who heard him. They did not know however, that Fr. Francis had refused the episcopate not once but several times. The good old man brought his hands crosswise to his neck and, pretending to cut it, added: "Quite another purple, my dear, quite another purple!" referring to martyrdom.
XVII. THE RADIANT SUNSET
The victim was ready for the final immolation. Purified by pain and exalted by love, Francis was advancing toward his goal with his body completely decayed but his soul pure and glowing. The end being near, his eyes and voice had a transparency reminiscent of heaven. His pupils were fixed on the highest ideals while his lips murmured the apostle's passionate sign: "I long to die so I can be with Christ!" Yet, he had to undergo the supreme test of abandonment. He was to remain alone. He had been like Christ in life, and would be like Him in death. It was June 1814 and the visitors to Portanova were decreasing in number. Fr. Bianchi's health was declining: he no longer had the strength to hear confessions or to speak at any great length. He spent many long hours alone. Lossa and Capolla alternated in taking care of his sores. When they left, he turned to the pictures covering the walls of his cell to converse with each one of them: the Savior, Mary Queen of Paradise, St. Francis of Assisi, and Sister Mary Frances.
On June 9 he sent Lossa to the tomb of Sister Mary Frances, hoping he would return with a message of comfort. His friend returned with this message: Francis was to suffer happily for a crown of glory like hers was awaiting him in Paradise.
As the summer advanced the heat increased, and so did his pains. God allowed the assistance of friends to be reduced, so that often he was left to the mistreatments of hired servants. He even lacked the usual morning wonderful experience of the Eucharist. This was truly his supreme holocaust, the supreme immolation. It seemed a miracle that in the midst of so much pain he lived to see the beginning of 1815. By now he was motionless, as if he were nailed to a cross. He breathed with difficulty, his vision had dimmed, gangrene in his legs spread, and a twisted hernia tortured his side.
On January 27, 1815 because of a fall he had incurred in an attempt to safeguard his modesty, it seemed as though the end had come. The Viaticum was taken to him. The victim of love was lying on the cross of suffering, experiencing a dark spiritual desolation which made him cry: "Father! Father, why have you abandoned me?" just as he had predicted many years before, saying: "God has granted me the grace of serving Him and of loving Him in cheerfulness of spirit. At the end of my life, however, I too must feel the tribulations, the anguish of the soul, and the violence of temptation."
But then there was calm. Francis was waiting for a promised visit from heaven. On January 29 he said to his confessor, Fr. Cesaro: "The Servant of God has kept her word; she has faithfully fulfilled her promise." He related that Sister Mary Frances had come to him, had seated herself at the side of his bed and had given him a foretaste of the joys of heaven.
The news spread quickly; his spiritual children returned to see their Father for the last time. They heard him repeat again and again: "My God! Blessed be God! I praise you! I thank you! Lord, I want to suffer for you!" At sunset of January 29 he received the Sacrament of the sick. Forty eight years previously, on that very day, he had offered his First Mass.
He smiled at his friends Ferrigni and Agnello Coppola, who had returned after a brief period of separation. During the night of January 30, six of his friends kept watch. At about five in the morning, Francis asked again for the Viaticum. The priest, fifteen minutes after giving him Communion, bent to listen to his breathing. He then realized that the blessed soul had peacefully returned to heaven. It was Tuesday, January 31, 1815.
XVIII. IN THE GLORY OF THE SAINTS
"The Saint of Portanova is dead!" was the cry that quickly spread all through Naples. "Let's go and see the Saint!" The crowd was so numerous it became necessary to block off the roads and put up barricades. When the Saint, dressed in his habit, was taken from the small cell to the church, the barricades could not hold the dense crowd. People were impatient to take a piece of cloth from his tunic or bits of hair as living relics. On the following morning, February 1, his funeral Mass was held with great solemnity. All the seminarians from the diocesan seminary were present, showing such a spontaneous and fitting homage for one who had greatly loved priests and had been their saintly leader and father in Naples.
Guards and soldiers on horseback were employed to control the crowd. When the evening came, it was necessary to revert to trickery to disperse the people: they were told that the body would be exposed again the following day. It was only then that the church gradually became empty. The simple wooden coffin was then closed and placed in the tomb beside the altar, nearest to the sanctuary, in the church of St. Mary in Portanova. But this was only for a short while.
Twenty years before, Francis, arriving at the church of St. Joseph and St. Theresa of the Carmelites in Pontecorvo, had said: "There will come a time when I will sleep in this church next to the small window where the nuns receive Holy Communion." Another time he said: "Pay attention! You will see one day what will happen in this church." Another time he said to a confrere, referring to the church: "You will see what a Paradise it will be."
Scarcely five years after his death, when the Napoleonic onslaught ended and the religious Congregations were re-established, the Barnabites took possession of the convent and church of St. Joseph at Pontecorvo. During the night of July 14, 1820 in the midst of the protest and tears of the people in Portanova, the body of the Saint was transported and placed in one of the niches behind the sanctuary exactly near the window where the Carmelite nuns used to receive Holy Communion.
Meanwhile, many miracles and graces were attributed to his intercession. In 1816, scarcely a year and a half after his death, a young 13 year-old hemiplegic Neapolitan girl, tormented with spasms, one day had a vision of St. Francis. He told her: "Get up, for you are well." She did as she was bade and, truly, she was healed. This was the first of the miracles proposed and approved for the Beatification process. The second miracle was with a 32 year-old lady whose body had been reduced to a most painful and horrible sore. In this condition, the lady only wished to die. But one day, moved by deep faith, she put an image of the Blessed on her wounds and prayed to him. Suddenly, all the sores disappeared! The lady was restored to full health and serenity.
The Apostolic Process took its time through the Popes Pius VII, Gregory XVI, and Pius IX. On February 23, 1857 Pius IX declared his virtues heroic. On February 22, 1893 Leo XIII declared him Blessed.
The two miracles needed for the canonization took place, one in 1933 in Perugia, and the other in 1937 in Naples. These two miracles were finally approved by Pius XII on May 1, 1951.
