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The LORD of PARDON Devotion
RECEPTION PRAYER TO THE LORD OF PARDON [i]
The Sign of The Cross: In the name of The Father, and of The Son and of The Holy Ghost. Amen.
1. Purification Prayer of St. Mary Magdalen de Pazzi [ii]
ALMIGHTY FATHER, we place the Precious Blood of Jesus before our lips, before we pray that all our prayers may be purified before they ascend to Thy divine altar.
2. Welcome Prayer [iii]
O LORD, OUR GOD, our All, we welcome You into our humble dwelling. We thank You, we honor You and we praise You for Your Infinite humility; because You have deigned to bless our earthly dwelling with Your Divine and Majestic Presence, though we are full of unworthiness and our humble dwelling is inadequate for Your glory.
BLESS OUR family and our home, O Lord, that we may be worthy of Your Love and Your Divine Presence. May our home be a true nest of Your Divine Love not only for the next seven days of Your visit but for the rest of our pilgrimage on this earth. Grant that we may make Your stay in our home very pleasurable.
LORD, WE are Yours and we humbly pray that You will take care of us as Your true possession, now and forever. Amen.
3. Prayer for All of Humanity (From the Beginning to the End of the World) [iv]
O THOU MOST BELOVED, Most Merciful Lord Jesus Christ, into Thy Holy Almighty Hands we commend ourselves for all eternity, as well as in the Heart of the Most High God of the Eternal Trinity! We take refuge in the deep Wounds of Thy Most Holy Body. May Thy Most Holy Body nourish us, Thy Most Precious shed Blood, Fear and Suffering purify us of all our sins and vices! Oh, Our Dear Lord God, we humbly offer Thy Great Fear and Need to Thy Heavenly Father in expiation for all our sins and debts! May the terrible blows Thou didst endure plead for us! May Thy most painful scourging cover our great guilt! We offer All Thine injustices, deep wounds, great pains and sighs to Thy Heavenly Father for all our neglects. May Thy Great Love, Oh Dearest Jesus, reconcile us with Thy Divine Justice and with Thee! Oh, Most Merciful Jesus, may Thy Faultless Judgment be for us the forgiveness of all our sins, known and unknown; may Thy Holy Footsteps in so much Misery lead and guide us in the way of Thy Divine Justice; may Thy Shameful Denuding make us pure in body and sanctify our souls! May Thy Bitter Agony, Thy Holy Wounds shield us from our visible and invisible enemies! May Thy Pierced Hands and Feet lead us to All Good. Oh Dearest Lord, place us and hide us in Thy Five Most Holy Wounds! Forget not our poor souls for which Thou didst so agonizingly trembled on the stem of the Holy Cross! For the sake of all the Martyrdom Thou didst suffer, reconcile us with Thy Divine Justice! May Thy Most Holy and Bitter Death protect us, and lead us to Eternal Salvation! May Thy Most Blessed Power and Divine Omnipotence drive away and keep away from us every evil of body and soul! May Thy Most Holy Wounds, Dearest Jesus, bless and protect us in our death agony from all power of the infernal enemy! At the hour of our death, may Thy Most Precious Blood erase all our sins before our Beloved Heavenly Father, and let die in us all inclination to sin! May Thy Most Precious Blood lead us to all Angels and Saints! We commend and place all our suffering friends and enemies and all deceased persons to and into Thy most Loyal Redeemer’s Heart! Oh, Dearest Jesus, give to us all Thine Infinite Merits, the Power and the Blessing of Thy Most Bitter Passion and Death! Oh, Eternal Divinity, Oh, True Humanity of Jesus, Oh, Most Blessed Trinity, protect us now, according to Thy Divine desire and forever! Oh, Almighty and Immortal God, have mercy on us all! Amen. (It is highly recommended that this prayer be kept in one’s home and said daily.)
4. The ‘Constant’ Prayer of St. Catherine of Siena [v]
Precious Blood, Ocean of Divine Mercy: Flow upon us!
Precious Blood, Most Pure Offering: Procure Us Every Grace!
Precious Blood, Hope and Refuge of Sinners: Atone for Us!
Precious Blood, Delight of Holy Souls: Draw Us! Amen.
5. An Offering of The Holy Wounds and The Precious Blood [vi]
ETERNAL FATHER, we offer You the Holy Wounds of Your Son, and His Precious Blood, for the conversion of sinners and for the relief of the souls in Purgatory.
ETERNAL FATHER, we offer Thee the Most Precious Blood of Jesus Christ in atonement for our sins, and in supplication for the souls in Purgatory and for the needs of the Holy Church. – The Raccolta
6. Invocations
O God the Father, Omnipotent and Merciful Creator, Who has so much love and mercy for such miserable creatures like us; Have mercy on us, save us from hell, and protect us from all evil. (3X)
O Jesus Christ, The Lord of Pardon, Have mercy on us and forgive us our sins. (3X)
O Most Precious Blood of Jesus, Save and protect us from all that is evil. (3X)
O Holy Ghost, Paraclete and Comforter of All Mankind, Have Mercy on Us (3X)
Immaculate Hear of Mary, Pray for us, now and at the hour of our
death. Amen.
O Mary, Mother of Sorrows, Pray for Us
O Mother of the Sorrowful Heart, Pray for Us.
Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary, Pray for Us
O Mary, Conceived without sin, Pray for Us who have recourse to Thee.
Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, Pray for Us
Our Lady of Fatima, Pray for Us
Today/Tonight, we protect ourselves with the shield of the Imma-culate Conception!
THE SEVEN-DAY DEVOTION TO THE LORD OF PARDON
OPENING PRAYERS FOR EACH DAY
The Sign of The Cross: In the name of The Father +, and of The Son and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.
1. Purification Prayer of St. Mary Magdalen de Pazzi
ALMIGHTY FATHER, we place the Precious Blood of Jesus before our lips, before we pray that all our prayers may be purified before they ascend to Thy divine altar.
2. Come, Holy Ghost
COME HOLY GHOST, fill the hearts of Thy faithful
And kindle in them the fire of Thy Divine Love.
V. Send forth Thy Spirit and they shall be created,
R. And Thou shalt renew the face of the earth.
Let Us Pray
O GOD, Who has taught the hearts of the faithful by the light of the Holy Ghost, grant that by the gift of the same Spirit, we may always be truly wise and ever rejoice in His consolation. Grant this through Christ, Our Lord. Amen.
(The following hymn may be sung in place of the above prayer.)
VENI CREATOR SPIRITUS
Come Holy Ghost, Creator blest O, Comforter, to Thee we cry
And in our hearts take up Thy Rest Thou heavenly gift of God, Most High
Come with Thy grace, and heavenly aid O Fount of Life and Fire of Love
To fill our hearts which Thou has made And Sweet Anointing from above
To fill our hearts which Thou has made. And Sweet Anointing from above.
3. Divine Will Prayer [1]
THROUGH THE Immaculate Heart of Mary, I enter today/tonight into the Holy Will of God and pray – Come Divine will to pray in my prayer, in my name (and the name of those whom we pray for daily) and the name of all souls, for the love, honor and (greater) glory of God, Our Father, in reparation for all sins and for the salvation of souls. Amen.
4. To Obtain Love of Prayer [2]
O, LORD JESUS CHRIST, for the sake of Thy sufferings, grant to us, (and to all those whom we pray for daily,) such faith, hope, charity, sorrow for sins and love of prayer, that will help sanctify and save our souls.
5. To Learn the Science of Salvation [3]
JESUS, EXTEND to us in the light, in Thine infinite knowledge, the power through the light, to understand the task that lies ahead for all of us, who wish to be saved. Amen.
6. Act of Contrition
O MY GOD, I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee. And I confess all my sins, because I dread the loss of heaven and the pains of hell. But most all, because I love Thee, my God, Who art all good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve with the help of Thy grace, to confess my sins, to do penance and to amend my life. Amen.
7. Daily Prayer [4]
O GOD, Who for the redemption of the world didst vouchsafe to be born among men, rejected by the Jews, betrayed with a kiss by the traitor Judas, bound with cords, to be led as an innocent lamb to the slaughter, to be treated with indignity, accused by false witnesses, afflicted with scourges and reproaches, to be spit upon, crowned with thorns, beaten with blows, struck with a reed, to have Your face veiled, to be stripped of Your garments, to be nailed to the cross and raised high thereon, to be ranked among thieves, to be offered gall and vinegar to drink, and to be pierced with a lance.
O LORD, by these Your most holy pains, which I, though unworthy, now call to mind, and by Your Holy cross
and death, deliver us from the pains of hell and take us where You took the good thief who was crucified with You, Who with The Father and The Holy Ghost, livest and reignest forever and ever. Amen.
8. Hymns
O SACRED HEART
O Sacred Heart! O Love Divine! Ref: Heart of Jesus, Hear!
Do keep us near to Thee. O Heart of Love Divine!
And make our hearts so like to Thine Listen to Our Prayer!
That we may holy be Make us always Thine.
HAIL MARY
Hail! Mary, Full of Grace! Holy Mary, Mother of God,
The Lord is with Thee! Pray for us, sinners,
Blessed art Thou amongst women! Now, and at the hour --
And blessed is the Fruit Of Thy Womb, Jesus! Of our death. Amen.
9. Prayers before The Rosary
THE LAST VISION OF FATIMA PRAYER [5]
O Queen of the most holy rosary, Thou hast deigned to come to Fatima to reveal to the three shepherd children the treasures of grace hidden in the rosary. Inspire our hearts with a sincere love for this devotion, that by meditating upon the mysteries of our redemption which are recalled in it, we may be enriched. With its fruits, obtain peace for the world, the conversion of sinners and of Russia, (the remission of the temporal punishment of the poor souls in Purgatory, the triumph of Your Son’s church over the gates of hell) and the favor which we ask of you in this rosary. (MAKE YOUR REQUEST.) We ask it for the greater glory of God, for your own honor, and for the good of souls, including our own. Amen.
ST. LOUIS DE MONFORT’S PRAYER [6]
WE UNITE ourselves with all the Saints in heaven, and with all the just on earth; we unite ourselves with Thee, Our Jesus, in order to praise Your holy Mother worthily and to praise You in her and by her. We renounce all the distractions that may have during this rosary which we wish to say with modesty, attention and devotion just as if it were to be the last one of our lives. Amen.
WE OFFER to Thee, O Most Holy Trinity this creed – in honor of the mysteries of our faith; this Our Father and these three Hail Marys – in honor of the Unity of Thy Essence and the Trinity of Thy Persons.
WE ASK of Thee a lively faith, a firm hope and an ardent charity. Amen.
10. The Proper of The Most Holy Rosary
THE APOSTLE’S CREED
I BELIEVE in God, the Father the Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ His Only Son, Our Lord, Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Blessed Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell, the third day He arose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sitteth at the right hand of God, The Father Almighty. From thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in The Holy Ghost, the holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body and life everlasting. Amen.
THE PATER
Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy Name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. Amen.
THE AVE
HAIL MARY! Full of grace! The Lord is with Thee! Blessed art Thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of Thy womb, Jesus! Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now, and at the hour of our death. Amen.
THE GLORIA
GLORY BE to The Father, and to The Son and to The Holy Ghost! As it was in the beginning, now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
THE ANGEL of FATIMA PRAYER *
MY GOD, I believe, I adore, I trust and I love Thee, and I beg pardon for all those who do not believe, do not adore, do not trust and do not love Thee.
O MY JESUS, forgive us our sins. Save us from the fires of hell, and lead all souls into heaven, especially those who most need of Thy mercy.
PEACE PRAYER
O MOST SWEET Heart of Jesus, lead us unto salvation. Grant peace to the entire world, specially the United States/Philippines/(Name Your Country). Bring back to You all sinners and grant that they may find the path that leads to you.
IMMACULATE HEART INVOCATION *
O BLESSED VIRGIN Mother protect us with your most Immaculate Heart. Amen.
PRAYER of POPE LEO XIII *
St. MICHAEL, the Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray. And do thou, O Prince of the heavenly hosts, cast into hell Satan and all the evil spirits who wander throughout the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.
THE MYSTERIES of THE HOLY ROSARY
The Joyful Mysteries (Monday and Thursday)
1. THE ANNUNCIATION (by the Archangel Gabriel to the Blessed Virgin Mary of her selection by
The Blessed Trinity as the Mother of the forthcoming Messiah)
2. THE VISITATION (of the Blessed Virgin Mary to her cousin, Elizabeth)
3. THE BIRTH of Our Lord Jesus (in the small town of Bethlehem)
4. THE PRESENTATION of Our Lord Jesus (in the temple)
5. THE FINDING of the Child Jesus (in the Temple, three days after He was found missing)
The Sorrowful Mysteries (Tuesday and Friday)
1. THE AGONY of Our Lord Jesus Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane
2. THE SCOURGING of Our Lord Jesus Christ at the Pillar
3. THE CROWNING of Our Lord Jesus Christ with the Crown of Thorns
4. THE CARRYING of the Cross by Our Lord Jesus Christ to Calvary
5. THE CRUCIFIXION and Death of Our Lord Jesus Christ on the Cross
The Glorious mysteries (Sunday, Wednesday and Saturday)
1. THE RESURRECTION of Our Lord Jesus Christ from the dead (on the third day after His
burial)
2. THE ASCENSION of Our Lord Jesus Christ (into Heaven, forty days after His resurrection)
3. THE DESCENT of The Holy Ghost (upon Our Blessed Mother and the Apostles on the 50th day
after The Ascension of Jesus)
4. THE ASSUMPTION of Our Blessed Mother (into Heaven, body and soul)
5. THE CORONATION of the Blessed Virgin Mary (as the Queen of Heaven and all of Creation)
HAIL! HOLY QUEEN!
HAIL! HOLY QUEEN! Mother of mercy, hail our life, our sweetness, and our hope. To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve. To Thee do we send up our sigh, mourning, and weeping in this valley of tears. Turn then O Most Gracious Advocate, Thine eyes of mercy towards us and after this our exile, show unto us, the Blessed Fruit of Thy womb, Jesus. O Clement, O Loving, O Sweet, Virgin Mary.
V. Pray for us O Holy Mother of God,
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Let Us Pray O GOD, Whose Only Begotten Son, by His Life, Death and Resurrection, has purchased for us the rewards of eternal life. Grant, we beseech Thee, that by meditating upon these mysteries of the most holy rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we may imitate what they contain and obtain what they promise. Through the same Christ Our Lord. Amen.
V. May the Divine Assistance remain always with us, +
R. And may the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.
11. Prayers After The Rosary
LITANY OF THE MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD
Lord, have mercy on us, Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us!
Christ, hear us, Christ graciously hear us.
God, the Father of Heaven, Have mercy on us.
God, the Son, Redeemer of the world, Have mercy on us.
God, the Holy Ghost, Have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, One God, Have mercy on us.
Blood of Christ, Only Begotten Son of The Eternal Father, Save us.
Blood of Christ, Incarnate Word of God,
Blood of Christ, of the New and Eternal Testament,
Blood of Christ, first shed in the Presentation at the temple,
Blood of Christ, falling upon the Earth in Agony in the garden of Olives,
Blood of Christ, shed profusely in the Scourging at the pillar,
Blood of Christ, flowing forth in the Crowning with thorns,
Blood of Christ, poured out on the Cross,
Blood of Christ, the price of our Salvation,
Blood of Christ, without which there is no forgiveness,
Blood of Christ, Eucharistic drink and Refreshment of souls,
Blood of Christ, stream of mercy,
Blood of Christ, victor over demons,
Blood of Christ, courage of martyrs,
Blood of Christ, strength of confessors,
Blood of Christ, bringing forth virgins,
Blood of Christ, help of those in peril,
Blood of Christ, relief of the burdened,
Blood of Christ, solace of the sorrowful,
Blood of Christ, hope of the penitent,
Blood of Christ, consolation of the dying,
Blood of Christ, peace and tenderness of hearts,
Blood of Christ, the pledge of Eternal Life,
Blood of Christ, freeing souls from Purgatory,
Blood of Christ, most worthy of all glory and honor,
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Spare us, O Lord
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Have mercy on us
V. You have redeemed us, O Lord, by Your Precious Blood,
R. And made us, for Our God, a kingdom.
Let Us Pray
OMNIPOTENT and Eternal God, You have chosen Your Only Begotten Son to be the Redeemer of the world and You have been appeased by the shedding of His Most Precious Blood. Grant, we humbly pray, that we may always cherish the value of our redemption and forget not the grief You and our Blessed Virgin Mother have to bear in the suffering and death of Your Dearly Beloved Son. Through His Precious Blood and the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, may we be delivered from all evil in this world that we may enjoy the fruits of our redemption in Your kingdom for all eternity. Amen.
FIRST DAY
“FATHER, FORGIVE THEM, FOR THEY KNOW NOT WHAT THEY DO.” (Luke 23:34)
1. Meditation (Read pages 10 to 16 of ‘The Seven Last Words’ by Bishop Fulton J. Sheen, D.D.)
2. Prayer for All of Humanity (Turn to page 1)
3. The Old Rugged Cross/Heart of Jesus (Turn to page 8)
SECOND DAY
“AMEN, I SAY TO YOU, THIS DAY THOU SHALT BE WITH ME IN PARADISE.” (Luke 23:43)
1. Meditation (Read pages 18 to 24 of ‘The Seven Last Words’ by Bishop Fulton J. Sheen, D.D.)
2. Prayer for All of Humanity (Page 1)
3. The Old Rugged Cross/Heart of Jesus (Turn to page 8)
THIRD DAY
“WOMAN, BEHOLD THY SON.”
(After that, He said to the disciple:) “BEHOLD THY MOTHER.” (John 19:26-27)
1. Meditation (Read pages 26 to 31 of ‘The Seven Last Words’ by Bishop Fulton J. Sheen, D.D.)
2. Prayer for All of Humanity (Page 1)
3. The Old Rugged Cross/Heart of Jesus (Turn to page 8)
FOURTH DAY
“MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAST THOU FORSAKEN ME.”
(Matt. 27:46 and Mk. 15:34)
1. Meditation (Read pages 34 to 40 of ‘The Seven Last Words’ by Bishop Fulton J. Sheen, D.D.)
2. Prayer for All of Humanity (Page 1)
3. Heart of Jesus (Turn to page 8)
FIFTH DAY
“I THIRST.” (John 19:28)
1. Meditation (Read pages 42 to 47 of ‘The Seven Last Words’ by Bishop Fulton J. Sheen, D.D.)
2. Prayer for All of Humanity (Page 1)
3. Heart of Jesus (Turn to page 8)
SIXTH DAY
“IT IS CONSUMMATED.” (John 19:28)
1. Meditation (Read pages 50 to 55 of ‘The Seven Last Words’ by Bishop Fulton J. Sheen, D.D.)
2. Prayer for All of Humanity (Page 1)
3. Heart of Jesus (Turn to page 8)
SEVENTH DAY
“FATHER, INTO THY HANDS I COMMEND MY SPIRIT.” (Luke 23:46)
1. Meditation (Read pages 58 to 64 of ‘The Seven Last Words’ by Bishop Fulton J. Sheen, D.D.)
2. Prayer for All of Humanity (Page 1)
3. Heart of Jesus (Turn to page 8)
HEART of JESUS
Heart of Jesus! Meek and Mild!
Hear, O hear, Thy feeble child!
And when the tempest most severe
Heart of Jesus, hear!
(Refrain)
Sweetly we’ll rest on The Sacred Heart
Never from Thee, Oh let us part
Hear then Thy loving children’s prayer
O Heart of Jesus, Heart of Jesus, hear!
FAREWELL
(This Section to Be Used on the SEVENTH & LAST Day)
O Most Loving Father, the time has come for You to leave us and our dwelling which have been Your home for the past seven days. Words are not enough to render You praise and thanksgiving for the love that You have shown us. Our Father, You have always loved us. You have deigned to be with us even for a short time, and this Thou has done through this novena devotion to Your Son, The Lord of Pardon. We give Thee our heartfelt thanks through Our Lord Jesus Christ.
Farewell, Lord Jesus and we thank Thee for the great gifts of knowledge and understanding You have given us through Your Holy Spirit: of why You died for us and what we have to do in order that Your Passion and Death will be bear the fruits that You expect.
Farewell, O Holy Spirit and thank You for all Your gifts. Grant us also your fruits that we may live our lives in conformance and for the pleasure of Our Almighty God.
Farewell, O Queen and Delight of Heaven. We thank Thee, for all the blessings and graces you brought in to our dwelling by your constant intercession and for Your Motherly Love.
We look forward to Your next visit, O Blessed Trinity and Our Mother. We pray that we will again enjoy Your company soon, if not in this life, then, by Your compassion and forgiveness which You shower upon us with the Precious Blood of Your Dearly Beloved Son, may it be in Your kingdom. Amen.
TO JESUS’ HEART
To Jesus’ Heart all burning
With fervent love for men
My heart with fondest yearning
Shall raise its joyful strain.
Refrain
While ages course along
Blest be with loudest song
The Sacred Heart of Jesus
By every heart and tongue
Too true I have forsaken
Thy love by willful sin
Yet now let me be taken
Back by Thy grace again. (Ref)
THE OLD RUGGED CROSS
On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross, Oh, that old rugged cross, so despised by the world,
The emblem of suff’ring and shame. Has wondrous attraction for me,
And I love that old cross, where the dearest and best For, The Dear Lamb of God left His glory above,
For a world of lost sinners was slain To bear it to dark Calvary (Ref)
Refrain
So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross, In the old rugged cross, stained with blood so divine
Till my trophies at last I lay down. A wondrous beauty I see.
I will cling to the old rugged cross, For ‘twas on that old cross Jesus suffered and died,
And exchange some day for a crown. To pardon and sanctify me. (Ref)
The Fifteen Prayers
of St. Bridget of Sweden
These prayers are prayed daily, each beginning with a Pater and an Ave. Then follows a concluding prayer. There are alleged promises from Our Lord attached to these prayers, but they are problematic, inconsistent with Catholic teaching, and their publication was once forbidden. It may be that the vision wasn't properly written down, properly translated, consistently handed-down, or otherwise kept intact, but in any case, beware of any "Magnificent Promises" you may hear of in association with the following perfectly pious prayers.
First Prayer
Say one Our Father and one Hail Mary
O Jesus Christ! Eternal Sweetness to those who love Thee, joy surpassing all joy and all desire, Salvation and Hope of all sinners, Who hast proved that Thou hast no greater desire than to be among men, even assuming human nature at the fullness of time for the love of men, recall all the sufferings Thou hast endured from the instant of Thy conception, and especially during Thy Passion, as it was decreed and ordained from eternity in the Divine plan.
Remember, O Lord, that during the Last Supper with Thy disciples having washed their feet, Thou gavest them Thy Most Precious Body and Blood, and while at the same time Thou didst sweetly console them, Thou didst fortell them Thy coming Passion.
Remember the sadness and bitterness which Thou didst experience in Thy Soul as Thou Thyself bore witness saying: "My Soul is sorrowful even unto death."
Remember all the fear, anguish and pain that Thou didst suffer in Thy delicate Body before the torment of the Crucifixion, when, after having prayed three times, bathed in a sweat of blood, Thou wast betrayed by Judas, Thy disciple, arrested by the people of a nation Thou hadst chosen and elevated, accused by false witnesses, unjustly judged by three judges during the flower of Thy youth and during the solemn Paschal season.
Remember that Thou wast despoiled of Thy garments and clothed in those of derision; that Thy Face and Eyes were veiled, that Thou wast buffeted, crowned with thorns, a reed placed in Thy Hands, that Thou wast crushed with blows and overwhelmed with affronts and outrages.
In memory of all these pains and sufferings which Thou didst endure before Thy Passion on the Cross, grant me before my death true contrition, a sincere and entire confession, worthy satisfaction and the remission all my sins. Amen.
Second Prayer
Say one Our Father and one Hail Mary
O Jesus! True liberty of angels, paradise of delights, remember the horror and sadness which Thou didst endure when Thy enemies, like furious lions, surrounded Thee, and by thousands of insults, spits, blows, lacerations and other unheard-of cruelties, tormented Thee at will. In consideration of these torments and insulting words, I beseech Thee, O my Savior, to deliver me from all my enemies, visible and invisible, and to bring me, under Thy protection, to the perfection of eternal salvation. Amen.
Third Prayer
Say one Our Father and one Hail Mary
O Jesus! Creator of Heaven and earth Whom nothing can encompass or limit, Thou Who dost enfold and hold all under Thy loving power, remember the very bitter pain Thou didst suffer when the Jews nailed Thy Sacred Hands and Feet to the Cross by blow after blow with big blunt nails, and not finding Thee in a pitiable enough state to satisfy their rage, they enlarged thy Wounds, and added pain to pain, and with indescribable cruelty stretched Thy Body on the Cross, pulling Thee from all sides, thus dislocating Thy limbs.
I beg of Thee, O Jesus, by the memory of this most Loving suffering of the Cross, to grant me the grace to fear Thee and to Love Thee. Amen.
Fourth Prayer
Say one Our Father and one Hail Mary
O Jesus! Heavenly Physician, raised aloft on the Cross to heal our wounds with Thine, remember the bruises which Thou didst suffer and the weakness of all Thy Members which were distended to such a degree that never was there pain like unto Thine. From the crown of Thy Head to the Soles of Thy Feet there was not one spot on Thy Body that was not in torment, and yet, forgetting all Thy sufferings, Thou didst not cease to pray to Thy Heavenly Father for Thy enemies, saying: "Father forgive them for they know not what they do."
Through this great Mercy, and in memory of this suffering, grant that the remembrance of Thy Most Bitter Passion may effect in us a perfect contrition and the remission of all our sins. Amen.
Fifth Prayer
Say one Our Father and one Hail Mary
O Jesus! Mirror of eternal splendor, remember the sadness which Thou experienced, when contemplating in the light of Thy Divinity the predestination of those who would be saved by the merits of Thy Sacred Passion, Thou didst see at the same time, the great multitude of reprobates who would be damned for their sins, and Thou didst complain bitterly of those hopeless, lost, and unfortunate sinners.
Through this abyss of compassion and pity, and especially through the goodness which Thou displayed to the good thief when Thou saidst to him: "This day, thou shalt be with Me in Paradise." I beg of Thee, O Sweet Jesus, that at the hour of my death, Thou wilt show me mercy. Amen.
Sixth Prayer
Say one Our Father and one Hail Mary
O Jesus! Beloved and most desirable King, remember the grief Thou didst suffer, when naked and like a common criminal, Thou wast fastened and raised on the Cross, when all Thy relatives and friends abandoned Thee, except Thy Beloved Mother, who remained close to Thee during Thy agony and whom Thou didst entrust to Thy faithful disciple when Thou saidst to Mary: "Woman, behold thy son!", and to St. John: "Son, behold thy Mother!".
I beg of Thee O my Savior, by the sword of sorrow which pierced the soul of Thy holy Mother, to have compassion on me in all my afflictions and tribulations, both corporal and spiritual, and to assist me in all my trials, and especially at the hour of my death. Amen.
Seventh Prayer
Say one Our Father and one Hail Mary
O Jesus! Inexhaustible Fountain of compassion, Who by a profound gesture of Love, said from the Cross: "I thirst," suffered from the thirst for the salvation of the human race. I beg of Thee, O my Savior, to inflame in our hearts the desire to tend toward perfection in all our acts, and to extinguish in us the concupiscence of the flesh and the ardor of worldly desires. Amen.
Eighth Prayer
Say one Our Father and one Hail Mary
O Jesus! Sweetness of hearts, delight of the spirit, by the bitterness of the gall and vinegar which Thou didst taste on the Cross for Love of us, grant us the grace to receive worthily Thy Precious Body and Blood during our life and at the hour of our death, that they may serve as a remedy and consolation for our souls. Amen.
Ninth Prayer
Say one Our Father and one Hail Mary
O Jesus! Royal virtue, joy of the mind, recall the pain Thou didst endure when plunged in an ocean of bitterness at the approach of death, insulted, outraged by the Jews, Thou didst cry out in a loud voice that Thou wast abandoned by Thy Father, saying: "My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?"
Through this anguish, I beg of Thee, O my Savior, not to abandon me in the terrors and pains of my death. Amen.
Tenth Prayer
Say one Our Father and one Hail Mary
O Jesus! Who art the beginning and the end of all things, life and virtue, remember that for our sakes Thou wast plunged in an abyss of suffering from the soles of Thy Feet to the crown of Thy Head. In consideration of the enormity of Thy Wounds, teach me to keep, through pure love, Thy Commandments, whose way is wide and easy for those who love Thee. Amen.
Eleventh Prayer
Say one Our Father and one Hail Mary
O Jesus! Deep abyss of mercy, I beg of Thee, in memory of Thy Wounds which penetrated to the very marrow of Thy Bones and to the depth of Thy being, to draw me, a miserable sinner, overwhelmed by my offenses, away from sin and to hide me from Thy Face justly irritated against me; hide me in Thy Wounds, until Thy anger and just indignation shall have passed away. Amen.
Twelfth Prayer
Say one Our Father and one Hail Mary
O Jesus! Mirror of truth, symbol of unity, link of charity, remember the multitude of wounds with which Thou wast covered from head to foot, torn and reddened by the spilling of Thy adorable Blood. O great and universal pain which Thou didst suffer in Thy virginal flesh for love of us! Sweetest Jesus! What is there that Thou couldst have done for us which Thou hast not done?
May the fruit of Thy sufferings be renewed in my soul by the faithful remembrance of Thy Passion, and may Thy love increase in my heart each day until I see Thee in eternity, Thou Who art the treasury of every real good and every joy, which I beg Thee to grant me, O sweetest Jesus, in Heaven. Amen.
Thirteenth Prayer
Say one Our Father and one Hail Mary
O Jesus! Strong lion, immortal and invincible King, remember the pain Thou didst endure when all Thy strength, both moral and physical, was entirely exhausted; Thou didst bow Thy Head, saying: "It is consummated."
Through this anguish and grief, I beg of Thee Lord Jesus, to have mercy on me at the hour of my death when my mind will be greatly troubled and my soul will be in anguish. Amen.
Fourteenth Prayer
Say one Our Father and one Hail Mary
O Jesus! Only Son of the Father, splendor and figure of His Substance, remember the simple and humble recommendation Thou didst make of Thy Soul to Thy Eternal Father, saying: "Father, into Thy Hands I commend My Spirit!" And with Thy Body all torn, and Thy Heart broken, and the bowels of Thy Mercy open to redeem us, Thou didst expire.
By this Precious Death, I beg of Thee O King of Saints, to comfort me and help me to resist the devil, the flesh and the world, so that being dead to the world, I may live for Thee alone. I beg of Thee at the hour of my death to receive me, a pilgrim and an exile returning to Thee. Amen.
Fifteenth Prayer
Say one Our Father and one Hail Mary
O Jesus! True and fruitful Vine! Remember the abundant outpouring of blood which Thou didst so generously shed from Thy Sacred Body as juice from grapes in a wine press.
From Thy Side, pierced with a lance by a soldier, blood and water issued forth until there was not left in Thy Body a single drop, and finally, like a bundle of myrrh lifted to the top of the Cross, Thy delicate Flesh was destroyed, the very substance of Thy Body withered, and the marrow of Thy Bones dried up.
Through this bitter Passion, and through the outpouring of Thy Precious Blood, I beg of Thee, O Sweet Jesus, to receive my soul when I am in my death agony. Amen.
Concluding Prayer
O Sweet Jesus! Pierce my heart so that my tears of penitence and love will be my bread day and night; may I be converted entirely to Thee, may my heart be Thy perpetual habitation, may my conversation be pleasing to Thee, and may the end of my life be so praiseworthy that I may merit Heaven and there with Thy saints, praise Thee forever. Amen.
ETERNAL REST (PRAYER FOR THE DEPARTED)
01
JAN
Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace.
Amen.
V. O Lord, hear my prayer.
R. And let my cry come to you.
Let us pray:
O God, the Creator and Redeemer of all the faithful, grant to the souls of Your servants departed the remission of all their sins, that through our pious supplication they may obtain that pardon which they have always desired; who live and reign for ever and ever.
R. Amen.
water colour on paper
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The LORD of PARDON Devotion
RECEPTION PRAYER TO THE LORD OF PARDON [i]
The Sign of The Cross: In the name of The Father, and of The Son and of The Holy Ghost. Amen.
1. Purification Prayer of St. Mary Magdalen de Pazzi [ii]
ALMIGHTY FATHER, we place the Precious Blood of Jesus before our lips, before we pray that all our prayers may be purified before they ascend to Thy divine altar.
2. Welcome Prayer [iii]
O LORD, OUR GOD, our All, we welcome You into our humble dwelling. We thank You, we honor You and we praise You for Your Infinite humility; because You have deigned to bless our earthly dwelling with Your Divine and Majestic Presence, though we are full of unworthiness and our humble dwelling is inadequate for Your glory.
BLESS OUR family and our home, O Lord, that we may be worthy of Your Love and Your Divine Presence. May our home be a true nest of Your Divine Love not only for the next seven days of Your visit but for the rest of our pilgrimage on this earth. Grant that we may make Your stay in our home very pleasurable.
LORD, WE are Yours and we humbly pray that You will take care of us as Your true possession, now and forever. Amen.
3. Prayer for All of Humanity (From the Beginning to the End of the World) [iv]
O THOU MOST BELOVED, Most Merciful Lord Jesus Christ, into Thy Holy Almighty Hands we commend ourselves for all eternity, as well as in the Heart of the Most High God of the Eternal Trinity! We take refuge in the deep Wounds of Thy Most Holy Body. May Thy Most Holy Body nourish us, Thy Most Precious shed Blood, Fear and Suffering purify us of all our sins and vices! Oh, Our Dear Lord God, we humbly offer Thy Great Fear and Need to Thy Heavenly Father in expiation for all our sins and debts! May the terrible blows Thou didst endure plead for us! May Thy most painful scourging cover our great guilt! We offer All Thine injustices, deep wounds, great pains and sighs to Thy Heavenly Father for all our neglects. May Thy Great Love, Oh Dearest Jesus, reconcile us with Thy Divine Justice and with Thee! Oh, Most Merciful Jesus, may Thy Faultless Judgment be for us the forgiveness of all our sins, known and unknown; may Thy Holy Footsteps in so much Misery lead and guide us in the way of Thy Divine Justice; may Thy Shameful Denuding make us pure in body and sanctify our souls! May Thy Bitter Agony, Thy Holy Wounds shield us from our visible and invisible enemies! May Thy Pierced Hands and Feet lead us to All Good. Oh Dearest Lord, place us and hide us in Thy Five Most Holy Wounds! Forget not our poor souls for which Thou didst so agonizingly trembled on the stem of the Holy Cross! For the sake of all the Martyrdom Thou didst suffer, reconcile us with Thy Divine Justice! May Thy Most Holy and Bitter Death protect us, and lead us to Eternal Salvation! May Thy Most Blessed Power and Divine Omnipotence drive away and keep away from us every evil of body and soul! May Thy Most Holy Wounds, Dearest Jesus, bless and protect us in our death agony from all power of the infernal enemy! At the hour of our death, may Thy Most Precious Blood erase all our sins before our Beloved Heavenly Father, and let die in us all inclination to sin! May Thy Most Precious Blood lead us to all Angels and Saints! We commend and place all our suffering friends and enemies and all deceased persons to and into Thy most Loyal Redeemer’s Heart! Oh, Dearest Jesus, give to us all Thine Infinite Merits, the Power and the Blessing of Thy Most Bitter Passion and Death! Oh, Eternal Divinity, Oh, True Humanity of Jesus, Oh, Most Blessed Trinity, protect us now, according to Thy Divine desire and forever! Oh, Almighty and Immortal God, have mercy on us all! Amen. (It is highly recommended that this prayer be kept in one’s home and said daily.)
4. The ‘Constant’ Prayer of St. Catherine of Siena [v]
Precious Blood, Ocean of Divine Mercy: Flow upon us!
Precious Blood, Most Pure Offering: Procure Us Every Grace!
Precious Blood, Hope and Refuge of Sinners: Atone for Us!
Precious Blood, Delight of Holy Souls: Draw Us! Amen.
5. An Offering of The Holy Wounds and The Precious Blood [vi]
ETERNAL FATHER, we offer You the Holy Wounds of Your Son, and His Precious Blood, for the conversion of sinners and for the relief of the souls in Purgatory.
ETERNAL FATHER, we offer Thee the Most Precious Blood of Jesus Christ in atonement for our sins, and in supplication for the souls in Purgatory and for the needs of the Holy Church. – The Raccolta
6. Invocations
O God the Father, Omnipotent and Merciful Creator, Who has so much love and mercy for such miserable creatures like us; Have mercy on us, save us from hell, and protect us from all evil. (3X)
O Jesus Christ, The Lord of Pardon, Have mercy on us and forgive us our sins. (3X)
O Most Precious Blood of Jesus, Save and protect us from all that is evil. (3X)
O Holy Ghost, Paraclete and Comforter of All Mankind, Have Mercy on Us (3X)
Immaculate Hear of Mary, Pray for us, now and at the hour of our
death. Amen.
O Mary, Mother of Sorrows, Pray for Us
O Mother of the Sorrowful Heart, Pray for Us.
Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary, Pray for Us
O Mary, Conceived without sin, Pray for Us who have recourse to Thee.
Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, Pray for Us
Our Lady of Fatima, Pray for Us
Today/Tonight, we protect ourselves with the shield of the Imma-culate Conception!
THE SEVEN-DAY DEVOTION TO THE LORD OF PARDON
OPENING PRAYERS FOR EACH DAY
The Sign of The Cross: In the name of The Father +, and of The Son and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.
1. Purification Prayer of St. Mary Magdalen de Pazzi
ALMIGHTY FATHER, we place the Precious Blood of Jesus before our lips, before we pray that all our prayers may be purified before they ascend to Thy divine altar.
2. Come, Holy Ghost
COME HOLY GHOST, fill the hearts of Thy faithful
And kindle in them the fire of Thy Divine Love.
V. Send forth Thy Spirit and they shall be created,
R. And Thou shalt renew the face of the earth.
Let Us Pray
O GOD, Who has taught the hearts of the faithful by the light of the Holy Ghost, grant that by the gift of the same Spirit, we may always be truly wise and ever rejoice in His consolation. Grant this through Christ, Our Lord. Amen.
(The following hymn may be sung in place of the above prayer.)
VENI CREATOR SPIRITUS
Come Holy Ghost, Creator blest O, Comforter, to Thee we cry
And in our hearts take up Thy Rest Thou heavenly gift of God, Most High
Come with Thy grace, and heavenly aid O Fount of Life and Fire of Love
To fill our hearts which Thou has made And Sweet Anointing from above
To fill our hearts which Thou has made. And Sweet Anointing from above.
3. Divine Will Prayer [1]
THROUGH THE Immaculate Heart of Mary, I enter today/tonight into the Holy Will of God and pray – Come Divine will to pray in my prayer, in my name (and the name of those whom we pray for daily) and the name of all souls, for the love, honor and (greater) glory of God, Our Father, in reparation for all sins and for the salvation of souls. Amen.
4. To Obtain Love of Prayer [2]
O, LORD JESUS CHRIST, for the sake of Thy sufferings, grant to us, (and to all those whom we pray for daily,) such faith, hope, charity, sorrow for sins and love of prayer, that will help sanctify and save our souls.
5. To Learn the Science of Salvation [3]
JESUS, EXTEND to us in the light, in Thine infinite knowledge, the power through the light, to understand the task that lies ahead for all of us, who wish to be saved. Amen.
6. Act of Contrition
O MY GOD, I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee. And I confess all my sins, because I dread the loss of heaven and the pains of hell. But most all, because I love Thee, my God, Who art all good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve with the help of Thy grace, to confess my sins, to do penance and to amend my life. Amen.
7. Daily Prayer [4]
O GOD, Who for the redemption of the world didst vouchsafe to be born among men, rejected by the Jews, betrayed with a kiss by the traitor Judas, bound with cords, to be led as an innocent lamb to the slaughter, to be treated with indignity, accused by false witnesses, afflicted with scourges and reproaches, to be spit upon, crowned with thorns, beaten with blows, struck with a reed, to have Your face veiled, to be stripped of Your garments, to be nailed to the cross and raised high thereon, to be ranked among thieves, to be offered gall and vinegar to drink, and to be pierced with a lance.
O LORD, by these Your most holy pains, which I, though unworthy, now call to mind, and by Your Holy cross
and death, deliver us from the pains of hell and take us where You took the good thief who was crucified with You, Who with The Father and The Holy Ghost, livest and reignest forever and ever. Amen.
8. Hymns
O SACRED HEART
O Sacred Heart! O Love Divine! Ref: Heart of Jesus, Hear!
Do keep us near to Thee. O Heart of Love Divine!
And make our hearts so like to Thine Listen to Our Prayer!
That we may holy be Make us always Thine.
HAIL MARY
Hail! Mary, Full of Grace! Holy Mary, Mother of God,
The Lord is with Thee! Pray for us, sinners,
Blessed art Thou amongst women! Now, and at the hour --
And blessed is the Fruit Of Thy Womb, Jesus! Of our death. Amen.
9. Prayers before The Rosary
THE LAST VISION OF FATIMA PRAYER [5]
O Queen of the most holy rosary, Thou hast deigned to come to Fatima to reveal to the three shepherd children the treasures of grace hidden in the rosary. Inspire our hearts with a sincere love for this devotion, that by meditating upon the mysteries of our redemption which are recalled in it, we may be enriched. With its fruits, obtain peace for the world, the conversion of sinners and of Russia, (the remission of the temporal punishment of the poor souls in Purgatory, the triumph of Your Son’s church over the gates of hell) and the favor which we ask of you in this rosary. (MAKE YOUR REQUEST.) We ask it for the greater glory of God, for your own honor, and for the good of souls, including our own. Amen.
ST. LOUIS DE MONFORT’S PRAYER [6]
WE UNITE ourselves with all the Saints in heaven, and with all the just on earth; we unite ourselves with Thee, Our Jesus, in order to praise Your holy Mother worthily and to praise You in her and by her. We renounce all the distractions that may have during this rosary which we wish to say with modesty, attention and devotion just as if it were to be the last one of our lives. Amen.
WE OFFER to Thee, O Most Holy Trinity this creed – in honor of the mysteries of our faith; this Our Father and these three Hail Marys – in honor of the Unity of Thy Essence and the Trinity of Thy Persons.
WE ASK of Thee a lively faith, a firm hope and an ardent charity. Amen.
10. The Proper of The Most Holy Rosary
THE APOSTLE’S CREED
I BELIEVE in God, the Father the Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ His Only Son, Our Lord, Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Blessed Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell, the third day He arose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sitteth at the right hand of God, The Father Almighty. From thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in The Holy Ghost, the holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body and life everlasting. Amen.
