View allAll Photos Tagged Humility
"Do you wish people to think well of you? Don't speak well of yourself."
Blaise Pascal
The fern as a chrisitian symbol represents humility according to website I found catholic-saints.info
Picture of fern in my parents yard in Ventura, California
Madonna of Humility, Crowned by Two Angels.
by Donato di Niccolo di Betto Bardi, known as Donatello.
Gilded bronze Tondo
circa 1445
Donatello Exhibition
February 11th to June 11th 2023
V&A Museum, London, England.
www.flickr.com/photos/191876035@N02/albums/72177720305869221
- image by Phil Brandon Hunter - Philbhu.com - P2080269a3
If there is any advice Col. Kirk Gibbs can give to his successor, it is this: Lead with honor and humility.
As Gibbs, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Los Angeles District’s 61st commander, prepares to relinquish command of the LA District July 19 to Col. Aaron Barta, he offered up some advice and reflected on the past three years as the leader of one of the largest Corps districts in the country.
There are many things Gibbs said he is proud of when it comes to the LA District, but three things stand out: the District being recognized two years in a row as a "Best Place to Work" in the Corps; completing Weed Army Hospital at Fort Irwin, California – the Department of Defense’s only Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design-Platinum, carbon-neutral, net-zero certifiable hospital – on time and within budget; and the one-on-one time he was able to spend with employees in the District.
It is the people Gibbs said he will miss the most – the employees and the District’s close partners across the four-state area.
“I have never focused on relationships like I have here in this District, and I sincerely believe it is part of the District's culture,” he said. “When projects are tough, the close relationships get us through those challenges and ultimately deliver the program.”
During his time with the LA District, Gibbs has overseen a multimillion-dollar program that provides engineering, construction, planning, contracting, real estate, emergency operations, environmental and regulatory services to military, federal, state and local governments across a 226,000-square-mile area of Southern California, Nevada, Arizona and Utah. That also includes leading about 750 military and civilian personnel with a wide array of expertise.
But leading people is nothing new to Gibbs, who has served for more than 24 years as an active-duty Soldier, leading both military and civilian personnel.
“Each person is different, and I have learned that good leaders get to know each person individually and then lead them in a way that brings out the best in that employee,” he said.
Providing priorities and a solid intent on the District’s missions, particularly disaster response operations, helps employees stay focused on what’s really important, he said.
Gibbs will now serve as the chief of staff at the Corps’ headquarters in Washington, D.C. There, he said, he hopes to be an advocate for all of the Corps’ districts nationwide.
“I feel that this District and the great people are responsible for giving me the incredible opportunity of being the Corps’ chief of staff,” he said. “The people have taught me so much, and I will take that with me to make a positive impact on the Corps’ enterprise and help our Districts deliver our programs in civil works, military, Interagency and International Services, real estate and regulatory.”
Gibbs knows how the importance of mentors and having a good support system have played in shaping his career, and he credits his parents with instilling in him respect for others; his wife, Kim, who taught him to endure all challenges, no matter how great, with grace and dignity; and his former chief of staff – Col. Steve Hill – for giving him tough jobs to prepare him for success.
“(Hill) gave me tough jobs that I thought he could have done at the time, but as I look back, the toughest assignments he gave me in that civilian organization at the Corps headquarters prepared me for District command and enabled me to achieve the goal of commanding at the battalion, brigade and District levels,” he said. “I also remember he told me I would be a chief of staff for the Corps one day. He was preparing me for that. I didn't believe him, but that is my next job.”
And, as for additional advice he can share with Barta, Gibbs provided these words of wisdom:
- Be prepared to change leadership style when leading a District of professional civilians. Don't lead them in the same way as Soldiers;
- Engage with people and get around to see them across the District's entire area of operation. Don't sit behind a desk;
- Study hard initially and learn the policies, processes and programs. “You will never be the expert, but you must prepare yourself to make effective decisions as quickly as possible”;
- Always provide a commander's intent and an end state. The civilian workforce appreciates that; and, lastly,
- Lead with honor and humility. “It isn't about you. It is about the District's people and our vital mission.”
As for the future of the LA District, Gibbs said he hopes future leaders continue to change the culture to an organization that is more risk tolerant in streamlining processes and moving projects forward; deliver the Department of Veterans Affairs and Customs and Border Protection programs phenomenally – on time, within budget and to the highest quality; and to remain a "Best Place to Work" in order to retain and recruit talent to the high-cost living area of Southern California.
“I want the District to do what it always does and ‘knock those programs out of the park,’” he said.
‘Hadha Min Fadli Rabbi’ is an Arabic phrase whose translation in English nears "This is by the Grace of my Lord."
The phrase is most often used to convey a sense of humility and most importantly, gratitude to God for having something, be it material or spiritual, or otherwise, such as a talent one may possess, or good health, good income, good spouse, children, etc.
El Retablo de Señor de la Paciencia y la Humildad (The Altar of the Lord of Patience and Humility) at la Basílica Nuestra Señora del Pilar is a polychrome hand wood carving made in the 18th century and attributed to Spanish sculptor Andalusia. Christ is pictured seated on a rock, waiting for his crucifixion. On both sides are San Pascual Bailón and San Benito de Palermo--the latter of which was restored in 2004.
La Basílica Nuestra Señora del Pilar (Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar) at Junín 1904, was inaugurated in 1732, making it the second-oldest church in Buenos Aires, as part of a convent belonging to Padres Recoletos. The church owes its name to the patron saint of the city of Zaragoza in Spain, the hometown of Juan de Narbona who financed the construction starting in 1716. Construction was started by Italian Jesuit architect Andrés Bianchi and it was completed by Juan Bautista Premoli.
The order of the Recoletos was expelled in 1822 by Governor Martin Rodriguez, and after their property was expropriated, the convent became a mendicant's home in 1934 and then a retirement home. It returned to ecclesiastical use opening as a parish church in 1829, and was declared a Basilica in 1936 by Pope Pio XI.
The pristine white unadorned exterior is a modern alteration. The colonial-style building was originally a sun yellow. Inside, the basilica fetures outstanding Spanish colonial artwork and six German Baroque-style altars, the center one of which is overlaid with Peruvian engraved silver and features an image of the Virgen del Pilar.
Los Claustros Historicos Del Pilar (The Cloisters), which date from 1716 and still have their original floors and some fixtures, was opened to the public in 1997 as Museo de los Claustros del Pilar. The 3-floor museum features religious artifacts and photographs documenting Recoleta's evolution.
Another one of those humility blocks! In the lower left corner grouping of nine patches (why is it always in the lower left corner with me!) the red and white block should have had five reds, so one swan was missing. I saw this when it was all sewn together except the corner triangles and the border. So, instead of ripping, I set in a tiny swan in the lower left corner triangle. Turned out, I liked him down there :)
Two Kinds of Wisdom
Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.
But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.
[James 3:13-18 NIV]
5 THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW:
1. Like it or not, we are ALL sinners: As the Scriptures say, “No one is righteous—not even one. No one is truly wise; no one is seeking God. All have turned away; all have become useless. No one does good, not a single one.” (Romans 3:10-12 NLT)
2. The punishment for sin is death: When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned. (Romans 5:12 NLT)
3. Jesus is our only hope: But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. (Romans 5:8 NLT) For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23 NLT)
4. SALVATION is by GRACE through FAITH in JESUS: God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. (Ephesians 2:8-10 NLT)
5. Accept Jesus and receive eternal life: If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. (Romans 10:9 NLT) But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. (John 1:12 NLT) And this is what God has testified: He has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have God’s Son does not have life. (1 John 5:11-12 NLT)
Read the Bible for yourself. Allow the Lord to speak to you through his Word. YOUR ETERNITY IS AT STAKE!
I took this picture tonight and was reminded of a rather famous quote by Carl Sagan. The quote was describing an image that was taken by the Voyager space craft as it left solar system for the last time, turned around and took a picture of the earth.