In 1933 the Barnabites were celebrating the 400th anniversary of the approval of their Congregation, when Judith Lacarella received the miracle. She suffered from cancer in her stomach and intestine. Being at the point of death, she turned for help to the Blessed Francis Xavier Bianchi. Judith started to say the novena to the Saint. On the second day, Judith found herself totally healed. She continued to say the novena in thanksgiving for the miracle received.
The second miracle happened to a worker in Naples who also got sick with cancer, with no hope of recovery. His mother and sisters kept going to Pontecorvo to beg the intercession of Blessed Francis. Their faith and persistence were rewarded on November 3, 1937 when De Rosa found himself totally healed and able to go back to work.
The solemn canonization ceremony was set by Pius XII for October 21, 1951. With his beautiful and characteristic prayer, he is now blessing us:
"May the Lord God, guard and bless you.
May he turn his Holy Face toward you.
May he give you peace,
and may he free you from sin.
May his love grow in you,
and may he grant you his great gift of final
perseverance. Amen"
On June 18, 1972 the body of St. Francis Bianchi was moved from St. Joseph at Pontecorvo to the church of St. Mary of Caravaggio, at the center of the city of Naples, transforming it in a fitting shrine to satisfy the popular devotion toward the Saint.
Fr. Felix M. Sala
Detail from The Parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins: Painted by Friedrich Wilhelm Schadow ( 1789-1862) Städel Museum: Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Name: Toya Dominique LaJax
Hometown: La Puente, California
Likes: Genuine people, humility, music, cosmetics, and tacos.
Dislikes: Fame-whores, cockiness, political incorrectness, and bigots.
Why I Should Be Picked For BFF 5: "I want to be a part of #BFF5 because I feel that Maxine and I would vibe really well. I used to be a member of a popular teen-pop group with my six other siblings called LaJax7, but we disbanded in 2009 due to creative differences and our record label folding. I had become too old to maintain relevance in the limelight. I started gaining weight and turned to reality television to escape my own reality. Ever since I started watching BFF, I knew that I would have an instant connection with Maxine if I was ever on the show and dreamed of one day being on it. I decided two years ago to create a better version of myself and try to fulfill my dream of becoming one of Maxine's friends. Plus, I want to add diversity in a room full of bleach-blonde suck ups."
Faceclaim: Vanessa Morgan
Humility is the gateway into the grace and the favor of God. ~
Harold Warner
Thanks again to www.flickr.com/photos/skeletalmess/ for His aged parchment texture.
January 18, 2011. Spent orchids.
"It was not poverty that led Lazarus to heaven, but humility; nor was it wealth that prevented the rich man from attaining eternal rest but rather his egoism and his infidelity."
-Saint Gregory the Great
Original photo January 18,, 2011. Re-edited in 2021.
"He cultivated peace and love, purity and humility; he was above anger and greed, and despised pride and conceit; he set himself to keep and teach the laws of God, and was diligent in study and in prayer...I greatly admire all these things about Aidan."
- St Bede the Venerable.
31 August is the feast of St Aidan, apostle to the Angles of Northumbria.
Aidan (c. 600-651) became one of the first Celtic monks on the island of Iona, c.630. In 635, at the request of King Oswald of Northumberland, Aidan founded a monastery on Lindisfarne, and from here he evangelised the north of England.
This window is in the Catholic chapel on Lindisfarne.
A Dutch artist of Eurasian ancestry, Christiaan Bastiaans (b. 1951) makes multilayered, metaphorical works of art that investigate extremes of the human condition in a variety of mediums.
Christiaan Bastiaans The Madonna of Humility Hurt model Series 2002
The Textile Museum is housed in the former textile factory of the company C. Mommers & Co., once one of the largest employers in Tilburg. The museum displays present and past of textile manufacturing. You will see authentic and modern textile machines.
Opening times:
Tuesday to Friday: 10am – 5pm
Saturday & Sunday: 12am – 5pm
Address:
Goirkestraat 96
5046 GN Tilburg
Official website: www.textielmuseum.nl/en/
7392 MuseumNLTilburgTextile, Textile Museum, Goirkestraat 96, 5046 GN, Tilburg, TextielMuseum, Dutch textile museum in Tilburg, Nizozemska, 20191018 PhotosNLTilburg
The Madonna of Humility (Replacement Item for autopsy bodies in the Lear zone 1), from the serie Hurt Models by Christiaan Bastiaans, 2003
Dimension: h204 x w170 x d150 cm
Collection TextielMuseum: BK0795
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.
Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
Who, being in very nature a God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
but made himself nothing,taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death—even death on a cross!
Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
This evening at the Mass of the Lord's Supper, the priest will repeat Christ's act of service and humility, and wash the feet of twelve men.
In this sermon online I ponder its meaning, and ask why Jesus chose to wash feet.
This detail is from a 15th-century reredos in the Marktkirche in central Hannover, Germany.
The saint of unrequited love (- was passed over in marriage by the man she loved for her younger sister!)
An Italian Franciscan nun, a member of the affluent Mariscotti family at Vignanello. For ten years she lived like a princess in the convent, having turned her cell into a boudoir; she owned much wealth despite her vow of poverty and enjoyed comforts such as luxuriant foods, music, servants and exquisite furnishings! Also was a bit of a snob.
Hyacintha repented of her sinful lifestyle having created a scandal in the church. She gave her wealth and possessions away to the poor and for the rest of her life became a model of humility and penance. She died in 1640 aged 54 years.