THE PATER
Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy Name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. Amen.
THE AVE
HAIL MARY! Full of grace! The Lord is with Thee! Blessed art Thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of Thy womb, Jesus! Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now, and at the hour of our death. Amen.
THE GLORIA
GLORY BE to The Father, and to The Son and to The Holy Ghost! As it was in the beginning, now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
THE ANGEL of FATIMA PRAYER *
MY GOD, I believe, I adore, I trust and I love Thee, and I beg pardon for all those who do not believe, do not adore, do not trust and do not love Thee.
O MY JESUS, forgive us our sins. Save us from the fires of hell, and lead all souls into heaven, especially those who most need of Thy mercy.
PEACE PRAYER
O MOST SWEET Heart of Jesus, lead us unto salvation. Grant peace to the entire world, specially the United States/Philippines/(Name Your Country). Bring back to You all sinners and grant that they may find the path that leads to you.
IMMACULATE HEART INVOCATION *
O BLESSED VIRGIN Mother protect us with your most Immaculate Heart. Amen.
PRAYER of POPE LEO XIII *
St. MICHAEL, the Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray. And do thou, O Prince of the heavenly hosts, cast into hell Satan and all the evil spirits who wander throughout the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.
THE MYSTERIES of THE HOLY ROSARY
The Joyful Mysteries (Monday and Thursday)
1. THE ANNUNCIATION (by the Archangel Gabriel to the Blessed Virgin Mary of her selection by
The Blessed Trinity as the Mother of the forthcoming Messiah)
2. THE VISITATION (of the Blessed Virgin Mary to her cousin, Elizabeth)
3. THE BIRTH of Our Lord Jesus (in the small town of Bethlehem)
4. THE PRESENTATION of Our Lord Jesus (in the temple)
5. THE FINDING of the Child Jesus (in the Temple, three days after He was found missing)
The Sorrowful Mysteries (Tuesday and Friday)
1. THE AGONY of Our Lord Jesus Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane
2. THE SCOURGING of Our Lord Jesus Christ at the Pillar
3. THE CROWNING of Our Lord Jesus Christ with the Crown of Thorns
4. THE CARRYING of the Cross by Our Lord Jesus Christ to Calvary
5. THE CRUCIFIXION and Death of Our Lord Jesus Christ on the Cross
The Glorious mysteries (Sunday, Wednesday and Saturday)
1. THE RESURRECTION of Our Lord Jesus Christ from the dead (on the third day after His
burial)
2. THE ASCENSION of Our Lord Jesus Christ (into Heaven, forty days after His resurrection)
3. THE DESCENT of The Holy Ghost (upon Our Blessed Mother and the Apostles on the 50th day
after The Ascension of Jesus)
4. THE ASSUMPTION of Our Blessed Mother (into Heaven, body and soul)
5. THE CORONATION of the Blessed Virgin Mary (as the Queen of Heaven and all of Creation)
HAIL! HOLY QUEEN!
HAIL! HOLY QUEEN! Mother of mercy, hail our life, our sweetness, and our hope. To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve. To Thee do we send up our sigh, mourning, and weeping in this valley of tears. Turn then O Most Gracious Advocate, Thine eyes of mercy towards us and after this our exile, show unto us, the Blessed Fruit of Thy womb, Jesus. O Clement, O Loving, O Sweet, Virgin Mary.
V. Pray for us O Holy Mother of God,
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Let Us Pray O GOD, Whose Only Begotten Son, by His Life, Death and Resurrection, has purchased for us the rewards of eternal life. Grant, we beseech Thee, that by meditating upon these mysteries of the most holy rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we may imitate what they contain and obtain what they promise. Through the same Christ Our Lord. Amen.
V. May the Divine Assistance remain always with us, +
R. And may the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.
11. Prayers After The Rosary
LITANY OF THE MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD
Lord, have mercy on us, Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us!
Christ, hear us, Christ graciously hear us.
God, the Father of Heaven, Have mercy on us.
God, the Son, Redeemer of the world, Have mercy on us.
God, the Holy Ghost, Have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, One God, Have mercy on us.
Blood of Christ, Only Begotten Son of The Eternal Father, Save us.
Blood of Christ, Incarnate Word of God,
Blood of Christ, of the New and Eternal Testament,
Blood of Christ, first shed in the Presentation at the temple,
Blood of Christ, falling upon the Earth in Agony in the garden of Olives,
Blood of Christ, shed profusely in the Scourging at the pillar,
Blood of Christ, flowing forth in the Crowning with thorns,
Blood of Christ, poured out on the Cross,
Blood of Christ, the price of our Salvation,
Blood of Christ, without which there is no forgiveness,
Blood of Christ, Eucharistic drink and Refreshment of souls,
Blood of Christ, stream of mercy,
Blood of Christ, victor over demons,
Blood of Christ, courage of martyrs,
Blood of Christ, strength of confessors,
Blood of Christ, bringing forth virgins,
Blood of Christ, help of those in peril,
Blood of Christ, relief of the burdened,
Blood of Christ, solace of the sorrowful,
Blood of Christ, hope of the penitent,
Blood of Christ, consolation of the dying,
Blood of Christ, peace and tenderness of hearts,
Blood of Christ, the pledge of Eternal Life,
Blood of Christ, freeing souls from Purgatory,
Blood of Christ, most worthy of all glory and honor,
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Spare us, O Lord
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Have mercy on us
V. You have redeemed us, O Lord, by Your Precious Blood,
R. And made us, for Our God, a kingdom.
Let Us Pray
OMNIPOTENT and Eternal God, You have chosen Your Only Begotten Son to be the Redeemer of the world and You have been appeased by the shedding of His Most Precious Blood. Grant, we humbly pray, that we may always cherish the value of our redemption and forget not the grief You and our Blessed Virgin Mother have to bear in the suffering and death of Your Dearly Beloved Son. Through His Precious Blood and the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, may we be delivered from all evil in this world that we may enjoy the fruits of our redemption in Your kingdom for all eternity. Amen.
FIRST DAY
“FATHER, FORGIVE THEM, FOR THEY KNOW NOT WHAT THEY DO.” (Luke 23:34)
1. Meditation (Read pages 10 to 16 of ‘The Seven Last Words’ by Bishop Fulton J. Sheen, D.D.)
2. Prayer for All of Humanity (Turn to page 1)
3. The Old Rugged Cross/Heart of Jesus (Turn to page 8)
SECOND DAY
“AMEN, I SAY TO YOU, THIS DAY THOU SHALT BE WITH ME IN PARADISE.” (Luke 23:43)
1. Meditation (Read pages 18 to 24 of ‘The Seven Last Words’ by Bishop Fulton J. Sheen, D.D.)
2. Prayer for All of Humanity (Page 1)
3. The Old Rugged Cross/Heart of Jesus (Turn to page 8)
THIRD DAY
“WOMAN, BEHOLD THY SON.”
(After that, He said to the disciple:) “BEHOLD THY MOTHER.” (John 19:26-27)
1. Meditation (Read pages 26 to 31 of ‘The Seven Last Words’ by Bishop Fulton J. Sheen, D.D.)
2. Prayer for All of Humanity (Page 1)
3. The Old Rugged Cross/Heart of Jesus (Turn to page 8)
FOURTH DAY
“MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAST THOU FORSAKEN ME.”
(Matt. 27:46 and Mk. 15:34)
1. Meditation (Read pages 34 to 40 of ‘The Seven Last Words’ by Bishop Fulton J. Sheen, D.D.)
2. Prayer for All of Humanity (Page 1)
3. Heart of Jesus (Turn to page 8)
FIFTH DAY
“I THIRST.” (John 19:28)
1. Meditation (Read pages 42 to 47 of ‘The Seven Last Words’ by Bishop Fulton J. Sheen, D.D.)
2. Prayer for All of Humanity (Page 1)
3. Heart of Jesus (Turn to page 8)
SIXTH DAY
“IT IS CONSUMMATED.” (John 19:28)
1. Meditation (Read pages 50 to 55 of ‘The Seven Last Words’ by Bishop Fulton J. Sheen, D.D.)
2. Prayer for All of Humanity (Page 1)
3. Heart of Jesus (Turn to page 8)
SEVENTH DAY
“FATHER, INTO THY HANDS I COMMEND MY SPIRIT.” (Luke 23:46)
1. Meditation (Read pages 58 to 64 of ‘The Seven Last Words’ by Bishop Fulton J. Sheen, D.D.)
2. Prayer for All of Humanity (Page 1)
3. Heart of Jesus (Turn to page 8)
HEART of JESUS
Heart of Jesus! Meek and Mild!
Hear, O hear, Thy feeble child!
And when the tempest most severe
Heart of Jesus, hear!
(Refrain)
Sweetly we’ll rest on The Sacred Heart
Never from Thee, Oh let us part
Hear then Thy loving children’s prayer
O Heart of Jesus, Heart of Jesus, hear!
FAREWELL
(This Section to Be Used on the SEVENTH & LAST Day)
O Most Loving Father, the time has come for You to leave us and our dwelling which have been Your home for the past seven days. Words are not enough to render You praise and thanksgiving for the love that You have shown us. Our Father, You have always loved us. You have deigned to be with us even for a short time, and this Thou has done through this novena devotion to Your Son, The Lord of Pardon. We give Thee our heartfelt thanks through Our Lord Jesus Christ.
Farewell, Lord Jesus and we thank Thee for the great gifts of knowledge and understanding You have given us through Your Holy Spirit: of why You died for us and what we have to do in order that Your Passion and Death will be bear the fruits that You expect.
Farewell, O Holy Spirit and thank You for all Your gifts. Grant us also your fruits that we may live our lives in conformance and for the pleasure of Our Almighty God.
Farewell, O Queen and Delight of Heaven. We thank Thee, for all the blessings and graces you brought in to our dwelling by your constant intercession and for Your Motherly Love.
We look forward to Your next visit, O Blessed Trinity and Our Mother. We pray that we will again enjoy Your company soon, if not in this life, then, by Your compassion and forgiveness which You shower upon us with the Precious Blood of Your Dearly Beloved Son, may it be in Your kingdom. Amen.
TO JESUS’ HEART
To Jesus’ Heart all burning
With fervent love for men
My heart with fondest yearning
Shall raise its joyful strain.
Refrain
While ages course along
Blest be with loudest song
The Sacred Heart of Jesus
By every heart and tongue
Too true I have forsaken
Thy love by willful sin
Yet now let me be taken
Back by Thy grace again. (Ref)
THE OLD RUGGED CROSS
On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross, Oh, that old rugged cross, so despised by the world,
The emblem of suff’ring and shame. Has wondrous attraction for me,
And I love that old cross, where the dearest and best For, The Dear Lamb of God left His glory above,
For a world of lost sinners was slain To bear it to dark Calvary (Ref)
Refrain
So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross, In the old rugged cross, stained with blood so divine
Till my trophies at last I lay down. A wondrous beauty I see.
I will cling to the old rugged cross, For ‘twas on that old cross Jesus suffered and died,
And exchange some day for a crown. To pardon and sanctify me. (Ref)
The Fifteen Prayers
of St. Bridget of Sweden
These prayers are prayed daily, each beginning with a Pater and an Ave. Then follows a concluding prayer. There are alleged promises from Our Lord attached to these prayers, but they are problematic, inconsistent with Catholic teaching, and their publication was once forbidden. It may be that the vision wasn't properly written down, properly translated, consistently handed-down, or otherwise kept intact, but in any case, beware of any "Magnificent Promises" you may hear of in association with the following perfectly pious prayers.
First Prayer
Say one Our Father and one Hail Mary
O Jesus Christ! Eternal Sweetness to those who love Thee, joy surpassing all joy and all desire, Salvation and Hope of all sinners, Who hast proved that Thou hast no greater desire than to be among men, even assuming human nature at the fullness of time for the love of men, recall all the sufferings Thou hast endured from the instant of Thy conception, and especially during Thy Passion, as it was decreed and ordained from eternity in the Divine plan.
Remember, O Lord, that during the Last Supper with Thy disciples having washed their feet, Thou gavest them Thy Most Precious Body and Blood, and while at the same time Thou didst sweetly console them, Thou didst fortell them Thy coming Passion.
Remember the sadness and bitterness which Thou didst experience in Thy Soul as Thou Thyself bore witness saying: "My Soul is sorrowful even unto death."
Remember all the fear, anguish and pain that Thou didst suffer in Thy delicate Body before the torment of the Crucifixion, when, after having prayed three times, bathed in a sweat of blood, Thou wast betrayed by Judas, Thy disciple, arrested by the people of a nation Thou hadst chosen and elevated, accused by false witnesses, unjustly judged by three judges during the flower of Thy youth and during the solemn Paschal season.
Remember that Thou wast despoiled of Thy garments and clothed in those of derision; that Thy Face and Eyes were veiled, that Thou wast buffeted, crowned with thorns, a reed placed in Thy Hands, that Thou wast crushed with blows and overwhelmed with affronts and outrages.
In memory of all these pains and sufferings which Thou didst endure before Thy Passion on the Cross, grant me before my death true contrition, a sincere and entire confession, worthy satisfaction and the remission all my sins. Amen.
Second Prayer
Say one Our Father and one Hail Mary
O Jesus! True liberty of angels, paradise of delights, remember the horror and sadness which Thou didst endure when Thy enemies, like furious lions, surrounded Thee, and by thousands of insults, spits, blows, lacerations and other unheard-of cruelties, tormented Thee at will. In consideration of these torments and insulting words, I beseech Thee, O my Savior, to deliver me from all my enemies, visible and invisible, and to bring me, under Thy protection, to the perfection of eternal salvation. Amen.
Third Prayer
Say one Our Father and one Hail Mary
O Jesus! Creator of Heaven and earth Whom nothing can encompass or limit, Thou Who dost enfold and hold all under Thy loving power, remember the very bitter pain Thou didst suffer when the Jews nailed Thy Sacred Hands and Feet to the Cross by blow after blow with big blunt nails, and not finding Thee in a pitiable enough state to satisfy their rage, they enlarged thy Wounds, and added pain to pain, and with indescribable cruelty stretched Thy Body on the Cross, pulling Thee from all sides, thus dislocating Thy limbs.
I beg of Thee, O Jesus, by the memory of this most Loving suffering of the Cross, to grant me the grace to fear Thee and to Love Thee. Amen.
Fourth Prayer
Say one Our Father and one Hail Mary
O Jesus! Heavenly Physician, raised aloft on the Cross to heal our wounds with Thine, remember the bruises which Thou didst suffer and the weakness of all Thy Members which were distended to such a degree that never was there pain like unto Thine. From the crown of Thy Head to the Soles of Thy Feet there was not one spot on Thy Body that was not in torment, and yet, forgetting all Thy sufferings, Thou didst not cease to pray to Thy Heavenly Father for Thy enemies, saying: "Father forgive them for they know not what they do."
Through this great Mercy, and in memory of this suffering, grant that the remembrance of Thy Most Bitter Passion may effect in us a perfect contrition and the remission of all our sins. Amen.
Fifth Prayer
Say one Our Father and one Hail Mary
O Jesus! Mirror of eternal splendor, remember the sadness which Thou experienced, when contemplating in the light of Thy Divinity the predestination of those who would be saved by the merits of Thy Sacred Passion, Thou didst see at the same time, the great multitude of reprobates who would be damned for their sins, and Thou didst complain bitterly of those hopeless, lost, and unfortunate sinners.
Through this abyss of compassion and pity, and especially through the goodness which Thou displayed to the good thief when Thou saidst to him: "This day, thou shalt be with Me in Paradise." I beg of Thee, O Sweet Jesus, that at the hour of my death, Thou wilt show me mercy. Amen.
Sixth Prayer
Say one Our Father and one Hail Mary
O Jesus! Beloved and most desirable King, remember the grief Thou didst suffer, when naked and like a common criminal, Thou wast fastened and raised on the Cross, when all Thy relatives and friends abandoned Thee, except Thy Beloved Mother, who remained close to Thee during Thy agony and whom Thou didst entrust to Thy faithful disciple when Thou saidst to Mary: "Woman, behold thy son!", and to St. John: "Son, behold thy Mother!".
I beg of Thee O my Savior, by the sword of sorrow which pierced the soul of Thy holy Mother, to have compassion on me in all my afflictions and tribulations, both corporal and spiritual, and to assist me in all my trials, and especially at the hour of my death. Amen.
Seventh Prayer
Say one Our Father and one Hail Mary
O Jesus! Inexhaustible Fountain of compassion, Who by a profound gesture of Love, said from the Cross: "I thirst," suffered from the thirst for the salvation of the human race. I beg of Thee, O my Savior, to inflame in our hearts the desire to tend toward perfection in all our acts, and to extinguish in us the concupiscence of the flesh and the ardor of worldly desires. Amen.
Eighth Prayer
Say one Our Father and one Hail Mary
O Jesus! Sweetness of hearts, delight of the spirit, by the bitterness of the gall and vinegar which Thou didst taste on the Cross for Love of us, grant us the grace to receive worthily Thy Precious Body and Blood during our life and at the hour of our death, that they may serve as a remedy and consolation for our souls. Amen.
Ninth Prayer
Say one Our Father and one Hail Mary
O Jesus! Royal virtue, joy of the mind, recall the pain Thou didst endure when plunged in an ocean of bitterness at the approach of death, insulted, outraged by the Jews, Thou didst cry out in a loud voice that Thou wast abandoned by Thy Father, saying: "My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?"
Through this anguish, I beg of Thee, O my Savior, not to abandon me in the terrors and pains of my death. Amen.
Tenth Prayer
Say one Our Father and one Hail Mary
O Jesus! Who art the beginning and the end of all things, life and virtue, remember that for our sakes Thou wast plunged in an abyss of suffering from the soles of Thy Feet to the crown of Thy Head. In consideration of the enormity of Thy Wounds, teach me to keep, through pure love, Thy Commandments, whose way is wide and easy for those who love Thee. Amen.
Eleventh Prayer
Say one Our Father and one Hail Mary
O Jesus! Deep abyss of mercy, I beg of Thee, in memory of Thy Wounds which penetrated to the very marrow of Thy Bones and to the depth of Thy being, to draw me, a miserable sinner, overwhelmed by my offenses, away from sin and to hide me from Thy Face justly irritated against me; hide me in Thy Wounds, until Thy anger and just indignation shall have passed away. Amen.
Twelfth Prayer
Say one Our Father and one Hail Mary
O Jesus! Mirror of truth, symbol of unity, link of charity, remember the multitude of wounds with which Thou wast covered from head to foot, torn and reddened by the spilling of Thy adorable Blood. O great and universal pain which Thou didst suffer in Thy virginal flesh for love of us! Sweetest Jesus! What is there that Thou couldst have done for us which Thou hast not done?
May the fruit of Thy sufferings be renewed in my soul by the faithful remembrance of Thy Passion, and may Thy love increase in my heart each day until I see Thee in eternity, Thou Who art the treasury of every real good and every joy, which I beg Thee to grant me, O sweetest Jesus, in Heaven. Amen.
Thirteenth Prayer
Say one Our Father and one Hail Mary
O Jesus! Strong lion, immortal and invincible King, remember the pain Thou didst endure when all Thy strength, both moral and physical, was entirely exhausted; Thou didst bow Thy Head, saying: "It is consummated."
Through this anguish and grief, I beg of Thee Lord Jesus, to have mercy on me at the hour of my death when my mind will be greatly troubled and my soul will be in anguish. Amen.
Fourteenth Prayer
Say one Our Father and one Hail Mary
O Jesus! Only Son of the Father, splendor and figure of His Substance, remember the simple and humble recommendation Thou didst make of Thy Soul to Thy Eternal Father, saying: "Father, into Thy Hands I commend My Spirit!" And with Thy Body all torn, and Thy Heart broken, and the bowels of Thy Mercy open to redeem us, Thou didst expire.
By this Precious Death, I beg of Thee O King of Saints, to comfort me and help me to resist the devil, the flesh and the world, so that being dead to the world, I may live for Thee alone. I beg of Thee at the hour of my death to receive me, a pilgrim and an exile returning to Thee. Amen.
Fifteenth Prayer
Say one Our Father and one Hail Mary
O Jesus! True and fruitful Vine! Remember the abundant outpouring of blood which Thou didst so generously shed from Thy Sacred Body as juice from grapes in a wine press.
From Thy Side, pierced with a lance by a soldier, blood and water issued forth until there was not left in Thy Body a single drop, and finally, like a bundle of myrrh lifted to the top of the Cross, Thy delicate Flesh was destroyed, the very substance of Thy Body withered, and the marrow of Thy Bones dried up.
Through this bitter Passion, and through the outpouring of Thy Precious Blood, I beg of Thee, O Sweet Jesus, to receive my soul when I am in my death agony. Amen.
Concluding Prayer
O Sweet Jesus! Pierce my heart so that my tears of penitence and love will be my bread day and night; may I be converted entirely to Thee, may my heart be Thy perpetual habitation, may my conversation be pleasing to Thee, and may the end of my life be so praiseworthy that I may merit Heaven and there with Thy saints, praise Thee forever. Amen.
ETERNAL REST (PRAYER FOR THE DEPARTED)
01
JAN
Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace.
Amen.
V. O Lord, hear my prayer.
R. And let my cry come to you.
Let us pray:
O God, the Creator and Redeemer of all the faithful, grant to the souls of Your servants departed the remission of all their sins, that through our pious supplication they may obtain that pardon which they have always desired; who live and reign for ever and ever.
R. Amen.
In monotheism, God is conceived of as the Supreme Being and principal object of faith.[3] The concept of God as described by most theologians includes the attributes of omniscience (infinite knowledge), omnipotence (unlimited power), omnipresence (present everywhere), divine simplicity, and as having an eternal and necessary existence. Many theologians also describe God as being omnibenevolent (perfectly good), and all loving.
God is most often held to be non-corporeal,[3] and to be without any human biological sex,[4][5] yet the concept of God actively creating the universe (as opposed to passively)[6] has caused many religions to describe God using masculine terminology, using such terms as "Him" or "Father". Furthermore, some religions (such as Judaism) attribute only a purely grammatical "gender" to God.[7]
In theism, God is the creator and sustainer of the universe, while in deism, God is the creator, but not the sustainer, of the universe. In pantheism, God is the universe itself. In atheism, God is not believed to exist, while God is deemed unknown or unknowable within the context of agnosticism. God has also been conceived as being incorporeal (immaterial), a personal being, the source of all moral obligation, and the "greatest conceivable existent".[3] Many notable philosophers have developed arguments for and against the existence of God.[8]
There are many names for God, and different names are attached to different cultural ideas about God's identity and attributes. In the ancient Egyptian era of Atenism, possibly the earliest recorded monotheistic religion, this deity was called Aten,[9] premised on being the one "true" Supreme Being and Creator of the Universe.[10] In the Hebrew Bible and Judaism, "He Who Is", "I Am that I Am", and the tetragrammaton YHWH (Hebrew: יהוה, which means: "I am who I am"; "He Who Exists") are used as names of God, while Yahweh and Jehovah are sometimes used in Christianity as vocalizations of YHWH. In the Christian doctrine of the Trinity, God, consubstantial in three persons, is called the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. In Judaism, it is common to refer to God by the titular names Elohim or Adonai, the latter of which is believed by some scholars to descend from the Egyptian Aten.[11][12][13][14][15] In Islam, the name Allah, "Al-El", or "Al-Elah" ("the God") is used, while Muslims also have a multitude of titular names for God. In Hinduism, Brahman is often considered a monistic deity.[16] Other religions have names for God, for instance, Baha in the Bahá'í Faith,[17] Waheguru in Sikhism,[18] and Ahura Mazda in Zoroastrianism.[19]
The many different conceptions of God, and competing claims as to God's characteristics, aims, and actions, have led to the development of ideas of omnitheism, pandeism,[20][21] or a perennial philosophy, which postulates that there is one underlying theological truth, of which all religions express a partial understanding, and as to which "the devout in the various great world religions are in fact worshipping that one God, but through different, overlapping concepts or mental images of Him."[22]
Contents [hide]
1Etymology and usage
2General conceptions
2.1Oneness
2.2Theism, deism and pantheism
2.3Other concepts
3Non-theistic views
3.1Agnosticism and atheism
3.2Anthropomorphism
4Existence
5Specific attributes
5.1Names
5.2Gender
5.3Relationship with creation
6Depiction
6.1Zoroastrianism
6.2Islam
6.3Judaism
6.4Christianity
7Theological approaches
8Distribution of belief
9See also
9.1In specific religions
10References
11Further reading
12External links
Etymology and usage
The Mesha Stele bears the earliest known reference (840 BCE) to the Israelite God Yahweh.
Main article: God (word)
The earliest written form of the Germanic word God (always, in this usage, capitalized[23]) comes from the 6th-century Christian Codex Argenteus. The English word itself is derived from the Proto-Germanic * ǥuđan. The reconstructed Proto-Indo-European form * ǵhu-tó-m was likely based on the root * ǵhau(ə)-, which meant either "to call" or "to invoke".[24] The Germanic words for God were originally neuter—applying to both genders—but during the process of the Christianization of the Germanic peoples from their indigenous Germanic paganism, the words became a masculine syntactic form.[25]
The word 'Allah' in Arabic calligraphy
In the English language, the capitalized form of God continues to represent a distinction between monotheistic "God" and "gods" in polytheism.[26][27] The English word God and its counterparts in other languages are normally used for any and all conceptions and, in spite of significant differences between religions, the term remains an English translation common to all. The same holds for Hebrew El, but in Judaism, God is also given a proper name, the tetragrammaton YHWH, in origin possibly the name of an Edomite or Midianite deity, Yahweh. In many translations of the Bible, when the word LORD is in all capitals, it signifies that the word represents the tetragrammaton.[28]
Allāh (Arabic: الله) is the Arabic term with no plural used by Muslims and Arabic speaking Christians and Jews meaning "The God" (with a capital G), while "ʾilāh" (Arabic: إله) is the term used for a deity or a god in general.[29][30][31] God may also be given a proper name in monotheistic currents of Hinduism which emphasize the personal nature of God, with early references to his name as Krishna-Vasudeva in Bhagavata or later Vishnu and Hari.[32]
Ahura Mazda is the name for God used in Zoroastrianism. "Mazda", or rather the Avestan stem-form Mazdā-, nominative Mazdå, reflects Proto-Iranian *Mazdāh (female). It is generally taken to be the proper name of the spirit, and like its Sanskrit cognate medhā, means "intelligence" or "wisdom". Both the Avestan and Sanskrit words reflect Proto-Indo-Iranian *mazdhā-, from Proto-Indo-European mn̩sdʰeh1, literally meaning "placing (dʰeh1) one's mind (*mn̩-s)", hence "wise".[33]
Waheguru (Punjabi: vāhigurū) is a term most often used in Sikhism to refer to God. It means "Wonderful Teacher" in the Punjabi language. Vāhi (a Middle Persian borrowing) means "wonderful" and guru (Sanskrit: guru) is a term denoting "teacher". Waheguru is also described by some as an experience of ecstasy which is beyond all descriptions. The most common usage of the word "Waheguru" is in the greeting Sikhs use with each other:
Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa, Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh
Wonderful Lord's Khalsa, Victory is to the Wonderful Lord.
Baha, the "greatest" name for God in the Baha'i faith, is Arabic for "All-Glorious".
General conceptions
Main article: Conceptions of God
There is no clear consensus on the nature or even the existence of God.[34] The Abrahamic conceptions of God include the monotheistic definition of God in Judaism, the trinitarian view of Christians, and the Islamic concept of God. The dharmic religions differ in their view of the divine: views of God in Hinduism vary by region, sect, and caste, ranging from monotheistic to polytheistic. Divinity was recognized by the historical Buddha, particularly Śakra and Brahma. However, other sentient beings, including gods, can at best only play a supportive role in one's personal path to salvation. Conceptions of God in the latter developments of the Mahayana tradition give a more prominent place to notions of the divine.[citation needed]
Oneness
Main articles: Monotheism and Henotheism
The Trinity is the belief that God is composed of The Father, The Son (embodied metaphysically in the physical realm by Jesus), and The Holy Spirit.
Monotheists hold that there is only one god, and may claim that the one true god is worshiped in different religions under different names. The view that all theists actually worship the same god, whether they know it or not, is especially emphasized in Hinduism[35] and Sikhism.[36] In Christianity, the doctrine of the Trinity describes God as one God in three persons. The Trinity comprises The Father, The Son (embodied metaphysically by Jesus), and The Holy Spirit.[37] Islam's most fundamental concept is tawhid (meaning "oneness" or "uniqueness"). God is described in the Quran as: "Say: He is Allah, the One and Only; Allah, the Eternal, Absolute; He begetteth not, nor is He begotten; And there is none like unto Him."[38][39] Muslims repudiate the Christian doctrine of the Trinity and the divinity of Jesus, comparing it to polytheism. In Islam, God is beyond all comprehension or equal and does not resemble any of his creations in any way. Thus, Muslims are not iconodules, and are not expected to visualize God.[40]
Henotheism is the belief and worship of a single god while accepting the existence or possible existence of other deities.[41]
Theism, deism and pantheism
Main articles: Theism, Deism, and Pantheism
Theism generally holds that God exists realistically, objectively, and independently of human thought; that God created and sustains everything; that God is omnipotent and eternal; and that God is personal and interacting with the universe through, for example, religious experience and the prayers of humans.[42] Theism holds that God is both transcendent and immanent; thus, God is simultaneously infinite and in some way present in the affairs of the world.[43] Not all theists subscribe to all of these propositions, but each usually subscribes to some of them (see, by way of comparison, family resemblance).[42] Catholic theology holds that God is infinitely simple and is not involuntarily subject to time. Most theists hold that God is omnipotent, omniscient, and benevolent, although this belief raises questions about God's responsibility for evil and suffering in the world. Some theists ascribe to God a self-conscious or purposeful limiting of omnipotence, omniscience, or benevolence. Open Theism, by contrast, asserts that, due to the nature of time, God's omniscience does not mean the deity can predict the future. Theism is sometimes used to refer in general to any belief in a god or gods, i.e., monotheism or polytheism.[44][45]
"God blessing the seventh day", a watercolor painting depicting God, by William Blake (1757 – 1827)
Deism holds that God is wholly transcendent: God exists, but does not intervene in the world beyond what was necessary to create it.[43] In this view, God is not anthropomorphic, and neither answers prayers nor produces miracles. Common in Deism is a belief that God has no interest in humanity and may not even be aware of humanity. Pandeism and Panendeism, respectively, combine Deism with the Pantheistic or Panentheistic beliefs.[21][46][47] Pandeism is proposed to explain as to Deism why God would create a universe and then abandon it,[48] and as to Pantheism, the origin and purpose of the universe.[48][49]
Pantheism holds that God is the universe and the universe is God, whereas Panentheism holds that God contains, but is not identical to, the Universe.[50] It is also the view of the Liberal Catholic Church; Theosophy; some views of Hinduism except Vaishnavism, which believes in panentheism; Sikhism; some divisions of Neopaganism and Taoism, along with many varying denominations and individuals within denominations. Kabbalah, Jewish mysticism, paints a pantheistic/panentheistic view of God—which has wide acceptance in Hasidic Judaism, particularly from their founder The Baal Shem Tov—but only as an addition to the Jewish view of a personal god, not in the original pantheistic sense that denies or limits persona to God.[citation needed]
Other concepts
Dystheism, which is related to theodicy, is a form of theism which holds that God is either not wholly good or is fully malevolent as a consequence of the problem of evil. One such example comes from Dostoevsky's The Brothers Karamazov, in which Ivan Karamazov rejects God on the grounds that he allows children to suffer.[51]
In modern times, some more abstract concepts have been developed, such as process theology and open theism. The contemporaneous French philosopher Michel Henry has however proposed a phenomenological approach and definition of God as phenomenological essence of Life.[52]
God has also been conceived as being incorporeal (immaterial), a personal being, the source of all moral obligation, and the "greatest conceivable existent".[3] These attributes were all supported to varying degrees by the early Jewish, Christian and Muslim theologian philosophers, including Maimonides,[53] Augustine of Hippo,[53] and Al-Ghazali,[8] respectively.
Non-theistic views
See also: Evolutionary origin of religions and Evolutionary psychology of religion
Non-theist views about God also vary. Some non-theists avoid the concept of God, whilst accepting that it is significant to many; other non-theists understand God as a symbol of human values and aspirations. The nineteenth-century English atheist Charles Bradlaugh declared that he refused to say "There is no God", because "the word 'God' is to me a sound conveying no clear or distinct affirmation";[54] he said more specifically that he disbelieved in the Christian god. Stephen Jay Gould proposed an approach dividing the world of philosophy into what he called "non-overlapping magisteria" (NOMA). In this view, questions of the supernatural, such as those relating to the existence and nature of God, are non-empirical and are the proper domain of theology. The methods of science should then be used to answer any empirical question about the natural world, and theology should be used to answer questions about ultimate meaning and moral value. In this view, the perceived lack of any empirical footprint from the magisterium of the supernatural onto natural events makes science the sole player in the natural world.[55]
Another view, advanced by Richard Dawkins, is that the existence of God is an empirical question, on the grounds that "a universe with a god would be a completely different kind of universe from one without, and it would be a scientific difference."[56] Carl Sagan argued that the doctrine of a Creator of the Universe was difficult to prove or disprove and that the only conceivable scientific discovery that could disprove the existence of a Creator (not necessarily a God) would be the discovery that the universe is infinitely old.[57]
Stephen Hawking and co-author Leonard Mlodinow state in their book, The Grand Design, that it is reasonable to ask who or what created the universe, but if the answer is God, then the question has merely been deflected to that of who created God. Both authors claim however, that it is possible to answer these questions purely within the realm of science, and without invoking any divine beings.[58] Neuroscientist Michael Nikoletseas has proposed that questions of the existence of God are no different from questions of natural sciences. Following a biological comparative approach, he concludes that it is highly probable that God exists, and, although not visible, it is possible that we know some of his attributes.[59]
Agnosticism and atheism
Agnosticism is the view that, the truth values of certain claims – especially metaphysical and religious claims such as whether God, the divine or the supernatural exist – are unknown and perhaps unknowable.[60][61][62]
Atheism is, in a broad sense, the rejection of belief in the existence of deities, or a God.[63][64] In a narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there are no deities.[65]
Anthropomorphism
Main article: Anthropomorphism
Pascal Boyer argues that while there is a wide array of supernatural concepts found around the world, in general, supernatural beings tend to behave much like people. The construction of gods and spirits like persons is one of the best known traits of religion. He cites examples from Greek mythology, which is, in his opinion, more like a modern soap opera than other religious systems.[66] Bertrand du Castel and Timothy Jurgensen demonstrate through formalization that Boyer's explanatory model matches physics' epistemology in positing not directly observable entities as intermediaries.[67] Anthropologist Stewart Guthrie contends that people project human features onto non-human aspects of the world because it makes those aspects more familiar. Sigmund Freud also suggested that god concepts are projections of one's father.[68]
Likewise, Émile Durkheim was one of the earliest to suggest that gods represent an extension of human social life to include supernatural beings. In line with this reasoning, psychologist Matt Rossano contends that when humans began living in larger groups, they may have created gods as a means of enforcing morality. In small groups, morality can be enforced by social forces such as gossip or reputation. However, it is much harder to enforce morality using social forces in much larger groups. Rossano indicates that by including ever-watchful gods and spirits, humans discovered an effective strategy for restraining selfishness and building more cooperative groups.[69]
Existence
Main article: Existence of God
St. Thomas Aquinas summed up five main arguments as proofs for God's existence.
Isaac Newton saw the existence of a Creator necessary in the movement of astronomical objects.
Arguments about the existence of God typically include empirical, deductive, and inductive types. Different views include that: "God does not exist" (strong atheism); "God almost certainly does not exist" (de facto atheism); "no one knows whether God exists" (agnosticism[70]);"God exists, but this cannot be proven or disproven" (de facto theism); and that "God exists and this can be proven" (strong theism).[55]
Countless arguments have been proposed to prove the existence of God.[71] Some of the most notable arguments are the Five Ways of Aquinas, the Argument from Desire proposed by C.S. Lewis, and the Ontological Argument formulated both by St. Anselm and René Descartes.[72]
St. Anselm's approach was to define God as, "that than which nothing greater can be conceived". Famed pantheist philosopher Baruch Spinoza would later carry this idea to its extreme: "By God I understand a being absolutely infinite, i.e., a substance consisting of infinite attributes, of which each one expresses an eternal and infinite essence." For Spinoza, the whole of the natural universe is made of one substance, God, or its equivalent, Nature.[73] His proof for the existence of God was a variation of the Ontological argument.[74]
Scientist Isaac Newton saw God as the masterful creator whose existence could not be denied in the face of the grandeur of all creation.[75] Nevertheless, he rejected polymath Leibniz' thesis that God would necessarily make a perfect world which requires no intervention from the creator. In Query 31 of the Opticks, Newton simultaneously made an argument from design and for the necessity of intervention:
For while comets move in very eccentric orbs in all manner of positions, blind fate could never make all the planets move one and the same way in orbs concentric, some inconsiderable irregularities excepted which may have arisen from the mutual actions of comets and planets on one another, and which will be apt to increase, till this system wants a reformation.[76]
St. Thomas believed that the existence of God is self-evident in itself, but not to us. "Therefore I say that this proposition, "God exists", of itself is self-evident, for the predicate is the same as the subject.... Now because we do not know the essence of God, the proposition is not self-evident to us; but needs to be demonstrated by things that are more known to us, though less known in their nature—namely, by effects."[77] St. Thomas believed that the existence of God can be demonstrated. Briefly in the Summa theologiae and more extensively in the Summa contra Gentiles, he considered in great detail five arguments for the existence of God, widely known as the quinque viae (Five Ways).
For the original text of the five proofs, see quinque viae
Motion: Some things undoubtedly move, though cannot cause their own motion. Since there can be no infinite chain of causes of motion, there must be a First Mover not moved by anything else, and this is what everyone understands by God.
Causation: As in the case of motion, nothing can cause itself, and an infinite chain of causation is impossible, so there must be a First Cause, called God.
Existence of necessary and the unnecessary: Our experience includes things certainly existing but apparently unnecessary. Not everything can be unnecessary, for then once there was nothing and there would still be nothing. Therefore, we are compelled to suppose something that exists necessarily, having this necessity only from itself; in fact itself the cause for other things to exist.
Gradation: If we can notice a gradation in things in the sense that some things are more hot, good, etc., there must be a superlative that is the truest and noblest thing, and so most fully existing. This then, we call God (Note: Thomas does not ascribe actual qualities to God Himself).
Ordered tendencies of nature: A direction of actions to an end is noticed in all bodies following natural laws. Anything without awareness tends to a goal under the guidance of one who is aware. This we call God (Note that even when we guide objects, in Thomas's view, the source of all our knowledge comes from God as well).[78]
Alister McGrath, a formerly atheistic scientist and theologian who has been highly critical of Richard Dawkins' version of atheism
Some theologians, such as the scientist and theologian A.E. McGrath, argue that the existence of God is not a question that can be answered using the scientific method.[79][80] Agnostic Stephen Jay Gould argues that science and religion are not in conflict and do not overlap.[81]
Some findings in the fields of cosmology, evolutionary biology and neuroscience are interpreted by some atheists (including Lawrence M. Krauss and Sam Harris) as evidence that God is an imaginary entity only, with no basis in reality.[82][83][84] These atheists claim that a single, omniscient God who is imagined to have created the universe and is particularly attentive to the lives of humans has been imagined, embellished and promulgated in a trans-generational manner.[85] Richard Dawkins interprets such findings not only as a lack of evidence for the material existence of such a God, but as extensive evidence to the contrary.[55] However, his views are opposed by some theologians and scientists including Alister McGrath, who argues that existence of God is compatible with science.[86]
Neuroscientist Michael Nikoletseas has proposed that questions of the existence of God are no different from questions of natural sciences. Following a biological comparative approach, he concludes that it is highly probable that God exists, and, although not visible, it is possible that we know some of his attributes.[59]
Specific attributes
Different religious traditions assign differing (though often similar) attributes and characteristics to God, including expansive powers and abilities, psychological characteristics, gender characteristics, and preferred nomenclature. The assignment of these attributes often differs according to the conceptions of God in the culture from which they arise. For example, attributes of God in Christianity, attributes of God in Islam, and the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy in Judaism share certain similarities arising from their common roots.
Names
Main article: Names of God
99 names of Allah, in Chinese Sini (script)
The word God is "one of the most complex and difficult in the English language." In the Judeo-Christian tradition, "the Bible has been the principal source of the conceptions of God". That the Bible "includes many different images, concepts, and ways of thinking about" God has resulted in perpetual "disagreements about how God is to be conceived and understood".[87]
Throughout the Hebrew and Christian Bibles there are many names for God. One of them is Elohim. Another one is El Shaddai, meaning "God Almighty".[88] A third notable name is El Elyon, which means "The Most High God".[89]
God is described and referred in the Quran and hadith by certain names or attributes, the most common being Al-Rahman, meaning "Most Compassionate" and Al-Rahim, meaning "Most Merciful" (See Names of God in Islam).[90]
Supreme soul
The Brahma Kumaris use the term "Supreme Soul" to refer to God. They see God as incorporeal and eternal, and regard him as a point of living light like human souls, but without a physical body, as he does not enter the cycle of birth, death and rebirth. God is seen as the perfect and constant embodiment of all virtues, powers and values and that He is the unconditionally loving Father of all souls, irrespective of their religion, gender, or culture.[91]
Vaishnavism, a tradition in Hinduism, has list of titles and names of Krishna.
Gender
Main article: Gender of God
The gender of God may be viewed as either a literal or an allegorical aspect of a deity who, in classical western philosophy, transcends bodily form.[92][93] Polytheistic religions commonly attribute to each of the gods a gender, allowing each to interact with any of the others, and perhaps with humans, sexually. In most monotheistic religions, God has no counterpart with which to relate sexually. Thus, in classical western philosophy the gender of this one-and-only deity is most likely to be an analogical statement of how humans and God address, and relate to, each other. Namely, God is seen as begetter of the world and revelation which corresponds to the active (as opposed to the receptive) role in sexual intercourse.[6]
Biblical sources usually refer to God using male words, except Genesis 1:26-27,[94][95] Psalm 123:2-3, and Luke 15:8-10 (female); Hosea 11:3-4, Deuteronomy 32:18, Isaiah 66:13, Isaiah 49:15, Isaiah 42:14, Psalm 131:2 (a mother); Deuteronomy 32:11-12 (a mother eagle); and Matthew 23:37 and Luke 13:34 (a mother hen).