"We succeeded in taking that picture [from deep space], and, if you look at it, you see a dot. That's here. That's home. That's us. On it, everyone you ever heard of, every human being who ever lived, lived out their lives. The aggregate of all our joys and sufferings, thousands of confident religions, ideologies and economic doctrines, every hunter and forager, every hero and coward, every creator and destroyer of civilizations, every king and peasant, every young couple in love, every hopeful child, every mother and father, every inventor and explorer, every teacher of morals, every corrupt politician, every superstar, every supreme leader, every saint and sinner in the history of our species, lived there on a mote of dust, suspended in a sunbeam.
The earth is a very small stage in a vast cosmic arena. Think of the rivers of blood spilled by all those generals and emperors so that in glory and in triumph they could become the momentary masters of a fraction of a dot. Think of the endless cruelties visited by the inhabitants of one corner of the dot on scarcely distinguishable inhabitants of some other corner of the dot. How frequent their misunderstandings, how eager they are to kill one another, how fervent their hatreds. Our posturings, our imagined self-importance, the delusion that we have some privileged position in the universe, are challenged by this point of pale light.
Our planet is a lonely speck in the great enveloping cosmic dark. In our obscurity -- in all this vastness -- there is no hint that help will come from elsewhere to save us from ourselves. It is up to us. It's been said that astronomy is a humbling, and I might add, a character-building experience. To my mind, there is perhaps no better demonstration of the folly of human conceits than this distant image of our tiny world. To me, it underscores our responsibility to deal more kindly and compassionately with one another and to preserve and cherish that pale blue dot, the only home we've ever known. "
The main access to the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem is this Liliputian and simple door in the main façade known as "Door of Humility". It dates back to the Ottoman period and its small size meant to prevent carts being driven in by looters, and to force even the most important visitor to dismount from his horse as they entered the holy place. The doorway was reduced from an earlier Crusader doorway, the pointed arch of which can still be seen above the current door.
Japanese Architecture and Garden Planning
Doesn't this style of house just exude humility, and the desire to un-noticed? Not. Traditional Japanese houses, trees, porches were mock palcial, and in your face enough, but now many Japanese take little notice of tradition and build Western, Swiss, Log-cabin, or Gothic style monstrosities in any colour that they choose, and they can choose because there is a complete absense of planning regulations. Japanese style architecture and gardens demands that we view their creators as rugged individuals, though they may not subscribe to the philsophy called "individualism."
On my way home today I took some photos of phenomena that seem to me to express Japanese individualism. All of them are visual expressions of individualism. All of the Japanese people invovled in their creation would seem, and in language be, humble, mild-mannered, and introverted. Give them a camera, ask them to design a car, manga, or house however and their taste for individuality stands out.
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Therefore, as Go'ds chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
February 23rd, 2009
As you can see, this isn't really a self-portrait. But you can barely see me in the reflection, and that counts enough for me. I really don't feel like doing anything different. I took this at about 6:24 this morning. 20 minutes before I went to my bus stop. Excuse the dirty window, our cats like to jump, and our dog is slobbery. :P I just liked the heart. I'm not sure where it came from. But iiiiii like it. :D
Today, I woke up, and just..didn't wanna wake up. Haha. But I did, of course. I got up, showered, did my hair, got dressed, did my make-up, etc. This girl that went to Falcon (her name was Sarah Conrad) died over the weekend, and so everyone wore yellow because that was her favorite color. She got into a car accident, and wasn't wearing her seatbelt. So, yeah. I don't think I knew her, but it's still super sad. Her poor brother is heart-broken, they were really close.
I got to school, and saw Howie and Mo. Went to all my classes, and nothing really exciting happened. Just a regular school day. In Freshman Seminar, we made posters for a movie night for Friday, it was fun. And a waste of time. I liked it. :] Pretty much the whole time, I was trying to convince Mo to come to church with me. We're learning about the Bible, where it came from, why we believe it, etc. Mo always says that the Bible isn't real, so I wanted to invite him. I tried FOREVERRRR to convince him, and he wouldn't go. It was sad. But then, after school, Mo told Howie about it, and Howie said that he would go. I'm excited. I hope that he DOES go. And maybe he'll like it, that woud be good. :]
Then, I came home, and am just hanging out. Did some homework, tried to take a picture but failed, etc. Now I'm here.
At 7, Nathan has a game. I plan on going.
My Dad called and asked for his number. And....I just realized that that could be bad news. Why does my Dad want to talk to Nathan? Hm. That's really weird.....really weird....Whoa. I should ask him.
I think I'm gunna ask Sam to take some pictures with me on the football and track field. I think it would be way fun. Maybe we could take the activity bus home, and she could hang out. It's been a long time since we've done anything. And she's PERFECT for taking pictures.
If there is any advice Col. Kirk Gibbs can give to his successor, it is this: Lead with honor and humility.
As Gibbs, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Los Angeles District’s 61st commander, prepares to relinquish command of the LA District July 19 to Col. Aaron Barta, he offered up some advice and reflected on the past three years as the leader of one of the largest Corps districts in the country.
There are many things Gibbs said he is proud of when it comes to the LA District, but three things stand out: the District being recognized two years in a row as a "Best Place to Work" in the Corps; completing Weed Army Hospital at Fort Irwin, California – the Department of Defense’s only Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design-Platinum, carbon-neutral, net-zero certifiable hospital – on time and within budget; and the one-on-one time he was able to spend with employees in the District.
It is the people Gibbs said he will miss the most – the employees and the District’s close partners across the four-state area.
“I have never focused on relationships like I have here in this District, and I sincerely believe it is part of the District's culture,” he said. “When projects are tough, the close relationships get us through those challenges and ultimately deliver the program.”
During his time with the LA District, Gibbs has overseen a multimillion-dollar program that provides engineering, construction, planning, contracting, real estate, emergency operations, environmental and regulatory services to military, federal, state and local governments across a 226,000-square-mile area of Southern California, Nevada, Arizona and Utah. That also includes leading about 750 military and civilian personnel with a wide array of expertise.
But leading people is nothing new to Gibbs, who has served for more than 24 years as an active-duty Soldier, leading both military and civilian personnel.
“Each person is different, and I have learned that good leaders get to know each person individually and then lead them in a way that brings out the best in that employee,” he said.
Providing priorities and a solid intent on the District’s missions, particularly disaster response operations, helps employees stay focused on what’s really important, he said.
Gibbs will now serve as the chief of staff at the Corps’ headquarters in Washington, D.C. There, he said, he hopes to be an advocate for all of the Corps’ districts nationwide.
“I feel that this District and the great people are responsible for giving me the incredible opportunity of being the Corps’ chief of staff,” he said. “The people have taught me so much, and I will take that with me to make a positive impact on the Corps’ enterprise and help our Districts deliver our programs in civil works, military, Interagency and International Services, real estate and regulatory.”
Gibbs knows how the importance of mentors and having a good support system have played in shaping his career, and he credits his parents with instilling in him respect for others; his wife, Kim, who taught him to endure all challenges, no matter how great, with grace and dignity; and his former chief of staff – Col. Steve Hill – for giving him tough jobs to prepare him for success.
“(Hill) gave me tough jobs that I thought he could have done at the time, but as I look back, the toughest assignments he gave me in that civilian organization at the Corps headquarters prepared me for District command and enabled me to achieve the goal of commanding at the battalion, brigade and District levels,” he said. “I also remember he told me I would be a chief of staff for the Corps one day. He was preparing me for that. I didn't believe him, but that is my next job.”
And, as for additional advice he can share with Barta, Gibbs provided these words of wisdom:
- Be prepared to change leadership style when leading a District of professional civilians. Don't lead them in the same way as Soldiers;
- Engage with people and get around to see them across the District's entire area of operation. Don't sit behind a desk;
- Study hard initially and learn the policies, processes and programs. “You will never be the expert, but you must prepare yourself to make effective decisions as quickly as possible”;
- Always provide a commander's intent and an end state. The civilian workforce appreciates that; and, lastly,
- Lead with honor and humility. “It isn't about you. It is about the District's people and our vital mission.”