Her feast day is January 30th
Patroness of lax or lukewarm religious, those disappointed regarding relationships.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Marycrest College Historic District
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. Historic district
Davenport Register of Historic Properties
Marycrest International University.jpg
Marycrest College Historic District is located in Iowa
Marycrest College Historic District
Show all
LocationPortions of the 1500 and 1600 blocks of W. 12th St., Davenport, Iowa
Coordinates41°31′51.60″N 90°35′55.43″WCoordinates: 41°31′51.60″N 90°35′55.43″W
Area15 acres (6.1 ha)
Built1938, 1939, 1941
ArchitectFrederick G. Clausen
Temple and Temple
Raymond C. Whitaker
Architectural styleQueen Anne
Jacobean Revival
Late Gothic Revival
Collegiate Gothic
Modern
MPSDavenport MRA
NRHP reference No.04000341[1]
Significant dates
Added to NRHPApril 14, 2004
Designated DRHPJanuary 1, 2004[2]
Marycrest College Historic District is located on a bluff overlooking the West End of Davenport, Iowa, United States. The district encompasses the campus of Marycrest College, which was a small, private collegiate institution. The school became Teikyo Marycrest University and finally Marycrest International University after affiliating with a private educational consortium during the 1990s. The school closed in 2002 because of financial shortcomings. The campus has been listed on the Davenport Register of Historic Properties and on the National Register of Historic Places since 2004. At the time of its nomination, the historic district consisted of 13 resources, including six contributing buildings and five non-contributing buildings.[3] Two of the buildings were already individually listed on the National Register.
History
Marycrest was founded as a Catholic women's college in 1939 by the Congregation of the Humility of Mary (CHM) at the request of Bishop Henry Rohlman of Davenport. Mother Mary Geraldine Upham, CHM, who had been the congregation's Mother Superior at that time, became the school's first president. She had previously founded St. Joseph's Junior College, later renamed Ottumwa Heights College, in 1925. Sister Hazel Marie Roth, CHM was the first Dean.
Initially, Marycrest was organized as a division of St. Ambrose College, and it was incorporated as a separate college in 1954. The North Central Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools independently accredited Marycrest in 1955 and said it "has the potential to be the Vassar of Catholic colleges."[3] St. Ambrose and Marycrest planned to merge in the early 1970s. They chose a new name for the school, Newman College, before the merger was discontinued and both schools remained independent of each other.
Marycrest opened with 76 students in 1939 and it grew to 935 students in 1961, the year that Mother Geraldine died.[4] The faculty in the same time period grew from 21 members to 67. As early as the mid-1940s, international students were welcomed to the campus. In 1969, educational opportunities were extended to men when the college became coeducational. In 1990, Marycrest College became affiliated with the Teikyo Yamanashi Education and Welfare Foundation of Japan and was renamed Teikyo Marycrest University.[5] It was networked with Teikyo campuses around the world and its mission was dedicated to international education without prejudice. The institution ended its formal association with the Catholic Church at this time, though many of the Sisters continued to teach and work at the university.
During the early 1990s, Japanese students formed a substantial part of the enrollment of the university. When Japan's economy declined in the mid-1990s,[6] enrollment at Marycrest also declined. In 1996, the institution's name was changed to Marycrest International University. This was an attempt to more fully reflect the global mission of the institution. It was also part of an effort to re-market the university in order to boost enrollment, which by this time had declined to approximately 500 students.
The campus was closed at the end of its 2001–2002 school year, as a result of continued enrollment declines and persistent financial difficulties.[5] Many of the remaining students transferred to nearby schools, including Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois. All of the academic records are now housed at the University of Iowa in Iowa City.
Marycrest International University was respected for its solid programs in education, social work, and nursing. In its later years, the university also developed an interdisciplinary program in computer graphics and web design. The campus newspaper was The Crest. Marycrest athletic teams were called the Eagles and included men and women's soccer, basketball, volleyball, and women's softball, competing in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). Annual traditions included Pig Roast, midnight breakfast, and A Taste of Culture.
Although the university is closed, the campus continues to serve an important role in the local community. In 2006, a residential community for senior citizens known as Marycrest Senior Campus was established in the residence halls. The Marycrest Campus became unified under common ownership and management in 2010.
Athletics
The Marycrest International athletic teams were called the Eagles. The university was a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), primarily competing in the Midwest Collegiate Conference (MCC) from 1988–89 to 2001–02.
Campus
The Marycrest College campus was located on the crest of a bluff 16 blocks west of downtown Davenport and 15 blocks north of the Mississippi River. It was bounded on the east by the Riverview Terrace neighborhood, which contains medium to large single-family homes. To the north is a residential neighborhood of mostly frame single-family houses that were built in the late 19th century and early 20th century. The former German-American commercial district was further north along Washington Street. Division Street was the campus' western boundary where the Putnam Museum and Fejervary Park are located. The south side of the campus is a steep bluff that rises 80 feet (24 m) from West 10th Street.[3]
Buildings
The Marycrest campus itself was made up of 13 buildings. The earliest buildings were built around a rectangular-shaped open space. Newer buildings were built down the slope of the bluff, along West 12th Street to the east and finally across West 12th Street. The two oldest buildings were built as single-family homes that predate the establishment of the college. The Max Petersen House, known as Clifton Hill, is the place the Rev. Thomas Lawlor from St. Ambrose College acquired in 1937 for $50,000 for the new school.[4] It is a 2½-story, dark red brick, Queen Anne style house designed by Davenport architect Frederick G. Clausen. It was built in 1888 for Max Petersen who was a partner in his family's prosperous retail store, the J.H.C. Petersen's Sons' Store.[7] The house served a variety of purposes including a convent, dining hall, and music classrooms. The second house is the Dr. Kuno Struck House, which was also called Clifton Manor. It was acquired by Marycrest in 1978 and served the college as a community center. This house is also 2½-stories but is covered in pink-red brick and a rock-faced stone that is smoothly dressed.[8] It is the only house in Davenport built in the Jacobean Revival style.[3] Built in 1910, the house was designed by Clausen & Clausen of Davenport. The Struck's garage, built in 1927 and used as a maintenance building by the college, is also a contributing property in the historic district. Both houses are individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Residence Halls
The first building built specifically for a dormitory was West Hall. It was built as a two-story structure in 1941 by the John C. Tunnicliff Construction Company for $23,950. It is possible that it was designed by Davenport architect Seth Temple, but that cannot be substantiated.[3] A third floor was added in 1958. The building is connected to the Max Petersen House by a narrow single-story corridor. Measuring 39 by 86 feet (12 by 26 m), the building follows a rectangular plan. Like all buildings built for the college through the 1960s, its exterior was composed of a mottled red face brick that was manufactured by the Hydraulic Press Brick Company of St. Louis. It sits on a poured concrete foundation. The main facade faces to the north and is divided into three bays. The center bay projects slightly forward. The east and west elevations are divided into eight bays. Belt courses separate floors on the end bays and the center bays are slightly recessed. Bedford stone is used for the belt courses between the floors, the plain coping, the vestibule trim, and the lintels and window sills. A stone cross is located on the center of the parapet above the main entrance vestibule. It is a contributing building.