Relationship with creation
See also: Creator deity, Prayer, and Worship
And Elohim Created Adam by William Blake, c.1795
Prayer plays a significant role among many believers. Muslims believe that the purpose of existence is to worship God.[96][97] He is viewed as a personal God and there are no intermediaries, such as clergy, to contact God. Prayer often also includes supplication and asking forgiveness. God is often believed to be forgiving. For example, a hadith states God would replace a sinless people with one who sinned but still asked repentance.[98] Christian theologian Alister McGrath writes that there are good reasons to suggest that a "personal god" is integral to the Christian outlook, but that one has to understand it is an analogy. "To say that God is like a person is to affirm the divine ability and willingness to relate to others. This does not imply that God is human, or located at a specific point in the universe."[99]
Adherents of different religions generally disagree as to how to best worship God and what is God's plan for mankind, if there is one. There are different approaches to reconciling the contradictory claims of monotheistic religions. One view is taken by exclusivists, who believe they are the chosen people or have exclusive access to absolute truth, generally through revelation or encounter with the Divine, which adherents of other religions do not. Another view is religious pluralism. A pluralist typically believes that his religion is the right one, but does not deny the partial truth of other religions. An example of a pluralist view in Christianity is supersessionism, i.e., the belief that one's religion is the fulfillment of previous religions. A third approach is relativistic inclusivism, where everybody is seen as equally right; an example being universalism: the doctrine that salvation is eventually available for everyone. A fourth approach is syncretism, mixing different elements from different religions. An example of syncretism is the New Age movement.
Jews and Christians believe that humans are created in the likeness of God, and are the center, crown and key to God's creation, stewards for God, supreme over everything else God had made (Gen 1:26); for this reason, humans are in Christianity called the "Children of God".[100]
Depiction
God is defined as incorporeal,[3] and invisible from direct sight, and thus cannot be portrayed in a literal visual image.
The respective principles of religions may or may not permit them to use images (which are entirely symbolic) to represent God in art or in worship .
Zoroastrianism
Ahura Mazda (depiction is on the right, with high crown) presents Ardashir I (left) with the ring of kingship. (Relief at Naqsh-e Rustam, 3rd century CE)
During the early Parthian Empire, Ahura Mazda was visually represented for worship. This practice ended during the beginning of the Sassanid empire. Zoroastrian iconoclasm, which can be traced to the end of the Parthian period and the beginning of the Sassanid, eventually put an end to the use of all images of Ahura Mazda in worship. However, Ahura Mazda continued to be symbolized by a dignified male figure, standing or on horseback which is found in Sassanian investiture.[101]
Islam
Further information: God in Islam
Muslims believe that God (Allah) is beyond all comprehension or equal and does not resemble any of His creations in any way. Thus, Muslims are not iconodules, are not expected to visualize God.[40]
Judaism
At least some Jews do not use any image for God, since God is the unimageable Being who cannot be represented in material forms.[102] In some samples of Jewish Art, however, sometimes God, or at least His Intervention, is indicated by a Hand Of God symbol, which represents the bath Kol (literally "daughter of a voice") or Voice of God;[103] this use of the Hand Of God is carried over to Christian Art.
Christianity
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Early Christians believed that the words of the Gospel of John 1:18: "No man has seen God at any time" and numerous other statements were meant to apply not only to God, but to all attempts at the depiction of God.[104]
Use of the symbolic Hand of God in the Ascension from the Drogo Sacramentary, c. 850
However, later on the Hand of God symbol is found several times in the only ancient synagogue with a large surviving decorative scheme, the Dura Europos Synagogue of the mid-3rd century, and was probably adopted into Early Christian art from Jewish art. It was common in Late Antique art in both East and West, and remained the main way of symbolizing the actions or approval of God the Father in the West until about the end of the Romanesque period. It also represents the bath Kol (literally "daughter of a voice") or voice of God,[103] just like in Jewish Art.
In situations, such as the Baptism of Christ, where a specific representation of God the Father was indicated, the Hand of God was used, with increasing freedom from the Carolingian period until the end of the Romanesque. This motif now, since the discovery of the 3rd century Dura Europos synagogue, seems to have been borrowed from Jewish art, and is found in Christian art almost from its beginnings.
The use of religious images in general continued to increase up to the end of the 7th century, to the point that in 695, upon assuming the throne, Byzantine emperor Justinian II put an image of Christ on the obverse side of his gold coins, resulting in a rift which ended the use of Byzantine coin types in the Islamic world.[105] However, the increase in religious imagery did not include depictions of God the Father. For instance, while the eighty second canon of the Council of Trullo in 692 did not specifically condemn images of The Father, it suggested that icons of Christ were preferred over Old Testament shadows and figures.[106]
The beginning of the 8th century witnessed the suppression and destruction of religious icons as the period of Byzantine iconoclasm (literally image-breaking) started. Emperor Leo III (717–741), suppressed the use of icons by imperial edict of the Byzantine Empire, presumably due to a military loss which he attributed to the undue veneration of icons.[107] The edict (which was issued without consulting the Church) forbade the veneration of religious images but did not apply to other forms of art, including the image of the emperor, or religious symbols such as the cross.[108] Theological arguments against icons then began to appear with iconoclasts arguing that icons could not represent both the divine and the human natures of Jesus at the same time. In this atmosphere, no public depictions of God the Father were even attempted and such depictions only began to appear two centuries later.
The Second Council of Nicaea in 787 effectively ended the first period of Byzantine iconoclasm and restored the honouring of icons and holy images in general.[109] However, this did not immediately translate into large scale depictions of God the Father. Even supporters of the use of icons in the 8th century, such as Saint John of Damascus, drew a distinction between images of God the Father and those of Christ.
In his treatise On the Divine Images John of Damascus wrote: "In former times, God who is without form or body, could never be depicted. But now when God is seen in the flesh conversing with men, I make an image of the God whom I see".[110] The implication here is that insofar as God the Father or the Spirit did not become man, visible and tangible, images and portrait icons can not be depicted. So what was true for the whole Trinity before Christ remains true for the Father and the Spirit but not for the Word. John of Damascus wrote:[111]
"If we attempt to make an image of the invisible God, this would be sinful indeed. It is impossible to portray one who is without body:invisible, uncircumscribed and without form."
Around 790 Charlemagne ordered a set of four books that became known as the Libri Carolini (i.e. "Charles' books") to refute what his court mistakenly understood to be the iconoclast decrees of the Byzantine Second Council of Nicaea regarding sacred images. Although not well known during the Middle Ages, these books describe the key elements of the Catholic theological position on sacred images. To the Western Church, images were just objects made by craftsmen, to be utilized for stimulating the senses of the faithful, and to be respected for the sake of the subject represented, not in themselves. The Council of Constantinople (869) (considered ecumenical by the Western Church, but not the Eastern Church) reaffirmed the decisions of the Second Council of Nicaea and helped stamp out any remaining coals of iconoclasm. Specifically, its third canon required the image of Christ to have veneration equal with that of a Gospel book:[112]
We decree that the sacred image of our Lord Jesus Christ, the liberator and Savior of all people, must be venerated with the same honor as is given the book of the holy Gospels. For as through the language of the words contained in this book all can reach salvation, so, due to the action which these images exercise by their colors, all wise and simple alike, can derive profit from them.
But images of God the Father were not directly addressed in Constantinople in 869. A list of permitted icons was enumerated at this Council, but symbols of God the Father were not among them.[113] However, the general acceptance of icons and holy images began to create an atmosphere in which God the Father could be symbolized.
Prior to the 10th century no attempt was made to use a human to symbolize God the Father in Western art.[104] Yet, Western art eventually required some way to illustrate the presence of the Father, so through successive representations a set of artistic styles for symbolizing the Father using a man gradually emerged around the 10th century AD. A rationale for the use of a human is the belief that God created the soul of Man in the image of His own (thus allowing Human to transcend the other animals).
It appears that when early artists designed to represent God the Father, fear and awe restrained them from a usage of the whole human figure. Typically only a small part would be used as the image, usually the hand, or sometimes the face, but rarely a whole human. In many images, the figure of the Son supplants the Father, so a smaller portion of the person of the Father is depicted.[114]
By the 12th century depictions of God the Father had started to appear in French illuminated manuscripts, which as a less public form could often be more adventurous in their iconography, and in stained glass church windows in England. Initially the head or bust was usually shown in some form of frame of clouds in the top of the picture space, where the Hand of God had formerly appeared; the Baptism of Christ on the famous baptismal font in Liège of Rainer of Huy is an example from 1118 (a Hand of God is used in another scene). Gradually the amount of the human symbol shown can increase to a half-length figure, then a full-length, usually enthroned, as in Giotto's fresco of c. 1305 in Padua.[115] In the 14th century the Naples Bible carried a depiction of God the Father in the Burning bush. By the early 15th century, the Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry has a considerable number of symbols, including an elderly but tall and elegant full-length figure walking in the Garden of Eden, which show a considerable diversity of apparent ages and dress. The "Gates of Paradise" of the Florence Baptistry by Lorenzo Ghiberti, begun in 1425 use a similar tall full-length symbol for the Father. The Rohan Book of Hours of about 1430 also included depictions of God the Father in half-length human form, which were now becoming standard, and the Hand of God becoming rarer. At the same period other works, like the large Genesis altarpiece by the Hamburg painter Meister Bertram, continued to use the old depiction of Christ as Logos in Genesis scenes. In the 15th century there was a brief fashion for depicting all three persons of the Trinity as similar or identical figures with the usual appearance of Christ.
In an early Venetian school Coronation of the Virgin by Giovanni d'Alemagna and Antonio Vivarini, (c. 1443) The Father is depicted using the symbol consistently used by other artists later, namely a patriarch, with benign, yet powerful countenance and with long white hair and a beard, a depiction largely derived from, and justified by, the near-physical, but still figurative, description of the Ancient of Days.[116]
. ...the Ancient of Days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire. (Daniel 7:9)
Usage of two Hands of God"(relatively unusual) and the Holy Spirit as a dove in Baptism of Christ, by Verrocchio, 1472
In the Annunciation by Benvenuto di Giovanni in 1470, God the Father is portrayed in the red robe and a hat that resembles that of a Cardinal. However, even in the later part of the 15th century, the symbolic representation of the Father and the Holy Spirit as "hands and dove" continued, e.g. in Verrocchio's Baptism of Christ in 1472.[117]
God the Father with His Right Hand Raised in Blessing, with a triangular halo representing the Trinity, Girolamo dai Libri c. 1555
In Renaissance paintings of the adoration of the Trinity, God may be depicted in two ways, either with emphasis on The Father, or the three elements of the Trinity. The most usual depiction of the Trinity in Renaissance art depicts God the Father using an old man, usually with a long beard and patriarchal in appearance, sometimes with a triangular halo (as a reference to the Trinity), or with a papal crown, specially in Northern Renaissance painting. In these depictions The Father may hold a globe or book (to symbolize God's knowledge and as a reference to how knowledge is deemed divine). He is behind and above Christ on the Cross in the Throne of Mercy iconography. A dove, the symbol of the Holy Spirit may hover above. Various people from different classes of society, e.g. kings, popes or martyrs may be present in the picture. In a Trinitarian Pietà, God the Father is often symbolized using a man wearing a papal dress and a papal crown, supporting the dead Christ in his arms. They are depicted as floating in heaven with angels who carry the instruments of the Passion.[118]
Representations of God the Father and the Trinity were attacked both by Protestants and within Catholicism, by the Jansenist and Baianist movements as well as more orthodox theologians. As with other attacks on Catholic imagery, this had the effect both of reducing Church support for the less central depictions, and strengthening it for the core ones. In the Western Church, the pressure to restrain religious imagery resulted in the highly influential decrees of the final session of the Council of Trent in 1563. The Council of Trent decrees confirmed the traditional Catholic doctrine that images only represented the person depicted, and that veneration to them was paid to the person, not the image.[119]
Artistic depictions of God the Father were uncontroversial in Catholic art thereafter, but less common depictions of the Trinity were condemned. In 1745 Pope Benedict XIV explicitly supported the Throne of Mercy depiction, referring to the "Ancient of Days", but in 1786 it was still necessary for Pope Pius VI to issue a papal bull condemning the decision of an Italian church council to remove all images of the Trinity from churches.[120]
The famous The Creation of Adam by Michelangelo, c.1512
God the Father is symbolized in several Genesis scenes in Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel ceiling, most famously The Creation of Adam (whose image of near touching hands of God and Adam is iconic of humanity, being a reminder that Man is created in the Image and Likeness of God (Gen 1:26)).God the Father is depicted as a powerful figure, floating in the clouds in Titian's Assumption of the Virgin in the Frari of Venice, long admired as a masterpiece of High Renaissance art.[121] The Church of the Gesù in Rome includes a number of 16th century depictions of God the Father. In some of these paintings the Trinity is still alluded to in terms of three angels, but Giovanni Battista Fiammeri also depicted God the Father as a man riding on a cloud, above the scenes.[122]
In both the Last Judgment and the Coronation of the Virgin paintings by Rubens he depicted God the Father using the image that by then had become widely accepted, a bearded patriarchal figure above the fray. In the 17th century, the two Spanish artists Velázquez (whose father-in-law Francisco Pacheco was in charge of the approval of new images for the Inquisition) and Murillo both depicted God the Father using a patriarchal figure with a white beard in a purple robe.
The Ancient of Days (1794) Watercolor etching by William Blake
While representations of God the Father were growing in Italy, Spain, Germany and the Low Countries, there was resistance elsewhere in Europe, even during the 17th century. In 1632 most members of the Star Chamber court in England (except the Archbishop of York) condemned the use of the images of the Trinity in church windows, and some considered them illegal.[123] Later in the 17th century Sir Thomas Browne wrote that he considered the representation of God the Father using an old man "a dangerous act" that might lead to Egyptian symbolism.[124] In 1847, Charles Winston was still critical of such images as a "Romish trend" (a term used to refer to Roman Catholics) that he considered best avoided in England.[125]
In 1667 the 43rd chapter of the Great Moscow Council specifically included a ban on a number of symbolic depictions of God the Father and the Holy Spirit, which then also resulted in a whole range of other icons being placed on the forbidden list,[126][127] mostly affecting Western-style depictions which had been gaining ground in Orthodox icons. The Council also declared that the person of the Trinity who was the "Ancient of Days" was Christ, as Logos, not God the Father. However some icons continued to be produced in Russia, as well as Greece, Romania, and other Orthodox countries.
Theological approaches
Theologians and philosophers have attributed to God such characteristics as omniscience, omnipotence, omnipresence, perfect goodness, divine simplicity, and eternal and necessary existence. God has been described as incorporeal, a personal being, the source of all moral obligation, and the greatest conceivable being existent.[3] These attributes were all claimed to varying degrees by the early Jewish, Christian and Muslim scholars, including Maimonides,[53] St Augustine,[53] and Al-Ghazali.[128]
Many philosophers developed arguments for the existence of God,[8] while attempting to comprehend the precise implications of God's attributes. Reconciling some of those attributes generated important philosophical problems and debates. For example, God's omniscience may seem to imply that God knows how free agents will choose to act. If God does know this, their ostensible free will might be illusory, or foreknowledge does not imply predestination, and if God does not know it, God may not be omniscient.[129]
However, if by its essential nature, free will is not predetermined, then the effect of its will can never be perfectly predicted by anyone, regardless of intelligence and knowledge. Although knowledge of the options presented to that will, combined with perfectly infinite intelligence, could be said to provide God with omniscience if omniscience is defined as knowledge or understanding of all that is.
The last centuries of philosophy have seen vigorous questions regarding the arguments for God's existence raised by such philosophers as Immanuel Kant, David Hume and Antony Flew, although Kant held that the argument from morality was valid. The theist response has been either to contend, as does Alvin Plantinga, that faith is "properly basic", or to take, as does Richard Swinburne, the evidentialist position.[130] Some theists agree that only some of the arguments for God's existence are compelling, but argue that faith is not a product of reason, but requires risk. There would be no risk, they say, if the arguments for God's existence were as solid as the laws of logic, a position summed up by Pascal as "the heart has reasons of which reason does not know."[131] A recent theory using concepts from physics and neurophysiology proposes that God can be conceptualized within the theory of integrative level.[132]
Many religious believers allow for the existence of other, less powerful spiritual beings such as angels, saints, jinn, demons, and devas.[133][134][135][136][137]
www.fisheaters.com/15prayersofstbridget.html
The LORD of PARDON Devotion
RECEPTION PRAYER TO THE LORD OF PARDON [i]
The Sign of The Cross: In the name of The Father, and of The Son and of The Holy Ghost. Amen.
1. Purification Prayer of St. Mary Magdalen de Pazzi [ii]
ALMIGHTY FATHER, we place the Precious Blood of Jesus before our lips, before we pray that all our prayers may be purified before they ascend to Thy divine altar.
2. Welcome Prayer [iii]
O LORD, OUR GOD, our All, we welcome You into our humble dwelling. We thank You, we honor You and we praise You for Your Infinite humility; because You have deigned to bless our earthly dwelling with Your Divine and Majestic Presence, though we are full of unworthiness and our humble dwelling is inadequate for Your glory.
BLESS OUR family and our home, O Lord, that we may be worthy of Your Love and Your Divine Presence. May our home be a true nest of Your Divine Love not only for the next seven days of Your visit but for the rest of our pilgrimage on this earth. Grant that we may make Your stay in our home very pleasurable.
LORD, WE are Yours and we humbly pray that You will take care of us as Your true possession, now and forever. Amen.
3. Prayer for All of Humanity (From the Beginning to the End of the World) [iv]
O THOU MOST BELOVED, Most Merciful Lord Jesus Christ, into Thy Holy Almighty Hands we commend ourselves for all eternity, as well as in the Heart of the Most High God of the Eternal Trinity! We take refuge in the deep Wounds of Thy Most Holy Body. May Thy Most Holy Body nourish us, Thy Most Precious shed Blood, Fear and Suffering purify us of all our sins and vices! Oh, Our Dear Lord God, we humbly offer Thy Great Fear and Need to Thy Heavenly Father in expiation for all our sins and debts! May the terrible blows Thou didst endure plead for us! May Thy most painful scourging cover our great guilt! We offer All Thine injustices, deep wounds, great pains and sighs to Thy Heavenly Father for all our neglects. May Thy Great Love, Oh Dearest Jesus, reconcile us with Thy Divine Justice and with Thee! Oh, Most Merciful Jesus, may Thy Faultless Judgment be for us the forgiveness of all our sins, known and unknown; may Thy Holy Footsteps in so much Misery lead and guide us in the way of Thy Divine Justice; may Thy Shameful Denuding make us pure in body and sanctify our souls! May Thy Bitter Agony, Thy Holy Wounds shield us from our visible and invisible enemies! May Thy Pierced Hands and Feet lead us to All Good. Oh Dearest Lord, place us and hide us in Thy Five Most Holy Wounds! Forget not our poor souls for which Thou didst so agonizingly trembled on the stem of the Holy Cross! For the sake of all the Martyrdom Thou didst suffer, reconcile us with Thy Divine Justice! May Thy Most Holy and Bitter Death protect us, and lead us to Eternal Salvation! May Thy Most Blessed Power and Divine Omnipotence drive away and keep away from us every evil of body and soul! May Thy Most Holy Wounds, Dearest Jesus, bless and protect us in our death agony from all power of the infernal enemy! At the hour of our death, may Thy Most Precious Blood erase all our sins before our Beloved Heavenly Father, and let die in us all inclination to sin! May Thy Most Precious Blood lead us to all Angels and Saints! We commend and place all our suffering friends and enemies and all deceased persons to and into Thy most Loyal Redeemer’s Heart! Oh, Dearest Jesus, give to us all Thine Infinite Merits, the Power and the Blessing of Thy Most Bitter Passion and Death! Oh, Eternal Divinity, Oh, True Humanity of Jesus, Oh, Most Blessed Trinity, protect us now, according to Thy Divine desire and forever! Oh, Almighty and Immortal God, have mercy on us all! Amen. (It is highly recommended that this prayer be kept in one’s home and said daily.)
4. The ‘Constant’ Prayer of St. Catherine of Siena [v]
Precious Blood, Ocean of Divine Mercy: Flow upon us!
Precious Blood, Most Pure Offering: Procure Us Every Grace!
Precious Blood, Hope and Refuge of Sinners: Atone for Us!
Precious Blood, Delight of Holy Souls: Draw Us! Amen.
5. An Offering of The Holy Wounds and The Precious Blood [vi]
ETERNAL FATHER, we offer You the Holy Wounds of Your Son, and His Precious Blood, for the conversion of sinners and for the relief of the souls in Purgatory.
ETERNAL FATHER, we offer Thee the Most Precious Blood of Jesus Christ in atonement for our sins, and in supplication for the souls in Purgatory and for the needs of the Holy Church. – The Raccolta
6. Invocations
O God the Father, Omnipotent and Merciful Creator, Who has so much love and mercy for such miserable creatures like us; Have mercy on us, save us from hell, and protect us from all evil. (3X)
O Jesus Christ, The Lord of Pardon, Have mercy on us and forgive us our sins. (3X)
O Most Precious Blood of Jesus, Save and protect us from all that is evil. (3X)
O Holy Ghost, Paraclete and Comforter of All Mankind, Have Mercy on Us (3X)
Immaculate Hear of Mary, Pray for us, now and at the hour of our
death. Amen.
O Mary, Mother of Sorrows, Pray for Us
O Mother of the Sorrowful Heart, Pray for Us.
Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary, Pray for Us
O Mary, Conceived without sin, Pray for Us who have recourse to Thee.
Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, Pray for Us
Our Lady of Fatima, Pray for Us
Today/Tonight, we protect ourselves with the shield of the Imma-culate Conception!
THE SEVEN-DAY DEVOTION TO THE LORD OF PARDON
OPENING PRAYERS FOR EACH DAY
The Sign of The Cross: In the name of The Father +, and of The Son and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.
1. Purification Prayer of St. Mary Magdalen de Pazzi
ALMIGHTY FATHER, we place the Precious Blood of Jesus before our lips, before we pray that all our prayers may be purified before they ascend to Thy divine altar.
2. Come, Holy Ghost
COME HOLY GHOST, fill the hearts of Thy faithful
And kindle in them the fire of Thy Divine Love.
V. Send forth Thy Spirit and they shall be created,
R. And Thou shalt renew the face of the earth.
Let Us Pray
O GOD, Who has taught the hearts of the faithful by the light of the Holy Ghost, grant that by the gift of the same Spirit, we may always be truly wise and ever rejoice in His consolation. Grant this through Christ, Our Lord. Amen.
(The following hymn may be sung in place of the above prayer.)
VENI CREATOR SPIRITUS
Come Holy Ghost, Creator blest O, Comforter, to Thee we cry
And in our hearts take up Thy Rest Thou heavenly gift of God, Most High
Come with Thy grace, and heavenly aid O Fount of Life and Fire of Love
To fill our hearts which Thou has made And Sweet Anointing from above
To fill our hearts which Thou has made. And Sweet Anointing from above.
3. Divine Will Prayer [1]
THROUGH THE Immaculate Heart of Mary, I enter today/tonight into the Holy Will of God and pray – Come Divine will to pray in my prayer, in my name (and the name of those whom we pray for daily) and the name of all souls, for the love, honor and (greater) glory of God, Our Father, in reparation for all sins and for the salvation of souls. Amen.
4. To Obtain Love of Prayer [2]
O, LORD JESUS CHRIST, for the sake of Thy sufferings, grant to us, (and to all those whom we pray for daily,) such faith, hope, charity, sorrow for sins and love of prayer, that will help sanctify and save our souls.
5. To Learn the Science of Salvation [3]
JESUS, EXTEND to us in the light, in Thine infinite knowledge, the power through the light, to understand the task that lies ahead for all of us, who wish to be saved. Amen.
6. Act of Contrition
O MY GOD, I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee. And I confess all my sins, because I dread the loss of heaven and the pains of hell. But most all, because I love Thee, my God, Who art all good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve with the help of Thy grace, to confess my sins, to do penance and to amend my life. Amen.
7. Daily Prayer [4]
O GOD, Who for the redemption of the world didst vouchsafe to be born among men, rejected by the Jews, betrayed with a kiss by the traitor Judas, bound with cords, to be led as an innocent lamb to the slaughter, to be treated with indignity, accused by false witnesses, afflicted with scourges and reproaches, to be spit upon, crowned with thorns, beaten with blows, struck with a reed, to have Your face veiled, to be stripped of Your garments, to be nailed to the cross and raised high thereon, to be ranked among thieves, to be offered gall and vinegar to drink, and to be pierced with a lance.
O LORD, by these Your most holy pains, which I, though unworthy, now call to mind, and by Your Holy cross
and death, deliver us from the pains of hell and take us where You took the good thief who was crucified with You, Who with The Father and The Holy Ghost, livest and reignest forever and ever. Amen.
8. Hymns
O SACRED HEART
O Sacred Heart! O Love Divine! Ref: Heart of Jesus, Hear!
Do keep us near to Thee. O Heart of Love Divine!
And make our hearts so like to Thine Listen to Our Prayer!
That we may holy be Make us always Thine.
HAIL MARY
Hail! Mary, Full of Grace! Holy Mary, Mother of God,
The Lord is with Thee! Pray for us, sinners,
Blessed art Thou amongst women! Now, and at the hour --
And blessed is the Fruit Of Thy Womb, Jesus! Of our death. Amen.
9. Prayers before The Rosary
THE LAST VISION OF FATIMA PRAYER [5]
O Queen of the most holy rosary, Thou hast deigned to come to Fatima to reveal to the three shepherd children the treasures of grace hidden in the rosary. Inspire our hearts with a sincere love for this devotion, that by meditating upon the mysteries of our redemption which are recalled in it, we may be enriched. With its fruits, obtain peace for the world, the conversion of sinners and of Russia, (the remission of the temporal punishment of the poor souls in Purgatory, the triumph of Your Son’s church over the gates of hell) and the favor which we ask of you in this rosary. (MAKE YOUR REQUEST.) We ask it for the greater glory of God, for your own honor, and for the good of souls, including our own. Amen.
ST. LOUIS DE MONFORT’S PRAYER [6]
WE UNITE ourselves with all the Saints in heaven, and with all the just on earth; we unite ourselves with Thee, Our Jesus, in order to praise Your holy Mother worthily and to praise You in her and by her. We renounce all the distractions that may have during this rosary which we wish to say with modesty, attention and devotion just as if it were to be the last one of our lives. Amen.
WE OFFER to Thee, O Most Holy Trinity this creed – in honor of the mysteries of our faith; this Our Father and these three Hail Marys – in honor of the Unity of Thy Essence and the Trinity of Thy Persons.
WE ASK of Thee a lively faith, a firm hope and an ardent charity. Amen.
10. The Proper of The Most Holy Rosary
THE APOSTLE’S CREED
I BELIEVE in God, the Father the Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ His Only Son, Our Lord, Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Blessed Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell, the third day He arose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sitteth at the right hand of God, The Father Almighty. From thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in The Holy Ghost, the holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body and life everlasting. Amen.
THE PATER
Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy Name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. Amen.
THE AVE
HAIL MARY! Full of grace! The Lord is with Thee! Blessed art Thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of Thy womb, Jesus! Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now, and at the hour of our death. Amen.
THE GLORIA
GLORY BE to The Father, and to The Son and to The Holy Ghost! As it was in the beginning, now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
THE ANGEL of FATIMA PRAYER *
MY GOD, I believe, I adore, I trust and I love Thee, and I beg pardon for all those who do not believe, do not adore, do not trust and do not love Thee.
O MY JESUS, forgive us our sins. Save us from the fires of hell, and lead all souls into heaven, especially those who most need of Thy mercy.
PEACE PRAYER
O MOST SWEET Heart of Jesus, lead us unto salvation. Grant peace to the entire world, specially the United States/Philippines/(Name Your Country). Bring back to You all sinners and grant that they may find the path that leads to you.
IMMACULATE HEART INVOCATION *
O BLESSED VIRGIN Mother protect us with your most Immaculate Heart. Amen.
PRAYER of POPE LEO XIII *
St. MICHAEL, the Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray. And do thou, O Prince of the heavenly hosts, cast into hell Satan and all the evil spirits who wander throughout the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.
THE MYSTERIES of THE HOLY ROSARY
The Joyful Mysteries (Monday and Thursday)
1. THE ANNUNCIATION (by the Archangel Gabriel to the Blessed Virgin Mary of her selection by
The Blessed Trinity as the Mother of the forthcoming Messiah)
2. THE VISITATION (of the Blessed Virgin Mary to her cousin, Elizabeth)
3. THE BIRTH of Our Lord Jesus (in the small town of Bethlehem)
4. THE PRESENTATION of Our Lord Jesus (in the temple)
5. THE FINDING of the Child Jesus (in the Temple, three days after He was found missing)
The Sorrowful Mysteries (Tuesday and Friday)
1. THE AGONY of Our Lord Jesus Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane
2. THE SCOURGING of Our Lord Jesus Christ at the Pillar
3. THE CROWNING of Our Lord Jesus Christ with the Crown of Thorns
4. THE CARRYING of the Cross by Our Lord Jesus Christ to Calvary
5. THE CRUCIFIXION and Death of Our Lord Jesus Christ on the Cross
The Glorious mysteries (Sunday, Wednesday and Saturday)
1. THE RESURRECTION of Our Lord Jesus Christ from the dead (on the third day after His
burial)
2. THE ASCENSION of Our Lord Jesus Christ (into Heaven, forty days after His resurrection)
3. THE DESCENT of The Holy Ghost (upon Our Blessed Mother and the Apostles on the 50th day
after The Ascension of Jesus)
4. THE ASSUMPTION of Our Blessed Mother (into Heaven, body and soul)
5. THE CORONATION of the Blessed Virgin Mary (as the Queen of Heaven and all of Creation)
HAIL! HOLY QUEEN!
HAIL! HOLY QUEEN! Mother of mercy, hail our life, our sweetness, and our hope. To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve. To Thee do we send up our sigh, mourning, and weeping in this valley of tears. Turn then O Most Gracious Advocate, Thine eyes of mercy towards us and after this our exile, show unto us, the Blessed Fruit of Thy womb, Jesus. O Clement, O Loving, O Sweet, Virgin Mary.
V. Pray for us O Holy Mother of God,
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Let Us Pray O GOD, Whose Only Begotten Son, by His Life, Death and Resurrection, has purchased for us the rewards of eternal life. Grant, we beseech Thee, that by meditating upon these mysteries of the most holy rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we may imitate what they contain and obtain what they promise. Through the same Christ Our Lord. Amen.
V. May the Divine Assistance remain always with us, +
R. And may the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.
11. Prayers After The Rosary
LITANY OF THE MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD
Lord, have mercy on us, Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us!
Christ, hear us, Christ graciously hear us.
God, the Father of Heaven, Have mercy on us.
God, the Son, Redeemer of the world, Have mercy on us.
God, the Holy Ghost, Have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, One God, Have mercy on us.
Blood of Christ, Only Begotten Son of The Eternal Father, Save us.
Blood of Christ, Incarnate Word of God,
Blood of Christ, of the New and Eternal Testament,
Blood of Christ, first shed in the Presentation at the temple,
Blood of Christ, falling upon the Earth in Agony in the garden of Olives,
Blood of Christ, shed profusely in the Scourging at the pillar,
Blood of Christ, flowing forth in the Crowning with thorns,
Blood of Christ, poured out on the Cross,
Blood of Christ, the price of our Salvation,
Blood of Christ, without which there is no forgiveness,
Blood of Christ, Eucharistic drink and Refreshment of souls,
Blood of Christ, stream of mercy,
Blood of Christ, victor over demons,
Blood of Christ, courage of martyrs,
Blood of Christ, strength of confessors,
Blood of Christ, bringing forth virgins,
Blood of Christ, help of those in peril,
Blood of Christ, relief of the burdened,
Blood of Christ, solace of the sorrowful,
Blood of Christ, hope of the penitent,
Blood of Christ, consolation of the dying,
Blood of Christ, peace and tenderness of hearts,
Blood of Christ, the pledge of Eternal Life,
Blood of Christ, freeing souls from Purgatory,
Blood of Christ, most worthy of all glory and honor,
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Spare us, O Lord
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Have mercy on us
V. You have redeemed us, O Lord, by Your Precious Blood,
R. And made us, for Our God, a kingdom.
Let Us Pray
OMNIPOTENT and Eternal God, You have chosen Your Only Begotten Son to be the Redeemer of the world and You have been appeased by the shedding of His Most Precious Blood. Grant, we humbly pray, that we may always cherish the value of our redemption and forget not the grief You and our Blessed Virgin Mother have to bear in the suffering and death of Your Dearly Beloved Son. Through His Precious Blood and the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, may we be delivered from all evil in this world that we may enjoy the fruits of our redemption in Your kingdom for all eternity. Amen.
FIRST DAY
“FATHER, FORGIVE THEM, FOR THEY KNOW NOT WHAT THEY DO.” (Luke 23:34)
1. Meditation (Read pages 10 to 16 of ‘The Seven Last Words’ by Bishop Fulton J. Sheen, D.D.)
2. Prayer for All of Humanity (Turn to page 1)
3. The Old Rugged Cross/Heart of Jesus (Turn to page 8)
SECOND DAY
“AMEN, I SAY TO YOU, THIS DAY THOU SHALT BE WITH ME IN PARADISE.” (Luke 23:43)
1. Meditation (Read pages 18 to 24 of ‘The Seven Last Words’ by Bishop Fulton J. Sheen, D.D.)
2. Prayer for All of Humanity (Page 1)
3. The Old Rugged Cross/Heart of Jesus (Turn to page 8)
THIRD DAY
“WOMAN, BEHOLD THY SON.”
(After that, He said to the disciple:) “BEHOLD THY MOTHER.” (John 19:26-27)
1. Meditation (Read pages 26 to 31 of ‘The Seven Last Words’ by Bishop Fulton J. Sheen, D.D.)
2. Prayer for All of Humanity (Page 1)
3. The Old Rugged Cross/Heart of Jesus (Turn to page 8)
FOURTH DAY
“MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAST THOU FORSAKEN ME.”
(Matt. 27:46 and Mk. 15:34)
1. Meditation (Read pages 34 to 40 of ‘The Seven Last Words’ by Bishop Fulton J. Sheen, D.D.)
2. Prayer for All of Humanity (Page 1)
3. Heart of Jesus (Turn to page 8)
FIFTH DAY
“I THIRST.” (John 19:28)
1. Meditation (Read pages 42 to 47 of ‘The Seven Last Words’ by Bishop Fulton J. Sheen, D.D.)
2. Prayer for All of Humanity (Page 1)
3. Heart of Jesus (Turn to page 8)
SIXTH DAY
“IT IS CONSUMMATED.” (John 19:28)
1. Meditation (Read pages 50 to 55 of ‘The Seven Last Words’ by Bishop Fulton J. Sheen, D.D.)
2. Prayer for All of Humanity (Page 1)
3. Heart of Jesus (Turn to page 8)
SEVENTH DAY
“FATHER, INTO THY HANDS I COMMEND MY SPIRIT.” (Luke 23:46)
1. Meditation (Read pages 58 to 64 of ‘The Seven Last Words’ by Bishop Fulton J. Sheen, D.D.)
2. Prayer for All of Humanity (Page 1)
3. Heart of Jesus (Turn to page 8)
HEART of JESUS
Heart of Jesus! Meek and Mild!
Hear, O hear, Thy feeble child!
And when the tempest most severe
Heart of Jesus, hear!
(Refrain)
Sweetly we’ll rest on The Sacred Heart
Never from Thee, Oh let us part
Hear then Thy loving children’s prayer
O Heart of Jesus, Heart of Jesus, hear!
FAREWELL
(This Section to Be Used on the SEVENTH & LAST Day)
O Most Loving Father, the time has come for You to leave us and our dwelling which have been Your home for the past seven days. Words are not enough to render You praise and thanksgiving for the love that You have shown us. Our Father, You have always loved us. You have deigned to be with us even for a short time, and this Thou has done through this novena devotion to Your Son, The Lord of Pardon. We give Thee our heartfelt thanks through Our Lord Jesus Christ.
Farewell, Lord Jesus and we thank Thee for the great gifts of knowledge and understanding You have given us through Your Holy Spirit: of why You died for us and what we have to do in order that Your Passion and Death will be bear the fruits that You expect.
Farewell, O Holy Spirit and thank You for all Your gifts. Grant us also your fruits that we may live our lives in conformance and for the pleasure of Our Almighty God.
Farewell, O Queen and Delight of Heaven. We thank Thee, for all the blessings and graces you brought in to our dwelling by your constant intercession and for Your Motherly Love.
We look forward to Your next visit, O Blessed Trinity and Our Mother. We pray that we will again enjoy Your company soon, if not in this life, then, by Your compassion and forgiveness which You shower upon us with the Precious Blood of Your Dearly Beloved Son, may it be in Your kingdom. Amen.
TO JESUS’ HEART
To Jesus’ Heart all burning
With fervent love for men
My heart with fondest yearning
Shall raise its joyful strain.
Refrain
While ages course along
Blest be with loudest song
The Sacred Heart of Jesus
By every heart and tongue
Too true I have forsaken
Thy love by willful sin
Yet now let me be taken
Back by Thy grace again. (Ref)
THE OLD RUGGED CROSS
On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross, Oh, that old rugged cross, so despised by the world,
The emblem of suff’ring and shame. Has wondrous attraction for me,
And I love that old cross, where the dearest and best For, The Dear Lamb of God left His glory above,
For a world of lost sinners was slain To bear it to dark Calvary (Ref)
Refrain
So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross, In the old rugged cross, stained with blood so divine
Till my trophies at last I lay down. A wondrous beauty I see.
I will cling to the old rugged cross, For ‘twas on that old cross Jesus suffered and died,
And exchange some day for a crown. To pardon and sanctify me. (Ref)
The Fifteen Prayers
of St. Bridget of Sweden
These prayers are prayed daily, each beginning with a Pater and an Ave. Then follows a concluding prayer. There are alleged promises from Our Lord attached to these prayers, but they are problematic, inconsistent with Catholic teaching, and their publication was once forbidden. It may be that the vision wasn't properly written down, properly translated, consistently handed-down, or otherwise kept intact, but in any case, beware of any "Magnificent Promises" you may hear of in association with the following perfectly pious prayers.
First Prayer
Say one Our Father and one Hail Mary
O Jesus Christ! Eternal Sweetness to those who love Thee, joy surpassing all joy and all desire, Salvation and Hope of all sinners, Who hast proved that Thou hast no greater desire than to be among men, even assuming human nature at the fullness of time for the love of men, recall all the sufferings Thou hast endured from the instant of Thy conception, and especially during Thy Passion, as it was decreed and ordained from eternity in the Divine plan.
Remember, O Lord, that during the Last Supper with Thy disciples having washed their feet, Thou gavest them Thy Most Precious Body and Blood, and while at the same time Thou didst sweetly console them, Thou didst fortell them Thy coming Passion.
Remember the sadness and bitterness which Thou didst experience in Thy Soul as Thou Thyself bore witness saying: "My Soul is sorrowful even unto death."
Remember all the fear, anguish and pain that Thou didst suffer in Thy delicate Body before the torment of the Crucifixion, when, after having prayed three times, bathed in a sweat of blood, Thou wast betrayed by Judas, Thy disciple, arrested by the people of a nation Thou hadst chosen and elevated, accused by false witnesses, unjustly judged by three judges during the flower of Thy youth and during the solemn Paschal season.
Remember that Thou wast despoiled of Thy garments and clothed in those of derision; that Thy Face and Eyes were veiled, that Thou wast buffeted, crowned with thorns, a reed placed in Thy Hands, that Thou wast crushed with blows and overwhelmed with affronts and outrages.
In memory of all these pains and sufferings which Thou didst endure before Thy Passion on the Cross, grant me before my death true contrition, a sincere and entire confession, worthy satisfaction and the remission all my sins. Amen.
Second Prayer
Say one Our Father and one Hail Mary
O Jesus! True liberty of angels, paradise of delights, remember the horror and sadness which Thou didst endure when Thy enemies, like furious lions, surrounded Thee, and by thousands of insults, spits, blows, lacerations and other unheard-of cruelties, tormented Thee at will. In consideration of these torments and insulting words, I beseech Thee, O my Savior, to deliver me from all my enemies, visible and invisible, and to bring me, under Thy protection, to the perfection of eternal salvation. Amen.
Third Prayer
Say one Our Father and one Hail Mary
O Jesus! Creator of Heaven and earth Whom nothing can encompass or limit, Thou Who dost enfold and hold all under Thy loving power, remember the very bitter pain Thou didst suffer when the Jews nailed Thy Sacred Hands and Feet to the Cross by blow after blow with big blunt nails, and not finding Thee in a pitiable enough state to satisfy their rage, they enlarged thy Wounds, and added pain to pain, and with indescribable cruelty stretched Thy Body on the Cross, pulling Thee from all sides, thus dislocating Thy limbs.
I beg of Thee, O Jesus, by the memory of this most Loving suffering of the Cross, to grant me the grace to fear Thee and to Love Thee. Amen.
Fourth Prayer
Say one Our Father and one Hail Mary
O Jesus! Heavenly Physician, raised aloft on the Cross to heal our wounds with Thine, remember the bruises which Thou didst suffer and the weakness of all Thy Members which were distended to such a degree that never was there pain like unto Thine. From the crown of Thy Head to the Soles of Thy Feet there was not one spot on Thy Body that was not in torment, and yet, forgetting all Thy sufferings, Thou didst not cease to pray to Thy Heavenly Father for Thy enemies, saying: "Father forgive them for they know not what they do."
Through this great Mercy, and in memory of this suffering, grant that the remembrance of Thy Most Bitter Passion may effect in us a perfect contrition and the remission of all our sins. Amen.
Fifth Prayer
Say one Our Father and one Hail Mary
O Jesus! Mirror of eternal splendor, remember the sadness which Thou experienced, when contemplating in the light of Thy Divinity the predestination of those who would be saved by the merits of Thy Sacred Passion, Thou didst see at the same time, the great multitude of reprobates who would be damned for their sins, and Thou didst complain bitterly of those hopeless, lost, and unfortunate sinners.
Through this abyss of compassion and pity, and especially through the goodness which Thou displayed to the good thief when Thou saidst to him: "This day, thou shalt be with Me in Paradise." I beg of Thee, O Sweet Jesus, that at the hour of my death, Thou wilt show me mercy. Amen.
Sixth Prayer
Say one Our Father and one Hail Mary
O Jesus! Beloved and most desirable King, remember the grief Thou didst suffer, when naked and like a common criminal, Thou wast fastened and raised on the Cross, when all Thy relatives and friends abandoned Thee, except Thy Beloved Mother, who remained close to Thee during Thy agony and whom Thou didst entrust to Thy faithful disciple when Thou saidst to Mary: "Woman, behold thy son!", and to St. John: "Son, behold thy Mother!".