As for the future of the LA District, Gibbs said he hopes future leaders continue to change the culture to an organization that is more risk tolerant in streamlining processes and moving projects forward; deliver the Department of Veterans Affairs and Customs and Border Protection programs phenomenally – on time, within budget and to the highest quality; and to remain a "Best Place to Work" in order to retain and recruit talent to the high-cost living area of Southern California.
“I want the District to do what it always does and ‘knock those programs out of the park,’” he said.
Francesco Lupicini (1588/91 - after 1652 (?), active in Florence
Martha reproving her vain sister Mary Magdalene, about 1625/30
The suspenseful confrontation between asceticism and luxury, humility and pride should always be understood as an invitation to conversion and repentance. Lupicini, however, succumbs to the seduction of terrestrial beauty and vain trumpery. He paints the sinner at her dressing table with devotion to detail and dedicates himself precisely to the testimonies of her wastefulness joined to form a still live.
Francesco Lupicini (1588/91 - nach 1652 (?), tätig in Florenz
Martha tadelt ihre eitle Schwester Maria Magdalena, um 1625/30
Die spannungsreiche Gegenüberstellung von Askese und Luxus, Demut und Hoffart sollte stets als Aufforderung zu Umkehr und Buße verstanden werden. Lupicini erliegt allerdings der Verführung irdischer Schönheit und eitlen Tands: Er malt mit hingebungsvoller Ausführlichkeit die Sünderin an ihrem Putztisch und widmet sich präzise den zu einem Stillleben gefügten Zeugnissen ihrer Verschwendungssucht.
Austria Kunsthistorisches Museum
Federal Museum
Logo KHM
Regulatory authority (ies)/organs to the Federal Ministry for Education, Science and Culture
Founded 17 October 1891
Headquartered Castle Ring (Burgring), Vienna 1, Austria
Management Sabine Haag
www.khm.at website
Main building of the Kunsthistorisches Museum at Maria-Theresa-Square
The Kunsthistorisches Museum (KHM abbreviated) is an art museum in Vienna. It is one of the largest and most important museums in the world. It was opened in 1891 and 2012 visited of 1.351.940 million people.
The museum
The Kunsthistorisches Museum is with its opposite sister building, the Natural History Museum (Naturhistorisches Museum), the most important historicist large buildings of the Ringstrasse time. Together they stand around the Maria Theresa square, on which also the Maria Theresa monument stands. This course spans the former glacis between today's ring road and 2-line, and is forming a historical landmark that also belongs to World Heritage Site Historic Centre of Vienna.
History
Archduke Leopold Wilhelm in his Gallery
The Museum came from the collections of the Habsburgs, especially from the portrait and armor collections of Ferdinand of Tyrol, the collection of Emperor Rudolf II (most of which, however scattered) and the art collection of Archduke Leopold Wilhelm into existence. Already In 1833 asked Joseph Arneth, curator (and later director) of the Imperial Coins and Antiquities Cabinet, bringing together all the imperial collections in a single building .
Architectural History
The contract to build the museum in the city had been given in 1858 by Emperor Franz Joseph. Subsequently, many designs were submitted for the ring road zone. Plans by August Sicard von Sicardsburg and Eduard van der Null planned to build two museum buildings in the immediate aftermath of the Imperial Palace on the left and right of the Heroes' Square (Heldenplatz). The architect Ludwig Förster planned museum buildings between the Schwarzenberg Square and the City Park, Martin Ritter von Kink favored buildings at the corner Währingerstraße/ Scots ring (Schottenring), Peter Joseph, the area Bellariastraße, Moritz von Loehr the south side of the opera ring, and Ludwig Zettl the southeast side of the grain market (Getreidemarkt).
From 1867, a competition was announced for the museums, and thereby set their current position - at the request of the Emperor, the museum should not be too close to the Imperial Palace, but arise beyond the ring road. The architect Carl von Hasenauer participated in this competition and was able the at that time in Zürich operating Gottfried Semper to encourage to work together. The two museum buildings should be built here in the sense of the style of the Italian Renaissance. The plans got the benevolence of the imperial family. In April 1869, there was an audience with of Joseph Semper at the Emperor Franz Joseph and an oral contract was concluded, in July 1870 was issued the written order to Semper and Hasenauer.
Crucial for the success of Semper and Hasenauer against the projects of other architects were among others Semper's vision of a large building complex called "Imperial Forum", in which the museums would have been a part of. Not least by the death of Semper in 1879 came the Imperial Forum not as planned for execution, the two museums were built, however.
Construction of the two museums began without ceremony on 27 November 1871 instead. Semper moved to Vienna in the sequence. From the beginning, there were considerable personal differences between him and Hasenauer, who finally in 1877 took over sole construction management. 1874, the scaffolds were placed up to the attic and the first floor completed, built in 1878, the first windows installed in 1879, the Attica and the balustrade from 1880 to 1881 and built the dome and the Tabernacle. The dome is topped with a bronze statue of Pallas Athena by Johannes Benk.
The lighting and air conditioning concept with double glazing of the ceilings made the renunciation of artificial light (especially at that time, as gas light) possible, but this resulted due to seasonal variations depending on daylight to different opening times .
Kuppelhalle
Entrance (by clicking the link at the end of the side you can see all the pictures here indicated!)
Grand staircase
Hall
Empire
The Kunsthistorisches Museum was on 17 October 1891 officially opened by Emperor Franz Joseph I. Since 22 October 1891 , the museum is accessible to the public. Two years earlier, on 3 November 1889, the collection of arms, Arms and Armour today, had their doors open. On 1 January 1890 the library service resumed its operations. The merger and listing of other collections of the Highest Imperial Family from the Upper and Lower Belvedere, the Hofburg Palace and Ambras in Tyrol will need another two years.
189, the farm museum was organized in seven collections with three directorates:
Directorate of coins, medals and antiquities collection
The Egyptian Collection
The Antique Collection
The coins and medals collection
Management of the collection of weapons, art and industrial objects
Weapons collection
Collection of industrial art objects
Directorate of Art Gallery and Restaurieranstalt (Restoration Office)
Collection of watercolors, drawings, sketches, etc.
Restoration Office
Library
Very soon the room the Court Museum (Hofmuseum) for the imperial collections was offering became too narrow. To provide temporary help, an exhibition of ancient artifacts from Ephesus in the Theseus Temple was designed. However, additional space had to be rented in the Lower Belvedere.
1914, after the assassination of Franz Ferdinand, heir to the throne, his " Estonian Forensic Collection " passed to the administration of the Court Museum. This collection, which emerged from the art collection of the house of d' Este and world travel collection of Franz Ferdinand, was placed in the New Imperial Palace since 1908. For these stocks, the present collection of old musical instruments and the Museum of Ethnology emerged.
The First World War went by, apart from the oppressive economic situation without loss. The farm museum remained during the five years of war regularly open to the public.
Until 1919 the K.K. Art Historical Court Museum was under the authority of the Oberstkämmereramt (head chamberlain office) and belonged to the House of Habsburg-Lorraine. The officials and employees were part of the royal household.
First Republic
The transition from monarchy to republic, in the museum took place in complete tranquility. On 19 November 1918 the two imperial museums on Maria Theresa Square were placed under the state protection of the young Republic of German Austria. Threatening to the stocks of the museum were the claims raised in the following weeks and months of the "successor states" of the monarchy as well as Italy and Belgium on Austrian art collection. In fact, it came on 12th February 1919 to the violent removal of 62 paintings by armed Italian units. This "art theft" left a long time trauma among curators and art historians.
It was not until the Treaty of Saint-Germain of 10 September 1919, providing in Article 195 and 196 the settlement of rights in the cultural field by negotiations. The claims of Belgium, Czechoslovakia, and Italy again could mostly being averted in this way. Only Hungary, which presented the greatest demands by far, was met by more than ten years of negotiation in 147 cases.