Lawlor Hall
The first building that did not front the central campus on top of the hill was Lawlor Hall.[3] It sits 10 feet (3 m) to 20 feet (6 m) down the slope of the bluff from the Max Petersen House and West Hall. Designed by Davenport architect Raymond C. Whitaker, the first two floors were built in 1955 for $150,000 to house freshmen students, hence its original name was Freshman Hall. Once again John C. Tunnicliff Construction Company served as contractor. The third floor was added four years later with Whitaker again serving as architect and Tunnicliff and MacDonald as general contractors. The 164-by-36-foot (50 by 11 m) building follows a rectangular plan and has an exposed basement, which gives it the appearance as a four-story building from the south. While it is a Modern architectural style building its exterior is composed of the same brick as West Hall. The flat coping of the parapet is covered with brushed aluminum. The main entrance is located in a recessed bay in a single-story section on the east side of the building and faces to the north. The north elevation is 10 bays and the south elevation is 13 bays. Most bays have a paired three-light window group. A few of the bays on the south side have single windows. It is a contributing building.
Rohlman Hall
Raymond Whitaker and Ken Wagner designed Rohlman Hall, which was completed in 1966 by O. Jorgensen & Sons of Clinton, Iowa. It is 30 feet (9 m) down the slope from Lawlor Hall and 50 feet (15 m) lower than the center of campus.[3] The 197-by-123-foot (60 by 37 m) building has a total of six floors in two wings that form an L-shaped plan. The east-west oriented wing is three stories above grade and a partially exposed basement visible on the south side. The north-south oriented wing sits lower than the other wing and includes two floors plus a ground floor on the east elevation and a lower floor plus a basement floor beneath the ground floor on the south and west elevations. In many ways, Rohlman Hall is similar in design to Lawler Hall. It is built of the same brick, it does not feature a standard main facade, the coping is covered with brushed aluminum, and most bays have a paired three-light window group. Like Lawlor, the main entrance is located on the east side of the building and faces north, but here it is located in a separate wing rather than a single story entryway. Two flights of concrete steps on the eastern side of Lawlor Hall connect to a 10 feet (3 m) wide suspended concrete bridge that leads to the main entrance of Rohlman Hall. It is a non-contributing building.
Mixed-Use Halls
Upham Hall
The first building built specifically for college purposes was Upham Hall. It was originally named the Administration Building when it was built in 1939 and was also known as Liberal Arts Hall before it was named after Mother Mary Geraldine in 1963. The building was designed by Seth Temple and his son Arthur Temple in the Collegiate Gothic style. It was built by John C. Tunnicliff Construction Company for $165,000.[3] Upham Hall rises three floors on the north facade, which faces the center of the campus, and four flours and a tall foundation level on the south elevation. The foundation of the building is poured concrete, the walls are of the mottled red face brick used in other Marycrest buildings, and Bedford stone trim. The rectangular building features a central pavilion of four bays that is faced with Bedford stone to the third floor. Extending to the east and west are wings of five bays each whose brick is laid in an English cross bond with alternating courses of headers and stretchers. The Tudor arched main entrance is flanked by simple stone buttresses with vertical ornamentation. Simple brick buttresses separate the bays on the west wing. The east wing is dominated by four two-story Tudor arched windows. They denote the location of the 300-seat auditorium whose stage is against the central pavilion. Upham Hall has been used for a variety of purposes including as administrative offices, classrooms, some of which were used temporarily as dormitory rooms, faculty offices, the first chapel, an auditorium, and a gymnasium.[3] It is a key contributing building, and a utility shed immediately south of Upham Hall (c. 1940) is also a contributing building.
Petersen Hall
Temple and Temple designed the concept of Petersen Hall to be built in three stages, which it was.[3] The building embraces the Late Gothic Revival and Jacobethan Revival styles. The Temples completed the drawings for the first phase that was built in 1948 and for the second phase that was completed three years later. Raymond Whitaker completed drawings for the third phase that was completed in 1962. The first phase of the building is located in the center and is denoted by its four-story tower. The 186-by-40-foot (57 by 12 m) structure was built by John C. Tunnicliff for $250,000.[3] It housed dormitory rooms on the west, a lounge and business offices in the center, the primary kitchen was located in the basement, and a cafeteria and a chapel on the east. The west wing forms the second phase that was completed in 1951 by Tunnicliff for $160,000. The 50-by-70-foot (15 by 21 m) section contained dormitory rooms. Priester Construction Company of Davenport completed the third section for $280,000 in 1962. It provided additional space for the cafeteria and chapel on the first two floors and dormitory rooms on the third floor. The building was originally named North Hall and was renamed in honor of the Petersen family around 1964. It is a key contributing building.
Single-Use Buildings
Cone Library
Apart from residence halls, the Cone Library is the first single-purpose academic building constructed on campus.[3] Raymond Whitaker designed the building that was constructed by H. George Schloemer in 1958 for $250,000. The 186-by-40-foot (57 by 12 m) Modern structure follows an irregular rectangular plan and is dominated by large plate glass windows. The main facade of the building is divided into eight bays with the main entrance just off center. The entrance bay is set off by stone. The building's mottled red face brick is laid in American bond with a header course on every sixth course. Another dominate feature of the building are the deep eaves that overhang the walls. Along the upper part of the wall is a wide band of stone. The window lintels are likewise stone. There are also three basement level windows in each bay, save for the entrance bay. The east side of the south elevation is composed of solid brick with no windows. It features a decorative cut stone design that portrays Marycrest's insignia that is embedded in the wall. It was created by Sister Mary Clarice Ebert, CHM, who taught in the college's art department. The front section of the main level of the interior was divided into three large rooms. They were separated by wood and glass panel walls. The periodical reading room was on the north, the main desk and card catalog were in the center, and the reference reading room was on the south. The stacks were located across the back of the building. The basement originally housed the student union in the south half and an audio-visual room, alumnae office, and receiving room on the north. It is a non-contributing building.