I beg of Thee O my Savior, by the sword of sorrow which pierced the soul of Thy holy Mother, to have compassion on me in all my afflictions and tribulations, both corporal and spiritual, and to assist me in all my trials, and especially at the hour of my death. Amen.
Seventh Prayer
Say one Our Father and one Hail Mary
O Jesus! Inexhaustible Fountain of compassion, Who by a profound gesture of Love, said from the Cross: "I thirst," suffered from the thirst for the salvation of the human race. I beg of Thee, O my Savior, to inflame in our hearts the desire to tend toward perfection in all our acts, and to extinguish in us the concupiscence of the flesh and the ardor of worldly desires. Amen.
Eighth Prayer
Say one Our Father and one Hail Mary
O Jesus! Sweetness of hearts, delight of the spirit, by the bitterness of the gall and vinegar which Thou didst taste on the Cross for Love of us, grant us the grace to receive worthily Thy Precious Body and Blood during our life and at the hour of our death, that they may serve as a remedy and consolation for our souls. Amen.
Ninth Prayer
Say one Our Father and one Hail Mary
O Jesus! Royal virtue, joy of the mind, recall the pain Thou didst endure when plunged in an ocean of bitterness at the approach of death, insulted, outraged by the Jews, Thou didst cry out in a loud voice that Thou wast abandoned by Thy Father, saying: "My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?"
Through this anguish, I beg of Thee, O my Savior, not to abandon me in the terrors and pains of my death. Amen.
Tenth Prayer
Say one Our Father and one Hail Mary
O Jesus! Who art the beginning and the end of all things, life and virtue, remember that for our sakes Thou wast plunged in an abyss of suffering from the soles of Thy Feet to the crown of Thy Head. In consideration of the enormity of Thy Wounds, teach me to keep, through pure love, Thy Commandments, whose way is wide and easy for those who love Thee. Amen.
Eleventh Prayer
Say one Our Father and one Hail Mary
O Jesus! Deep abyss of mercy, I beg of Thee, in memory of Thy Wounds which penetrated to the very marrow of Thy Bones and to the depth of Thy being, to draw me, a miserable sinner, overwhelmed by my offenses, away from sin and to hide me from Thy Face justly irritated against me; hide me in Thy Wounds, until Thy anger and just indignation shall have passed away. Amen.
Twelfth Prayer
Say one Our Father and one Hail Mary
O Jesus! Mirror of truth, symbol of unity, link of charity, remember the multitude of wounds with which Thou wast covered from head to foot, torn and reddened by the spilling of Thy adorable Blood. O great and universal pain which Thou didst suffer in Thy virginal flesh for love of us! Sweetest Jesus! What is there that Thou couldst have done for us which Thou hast not done?
May the fruit of Thy sufferings be renewed in my soul by the faithful remembrance of Thy Passion, and may Thy love increase in my heart each day until I see Thee in eternity, Thou Who art the treasury of every real good and every joy, which I beg Thee to grant me, O sweetest Jesus, in Heaven. Amen.
Thirteenth Prayer
Say one Our Father and one Hail Mary
O Jesus! Strong lion, immortal and invincible King, remember the pain Thou didst endure when all Thy strength, both moral and physical, was entirely exhausted; Thou didst bow Thy Head, saying: "It is consummated."
Through this anguish and grief, I beg of Thee Lord Jesus, to have mercy on me at the hour of my death when my mind will be greatly troubled and my soul will be in anguish. Amen.
Fourteenth Prayer
Say one Our Father and one Hail Mary
O Jesus! Only Son of the Father, splendor and figure of His Substance, remember the simple and humble recommendation Thou didst make of Thy Soul to Thy Eternal Father, saying: "Father, into Thy Hands I commend My Spirit!" And with Thy Body all torn, and Thy Heart broken, and the bowels of Thy Mercy open to redeem us, Thou didst expire.
By this Precious Death, I beg of Thee O King of Saints, to comfort me and help me to resist the devil, the flesh and the world, so that being dead to the world, I may live for Thee alone. I beg of Thee at the hour of my death to receive me, a pilgrim and an exile returning to Thee. Amen.
Fifteenth Prayer
Say one Our Father and one Hail Mary
O Jesus! True and fruitful Vine! Remember the abundant outpouring of blood which Thou didst so generously shed from Thy Sacred Body as juice from grapes in a wine press.
From Thy Side, pierced with a lance by a soldier, blood and water issued forth until there was not left in Thy Body a single drop, and finally, like a bundle of myrrh lifted to the top of the Cross, Thy delicate Flesh was destroyed, the very substance of Thy Body withered, and the marrow of Thy Bones dried up.
Through this bitter Passion, and through the outpouring of Thy Precious Blood, I beg of Thee, O Sweet Jesus, to receive my soul when I am in my death agony. Amen.
Concluding Prayer
O Sweet Jesus! Pierce my heart so that my tears of penitence and love will be my bread day and night; may I be converted entirely to Thee, may my heart be Thy perpetual habitation, may my conversation be pleasing to Thee, and may the end of my life be so praiseworthy that I may merit Heaven and there with Thy saints, praise Thee forever. Amen.
ETERNAL REST (PRAYER FOR THE DEPARTED)
01
JAN
Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace.
Amen.
V. O Lord, hear my prayer.
R. And let my cry come to you.
Let us pray:
O God, the Creator and Redeemer of all the faithful, grant to the souls of Your servants departed the remission of all their sins, that through our pious supplication they may obtain that pardon which they have always desired; who live and reign for ever and ever.
R. Amen.
www.fisheaters.com/15prayersofstbridget.html
The LORD of PARDON Devotion
RECEPTION PRAYER TO THE LORD OF PARDON [i]
The Sign of The Cross: In the name of The Father, and of The Son and of The Holy Ghost. Amen.
1. Purification Prayer of St. Mary Magdalen de Pazzi [ii]
ALMIGHTY FATHER, we place the Precious Blood of Jesus before our lips, before we pray that all our prayers may be purified before they ascend to Thy divine altar.
2. Welcome Prayer [iii]
O LORD, OUR GOD, our All, we welcome You into our humble dwelling. We thank You, we honor You and we praise You for Your Infinite humility; because You have deigned to bless our earthly dwelling with Your Divine and Majestic Presence, though we are full of unworthiness and our humble dwelling is inadequate for Your glory.
BLESS OUR family and our home, O Lord, that we may be worthy of Your Love and Your Divine Presence. May our home be a true nest of Your Divine Love not only for the next seven days of Your visit but for the rest of our pilgrimage on this earth. Grant that we may make Your stay in our home very pleasurable.
LORD, WE are Yours and we humbly pray that You will take care of us as Your true possession, now and forever. Amen.
3. Prayer for All of Humanity (From the Beginning to the End of the World) [iv]
O THOU MOST BELOVED, Most Merciful Lord Jesus Christ, into Thy Holy Almighty Hands we commend ourselves for all eternity, as well as in the Heart of the Most High God of the Eternal Trinity! We take refuge in the deep Wounds of Thy Most Holy Body. May Thy Most Holy Body nourish us, Thy Most Precious shed Blood, Fear and Suffering purify us of all our sins and vices! Oh, Our Dear Lord God, we humbly offer Thy Great Fear and Need to Thy Heavenly Father in expiation for all our sins and debts! May the terrible blows Thou didst endure plead for us! May Thy most painful scourging cover our great guilt! We offer All Thine injustices, deep wounds, great pains and sighs to Thy Heavenly Father for all our neglects. May Thy Great Love, Oh Dearest Jesus, reconcile us with Thy Divine Justice and with Thee! Oh, Most Merciful Jesus, may Thy Faultless Judgment be for us the forgiveness of all our sins, known and unknown; may Thy Holy Footsteps in so much Misery lead and guide us in the way of Thy Divine Justice; may Thy Shameful Denuding make us pure in body and sanctify our souls! May Thy Bitter Agony, Thy Holy Wounds shield us from our visible and invisible enemies! May Thy Pierced Hands and Feet lead us to All Good. Oh Dearest Lord, place us and hide us in Thy Five Most Holy Wounds! Forget not our poor souls for which Thou didst so agonizingly trembled on the stem of the Holy Cross! For the sake of all the Martyrdom Thou didst suffer, reconcile us with Thy Divine Justice! May Thy Most Holy and Bitter Death protect us, and lead us to Eternal Salvation! May Thy Most Blessed Power and Divine Omnipotence drive away and keep away from us every evil of body and soul! May Thy Most Holy Wounds, Dearest Jesus, bless and protect us in our death agony from all power of the infernal enemy! At the hour of our death, may Thy Most Precious Blood erase all our sins before our Beloved Heavenly Father, and let die in us all inclination to sin! May Thy Most Precious Blood lead us to all Angels and Saints! We commend and place all our suffering friends and enemies and all deceased persons to and into Thy most Loyal Redeemer’s Heart! Oh, Dearest Jesus, give to us all Thine Infinite Merits, the Power and the Blessing of Thy Most Bitter Passion and Death! Oh, Eternal Divinity, Oh, True Humanity of Jesus, Oh, Most Blessed Trinity, protect us now, according to Thy Divine desire and forever! Oh, Almighty and Immortal God, have mercy on us all! Amen. (It is highly recommended that this prayer be kept in one’s home and said daily.)
4. The ‘Constant’ Prayer of St. Catherine of Siena [v]
Precious Blood, Ocean of Divine Mercy: Flow upon us!
Precious Blood, Most Pure Offering: Procure Us Every Grace!
Precious Blood, Hope and Refuge of Sinners: Atone for Us!
Precious Blood, Delight of Holy Souls: Draw Us! Amen.
5. An Offering of The Holy Wounds and The Precious Blood [vi]
ETERNAL FATHER, we offer You the Holy Wounds of Your Son, and His Precious Blood, for the conversion of sinners and for the relief of the souls in Purgatory.
ETERNAL FATHER, we offer Thee the Most Precious Blood of Jesus Christ in atonement for our sins, and in supplication for the souls in Purgatory and for the needs of the Holy Church. – The Raccolta
6. Invocations
O God the Father, Omnipotent and Merciful Creator, Who has so much love and mercy for such miserable creatures like us; Have mercy on us, save us from hell, and protect us from all evil. (3X)
O Jesus Christ, The Lord of Pardon, Have mercy on us and forgive us our sins. (3X)
O Most Precious Blood of Jesus, Save and protect us from all that is evil. (3X)
O Holy Ghost, Paraclete and Comforter of All Mankind, Have Mercy on Us (3X)
Immaculate Hear of Mary, Pray for us, now and at the hour of our
death. Amen.
O Mary, Mother of Sorrows, Pray for Us
O Mother of the Sorrowful Heart, Pray for Us.
Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary, Pray for Us
O Mary, Conceived without sin, Pray for Us who have recourse to Thee.
Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, Pray for Us
Our Lady of Fatima, Pray for Us
Today/Tonight, we protect ourselves with the shield of the Imma-culate Conception!
THE SEVEN-DAY DEVOTION TO THE LORD OF PARDON
OPENING PRAYERS FOR EACH DAY
The Sign of The Cross: In the name of The Father +, and of The Son and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.
1. Purification Prayer of St. Mary Magdalen de Pazzi
ALMIGHTY FATHER, we place the Precious Blood of Jesus before our lips, before we pray that all our prayers may be purified before they ascend to Thy divine altar.
2. Come, Holy Ghost
COME HOLY GHOST, fill the hearts of Thy faithful
And kindle in them the fire of Thy Divine Love.
V. Send forth Thy Spirit and they shall be created,
R. And Thou shalt renew the face of the earth.
Let Us Pray
O GOD, Who has taught the hearts of the faithful by the light of the Holy Ghost, grant that by the gift of the same Spirit, we may always be truly wise and ever rejoice in His consolation. Grant this through Christ, Our Lord. Amen.
(The following hymn may be sung in place of the above prayer.)
VENI CREATOR SPIRITUS
Come Holy Ghost, Creator blest O, Comforter, to Thee we cry
And in our hearts take up Thy Rest Thou heavenly gift of God, Most High
Come with Thy grace, and heavenly aid O Fount of Life and Fire of Love
To fill our hearts which Thou has made And Sweet Anointing from above
To fill our hearts which Thou has made. And Sweet Anointing from above.
3. Divine Will Prayer [1]
THROUGH THE Immaculate Heart of Mary, I enter today/tonight into the Holy Will of God and pray – Come Divine will to pray in my prayer, in my name (and the name of those whom we pray for daily) and the name of all souls, for the love, honor and (greater) glory of God, Our Father, in reparation for all sins and for the salvation of souls. Amen.
4. To Obtain Love of Prayer [2]
O, LORD JESUS CHRIST, for the sake of Thy sufferings, grant to us, (and to all those whom we pray for daily,) such faith, hope, charity, sorrow for sins and love of prayer, that will help sanctify and save our souls.
5. To Learn the Science of Salvation [3]
JESUS, EXTEND to us in the light, in Thine infinite knowledge, the power through the light, to understand the task that lies ahead for all of us, who wish to be saved. Amen.
6. Act of Contrition
O MY GOD, I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee. And I confess all my sins, because I dread the loss of heaven and the pains of hell. But most all, because I love Thee, my God, Who art all good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve with the help of Thy grace, to confess my sins, to do penance and to amend my life. Amen.
7. Daily Prayer [4]
O GOD, Who for the redemption of the world didst vouchsafe to be born among men, rejected by the Jews, betrayed with a kiss by the traitor Judas, bound with cords, to be led as an innocent lamb to the slaughter, to be treated with indignity, accused by false witnesses, afflicted with scourges and reproaches, to be spit upon, crowned with thorns, beaten with blows, struck with a reed, to have Your face veiled, to be stripped of Your garments, to be nailed to the cross and raised high thereon, to be ranked among thieves, to be offered gall and vinegar to drink, and to be pierced with a lance.
O LORD, by these Your most holy pains, which I, though unworthy, now call to mind, and by Your Holy cross
and death, deliver us from the pains of hell and take us where You took the good thief who was crucified with You, Who with The Father and The Holy Ghost, livest and reignest forever and ever. Amen.
8. Hymns
O SACRED HEART
O Sacred Heart! O Love Divine! Ref: Heart of Jesus, Hear!
Do keep us near to Thee. O Heart of Love Divine!
And make our hearts so like to Thine Listen to Our Prayer!
That we may holy be Make us always Thine.
HAIL MARY
Hail! Mary, Full of Grace! Holy Mary, Mother of God,
The Lord is with Thee! Pray for us, sinners,
Blessed art Thou amongst women! Now, and at the hour --
And blessed is the Fruit Of Thy Womb, Jesus! Of our death. Amen.
9. Prayers before The Rosary
THE LAST VISION OF FATIMA PRAYER [5]
O Queen of the most holy rosary, Thou hast deigned to come to Fatima to reveal to the three shepherd children the treasures of grace hidden in the rosary. Inspire our hearts with a sincere love for this devotion, that by meditating upon the mysteries of our redemption which are recalled in it, we may be enriched. With its fruits, obtain peace for the world, the conversion of sinners and of Russia, (the remission of the temporal punishment of the poor souls in Purgatory, the triumph of Your Son’s church over the gates of hell) and the favor which we ask of you in this rosary. (MAKE YOUR REQUEST.) We ask it for the greater glory of God, for your own honor, and for the good of souls, including our own. Amen.
ST. LOUIS DE MONFORT’S PRAYER [6]
WE UNITE ourselves with all the Saints in heaven, and with all the just on earth; we unite ourselves with Thee, Our Jesus, in order to praise Your holy Mother worthily and to praise You in her and by her. We renounce all the distractions that may have during this rosary which we wish to say with modesty, attention and devotion just as if it were to be the last one of our lives. Amen.
WE OFFER to Thee, O Most Holy Trinity this creed – in honor of the mysteries of our faith; this Our Father and these three Hail Marys – in honor of the Unity of Thy Essence and the Trinity of Thy Persons.
WE ASK of Thee a lively faith, a firm hope and an ardent charity. Amen.
10. The Proper of The Most Holy Rosary
THE APOSTLE’S CREED
I BELIEVE in God, the Father the Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ His Only Son, Our Lord, Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Blessed Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell, the third day He arose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sitteth at the right hand of God, The Father Almighty. From thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in The Holy Ghost, the holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body and life everlasting. Amen.
THE PATER
Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy Name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. Amen.
THE AVE
HAIL MARY! Full of grace! The Lord is with Thee! Blessed art Thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of Thy womb, Jesus! Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now, and at the hour of our death. Amen.
THE GLORIA
GLORY BE to The Father, and to The Son and to The Holy Ghost! As it was in the beginning, now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
THE ANGEL of FATIMA PRAYER *
MY GOD, I believe, I adore, I trust and I love Thee, and I beg pardon for all those who do not believe, do not adore, do not trust and do not love Thee.
O MY JESUS, forgive us our sins. Save us from the fires of hell, and lead all souls into heaven, especially those who most need of Thy mercy.
PEACE PRAYER
O MOST SWEET Heart of Jesus, lead us unto salvation. Grant peace to the entire world, specially the United States/Philippines/(Name Your Country). Bring back to You all sinners and grant that they may find the path that leads to you.
IMMACULATE HEART INVOCATION *
O BLESSED VIRGIN Mother protect us with your most Immaculate Heart. Amen.
PRAYER of POPE LEO XIII *
St. MICHAEL, the Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray. And do thou, O Prince of the heavenly hosts, cast into hell Satan and all the evil spirits who wander throughout the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.
THE MYSTERIES of THE HOLY ROSARY
The Joyful Mysteries (Monday and Thursday)
1. THE ANNUNCIATION (by the Archangel Gabriel to the Blessed Virgin Mary of her selection by
The Blessed Trinity as the Mother of the forthcoming Messiah)
2. THE VISITATION (of the Blessed Virgin Mary to her cousin, Elizabeth)
3. THE BIRTH of Our Lord Jesus (in the small town of Bethlehem)
4. THE PRESENTATION of Our Lord Jesus (in the temple)
5. THE FINDING of the Child Jesus (in the Temple, three days after He was found missing)
The Sorrowful Mysteries (Tuesday and Friday)
1. THE AGONY of Our Lord Jesus Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane
2. THE SCOURGING of Our Lord Jesus Christ at the Pillar
3. THE CROWNING of Our Lord Jesus Christ with the Crown of Thorns
4. THE CARRYING of the Cross by Our Lord Jesus Christ to Calvary
5. THE CRUCIFIXION and Death of Our Lord Jesus Christ on the Cross
The Glorious mysteries (Sunday, Wednesday and Saturday)
1. THE RESURRECTION of Our Lord Jesus Christ from the dead (on the third day after His
burial)
2. THE ASCENSION of Our Lord Jesus Christ (into Heaven, forty days after His resurrection)
3. THE DESCENT of The Holy Ghost (upon Our Blessed Mother and the Apostles on the 50th day
after The Ascension of Jesus)
4. THE ASSUMPTION of Our Blessed Mother (into Heaven, body and soul)
5. THE CORONATION of the Blessed Virgin Mary (as the Queen of Heaven and all of Creation)
HAIL! HOLY QUEEN!
HAIL! HOLY QUEEN! Mother of mercy, hail our life, our sweetness, and our hope. To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve. To Thee do we send up our sigh, mourning, and weeping in this valley of tears. Turn then O Most Gracious Advocate, Thine eyes of mercy towards us and after this our exile, show unto us, the Blessed Fruit of Thy womb, Jesus. O Clement, O Loving, O Sweet, Virgin Mary.
V. Pray for us O Holy Mother of God,
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Let Us Pray O GOD, Whose Only Begotten Son, by His Life, Death and Resurrection, has purchased for us the rewards of eternal life. Grant, we beseech Thee, that by meditating upon these mysteries of the most holy rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we may imitate what they contain and obtain what they promise. Through the same Christ Our Lord. Amen.
V. May the Divine Assistance remain always with us, +
R. And may the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.
11. Prayers After The Rosary
LITANY OF THE MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD
Lord, have mercy on us, Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us!
Christ, hear us, Christ graciously hear us.
God, the Father of Heaven, Have mercy on us.
God, the Son, Redeemer of the world, Have mercy on us.
God, the Holy Ghost, Have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, One God, Have mercy on us.
Blood of Christ, Only Begotten Son of The Eternal Father, Save us.
Blood of Christ, Incarnate Word of God,
Blood of Christ, of the New and Eternal Testament,
Blood of Christ, first shed in the Presentation at the temple,
Blood of Christ, falling upon the Earth in Agony in the garden of Olives,
Blood of Christ, shed profusely in the Scourging at the pillar,
Blood of Christ, flowing forth in the Crowning with thorns,
Blood of Christ, poured out on the Cross,
Blood of Christ, the price of our Salvation,
Blood of Christ, without which there is no forgiveness,
Blood of Christ, Eucharistic drink and Refreshment of souls,
Blood of Christ, stream of mercy,
Blood of Christ, victor over demons,
Blood of Christ, courage of martyrs,
Blood of Christ, strength of confessors,
Blood of Christ, bringing forth virgins,
Blood of Christ, help of those in peril,
Blood of Christ, relief of the burdened,
Blood of Christ, solace of the sorrowful,
Blood of Christ, hope of the penitent,
Blood of Christ, consolation of the dying,
Blood of Christ, peace and tenderness of hearts,
Blood of Christ, the pledge of Eternal Life,
Blood of Christ, freeing souls from Purgatory,
Blood of Christ, most worthy of all glory and honor,
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Spare us, O Lord
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Have mercy on us
V. You have redeemed us, O Lord, by Your Precious Blood,
R. And made us, for Our God, a kingdom.
Let Us Pray
OMNIPOTENT and Eternal God, You have chosen Your Only Begotten Son to be the Redeemer of the world and You have been appeased by the shedding of His Most Precious Blood. Grant, we humbly pray, that we may always cherish the value of our redemption and forget not the grief You and our Blessed Virgin Mother have to bear in the suffering and death of Your Dearly Beloved Son. Through His Precious Blood and the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, may we be delivered from all evil in this world that we may enjoy the fruits of our redemption in Your kingdom for all eternity. Amen.
FIRST DAY
“FATHER, FORGIVE THEM, FOR THEY KNOW NOT WHAT THEY DO.” (Luke 23:34)
1. Meditation (Read pages 10 to 16 of ‘The Seven Last Words’ by Bishop Fulton J. Sheen, D.D.)
2. Prayer for All of Humanity (Turn to page 1)
3. The Old Rugged Cross/Heart of Jesus (Turn to page 8)
SECOND DAY
“AMEN, I SAY TO YOU, THIS DAY THOU SHALT BE WITH ME IN PARADISE.” (Luke 23:43)
1. Meditation (Read pages 18 to 24 of ‘The Seven Last Words’ by Bishop Fulton J. Sheen, D.D.)
2. Prayer for All of Humanity (Page 1)
3. The Old Rugged Cross/Heart of Jesus (Turn to page 8)
THIRD DAY
“WOMAN, BEHOLD THY SON.”
(After that, He said to the disciple:) “BEHOLD THY MOTHER.” (John 19:26-27)
1. Meditation (Read pages 26 to 31 of ‘The Seven Last Words’ by Bishop Fulton J. Sheen, D.D.)
2. Prayer for All of Humanity (Page 1)
3. The Old Rugged Cross/Heart of Jesus (Turn to page 8)
FOURTH DAY
“MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAST THOU FORSAKEN ME.”
(Matt. 27:46 and Mk. 15:34)
1. Meditation (Read pages 34 to 40 of ‘The Seven Last Words’ by Bishop Fulton J. Sheen, D.D.)
2. Prayer for All of Humanity (Page 1)
3. Heart of Jesus (Turn to page 8)
FIFTH DAY
“I THIRST.” (John 19:28)
1. Meditation (Read pages 42 to 47 of ‘The Seven Last Words’ by Bishop Fulton J. Sheen, D.D.)
2. Prayer for All of Humanity (Page 1)
3. Heart of Jesus (Turn to page 8)
SIXTH DAY
“IT IS CONSUMMATED.” (John 19:28)
1. Meditation (Read pages 50 to 55 of ‘The Seven Last Words’ by Bishop Fulton J. Sheen, D.D.)
2. Prayer for All of Humanity (Page 1)
3. Heart of Jesus (Turn to page 8)
SEVENTH DAY
“FATHER, INTO THY HANDS I COMMEND MY SPIRIT.” (Luke 23:46)
1. Meditation (Read pages 58 to 64 of ‘The Seven Last Words’ by Bishop Fulton J. Sheen, D.D.)
2. Prayer for All of Humanity (Page 1)
3. Heart of Jesus (Turn to page 8)
HEART of JESUS
Heart of Jesus! Meek and Mild!
Hear, O hear, Thy feeble child!
And when the tempest most severe
Heart of Jesus, hear!
(Refrain)
Sweetly we’ll rest on The Sacred Heart
Never from Thee, Oh let us part
Hear then Thy loving children’s prayer
O Heart of Jesus, Heart of Jesus, hear!
FAREWELL
(This Section to Be Used on the SEVENTH & LAST Day)
O Most Loving Father, the time has come for You to leave us and our dwelling which have been Your home for the past seven days. Words are not enough to render You praise and thanksgiving for the love that You have shown us. Our Father, You have always loved us. You have deigned to be with us even for a short time, and this Thou has done through this novena devotion to Your Son, The Lord of Pardon. We give Thee our heartfelt thanks through Our Lord Jesus Christ.
Farewell, Lord Jesus and we thank Thee for the great gifts of knowledge and understanding You have given us through Your Holy Spirit: of why You died for us and what we have to do in order that Your Passion and Death will be bear the fruits that You expect.
Farewell, O Holy Spirit and thank You for all Your gifts. Grant us also your fruits that we may live our lives in conformance and for the pleasure of Our Almighty God.
Farewell, O Queen and Delight of Heaven. We thank Thee, for all the blessings and graces you brought in to our dwelling by your constant intercession and for Your Motherly Love.
We look forward to Your next visit, O Blessed Trinity and Our Mother. We pray that we will again enjoy Your company soon, if not in this life, then, by Your compassion and forgiveness which You shower upon us with the Precious Blood of Your Dearly Beloved Son, may it be in Your kingdom. Amen.
TO JESUS’ HEART
To Jesus’ Heart all burning
With fervent love for men
My heart with fondest yearning
Shall raise its joyful strain.
Refrain
While ages course along
Blest be with loudest song
The Sacred Heart of Jesus
By every heart and tongue
Too true I have forsaken
Thy love by willful sin
Yet now let me be taken
Back by Thy grace again. (Ref)
THE OLD RUGGED CROSS
On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross, Oh, that old rugged cross, so despised by the world,
The emblem of suff’ring and shame. Has wondrous attraction for me,
And I love that old cross, where the dearest and best For, The Dear Lamb of God left His glory above,
For a world of lost sinners was slain To bear it to dark Calvary (Ref)
Refrain
So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross, In the old rugged cross, stained with blood so divine
Till my trophies at last I lay down. A wondrous beauty I see.
I will cling to the old rugged cross, For ‘twas on that old cross Jesus suffered and died,
And exchange some day for a crown. To pardon and sanctify me. (Ref)
The Fifteen Prayers
of St. Bridget of Sweden
These prayers are prayed daily, each beginning with a Pater and an Ave. Then follows a concluding prayer. There are alleged promises from Our Lord attached to these prayers, but they are problematic, inconsistent with Catholic teaching, and their publication was once forbidden. It may be that the vision wasn't properly written down, properly translated, consistently handed-down, or otherwise kept intact, but in any case, beware of any "Magnificent Promises" you may hear of in association with the following perfectly pious prayers.
First Prayer
Say one Our Father and one Hail Mary
O Jesus Christ! Eternal Sweetness to those who love Thee, joy surpassing all joy and all desire, Salvation and Hope of all sinners, Who hast proved that Thou hast no greater desire than to be among men, even assuming human nature at the fullness of time for the love of men, recall all the sufferings Thou hast endured from the instant of Thy conception, and especially during Thy Passion, as it was decreed and ordained from eternity in the Divine plan.
Remember, O Lord, that during the Last Supper with Thy disciples having washed their feet, Thou gavest them Thy Most Precious Body and Blood, and while at the same time Thou didst sweetly console them, Thou didst fortell them Thy coming Passion.
Remember the sadness and bitterness which Thou didst experience in Thy Soul as Thou Thyself bore witness saying: "My Soul is sorrowful even unto death."
Remember all the fear, anguish and pain that Thou didst suffer in Thy delicate Body before the torment of the Crucifixion, when, after having prayed three times, bathed in a sweat of blood, Thou wast betrayed by Judas, Thy disciple, arrested by the people of a nation Thou hadst chosen and elevated, accused by false witnesses, unjustly judged by three judges during the flower of Thy youth and during the solemn Paschal season.
Remember that Thou wast despoiled of Thy garments and clothed in those of derision; that Thy Face and Eyes were veiled, that Thou wast buffeted, crowned with thorns, a reed placed in Thy Hands, that Thou wast crushed with blows and overwhelmed with affronts and outrages.
In memory of all these pains and sufferings which Thou didst endure before Thy Passion on the Cross, grant me before my death true contrition, a sincere and entire confession, worthy satisfaction and the remission all my sins. Amen.
Second Prayer
Say one Our Father and one Hail Mary
O Jesus! True liberty of angels, paradise of delights, remember the horror and sadness which Thou didst endure when Thy enemies, like furious lions, surrounded Thee, and by thousands of insults, spits, blows, lacerations and other unheard-of cruelties, tormented Thee at will. In consideration of these torments and insulting words, I beseech Thee, O my Savior, to deliver me from all my enemies, visible and invisible, and to bring me, under Thy protection, to the perfection of eternal salvation. Amen.
Third Prayer
Say one Our Father and one Hail Mary
O Jesus! Creator of Heaven and earth Whom nothing can encompass or limit, Thou Who dost enfold and hold all under Thy loving power, remember the very bitter pain Thou didst suffer when the Jews nailed Thy Sacred Hands and Feet to the Cross by blow after blow with big blunt nails, and not finding Thee in a pitiable enough state to satisfy their rage, they enlarged thy Wounds, and added pain to pain, and with indescribable cruelty stretched Thy Body on the Cross, pulling Thee from all sides, thus dislocating Thy limbs.
I beg of Thee, O Jesus, by the memory of this most Loving suffering of the Cross, to grant me the grace to fear Thee and to Love Thee. Amen.
Fourth Prayer
Say one Our Father and one Hail Mary
O Jesus! Heavenly Physician, raised aloft on the Cross to heal our wounds with Thine, remember the bruises which Thou didst suffer and the weakness of all Thy Members which were distended to such a degree that never was there pain like unto Thine. From the crown of Thy Head to the Soles of Thy Feet there was not one spot on Thy Body that was not in torment, and yet, forgetting all Thy sufferings, Thou didst not cease to pray to Thy Heavenly Father for Thy enemies, saying: "Father forgive them for they know not what they do."
Through this great Mercy, and in memory of this suffering, grant that the remembrance of Thy Most Bitter Passion may effect in us a perfect contrition and the remission of all our sins. Amen.
Fifth Prayer
Say one Our Father and one Hail Mary
O Jesus! Mirror of eternal splendor, remember the sadness which Thou experienced, when contemplating in the light of Thy Divinity the predestination of those who would be saved by the merits of Thy Sacred Passion, Thou didst see at the same time, the great multitude of reprobates who would be damned for their sins, and Thou didst complain bitterly of those hopeless, lost, and unfortunate sinners.
Through this abyss of compassion and pity, and especially through the goodness which Thou displayed to the good thief when Thou saidst to him: "This day, thou shalt be with Me in Paradise." I beg of Thee, O Sweet Jesus, that at the hour of my death, Thou wilt show me mercy. Amen.
Sixth Prayer
Say one Our Father and one Hail Mary
O Jesus! Beloved and most desirable King, remember the grief Thou didst suffer, when naked and like a common criminal, Thou wast fastened and raised on the Cross, when all Thy relatives and friends abandoned Thee, except Thy Beloved Mother, who remained close to Thee during Thy agony and whom Thou didst entrust to Thy faithful disciple when Thou saidst to Mary: "Woman, behold thy son!", and to St. John: "Son, behold thy Mother!".
I beg of Thee O my Savior, by the sword of sorrow which pierced the soul of Thy holy Mother, to have compassion on me in all my afflictions and tribulations, both corporal and spiritual, and to assist me in all my trials, and especially at the hour of my death. Amen.
Seventh Prayer
Say one Our Father and one Hail Mary
O Jesus! Inexhaustible Fountain of compassion, Who by a profound gesture of Love, said from the Cross: "I thirst," suffered from the thirst for the salvation of the human race. I beg of Thee, O my Savior, to inflame in our hearts the desire to tend toward perfection in all our acts, and to extinguish in us the concupiscence of the flesh and the ardor of worldly desires. Amen.
Eighth Prayer
Say one Our Father and one Hail Mary
O Jesus! Sweetness of hearts, delight of the spirit, by the bitterness of the gall and vinegar which Thou didst taste on the Cross for Love of us, grant us the grace to receive worthily Thy Precious Body and Blood during our life and at the hour of our death, that they may serve as a remedy and consolation for our souls. Amen.
Ninth Prayer
Say one Our Father and one Hail Mary
O Jesus! Royal virtue, joy of the mind, recall the pain Thou didst endure when plunged in an ocean of bitterness at the approach of death, insulted, outraged by the Jews, Thou didst cry out in a loud voice that Thou wast abandoned by Thy Father, saying: "My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?"
Through this anguish, I beg of Thee, O my Savior, not to abandon me in the terrors and pains of my death. Amen.
Tenth Prayer
Say one Our Father and one Hail Mary
O Jesus! Who art the beginning and the end of all things, life and virtue, remember that for our sakes Thou wast plunged in an abyss of suffering from the soles of Thy Feet to the crown of Thy Head. In consideration of the enormity of Thy Wounds, teach me to keep, through pure love, Thy Commandments, whose way is wide and easy for those who love Thee. Amen.
Eleventh Prayer
Say one Our Father and one Hail Mary
O Jesus! Deep abyss of mercy, I beg of Thee, in memory of Thy Wounds which penetrated to the very marrow of Thy Bones and to the depth of Thy being, to draw me, a miserable sinner, overwhelmed by my offenses, away from sin and to hide me from Thy Face justly irritated against me; hide me in Thy Wounds, until Thy anger and just indignation shall have passed away. Amen.
Twelfth Prayer
Say one Our Father and one Hail Mary
O Jesus! Mirror of truth, symbol of unity, link of charity, remember the multitude of wounds with which Thou wast covered from head to foot, torn and reddened by the spilling of Thy adorable Blood. O great and universal pain which Thou didst suffer in Thy virginal flesh for love of us! Sweetest Jesus! What is there that Thou couldst have done for us which Thou hast not done?
May the fruit of Thy sufferings be renewed in my soul by the faithful remembrance of Thy Passion, and may Thy love increase in my heart each day until I see Thee in eternity, Thou Who art the treasury of every real good and every joy, which I beg Thee to grant me, O sweetest Jesus, in Heaven. Amen.
Thirteenth Prayer
Say one Our Father and one Hail Mary
O Jesus! Strong lion, immortal and invincible King, remember the pain Thou didst endure when all Thy strength, both moral and physical, was entirely exhausted; Thou didst bow Thy Head, saying: "It is consummated."
Through this anguish and grief, I beg of Thee Lord Jesus, to have mercy on me at the hour of my death when my mind will be greatly troubled and my soul will be in anguish. Amen.
Fourteenth Prayer
Say one Our Father and one Hail Mary
O Jesus! Only Son of the Father, splendor and figure of His Substance, remember the simple and humble recommendation Thou didst make of Thy Soul to Thy Eternal Father, saying: "Father, into Thy Hands I commend My Spirit!" And with Thy Body all torn, and Thy Heart broken, and the bowels of Thy Mercy open to redeem us, Thou didst expire.
By this Precious Death, I beg of Thee O King of Saints, to comfort me and help me to resist the devil, the flesh and the world, so that being dead to the world, I may live for Thee alone. I beg of Thee at the hour of my death to receive me, a pilgrim and an exile returning to Thee. Amen.
Fifteenth Prayer
Say one Our Father and one Hail Mary
O Jesus! True and fruitful Vine! Remember the abundant outpouring of blood which Thou didst so generously shed from Thy Sacred Body as juice from grapes in a wine press.
From Thy Side, pierced with a lance by a soldier, blood and water issued forth until there was not left in Thy Body a single drop, and finally, like a bundle of myrrh lifted to the top of the Cross, Thy delicate Flesh was destroyed, the very substance of Thy Body withered, and the marrow of Thy Bones dried up.
Through this bitter Passion, and through the outpouring of Thy Precious Blood, I beg of Thee, O Sweet Jesus, to receive my soul when I am in my death agony. Amen.
Concluding Prayer
O Sweet Jesus! Pierce my heart so that my tears of penitence and love will be my bread day and night; may I be converted entirely to Thee, may my heart be Thy perpetual habitation, may my conversation be pleasing to Thee, and may the end of my life be so praiseworthy that I may merit Heaven and there with Thy saints, praise Thee forever. Amen.
ETERNAL REST (PRAYER FOR THE DEPARTED)
01
JAN
Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace.
Amen.
V. O Lord, hear my prayer.
R. And let my cry come to you.
Let us pray:
O God, the Creator and Redeemer of all the faithful, grant to the souls of Your servants departed the remission of all their sins, that through our pious supplication they may obtain that pardon which they have always desired; who live and reign for ever and ever.
R. Amen.
Miracle and supernatural
video Made By Kailash Mansarovar Foundation , Swami Bikash Giri, www.sumeruparvat.com , www.naturalitem.com
DATTATREYA PLACE OF GIRNAR PARVAT
GIRNAR PARVAT SLEEPING PURAN PURUSH AFTER ROTAE VERY CLEAR A FACE
MOUNT KAILASH IS NATURAL SHIVLING IN ALL SITES
NATURAL FACE IN MOUNT KAILASH FROM SATELLITE
FACE IN MOUNT KAILASH
NATURAL AUM IN OM MOUNTAIN
AUM BEACH IN GOKARN
NATURAKL TRISHUL AFTER ROTATE AUM
NATURAL AUM IN HOLY FIRE IN BANGALORE AFTER KAILASH YATRA
LEFT SITE A FACE IN MANSAROVAR
NATURAL HANUMAN JI IN HOLY FIRE BANK OF MANSAROVAR CAVE
NATURAL OM IN HOLY FIRE BANK OF MANSAROVAR CAVE
NATURAL RAMKRISHNA PARAMHANS
NATURAL SKULL
MONK FACE IN ASHTAPAD CAVE KAILASH
NATURAL THREE EYES IN KAILASH
NATURAL HAND IN KAILASH (BLESSING )
NATURAL ELEPHANT IN KAILASH
LOOK LIKE COSMIC RAY IN MANSAROVAR IN WINTER TIME
BRAHMA VISHNU SHIVA
MIRACLE
A miracle is an event not explicable by natural or scientific laws.Such an event may be attributed to a supernatural being (God or gods), a miracle worker, a saint or a religious leader. Theologians say that, with divine providence, gods regularly work through created nature yet are free to work without, above, or against it as well.
The word "miracle" is often used to characterise any beneficial event that is statistically unlikely but not contrary to the laws of nature, such as surviving a natural disaster, or simply a "wonderful" occurrence, regardless of likelihood, such as a birth. Other miracles might be: survival of an illness diagnosed as terminal, escaping a life-threatening situation or 'beating the odds'. Some coincidences may be seen as miracles
Christianity
Main article: Miracles of Jesus
The gospels record three sorts of miracles performed by Jesus: exorcisms, cures, and nature wonders. In St John's Gospel the miracles are referred to as "signs" and the emphasis is on God demonstrating his underlying normal activity in remarkable ways. In the New Testament, the greatest miracle is the resurrection of Jesus, the event central to Christian faith.
Jesus explains in the New Testament that miracles are performed by faith in God. "If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'move from here to there' and it will move." (Gospel of Matthew 17:20). After Jesus returned to heaven, the book of Acts records the disciples of Jesus praying to God to grant that miracles be done in his name, for the purpose of convincing onlookers that he is alive. (Acts 4:29–31).
Other passages mention false prophets who will be able to perform miracles to deceive "if possible, even the elect of Christ" (Matthew 24:24). 2 Thessalonians 2:9 says, "And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of His mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of His coming: Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the Truth, that they might be saved." Revelation 13:13,14 says, "And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, and deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they sould make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live." Revelation 16:14 says, "For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty." Revelation 19:20 says, "And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone." These passages indicate that signs, wonders, and miracles are not necessarily committed by God.
In early Christianity miracles were the most often attested motivations for conversions of pagans; pagan Romans took the existence of miracles for granted; Christian texts reporting them offered miracles as divine proof of the Christian God's unique claim to authority, relegating all other gods to the lower status of daimones:"of all worships, the Christian best and most particularly advertised its miracles by driving out of spirits and laying on of hands".The Gospel of John is structured around miraculous "signs": The success of the Apostles according to the church historian Eusebius of Caesarea lay in their miracles: "though laymen in their language", he asserted, "they drew courage from divine, miraculous powers".]The conversion of Constantine by a miraculous sign in heaven is a prominent fourth-century example.
Since the Age of Enlightenment, miracles have often needed to be rationalized: C.S. Lewis, Norman Geisler, William Lane Craig, and other 20th-century Christians have argued that miracles are reasonable and plausible. For example, Lewis said that a miracle is something that comes totally out of the blue. If for thousands of years a woman can become pregnant only by sexual intercourse with a man, then if she were to become pregnant without a man, it would be a miracle.
There have been numerous claims of miracles by people of most Christian denominations, including but not limited to faith healings and casting out demons. Miracle reports are especially prevalent in Roman Catholicism and Pentecostal or Charismatic churches.
Catholic Church
The Catholic Church recognises miracles as being works of God, either directly, or through the prayers and intercessions of a specific saint or saints. There is usually a specific purpose connected to a miracle, e.g. the conversion of a person or persons to the Catholic faith or the construction of a church desired by God. The Church says that it tries to be very cautious to approve the validity of putative miracles. The Catholic Church says that it maintains particularly stringent requirements in validating the miracle's authenticity.The process is overseen by the Congregation for the Causes of Saints.
The Catholic Church has recognised several events as miracles, some of them occurring in modern times. Before a person can be accepted as a saint, they must be confirmed as having performed two miracles posthumously. In the procedure of beatification of Pope John Paul II, who died in 2005, the Vatican announced on 14 January 2011 that Pope Benedict XVI had confirmed that the recovery of Sister Marie Simon-Pierre from Parkinson's disease was a miracle.