On 3 April 1919 was the expropriation of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine by law and the acquisition of its property, including the "Collections of the Imperial House" , by the Republic. Of 18 June 1920 the then provisional administration of the former imperial museums and collections of Este and the secular and clergy treasury passed to the State Office of Internal Affairs and Education, since 10 November 1920, the Federal Ministry of the Interior and Education. A few days later it was renamed the Art History Court Museum in the "Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna State", 1921 "Kunsthistorisches Museum" . Of 1st January 1921 the employees of the museum staff passed to the state of the Republic.
Through the acquisition of the former imperial collections owned by the state, the museum found itself in a complete new situation. In order to meet the changed circumstances in the museum area, designed Hans Tietze in 1919 the "Vienna Museum program". It provided a close cooperation between the individual museums to focus at different houses on main collections. So dominated exchange, sales and equalizing the acquisition policy in the interwar period. Thus resulting until today still valid collection trends. Also pointing the way was the relocation of the weapons collection from 1934 in its present premises in the New Castle, where since 1916 the collection of ancient musical instruments was placed.
With the change of the imperial collections in the ownership of the Republic the reorganization of the internal organization went hand in hand, too. Thus the museum was divided in 1919 into the
Egyptian and Near Eastern Collection (with the Oriental coins)
Collection of Classical Antiquities
Collection of ancient coins
Collection of modern coins and medals
Weapons collection
Collection of sculptures and crafts with the Collection of Ancient Musical Instruments
Picture Gallery
The Museum 1938-1945
Count Philipp Ludwig Wenzel Sinzendorf according to Rigaud. Clarisse 1948 by Baroness de Rothschildt "dedicated" to the memory of Baron Alphonse de Rothschildt; restituted to the Rothschilds in 1999, and in 1999 donated by Bettina Looram Rothschild, the last Austrian heiress.
With the "Anschluss" of Austria to the German Reich all Jewish art collections such as the Rothschilds were forcibly "Aryanised". Collections were either "paid" or simply distributed by the Gestapo at the museums. This resulted in a significant increase in stocks. But the KHM was not the only museum that benefited from the linearization. Systematically looted Jewish property was sold to museums, collections or in pawnshops throughout the empire.
After the war, the museum struggled to reimburse the "Aryanised" art to the owners or their heirs. They forced the Rothschild family to leave the most important part of their own collection to the museum and called this "dedications", or "donations". As a reason, was the export law stated, which does not allow owners to perform certain works of art out of the country. Similar methods were used with other former owners. Only on the basis of international diplomatic and media pressure, to a large extent from the United States, the Austrian government decided to make a change in the law (Art Restitution Act of 1998, the so-called Lex Rothschild). The art objects were the Rothschild family refunded only in the 1990s.
The Kunsthistorisches Museum operates on the basis of the federal law on the restitution of art objects from the 4th December 1998 (Federal Law Gazette I, 181 /1998) extensive provenance research. Even before this decree was carried out in-house provenance research at the initiative of the then archive director Herbert Haupt. This was submitted in 1998 by him in collaboration with Lydia Grobl a comprehensive presentation of the facts about the changes in the inventory levels of the Kunsthistorisches Museum during the Nazi era and in the years leading up to the State Treaty of 1955, an important basis for further research provenance.
The two historians Susanne Hehenberger and Monika Löscher are since 1st April 2009 as provenance researchers at the Kunsthistorisches Museum on behalf of the Commission for Provenance Research operating and they deal with the investigation period from 1933 to the recent past.
The museum today
Today the museum is as a federal museum, with 1st January 1999 released to the full legal capacity - it was thus the first of the state museums of Austria, implementing the far-reaching self-financing. It is by far the most visited museum in Austria with 1.3 million visitors (2007).
The Kunsthistorisches Museum is under the name Kunsthistorisches Museum and Museum of Ethnology and the Austrian Theatre Museum with company number 182081t since 11 June 1999 as a research institution under public law of the Federal virtue of the Federal Museums Act, Federal Law Gazette I/115/1998 and the Museum of Procedure of the Kunsthistorisches Museum and Museum of Ethnology and the Austrian Theatre Museum, 3 January 2001, BGBl II 2/ 2001, in force since 1 January 2001, registered.
In fiscal 2008, the turnover was 37.185 million EUR and total assets amounted to EUR 22.204 million. In 2008 an average of 410 workers were employed.
Management
1919-1923: Gustav Glück as the first chairman of the College of science officials
1924-1933: Hermann Julius Hermann 1924-1925 as the first chairman of the College of the scientific officers in 1925 as first director
1933: Arpad Weixlgärtner first director
1934-1938: Alfred Stix first director
1938-1945: Fritz Dworschak 1938 as acting head, from 1938 as a chief in 1941 as first director
1945-1949: August von Loehr 1945-1948 as executive director of the State Art Collections in 1949 as general director of the historical collections of the Federation
1945-1949: Alfred Stix 1945-1948 as executive director of the State Art Collections in 1949 as general director of art historical collections of the Federation
1949-1950: Hans Demel as administrative director
1950: Karl Wisoko-Meytsky as general director of art and historical collections of the Federation
1951-1952: Fritz Eichler as administrative director
1953-1954: Ernst H. Buschbeck as administrative director
1955-1966: Vincent Oberhammer 1955-1959 as administrative director, from 1959 as first director
1967: Edward Holzmair as managing director
1968-1972: Erwin Auer first director
1973-1981: Friderike Klauner first director
1982-1990: Hermann Fillitz first director
1990: George Kugler as interim first director
1990-2008: Wilfried Seipel as general director
Since 2009: Sabine Haag as general director
Collections
To the Kunsthistorisches Museum are also belonging the collections of the New Castle, the Austrian Theatre Museum in Palais Lobkowitz, the Museum of Ethnology and the Wagenburg (wagon fortress) in an outbuilding of Schönbrunn Palace. A branch office is also Ambras in Innsbruck.
Kunsthistorisches Museum (main building)
Picture Gallery
Egyptian and Near Eastern Collection
Collection of Classical Antiquities
Vienna Chamber of Art
Numismatic Collection
Library
New Castle
Ephesus Museum
Collection of Ancient Musical Instruments
Arms and Armour
Archive
Hofburg
The imperial crown in the Treasury
Imperial Treasury of Vienna
Insignia of the Austrian Hereditary Homage
Insignia of imperial Austria
Insignia of the Holy Roman Empire
Burgundian Inheritance and the Order of the Golden Fleece
Habsburg-Lorraine Household Treasure
Ecclesiastical Treasury
Schönbrunn Palace
Imperial Carriage Museum Vienna
Armory in Ambras Castle
Ambras Castle
Collections of Ambras Castle
Major exhibits
Among the most important exhibits of the Art Gallery rank inter alia:
Jan van Eyck: Cardinal Niccolò Albergati, 1438
Martin Schongauer: Holy Family, 1475-80
Albrecht Dürer : Trinity Altar, 1509-16
Portrait Johann Kleeberger, 1526
Parmigianino: Self Portrait in Convex Mirror, 1523/24
Giuseppe Arcimboldo: Summer 1563
Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio: Madonna of the Rosary 1606/ 07
Caravaggio: Madonna of the Rosary (1606-1607)
Titian: Nymph and Shepherd to 1570-75
Portrait of Jacopo de Strada, 1567/68
Raffaello Santi: Madonna of the Meadow, 1505 /06
Lorenzo Lotto: Portrait of a young man against white curtain, 1508
Peter Paul Rubens: The altar of St. Ildefonso, 1630-32
The Little Fur, about 1638
Jan Vermeer: The Art of Painting, 1665/66
Pieter Bruegel the Elder: Fight between Carnival and Lent, 1559
Kids, 1560
Tower of Babel, 1563
Christ Carrying the Cross, 1564
Gloomy Day (Early Spring), 1565
Return of the Herd (Autumn), 1565
Hunters in the Snow (Winter) 1565
Bauer and bird thief, 1568
Peasant Wedding, 1568/69
Peasant Dance, 1568/69
Paul's conversion (Conversion of St Paul), 1567
Cabinet of Curiosities:
Saliera from Benvenuto Cellini 1539-1543
Egyptian-Oriental Collection:
Mastaba of Ka Ni Nisut
Collection of Classical Antiquities:
Gemma Augustea
Treasure of Nagyszentmiklós
Gallery: Major exhibits
If there is any advice Col. Kirk Gibbs can give to his successor, it is this: Lead with honor and humility.