Walsh Hall
Raymond Whitaker was already in retirement when he designed Walsh Hall with the assistance of Kenneth Wagner. It was completed in 1964 by O. Jorgensen & Sons of Clinton for $650,000.[3] The four-story structure housed science classrooms and laboratories. The 162-by-72-foot (49 by 22 m) building follows a rectangular plan with its main facade on the west elevation. The exterior brick is laid in American bond with a header course set between every fifth course. Parapet walls capped with stone rise above a flat roof. Brick piers separate the bays. The main facade is five bays while the side elevations are eight bays. The west elevation is composed of the main entrance in the center bay with windows similar to others found in the building above it. The center bay is flanked by two bays with a single column of windows centered in the bay. There is a combination of single, paired and triple window units in the building. The east elevation features window groupings similar to those found on the north elevation. The south elevation features an unusual arrangement of windows and stone panels that form a cross in the center bay. The clustered window groups have stone sills, frames and mullions. The stone belt courses on each floor double as window lintels. It is a non-contributing building.
Nursing Education Building
The Davenport architectural firm of Charles Richardson Associates designed the building that was built by Priester Construction in 1973 for $1.9 million.[3] The 103-by-71-foot (31 by 22 m), three-story structure follows a rectangular plan. There is a single-story lecture hall-auditorium that is attached to the west side of the building on the basement level. The exterior walls are composed of reinforced concrete and are partially faced with reddish-brown brick that is laid in a running bond. Both the north and south elevations are divided into seven bays and the east and west elevations are divided into three bays. The most dominant feature is the building's third floor that cantilevers around the entire perimeter of the structure. It is supported by square, pre-cast concrete columns. The building reflects the influence of the Miesian and New Formalism architectural styles.[3] The windows on the first and second floor are panels of tinted glass, with vertical window pairs on the third floor. Matching entrances are located in the center bay on the north and south elevations. The building housed a television studio and control room, lecture halls, offices, classrooms, a student lounge, study rooms, a laboratory, faculty lounge, media workroom and conference rooms. It is a non-contributing building.
Activities Center
The Activities Center was the only building constructed on the north side of West 12th Street. Designed by the Des Moines architectural firm of Frevent, Ramsey & Dray, it was constructed by Priester Construction Company in 1978. The 225-by-192-foot (69 by 59 m) single-story structure followed a T-shaped plan. Unlike all of the other buildings on the Marycrest campus, its exterior is covered with brown corrugated steel. It features a broad gable that faces the street. The roof over the gymnasium portion of the building is also corrugated steel. The facility housed four combination basketball/volleyball/tennis courts, a ⅛-mile jogging track, a fitness center, and the student center. The larger gymnasium section is joined to a smaller wing off of the east side that housed offices. It is faced with mottled tan and brown brick over concrete block on the lower portion of the walls and corrugated steel above. The office wing is divided into three bays, and it is capped by a shed roof that extends along the south side. The recessed main entrance is located in the center bay. The building continues to house a sports complex known as Beyond The Baseline. It is a non-contributing building.
Notable alumni
Kevin O'Neill (MA 1983), NBA and collegiate basketball coach, formerly the coach of the USC Trojans
Ramadan (Arabic : رمضان Ramaḍān, Arabic pronunciation: [rɑmɑˈdˤɑːn] ) (also Ramadhan, Ramadaan, Ramazan) is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar , which lasts 29 to 30 days. It is the Islamic month of fasting , in which participating Muslims refrain from eating and drinking [1] and is intended to teach Muslims about patience, humility, and spirituality. Muslims fast for the sake of God (Arabic : الله, trans: Allah ) and to offer more prayer than usual. Compared to the solar calendar , the dates of Ramadan vary, moving backwards by about eleven days each year depending on the moon ; thus, a person will have fasted every day of the calendar year in 34 years' time. Muslims believe Ramadan to be an auspicious month for the revelations of God to humankind, being the month in which the first verses of the Qur'an were revealed to the Islamic prophet , Muhammad .
Contents
[hide ]
· 1 Origins of Ramadan
· 2 The Beginning of Ramadan
· 3 Practices during Ramadan
o 3.1 Fasting
o 3.2 Prayer and reading of the Qur'an
o 3.3 Iftar
o 3.4 Charity
o 3.5 Laylat al-Qadr
· 4 Eid ul-Fitr
· 5 Cultural aspects
o 5.1 Decorations
· 6 Economic aspects
· 7 See also
· 8 References
· 9 External links
[edit ] Origins of Ramadan
The word Ramadan is derived from an Arabic root rmḍ, as in words like "ramiḍa" or "ar-ramaḍ" denoting intense heat,[2] scorched ground and shortness of rations. Ramadan, as a name for the month, is of Islamic origin. Prior to Islam and the exclusion of intercalary days from the Islamic calendar, the name of the month was Natiq and the month fell in the warm season.[3] The word was thus chosen as it well represented the original climate of the month and the physiological conditions precipitated from fasting. In the Qur'an, God proclaims that "fasting has been written down (as obligatory) upon you, as it was upon those before you". According to a hadith , it might refer to the Jewish practice of fasting on Yom Kippur .[4] [5]
[edit ] The Beginning of Ramadan
Hilāl (the crescent ) is typically a day (or more) after the astronomical new moon. Since the new moon indicates the beginning of the new month, Muslims can usually safely estimate the beginning of Ramadan.[6]
There are many disagreements each year however, on when Ramadan starts. This stems from the tradition to sight the moon with the naked eye and as such there are differences for countries on opposite sides of the globe.[7] More recently however, some Muslims are leaning towards using astronomical calculations to avoid this confusion.