Among the more notable miracles approved by the Church are several Eucharistic miracles wherein the sacramental bread and wine are transformed into Christ's flesh and blood, such as the Miracle of Lanciano and cures in Lourdes.
According to 17th century documents, a young Spanish man's leg was miraculously restored to him in 1640 after having been amputated two and a half years earlier.
Another miracle approved by the Church is the Miracle of the Sun, which occurred near Fátima, Portugal on October 13, 1917. Anywhere between 70,000 and 100,000 people, who were gathered at a cove near Fátima, witnessed the sun dim, change colors, spin, dance about in the sky, and appear to plummet to earth, radiating great heat in the process. After the ten-minute event, the ground and the people's clothing, which had been drenched by a previous rainstorm, were both dry.
Velankanni (Mary) can be traced to the mid-16th century and is attributed to three miracles: the apparition of Mary and the Christ Child to a slumbering shepherd boy, the curing of a lame buttermilk vendor, and the rescue of Portuguese sailors from a violent sea storm
In addition to these, the Catholic Church attributes miraculous causes to many otherwise inexplicable phenomena on a case-by-case basis. Only after all other possible explanations have proven inadequate may the Church assume Divine intervention and declare the miracle worthy of veneration by the faithful. The Church does not, however, enjoin belief in any extra-Scriptural miracle as an article of faith or as necessary for salvation.
St. Thomas Aquinas, a prominent Doctor of the Church, divided miracles into three types in his Summa contra Gentiles:
These works that are sometimes done by God outside the usual order assigned to things are wont to be called miracles: because we are astonished (admiramur) at a thing when we see an effect without knowing the cause. And since at times one and the same cause is known to some and unknown to others, it happens that of several who see an effect, some are astonished and some not: thus an astronomer is not astonished when he sees an eclipse of the sun, for he knows the cause; whereas one who is ignorant of this science must needs wonder, since he knows not the cause. Wherefore it is wonderful to the latter but not to the former. Accordingly a thing is wonderful simply, when its cause is hidden simply: and this is what we mean by a miracle: something, to wit, that is wonderful in itself and not only in respect of this person or that. Now God is the cause which is hidden to every man simply: for we have proved above that in this state of life no man can comprehend Him by his intellect. Therefore properly speaking miracles are works done by God outside the order usually observed in things.
Of these miracles there are various degrees and orders. The highest degree in miracles comprises those works wherein something is done by God, that nature can never do: for instance, that two bodies occupy the same place, that the sun recede or stand still, that the sea be divided and make way to passers by. Among these there is a certain order: for the greater the work done by God, and the further it is removed from the capability of nature, the greater the miracle: thus it is a greater miracle that the sun recede, than that the waters be divided.
The second degree in miracles belongs to those whereby God does something that nature can do, but not in the same order: thus it is a work of nature that an animal live, see and walk: but that an animal live after being dead, see after being blind, walk after being lame, this nature cannot do, but God does these things sometimes by a miracle. Among these miracles also, there are degrees, according as the thing done is further removed from the faculty of nature.
The third degree of miracles is when God does what is wont to be done by the operation of nature, but without the operation of the natural principles: for instance when by the power of God a man is cured of a fever that nature is able to cure; or when it rains without the operation of the principles of nature.[17]
Buddhism[edit]
The Haedong Kosung-jon of Korea (Biographies of High Monks) records that King Beopheung of Silla had desired to promulgate Buddhism as the state religion. However, officials in his court opposed him. In the fourteenth year of his reign, Beopheung's "Grand Secretary", Ichadon, devised a strategy to overcome court opposition. Ichadon schemed with the king, convincing him to make a proclamation granting Buddhism official state sanction using the royal seal. Ichadon told the king to deny having made such a proclamation when the opposing officials received it and demanded an explanation. Instead, Ichadon would confess and accept the punishment of execution, for what would quickly be seen as a forgery. Ichadon prophesied to the king that at his execution a wonderful miracle would convince the opposing court faction of Buddhism's power. Ichadon's scheme went as planned, and the opposing officials took the bait. When Ichadon was executed on the 15th day of the 9th month in 527, his prophecy was fulfilled; the earth shook, the sun was darkened, beautiful flowers rained from the sky, his severed head flew to the sacred Geumgang mountains, and milk instead of blood sprayed 100 feet in the air from his beheaded corpse. The omen was accepted by the opposing court officials as a manifestation of heaven's approval, and Buddhism was made the state religion in 527 CE.[18]
The Honchō Hokke Reigenki (c. 1040) of Japan contains a collection of Buddhist miracle stories.[19]
Miracles play an important role in the veneration of Buddhist relics in Southern Asia. Thus, Somawathie Stupa in Sri Lanka is an increasingly popular site of pilgrimage and tourist destination thanks to multiple reports about miraculous rays of light, apparitions and modern legends,[20] which often have been fixed in photographs and movies.
Hinduism
In Hinduism, miracles are focused on episodes of liberation of the spirit.[21] A key example is the revelation of Krishna to Arjuna, wherein Krishna persuades Arjuna to rejoin the battle against his cousins by briefly and miraculously giving Arjuna the power to see the true scope of the Universe, and its sustainment within Krishna, which requires divine vision. This is a typical situation in Hindu mythology wherein "wondrous acts are performed for the purpose of bringing spiritual liberation to those who witness or read about them."[21]
Hindu sages have criticized both expectation and reliance on miracles as cheats, situations where people have sought to earn a benefit without doing the work necessary to merit it.[21] Miracles continue to be occasionally reported in the practice of Hinduism, with an example of a miracle modernly reported in Hinduism being the Hindu milk miracle of September 1995, with additional occurrences in 2006 and 2010, wherein statues of certain Hindu deities were seen to drink milk offered to them.
Islam
A 16th-century Persian miniature painting celebrating Muhammad's ascent into the Heavens, a journey known as the Miraj. Muhammad's face is veiled, a common practice in Islamic art.
Main articles: Islamic view of miracles and Miracles of Muhammad
See also: Occasionalism
"Miracle" in the Qur'an can be defined as a supernatural intervention in the life of human beings.[22] According to this definition, miracles are present "in a threefold sense: in sacred history, in connection with Muhammad himself and in relation to revelation".[22] The Qur'an does not use the technical Arabic word for miracle (Muʿd̲j̲iza) literally meaning "that by means of which [the Prophet] confounds, overwhelms, his opponents". It rather uses the term 'Ayah' (literally meaning sign).[23] The term Ayah is used in the Qur'an in the above-mentioned threefold sense: it refers to the "verses" of the Qur'an (believed to be the divine speech in human language; presented by Muhammad as his chief Miracle); as well as to miracles of it and the signs (particularly those of creation).
To defend the possibility of miracles and God's omnipotence against the encroachment of the independent secondary causes, some medieval Muslim theologians such as Al-Ghazali rejected the idea of cause and effect in essence, but accepted it as something that facilitates humankind's investigation and comprehension of natural processes. They argued that the nature was composed of uniform atoms that were "re-created" at every instant by God. Thus if the soil was to fall, God would have to create and re-create the accident of heaviness for as long as the soil was to fall. For Muslim theologians, the laws of nature were only the customary sequence of apparent causes: customs of God.[24]
Sufi biographical literature records claims of miraculous accounts of men and women. The miraculous prowess of the Sufi holy men includes firasa (clairvoyance), the ability to disappear from sight, to become completely invisible and practice buruz (exteriorization). The holy men reportedly tame wild beasts and traverse long distances in a very short time span. They could also produce food and rain in seasons of drought, heal the sick and help barren women conceive.[25][26]
Judaism
Descriptions of miracles (Hebrew Ness, נס) appear in the Tanakh. Examples include prophets, such as Elijah who performed miracles like the raising of a widow's dead son (1 Kings 17:17–24) and Elisha whose miracles include multiplying the poor widow's jar of oil (2 Kings 4:1–7) and restoring to life the son of the woman of Shunem (2 Kings 4:18–37).
During the first century BCE, a variety of religious movements and splinter groups developed amongst the Jews in Judea. A number of individuals claimed to be miracle workers in the tradition of Elijah and Elisha, the ancient Jewish prophets. The Talmud provides some examples of such Jewish miracle workers, one of whom is Honi HaM'agel, who was famous for his ability to successfully pray for rain.[27]
Most Chasidic communities are rife with tales of miracles that follow a yechidut, a spiritual audience with a tzadik: barren women become pregnant, cancer tumors shrink, wayward children become pious.[28] Many Hasidim claim that miracles can take place in merit of partaking of the shirayim (the leftovers from the rebbe's meal), such as miraculous healing or blessings of wealth or piety.
Explanations
Supernatural acts
A miracle is a phenomenon not explained by known laws of nature. Criteria for classifying an event as a miracle vary. Often a religious text, such as the Bible or Quran, states that a miracle occurred, and believers accept this as a fact. Many religious believers hold that, in the absence of a plausible scientific theory, the best explanation for these events is that they were performed by a supernatural being, and cite this as evidence for the existence of a god or gods.
Others suggest that God may work with the laws of nature to perform what people see as miracles.[29] Some theologians say that, with divine providence, God regularly works through created nature yet is free to work without, above, or against it as well
SUPERNATURAL
In Catholicism, while the meaning of the term and its antithesis vary, the “Supernatural Order” is the gratuitous production, by God, of the ensemble of miracles for the elevation of man to a state of grace, including the hypostatic union (Incarnation), the beatific vision, and the ministry of angels. Divine operation, “spiritual facts” and “voluntary determinations” are consistently referred to as “supernatural” by those who specifically preclude the “extrinsic concurrence” of God or by those espousing a materialist or determinist worldview that excludes immaterial beings or free will. Barring disingenuous intent, there is no objection to this manner of speaking.
Catholic theologians sometimes call supernatural the miraculous way in which certain effects, in themselves natural, are produced, or certain endowments (like man's immunity from death, suffering, passion, and ignorance) that bring the lower class up to the higher though always within the limits of the created, but they are careful in qualifying the former as accidentally supernatural (supernaturale per accidens) and the latter as relatively supernatural (prœternaturale). For a concept of the substantially and absolutely supernatural, they start from a comprehensive view of the natural order taken, in its amplest acceptation, for the aggregate of all created entities and powers, including the highest natural endowments of which the rational creature is capable, and even such Divine operations as are demanded by the effective carrying out of the cosmic order. The supernatural order is then more than a miraculous way of producing natural effects, or a notion of relative superiority within the created world, or the necessary concurrence of God in the universe; it is an effect or series of effects substantially and absolutely above all nature and, as such, calls for an exceptional intervention and gratuitous bestowal of God and rises in a manner to the Divine order, the only one that transcends the whole created world... It is obvious also that this uplifting of the rational creature to the supernatural order cannot be by way of absorption of the created into the Divine or of fusion of both into a sort of monistic identity, but only by way of union or participation, the two terms remaining perfectly distinct.
Divine revelation of the supernatural order is considered to be a matter of fact, contingent upon proper evidence of such, (miracle, prophecy etc.). “The revelation and its evidences are called extrinsic and auxiliary supernatural, the elevation itself retaining the name of intrinsic or, according to some, theological supernatural.” The supernatural order was analyzed primarily by scholastic and post-Tridentine theologians. Theories denying or belittling the supernatural order, are historically classified into three groups
The Upside of Humiliation
Knowledge will not come to you from reading books on spirituality.
It will come to you only when the dhiyaan, the focus of a Friend of Allah, comes upon you.
Ghaus Pak (ra)
A few months ago love walked in to my life. It tends to do that every few years. It’s always a cameo appearance. It’s also never love. It’s an illusion of it. The claim, as it turns out, no one except the tongues of the Extraordinary can bear. I just think it is because of something Ibn e Sina (ra), the man considered the Father of Medicine, said which gets me excited. I already knew this part:
The condition for the heart to accept the Nur of Allah from without, to recognize it within, is softness of the heart (Riqqat ul Qalb). So what was going to bring about the softness?
According to the scientist it was the following:
“The softness of the heart comes from two things. The first is purification of thought. The second, a pure love, the condition for which is that it is mental and spiritual, not physical and lustful, so that the reason for loving the beloved is their akhlaq (character and manners) that forms their behavior.”
Sadly, this was not going to be the first time I would focus on the first part of the second condition, whilst thinking, erroneously, that my heart was about to be rendered soft; “Mental and spiritual!” I had surrendered to that state for my physical being. Or so I think. Every time I have been put to the test, I have failed in the past but we, on spiritual paths, are hopeful always of bettering ourselves.
I always totally missed the last half of his instruction, therefore tweaking it and being humiliated beyond belief; “…so that the reason for loving the beloved is their akhlaq that forms their behaviour.” To be fair to myself, the akhlaq was always different in the early days. That was because when one’s heart is soaking itself in love, even it is a superficial attachment, for as long as it lasts, only a sensitive consideration appears.
In all honesty, I never took those overtures that then emerged from total strangers seriously. I knew it had nothing to do with me per se simply because I was doing absolutely nothing to deserve them. I was friendly and warm, cordial, the same as I was to many others. I noticed that their attention was singular upon me but I didn’t place much importance on it. I didn’t find it striking. I was not taken by it. It literally had nothing to do with me. I just happened to be the one inciting it.
Six months later I went on a trip that was life changing for me. But that’s another story. When I returned the dynamic had shifted. I had no idea why and before I could even wonder about that, it would be weeks. In those weeks when I expected things to be the same, because over time, I too had built an attachment, I was humiliated almost every single day in one way or another.
My calls were not returned, much less taken, by someone who had called me several times a day and I had always answered. My asking for a meeting over lunch or breakfast was rebuffed when they were once sought and welcomed. The excuse I was given was work. It took me a month to figure out that I was still on a page that the other had already turned. Still, why such people are unable to continue the interaction on a somewhat normal trajectory, I have never been able to figure out. It’s always sudden death.
The humiliation caused me to spend nights in distress, trying to think of why what was happening was happening. I felt hurt. I wanted to be angry but it was not a feeling that was emerging. In those days, my eyes were brought upon a verse that then changed my life forever.
وَٱصْبِرْ عَلَىٰ مَا يَقُولُونَ وَٱهْجُرْهُمْ هَجْرًۭا جَمِيلًۭا
And be patient over what they say, and avoid them with an avoidance gracious.
Surah Al Muzzammil, Verse 10
Specifically the words hajran jameela, an avoidance beautiful! What, I wondered, could that possibly be? Qari Sahib was leaving for Hajj in two days. I requested a last class. Who knew it would be my saving grace those six weeks he would be gone without access. My Ghaus (ra) revealed the meaning unforgettably!
Tafseer e Jilani
Wa: And after that you have taken Him as The Vakil, The Disposer of your affairs and you have made Him , Haseeb, Sufficient for you and your Kafeel, Guardian…
Isbir ma yaquloona: be patient upon what they say i.e. the Al Mushrikoona, those who associate others with Allah, Al Musrifoona, the transgressors of boundaries, from their superstitions/misconceptions and speculations/assumptions that are unfit for your matter.
When splits upon you, (becoming extremely difficult), patience and tolerance (for what they say and do)…
Wahjurjum: leave them and turn your attention away from them…
Hajran jameela: with beautiful avoidance, smiling, cheerfully,
1.without inclining towards their false delirium (confusion and reduced awareness)
2.and without consideration for them or looking after them
3.and without speaking to them
4.and with tawakkul, reliance upon Allah and entrust the matter of avenging them to Him.
For indeed, He is Enough for you regarding their supply of misdeeds and ridicule.
In those weeks that my teacher was gone our weekly classes continued. My cousins, who hosted the class, asked me to give a few lectures. I told them if they could get some kids together, I would be happy to do it. I had given up sharing knowledge acquired in public. But exceptions have to be made. Young people still have a chance at change. People my age are, almost always, only listeners. Avid but only listeners.
I chose pain and suffering as my topic. The causes of it as explained in the Quran. There were two verses in particular I was focused upon. They created a map where I was learning to place myself every time I felt bad. But I opened the lecture with something entirely new for me. The syntax of prayer!
I had used the same verses to make a different point once before. The rule, also learned from the Quran, about the necessary abstinence from blame and accusation in a relationship. So affection could remain and not be replaced by fear or need, which was the inevitable consequence. I myself adhered to that rule religiously. I never want love to exit a relationship because of me, no matter what the circumstances.
After a long time, I had recently broken that rule. From the breach though, I discovered something new. I used to think if I exercised blame and accusation, it caused fear and need for the other person. Turns out it’s the opposite. The one blaming, complaining is the one who appears fearful or needy. It’s a backfiring of the worst order!
But this time my focus on the verses was different. I chose three:
When Hazrat Adam (as) and Amma Hawwa (ratu) were made to leave Heaven for a transgression they were enticed to commit:
قَالَا رَبَّنَا ظَلَمْنَا أَنفُسَنَا وَإِن لَّمْ تَغْفِرْ لَنَا
وَتَرْحَمْنَا لَنَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الْخَاسِرِينَ
The two replied, "O our Sustainer! We have sinned against ourselves and unless You grant us forgiveness and bestow Your mercy upon us, we shall most certainly be lost!"
Surah Al-Aa’raaf, Verse 23
When Hazrat Younis (as) was trapped in the belly of the whale after he left his nation.
وَذَا النُّونِ إِذ ذَّهَبَ مُغَاضِبًا فَظَنَّ أَن لَّن نَّقْدِرَ عَلَيْهِ فَنَادَىٰ فِي الظُّلُمَاتِ
أَن لَّا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا أَنتَ سُبْحَانَكَ إِنِّي كُنتُ مِنَ الظَّالِمِينَ
And the Man of the Fish, when he went off in anger and thought that We would not decree (anything) upon him. And he called out within the darkness, ‘There is no deity except You; Exalted are You. Indeed, I have been of the wrongdoers”.
Surah Al-Anbiya, Verse 87
Fa danna: So he thought, as soon as he left his nation…
Al-lan naqdira: that We, Allah Subhanahu, will not put stress and distress…
Alaihi: upon him and it is not possible for Us to slow him down and make him suffer nor make him hide in another place so he escaped and arrived at the ocean and boarded a ship and suddenly the wind stopped and the sailors said, “In this ship is a servant who has come without permission from his master.”
They balloted and in the ballot came out his name (of Prophet Yunus (as)) and they tossed him in the ocean and just then a whale swallowed him.
Fa nada: Then he invoked his Lord and prayed silently and humbly, scared, covered…
Fi dulumaat: in darkness which concealed him in layers because he was in the belly of the whale and the night was dark.
An: Indeed, He…
La ilaha: There is no God worthy of worship but Allah and deserving of worship which is the Right of His Essence and His Attribute…
Illa anta: except You, O Who in front of Whom necks bend and bow before the Veils of Your Majesty, the necks of the ones who are of intellect and reason…
Subhanaka: Glory is to You, O my Lord, I think of You as free of all flaws which are not mentionable with Your Essence and (all flaws) which are not worthy of mention with Your Grace.
Inni: Indeed, I am, due to my departure from my people without Your Permission and Revelation, while you had sent me to them and raised me among them in appearance as a Prophet, as a preacher and as a guide…
Kuntu min ad-daalimeen: I am of the transgressors of boundaries, the ones who departed from Your Orders and Your Commands so that’s why You made the matter one of distress for me and You imprisoned me and there is no one who can rescue me from this suffering except Your Forgiveness and Your Mercy.
And after he repented before Us and he focused towards Us with sincerity, with humility and he became pure towards Us, upset, distressed…
Then Hazrat Ayub (as) when he was sick for 18 years, his body covered in painful boils.
وَأَيُّوبَ إِذْ نَادَىٰ رَبَّهُ أَنِّي مَسَّنِيَ الضُّرُّ وَأَنتَ أَرْحَمُ الرَّاحِمِينَ
And the Prophet Job (as), when he called to his Lord, "Indeed, adversity has touched me, and you are the Most Merciful of the merciful”.
Surah Al-Anbiya, Verse 83
Me: “If you look at all the prayers of the Prophets in the Quran, in all their states, but especially in suffering, they first praise Allah Subhanahu. Always! Then they never bring into their words anyone else who might be the cause of that suffering. ‘He did this, look what she did, they did, the world did.’ Never. The focus remains singular upon their Lord God. Hence the prayer has an intimacy between just two, The Worshipper and The Worshipped.
The second thing the Prophets always do is bring the cause of the pain upon their own selves. As in ‘I did this to myself because I crossed a boundary You had set.’ The word in Arabic is almost always zulm. It does not mean, like in the Urdu, cruelty. It means injustice. Hence they say, ‘I was unfair to my own nafs, to my own self.’”
And this is where a new colour in the rainbow emerged. It was not just about the prayer requiring praise. I was about to be made to learn that the praise necessary was the one invoking Allah’s Asma al Husna, His Beautiful Names. 99 of which are given but the Extraordinary have expressed hundreds more. In the course of writing this piece, I created one or two myself.
The reason I learnt the significance of The Names was another verse. Without doubt it was a reward for doing the lecture. For as Nabi Kareem (peace be upon him and his family) says the best amongst us is the one who benefits others.
I had wanted to highlight for the young adults the importance of reading. The means by which I was going to make my point was that the first word ever revealed by Allah Subhanahu to His Beloved (peace be upon him) in the Cave of Hira was “Iqra” – Read!
Since no one does that these days, I wanted to remind the kids that it was clearly deemed a necessity for any nafs that sought qurb, closeness or even any kind of movement towards The Divine. In wanting to accentuate that point, I ended up re-reading the full verse which I had happened to translate the exegesis of out of curiosity for what the first revelation contained. I have to confess, then I was constantly in a mode where I glossed over the Names and Attributes entirely in every verse I translated. My focus was always on some other part of the verse.
What happened in that read is best encapsulated by Proust: The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes.
ٱقْرَأْ بِٱسْمِ رَبِّكَ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَ
Read, ˹O Prophet,˺ in the Name of your Lord Who created—
Surah Al Alaq, Verse 1-5
Tafseer e Jilani
Iqra: Read, O Messenger who completes Messenger-hood (peace be upon you) and remember after have been sent to you Allah’s Favours, and you have been enwrapped in His Honour…
Bi ismi Rabbika: i.e. be continuous in your remembrance of your Lord’s Names who raises you…
Alladi khalaqa: The One who created everything and made it appear from the hidden-ness of being nothing, according to His Names and Attributes and raised everything in different variations of His Lutf, Affection and Karam, Generosity and bestowed upon everything majestic bounties.
And after Allah gave this Order to His Habeeb (peace be upon him) to read and to remember Allah’s Names and to recite them, Allah then gave another Command; to deeply consider and reflect upon their meanings and to unveil their hidden secrets so He said;
Iqra: Read the reading of consideration that takes you in to depth and unveil that which (the Names and Attributes) consist, which are without match and the amazing things which have been placed in them.
More so than the in advertent intention of trying to be of benefit, my being brought to The Beautiful Names was a gift of Bibi Zainab (as) from my last trip to Damascus. Re=reading the tafseer made me recall a prayer at the Rauza Mubarik of Bibi Ruqaya (as) where I had heard a child utter the Names of Allah in between the posture changes in the namaz.
Then I had only thought, this child will become attached to Allah Subhanahu through His Names at 10 when I only begin to learn that the Names matter at 51. Then I had not even known how much those Names mattered! I had only remembered a single line from the tafseer by Ghaus Pak (ra) from another verse:
“And the one who desires that Allah bestow upon him honour and control and absolute kingdoms and abundance that remains forever, then he should, in his initial stages toward Allah, praise Him by way of His Perfect Names and Exalted Attributes till his remembrance reaches the stages of their reflection in him.”
I had chosen the verse which contained this text the first time because I liked to be reminded that all honour only belongs to Allah. And in another verse, to Allah and His Rasool (peace be upon him and his family). It was necessary to remember that for those who crave honour after which there is never any humiliation. Ever!
مَن كَانَ يُرِيدُ ٱلْعِزَّةَ فَلِلَّهِ ٱلْعِزَّةُ جَمِيعًا ۚ إِلَيْهِ يَصْعَدُ ٱلْكَلِمُ ٱلطَّيِّبُ وَٱلْعَمَلُ ٱلصَّـٰلِحُ يَرْفَعُهُۥ
Whoever desires for himself honor, (should know) then for Allah (alone) is all the Honor.
To Him ascends the good words, and righteous deeds raises it.
Surah Fatir, Verse 10
Tafseer e Jilani:
Man kana yureed ul izzata: The one who wants honour, endless, after which never comes humiliation ever, then he should turn towards Allah and makes his focus His One-ness.
Fa lillahe izzatu: For only Allah is the True Owner of Honour, which includes control, eternal majesty and all kingdoms…
Jami-an: overt (zahiri) and inner (batini). And the one who desires that Allah bestow upon him honour and control and absolute kingdoms and abundance that remains forever, then he should, in his initial stages toward Allah, praise Him by way of His Perfect Names and Exalted Attributes till his remembrance reaches the stages of their reflection in him.
This (the reflection) is the last effort and then he becomes a reflector of Allah’s Being, wanting to unveil the Veils of His Omnipotence, till he becomes present before Him, able to unveil Him and witness the Signs of His Names and Attributes on the surface of the Universe without the distortion created by others.
And overall (in summary), the one who seeks honour should be occupied in the Remembrance by Allah in the early stages because...
Ilayhi yasadu alkalm at tayyabu: towards Him ascend good words which are the Prefect Names of Allah and His Exalted Attributes, increasing in frequency from the tongues of The Sincere and The Ones who Reflect in Allah’s Blessings and His Bounty…
Wal al amal as saleh: and (they should be occupied) in good deeds joined with ikhlas, sincerity and tabbatul, devotion to Him (also ascending towards Him)…
Yarfa’uhu: (which will be why) He then raises that deed founded upon sincerity and those good words allowing them to reach towards the stages of Closeness with Allah. So for the one whose sincerity in his deed is perfect, then the ranks of his words, which are raised towards Allah Subhanahu, are the highest and the most supreme to Him.
Because of the verse I began noticing for the first time how in my namaz, which I had been reading now regularly for years, the Blessed Names of Allah were sprinkled throughout it. From the beginning till the end. If they weren’t uttered as nouns, they appeared as verbs. The knowledge made my utterances become slower and slower so that I paused on every Name.
Ar Rahman, Ar Rahim, Maalik e Youmiddeen, Al Ahad, As Samad, Al Ahad, Al aliyy, Al Hameed, Al Majeed…
I decided to emulate the child in Damascus. As I changed position from standing to touching my knees in ruku’ I started saying a Name. As soon as I did that I realized its profound effect. I was calling someone. I was calling out to my Lord and suddenly, because I was uttering one of His Exalted Names, He was turning His Attention towards me.
The feeling was unreal!
For the first time in my life, a distracted prayer, which I thought was my destiny, since that is what it had been forever, looked like it might shift. Funnily enough someone had gifted me the Names of Allah on a wall hanging years ago. I had hung it on my dressing room where I only glanced at it and every once in a while kissed Al Wadoodu – The Loving One. That was the Name my mother had been told to give me to read a tasbeeh of in my teens based on the science of numerology. Later I realized how that utterance created the foundation for how I would love my whole life.
It’s not like it made me not require return. My love was not unconditional. What it did hold in it from the qualities of Divine Love though was that it was permanent. Not in the sense that my feeling for someone lasted forever. That part dissipated over time. It was still muwaddat though in the sense that no matter how bad the rupture, every single person who knew I loved them, relied on the fact that my doors for them were always open. To my detriment that door became “revolving” I would joke sometimes but still. It was a nice feeling for me to know that capacity came through one of the softest Names of The Divine that left my lips only in obedience to an order of a parent.
Now I took that wall hanging and placed it before me for my longer prayers and started memorizing them.
Each time my tongue uttered a Name, my heart wanted to reflect upon its meaning. I wanted to be connected to it. Sometimes I just expressed gratitude: “Ya Affuw, The Oft Forgiving, thank you for forgiving me again and again. Others I repeated lines I had learnt from Ghaus Pak (ra) in my readings: “Ya Mutawakkal, The One Entrusted, I entrust my matters, all of them, to you, Ya Muslih, O Reformer, reform me…” and so it went on and on.
It was the days leading to Muharram. A single thought kept going in and out of my head. To bring into the kids’ attention how we end up wasting so much time hung up in nostalgia, thinking about people who, given the chance, we might not want to ever have met. I came up with an exercise.
“Imagine,” I wanted to say, “if Allah Subhanahu said to you, ‘I will bring you back into a womb. You tell me, of the people you have interacted with to-date, which person you want to appear in this new life. The interaction, this relationship, with the person you choose, if you choose someone, will be exactly the same as it was in this life you had.”
I thought about the question for myself. Was there anyone at all I wanted to be in my life and have the exact same experience with. Turned out my answer was No! I wanted everything and everyone to be new. Reset! Maybe I would be poorer, maybe I would be unwell, maybe I would be unhappier but I thought I would choose newness to come from my Rabb, Allah Al Muqtadir, who always raised me with kindness.
There was one exception that kept coming to my mind. My mother!
Knowing that at five she would send me to a boarding school that would render me emotionally numb for the next 15 years. Knowing that while I was there she would sometimes not call on my birthday and forget to ensure that there was money for me to spend on the one or two days a year that the students went to eat out and shop in the town. Knowing that when I would return I would be 10 and she would be 36 and she would have little to no time for me because she was busy with her friends. Knowing that she would die when I would turn 26 and it would devastate me forever.
It was not because she was considered, in her life and after her premature death at 53, unique. People who are outstanding, distinctive, are a little crazy. They are haphazard. No, I thought to myself, that would not be my reason.
Then I wondered it would be because of two attributes that she had been gifted in her nature intrinsically; forgiveness and generosity. Qualities both uncommon and exalted. But in truth, both of those worked against me as a child. She forgave too easily those who were unkind to me. When in my mid-teens I finally drummed up the courage to ask her why, her answers left me speechless each time.
One of those people who were relentless in their meanness was a step-mother. We had to spend three long summer months with her in another city. Only the presence of cousins living there mitigated that. My father was silent about it, pretending he didn’t know. Every time the woman came to Lahore my mother warmly invited her over for tea.
“I don’t understand,” I finally asked, “Why would you ask her to come to our house when we feel miserable in hers for days on end? It’s humiliating.”
“Because,” she said just once and it was enough, “she was widowed at an early age with a small child. Perhaps that loss made her how she is. And perhaps one day because of my kindness to her, she will be kinder to you.”
Her sensitivity for the unknown in another person’s life floored me. I never broached the subject again.
When it came to generosity, she always gave of that which she needed herself. And therefore of what we needed as a single parent family. The act caused me anxiety because I had taken on responsibilities in the house that were not mine to bear and that I was too young to assume. Then I felt like she was half crazy to take from my plate, not knowing if it would be enough for me and give from it to another. Later, I learnt it was the daily act of the Ahl e Beit, the members of the Prophet of God (peace be upon him and his family) and verses of the Quran descended because of them.
But those attributes were not the reason I would choose her.
“So why then,” my nafs asked?
“Because once,” I told it after considering it carefully, “once she choose to sacrifice her heart’s last desire. Literally the last! And it for us, her children’s sake.”
I wrote a story about the event in 2005. It was early days of realization that I could write. The beginning was a series of personal history pieces. I had titled it The Third Marriage.
Begin
It was 1986. Life in Lahore had always been unusual for me. My parents were separated by then which was a low incidence situation for upper-middle class families back then. I had returned from boarding school a few years ago and lived in our house with my brother and mother and the staff. My elder sister had chosen to remain in Murree, unfazed and returned only after finishing all 11 years before starting college. My five had rendered me emotionally numb but able to be independent emotionally with the adeptness of an adult.
Samina, that was her name. Ami is what us children called her, the most common Pakistani term for mother. She was a beautiful woman, tall, slim with a life that was dramatic and difficult through all its stages. In 1986, she was seriously contemplating marriage for the third time. The history of that institution for her had also been dramatic and difficult. This time the options were even more unique – two Caucasian males were the suitors, both successful in their chosen careers, both previously married with off-spring in other countries. The consideration to marry was unique in and of itself. It was a time in Lahore when men didn’t marry twice. And if they did, they hid it. A third time was practically unheard of at all, much less for a woman.
Ray was 50 plus, a soft-spoken, rotund American originally from Georgia who had spent the last 30 years living in South Asia with the State Department. Whenever I did see him or speak to him, which wasn’t often, he was always sweet and kind. He was an avid lover of opera and sometimes when I went to pick up my mother or drop her off, I heard his music playing well into the garden. I had never heard it before except in movies and didn’t like it much then, not like I have grown to like it now.
He had older children some of whom had given him a tough time and it was expected that he would be a more reliable step-father. After all anything was to be expected from my brother and sister, both of whom were generally in some sort of trouble that only got more serious with age. The tell-tale sign was that each of them had to change their educational institution practically every year. My mother’s reaction to that upheaval was impressive. She never dwelt on anything for long. It happened, was her MO, let’s move on to what should happen next.
Once a month, my siblings and I went to Ray’s house in Lahore for dinner. I was 15 at the time, which made my brother 11 and my sister 19. We usually got there just before it was time to eat. I was studying like an insane person for my O’Level exams that were coming up and didn’t have time for much of anything. The table was always set formally even if were eating burgers. The only attraction at the time, for the three on our end I think, was the American food we would eat. Something from the commissary, the place the American staff of the Embassy in the city had access to exclusively to purchase American food products.
Ray’s three, also two girls and a boy, were all older than myself. Two were in high school and one was in college. They were always nice to us but they appeared to be busy with a lot on their social calendar and these dinners seemed to interrupt that. Hence, during the meals they would be leaving and returning, sometimes taking smoke breaks talking to friends on the phone and sometimes, to say a word to their friends hanging out in their rooms waiting for them to be done.
Ray tried to get them to sit through the meal in its entirety but he usually failed. They made jokes with each other sometimes in reference to “The Brady Bunch” but since none of us knew what that was, it was only followed by awkward silences on our parts. As soon as dinner was over, the three of us would march to our car and go home while the three of them would re-enter their expatriate lives in Lahore.
Bob was relatively a youthful man in his 40s from Rotterdam, a hotel management executive, who had been in Lahore for a few years. He was divorced, had two small children who were under the age of 10 and whom we never met. I played tennis with him occasionally but other than that just met him to say hi when he was over at our house. The conversation was always polite and brief, we exchanged niceties.
He drove some fancy car the hotel had given him and I was always trying to conspire how to wrest the keys from him, making up lame excuses of how I could not get our car past it so I could sneak it out for a drive. I remember one night when I had taken it for a spin finding Bob pacing at our gate on my return. He didn’t say a word as I stepped out of the car meekly and went inside as he drove away, clearly irritated but not saying a word to me about it.
I don’t think even my mother admonished me for that act, even though she did say something, throwing in words like “insurance” and “liability” that seemed somewhat forced and not anything she appeared too concerned about. Ami loved Bob, I think she was in love with him. I never knew exactly why but I knew she loved him because in the analysis and selection phase, she always ended up favoring him.
The dilemma that was discussed ad nauseum between my mother and her female cousins, who met every day as part of their daily routine, was who to pick. For weeks, I walked in and out of rooms and through conversations where the eternally unfinished list of pros and cons was being outlined verbally. The lists were not long and the attributes were in opposites and therefore simple, uncomplicated.
They appeared to be mostly in repeat mode, no new light was being shed in these discussions. It was such a big deal though that not enough could be said about it. All the women were anxious on some level. They knew my mother would eventually pick one of the two and leave the country and the men in the family would briefly lose their minds. But that was not a deterrent by any means. Their love for my mother knew no bounds.
Her life had been difficult from the beginning when they were in their teens and the path she had been on, some of it mapped by her parents and some herself, had been nothing like their own which was easier, always settled, always known. They were all socially conservative, deeply religious and what I remember and absorbed by being around them all my life and that seeped into my nature directly was their lack of judgement. People made decisions that sometimes didn’t make sense overtly to the rest of the world, seemingly wrong, even harmful but one couldn’t know all the reasons why and eventually had to respect that rather than lash out at them.
They were probably most worried about whether this unusual and risky move was the right one for her this time and probably just prayed a little harder for that when they said their namaz. My mother was the peacock in the group, not because she was the most beautiful, that they all were, but because she was different. She knew that, they knew it. She always had been.
She had gained exposure to life by branching out from what had been narrowly and simply declared their “life” through marriage and motherhood, through the patriarchs of the family and society at large. More publicly known were only her sharp deviations from the norms of Pakistani society that made her different, the failed marriages, the mixed parties at her residence where alcohol was served, music was played and on occasion people danced.
But they were her anchor after her mother died. In terms of having the closest thing to unconditional love from a parent, they were that source. But unconditional love from peers, as I enjoy from my friends and cousins today, has its downsides because it can advise and inform major decisions but after a point that is reached quickly, the love takes over everything else.
In the list, Bob was young, Ray was old. Bob had children under the age of 10, Ray’s three were all older than myself and therefore according to American culture as explained to my mother, were going to be on their own sooner or later. Both had similar financial strengths. Sometimes my aunts would mix the names up. Their mastery of the foreign tongue, in this case English, was not the best.
When they did speak in it, which was only out of necessity, I loved it because it always made me giggle and it always made them giggle as they dismissed its importance. I believe both men also knew that they were under scrutiny as both had asked my mother to marry them, both were awaiting an answer. I remember one evening when Ray was over, one of my aunts walked in the room with an endearing smile, greeting him with a “Hello Bob.”
Ray almost lost it for a second and grumbled back, “My name is RAY”, emphasizing the end of the sentence even then in his gentle, calming manner. I think in her panic and embarrassment, my aunt started laughing, apologizing profusely. My mother was smiling to herself as she changed the subject saying to Ray, as if it should have been comforting, that he knew her cousins’ English was not good.
So Ray or Bob remained the hotly debated subject. My brother was out of the loop entirely struggling with his impending teens. My sister was usually out of the house spending the end of her teens with friends. I was drawn in to the conversations occasionally, my opinion generally more sought than my siblings’ because of a precocious maturity and responsibility I assumed in the running of a house with an absentee male figure.
I didn’t have much to add, both men seemed decent and I barely knew them enough to favor either. My life sans my father had made me very used to not needing men at all. I didn’t understand the implications on my life per se as a result of this action because there seemed to be none. All except the embarrassment it would cause the family of course that my mother coming from an old feudal family will have entered into marriage with a non-muslim, white man. Although I’m pretty sure a forced conversion for the ritual had been agreed upon. Perhaps that was always my prime concern and I secretly believed that it would never happen for that reason.
It was wishful hoping on my part. I had spent the bulk of my life in silent resentment of not being given a normal life by my parents. But I digress. Finally a decision was made from the heart. Ironically it favored Ray. Ami had called her spiritual guide, Wasif Sahib, a scholar, a poet and a Sufi who addressed a group once a month to discuss spirituality and poetry, life and roles, rights and duties in the context of Islam.
He asked her one question: Who do you think will take better care of your children? She knew it would be Ray and told him so truthfully. His advice then was that he would make the better choice but of course it was up to her to finally decide.
A few weeks later, I recall all our stuff being packed and shipped off. One night we were in Lahore, the next landing in Dhaka, Ray’s next posting, leaving our home with a large padlock at the gate. We didn’t ask any questions, there were no answers we sought. Ami sold her house without a soul knowing about it. Except for the partners in crime cousins, of course.
End Story
“So that’s why,” I said to my nafs as it listened intently clearly remembering none of it. It left me wondering, unsure if its overwhelming feeling was sadness or awe.
She gave up what her heart desired most of all, knowing that it was the last chance for this particular happiness to come her way. It had been a life soaked in pain and crushed hopes. Extinguishing that last candle herself, seeing her do it, never uttering a word of reproach, never the sound of a complaint, that’s the reason I would want just her in my life again. Even though if I could count the time we spent together, near each other in close proximity. It wouldn’t be years. Perhaps it would be months. Likely, just weeks. Until she would die at 53 and I would remain alive for decades with only a broken heart to mark her existence.
It felt uncanny that these thoughts were coming to me a day before Muharram was to begin. But then when I thought about it, it wasn’t so surprising.
Muharram is the start of the Islamic year which operates on the lunar calendar. The 31st of December has no meaning. There are no fireworks or parties, toasts around clinking glasses to mark the occasion. The year starts on a deeply mournful note with tears, somber, serious and when one is fortunate enough to understand why, deeply reflective. There is no kind of festivity for at least the first 10 days by those who hold love and regard for the Ahl e Beit, the hosuehold of the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family).
The month marks the epitome of sacrifice, in brutal circumstances, in the name of love, in the name of God by the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family), Hazrat Imam Hussain (as). It is the month in which he became the reason the religion itself survived, having mutated beyond belief just 40 years after the Prophet (peace be upon him). And it was not just because of his martyrdom at Karbala but because he took, thousands of years later, the place of Hazrat Ismael’s (as) would-be sacrifice.
وَتَرَكْنَا عَلَيْهِ فِي الْآخِرِينَ
And We left (this blessing) for him among generations to come in later times.
Surah As-Saffat, Verse 108
The event was not imposed upon him. The most blessed Imam (as) chose this ending when he was a soul and there was a meeting of the Extraordinary in the Heavens with their Lord God. In that meeting lay the explanation for one of the most elusive and debated upon ahadith of the Mercy of the Universe (peace be upon him).
Begin excerpt The Softest Heart
قَالَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ حُسَيْنٌ مِنِّي وَأَنَا مِنْ حُسَيْنٍ”
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said (most notably):
“Hussain (as) is from me and I am from Hussain (as).”
The tafseer of that line I heard from Mamu who heard it from his Spiritual Master (also from Golra Shareef), was one I had never heard from anyone else. Everyone understood the second part of the sentence. Hazrat Imam Hussain (ratu) was his grandson therefore he was from him but the first part was unclear. How was the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) from Hazrat Imam Hussain (ratu)? This was the explanation I had received.
Once when God was surrounded by the souls of his prophets and the family of his Beloved (peace be upon him), in the unfolding of events, when He came to the part of the Prophet Ibrahim (as) sacrificing his son, Hazrat Ismael (as), Hazrat Imam Hussain (ratu) stood up. He said that if Hazrat Ismael (as) was sacrificed as a child, his lineage would end there and the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) would never be born.
All the prophets have descended from the line of Hazrat Ibrahim’s other son, the Prophet Ishaaq or Isaac (as). Only Hazrat Muhammad (peace be upon him) comes from the line of Hazrat Ismael (as). It would become the number one reason the Jews would reject him despite his oft mention in their own book, the Torah. Therefore Hazrat Imam Hussain (ratu) offered himself to be sacrificed instead of Hazrat Ismael (as) and so it was deemed. Hence the Prophet (peace be upon him) had said that he had come to exist because of Imam Hussain (ratu); “and I am from Hussain.”