As Gibbs, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Los Angeles District’s 61st commander, prepares to relinquish command of the LA District July 19 to Col. Aaron Barta, he offered up some advice and reflected on the past three years as the leader of one of the largest Corps districts in the country.
There are many things Gibbs said he is proud of when it comes to the LA District, but three things stand out: the District being recognized two years in a row as a "Best Place to Work" in the Corps; completing Weed Army Hospital at Fort Irwin, California – the Department of Defense’s only Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design-Platinum, carbon-neutral, net-zero certifiable hospital – on time and within budget; and the one-on-one time he was able to spend with employees in the District.
It is the people Gibbs said he will miss the most – the employees and the District’s close partners across the four-state area.
“I have never focused on relationships like I have here in this District, and I sincerely believe it is part of the District's culture,” he said. “When projects are tough, the close relationships get us through those challenges and ultimately deliver the program.”
During his time with the LA District, Gibbs has overseen a multimillion-dollar program that provides engineering, construction, planning, contracting, real estate, emergency operations, environmental and regulatory services to military, federal, state and local governments across a 226,000-square-mile area of Southern California, Nevada, Arizona and Utah. That also includes leading about 750 military and civilian personnel with a wide array of expertise.
But leading people is nothing new to Gibbs, who has served for more than 24 years as an active-duty Soldier, leading both military and civilian personnel.
“Each person is different, and I have learned that good leaders get to know each person individually and then lead them in a way that brings out the best in that employee,” he said.
Providing priorities and a solid intent on the District’s missions, particularly disaster response operations, helps employees stay focused on what’s really important, he said.
Gibbs will now serve as the chief of staff at the Corps’ headquarters in Washington, D.C. There, he said, he hopes to be an advocate for all of the Corps’ districts nationwide.
“I feel that this District and the great people are responsible for giving me the incredible opportunity of being the Corps’ chief of staff,” he said. “The people have taught me so much, and I will take that with me to make a positive impact on the Corps’ enterprise and help our Districts deliver our programs in civil works, military, Interagency and International Services, real estate and regulatory.”
Gibbs knows how the importance of mentors and having a good support system have played in shaping his career, and he credits his parents with instilling in him respect for others; his wife, Kim, who taught him to endure all challenges, no matter how great, with grace and dignity; and his former chief of staff – Col. Steve Hill – for giving him tough jobs to prepare him for success.
“(Hill) gave me tough jobs that I thought he could have done at the time, but as I look back, the toughest assignments he gave me in that civilian organization at the Corps headquarters prepared me for District command and enabled me to achieve the goal of commanding at the battalion, brigade and District levels,” he said. “I also remember he told me I would be a chief of staff for the Corps one day. He was preparing me for that. I didn't believe him, but that is my next job.”
And, as for additional advice he can share with Barta, Gibbs provided these words of wisdom:
- Be prepared to change leadership style when leading a District of professional civilians. Don't lead them in the same way as Soldiers;
- Engage with people and get around to see them across the District's entire area of operation. Don't sit behind a desk;
- Study hard initially and learn the policies, processes and programs. “You will never be the expert, but you must prepare yourself to make effective decisions as quickly as possible”;
- Always provide a commander's intent and an end state. The civilian workforce appreciates that; and, lastly,
- Lead with honor and humility. “It isn't about you. It is about the District's people and our vital mission.”
As for the future of the LA District, Gibbs said he hopes future leaders continue to change the culture to an organization that is more risk tolerant in streamlining processes and moving projects forward; deliver the Department of Veterans Affairs and Customs and Border Protection programs phenomenally – on time, within budget and to the highest quality; and to remain a "Best Place to Work" in order to retain and recruit talent to the high-cost living area of Southern California.
“I want the District to do what it always does and ‘knock those programs out of the park,’” he said.
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Macro-mondays
Theme Humility
Life makes me humble. The picture is of one of my boys right index-finger and represents life and the variety of it.
... indem ihr mit aller Demut und Sanftmut, mit Langmut einander in Liebe ertragt ...
Epheser 4,2
... with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love ...
Eph. 4,2
Men exist for the sake of one another. Teach them then or bear with them. - Marcus Aurelius
More Marcus Aurelius Quotes and Sayings
Picture Quotes on Humility
25 Top landmarks in the world for 2018
Original photo credit: Surprising_Shots
Zhangjiagang, Jiangsu, China
A civilian’s home in Ancient China was typically low-key but could still showcase a reserved sort of contentment or pride. Their old door was a portal to their life which could be humble and rich in different ways.
Philippians 2:1-11 (ANIV)
If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. 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 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.
DRAWING NOTES:
TIME OF DAY:
Unspecified.
LIGHTING NOTES:
Lighting for this scene comes from the heavenly figure of God on the right of the scene.
CHARACTERS PRESENT:
The two main figures are both Jesus. On the left we see him hanging on the cross & on the right we see him ascended into heaven & glowing with divine light. There are many worshipping figures around this figures feet.
RESEARCH/ADDITIONAL NOTES:
I once heard a preacher talking about this verse & he used a big “V” for victory to describe this scriptural text. The preacher pointed out that Jesus has 2 natures: that of God & that of man. Jesus was eternally in heaven having all the attributes of God, but then gave up his rightful position of honour in heaven in order to become a man & live amongst his creation. In so doing we have a supreme example of sinless perfection in Jesus the Christ. But Jesus went further, his mission was not simply to live amongst us, it was always to die for us, in our place, & so atone for our sinfulness & take our sins upon his own body. Only then could that sinless man take away our sins, once & for all, & thereby gain for us a complete salvation, opening up our own pathway back to the Father in heaven. It was always necessary for Jesus to die as a substitute for us, but he went even further than that: he died on a cross, which to the Jews was the worst form of capital punishment. Indeed there is a scripture which reads “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree (or cross.)” * This descent in humility is represented in the text on the left of the “V”, which is read from top to bottom (verses 5-8.)
The bottom of the “V” is the point of Jesus’ death on the cross.
Verse 9 starts with “Therefore” - referring to the previous verses 5-8; Paul now gives us the consequence of Jesus’ death on the cross: the ascending outcome of his sacrifice on our behalf, which is that his name (Jesus) is now the most powerful name in all the cosmos. “Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name...”
Following the crucifixion (the humiliation) we have Jesus’ bodily resurrection & ascension back into heaven. As a result of Christ’s personal sacrifice of his life for all mankind, God the father exalts the Son. The atonement for our sins is the greatest event in history. The sinless man dying for all mankind is the ultimate sacrifice of a loving God for His own created beings (us.) Therefore, after the cross of Jesus comes the ascension into glory & recognition of the value of the finished work of Jesus.
The text on the right of the “V” is read from the bottom to the top (verses 9-11.) The text clearly says that God the Father has given Jesus the name above every name & that all people everywhere will have to bend the knee in submission to Jesus as a result of his mission to Earth, to save everyone.
*Galatians 3:13 (ANIV)
Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree."
Why not visit my website & see all the cartoons there? www.biblecartoons.co.uk
Pietro Lorenzetti, Siena ca. 1280/85 – ca. 1348
Beata Umiltà / Selige Humilitas / Blessed Humility (1341)
Pietro Lorenzetti, der ältere Bruder von Ambrogio Lorenzetti, gilt als Nachfolger Giottos, da er den Freskenzyklus in der Unterkirche der Basilika San Francesco in Assisi ab etwa 1325 fertigstellte. Zusammen mit seinem Bruder malte er die allegorische Darstellung der Auswikungen guten und schlechten Regierung im Palazzo Pubblico, dem Rathaus von Siena. Da nach 1348 Nachrichten über die Brüder Lorenzetti fehlen, ist anzunehmen, dass sie der Pestepidemie von 1348 zum Opfer fielen.