For the year of 1432 Hijri , the first day of Ramadan was determined to be August 1, 2011.
[edit ] Practices during Ramadan
[edit ] Fasting
Main article: Sawm
During the month of Ramadan, Muslims fast from dawn to dusk.
The month of Ramadan is the one in which the Qur'an was sent down - right Guidance to mankind, and clear signs of Guidance and Distinction of truth from falsehood. Those among you who witness it, let him fast therein. Whoever is sick or on a journey, then a number of other days. God desires ease for you, and desires not hardship. Thus may you fulfil the number of days assigned, magnify God for having guided you, and perhaps you will be thankful.
Ayah 185, Sura 2 (Al-Baqara ), translation by Tarif Khalidi see:[2] [8]
Ramadan is a time of reflecting, believing and worshiping God. Muslims are expected to put more effort into following the teachings of Islam and to avoid obscene and irreligious sights and sounds. Sexual intercourse among spouse is allowed after one has ended the fast. During fasting intercourse is prohibited as well as eating and drinking, one is also encouraged to resist all temptations while you are fasting. Purity of both thoughts and actions is important. The act of fasting is said to redirect the heart away from worldly activities, its purpose being to cleanse the inner soul and free it from harm. It also teaches Muslims to practice self-discipline, self-control,[9] sacrifice, and empathy for those who are less fortunate; thus encouraging actions of generosity and charity (Zakat ).[10]
Muslims should start observing the fasting ritual upon reaching the age of puberty , so long as they are healthy, sane and have no disabilities or illnesses. The elderly, the chronically ill, and the mentally ill are exempt from fasting, although the first two groups must endeavor to feed the poor in place of their missed fasting. Also exempt are pregnant women if they believe it would be harmful to them or the unborn baby, women during the period of their menstruation, and women nursing their newborns. A difference of opinion exists among Islamic scholars as to whether this last group must make up the days they miss at a later date, or feed poor people as a recompense for days missed.[11] While fasting is not considered compulsory in childhood , many children endeavour to complete as many fasts as possible as practice for later life. Lastly, those traveling (musaafir) are exempt, but must make up the days they miss.[12] More specifically, Twelver Shī‘ah define those who travel more than 14 mi (23 km) in a day as exempt.[10]
[edit ] Prayer and reading of the Qur'an
In addition to fasting, Muslims are encouraged to read the entire Qur'an. Some Muslims perform the recitation of the entire Qur'an by means of special prayers, called Tarawih , which are held in the mosques every night of the month, during which a whole section of the Qur'an (Juz' , which is 1/30 of the Qur'an) is recited. Therefore the entire Qur'an would be completed at the end of the month.
Ramadan is also a time when Muslims are to slow down from worldly affairs and focus on self-reformation, spiritual cleansing and enlightenment; this is to establish a link between themselves and God through prayer, supplication, charity, good deeds, kindness and helping others. Since it is a festival of giving and sharing, Muslims prepare special foods and buy gifts for their family and friends and for giving to the poor and needy who cannot afford it; this can involve buying new clothes, shoes and other items of need. There is also a social aspect involving the preparation of special foods and inviting people for Iftar .
[edit ] Iftar
Main article: Iftar
Iftar in Sultan Ahmed Mosque in Is Istanbul ,Turkey
Muslims all around the world will abstain from food and drink, through fasting, from dawn to sunset. At sunset, the family will gather the fast-breaking meal known as Iftar . The meal starts with the eating of a date — just as Prophet Muhammad used to do. Then it's time for the Maghrib prayer, which is the fourth of the five daily prayers, after which the main meal is served. [13]
Over time, Iftar has grown into banquet festivals. This is a time of fellowship with families, friends and surrounding communities, but may also occupy larger spaces at mosques or banquet halls, where a hundred or more may gather at a time.[14]
Most markets close down during evening prayers and the Iftar meal, but then re-open and stay open for a good part of the night. Muslims can be seen shopping, eating, spending time with their friends and family during the evening hours. In many Muslim countries, this can last late into the evening, to early morning. However, if they try to attend to business as usual, it can become a time of personal trials, fasting without coffee or water.
[edit ] Charity
Charity is very important in Islam, and even more so during Ramadhan. According to tradition, Ramadhan is a particularly blessed time to give in charity, as the reward is 700 times greater than any other time of the year. For that reason, Muslims will spend more in charity (sadaqa), and many will pay their zakat during Ramadhan, to receive the blessings (reward). In many Muslim countries, it is not uncommon to see people giving food to the poor and the homeless, and to even see large public areas for the poor to come and break their fast. It is said that if a person helps a fasting person to break their fast, then they receive a reward for that fast, without diminishing the reward that the fasting person got for their fast.
[edit ] Laylat al-Qadr
Main article: Laylat al-Qadr
Sometimes referred to as "the night of decree or measures", Laylat al-Qadr is considered the most holy night of the year.[15] Muslims believe that Laylat al-Qadr is the night in which the Qur'an was first revealed to the Prophet Muhammad . Also, it is believed to have occurred on an odd-numbered night during the last 10 days of Ramadan, either the night of the 21st, 23rd, 25th, 27th or 29th. Shiites also commemorate the attack on Imam `Ali ibn Abi Talib and his subsequent martyrdom every year on the 19th, 21st and 23rd of Ramadan.
[edit ] Eid ul-Fitr
Main article: Eid ul-Fitr
The holiday of Eid ul-Fitr (Arabic : عيد الفطر) marks the end of the fasting period of Ramadan and the first day of the following month, after another new moon has been sighted. The Eid falls after 29 or 30 days of fasting, per the lunar sighting. Eid ul-Fitr means the back to the fitrah ; usually a special celebration is made. Food is donated to the poor (Zakat al-fitr ); everyone puts on their best, usually new, clothes; and communal prayers are held in the early morning, followed by feasting and visiting relatives and friends. The prayer is two Raka'ah only, and it is sunnah muakkad [16] as opposed to the compulsory (Fard) five daily prayers. Muslims are expected to do this as an act of worship, and to thank God.