End excerpt The Softest Heart
He chose the sacrifice and it was not just him as an individual. It would be a massacre, brutal, where children were slain with arrows used to hunt animals piercing their throats. There would be a blockade of food and water for days for those who shared their own supplies with the enemy before the fighting began. Every single male member of the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family), who were after him the appearance of Allah’s Noor, would be killed mercilessly with the exception of one; Hazrat Imam Zain ul Abideen (as) who was seriously ill.
The Imam Hussain (as) could not be slain in one to one combat by anyone. Throes of arrows and spears would then be hurled upon his person until he fell from his horse to the ground. In those final moments, his physical body entirely covered in injuries and wounds, having witnessed the martyrdom of all the male members of his entire clan, he would fall into prostration and in that sajda utter his last words addressing his Lord God:
I left all creatures for the sake of You
and I orphaned the children so that I see You.
So even if I am cut into pieces for the love of You,
the heart would lean to none other than You.
Every time I read the words my eyes filled with tears, my heart with envy and even “my deaf, mute, blind and insane nafs” with a yearning of the possibility of a sacrifice from my self for my Rabb. A sacrifice that would at least manifest itself in this world for another human being and be counted by Allah Al Muhsi, The One who takes account of all things. Imam Hussain’s (as) sacrifice was for his grandfather’s Ummah, his nation, but it was also for an entire Universe to preserve the remembrance of God. For without him the existence of truth would have perished forever.
ہر اک ذہن میں ہے کچھ نہ کچھ تصور حق
ہم اس تصور حق کو حسین کہتے ہیں
har ek zehn mein hai kuch na kuch tasawar e haq
hum uss tasawar e haq ko hussain (ratu) kehte hain
Every mind has in it some perception of truth,
that perception of truth in each is what we call Hussain (as)
On the second day of Muharram, the beginning of August, Qari Sahib returned from Hajj. It was lovely to see him. He didn’t tell me much about his travel but I saw the noor on his face.
“You don’t look tired at all Sir,” I remarked, genuinely surprised. All I had heard and seen from rich people was how they immediately fell into a state of exhaustion and then illness upon their return.
“It’s the Quran,” he replied. “It doesn’t let you feel tired.”
“Really?” I asked, wanting confirmation.
“Really!” he said smiling his broad smile.
I made a mental note to hope for that effect upon me when I performed the Hajj. Except for him as a hafiz, it was in his head. He could recite it whenever he wanted to no end. Still, I had been looking up the Names of Allah Subhanahu to vary my invocations. I realized why in the three prayers where the recitation of the Surah was changed from Ikhlas to the reader’s choice, repetition was makrooh, disliked by God. It made sense. People who keep saying the same thing every time you meet them are deathly boring. I can’t figure out for the life of me what’s happening in their head.
I asked my cousin, Sanya, who was a therapist why they did that. She was very helpful.
“One answer could be that there mind is still trying to make sense of it. The issue remains unresolved.”
Suddenly I remembered all the instances when I was a parrot in rote myself precisely because something was stuck in my head!
Still I had said in the lecture to the kids.
“Even if you don’t have something new to call out to Allah Subhanahu and you keep saying the same Name again and again and again, it will gain His Attention. Imagine if you’re sitting with someone who doesn’t pay any attention to you. If you start saying their name over and over in your sentences, even they will eventually turn around and finally say, ‘WHAT’?”
The approach made me smile as I said it and the kids laugh.
But its result was undeniable.
There were many Names whose meaning I did not even know. I knew what I would be working on next with Qari Sahib. It would just be the tafseer of the Exalted Names of Allah Subhanahu in various verses of the Quran. Each context would reveal something new, unveil a secret. Which would change my prayer and perhaps me with it!
Qari Sahib asked me what had been happening in the weeks he was gone. I told him the verse that had been my primary focus while he was away. How to avoid with gracious avoidance. He asked me who I had learnt to apply the verse upon. Who had to be avoided beautifully. After all we were also friends.
“The details behind it don’t really matter anymore Sir. The experience for me was revelatory in terms of deconstructing behaviour. Mine as well as others. People get used to living in a cave of pain. Because of something that happened to them. Or even something that continues to happen to them. A cave is a cave, it’s drenched only in darkness.
Then one day the person in it raises their hands to the heavens and asks for a ray of light. Soon after, exactly such a ray of light pierces the hard rock near the mouth of the cave and enters it. Mesmerized by the appearance, they start walking towards it. That pursuit is what makes them, perhaps unknowingly, leave the cave after ages.
Once outside they see the blues of the sky and the greens of trees and grass. They hear birds and see butterflies. They notice colours and sounds that imbue nature. They see their heart fleeing towards all of that beauty, they feel its elation. The joy is uncontrollable, it cannot be hidden. It is forced to reveal itself, it requires expression.
And then out of nowhere they remind themselves, forcibly, of the cave. Of those many days and nights that were spent there. They asks themselves, “But isn’t that out real abode?” After all, it was what shaped their identity, public and private, for years. You weren’t here Sir so I asked someone else who lives and exits such a cave himself from time to time this question.
‘I just want to know this. In those steps,’ I said to my friend, ‘when the person has turned their back on the sun and the moon, in that walk back to the cave just before re-entering it, what is the thought in their mind?’ I truly had no idea.
My friend looked away and with a most knowing expression turned back to say to me, ‘They are saying, “I am in charge of my life. I will take care of things. I am the one who knows what best for me, what I like, how I like it. I will decide my matters.”’
Then he paused and said softly, ‘They feel a pride in their pain. But mostly I guess they are ungrateful. Why else or rather how else does one walk from light towards darkness.’”
He made me think of Allah’s Name, An Noor!
“From the root, noon, wao, ra, which has the following classical Arabic connotations: to give light, to illuminate, to fill with light to clarify, to reveal, to make visible to blossom, to be in bloom (revealed) to be flaming, blazing and apparent to the senses to enlighten, give counsel and give advice.”
Qari Sahib listened to me quietly. He gave me a reference where Allah Subhanahu was stating that the trajectory of life was the opposite. And the darkness I was wondering about was clearly defined!
ٱللَّهُ وَلِىُّ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ يُخْرِجُهُم مِّنَ ٱلظُّلُمَـٰتِ إِلَى ٱلنُّورِ
Allah is the Protecting Guardian of those who believed.
He brings them out from the darkness towards the light.
Surah Al Baqarah, Verse 257
Tafseer e Jilani:
Allahu: The One who is The Gatherer of All Attributes and All Names…
Walliulladina Aamino: He is The Friend of those who bring faith upon Him. He raises them, according to His Qualities and all that He encompasses (which is everything)…
Yukhrijjuhum min adulumaat: and brings them out of the darkness, which is the darkness of their nature and darkness of their doubts (of possibilities) and all other darkness…
Ilan Noor: towards the Light, crystal clear, His Pure One-ness, free of dust and all other associations.
For the first time every time I translated a verse, I looked for one of my Rabb’s Names. The Name in this one with Allah was Wali-un.
“From the root wao, laam, ye, which has the following classical Arabic connotation: to be near, close, nearby to be a friend, helper, supporter, maintainer to defend, guard to be in charge, to turn one towards something to be the master, owner, lord.
I had found a website with the Exalted Names (myislam.org/99-names-of-allah/). I chose it because in it were also the verses where they appeared in the Quran. I started making a list to memorize the verses. To study their tafseer, to utter them, those praises, in my namaz. I wanted to learn as many of them as I could to gain His Attention.
For the line in the qayam of namaz itself made the point best:
سَمِعَ اللَّهُ لِمَنْ حَمِدَهُ
Allah hears whoever praises Him.
Hazrat Sahel Tustari (ra) says that two things are a direct consequence of relying on one’s own self. The worst of behaviour damaging to one’s own self; anger, harshness.
“Truly anger (ghadab) and harshness (hidda) come from the servant’s dependence on his own strength (quwwa). However, when he gives up relying on his own strength, weakness will take up residence in his soul, and this will generate mercy (rahma) and benevolence (lutf) from him, which is to take on the characteristics of the Lord, His Majesty be magnified.”
Allah Al Qawwi, Allah Ar Raheem, Allah Al Lateef!
I looked up Al Lateef. Kindness was the key for any goodness to count said Nabi Kareem (peace be upon him and his family). Without it the entire act was void!
“From the root laam, ta, fa, which has the following classical Arabic connotation: to be thin, delicate, refined, elegant, graceful, gentle, gracious, courteous, kindly, subtle, to the know the obscurities of all affairs, to treat with regard for circumstances, to be the most soothing and refined in manner, to treat with kindness, goodness, gentleness, benevolence, and affection.”
ٱللَّهُ لَطِيفٌۢ بِعِبَادِهِۦ
Allah is Gentle for His Worshippers.
Surah Ash Shura, Verse 19
Said Al Ghazali about the Name and Attribute, “The one who understands this Name knows the subtleties of those things which are beneficial, as well as their hidden aspects, along with what is subtle about them and what is benevolent. In conveying them to those who are deserving, he is committed to the path of gentleness rather than harshness.”
There was that word again, harshness.
In this last experience I had learnt that the harshness that people dealt out was in fact indifference. First turned upon themselves and therefore very easily on others. And anger, Ghaus Pak (ra) had said in multiple tafaseer of the word, was a pure disruption of the mind. It the forced the exit of the aql, the ability to consider, in the first instant of its appearance. Its other guaranteed consequence was a false sense of dignity which the nafs, the base self, and Iblis used as their major weapon to destroy peace of mind most easily by plying on justification.
Justification was always the trap. A trap that even Prophets admited:
وَمَآ أُبَرِّئُ نَفْسِىٓ ۚ إِنَّ ٱلنَّفْسَ لَأَمَّارَةٌۢ بِٱلسُّوٓءِ إِلَّا مَا رَحِمَ رَبِّىٓ ۚ إِنَّ رَبِّى غَفُورٌۭ رَّحِيمٌۭ
"And yet I am not trying to absolve my nafs, self.
Indeed, the nafs is a certain inciter of evil,
unless [that] my Lord bestows Mercy. Indeed, my Lord (is) Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful."
Surah Yusuf, Verse 53
Tafseer e Jilani
The he, Hazrat Yusuf (as) said:
Wa ma ubarri’o: And I do not absolve and do not justify…
Nafsi: my nafs, my self, from furataat, excessiveness and ghafalaat, forgetfulness and shameful thoughts and repulsive deeds according to the demands of the organs of lust and animalistic desires and how can I absolve myself and justify it?
Inna an nafsa: Indeed the nafs, the base self, that has been embodied in the nature of human beings…
La-Ammaarat-un: the forceful commanding of which is by its nature towards …
Bis su’: wrong-doing and fasaad, corruption and its focus upon that whenever it’s free and is its nature…
Illa ma rahima Rabbi: except for the one upon whom is bestowed the Mercy of my Lord i.e. Allah protects that nafs by His Endless Mercy and Affection from its transgressions and the whisperings of Satan towards it.
Inna Rabbi: Indeed my Lord, who has raised me with safeguarding from sin and with virtuousness…
Ghafooran: is All Forgiving of that which has happened from me from the occurrences of my nafs…
Raheemun: is All Merciful. He bestows Mercy towards me with His Fazal, Bounty and He preserves me with His Lutf, Kindness, from those things that make me distant from His Kunuf, Protection and His Jawaar, Safety.
Ghaus Pak (ra) says in Al Fath Ar Rabbni: “You are a Munafiq because you are a hypocrite to your own nafs. Because you lie to it.” All those years of lying. The nafs now in control, the tabyat overwhelming the fitrat, was just lying back. It was the fruits of seeds sown, unwittingly, in a state of unawareness.
For anger the words Kadimeen al ghaid from a verse came to mind: for those who restrain it!
ٱلَّذِينَ يُنفِقُونَ فِى ٱلسَّرَّآءِ وَٱلضَّرَّآءِ وَٱلْكَظِمِينَ ٱلْغَيْظَ وَٱلْعَافِينَ عَنِ ٱلنَّاسِ ۗ
وَٱللَّهُ يُحِبُّ ٱلْمُحْسِنِينَ
Those who spend in ease and in hardship and those who restrain the anger and those who pardon the people - and Allah loves the Muhsineen, the good-doers.
Surah Aal e Imran, Verse 134
Tafseer e Jilani
Alladina yunfiqoona: They (the Muttaqeen) are the ones who spend from the good that they earn from a livelihood that is tangible and intangible on the ones who are deserving from the Servants of Allah. It is equal for them…
Fi sarra’e: in happiness, meaning when they are free of their busyness which is being a hurdle from true focus upon Allah…
Wa darra’ae: in difficulty in the happening of incidents which happen to them because of their necessities of being human beings.
Wal kadimeen al ghaida: And (the Muttaqeena) are Al Maasikeena, those who hold, Al Kaafeena, those who stop, their anger at the time of sudden arousal of the expression of it and the storm of (fake) dignity of being a human being that rises from the requirements of the animalistic (show of) strength.
Wal aafina an in-naas: And they forgive people, they are the ones who pardon and give up punishing of those who do wrong to them and those who are unjust to them because they are steadfast upon Tauheed, Allah’s One-ness, which decimates the additional feelings (of anger) and conflicts overall.
Wallahu: And Allah Al Muttali’u, The One who is Watchful, of the secrets of His Servants...
Yuhibbul Muhsineen: loves them with all their types of good deeds, especially the controlling of anger and forgiving despite power (not to do so).
And the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Indeed, these people (the Muhsineen) are few in my nation except the ones safeguarded by Allah and certainly they were many in the nations before mine.”
Again the words appeared to define anger; show of strength, again a false sense of dignity.
I went back to the verse on “gracious avoidance.” Ghaus Pak’s (ra) tafseer on Allah Subhanahu’s instruction of that avoidance was imbued with lutf, kindness and gentleness. Why?
Because the first words he used in the interaction with them was “be smiling and cheerful.”
I realized from those words that he taught me something I could never have known otherwise. If the heart likes someone and affection has been placed in it, forcing it to dislike them, be harsh or angry with them, only causes intense distress. Hence one was allowed and even told to meet them smiling and cheerful because that’s exactly how the heart in fact wanted to greet them.
When we were translating it, I even asked Qari Sahib why the words repeated; smiling, cheerful. Didn’t they mean the same thing?
He said, “It’s because sometimes the mouth smiles but the forehead hides a frown. There is a disconnect, an insincerity. Ghaus Pak (ra) is saying, be both and be both truthfully.”
I have to say I felt over the moon. I was one of those who distressed my heart to no end in forcing it to feel “a false sense of dignity” under a guise of preserving self-esteem. I then became one of those that inflicted harshness upon my own nafs.
In those early days of Muharram I tried to listen to only lectures about the event of Karbala. Not listening to music was something I had done as a child because my family did it. For years that was the only thing I didn’t do. This year I tried to keep my focus on the blessed persons of the family of the Messenger who perfects the Messengers (peace be upon him) and them alone.
One of them happened to be on Imam Hussain’s (as) son, the sole male survivor of Karbala: Imam Zain ul Abideen (as).
Part II Continued on: www.flickr.com/photos/42093313@N00/52273833091/in/datepos...
Interior decoration of Cathedral of Christ the Savior with a spectacular ceiling of its central dome (cupola). The painting of the main dome reveals Divine guidance of the world from its Creation to the Redemption of Christ. It shows how God organizes and sustains the world and guides human destiny. It extols the eternity and omnipotence of the Creator.
Read more: goo.gl/KgpqYT
NOTE: Taking video and photo is forbidden in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, the main church of Moscow and the country, but during 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia it was made exception and thousands and thousands of its visitors could take photos of its magnificent interior within 30 days of the championship! I
Photo #168 taken on June 28, 2018 during the tour of Cathedral with Christ the Savior with my dear clients from Singapore, Jessie and Kenneth.
©2018 www.Moscow-Driver.com by Arthur Lookyanov
The term “lyrical” is appropriate because the Muslim Palace is adorned by lyric verses inscribed in beautiful, cursive Arab calligraphy.Amongst the estimated 10,000 inscriptions found in the Alhambra there are verses from the Qur'an, poems that comment on the features of different rooms, panegyrics (i.e. lavish praise) of various kings of the Nasrid dynasty that ruled Granada, and witty aphorisms. They run along walls, frame doorways and windows, and are embedded in the stuccoed, arabesque tapestries that stand atop vibrant, multicoloured wainscotings of ceramic tiles (azulejos). The most common inscription is the Nasrid motto: “There is no victor but Allah, a constant reminder that no human feat surpasses God’s omnipotence.
Dedicate to LUX
The Postcard
A postcard that was published by the Photochrom Co. Ltd. of London. The image is a glossy real photograph.
The card was posted in Northampton on Friday the 26th. October 1906 to:
Miss A. Swindall,
41, Queen's Road,
Loughborough,
Leicestershire.
The message on the divided back of the card was as follows:
"Dear Alice,
Thanks for letter.
Could you meet me at
Leicester about 4.
I think it would be much
better, so we could go
& see E. Tompkins &
have tea.
I have promised to go
several times and would
very much like you to go
as well. Now be game
and try.
My train arrives at four
prompt. If I don't hear
from you I will meet at
8.15.
Love from Will."
Wilhelm Voigt
So what else happened on the day that Will posted the card to Alice?
Well, on the 26th. October 1906, Wilhelm Voigt was arrested.
Friedrich Wilhelm Voigt, who was born on the 13th. February 1849, was a German impostor who, in 1906, masqueraded as a Prussian military officer, rounded up a number of soldiers under his "command", and "confiscated" more than 4,000 marks from the municipal treasury.
Although he served two years in prison, he became a folk hero as "The Captain of Köpenick," and was pardoned by Kaiser Wilhelm II.
Wilhelm Voigt - The Early Years
Voigt was born in Tilsit, Prussia. In 1863, at the age of 14, he was sentenced to 14 days in prison for theft, which led to his expulsion from school. He learned shoemaking from his father.
Between 1864 and 1891, Voigt was sentenced to prison for a total of 25 years for thefts, forgery and burglary. The longest sentence was a 15-year conviction for an unsuccessful burglary of a court cashier's office. He was released on the 12th. February 1906.
Voigt drifted from place to place until he went to live with his sister in Rixdorf near Berlin. He was briefly employed by a well-reputed shoemaker until the local police expelled him from Berlin on the 24th. August 1906. They claimed that he was an undesirable, based solely on the fact that he was an ex-convict. Officially he left for Hamburg, although he remained in Berlin as an unregistered resident.
The Captain of Köpenick
On the 16th. October 1906, having resigned from the shoe factory ten days earlier, Voigt was ready for his next caper. He had previously purchased parts of used captain's uniforms from different shops.
He took the uniform out of baggage storage, put it on and went to the local army barracks, stopped four grenadiers and a sergeant on their way back to barracks and told them to come with him and they followed. He dismissed the commanding sergeant to report to his superiors, and later commandeered six more soldiers from a shooting range.
Then he took a train to Köpenick, east of Berlin, occupied the local city hall with his soldiers and told them to cover all exits. He told the local police to "care for law and order" and to "prevent calls to Berlin for one hour" at the local post office.
He had the treasurer von Wiltberg and the mayor Georg Langerhans arrested, citing suspicion of crooked bookkeeping, and confiscated 4002 marks and 37 pfennigs, issuing a receipt for the money signed with his former jail director's name.
He then commandeered two carriages and told the grenadiers to take the arrested men to the Neue Wache in Berlin for interrogation. He told the remaining guards to stand in their places for half an hour and then left for the train station. He later changed into civilian clothes and disappeared.
The Arrest of Wilhelm Voigt
In the following days, the German press speculated on what had really happened. At the same time the army ran its own investigation. The public seemed to be positively amused by the daring deeds of the culprit.
Voigt was arrested on the 26th. October 1906 after a former cellmate who knew about Voigt's plans had tipped off the police, hoping for the high reward.
On the 1st. December 1906 Voigt was sentenced to four years in prison for forgery, impersonating an officer and wrongful imprisonment. However, much of public opinion was on his side, and Kaiser Wilhelm II pardoned him on the 16th. August 1908.
Even the Kaiser was amused by the incident, referring to him as an amiable scoundrel, and being pleased with the authority and feelings of reverence that he obviously commanded in the general population.
The British press were also amused, seeing it as confirmation of their stereotypes about Germans. In its 27th. October 1906 issue, the editors of The Illustrated London News noted gleefully:
"For years the Kaiser has been instilling into his people
reverence for the omnipotence of militarism, of which
the holiest symbol is the German uniform. Offences
against this fetish have incurred condign punishment.
Officers who have not considered themselves saluted
in due form have drawn their swords with impunity on
offending privates."
In that same issue, writer G. K. Chesterton pointed out:
"The most absurd part of this absurd fraud (at least,
to English eyes) is one which, oddly enough, has
received comparatively little comment. I mean the
point at which the Mayor asked for a warrant, and
the Captain pointed to the bayonets of his soldiery
and said, 'These are my authority'. One would have
thought anyone would have known that no soldier
would talk like that."
Aftermath
Voigt decided to capitalize on his fame. His wax figure appeared in the wax museum in Unter den Linden four days after his release. He appeared in the museum to sign his pictures, but public officials banned the appearances on the same day.
He appeared in small theatres in a play that depicted his exploit, and signed more photographs as the Captain of Köpenick. In spite of the ban he toured in Dresden, Vienna and Budapest in variety shows, restaurants and amusement parks.
In 1909, he published a book in Leipzig, How I became the Captain of Köpenick, which sold well. Although his United States tour almost failed because the immigration authorities refused to grant him a visa, he arrived in 1910 via Canada. He also inspired a waxwork in Madame Tussaud's museum in London.
In 1910, he moved to Luxembourg and worked as a waiter and shoemaker. He received a life pension from a rich Berlin dowager. Two years later, he bought a house and retired, but was ruined financially in the post–World War I recession.
Voigt died at the age of 72 in Luxembourg on the 3rd. January 1922. His grave is in the Cimetière Notre-Dame in Luxembourg.
Wilhelm Voigt in Popular Culture
Voigt's exploits became the subject of literary references as early as 1911, when British satirical writer Saki defined the term "to koepenick" as "to replace an authority by a spurious imitation that would carry just as much weight for the moment as the displaced original" in his short story "Ministers of Grace".
A silent film was made in German in 1926. In 1931, German author Carl Zuckmayer wrote a play about the affair called The Captain of Köpenick, which shifts the focus from the event at Köpenick itself to the prelude, showing how his surroundings and his situation in life had helped Voigt form his plan. An English-language adaptation was written by John Mortimer, and first performed by the National Theatre company at the Old Vic on the 9th. March 1971 with Paul Scofield in the title role.
Several more films were produced about Wilhelm Voigt, most based on Zuckmayer's play; among them Der Hauptmann von Köpenick (1931); The Captain from Köpenick (1945), starring Albert Bassermann; Der Hauptmann von Köpenick (1956), with Heinz Rühmann; a 1956 U.S. TV adaptation starring Emmett Kelly, the circus clown; the 1960 TV movie Der Hauptmann von Köpenick, featuring Rudolf Platte; and the 1997 TV movie Der Hauptmann von Köpenick, starring Harald Juhnke.
In 1943 the German Air Force mistakenly thought that a bombing attack which had been carried out on Düren, with the bombers then returning, was a diversion, and the bombers were actually heading for the ball-bearing factory at Schweinfurt.
When Schweinfurt was not attacked, they were concerned about the Leuna synthetic fuel refinery, then the Skoda Works at Pilsen. They scrambled large numbers of fighters everywhere, whose engine noise sounded like an invading force. After the debacle, Head of the Air Force Hermann Göring sent an ironic telegram to all concerned congratulating them on "the successful defence of the fortress of Koepenick".
The basic line of stage plays and movies was the pitiful catch-22 situation of Voigt trying to earn his living honourably in Berlin:
"No residence address – no job.
No job – no residence (rented room).
No residence – no passport.
No passport – getting ousted."
Continued from: www.flickr.com/photos/42093313@N00/51871571321/in/datepos...
Uzair: “Then Allah does that even with the faiths that went headlong against His Tauheed, One-ness. The Christians who made the Prophet Isa (as), Jesus, His son. Many times, in about 30 some verses at least, He admonishes them. But then He also says:
مَّ قَفَّيْنَا عَلَىٰٓ ءَاثَرِهِم بِرُسُلِنَا وَقَفَّيْنَا بِعِيسَى ٱبْنِ مَرْيَمَ وَءَاتَيْنَهُ ٱلْإِنجِيلَ وَجَعَلْنَا فِى قُلُوبِ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱتَّبَعُوهُ رَأْفَةًۭ وَرَحْمَةًۭ وَرَهْبَانِيَّةً ٱبْتَدَعُوهَا مَا كَتَبْنَهَا عَلَيْهِمْ إِلَّا ٱبْتِغَآءَ رِضْوَنِ ٱللَّهِ فَمَا رَعَوْهَا حَقَّ رِعَايَتِهَا ۖ
فَـَٔاتَيْنَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ مِنْهُمْ أَجْرَهُمْ ۖ
وَكَثِيرٌۭ مِّنْهُمْ فَسِقُونَ
And We followed with Isa, son of Maryam, and We gave him the Injeel.
And We placed in the hearts of those who followed him compassion and mercy.
But monasticism they innovated - not that We prescribed it for them – they invented it themselves only seeking the Pleasure of Allah,
but then they did not observe with right observance.
So We gave those who believed among them their reward, but most of them are defiantly disobediently.
Surah Al Hadeed, Verse 27
Tafseer e Jilani
Wa: And after We caused them to be followed by…
Bi Isa ibn e Maryam: with the Prophet Isa (as) son of Maryam and we gave him the Injeel (Bible) and succored him with the Holy Spirit (Hazrat Gibrael (as))…
Wa: with perfected cleansing of him and nobility in his family and his behaviour…
Ja’alna fi quloobi illadina attaba’uhu: and We placed in their hearts, of those who followed him and believed in him and practiced his religion…
Rafa’tan: softness, affection and kindness, to the extent that they forgave murderers and did not fight with the ones who cursed them and those who were physically violent…
Wa rahmatan: and mercy, so they were merciful because of it with all of Allah’s Servants.
Wa: And because the intensity of their love and attachment with Allah by their connection with Him, they invented…
Rahbaaniatan: monasticism and transgressed the limits of worship to the extent that they wouldn’t eat and they wouldn’t drink for days at a time and never married and did not meet people and instead made their abodes in the heights of mountains and in caves and indeed…
Ibtadauha: they introduced it making it up from their own selves without any approval from Our Side because…
Ma katabnaha: We didn’t prescribe monasticism for them and We did not make it obligatory and We did not compel them towards it…
Alaihim: upon them in their religion and in their books but they didn’t choose it…
Illa abtigha’a ridwan illahe: except that they were seeking Allah’s Pleasure and were desiring of acquiring it and despite this…
Fama rauha haqqa ri’ayatiha: the monasticism did not match with their religion and their books because they disbelieved Muhammad (peace be upon him) even though he was the greatest credence in their religion and their books so they left that belief and didn’t recognize him knowingly with ignorance and obstinacy…
Fa’atayna alladina aamano: so We gave those who believed in Muhammad (peace be upon him)…
Minhum ajrahum: the reward of their faith and of their deeds multiplying them many times which they deserved because of those deeds…
Wa katheerum minhum fasiqoon: and most of them were defiantly disobedient, the ones who left the demand of their religion and their books by the denial of Muhammad (peace be upon him).
Uzair: “So Allah says about the Christians, not only do they feel empathy, the followers of the Prophet Jesus (as), they do something about it. Even in His Anger He points out the kindness they possess. Then He says they become ascetics which He did not oblige upon them. Then again even in that criticism, He says they did it thinking they could gain My Pleasure. But then they could not carry the burden of the act.
So coming back to the essence of the verses. forgive people and their mistakes, their shortcomings. Don’t just accept the goodness of their nature, highlight it.”
Subhan Allah!
The point Uzair wanted to make finally came;
“So if Allah has this approach for worship and deeds, giving the best ajr, reward, looking for the best of them, then will it not be the case that if we attach our beings, our own selves to those considered best by him, then by the blessings bestowed upon them, we will also become better and then best? If most mediocre deeds can be made perfect, then why won’t ordinary people be rendered extraordinary?”
The lecture had motivated me to contact those who had been acting crazy. We had been out of touch without animosity but weeks had gone by. In my usual haste, I made contact only to be rebuffed. Again! I felt bad. Iblis whispered words that made me feel slighted. My nafs felt wounded. It had been a while since that happened so I was taken aback by the emotions. They were all negative and draining.
For two nights I suffered. But then I came out of it because of the attempt to remind myself that they were my loved ones. And I was theirs. What I didn’t control so well was my tongue if I spoke about them. I would use sarcasm and berate them. They were just words not really my feelings. But that was exactly what made me insincere. I would know that as I saw them coming out of my mouth and entering my ears. It was pure reaction that was entirely habitual.
And then I came upon these words in the Tafseer e Tustari;
[6:152] …And if you speak, be just...
وَإِذَا قُلْتُمْ فَٱعْدِلُوا۟
And when you speak then be just.
Surah Al An’am, Verse 152
Hazrat Sahel (ra) said: “The people of veracity (ṣidq) speak in four ways: they speak in God, through God, for God or with God. There are other people who speak to themselves and for themselves, and so they are preserved from the evil of speech.
Yet other people speak about others and forget themselves, and so they innovate and go astray. Wretched is that which they have produced for themselves!
So abandon speech for knowledge, and then only speak when it is necessary, and you will be preserved from the ills of speech. What is meant [by ‘when it is necessary’] is that you should not speak unless you are afraid that you will otherwise fall into sin.
Then he said: Whoever makes a [false] assumption (ẓann) will be deprived of certainty, and whoever speaks about that which does not concern him will be deprived of veracity.”
That’s where I was landing more than anything. I found that badgumani, feeling mistrust towards others, almost always wrongly, was the most major bane of my nafs. That was the downside of being sensitive. I guess that is how I was depriving myself of certainty.
The narration I chose for my video to mark Imam Ali’s (as) birth is recorded in every tafseer of any merit; The blessed Imam (as) gives a silver ring he is wearing to a person asking for alms in the Masjid e Nabawi. He is mid-prayer in the position of ruku’, when one bends at right angles to the hip, touching their hands upon their knees. The verse that marks his gesture and the incident ends with the identifier of who it is revealed for; wa hum ra’kioon – they are the ones who give charity while they bow in prayer in ruku.’
The closing line of the video was a quote by the Imam (as) about his condition in every prayer;
لم اعبد ربا لم اره
“Never did I pray before The Lord who raised me
without seeing Him.”
I couldn’t stop marveling about what he said and how it connected to the giving of his alms precisely in the moment that he was seeing God. Then diverting himself from that seeing to loosen a ring and drop it from his finger for someone seeking charity. Because the ask was in His Name.
Was it any wonder that the act was purifying, that the Quran states to be the means of gaining forgiveness through the prayer of The Beloved (peace be upon him) which brought with it cleansing and purification, dignity, inner peace, calmness, tranquility for the heart, steadfastness in Tauheed and imaan. It’s true, there is no Bestower like Allah when He is Al Wahhab!
In one of my recent Quran classes at my cousins’ place, Danoo had told us all something that blew everyone away. As best as I can recall it, she said that they were those amongst Mankind who were bestowed the nazar, gaze of The Beloved (peace be upon him) such that Nabi Kareem (peace be upon him) allowed them to see him in certain moments of his life.
Time travel has already been confirmed by many Spiritual Masters of the day as the miracle of the awaited last Imam, Mehdi (ra), but it always existed for all the Friends of God.
“So someone was able to see Huzoor (peace be upon him) in a sitting with his companions or perhaps in a signing of a treaty or in a state of travel or anything. It was Huzoor’s (peace be upon him) gift to them.”
Almost everyone in the room had let out a cry of the deepest envy. It was beyond anyone’s imagination that such a thing could occur. I had been thinking about what I would have liked to have seen. The list was long. High on it for me was the splitting of the moon. I was taken by the incident even though I didn’t want to see or hear the infidels backtracking on their word and denying its happening while it unfolded in front of their eyes.
But I did want to see the moon separate from itself at his beckon. I wanted to see him step away from the pulpit to take Imam Hassan (as) and Imam Hussain (as) into his arms when they entered the Mosque while he was giving a sermon. I wanted to see him sit with his friends, the four of them, around the well in Medina to tell them they would all have houses near his in Paradise. I would be mesmerized by the way he greeted his most beloved child, Bibi Fatima (as), when she came to see him. I would have loved to see him enter Mecca, 13 years after being made to flee the city under threat to his life, the heads of all his enemies bowed in fear and trepidation, his own head bowed as well despite being the victor, out of pure humility to his Lord for granting him such a victory.
My list was endless indeed.
From Imam Ali’s (as) life, I would have liked to have seen, again amongst many things, the incident of the ring. The tafseer of the verse was this for the video from the Tafseer e Jilani was superb;
إِنَّمَا وَلِيُّكُمُ اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا الَّذِينَ يُقِيمُونَ الصَّلَاةَ
وَيُؤْتُونَ الزَّكَاةَ وَهُمْ رَاكِعُونَ
Innama walliyyukum Allah: Only Allah is your Friend, The One who is in charge of your matters as related to all kinds of ordinary love…
Wa Rasooluhu: and so is His Messenger (peace be upon him), who is His Vice-regent second to Him, also in charge of your matters…
Walladina aamano: and those who brought faith in Allah with a love made special because of their following the Prophet (peace be upon him) and they…
Alladina yuqeemoona: are the ones who are forever…
As salata: in prayer that brings one close to Allah’s Essence…
And yu’toona az zakata: and they give charity which cleanses their hearts from focus on anything other than Allah…
Wa: in the state of…
Hum rak’ioon: ruku,’ bowing in their prayers, with humility.
Surah Al Maidah, Verse 55
The line made me look up something I had read months ago in the Tafseer e Tustari and no doubt quoted in a piece along the way;
Hazrat Sahl (ra) was asked about the words of the Prophet , ‘Seeking knowledge is an obligation (farīḍa) for every Muslim’.
He said, ‘This refers to the knowledge of [one’s]state (ḥāl).’
He was asked, ‘What is the knowledge of [one’s] state?’
Sahl (ra) replied: Inwardly it is sincerity (ikhlāṣ) and outwardly it is emulation (iqtidāʾ). Moreover, unless a person’s outward [self] (ẓāhir) is leading his inner [self] (bāṭin), and his inner self is the perfection (kamāl) of his outward self, he will merely be fatiguing his body.
Mālik b. Anas alluded to this point when he said, ‘Knowledge is not just about how much you can relate [from memory] (riwāya) but rather knowledge is a light that God places within the heart.’
He [Sahl] was asked, ‘How can a man recognise his state (ḥāl) and act upon it?’
He replied: “When you speak, your state is that of speech, and when you observe silence, your state is that of silence. When you stand your state is that of standing, and when you sit your state is that of sitting. [To have] knowledge of your state you should see whether it is for God or for other than Him. If it is for God you may settle in it, but if it is for other than Him you should abandon it.
This is the act of taking account of oneself (muḥāsaba) which ʿUmar enjoined when he said, ‘Call yourselves to account before you are called to account, and weigh yourselves up before you are weighed up…’ Indeed, ʿUmar used to beat his chest while calling himself to account.’”
The day I decided to end the piece was extraordinary. It was a Sunday. I was taking a friend visiting from the States for the best doughnuts in town and a street food lunch called a Bun Plaster. Towards the end she said she wanted to go by Daata Sahib’s (ra). It was the oldest and most revered shrine of the city and the Sub-continent, almost a 1,000 in existence. Her niece was driving the car and my first thought was, “Without a driver?”
The shrine is located in the inner city of Lahore and the place is always densely crowded. “Why not,” everyone else said. I knew Shaan had been dying to go there since I met him. He was wearing a baseball cap, black jeans that were always sliding down his waist, a shirt and jacket. The other thought that entered my mind was “How will we get Shaan to wear a veil to go inside?”
When we reached the entrance of the shrine, we basically breezed through security. One woman came running after us as if she had had an afterthought that a boy was coming into the women’s section. “Boy or girl?” she said pointing at Shaan. I was only too familiar with the question personally.
“Girl,” I said confidently. Shaan unzipped his jacket and let him pat her down. That was it. No one cared about the veil. He didn’t even take his hat off the whole time. We went in, placed flowers and prayed Maghrib with the congregation. I listened intently to the verses the Qari recited in the first two raka’t. Both were most beautiful.
The first ended with one of the most ma’roof lines of the Quran;
وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَاكَ إِلَّا رَحْمَةً لِّلْعَالَمِين
And did We not send you (O Beloved saw) except as a mercy for the Universe
and all that exists within it
Surah Al-Anbiya, Verse 107
My heart soared. The verse read aloud in the second raka’t had the same effect.
ٱرْجِعِىٓ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكِ رَاضِيَةًۭ مَّرْضِيَّةًۭ
فَٱدْخُلِى فِى عِبَدِى
وَٱدْخُلِى جَنَّتِى
Return to your Lord well pleased, and pleasing.
so enter then together with My Servants
and enter My Paradise.
Surah Al Fajr, Verse 89
We distributed cauldrons of food on our way to the car. We did everything one is meant to do! As we drove back, I told the younger kids about the verse`s we had prayed to. They listened silently. Shaan was quiet. When he did speak, he broke into extemporaneous poetry in Urdu. He always did that when he was excited. It never made sense to anyone except me who now knew him.
The first Coke Studio track in a year and a half had been released that morning. It was phenomenal; a beautiful duet by Naseebo Lal and Abeda Parveen. A woman who was unknown and supposedly from the humblest of backgrounds in Lahore, dirt poor, paired with the most important female Sufi artist of the continent, if not the world. All of us in the car from age 21 to 55 were moved by the sound of the music. It was one of those rare tracks that make the eyes cry and the heart soar.
The best thing about being cut off from the world, literally, because of the absence of being perpetually connected to the internet, is missing out on the bad news. And then the detail of the bad news. Many, including children, had recently died because of being stuck in snow in a hill station families had driven to just to see the snowfall. People kept talking about photos they couldn’t get out of their minds and the behaviour of hotel owners who had raised tariffs so much overnight that people had opted to sleep in their cars and therefore frozen to death.
I only knew about the incident because I saw a headline in Yahoo when I exited my mail. Luckily all I was thinking about was how the Person of the Shrine was the only one who decided what happened to those who came to him because there was a bulawa, invite, for them. Shaan, a 47 year old female, dressed like a 14 year old boy, had been welcomed with just a single question that had been posed to me my whole life. And not just in Lahore!
It made me think of the verse that all Honour belongs to Allah.
مَن كَانَ يُرِيدُ ٱلْعِزَّةَ فَلِلَّهِ ٱلْعِزَّةُ جَمِيعًاۚ إِلَيْهِ يَصْعَدُ ٱلْكَلِمُ ٱلطَّيِّبُ وَٱلْعَمَلُ ٱلصَّلِحُ يَرْفَعُهُۚۥ
Whoever desires for himself honor, (should know) then for Allah (alone) is all the Honor.
To Him ascends the good words, and righteous deeds raises it.
Surah Fatir, Verse 10
Tafseer e Jilani:
Man kana yureed ul izzata: The one who wants honour, endless, after which never comes humiliation ever, then he should turn towards Allah and makes his focus His One-ness.
Fa lillahe izzatu: For only Allah is the True Owner of Honour, which includes control, eternal majesty and all kingdoms…
Jami-an: overt (zahiri) and inner (batini). And the one who desires that Allah bestow upon him honour and control and absolute kingdoms and abundance that remains forever, then he should, in his initial stages toward Allah, praise Him by way of His Perfect Names and Exalted Attributes till his remembrance reaches the stages of their reflection in him.
This (the reflection) is the last effort and then he becomes a reflector of Allah’s Being, wanting to unveil the Veils of His Omnipotence, till he becomes present before Him, able to unveil Him and witness the Signs of His Names and Attributes on the surface of the Universe without the distortion created by others.
And overall (in summary), the one who seeks honour should be occupied in the Remembrance by Allah in the early stages because
Ilayhi yasadu alkalm at tayyabu: towards Him ascend good words which are the Prefect Names of Allah and His Exalted Attributes, increasing in frequency from the tongues of The Sincere and The Ones who Reflect in Allah’s Blessings and His Bounty…
Wal al amal as saleh: and (they should be occupied) in good deeds joined with ikhlas, sincerity and tabbatul, devotion to Him (also ascending towards Him)…
Yarfa’uhu: (which will be why) He then raises that deed founded upon sincerity and those good words allowing them to reach towards the stages of Closeness with Allah. So for the one whose sincerity in his deed is perfect, then the ranks of his words, which are raised towards Allah Subhanahu, are the highest and the most supreme to Him.
It was astonishing that link; the sincerity of my deeds being behind my tasbeeh of His Names reaching Him.
Just a few days after the visit to Daata Sahib (ra) I realized that Shaan was just a human being. Not perfected spirituality (albeit only in certain aspects) that I had made him out to be because he lived in a park. Because he had been homeless. Because he was alone. Because he possessed exactly nothing. Because he was attached to nothing. Because no one except God cared about him. He was simply human. He possessed the duality in his nature like everyone else. He felt anger and fear. He expressed resentment and envy.
The issue that unmasked his fragility was one that everyone faces. When his behaviour changed I discussed it with Qari Sahib. He said it was natural and it had to be waited out.
“Everyone needs time to heal,” he said. “From an old wound or a new one. Give it time.”
It was my fault anyway as usual. I had made Shaan out to be super human. He was not. His being alone had just made his idiosyncrasies more intense than other people’s. Being on the spectrum added its own layer on top of that. It had to be borne to see where he might land. Wherever that was, I would have to deal with it then.
In the beginning though when all options pointed towards him having to leave, I felt a deep anguish. I prayed and prayed and cried in those prayers. “Please God,” I begged, “Let Shaan become the way he was. Let him be happy and let his heart be calm and devoid of that which makes him now different.” I don’t believe I prayed that hard for a reversal in someone’s nature in my entire life. Even though he was not blood, he was not a friend.
The experience taught me something extremely important one day at Fajr when I lay in bed holding my tasbeeh, about to spin its beads. Every single thing and every single person in one’s life is an amanat of Allah. Everything is a bestowing, therefore it is only in a safe-keeping. There is no possession as such of anything. Nothing and no one belongs to anyone, except God.
It was like the second line in the video from the kalam. It was part of the tarana and everyone assumed it was just sounds that had no meaning. But they had meaning and it was the deepest meaning ever;
ہم تم تا نا نا نا، تا نانا رے
I reflect You,
I am yours,
I belong to You.