Diese Tafel gehört zum Polyptychon der seligen Humiltas aus der Kirche San Giovanni Evangelista in Florenz. Beeinflusst von der Kunst Giottos stellte Pietro Lorenzetti die selige Humilitas und elf lebendige Szenen aus ihrem Leben dar.
Text aus www.heiligenlexikon.de:
Rosanna, die eigentlich in einen Orden eintreten wollte, heiratete 1241 ihren Mann Ugolotto Negusanti. Als der an einer Geschlechtskrankheit erkrankte, traten beide nach neun Ehejahren in das Doppelkloster S. Perpetua in Faënza ein. 1252 wurde Rosanna Reklusin am Vallombrosanerkloster S. Apollonare in Faënza, wo sie zwölf Jahre lebte. Auf Bitten des Ordensgenerals Plebano begann sie um 1266 mit dem Aufbau des neuen Frauenklosters S. Maria Novella alla Malta nahe Faënza und wurde dort Äbtissin. 1282 wurde sie Äbtissin des von ihr gegründeten Klosters S. Giovanni Evangelista bei Florenz. Humilitas verfasste einige mystische Lobgesänge und Predigten. Humilitas' Lebensgeschichte wurde vor 1332 verfasst. Ihre Gebeine lagen seit 1584 im Kloster San Salvi in Florenz, inzwischen sind sie im Kloster San Spirito im Stadtteil Varlungo in Florenz.
O God, through our Love for You that we become a True family.
We do not see each other through how we physically look, age, intelligence, skills or wealth –
But through God’s Divine Grace to see with our Heart –
Through Holy Virtues of Humility, Love, Generosity, Forbearance, Forgiveness, Peace and Joy.
That everyone has a Spirit to be saved through our Love.
And that through our Love for God that everyone’s Spirit becomes Holy and pure.
To see beyond what our eyes could see,
But the Spirituality of everyone to understand what Love is all about.
Amen.
This is Sandy the Dog. She is deaf. When in life....you think your situation is bad...just imagine what others are going through and be grateful.
Humility after shooting training in the professional biathlon shooting hall. I won't be swearing any more if our biathletes don't hit all the targets at the next World Cup: Now I know how damn long 50m distances can be
All Saints, Bingley, West Yorkshire.
East Window, 1890 - detail.
Charity - Purity - Love - Truth - Humility.
Designed by Henry Holiday (1839-1927).
Made by James Powell & Sons.
Henry George Alexander Holiday entered the Royal Academy Schools at the age of 15 and was soon drawn to the ideas, and the artists, of the Pre-Raphaelite movement. He succeeded Edward Burne-Jones as the chief designer for the stained glass firm James Powell & Sons in 1863 and his style had a long-lasting effect on their production into the 1920s. Some of his windows were made by Lavers & Barraud and Heaton, Butler & Bayne, and after eventually ending his association with Powells, he established his own workshop in 1890. From about 1900 he even made his own glass at the workshop. His later work was made at the Glass House, Fulham.
Henry Holiday also worked as a painter, illustrator and sculptor, and his broad range of interests led to involvement in the campaign for Irish Home Rule, women's suffrage and dress reform.
Life is a long lesson in humility.
— John M. Barrie
Typeface: Futura
Merchandise available: www.redbubble.com/shop/ap/135045055
Of the eight great virtues, humility is most important for growth in every person and to perfect a saint. How can we be considered human or dignified even realistic and saintly without some embarrasment in our lives? I sure never made it to today without some form of extreme humility! Try not to of yourself lesser but equal to all, humility is to not proclaim anything but to know your place. A servant is humiliated by being seen as a lesser who serves a higher, they embarrass themselves if someone of normal or greater status happens to notice them! To be caught off-guard doing something rather dumb or otherwise >.< is embarrasing but must be accepted for us to grow!
1If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose.
-Philippians 2:1-2 (NIV)
PRAYERS & NOVENA TO ST MARTIN DE PORRES
PRAYER
Most humble Martin de Porres, whose burning charity embraced not only thy needy brethren, but also the very animals of the field, splendid example of charity, we hail and invoke thee! From that high throne which thou dost occupy, deign to listen to the supplications of thy needy brethren that, by imitating thy virtues, we may live contented in that state in which God has placed us, and, carrying our cross with strength and courage, we may follow in the footsteps of our Blessed Redeemer and His most afflicted Mother, to reach at last the Kingdom of Heaven through the merits of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
PRAYER FOR HUMILITY - AFTER THE EXAMPLE OF
ST MARTIN DE PORRES
O God, Who hast given us in Thy Humble Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, the model of all virtue and perfection, grant to us the virtue of humility. We think so little of Thee because we are so full of self. We cannot love Thee more until humility shows us our own nothingness and makes us rejoice in our complete dependence upon Thee.
Thou hast given to the world a glorious apostle of humility, St Martin de Porres. Guide us by his example and strengthen us through his intercessions in our efforts to conform our hearts to the humble Heart of Thy Crucified Son.
Renew, O Lord, in these days, when pride and forgetfulness of Thee are so widespread, the wonders which Thou didst perform through Thy humble servant, Martin de Porres, during his lifetime. We pray that all the world may know of St Martin and of the surpassing value of the virtue of humility. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.
PRAYER - TO BE SAID BY THOSE IN DISTRESS
In this pain and sadness which weighs me down and for which I can find no human support, I turn to you, St Martin. Be my friend and my protector and intercede for me with our merciful Father in heaven. Ask that my sins be forgiven and that I may be freed from the evils which burden and distract me. Give me your spirit of sacrifice that I may welcome whatever God sends me for love of Him who makes all things a means of holiness.
O Heavenly Father, in the name of your Son and of His Blessed Mother, and by the merits of your faithful servant Martin, help me in my great trouble and do not forsake me. Amen.
PRAYER
Well done, thou good and faithful servant; because thou hast been faithful over few things, I will make thee ruler over many things, saith the Lord.
Pray for us, St Martin de Porres.
That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Let us pray. O God, the exalter of the humble, Who didst make St Martin, Thy confessor, to enter the heavenly kingdom, grant through his merits and intercession, that we may so follow the example of his humility on earth as to deserve to be exalted with him in heaven. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
INVOCATION TO ST MARTIN DE PORRES
(Invocation to be said when applying the St Martin relic, picture or medal to the sick, or when held in the hand by those who are in need.)
In the name of the Most Holy Trinity,
In the name of Jesus Christ, the Son of God,
In the name of Mary, Queen of Heaven,
In the name of Joseph, Patron of the Universal Church,
St Martin, cure (help) me (him, her)
For the honour and glory of God
And the salvation of souls.
NOVENA TO ST MARTIN DE PORRES
FIRST DAY - ST MARTIN'S HUMILITY
St Martin imitated our Lord, Who was meek and humble of heart. There was no pride or vanity in his soul. He knew that God is our Creator and that we are but His creatures. He understood that God loves us as children and only wants us to be happy. So he submitted entirely to the Holy Will of God. Let us all imitate St Martin by humbly doing the Will of God in all things.
Let us pray. O humble St Martin, ask our Lord to give us the grace of true humility that we may not be puffed up with foolish pride, but may be contented with the gifts that God gives us. Obtain for us the light of the Holy Ghost that we may understand, as you did, that pride is a deceit of the devil and that only by doing the Will of God can we be truly happy. Amen.
Say one Our Father, ten Hail Marys & one Glory Be.
SECOND DAY - ST MARTIN'S LOVE OF GOD
St Martin’s whole soul was filled with God’s love. He knew that Almighty God sent His Only Son into the world to suffer and die on the Cross for our sins. His heart was stirred with deep affection for so loving a Redeemer, and his whole life gives evidence of his sincere gratitude. May we, too, learn to love our Saviour more and more and show our love by our good works.
Let us pray. O St Martin, why are our hearts so cold and lacking in love for the Son of God, Who became a little Child for our salvation? Why are we so slow to love One Who loved us so much that He gave His life for mankind? Ask God to make us realise that the only way to happiness is by loving and serving Him with all our hearts and souls. Amen.