[edit ] Cultural aspects
[edit ] Decorations
Ramadan is met with various decorations throughout the streets. In Egypt , lanterns are known to be a symbol of Ramadan. They are hung across the cities of Egypt, part of an 800 year old tradition, the origin of which is said to lie in the Fatimid era where the Caliph Al-Muizz Lideenillah was greeted by people holding lanterns to celebrate his ruling. From that time lanterns were used to light mosques and houses throughout the city.
In other Muslim countries, lights are strung up in public squares, and across city streets, to add to the festivities of the month. In the West, many Muslim households have taken to decorating the inside of their homes to make Ramadhan a more special time for their children.
[edit ] Economic aspects
In Egypt, national statistics have pointed to substantial increase in consumption of food, electricity, and medications related to digestive disorders during the month of Ramadan as compared with the monthly average in the rest of the year.[17]
"With fascination and humility, animals remind us how many feelings, instincts, postures and even facial expressions we regard as typically human are actually typically animal." - Diane Ackerman
"What’s supernormal? Don’t you need to have super returns or normal returns? What’s a supernormal return? One would rather expect the honourable member to be more precise in his use of language [shrugs].”
Rev Richard Coles (pictured with Dog Collar) talking about a quote from Jacob Rees-Mogg MP, 'Have I Got News For You', BBC 1, April 10 2020.
Supernormal returns/profits are actually not that impressive in economic terms but the term does exist and has been used by economists, for some time.
If you are going to get up on a high horse, first make sure you know how to ride it. One would rather expect more humility and better judgment from a Minister of the Christian Church. Either that or that he sticks to the maxim “render unto Caesar that which is Caesar’s…”
However, it is not the first time in the last few decades that the BBC has had someone on talking nonsense.
However, the programme threw up (in so many ways) the many shortcomings of the BBC in the face of disruption. The quality of the programme still looked five years behind the standard achieved by independent creators of media content, despite the BBC receiving billions in funding each year. The show, stripped of its usual willing audience, had its ‘jokes’ fall flat. The veneer is peeling off Aunty.
I might try a joke of my own. Did anyone else feel the panellists just phoned in their performances? (I’ll get my coat).
#AbolishTheBBC.
In the field of city planning the limitations on artistry of arrangement have, to be sure, narrowed greatly in our day. Today such a masterpiece of city planning as the Acropolis of
Athens is simply unthinkable. That sort of thing is for us, at the moment, an impossibility. Even if the millions were provided that such a project would entail, we would still be unable to create something of the kind, because we lack both the artistic basis for it and any universally valid
philosophy of life that has sufficient vigor in the soul of the people to find physical expression in the work.
Yet even if the commission be devoid of content and merely decorative—as is the case with art today—it would be frightfully difficult for our realistic man of the nineteenth century. Today's city builder must, before all, acquire the noble virtue of an utmost humility, and, what is remarkable in this case, less for economic considerations than for really basic reasons.
Assuming that in any new development the cityscape [Stadtbild] must be made as splendid and pictorial as possible, if only decoratively in order to glorify the locality—such a purpose cannot be accomplished with the ruler or with our geometrically-straight street lines. In order to produce the effects of the old masters, their colors as well must form part of our palette. Sundry curves, twisted streets and irregularities would have to be included artificially in the plan;
an affected artlessness, a purposeful unintentionalness. But can the accidents of history over the course of centuries be invented and constructed ex novo in the plan?
Could one, then, truly and sincerely enjoy such a fabricated ingenuousness, such a studied naturalness? Certainly not. The satisfaction of a spontaneous gaiety is denied to any cultural level in which building does not proceed at apparent random from day to day, but instead constructs its plans intellectually on the drawing board. This whole course of events, moreover, cannot be reversed, and consequently a
large portion of the picturesque beauties we have mentioned will probably be irretrievably lost to use in contemporary planning. Modern living as well as modern building techniques no longer permit the faithful imitation of old townscapes, a fact which we cannot overlook without falling
prey to barren fantasies. The exemplary creations of the old masters must remain alive with us in some other way than through slavish copying; only if we can determine in what the essentials of these creations consist, and if we can apply these meaningfully to modern conditions, will it be
possible to harvest a new and flourishing crop from the apparently sterile soil. […] Works of art cannot be created by a committee or through office activity, but only by a
single individual; an artistically effective city plan is also a work of art and not merely an administrative matter. This is the crux of the whole situation. Granting that each individual
member of a municipal building office, by virtue of his ability and knowledge, his numerous travels and other studies, as well as his innate artistic sensibility and lively imagination, could design an excellent town plan, yet several in association in the office will never produce anything
but dry, pedantic stuff that smacks of the dust of documents.
The head of the office has, of course, no time to do the job himself, because he is inundated with meetings, reports,
committees, administration, etc.; his subordinate, on the other hand, would not dare to have ideas of his own; he must stick to the official norms, and his drafting board will always reflect only these, not because he cannot do any better, no!—but because it is an official drafting board on
which he is working, and his personal ambition, his individuality as a creative and sensitive being, and his enthusiasm for a thing for which he alone will be responsible before the world, do not, for reason of his official function, enter into the matter. Yes, strictly speaking, any such
tendencies would represent a breach of discipline. […]
No! These shortcomings will not be eliminated merely by leaving matters of city planning to chance. It is absolutely essential to make a positive formulation of the requirements
of art because today we can no longer count on an instinctive taste in art; this no longer exists. It is imperative to study the works of the past, and for the artistic tradition that we have lost there must be substituted a theoretical understanding of the reasons for the excellence of ancient layouts.
Their effective bases must be spelled out as positive requirements, as rules for city planning: only this can really advance the cause, if it is still possible to do so. Having examined our predecessors' works in the first part of this book it is clear that, as a final result of our whole analysis, we must try to establish rules for today. In so doing, one thing must be borne in mind: artistically satisfactory parceling of a new section of town cannot be attempted without first having some idea as to what purpose this section will serve in the long run and what public buildings and plazas might be intended for it.