That night when I prayed Isha’ a thought came into my mind. Knowledge is a city, Nabi Kareem (peace be upon him) says. He is that city, Madinat ul Ilm. But entrance into any city is through its door. And the Imam (as), he said, is that Bab oha, its Door. My learning about the faith before going to him in Iraq was like watching things from a drone; flying above but never being inside it.
It wasn’t until I arrived at that Door that my learning changed from the reading and listening and writing of words and edged somewhat slightly towards deed. Which incidentally is the third cure for a heart being shred to pieces from the onslaught of doubt and paranoia. For deed, says Nabi Kareem (peace be upon him) is the path from which Satan, when he sees it, leaves. Deed, said the Imam (as), was what would bear witness to his faith. And faith, as I was made to learn in no uncertain terms, imaan, was nothing except the prize for the emulation of Allah’s Beloved (peace be upon him).
Hence for every act there was really only one deed. Just like for every path that lead to spirituality, there was only one door.
In the Tafseer e Jilani, Ghaus Pak (ra) writes again and again about the the verses of Paradise under which flow rivers. Those rivers are of ma’raifat, the Recognition of Allah Subhanahu, specifically three; Ilm ul Yaqeen, the Knowledge of Certainty, Ayn ul Yaqeen, the Witnessing of Certainty, Haq ul Yaqeen, the Truth of Knowledge.
إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَعَمِلُوا۟ ٱلصَّلِحَتِ يَهْدِيهِمْ رَبُّهُم بِإِيمَنِهِمْ ۖ
تَجْرِى مِن تَحْتِهِمُ ٱلْأَنْهَرُ فِى جَنَّتِ ٱلنَّعِيمِ
Indeed, those who believed and did good deeds, Allah will guide them by that faith.
Underneath them will flow the rivers in Gardens of Delight.
Surah Yunus, Verse 9
Tafseer e Jilani
Then said Allah Subhanahu, Exalted is He, according to His Way as it is always, when comes after admonishment glad tidings and vice versa…
Innalladina aamino: indeed, they who attained to faith in Allah and His Tauheed, One-ness…
Wa amilo salihaat: and they did good deeds as commanded by Him to better their states…
Yahdihim Rabbohum: their Lord will guide them towards the cosmos of His Tauheed…
Bi imaanihim: by their faith and their Ilm Yaqeeni, certainty of the Divine, that comes from knowledge…
Tajri min tahtahi mul anhaar: from rivers that flow beneath their feet i.e. streams of Ma’arif, Recognition of God and sprouting purls of the Truth of His Reality from the Ocean of His One-ness, with the colours of Ayn al Yaqeen, The Witnessing of Divine Certainty and Al Haq, the Truth of Divine Certainty…
Fi Jannaatin Naeem: i.e. they will be forever placed in the realm of these spiritual pleasures.
I started celebrating the month of Rajab at its advent. Like I do with Rabul Awwal, the month of the blessed birth of Nabi Kareem (peace be upon him) and the month of Rabbu Thani, the month of the birth of Ghaus Pak (ra). This year a bunch of my friends sent money to partake in the distribution of food with me mostly because they were deeply affected by the verse about charity bringing them the prayer of Allah’s Beloved (peace be upon him).
Then I started a prayer I have only said once before in my life. When I secluded myself for three days in Ramadan, also only once in my life. It was a prayer favoured by the Imam (as), two nafal reading Surak Ikhlas a 100 times in each rak’at. It was not lost on me, the name of the Surah, sincerity, that it was the Surah of Tauheed, One-ness.
It was a distracted utterance, except for the beginning but it was joyous. Before I started I said a prayer for myself that I had just learnt from the Hazrat Yousuf (as), the Prophet Joseph.
رَبِّ قَدْ ءَاتَيْتَنِى مِنَ ٱلْمُلْكِ وَعَلَّمْتَنِى مِن تَأْوِيلِ ٱلْأَحَادِيثِ ۚ
فَاطِرَ ٱلسَّمَوَتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ أَنتَ وَلِىِّۦ
فِى ٱلدُّنْيَا وَٱلْءَاخِرَةِ ۖ
تَوَفَّنِى مُسْلِمًۭا وَأَلْحِقْنِى بِٱلصَّلِحِينَ
My Lord, indeed, you have given of the sovereignty and taught me of the interpretation of the events.
Creator of the heavens and the earth, You are my Protector, in the world and the Hereafter. Cause me to die as a Muslim, and join me with the righteous."
Hazrat Yusuf, Verse 101
Tafseer e Jilani
Then prayed Hazrat Yousuf (as) for himself and he said softly to his Lord, a prayer, that uttered from him only with wisdom, intellect and reasoning, with his invocation:
Rabbi: O my Lord who raises me, by Your Unmerited Affection and Your Bounty, with different kinds of guidance and favour that you have granted me…
Qad Aataytani: indeed You bestowed upon me and blessed me…
Min al mulk: from the Overt Kingdom i.e. the Kingship which is concerned with the realm of the existing world…
Wa allamtani min taaweel il hadeeth: and You taught me the interpretation of matters i.e. extracting conclusions from the events which happen in this world to what is in the Realm of the Unseen and its true explanation.
Faatir is samawat e wal ard: O One who created the heavens and the Earth i.e. the Realm of Allah’s Names, the reflection of which are the disappearing shadows apparent…
Anta: You are by Your Own Self, after you made me steadfast in Your One-ness and You disclosed to me Your Tauheed, that One-ness, and lifted the veils between me and it…
Walliya: You are my Supporter and The Controller of my affairs and The One who keeps my secrets…
Fi duniya wal akhira: in this world and the Hereafter i.e. in this life and the Afterlife…
Tawwafini: make me die and take my soul…
Muslim-an: surrendering, entrusting all my matters to you…
Walhiqni: and join me, with Your Special Favour…
Bi saliheen: with the righteous ones who are the ones who reformed their selves in this life and the Hereafter until they achieved success from You with the honour of meeting You.
For the second time I noted how the word salih was connected to reforming of one’s state, bettering it. It was markedly prominent in a line from the namaz which Nabi Kareem (peace be upon him) uttered after Allah Subhanahu sends Salam upon him, thus bringing others into the Peace that Allah was bestowing upon him alone:
As-Salamu 'Alayna wa 'Ala 'Ibad-Allah-is-Saliheen
Peace be upon us and on the Righteous Servant of Allah.
It was almost always translated as righteous but Ghaus Pak (ra) was saying that the Saliheen were those who were in a perpetual state of reforming. Hazrat Yousuf’s (as), a Prophet’s invocation, was about being made to die in surrender and being joined with the ones who continue to reform themselves.
At sunset when the month started I was googling different things to gain more information on Rajab to preface my first email to my friends. Then I came across this:
The Imam Abdul Qadir Jilani (ra) said:
رجب شھر الزرع و شعبان شھر السقی و رمضان شھر الحصاد
و کل یحصد ما زرع و یجزی ما صنع
و من ضیع الزراعۃ ندم یوم حصادہ و احلف ظنہ مع سوء معادہ
Rajab is the month for sowing seeds, Sha’ban is the month for watering, and Ramadan is the month for reaping.
And all reap what they sow
and will be rewarded for what they did.
And the one who wasted the (season of) planting regretted it on the day of harvest
and found it to be against what he thought would be the result.
I was blown away by his words. That the cycle bore fruit in just 90 days!
For two nights I thought and thought about what seeds to plant and could not figure out what I should choose. Scholars had a singular take on what that seed should be; of worship. But worship was a function of ability granted. Meanwhile, my nafs only steered me in one direction; towards those I knew who were willfully absent. Because their hearts were shredded.
“Plant seeds of love for them,” it said to me earnestly, not with deceit. “Maybe they will come back.” I could almost hear the hope it felt, the need it was feeling for that return. I didn’t say anything. Then I started asking my Lord who raises me to choose my seeds for me.
The next day I went to the shrine of Hazrat Pir Turat Murad Shah (ra) in the park. I sat next to his blessed grave reading the Names of Allah and Nabi Kareem (peace be upon him) that had just been put up inside it in a recent renovation.
Those Names of theirs that were His Manifestations in the Universe, His Signs and what paved the way towards Him.
I thought about my youth and how my seeds of love burst forth with the most gorgeous bloom in my early life when I was a seed myself. For decades we only flourished and grew more beautiful. In one decade alone everything began to wilt. No one knew that it was what became the state of the soul when it felt lonely. Or was it the nafs? It was as if the sun disappeared and water vanished.
I prayed and in the prayer I had a thought and in the thought I saw the seeds I wanted to sow. A seed for steadfastness in Tauheed, a seed of the deepest love for The Beloved (peace be upon him), a seed of wishing to be informed of the beings of who were the Saliheen who had been informed of Allah Subhanahu’s Essence by Him as the success granted to them for reforming themselves. And then, lastly, a seed for the ones I loved in the world. This time without names and faces and memories of a past that would never return. Not pegged with desire for reigniting what had turned to cold ashes. Just seeds, just love.
Then after weeks of not even opening Ghaus Pak’s (ra) Al Fath Ar Rabbani, the next night I lay in bed unable to sleep. I decided to read a line. The line that came was very familiar to me. It was a well known, hadith of Nabi Pak (peace be upon him):
قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ
الدُّنْيَا سِجْنُ الْمُؤْمِنِ
“The world is a prison for the believer.”
As someone who feels entrapped in the world, I felt like the hadith made me a Mo’min sometimes. But then came the explanation of the words;
Al Fath Ar Rabbani: “The world is a prison for the Mo’min. Thus when he will forget that prison, only then will he gain freedom for it.”
One line is all I had read and I had to pause. So it wasn’t about being attached to the world, being drawn to it, attracted to it, that made it a prison. It was the same entrapment for the one thinking everything about it was torment. For that meant that one was not forgetting it at all. Thus it was not freedom from it.
I realized how exactly the notion applied to people and attachment to them. Not one iota of any association lessened because of thinking badly of them or feeling unhappy because of them. It seemed to appear to be worse than being connected to them with happiness. At least that was not negative. For the tongue or the heart. The world was a prison for anyone aware of it.
My sighs just kept getting deeper!
Al Fath Ar Rabbani: “Those who attain to faith are in that prison (of the world) while those who gain ma’rifa, Recognition of Allah Subhanahu, are in a state of intoxication. Therefore they are entirely unaware of that prison because indeed, their Lord has made them sip the Drink of His Love for Him, and the Drink of His Affection for Him, and the Drink of His Desire for Him and the Drink of obliviousness from Creation and are only mindful of Him so they became detached from the prison and its inmates.”
Subhan Allah!
And once again my perception of myself, where I was at, what I thought, was turned upside down. The most massive revelation it bore for me what my usage of the word that meant the most to me all of my life; “love.” In the blooming decades I had used it rarely and therefore only sincerely with unquestionable devotion. It took me years for my tongue to utter it for the first time to anyone. I think I must have been well into my 20s. I don’t think I ever said it face to face to my mother or sister who died or my brother who is alive.
But in this decade of wilting, I overused it constantly. Mostly I echoed others until I started copying them and initiating it. Sometimes I thought it might make a bridge between those and myself who felt so far apart. But it was no longer true except in its desire to be true. It became just another word without meaning.
The Sufis say that the first movement of the Universe was love. Because Allah loved to be known.
كُنتُ كنزاً مَخفياً فأحببتُ أن أُعْرَف فخَلَقتُ الخَلْقَ لكي أُعرف
I, Allah, was a Treasure Hidden so I loved to be known
Therefore I created Creation so that I will be known.
Ahbabtu – “Loved”, not wanted to be known!
In my translation of another verse from Surah Yunus, I had learnt about the metaphysics of Creation and in it again was the word, love.
Hazrat Najmuddin Kubra (ra): So Allah called His Servants from Divine Knowledge (al ilm) towards existence (al wujood) by blowing His Breath and it is His saying:
فَإِذَا سَوَّيْتُهُۥ وَنَفَخْتُ فِيهِ مِن رُّوحِى
So, when I have fashioned him and I breathed into him of My Spirit.
Surah Al Hijr, Verse 29
And He invites them from existence (al wujood) towards nothingness (al adam) and Divine Knowledge with love and it His saying:
ٱرْجِعِىٓ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكِ رَاضِيَةًۭ
Return to your Lord well pleased,
Surah Al Fajr, Verse 28
Qari Sahib was the one who had pointed it out: “Do you see how from nothingness to existence the impetus is the Breath of Allah and in the end of time, from existence to nothingness, the impetus is Allah’s Jazba, His Love.”
It was strange. So much about the Day of Judgement was about fear and loud trumpets and the skies rolling as if wrapping up a stage. And here it was said, Allah invited the nafs back to it with love.
And at 51 I no longer knew nothing about it!
So on the 2nd of Rabaj, I changed my fourth seed. I didn’t know how to plant seeds of love. I didn’t know what that meant in the ever changing context of life. So I decided to take a step back. I went to Nabi Kareem’s (peace be upon him) hadith;
عن جابر بن عبد الله قال : لما نزلت سورة "براءة" قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم :
بعثت بمداراة الناس
From Jābir b. ʿAbd Allāh (may God be pleased with them all), that he reported that when Sūrat Barāʾa (Tauba) was sent down, the Messenger of God said,
“I was sent to treat people with affability (mudārāt).”
In another hadith though he had used the word love and it was in relation to imaan, faith.
“The Momin is the one who loves and is loved.
And there is no goodness for the one who does not give love and receive love. The best amongst people is the one who gives others benefit.”
Then I was jumping up and down about how I had perceived it. Everyone wanted to love and be loved. Therefore everyone must be a Mo’min. Now it revealed to me that the state of being Mo’min was fluid. I loved and was loved intensely in my youth. I gave and received love happily. With sincerely, with certainty. I wasn’t praying much but was I a Mo’min then?
Rajab makes every single deed a seed. And makes mindfulness not a word but an existence in constancy. As much as I focus on what I do want to sow, I became aware of what I do not. For that too would end up bearing fruit. Bitter! I was being made aware of seeds planted from ages ago that were now just weeds taking up space and nutrients, taking up what plants needed in terms of light and water. I now knew it was the love that they sucked out first. That’s what caused them to begin to wither and die. Rajab was indeed a game-changer!
I even asked Qari Sahib about the last line of Ghaus Pak (ra), what it meant to have the opposite result.
“If you sow seeds of ingratitude, knowingly or unknowingly, or of being angry or being heedless, or uncharitable then what will happen come Ramadan is that you will have no desire to worship, or you will waste the chance to give to others, which is what the month is only and only for.”
It was decided; affability would be my fourth seed. Strangely enough the one seed that had to do with Creation might be the one that bears the least results. For I would not be taking initiatives. But when moments appeared, and they were already starting to, I could practice patience and gentleness, friendliness and warmth. For those were prerequisites. There wasn’t any need for gestures behind which lay murky intentions, convoluted. The need for pursuit was eliminated.
As the days progressed, on the 7th of Rajab, I found that my mindfulness, which always and only always emerged after the fact, after I had wronged, after I had erred, changed the timing of its appearance. For the first time I saw myself before I did something. The interactions were repetitive as was my behaviour in them despite everything. And suddenly, I paused before I spoke so as to not regret it immediately after.
And this was how I began, yet again, the process of entrusting my matters, all of them, as they related to ordinary love, to the ones who were in reality my only friends; Allah Subhanahu wa Rusooluhu (peace be upon him) and those who give charity, which cleanses the heart from focus on anything except Him, in the state of bowing in their prayers with humility.
Zodiac
"Teach your students the omnipotence of Truth, which illustrates the impotence of error. The understanding, even in a degree, of the divine All-power destroys fear, and plants the feet in the true path, --the path which leads to the house built without hands "eternal in the heavens." Human hate has no legitimate mandate and no kingdom. Love is enthroned. That evil or matter has neither intelligence nor power, is the doctrine of absolute Christian Science, and this is the great truth which strips all disguise from error."
Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures 454:4
Mary Baker Eddy
Thanos, the Mad Titan, has murdered more people than can be imagined. Half of everybody at least once, actually. See, he likes Death. REALLY likes Death. Intimately likes Death. Hoboy. So in order to impress her, he likes bumping folks off.
And that glove of his? The Infinity Gauntlet, set with gems that give the wielder complete omnipotence. He still got beaten, but that's because he has inadequacy problems. He alwyas loses because of them. But aside from THAT, Thanos is really an awesome character!
John Coltrane recorded A Love Supreme in December of 1964 and released it the following year. He presented it as a spiritual declaration that his musical devotion was now intertwined with his faith in God. In many ways, the album mirrors Coltrane's spiritual quest that grew out of his personal troubles, including a long struggle with drug and alcohol addiction.
From the opening gong and tenor saxophone flutter, a four-note bass line builds under the sound. This simple riff becomes the musical framework for the rich improvisations that comprise John Coltrane's 33-minute musical journey.
"I remember they cut the lights down kind of," says McCoy Tyner, who played piano on A Love Supreme as a member of Coltrane's band in the early and mid-'60s. "The lights were dimmed in the studio. I guess they were trying to get a nightclub effect or whatever. I don't know if it was John's suggestion or whatever. I remember the lights being dimmed."
It made sense to try to imitate the dim-lighted intimacy of a club during the studio recordings, he says, because it was on stage during live shows where the quartet would explore, practice and rehearse new material. He says there was an amazing unspoken communication during the "Love Supreme" sessions. In fact, he says, Coltrane gave very few verbal directions. Tyner calls the album a culmination and natural extension of chemistry honed through years of playing together live.
"You see, one thing about that music is that it showed you that we had reached a level where you could move the music around. John had a very wonderful way of being flexible with the music, flexing it, stretching it. You know, we reflected that kind of thing. He gave us the freedom to do that. We thought of something, 'Oh, then we'll play it,' you know? And he said, 'Yeah, I have a feeling'—you know? And all that freedom just came together when we did that record."
It was that free-wheeling openness which allowed the musicians—Coltrane, Tyner, along with drummer Elvin Jones and bassist Jimmy Garrison—to build a complex four-part suite around a relatively basic musical idea.
Lewis Porter heads the masters program in jazz history and research at Rutgers University-Newark. He's the author of John Coltrane: His Life and Music. Porter says that simple idea culminating in the first movement with an unprecedented verbal chant by Coltrane forms the foundation of the entire suite. It's a theme Coltrane consciously uses in subtle and careful ways throughout A Love Supreme. For example, toward the end of part one, "Acknowledgement," Coltrane plays the riff in every key.
"Coltrane's more or less finished his improvisation, and he just starts playing the 'Love Supreme' motif, but he changes the key another time, another time, another time. This is something very unusual. It's not the way he usually improvises. It's not really improvised. It's something that he's doing. And if you actually follow it through, he ends up playing this little 'Love Supreme' theme in all 12 possible keys," says Porter. "To me, he's giving you a message here. First of all, he's introduced the idea. He's experimented with it. He's improvised with it with great intensity. Now he's saying it's everywhere. It's in all 12 keys. Anywhere you look, you're going to find this 'Love Supreme.' He's showing you that in a very conscious way on his saxophone. So to me, he's really very carefully thought about how he wants to present the idea."
While A Love Supreme is a recognized musical masterpiece, it had enormous personal significance for Coltrane. In the spring of 1957, his dependence on heroin and alcohol lost him one of the best jobs in jazz. He was playing sax and touring with Miles Davis' popular group when he became unreliable and strung out. Alternately catatonic and brilliant, Coltrane's behavior and playing became increasingly erratic. Davis fired him after a live show that April.
Soon after, Coltrane resolved to clean up his act. He would later write, in the 1964 liner notes to A Love Supreme, "In the year of 1957, I experienced, by the grace of God, a spiritual awakening, which was to lead me to a richer, fuller, more productive life."
But Coltrane didn't always stay the clean course. As he also wrote in the album's notes, "As time and events moved on, I entered into a phase which is contradictory to the pledge and away from the esteemed path. But thankfully now, through the merciful hand of God, I do perceive and have been fully reinformed of his omnipotence. It is truly a love supreme."
The album is, in many ways, a reaffirmation of faith. And the suite lays out what you might call its four phases: "Acknowledgement," "Resolution," "Pursuance" and "Psalms." A Love Supreme has even spawned something of a religious sect. Reverend Franzo Wayne King is pastor of the Saint John Coltrane African Orthodox Church in San Francisco. The congregation mixes African Orthodox liturgy with Coltrane's quotes and a heavy dose of his music. Pastor King calls the album the cornerstone of his 200-member church.
"When you look at the composition of titles and the sequence in which John has them laid out, we say that there's formula in that album. When he says, 'Acknowledgements, resolutions and pursuance,' it's like saying, 'Father, Son and Holy Ghost.' It's like saying, 'Melody, harmony and rhythm.' In other words, you have to acknowledge and then you resolve and then you pursue, and the manifestation of it is a love supreme."
While it's unknown whether Coltrane would have wanted to be worshiped or have his art deified, it's clear in every way that he saw A Love Supreme as much more than just another recording. Coltrane took control of every detail of the album, unlike any of his other works, including writing the liner notes and an accompanying poem. The poem, it's been discovered, is written to match the slow music of the fourth movement, "Psalms." It's a connection Coltrane hints at cryptically in the liner notes.
Pastor King remembers the day his congregation made the discovery. "It was so funny. We were here. We had been collected as a community, and we used to just read it and try to put some passion in it, you know. And then one day, we were reading the album, because he said the last part is 'Psalms,' which is in context, written context. And we said, 'Well, what is he trying to say here?' And then we put it on and sang, 'A love supreme. I would do all I can to be worthy of you, oh, Lord.' It's kind of like Pentecostal preaching, you know," Pastor King says. "We had a great day. We woke up and found out that the music and the words went together, and that was like a further encouragement that John Coltrane was, indeed, you know, sent by God and that that sound had really jumped down from the throne of heaven, so to speak."
While Pastor King sees explicit Christian symbolism in A Love Supreme, others point out that Coltrane took a much more general view. Coltrane was careful to say that while he was raised Christian, his searchings had led him to realize that all religions had a piece of the truth.
Only once did Coltrane perform the entire "Love Supreme" suite live, and there are no recorded interviews in which he talks about the album's personal significance. In fact, Coltrane didn't even talk about it with his band mates. "We didn't talk about a lot of things," says Tyner. But he does say the band knew that A Love Supreme had unique chemistry.
"He told me, he says, 'I respond to what's around me,'" remembers Tyner. "That's the way it should be, you know? And it was just—I couldn't wait to go to work at night. It was just such a wonderful experience. I mean, I didn't know what we were going to do. We couldn't really explain why things came together so well, you know, and why it was, you know, meant to be. I mean, it's hard to explain things like that."
From NPR.org
Al-An'am
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Al-An'am
الأنعام Classification Makkan
Meaning of the name The Cattle
Statistics
Sura number 6 106
Number of verses 165
Juz' number 7 to 8
Hizb number 13 to 15
Number of Sajdahs none
Previous Sura Al-Ma'ida
Next Sura Al-A'raf
Listen to Surah Al An'aam
Sura Al-An-'am (Arabic: سورة الأنعام, Sūratu al-An'ām, "The Cattle") is the sixth chapter of the Qur'an, with 165 verses. It is a Makkan sura. Its main topics are monotheism, resurrection, heaven and hell.
The surah reports the story of the prophet Abraham,[Qur'an 6:74–80] who using his own reason stopped worship of celestial bodies and turned towards Allah, so that he could have received revelation.
Notable verses
6:32 - warns against hedonism:
"What is the life of this world but play and amusement? But best is the home in the hereafter, for those who are righteous."
6:59 - teaches that none but Allah is omniscient:
"And with Him are the keys of the Invisible. None but He knoweth them. And He knoweth what is in the land and the sea. Not a leaf falleth but He knoweth it, not a grain amid the darkness of the earth, naught of wet or dry but (it is noted) in a clear record."
6:68 - commands avoiding vain conversations:
"And when thou seest those who meddle with Our revelations, withdraw from them until they meddle with another topic. And if the devil cause thee to forget, sit not, after the remembrance, with the congregation of wrong-doers."
6:73 - teaches about Allah's omnipotence:
"In the day when He saith: Be! it is."
الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي خَلَقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ وَجَعَلَ الظُّلُمَاتِ وَالنُّورَ ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا بِرَبِّهِمْ يَعْدِلُونَ
Praise be Allah, Who created the heavens and the earth, and made the darkness and the light. Yet those who reject Faith hold (others) as equal, with their Guardian-Lord.
6:2 هُوَ الَّذِي خَلَقَكُمْ مِنْ طِينٍ ثُمَّ قَضَىٰ أَجَلًا وَأَجَلٌ مُسَمًّى عِنْدَهُ ثُمَّ أَنْتُمْ تَمْتَرُونَ
He it is created you from clay, and then decreed a stated term (for you). And there is in His presence another determined term; yet ye doubt within yourselves!
6:3 وَهُوَ اللَّهُ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَفِي الْأَرْضِ يَعْلَمُ سِرَّكُمْ وَجَهْرَكُمْ وَيَعْلَمُ مَا تَكْسِبُونَ
And He is Allah in the heavens and on earth. He knoweth what ye hide, and what ye reveal, and He knoweth the (recompense) which ye earn (by your deeds).
6:4 وَمَا تَأْتِيهِمْ مِنْ آيَةٍ مِنْ آيَاتِ رَبِّهِمْ إِلَّا كَانُوا عَنْهَا مُعْرِضِينَ
But never did a single one of the signs of their Lord reach them, but they turned away therefrom.
6:5 فَقَدْ كَذَّبُوا بِالْحَقِّ لَمَّا جَاءَهُمْ فَسَوْفَ يَأْتِيهِمْ أَنْبَاءُ مَا كَانُوا بِهِ يَسْتَهْزِئُونَ
And now they reject the truth when it reaches them: but soon shall they learn the reality of what they used to mock at.
6:6 أَلَمْ يَرَوْا كَمْ أَهْلَكْنَا مِنْ قَبْلِهِمْ مِنْ قَرْنٍ مَكَّنَّاهُمْ فِي الْأَرْضِ مَا لَمْ نُمَكِّنْ لَكُمْ وَأَرْسَلْنَا السَّمَاءَ عَلَيْهِمْ مِدْرَارًا وَجَعَلْنَا الْأَنْهَارَ تَجْرِي مِنْ تَحْتِهِمْ فَأَهْلَكْنَاهُمْ بِذُنُوبِهِمْ وَأَنْشَأْنَا مِنْ بَعْدِهِمْ قَرْنًا آخَرِينَ
See they not how many of those before them We did destroy?- generations We had established on the earth, in strength such as We have not given to you - for whom We poured out rain from the skies in abundance, and gave (fertile) streams flowing beneath their (feet): yet for their sins We destroyed them, and raised in their wake fresh generations (to succeed them).
6:7 وَلَوْ نَزَّلْنَا عَلَيْكَ كِتَابًا فِي قِرْطَاسٍ فَلَمَسُوهُ بِأَيْدِيهِمْ لَقَالَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا إِنْ هَٰذَا إِلَّا سِحْرٌ مُبِينٌ
If We had sent unto thee a written (message) on parchment, so that they could touch it with their hands, the Unbelievers would have been sure to say: "This is nothing but obvious magic!"
6:8 وَقَالُوا لَوْلَا أُنْزِلَ عَلَيْهِ مَلَكٌ وَلَوْ أَنْزَلْنَا مَلَكًا لَقُضِيَ الْأَمْرُ ثُمَّ لَا يُنْظَرُونَ
They say: "Why is not an angel sent down to him?" If we did send down an angel, the matter would be settled at once, and no respite would be granted them.
6:9 وَلَوْ جَعَلْنَاهُ مَلَكًا لَجَعَلْنَاهُ رَجُلًا وَلَلَبَسْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ مَا يَلْبِسُونَ
If We had made it an angel, We should have sent him as a man, and We should certainly have caused them confusion in a matter which they have already covered with confusion.
6:10 وَلَقَدِ اسْتُهْزِئَ بِرُسُلٍ مِنْ قَبْلِكَ فَحَاقَ بِالَّذِينَ سَخِرُوا مِنْهُمْ مَا كَانُوا بِهِ يَسْتَهْزِئُونَ
Mocked were (many) messengers before thee; but their scoffers were hemmed in by the thing that they mocked.
6:11 قُلْ سِيرُوا فِي الْأَرْضِ ثُمَّ انْظُرُوا كَيْفَ كَانَ عَاقِبَةُ الْمُكَذِّبِينَ
Say: "Travel through the earth and see what was the end of those who rejected Truth."
وَلَقَدِ اسْتُهْزِئَ بِرُسُلٍ مِنْ قَبْلِكَ فَحَاقَ بِالَّذِينَ سَخِرُوا مِنْهُمْ مَا كَانُوا بِهِ يَسْتَهْزِئُونَ
Mocked were (many) messengers before thee; but their scoffers were hemmed in by the thing that they mocked.
6:11 قُلْ سِيرُوا فِي الْأَرْضِ ثُمَّ انْظُرُوا كَيْفَ كَانَ عَاقِبَةُ الْمُكَذِّبِينَ
Say: "Travel through the earth and see what was the end of those who rejected Truth."
6:12 قُلْ لِمَنْ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ قُلْ لِلَّهِ كَتَبَ عَلَىٰ نَفْسِهِ الرَّحْمَةَ لَيَجْمَعَنَّكُمْ إِلَىٰ يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ لَا رَيْبَ فِيهِ الَّذِينَ خَسِرُوا أَنْفُسَهُمْ فَهُمْ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ
Say: "To whom belongeth all that is in the heavens and on earth?" Say: "To Allah. He hath inscribed for Himself (the rule of) Mercy. That He will gather you together for the Day of Judgment, there is no doubt whatever. It is they who have lost their own souls, that will not believe.
6:13 وَلَهُ مَا سَكَنَ فِي اللَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ وَهُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ
To him belongeth all that dwelleth (or lurketh) in the night and the day. For he is the one who heareth and knoweth all things."
6:14 قُلْ أَغَيْرَ اللَّهِ أَتَّخِذُ وَلِيًّا فَاطِرِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَهُوَ يُطْعِمُ وَلَا يُطْعَمُ قُلْ إِنِّي أُمِرْتُ أَنْ أَكُونَ أَوَّلَ مَنْ أَسْلَمَ وَلَا تَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ
Say: "Shall I take for my protector any other than Allah, the Maker of the heavens and the earth? And He it is that feedeth but is not fed." Say: "Nay! but I am commanded to be the first of those who bow to Allah (in Islam), and be not thou of the company of those who join gods with Allah."
6:15 قُلْ إِنِّي أَخَافُ إِنْ عَصَيْتُ رَبِّي عَذَابَ يَوْمٍ عَظِيمٍ
Say: "I would, if I disobeyed my Lord, indeed have fear of the penalty of a Mighty Day.
6:16 مَنْ يُصْرَفْ عَنْهُ يَوْمَئِذٍ فَقَدْ رَحِمَهُ وَذَٰلِكَ الْفَوْزُ الْمُبِينُ
"On that day, if the penalty is averted from any, it is due to Allah's mercy; And that would be (Salvation), the obvious fulfilment of all desire.
6:17 وَإِنْ يَمْسَسْكَ اللَّهُ بِضُرٍّ فَلَا كَاشِفَ لَهُ إِلَّا هُوَ وَإِنْ يَمْسَسْكَ بِخَيْرٍ فَهُوَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ
"If Allah touch thee with affliction, none can remove it but He; if He touch thee with happiness, He hath power over all things.
6:18 وَهُوَ الْقَاهِرُ فَوْقَ عِبَادِهِ وَهُوَ الْحَكِيمُ الْخَبِيرُ
"He is the irresistible, (watching) from above over His worshippers; and He is the Wise, acquainted with all things."
6:19 قُلْ أَيُّ شَيْءٍ أَكْبَرُ شَهَادَةً قُلِ اللَّهُ شَهِيدٌ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَكُمْ وَأُوحِيَ إِلَيَّ هَٰذَا الْقُرْآنُ لِأُنْذِرَكُمْ بِهِ وَمَنْ بَلَغَ أَئِنَّكُمْ لَتَشْهَدُونَ أَنَّ مَعَ اللَّهِ آلِهَةً أُخْرَىٰ قُلْ لَا أَشْهَدُ قُلْ إِنَّمَا هُوَ إِلَٰهٌ وَاحِدٌ وَإِنَّنِي بَرِيءٌ مِمَّا تُشْرِكُونَ
Say: "What thing is most weighty in evidence?" Say: "Allah is witness between me and you; This Qur'an hath been revealed to me by inspiration, that I may warn you and all whom it reaches. Can ye possibly bear witness that besides Allah there is another Allah?" Say: "Nay! I cannot bear witness!" Say: "But in truth He is the one Allah, and I truly am innocent of (your blasphemy of) joining others with Him."
6:20 الَّذِينَ آتَيْنَاهُمُ الْكِتَابَ يَعْرِفُونَهُ كَمَا يَعْرِفُونَ أَبْنَاءَهُمُ الَّذِينَ خَسِرُوا أَنْفُسَهُمْ فَهُمْ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ
Those to whom We have given the Book know this as they know their own sons. Those who have lost their own souls refuse therefore to believe.
6:21 وَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّنِ افْتَرَىٰ عَلَى اللَّهِ كَذِبًا أَوْ كَذَّبَ بِآيَاتِهِ إِنَّهُ لَا يُفْلِحُ الظَّالِمُونَ
Who doth more wrong than he who inventeth a lie against Allah or rejecteth His signs? But verily the wrong-doers never shall prosper.
الَّذِينَ آتَيْنَاهُمُ الْكِتَابَ يَعْرِفُونَهُ كَمَا يَعْرِفُونَ أَبْنَاءَهُمُ الَّذِينَ خَسِرُوا أَنْفُسَهُمْ فَهُمْ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ
Those to whom We have given the Book know this as they know their own sons. Those who have lost their own souls refuse therefore to believe.
6:21 وَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّنِ افْتَرَىٰ عَلَى اللَّهِ كَذِبًا أَوْ كَذَّبَ بِآيَاتِهِ إِنَّهُ لَا يُفْلِحُ الظَّالِمُونَ
Who doth more wrong than he who inventeth a lie against Allah or rejecteth His signs? But verily the wrong-doers never shall prosper.
6:22 وَيَوْمَ نَحْشُرُهُمْ جَمِيعًا ثُمَّ نَقُولُ لِلَّذِينَ أَشْرَكُوا أَيْنَ شُرَكَاؤُكُمُ الَّذِينَ كُنْتُمْ تَزْعُمُونَ
One day shall We gather them all together: We shall say to those who ascribed partners (to Us): "Where are the partners whom ye (invented and) talked about?"
6:23 ثُمَّ لَمْ تَكُنْ فِتْنَتُهُمْ إِلَّا أَنْ قَالُوا وَاللَّهِ رَبِّنَا مَا كُنَّا مُشْرِكِينَ
There will then be (left) no subterfuge for them but to say: "By Allah our Lord, we were not those who joined gods with Allah."
6:24 انْظُرْ كَيْفَ كَذَبُوا عَلَىٰ أَنْفُسِهِمْ وَضَلَّ عَنْهُمْ مَا كَانُوا يَفْتَرُونَ
Behold! how they lie against their own souls! But the (lie) which they invented will leave them in the lurch.
6:25 وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ يَسْتَمِعُ إِلَيْكَ وَجَعَلْنَا عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِهِمْ أَكِنَّةً أَنْ يَفْقَهُوهُ وَفِي آذَانِهِمْ وَقْرًا وَإِنْ يَرَوْا كُلَّ آيَةٍ لَا يُؤْمِنُوا بِهَا حَتَّىٰ إِذَا جَاءُوكَ يُجَادِلُونَكَ يَقُولُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا إِنْ هَٰذَا إِلَّا أَسَاطِيرُ الْأَوَّلِينَ
Of them there are some who (pretend to) listen to thee; but We have thrown veils on their hearts, So they understand it not, and deafness in their ears; if they saw every one of the signs, not they will believe in them; in so much that when they come to thee, they (but) dispute with thee; the Unbelievers say: "These are nothing but tales of the ancients."
6:26 وَهُمْ يَنْهَوْنَ عَنْهُ وَيَنْأَوْنَ عَنْهُ وَإِنْ يُهْلِكُونَ إِلَّا أَنْفُسَهُمْ وَمَا يَشْعُرُونَ
Others they keep away from it, and themselves they keep away; but they only destroy their own souls, and they perceive it not.
6:27 وَلَوْ تَرَىٰ إِذْ وُقِفُوا عَلَى النَّارِ فَقَالُوا يَا لَيْتَنَا نُرَدُّ وَلَا نُكَذِّبَ بِآيَاتِ رَبِّنَا وَنَكُونَ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ
If thou couldst but see when they are confronted with the Fire! They will say: "Would that we were but sent back! Then would we not reject the signs of our Lord, but would be amongst those who believe!"
6:28 بَلْ بَدَا لَهُمْ مَا كَانُوا يُخْفُونَ مِنْ قَبْلُ وَلَوْ رُدُّوا لَعَادُوا لِمَا نُهُوا عَنْهُ وَإِنَّهُمْ لَكَاذِبُونَ
Yea, in their own (eyes) will become manifest what before they concealed. But if they were returned, they would certainly relapse to the things they were forbidden, for they are indeed liars.
6:29 وَقَالُوا إِنْ هِيَ إِلَّا حَيَاتُنَا الدُّنْيَا وَمَا نَحْنُ بِمَبْعُوثِينَ
And they (sometimes) say: "There is nothing except our life on this earth, and never shall we be raised up again."
6:30 وَلَوْ تَرَىٰ إِذْ وُقِفُوا عَلَىٰ رَبِّهِمْ قَالَ أَلَيْسَ هَٰذَا بِالْحَقِّ قَالُوا بَلَىٰ وَرَبِّنَا قَالَ فَذُوقُوا الْعَذَابَ بِمَا كُنْتُمْ تَكْفُرُونَ
If thou couldst but see when they are confronted with their Lord! He will say: "Is not this the truth?" They will say: "Yea, by our Lord!" He will say: "Taste ye then the penalty, because ye rejected Faith."
6:31 قَدْ خَسِرَ الَّذِينَ كَذَّبُوا بِلِقَاءِ اللَّهِ حَتَّىٰ إِذَا جَاءَتْهُمُ السَّاعَةُ بَغْتَةً قَالُوا يَا حَسْرَتَنَا عَلَىٰ مَا فَرَّطْنَا فِيهَا وَهُمْ يَحْمِلُونَ أَوْزَارَهُمْ عَلَىٰ ظُهُورِهِمْ أَلَا سَاءَ مَا يَزِرُونَ
Lost indeed are they who treat it as a falsehood that they must meet Allah,- until on a sudden the hour is on them, and they say: "Ah! woe unto us that we took no thought of it"; for they bear their burdens on their backs, and evil indeed are the burdens that they bear?
وَلَوْ تَرَىٰ إِذْ وُقِفُوا عَلَىٰ رَبِّهِمْ قَالَ أَلَيْسَ هَٰذَا بِالْحَقِّ قَالُوا بَلَىٰ وَرَبِّنَا قَالَ فَذُوقُوا الْعَذَابَ بِمَا كُنْتُمْ تَكْفُرُونَ
If thou couldst but see when they are confronted with their Lord! He will say: "Is not this the truth?" They will say: "Yea, by our Lord!" He will say: "Taste ye then the penalty, because ye rejected Faith."
6:31 قَدْ خَسِرَ الَّذِينَ كَذَّبُوا بِلِقَاءِ اللَّهِ حَتَّىٰ إِذَا جَاءَتْهُمُ السَّاعَةُ بَغْتَةً قَالُوا يَا حَسْرَتَنَا عَلَىٰ مَا فَرَّطْنَا فِيهَا وَهُمْ يَحْمِلُونَ أَوْزَارَهُمْ عَلَىٰ ظُهُورِهِمْ أَلَا سَاءَ مَا يَزِرُونَ
Lost indeed are they who treat it as a falsehood that they must meet Allah,- until on a sudden the hour is on them, and they say: "Ah! woe unto us that we took no thought of it"; for they bear their burdens on their backs, and evil indeed are the burdens that they bear?
6:32 وَمَا الْحَيَاةُ الدُّنْيَا إِلَّا لَعِبٌ وَلَهْوٌ وَلَلدَّارُ الْآخِرَةُ خَيْرٌ لِلَّذِينَ يَتَّقُونَ أَفَلَا تَعْقِلُونَ
What is the life of this world but play and amusement? But best is the home in the hereafter, for those who are righteous. Will ye not then understand?
6:33 قَدْ نَعْلَمُ إِنَّهُ لَيَحْزُنُكَ الَّذِي يَقُولُونَ فَإِنَّهُمْ لَا يُكَذِّبُونَكَ وَلَٰكِنَّ الظَّالِمِينَ بِآيَاتِ اللَّهِ يَجْحَدُونَ
We know indeed the grief which their words do cause thee: It is not thee they reject: it is the signs of Allah, which the wicked contemn.
6:34 وَلَقَدْ كُذِّبَتْ رُسُلٌ مِنْ قَبْلِكَ فَصَبَرُوا عَلَىٰ مَا كُذِّبُوا وَأُوذُوا حَتَّىٰ أَتَاهُمْ نَصْرُنَا وَلَا مُبَدِّلَ لِكَلِمَاتِ اللَّهِ وَلَقَدْ جَاءَكَ مِنْ نَبَإِ الْمُرْسَلِينَ
Rejected were the messengers before thee: with patience and constancy they bore their rejection and their wrongs, until Our aid did reach them: there is none that can alter the words (and decrees) of Allah. Already hast thou received some account of those messengers.
6:35 وَإِنْ كَانَ كَبُرَ عَلَيْكَ إِعْرَاضُهُمْ فَإِنِ اسْتَطَعْتَ أَنْ تَبْتَغِيَ نَفَقًا فِي الْأَرْضِ أَوْ سُلَّمًا فِي السَّمَاءِ فَتَأْتِيَهُمْ بِآيَةٍ وَلَوْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ لَجَمَعَهُمْ عَلَى الْهُدَىٰ فَلَا تَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الْجَاهِلِينَ
If their spurning is hard on thy mind, yet if thou wert able to seek a tunnel in the ground or a ladder to the skies and bring them a sign,- (what good?). If it were Allah's will, He could gather them together unto true guidance: so be not thou amongst those who are swayed by ignorance (and impatience)!
6:36 إِنَّمَا يَسْتَجِيبُ الَّذِينَ يَسْمَعُونَ وَالْمَوْتَىٰ يَبْعَثُهُمُ اللَّهُ ثُمَّ إِلَيْهِ يُرْجَعُونَ
Those who listen (in truth), be sure, will accept: as to the dead, Allah will raise them up; then will they be turned unto Him.