Say one Our Father, ten Hail Marys & one Glory Be.
THIRD DAY - ST MARTIN'S LOVE OF THE POOR
St Martin was called “the Father of the Poor”. He saw in the poor, the sick and the dying the children of God, and he helped them in a thousand practical ways. He studied medicine so that he might know how to cure the sick. Every day he distributed alms to the poor. He built an orphanage for children. Let us imitate the charity of St Martin that God may bless us as He blessed him.
Let us pray. Dear St Martin, teach us to be generous with the gifts that God has given us. Make us sympathetic towards those who are suffering and afflicted. Pray to our Redeemer and to Our Lady of Mercy that our hearts may not be hardened by sin and selfishness, but that we may always be kind and generous to our neighbours because they are the children of our Heavenly Father. Amen.
Say one Our Father, ten Hail Marys & one Glory Be.
FOURTH DAY - ST MARTIN'S FAITH
St Martin had a lively faith in all the teachings of the Catholic Church because he knew that it was founded by Jesus Christ, the Son of God, Who can neither deceive nor be deceived. God rewarded St Martin’s humble faith by enlightening his mind that he might believe the mysteries of our Holy Religion. May God give us the grace always to believe the truths which He has revealed.
Let us pray. O glorious St Martin, we need strong faith in God and His Holy Church, especially in these days when so many people have turned against religion. Bring to a knowledge and love of the true Church the non-Catholic members of your race that they may find the way to salvation and happiness. Ask God to make us faithful soldiers of Jesus Christ in life and in death. Amen.
Say one Our Father, ten Hail Marys & one Glory Be.
FIFTH DAY - ST MARTIN'S CONFIDENCE IN GOD
St Martin firmly relied on the goodness and promises of God. He hoped through the grace of God, and the merits of Jesus Christ one day to obtain an eternal reward. We know that St Martin’s trust in God was not in vain. We, too, are confident that God will forgive us our sins if we are truly sorry and that He will give us everlasting life if we serve Him faithfully by obeying His commandments.
Let us pray. St Martin, help us to have a great trust in Almighty God. Make us understand that He is One Friend who will never desert us as long as we are true to Him. Keep us from foolishly presuming that we will be saved without doing our part, but keep us also from despair, which forgets the mercy of God. Ask the Child Jesus to increase in our hearts faith, hope, and charity. Amen.
Say one Our Father, ten Hail Marys & one Glory Be.
SIXTH DAY - ST MARTIN'S DEVOTION TO PRAYER
St Martin kept his mind and heart always lifted up to the Creator of all things. His prayer came from the depths of his soul. He constantly turned to God to adore Him, to thank Him, and to ask Him for help. St Martin prayed with humility and perseverance, and God was pleased to answer his prayers in miraculous ways. He will pray for us before the Throne of God in Heaven.
Let us pray. St Martin, help us to realise that Christ meant what He said when He promised: “Ask, and it shall be given you: seek, and you shall find.” Make us faithful in attending Holy Mass and other devotions. Remind us to say our daily prayers to obtain the blessing of God. Ask the Queen of the Most Holy Rosary to obtain for us a share of the treasures of the Holy Rosary. Amen.
Say one Our Father, ten Hail Marys & one Glory Be.
SEVENTH DAY - ST MARTIN'S SPIRIT OF PENANCE
St Martin was a brave man. He was not afraid of hard work. He did not weakly seek for comforts as we often do. Even though he laboured so hard, he was glad to do severe penances for his sins and for the salvation of souls. If so holy a man did penances, how much more should we, who have seriously offended Almighty God by our sinfulness!
Let us pray. St Martin, from you we learn how to be courageous and valiant. From your life we learn to avoid idleness and self-seeking. Give us some of that spirit of penance which you had, so that we may be brave in the struggle with temptation. Ask Jesus Crucified to give us the grace to fight the good fight for victory. Amen.
Say one Our Father, ten Hail Marys & one Glory Be.
EIGHTH DAY - ST MARTIN'S REWARD
St Martin died a holy and peaceful death. He had spent his life in doing good as a humble Lay-Brother of the Dominican Order. But he that humbleth himself shall be exalted. Soon his heroic life became widely known, and Pope John XXIII solemnly proclaimed Martin de Porres a Saint of God. Let us rejoice that we have such a noble brother among the Saints of God in Heaven!
Let us pray. Dear St Martin, you have been raised up by Almighty God to show us the way to our true home. You have given us the good example and the encouragement that we need. We know from your life that to win the reward of glory we have but to love and serve the Best of Masters. May we ever be humble that we, too, may be exulted unto everlasting life. Amen.
Say one Our Father, ten Hail Marys & one Glory Be.
NINTH DAY - ST MARTIN'S MIRACLES
St Martin performed many miracles during his life and after his holy death. We can go to him with confidence for he will grant our petitions if they are for the good of our souls. His heart is very big, and he loves to help us, he is kind in every way. We have only to tell him our troubles and to ask him to help us. If we do our part we can be sure that our dear friend St Martin will do his.
Let us pray. O Lord Jesus Christ, Who didst inflame the heart of St Martin with an ardent love of the poor and Who didst teach him the wonderful joy of true humility and the wisdom of accepting God’s Holy Will, grant that, like him, we may be ever truly humble of heart and full of Christ-like love for suffering humanity. Deign, we beseech Thee, that, by imitating the holy life and enjoying the powerful help of this saintly Negro, the whole world may be drawn nearer to Thee, the Saviour of the human race. Who livest and reignest, with God the Father, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen.
Say one Our Father, ten Hail Marys & one Glory Be.
From the August 2016 return trip to Siem Reap and the Angkor complex:
I love the Angkor complex, Siem Reap, and the Cambodian people so much that I returned again for about a week to photograph as much of the “non-major” sites as I could. Some of them are slightly far from Angkor Wat (by that, I mean to say more than 10 kilometers away), and usually require a little more money to get to. Also, some of the sites (Beng Mealea, Phnom Kulen) are not included in the Angkor ticket price and have an additional admission fee.
I don’t know if there’s a set number of how many sites belong in the Angkor complex, though I’m sure it would vary. (Do you only count the major sites like Angkor Wat, Bayon, Ta Prohm? Do you add the sites that aren’t included in the standard “Angkor Pass,” but are clearly of the same era? Do you include sites that aren’t even named (as are one of the sites in this series)? All in all, I’ll put a very rough number at…50 sites in the Siem Reap area, and that includes the sites that are about 100 km away. Of those, I would say I’ve been to all but 5-10 now. All are included here with the exception, obviously, of the sites that I didn’t visit. (Off the top of my head, I can say they include Koh Ker & that respective group, which is about 120 km ENE of Siem Reap; Phnom Krom, one of the three “mountains” with temples; Ta Prohm Kel; and Mangalartha.)
In practical terms, I’m afraid that with the volume of shooting (about 1,500 frames in the past 7 days), photos will start to look redundant to those who don’t have the same interest in ancient/historical architecture or Angkor as I do. That being said, there are a few things besides temples here. The Old Market area (now Night Market/Pub Street) is represented – a little – and Phnom Kulen has a pretty nice waterfall which is also in this series. Also, I tried to catch a few people in here, though didn’t get as many as I would’ve liked.
I had my friend Mao (tuktuk driver) take me around for 5 of these 7 days this time around. As I mentioned last time, he may cost a little more than what you can arrange through a hotel/guesthouse, but he’s well worth the money (and, in the grand scheme of things, not too expensive; I paid less than $200 for the five days, two of which were “long” trips). He loves his country and heritage, he knows what he’s showing you, he’s flexible, he gives you enough ice water to keep you hydrated, and he’s just a good guy. (He even bought me a birthday cake for cryin’ out loud…) Anyway, I highly recommend Mao. You can find him here: www.facebook.com/mao.khvan (or on Trip Advisor: www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g297390-d10726821-R... )
Now that shameless plugs and other assorted rhetoric are out of the way, it’s time to get on to the temples, ruins, and other miscellany.