Without any idea at all about what buildings and plazas are to make up a part of town or what purpose it is ultimately to serve, one cannot begin either to make a distribution in keeping with the site and its conditions or to attain any measure of artistic effectiveness. It is just as if a patron were to show a building lot to his architect and say to him: 'Build something on this for me for about one hundred thousand florins: 'You mean an apartment house?' 'No!' 'Or a villa?' 'No!' 'Perhaps a factory?' 'No!' etc.—This would be simply ridiculous, indeed crazy, and could not really happen because nobody builds without a purpose, and nobody approaches a builder without very definite intentions or without a building program.
Only in town planning is it considered reasonable to go ahead with a building plan without a definite program, and this derives from the fact that one simply does not know how any specific new district will develop. The consequence of this absence of a program is the familiar building-block system, which tells us in all bluntness: 'We could perhaps create something beautiful and useful here, but we do not know just what, so we humbly decline to deal with such a vague problem, and therefore present merely a division of the surface area so that its sale by the square foot can begin: What a contrast to the ideal of old! But this is no joke. It faithfully portrays reality. In Vienna such a gridiron plan was drawn up for the X District and turned out as one might expect; right now an identical one is on paper for the so-called New Donaustadt, and it could not be more inadequate and awkward.
Our assumption that a lack of program is one of the reasons for such unimaginative layouts is confirmed by the very largest parceling known—the division of North America into
states. That vast new land has been everywhere divided according to the same rectangular .system, its straight lines corresponding to latitude and longitude. This is obviously due to the fact that the terrain was not well-known at the time and its future development could not be predicted, since America lacked a past, had no history, and did not yet signify anything else in the civilization of mankind but so many square miles of land. For America, Australia, and other unopened lands, the gridiron plan may for the time being still suffice. Wherever people are concerned merely with colonizing land, live only for earning money, and earn money only in order to live, it may be appropriate to pack people into blocks of buildings like herring in a barrel. […] When this [program] has been decided, then the most advantageous siting, grouping, and necessary inter-relationships should be worked out. With this the designing of the city plan proper begins, and for it public competitions would certainly have to be held. Apart from the preliminary data already mentioned, the program for the competition would have to include an exact survey of the terrain (showing all existing roads and other details) as well as information about wind-directions, important water-table data, and whatever else might be of local significance. The task of the contestants would first be to arrange the required public buildings,gardens, etc., in proper relationship to each other and at the most appropriate spots.
For example, several public gardens should be placed at an equal distance from each other if possible. None of these large garden areas should be left open to the street, but instead ought to be surrounded by buildings (for reasons cited earlier* and made accessible through two or more gateways that ar in keeping with their surroundings but in any case not identical. The gardens would thereby be as sheltered as possible, and long building frontages of considerable value would result, the whole serving as a bulwark against the spread of the block system.
In contrast to the dispersal recommended for gardens, buildings ought to be united in a suitable manner, for instance, parish house, public school, and related buildings adjoining the church. Certainly monuments, fountains, and public buildings should be integrated as far as possible, so as to produce plazas of more impressive effect. If there are to be several plazas it is best to combine them as a group instead of scattering them. Each plaza should through its site, its
size, and its shape possess distinct and unique character, and at the same time attention should be paid to the correct opening of streets into it and to the enclosed character of the plaza-wall.
Perspective vistas are to be considered as well as the exploitation of natural panoramas. The commendable horse-shoe format of the Baroque, a system of fore-courts after the manner of ancient atriums, etc., known to be unfailingly effective, should be kept in mind for occasional
use. Churches and monumental buildings should certainly not be isolated, but rather built into the plaza-wall, thereby creating suitable spots for the future placement of fountains and monuments around the edge of the plaza. Irregularities of terrain, existing waterways and roads should not be
forcibly eliminated simply to achieve a banal rectangularity, but should instead be preserved as a
welcome excuse for crooked streets and other diversities. These irregularities, nowadays so often
eliminated at great expense, are, in fact, most essential. Without them even the most exquisitely designed plan would seem stiff and stilted in its total effect. Furthermore it is precisely these factors which afford one an easy orientation within the maze of streets.
They can also be heartily recommended from the point of view of public health, since it is the curvature and crookedness of streets in the old parts of town which stop and deflect the prevailing winds, so that the
strongest storms, however violent, only sweep over the roof tops, while in the regularized sections of town they blow right along the straight streets in a highly disagreeable and unhealthy manner. This is easy to observe wherever new and old parts of town coexist, perhaps best of all in Vienna which is more than blessed with winds. While anyone can cross the inner city in a medium wind without annoyance, he is immediately enveloped in clouds of dust on entering any new part. […] Using this argument one might more likely be able to convince our predominantly materialistic age about the virtues of an artistically-developed town plan. To be sure, much has already been written about the economic importance of the fine arts to a nation, and this has become a generally accepted fact. This is significant because the purely ideal value of art as an end in itself—as perhaps the highest aspiration of our cultural endeavors and of human activity in general—is, on the other hand, not at all so universally accepted. However, since the arts also possess a social and economic significance, it might be that even hardheaded city officials will eventually discover that it would not be so bad for once to invest some sums in the artistry of town layouts in hopes of reaping civic sentiment, local pride, and, perhaps, more tourism. […] Our study has certainly demonstrated that it is not at all necessary to design modern city plans in as stereotyped a fashion as is the custom, that it is quite unnecessary to forego in them all the beauties of art and the attainments of the past. It is not true that modern traffic forces us to do so; it is not true that hygienic requirements compel us. It is downright laziness, a lack of imagination and of good intentions, which condemn us modern city dwellers to pass our lives in formless mass- housing with the depressing sight of eternally similar apartment house blocks and unbroken frontage lines. It is probably the gentle force of habit that hardens us to them. We ought to consider, however, the impression we receive upon returning home from Venice or Florence—how painfully our banal modernity affects us. This may be one of the basic reasons why the fortunate inhabitants of those marvelously artistic cities have no need to leave them, while we every year for a few weeks must get away into nature in order to be able to endure our city for another year.
By Camillo Sitte