The fifth day (and last time I’ll see Mao unless I go back to Siem Reap again) started just the same as my birthday. Chhiengmai brought me a ham & cheese omelette at the hotel, then Mao picked me up and off we went.
Following the same route to Banteay Kdei, we took a right and headed out on the grand loop. The first stop was at Pre Rup, which I’d seen in May, but wanted to photograph again this time around. I love the May shots because it’s in afternoon light, so there are some nice silhouette shots in there. This time, however, was early morning. We didn’t shoot as extensively as we did in May; only staying on the eastern side of the temple and not ascending it. Still, it’s a rather striking temple and worth seeing, even with the restoration that looks as if it hasn’t been touched since May – and didn’t look like it was being touched then, either.
Pre Rup is on the southeast corner of the Grand Loop. From there, continue north. Right before you reach East Mebon is a road going east. (This is the road that would lead you to Banteay Samré if taken straight, or Banteay Srei, Phnom Kulen, and Kbal Spean, if you turn left at the first intersection about 1 kilometer east from here.)
Our second destination, though, was Phnom Bok. To reach here, continue east on the aforementioned road – pass Banteay Samré – taking the first left, then continuing north about 5-10 minutes. All in all, it’s about 20 minutes from the Grand Loop road.
Having seen snow-capped mountains enough in my life, I chuckle to call these mountains instead of hills. However, Angkor is in a large plain, as you can see in these pictures, so any hill looks like a mountain. In the same breath, these aren’t baby hills.
Mao’s wife and daughter stayed with the tuktuk while we went clambering up the hill. I was giving Mao a good ribbing about him not being my friend for making me climb a mountain in tropical heat, but it really wasn’t too bad. He said, “there are only 100 stairs to the top!” I laughed and said there’s no way that’s a mountain then. We walked up a hill for about five minutes before getting to the bottom of the staircase on the south side of the mountain that goes to the summit. He still insisted it was only 100 steps. I counted, just for fun. Turns out, there are 626 steps, give or take one, to the top of the hill and, even when you get to the top, you still have to climb up…a little farther.
As I mentioned, though, it wasn’t a bad climb. The first 400 or so steps are forested, so you’re in shade, though it’s hot and humid. After that, the views of the surrounding plains open up which are quite nice. Mostly, you can see to the south or southeast. I couldn’t see any of the main temples which would be southwest from here. (I couldn’t see them from the peak when looking southwest, though, either…)
At the top of Phnom Bok, there’s a little shelter/rest area where you can sit and buy ice cold drinks. There’s a new Hindu temple up there, and also the ruins of an Angkor-era temple. Sadly, there are also remnants of the Khmer Rouge era, too; machine gun mounts and the like, surrounding the temple.
After 30-45 minutes on the mountaintop, we went back down and I was glad to have a rest in the tuktuk while we made our way back to the Grand Loop. It was a good chance to rest up and enjoy the scenery (in addition to waving like a fool at every passerby as I’m wont to do).
Upon returning to the Grand Loop road, we made a quick right heading north for about 200 meters to the East Mebon. In May, we stopped here, but didn’t do anything other than climb the main stairs, take a few shots, and head off to lunch. (We were tired by that point.)
Because of that, I told Mao I wanted to take time to extensively go around the East Mebon. It’s a surprisingly nice temple mount. (I don’t know how the West Mebon compares; unlike this one, there is still water in the west baray, and I didn’t go out there.) All told, Mao and I wandered our separate ways here for about half an hour or so. I got back to the tuktuk right before one of the daily summer downpours. Mao was stuck out in the rain, but had my backpack, P&S, and umbrella, so was fine.
After a 5-10 minute rest, a Coke and a smile later, the four of us went back on our way around the Grand Loop continuing clockwise. We bypassed Ta Som (which I’d shot well enough in May) and stopped for a very quick shoot at Prasat Krol Ko. This is a very small temple built in the late 12th and early 13th century by Jayavarman VII. It looks like many of the other temples, so most don’t stop here as it’s not terribly interesting. It’s a temple surrounded by two concentric enclosures, in the Bayon style, and rather small. However, it’s near Neak Pean and Preah Khan, so there’s no reason not to stop. This is a Hindu (I believe) temple, as it’s named/dedicated to a cow. I enjoyed it.
The next stop – Neak Pean – was less than two minutes down the road. (Again, no reason not to stop at both. Neak Pean (sometimes spelled “Neak Poan” and pronounced “neek poh-an”) is architecturally different than most of the other sites, as is the setting. Neak Pean is a cruciform arrangement of ponds that centers on a sanctuary tower on a circular island in the middle. Currently, access is limited and you can’t go all the way around it. You approach from the north over a boardwalk – this crosses over the Jayatataka baray, which offers some nice panoramic views of Phnom Bok about 5 kilometers to the east – and finally arrive at the north end of the monument. You can walk around either side to the eastern and western corners, but can go no farther. There are (were) four different sculpted animals on each of the four small ponds around the sanctuary. Eavesdropping a tour guide, he said the four ponds represent earth, air, fire, and water. I had read somewhere what the four animals were, but can’t seem to find that information now. I was very pleased with this stop, too, mainly because it offered a little variety.
After the nice stroll over the boardwalk back to the tuktuk, we continued heading west. At the turn off for Preah Khan (which I skipped this time since we spent a bit of time here in May), there are also two other nearby, rarely visited temples: Banteay Prei and Prasat Prei. These are immediately north of Preah Khan on the outside of the Loop road. Preah Khan is about 200 meters south on the inside of the loop. Neither of these two temples are listed in either LP Cambodia or my Ancient Angkor guidebook, so I unfortunately can’t tell you a thing about them, but would venture to say they were probably built by Jayavarman VII…but, that’s pure conjecture. They were both rather nice to see, and in a fair state of decomposition, so it lent to nice photography. As they are so close to Preah Khan, again…I don’t see why you wouldn’t visit here. You can see both temples in about 20 minutes without going out of your way to do so.
The next stop on today’s private tour is Krol Romeas. This is a very unassuming structure that is less than five minutes outside the North Gate of Angkor Thom. I’m a little confused about what “romeas” means. At first Mao’s wife told me it meant sheep. Then I believe she said it meant hippopotamus. Either way, this structure was an animal pen for one of those. Given the size and depth, I’ll say hippo enclosure is probably correct. Currently, it’s just a very nice setting in the forest. It’s a round enclosure about 20 meters in diameter, just east of the Grand Loop road.
After Krol Romeas, our next stops were the remaining (for me) gates of Angkor Thom: first, the North Gate for a very quick shoot, then down to Bayon and due west on a relaxing, rarely traveled road to the West Gate. The West Gate is supposed to be the one in the most pristine (unrestored) state, though I thought it looked fine. The setting was good.
By this time, it was getting to be early afternoon, probably around 4:00. The next – and last – stop of the day was south of town, away from the majority of Angkor sites. Going south from the Night Market area of Siem Reap along the river, there are two sites of interest: The main one Is the third of the “major” hills – Phnom Krom. This is supposed to be a nice place to see the sunset. However, from having climbed Phnom Bok earlier in the day, I wasn’t inclined to go here, though it was on my original “wish list” that I gave to Mao. Instead, we just went to the other temple in the area: Wat Athvea (sometimes also written Athwea). This is a very tranquil temple and is great in the late afternoon. It’s attached to a functioning monastery, but isn’t noisy. There is a pagoda built on the site of an ancient temple here. What you see here is a 12th century Hindu temple. There is a cemetery adjacent, but that’s not included in this set.
Upon finishing for the day, Mao dropped me back off at my guesthouse. This would be the last time I saw Mao on this trip, though his wife and daughter insisted on taking me to the airport on Tuesday, so I would see them one more time. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. Mao’s a good man (Cambodian Mao, that is…)
As always, I hope you enjoy this set. I appreciate you taking time to look. If you have any questions, please feel free to send me a message or leave it via comment.