6:37 وَقَالُوا لَوْلَا نُزِّلَ عَلَيْهِ آيَةٌ مِنْ رَبِّهِ قُلْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ قَادِرٌ عَلَىٰ أَنْ يُنَزِّلَ آيَةً وَلَٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَهُمْ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ
They say: "Why is not a sign sent down to him from his Lord?" Say: "Allah hath certainly power to send down a sign: but most of them understand not.
6:38 وَمَا مِنْ دَابَّةٍ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَلَا طَائِرٍ يَطِيرُ بِجَنَاحَيْهِ إِلَّا أُمَمٌ أَمْثَالُكُمْ مَا فَرَّطْنَا فِي الْكِتَابِ مِنْ شَيْءٍ ثُمَّ إِلَىٰ رَبِّهِمْ يُحْشَرُونَ
There is not an animal (that lives) on the earth, nor a being that flies on its wings, but (forms part of) communities like you. Nothing have we omitted from the Book, and they (all) shall be gathered to their Lord in the end.
6:39 وَالَّذِينَ كَذَّبُوا بِآيَاتِنَا صُمٌّ وَبُكْمٌ فِي الظُّلُمَاتِ مَنْ يَشَإِ اللَّهُ يُضْلِلْهُ وَمَنْ يَشَأْ يَجْعَلْهُ عَلَىٰ صِرَاطٍ مُسْتَقِيمٍ
Those who reject our signs are deaf and dumb,- in the midst of darkness profound: whom Allah willeth, He leaveth to wander: whom He willeth, He placeth on the way that is straight.
Date:Jan 15 2014, 10:51 AM
Subject:
RE: A Right Royal Do!
Show full header
Dear All
Thank you your Majesty and loyal subjects. This speedy correspondence has saved me a lot of palava etc so I shall just say my snaps are up on flickr now at www.flickr.com/photos/pitzys_pyx/.
I should like to say that we missed TWF all day (yes we did) but cold 90s humour might here say "but I couldn't" just for a snigger. I should also like to say thank you to:
Maryla for her Sandy Smith Mud Pies
Liz M for her wonderful shortcake biscuits (the choc chip ones were particularly good :))
Malcolm X for his fruit and vanilla buns, they were very very tasty.
Whoever brought the Jaffa Cakes
To you all for your laughs and banter.
Dave Lowe for his folk and Beetles songs.
For those who wondered why I had stopped by the road side on my way home see the first snap.
Cheers
JP
Now this is what makes Tuesdays such fun and keeps me nearly sane – you should see me when I’m really balmy! Very many apologies for the lack of cake – I will try hardy next time (depending on the day and the venue!).
Thanks for all the grovelling and the wonderful singing. Could you just shorten my name to She as long as I promise not to do an “Ursula Undress” and wear a chamois leather. Thanks also for the decent weather, not that it was cold where I was standing!
I can report that I was at the Rufus Centre this afternoon and there was JB, Audrey and their lovely daughter. JB allowed me to feel his new pulse and I can recommend it as a strange experience and I think he’s got a battery somewhere that gives electric twitches.
Bon voyage to the Breeds who will be sadly missed for a while. See the rest of you somewhere in the wilds of Bedfordshire and hopefully next Tuesday.
Thanks Mr. Kippling – your writing talents are beyond compare and your cakes are pretty wonderful too. Tally Ho! She
From: Steve Squire [mailto:Steve.Squire@greensandtrust.org]
Sent: 14 January 2014 21:36
To: Malcolm Willis; Tim Spencer; bazbreed@hotmail.com; 'Colin Atkins'; 'Dave Clarke'; 'David Moffatt'; 'James Miller'; 'Jane Breed'; 'John Buxton'; 'John Pitts'; 'Kelvin Horton'; 'Malcolm Willis'; 'Marie Mead'; 'Maryla Carter'; 'Peter Stafferton'; 'Roger Christopher'; 'Ros Blevins'; 'Steve Jones'; Sue Raven; 'Tim Chamen'; wendy.copper@virginmedia.com
Cc: She who must be obeyed
Subject: RE: A Right Royal Do!
Good to see you now have an official email Sue .
Well done Malcolm for making me laugh , very good thank you and to Jock with hot bum in fire.
And thank you all too for working so hard with or without Royal Cake!
Regards
Steve
From: Malcolm Willis [malcolmJwillis@btinternet.com]
Sent: 14 January 2014 21:13
To: Tim Spencer; bazbreed@hotmail.com; 'Colin Atkins'; 'Dave Clarke'; 'David Moffatt'; 'James Miller'; 'Jane Breed'; 'John Buxton'; 'John Pitts'; 'Kelvin Horton'; 'Malcolm Willis'; 'Marie Mead'; 'Maryla Carter'; 'Peter Stafferton'; 'Roger Christopher'; 'Ros Blevins'; 'Steve Jones'; Steve Squire; Sue Raven; 'Tim Chamen'; wendy.copper@virginmedia.com
Cc: She who must be obeyed
Subject: A Right Royal Do!
The stately limousine sailed into sight like a swan upon an enchanted lake. The blue eye that is heaven became bedazzled by the occasion, even the golden beams of universal eternity dipped in homage. The line of voles, once ordinary looking, became unworthy in the instant. The conveyance glided to a halt. The door opened. Hearts that only seconds ago had been pounding chests for freedom were now in suspended animation and inexplicably in mouths agog in anticipation. And then there she was. Serenely climbing down the stepladders (which had been thoughtfully placed out of view of the cameras), she emerged onto the immediately hallowed turf of SSNR [By Appointment to Her Right Royaltiness the Lady Youthfulness].
The appointed Dave stepped forward and humbled himself. An unfortunate occurrence given the magnitude of the occasion. The reserve Dave stepped into the breach. Another unfortunate occurrence! Finally the ‘if all else fails’ Dave came to the rescue.
Bowing so low it made his eyes water he addressed her Supreme Being: “Your Majestyness, if I may be so humbly bold as to..”
Her ladyship interrupted as only one of noble birth can: “Are you a Dimbleby Dave?”
‘If all else fails’ Dave: “Err no?”
Her Exquisiteness: “Then go away.” The nobility of the extended hand flutter in Dave’s direction and immediately he was dispatched as like a game bird on the 1st September.
Her Exquisite Ladyshipness: “My husband and I..” A half turn to the limo revealed a slight glitch. “Oh bother, I must have left him somewhere again. Never mind, I shall continue. Myself and I remember only too vividly the diem horribilis that was last week. But we must move on.”
So saying Her Supremeliness moved on proffering dainty dexterous digits for the gathered ensemble to pucker up their trembling lips to.
Her Regality: “Oh I say what an obnoxious hound.”
Several male voles looked even further ashamed and took several steps back towards oblivion.
Her Lady Regal Exquisiteness: “I was referring to the dog.”
The males voles teetered on the edge of the abyss that is ordinariness. One brave soul remarked: “That is Jock, a rescued dog, he was found in a large, handbag, with handles. He was probably brought up in it.”
Her Lady Ladyness:“ I must confess that I feel somewhat bewildered by what you have just told me. To be born, or at any rate bred in a handbag, whether it have handles or not, seems to me to display a contempt for the ordinary decencies of family life which reminds one of the worst excesses of the French revolution, and I presume you know what that unfortunate movement led to?
The voles shook their heads, a few too vigorously causing them to fall off!
Brave Soul: “ Err yessum your womanliness. We believe he lost his parents and so we’ve adopted him like.”
Her Lady Ladyshipness: “To lose one parent, my good man, may be regarded as a misfortune; to lose both looks like carelessness.”
Little old lady with straw sticking out from under one arm (One Arm!!!!): He’s only being truthful you’re Omnipotence. He’s very earnest so he is and that’s what makes him so highly regarded by us all. ” Having said all this the little old lady retired to lie down until lunchtime.
Lady Youthfulness: “Well I suppose that’s the importance of being earnest.”
[I bet that’s made Oscar wild!]
Little old lady with straw sticking out from under one arm (One Arm!!!!): “Who’s Oscar?”
So many congratulation to Lady Sue on yet another birthday without a cake big enough to hold all the candles.
No doubt Mr Pitts will shortly be circulating a stunning array of pics so all who weren’t there today will see what the rest of us were up to. Basically following the Squire around, picking up loads of cut reeds (or in a little old lady’s case an odd bunch here and there!); carting them off to be burnt; telling the Squire not to go in the boggy bit; pulling the Squire out of the boggy bit!; showing the Squire were to cut next; sending out explorers to find where the Squire went!; telling the Squire it’s time to stop cutting; retelling the Squire it’s time to stop cutting; telling the local warden to stop telling the Squire to keep cutting!; getting bored of feeding the fire while the mound of cut reeds keeps growing; setting fire to the mound of cut reeds and blaming it on the person furthest away (Colin); eating muffins; eating biscuits (thanks Lillybeth); eating chocolate cake off the ground (thanks Maryla!); eating Jaffa cakes; moaning that there is no pudding!; moaning that Her Ladyship didn’t bring a birthday cake! and generally having fun.
Thanks to everyone who left early and didn’t stay to watch Jock walk across the ash (several times), try to make a ‘nest’ in the hot ash! (he dashed out pretty quick) and finally lie down in the ash!!!
Malcolm.
His Ascension and Our Access
"It came to pass, while He blessed them, that He was parted from them and carried up into heaven." [Luke 24:51]
We have no experiences in our lives that correspond to the events in our Lord’s life after the transfiguration. From that moment forward His life was altogether substitutionary. Up to the time of the transfiguration, He had exhibited the normal, perfect life of a man. But from the transfiguration forward— Gethsemane, the Cross, the resurrection— everything is unfamiliar to us. His Cross is the door by which every member of the human race can enter into the life of God; by His resurrection He has the right to give eternal life to anyone, and by His ascension our Lord entered heaven, keeping the door open for humanity. The transfiguration was completed on the Mount of Ascension. If Jesus had gone to heaven directly from the Mount of Transfiguration, He would have gone alone. He would have been nothing more to us than a glorious Figure. But He turned His back on the glory, and came down from the mountain to identify Himself with fallen humanity. The ascension is the complete fulfillment of the transfiguration. Our Lord returned to His original glory, but not simply as the Son of God— He returned to His father as the Son of Man as well. There is now freedom of access for anyone straight to the very throne of God because of the ascension of the Son of Man. As the Son of Man, Jesus Christ deliberately limited His omnipotence, omnipresence, and omniscience. But now they are His in absolute, full power. As the Son of Man, Jesus Christ now has all the power at the throne of God. From His ascension forward He is the King of kings and Lord of lords. Haallelujah, amen ... God bless
_____
Date:Jan 15 2014, 10:51 AM
Subject:
RE: A Right Royal Do!
Show full header
Dear All
Thank you your Majesty and loyal subjects. This speedy correspondence has saved me a lot of palava etc so I shall just say my snaps are up on flickr now at www.flickr.com/photos/pitzys_pyx/.
I should like to say that we missed TWF all day (yes we did) but cold 90s humour might here say "but I couldn't" just for a snigger. I should also like to say thank you to:
Maryla for her Sandy Smith Mud Pies
Liz M for her wonderful shortcake biscuits (the choc chip ones were particularly good :))
Malcolm X for his fruit and vanilla buns, they were very very tasty.
Whoever brought the Jaffa Cakes
To you all for your laughs and banter.
Dave Lowe for his folk and Beetles songs.
For those who wondered why I had stopped by the road side on my way home see the first snap.
Cheers
JP
Now this is what makes Tuesdays such fun and keeps me nearly sane – you should see me when I’m really balmy! Very many apologies for the lack of cake – I will try hardy next time (depending on the day and the venue!).
Thanks for all the grovelling and the wonderful singing. Could you just shorten my name to She as long as I promise not to do an “Ursula Undress” and wear a chamois leather. Thanks also for the decent weather, not that it was cold where I was standing!
I can report that I was at the Rufus Centre this afternoon and there was JB, Audrey and their lovely daughter. JB allowed me to feel his new pulse and I can recommend it as a strange experience and I think he’s got a battery somewhere that gives electric twitches.
Bon voyage to the Breeds who will be sadly missed for a while. See the rest of you somewhere in the wilds of Bedfordshire and hopefully next Tuesday.
Thanks Mr. Kippling – your writing talents are beyond compare and your cakes are pretty wonderful too. Tally Ho! She
From: Steve Squire [mailto:Steve.Squire@greensandtrust.org]
Sent: 14 January 2014 21:36
To: Malcolm Willis; Tim Spencer; bazbreed@hotmail.com; 'Colin Atkins'; 'Dave Clarke'; 'David Moffatt'; 'James Miller'; 'Jane Breed'; 'John Buxton'; 'John Pitts'; 'Kelvin Horton'; 'Malcolm Willis'; 'Marie Mead'; 'Maryla Carter'; 'Peter Stafferton'; 'Roger Christopher'; 'Ros Blevins'; 'Steve Jones'; Sue Raven; 'Tim Chamen'; wendy.copper@virginmedia.com
Cc: She who must be obeyed
Subject: RE: A Right Royal Do!
Good to see you now have an official email Sue .
Well done Malcolm for making me laugh , very good thank you and to Jock with hot bum in fire.
And thank you all too for working so hard with or without Royal Cake!
Regards
Steve
From: Malcolm Willis [malcolmJwillis@btinternet.com]
Sent: 14 January 2014 21:13
To: Tim Spencer; bazbreed@hotmail.com; 'Colin Atkins'; 'Dave Clarke'; 'David Moffatt'; 'James Miller'; 'Jane Breed'; 'John Buxton'; 'John Pitts'; 'Kelvin Horton'; 'Malcolm Willis'; 'Marie Mead'; 'Maryla Carter'; 'Peter Stafferton'; 'Roger Christopher'; 'Ros Blevins'; 'Steve Jones'; Steve Squire; Sue Raven; 'Tim Chamen'; wendy.copper@virginmedia.com
Cc: She who must be obeyed
Subject: A Right Royal Do!
The stately limousine sailed into sight like a swan upon an enchanted lake. The blue eye that is heaven became bedazzled by the occasion, even the golden beams of universal eternity dipped in homage. The line of voles, once ordinary looking, became unworthy in the instant. The conveyance glided to a halt. The door opened. Hearts that only seconds ago had been pounding chests for freedom were now in suspended animation and inexplicably in mouths agog in anticipation. And then there she was. Serenely climbing down the stepladders (which had been thoughtfully placed out of view of the cameras), she emerged onto the immediately hallowed turf of SSNR [By Appointment to Her Right Royaltiness the Lady Youthfulness].
The appointed Dave stepped forward and humbled himself. An unfortunate occurrence given the magnitude of the occasion. The reserve Dave stepped into the breach. Another unfortunate occurrence! Finally the ‘if all else fails’ Dave came to the rescue.
Bowing so low it made his eyes water he addressed her Supreme Being: “Your Majestyness, if I may be so humbly bold as to..”
Her ladyship interrupted as only one of noble birth can: “Are you a Dimbleby Dave?”
‘If all else fails’ Dave: “Err no?”
Her Exquisiteness: “Then go away.” The nobility of the extended hand flutter in Dave’s direction and immediately he was dispatched as like a game bird on the 1st September.
Her Exquisite Ladyshipness: “My husband and I..” A half turn to the limo revealed a slight glitch. “Oh bother, I must have left him somewhere again. Never mind, I shall continue. Myself and I remember only too vividly the diem horribilis that was last week. But we must move on.”
So saying Her Supremeliness moved on proffering dainty dexterous digits for the gathered ensemble to pucker up their trembling lips to.
Her Regality: “Oh I say what an obnoxious hound.”
Several male voles looked even further ashamed and took several steps back towards oblivion.
Her Lady Regal Exquisiteness: “I was referring to the dog.”
The males voles teetered on the edge of the abyss that is ordinariness. One brave soul remarked: “That is Jock, a rescued dog, he was found in a large, handbag, with handles. He was probably brought up in it.”
Her Lady Ladyness:“ I must confess that I feel somewhat bewildered by what you have just told me. To be born, or at any rate bred in a handbag, whether it have handles or not, seems to me to display a contempt for the ordinary decencies of family life which reminds one of the worst excesses of the French revolution, and I presume you know what that unfortunate movement led to?
The voles shook their heads, a few too vigorously causing them to fall off!
Brave Soul: “ Err yessum your womanliness. We believe he lost his parents and so we’ve adopted him like.”
Her Lady Ladyshipness: “To lose one parent, my good man, may be regarded as a misfortune; to lose both looks like carelessness.”
Little old lady with straw sticking out from under one arm (One Arm!!!!): He’s only being truthful you’re Omnipotence. He’s very earnest so he is and that’s what makes him so highly regarded by us all. ” Having said all this the little old lady retired to lie down until lunchtime.
Lady Youthfulness: “Well I suppose that’s the importance of being earnest.”
[I bet that’s made Oscar wild!]
Little old lady with straw sticking out from under one arm (One Arm!!!!): “Who’s Oscar?”
So many congratulation to Lady Sue on yet another birthday without a cake big enough to hold all the candles.
No doubt Mr Pitts will shortly be circulating a stunning array of pics so all who weren’t there today will see what the rest of us were up to. Basically following the Squire around, picking up loads of cut reeds (or in a little old lady’s case an odd bunch here and there!); carting them off to be burnt; telling the Squire not to go in the boggy bit; pulling the Squire out of the boggy bit!; showing the Squire were to cut next; sending out explorers to find where the Squire went!; telling the Squire it’s time to stop cutting; retelling the Squire it’s time to stop cutting; telling the local warden to stop telling the Squire to keep cutting!; getting bored of feeding the fire while the mound of cut reeds keeps growing; setting fire to the mound of cut reeds and blaming it on the person furthest away (Colin); eating muffins; eating biscuits (thanks Lillybeth); eating chocolate cake off the ground (thanks Maryla!); eating Jaffa cakes; moaning that there is no pudding!; moaning that Her Ladyship didn’t bring a birthday cake! and generally having fun.
Thanks to everyone who left early and didn’t stay to watch Jock walk across the ash (several times), try to make a ‘nest’ in the hot ash! (he dashed out pretty quick) and finally lie down in the ash!!!
Malcolm.
Almighty God, You Are So Glorious
The last Christ, Almighty God, You are the Redeemer come again.
You speak to the people, using the truth to judge and purify them.
Your words bear authority and power, purifying people’s corrupt disposition.
Your words reveal omnipotence, and even more God’s righteousness.
God’s word judges the old world, judges nations, judges peoples.
God’s words achieve all; God has already thoroughly defeated Satan.
Praise God, praise God. Oh Almighty God, You are so glorious!
Your miraculous deeds! All nations and all peoples jump for joy.
God’s work is wise and almighty, using the great red dragon to serve.
Satan rushes frantic to persecute; tribulations make a group of overcomers.
All the people are completed by God, utterly forsaking the great red dragon.
The kingdom of Satan has been thoroughly destroyed; the kingdom of God has appeared on earth!
We prostrate ourselves in worship, praising God’s assumption of power on earth.
Truth and righteousness is revealed to the world; all nations and all peoples raise their voices in praise.
Praise God, praise God. Oh Almighty God, You are so glorious!
Your miraculous wisdom! All nations and all peoples jump for joy.
God’s great work is completed, God is returning to Zion.
Humanity has received great salvation from God, escaped the dark influences of Satan.
Each line of God’s words bears fruit. The outcomes for different people have been revealed.
Those with the truth are blessed by God, those who hate God shall meet with punishment.
Great disasters will destroy the world; God’s people will be left.
All nations and all peoples will come before God’s throne, and all the people will praise God with all their hearts.
Praise God, praise God. Oh Almighty God, You are so glorious!
All things in heaven and earth jump for joy, praising the glory of Almighty God!
from Follow the Lamb and Sing New Songs
Detail from MARTYRS OF THE CITIES OF THE PLAIN, the Masculine Gestalt.
Below is a transcription of the words in the above image:
Our homeland is Diaspora. Scattered in the seed of strangers, we enter the cribs of our enemies to live uninvited lives. Our history is older than history rooted in the first stirrings of desire. We are the martyrs of the Cities of the Plain torched and murdered by our fathers' Father, we cling now to ropes of shadow wary of the son. We are the unexpected: the babe in the bulrushes, the wind in the willows, the cowbird’s egg. We are that which defines recognition…the question that serves no answer. Embraced or exiled, our name is anarchy. We are the sons and daughters of slaves. Born into servitude, we fit no uniform. Patterns of behavior cannot suit us. We hang naked on hooks of shame, shrouded in the smoke of premonition. How came we to die? What circumstances force this unrelenting purgatory? Ask Lot. Ask Abraham. Ask god himself. If he answers your prayers, does he not proclaim his victories? Holocaust! Our cities were assaulted by fire. Men, women and children raped and sodomized by fire. The unborn boiled in the womb. Infants roasted in their cribs. What monster claims this victory…this genocide? Holocaust! Our feet were pierced with flame. Great spouts and gouts of it ashed the plain with bone and hair. The tongues went in unto every entry of our flesh. We were crucified by pain. Holocaust! What hypocrite claims this victory? Abraham who fucked his sister? Lot who fucked his daughters? God gazed full upon the cities of the plain; for these he winked and nodded…. Our fathers were born from the ashes of the plain. Man created in God’s image created by men created from the guilty seeds of incest rooted in the ashes of the plain. We who are the martyrs of the plain proclaim your birth! What guilt shapes this deflection….Disciples of incest and adultery, from what lofty height do you view the plain? How come you to judge? We are all the sons and daughters of whores. Your god is your greatest sin. You have created him in your image to punish and forgive the sins that men have created. Is this not madness? A super-father who chides and protects you while diminishing his enemies even unto eternal damnation. Is this not childishness? And if you have created him in your image to create you in his is he not also a child? You have created a world for boys…a place of perpetual naivety unsuitable for innocence. A world of fear based on enforcement of privilege by a brotherhood in the name of the Father. Three brothers claiming the birthright of the Father; two born out of incest and one from adultery. Three little bully-boys who control their reality through force and threat…a triad of divine hypocrisy. Murdered by our fathers in the name of the Father, we, the martyrs of the plain, accuse you. From what seed stems your root? Your declination bears the taint of incest…might you be mad? Might you be blind? Paranoid? What defects define your heritage? Centuries of inbreeding from brother and sister to father and son and son to father…might you be mad? Might you be deaf…unable to hear the cries of the earth…blind to the suffering you inflict in the name of the father, in the name of your father’s father…in your name? Might you be deaf and blind to the songs and colors of the earth? Father in unto son in unto father in unto son…has this incest brought us all in unto Death…and Death in unto all…even unto the songs and colors of the earth? We who have endured the holocaust and exist within the purgatory of your fear no longer fear you…or your father…or your father’s father. Having breathed the sulphur of your victory century after century has turned your lungs to stone…our hearts to stone. We no longer fear you…no longer hear you. Your voice. That which has shouted your omnipotence century after century laden with threats and superstition falls like lead among the ashes…no longer hear you. You who have silenced the voices of the earth in the name of the father. In your name. Your voice lies like lead among the ashes. What an infernal history have you created! Magician!…what a fragile illusion have you enforced. Judaism, Christianity, Islam. Three brothers controlling the earth in the name of the father…in your name. You have brought us to your end. Now even you can see your face. The face of god. The erasure of all faces. The silencing of all voices in the ashes of the earth. Dare you take the final step? Are you not tempted by what your father has promised his faithful sons? Abraham’s bosom. Heaven. Paradise? Dare you take the final step? You who have rejoiced in the destruction of the plain and the persecution of its martyrs, why do you hesitate before the rapture? Would you ignore your father’s voice? Cowards! He calls you to his bosom. Does the fear of pain delay you? Hypocrites! The flames that defeat and stigmatize your enemies will raise you to paradise. Why do you hesitate? He who has given you power over the earth has promised you eternal life. Why do you hesitate? Is there not punishment for doubt? Do you not fear his wrath? Why do you not embrace his promise? He has promised you whores and houris, riches and wonders. All that you have killed for here he will give you there. Why do you hesitate? Is there not punishment for doubt? Do you lust after your daughters? You will be given daughters and like Lot you will bear no shame. Do you lust after your sister? Your sister will be given to you and like Abraham you will bear no shame. Are you not your father’s sons? In the name of the father, are not his rights your rights? As you have invented him so has he invented you. Your needs are known and will be fulfilled. Why do you hesitate? Perhaps; you know yourselves too well. Perhaps you know that Lot seduced his daughters and that god perjured his testimony. Perhaps you recognize in his word the false actions and atonement that you have writ there and continue writing in complicity. Perhaps you know yourselves too well. Perhaps you know that the shallowness of his reward reflects the shallowness of your desire. Having done commerce among yourselves, does not a reward commensurate cause suspicion? Perhaps promising you there what he admonishes here causes some doubt? Perhaps the father you have created to create you in his image would deceive you as you deceive others in his name. Perhaps he is false as you are false…as you are false in his name. Perhaps you know yourselves too well…know too well the yoke of promises and threats, the control of everlasting pain. The father in the image of the father…controlling yoke of everlasting pain. Perhaps it is the image that delays you. His image/your image. Perhaps; you would not give up his power. His power/your power. Perhaps you know that to exercise his power is to lose your power. His image/your image. Perhaps you know….Does nothing shame you? Does being a man not shame you? Does redundancy not shame you? Does cowardice not shame you? And hypocrisy? Does murder in the name of the father not shame you? We, the martyrs of the plain, shame you, for by killing us you kill your children, your fathers, Ishmael and Isaac. We are the unexpected. The babe in the whore’s womb! The twilight birth. The cuckoo’s egg. We are the unexpected. The sudden light that reveals the contour of your hypocrisy. The holocaust awaits you. You have been given the means. Your father expects you. Would you be prodigal? Come! Do unto yourselves as you have done unto others. As you have ruled the earth so will you serve in Paradise. Your world flounders. Your seed fails you. Your father’s father whom you have created to exalt your premise exhales you. Wrapped in dogma you ignore the inevitabilities of creation. That which is created creates. As beginnings create endings endings illuminate beginnings. That which lies between is compressed into layered repetition. If you do not destroy this world in the name of the father with the gift of the father then you destroy the father who is yourself. Come, we the martyrs of the plain await your suicide…await your patricide…await your end…Await the end of the father who is Isaac who is Abraham who is Ishmael, who is god our murderer. We, the martyrs of the plain await your end. You who claim the birthright of the father, we await your end. You who murder in the name of the father, we await your end. You who have murdered us in the name of the father, we, the martyrs of the plain, await your end....
"MARTYRS OF THE CITIES OF THE PLAIN examines the First Holocaust. Based on the blue triangle that descends the back panel of PROCRUSTES IN SITU, the third section of the Trilogy concerns itself with the destruction of the cities Admah, Gomorrah, Sodom, and Zeboiim which the Old Testament attributes to the wrath of God. It examines the procrustean constrictions of patriarchy and the liberating challenge of feminine entelechy through the songs of Procrustes and the opposing chants of Chance, Being, and Desire. Masculine gestalt versus feminine insurrection." Robert Cremean
Collection:
Fresno Art Museum
Fresno, California
Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska
The Humble Instrument
Sister Faustina was a young, uneducated, nun in a convent of the Congregation of Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy in Cracow, Poland during the 1930's. She came from a very poor family that struggled on their little farm during the years of World War I. She had only three years of very simple education, so hers were the humblest tasks in the convent, usually in the kitchen or garden. However, she received extraordinary revelations or messages from Our Lord Jesus. Jesus asked Sr. Faustina to record these experiences, which she compiled in notebooks. These notebooks are known today as the Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska and the words contained within are God's loving message of Divine Mercy.
Though the Divine Mercy message is not new to the teachings of the Church, Sr. Faustina's Diary sparked a great movement, and a strong and significant focus on the mercy of Christ. Pope John Paul II canonized Sr. Faustina in 2000 making her the "first saint of the new millennium." Speaking of Sr. Faustina and the importance of the message contained in her Diary, the Pope call her "the great apostle of Divine Mercy in our time."
Today, we continue to rely of Saint Faustina as a constant reminder of the message to trust in Jesus' endless mercy, and to live life mercifully toward others. We also turn to her in prayer and request her intercession to our merciful Savior on our behalf. At the National Shrine of The Divine Mercy, we include the following in our 3 o'clock prayers:
Saint Faustina,
You told us that your mission would continue after your death and that you would not forget us. Our Lord also granted you a great privilege, telling you to "distribute graces as you will, to who you will, and when you will." Relying on this, we ask your intercession for the graces we need, especially for the intentions just mentioned. Help us, above all, to trust in Jesus as you did and thus to glorify His mercy every moment of our lives. Amen
thedivinemercy.org/message/stfaustina/
The Biography of Saint Mary Faustina Kowalska of the Most Blessed Sacrament
(August 25, 1905 – October 5, 1938)
An excerpt from Apostle of Divine Mercy, a biography published by the Vatican.
Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska, an apostle of Divine Mercy, belongs today to the group of the most popular and well-known saints of the Church.
Through her the Lord Jesus communicates to the world the great message of God's mercy and reveals the pattern of Christian perfection based on trust in God and on the attitude of mercy toward one's neighbors.
Sr. Faustina was born on August 25, 1905 in Glogowiec in Poland of a poor and religious family of peasants, the third of ten children. She was baptized with the name Helena in the parish church of Swinice Warckie. From a very tender age she stood out because of her love of prayer, work, obedience, and also her sensitivity to the poor. At the age of seven she had already felt the first stirrings of a religious vocation. Helen made her first Holy Communion at the age of nine, which was very profound moment in her awareness of the presence of the Divine Guest within her soul. She attended school for three years. After finishing school, she wanted to enter the convent but her parents would not give her permission. Being of age at sixteen, Helen left home and went to work as a housekeeper in Aleksandrów, Lodi, and Ostrówek in order to find the means of supporting herself and of helping her parents.
Helen joins Sister of Our Lady of Mercy
Helen never lost her desire for a religious vocation. After being called during a vision of the Suffering Christ, she entered the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy on August 1, 1925, and took the name Sr. Maria Faustina of the Most Blessed Sacrament. She lived in the Congregation for thirteen years in several religious houses. She spent time at Krakow, Plock and Vilnius, where she worked as a cook, gardener, and porter.
Externally nothing revealed her rich mystical interior life. She zealously performed her tasks and faithfully observed the rule of religious life. She was recollected and at the same time very natural, serene, and full of kindness and disinterested love for her neighbor. Although her life was apparently insignificant, monotonous and dull, she hid within herself an extraordinary union with God.
It is the mystery of the Mercy of God which she contemplated in the word of God as well as in the everyday activities of her life that forms the basis of her spirituality. The process of contemplating and getting to know the mystery of God's mercy helped develop within Sr. Maria Faustina the attitude of child-like trust in God as well as mercy toward her neighbors.
Sister Faustina was a faithful daughter of the Church which she loved like a Mother and the Mystical Body of Jesus Christ. Conscious of her role in the Church, she cooperated with God's mercy in the task of saving lost souls. At the specific request of and following the example of the Lord Jesus, she made a sacrifice of her own life for this very goal. In her spiritual life she also distinguished herself with a love of the Eucharist and a deep devotion to the Mother of Mercy.
The Secretary of God's Mercy
The Lord Jesus chose Sr. Maria Faustina as the Apostle and "Secretary" of His Mercy, so that she could tell the world about His great message, which Sr. Faustina recorded in a diary she titled Divine Mercy in My Soul. In the Old Covenant He said to her:
"I sent prophets wielding thunderbolts to My people. Today I am sending you with My mercy to the people of the whole world. I do not want to punish aching mankind, but I desire to heal it, pressing it to My Merciful Heart." (Diary 1588)
In an extraordinary way, Sr. Maria Faustina's work sheds light on the mystery of the Divine Mercy. It delights not only the simple and uneducated people, but also scholars who look upon it as an additional source of theological research. The Diary has been translated into many languages, among others, English, German, Italian, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Arabic, Russian, Hungarian, Czech, and Slovak.
Sr. Maria Faustina, consumed by tuberculosis and by innumerable sufferings which she accepted as a voluntary sacrifice for sinners, died in Krakow at the age of just 33 on October 5, 1938, with a reputation for spiritual maturity and a mystical union with God. The reputation of the holiness of her life grew as did the cult to the Divine Mercy and the graces she obtained from God through her intercession. In the years 1965-67, the Investigative Process into her life and heroic virtues was undertaken in Krakow and in the year 1968, the Beatification Process was initiated in Rome. The latter came to an end in December 1992.
On April 18, 1993 our Holy Father, John Paul II raised St. Faustina to the glory of the altars. She was canonized on April 30, 2000. St. Maria Faustina's remains rest at the Sanctuary of the Divine Mercy in Krakow-Lagiewniki.
Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska
Revelations
The years Sr. Faustina spent at the convent were filled with extraordinary gifts, such as revelations, visions, hidden stigmata, participation in the Passion of the Lord, the gift of bilocation, the reading of human souls, the gift of prophecy, and the rare gift of mystical engagement and marriage.
The living relationship with God, the Blessed Mother, the angels, the saints, the souls in Purgatory — with the entire supernatural world — was as equally real for her as was the world she perceived with her senses. In spite of being so richly endowed with extraordinary graces, Sr. Maria Faustina knew that they do not in fact constitute sanctity. In her Diary she wrote:
"Neither graces, nor revelations, nor raptures, nor gifts granted to a soul make it perfect, but rather the intimate union of the soul with God. These gifts are merely ornaments of the soul, but constitute neither its essence nor its perfection. My sanctity and perfection consist in the close union of my will with the will of God."
(Diary 1107)
The Mission of St. Faustina
The mission of St. Faustina was recorded in her Diary which she kept at the specific request of the Lord Jesus and her confessors. In it, she recorded faithfully all of the Lord Jesus' wishes and also described the encounters between her soul and Him.
"Secretary of My most profound mystery," the Lord Jesus said to Sr. Faustina, "know that your task is to write down everything that I make known to you about My mercy, for the benefit of those who by reading these things will be comforted in their souls and will have the courage to approach Me." (Diary 1693)
Task One
Reminding the world of the truth of our faith revealed in the Holy Scripture about the merciful love of God toward every human being.
Task Two
Entreating God's mercy for the whole world and particularly for sinners, among others through the practice of new forms of devotion to the Divine Mercy presented by the Lord Jesus, such as: the veneration of the image of the Divine Mercy with the inscription: "Jesus, I Trust in You," the feast of the Divine Mercy celebrated on the first Sunday after Easter, chaplet to the Divine Mercy and prayer at the Hour of Mercy (3 pm). The Lord Jesus attached great promises to the above forms of devotion, provided one entrusted one's life to God and practiced active love of one's neighbor.
Task Three
The third task in Sr. Mary Faustina's mission consists in initiating the apostolic movement of the Divine Mercy which undertakes the task of proclaiming and entreating God's mercy for the world and strives for Christian perfection, following the precepts laid down by the Blessed Sr. Mary Faustina. The precepts in question require the faithful to display an attitude of child-like trust in God which expresses itself in fulfilling His will, as well as in the attitude of mercy toward one's neighbors. Today, this movement within the Church involves millions of people throughout the world; it comprises religious congregations, lay institutes, religious, brotherhoods, associations, various communities of apostles of the Divine Mercy, as well as individual people who take up the tasks which the Lord Jesus communicated to them through Sr. Mary Faustina.
Graces and Miracles Received
Miracles attributed to the intercession of Sr. Maria Faustina lead to her canonization on April 30, 2000. Today, people from around the world rely on St. Faustina to interceed on their behalf to Our Lord.
Miracle received by Maureen Digan
Innerly she heard Sister Faustina say: "If you ask for my help, I will give it to you."
Before the age of 15, Maureen Digan enjoyed a normal healthy life. Then she was struck down with a very serious, slowly progressive but terminal disease called lymphedima. This is a disease that does not respond to medication and does not go into remission. Within the next ten years Maureen had fifty operations and had lengthy confinements in the hospital of up to a year at a time.
Friends and relations suggested she should pray and put her trust in God. But Maureen could not understand why God had allowed her to get this disease in the first place, and had lost her faith completely. Eventually her deteriorating condition would require the amputation of one leg.
One evening while Maureen was in the hospital her husband Bob watched a film on Divine Mercy and there he became convinced of the healing powers of intercession by Sr. Faustina. Bob persuaded Maureen and the doctors that she should go to the tomb of Sr. Faustina in Poland. Together with her husband, son, and Fr. Seraphim Michalenko, MIC (a priest of the Congregation of Marians of the Immaculate Conception), they traveled to St. Faustina's tomb at the Shrine of The Divine Mercy outside Krakow, Poland. They arrived in Poland on March 23, 1981 and Maureen went to confession for the first time since she was a young girl.
At the tomb Maureen remembers saying "Okay, Faustina I came a long way, now do something." Innerly she heard Sr. Faustina say: "If you ask for my help, I will give it to you." Suddenly she thought she was losing her mind. All the pain seemed to drain out of her body and her swollen leg, which was due to be amputated shortly, went back to its normal size. When she returned to the USA she was examined by five independent doctors who came to the conclusion that she was completely healed. They had no medical explanation for the sudden healing of this incurable disease.
The accumulated evidence of this miracle was examined in consultation by five doctors appointed by the Sacred Congregation for the Causes of Saints. Having passed this test it was examined by a team of theologians, and finally by a team of cardinals and bishops. The cure was accepted by all as a miracle caused by Sr. Faustina's intercession to the Divine Mercy. Sr. Faustina was beatified on April 18, 1993.
Miracle received by Fr. Ron Pytel
"I know in my heart that Faustina put in a word with Jesus, and His Heart touched mine. It's as simple as that."
On Oct. 5, 1995, the Feast Day of St. Faustina (who was then a blessed), Fr. Ron Pytel and some friends gathered for prayer at Holy Rosary Church, which is also the Baltimore archdiocesan Shrine of The Divine Mercy. After a time of prayer for the healing of his heart through Sr. Faustina's intercession, Fr. Ron venerated a relic of St. Faustina and collapsed. He felt paralyzed, but was completely at peace. A subsequent visit to his cardiologist showed that his heart had been healed.
Although he was healed through St. Faustina's intercession, Fr. Ron is quick to point out that Jesus healed him. "I know in my heart that Faustina put in a word with Jesus, and His Heart touched mine. It's as simple as that," he explained.
After almost three years of examining Fr. Ron and his medical records, doctors and theologians from the Congregation for the Cause of Saints concluded an exhaustive investigation of the healing. And on Dec. 20, 1999, Pope John Paul II ordered publication of the fact of the healing as a miracle through Sr. Faustina's intercession, leading to her canonization on Mercy Sunday, April 30, in St. Peter's Square.
Grace of Healing received by Ugo Festa
"Entrust yourself to Him and pray to my Sr. Faustina to intercede."
Ugo Festa was born in Vicenza, Italy, in 1951. He was struck down at an early age with multiple sclerosis. Gradually his health deteriorated. This led to many other problems in his young life. By the age of 39 he was suffering from muscular dystrophy and epilepsy. Early in 1990 his spine was becoming distorted and he was having seizures daily. He had been continually attending doctors since he first contracted the disease, but they could not do nothing for him. He decided there was nothing left to try but prayer.
On April 28, 1990, Ugo went with a pilgrimage to Rome. In his unfortunate situation he was introduced to Mother Teresa who was in Rome at the time with a group whom he also became acquainted with. Ugo was invited along with this group to a retreat at the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Trent, but he refused. On leaving, one of the group, a nun, gave him five copies of the Divine Mercy Image and a Divine Mercy medal.
The following day, April 29, 1990, Ugo wore the medal and carried in his arms the images to be blessed by the Holy Father. At the bottom of the steps to St. Peter's the Holy Father passed by. Ugo asked him to bless his Divine Mercy images. After blessing the images the Pope asked him how he was. Ugo told him he felt very despondent and was at a crisis in his life. The Holy Father said, "How could you have a crisis with Jesus the Divine Mercy in your arms? Entrust yourself to Him and pray to my Sr. Faustina to intercede."
With this advice Ugo changed his mind and decided that he would go to the Divine Mercy shrine in Trent. At the side altar in the Villa O'Santissima Villazzano, Trent, there is a Shrine to the Divine Mercy with a life size icon of the Divine Image. On the fourth day of praying in front of this icon Ugo suddenly noticed the arms of the image stretched out to him and a tremendous warmth flowed through his body.
He found himself standing on his feet with his arms outstretched to the Lord and he heard himself loudly praising Jesus the Divine Mercy. He saw Jesus coming down to him, His white garment blowing as if in a breeze. He thought: 'My God, this is the Man from Galilee coming towards me.' He heard Jesus say in a clear voice, "Rise up and walk." Ugo began to walk. All his ailments were at that instant cured and he was more physically perfect than he had ever been in his life.
On August 19, 1990, Ugo returned to the Vatican and during a Papal Audience at Paul VI Hall, was taken to meet John Paul II. He told him about the great grace he had received and thanked him for the words of inspiration which led him to Trent, and resulted in this great miracle on that day.
Today Ugo Festa devotes his life to Jesus, voluntarily working in a hospital and spreading the Message of Divine Mercy throughout Italy.
History of the Message and Devotion to Divine Mercy
The Message of the Divine Mercy that Sr. Faustina received from the Lord was not only directed toward her personal growth in faith but also toward the good of the people. With the command of our Lord to paint an image according to the pattern that Sr. Faustina had seen, came also a request to have this image venerated, first in the Sisters' chapel, and then throughout the world. The same is true with the revelations of the Chaplet. The Lord requested that this Chaplet be said not only by Sr. Faustina, but by others: "Encourage souls to say the Chaplet that I have given you."
The same is true of the revelation of the Feast of Mercy. "The Feast of Mercy emerged from my very depths of tenderness. It is my desire that it solemnly be celebrated on the first Sunday after Easter. Mankind will not have peace until it turns to the fount of My Mercy."
These requests of the Lord given to Sr. Faustina between 1931 and 1938 can be considered the beginning of the Divine Mercy Message and Devotion in the new forms.
Through the efforts of Sr. Faustina’s spiritual directors, Fr. Michael Sopocko, and Fr. Joseph Andrasz, SJ, and others—including the Marians of the Immaculate Conception—this message began to spread throughout the world.
However, it is important to remember that this message of The Divine Mercy, revealed to St. Faustina and to our present generation is not new. It is a powerful reminder of who God is and has been from the very beginning. This truth that God is in His very nature Love and Mercy Itself, is given to us by our Judeo-Christian faith and God’s self-revelation. The veil that has hidden the mystery of God from eternity was lifted by God Himself. In His goodness and love God chose to reveal Himself to us, His creatures, and to make known His eternal plan of salvation. This He had done partly through the Old Testament Patriarchs, Moses and the Prophets, and fully through His only Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. In the person of Jesus Christ, conceived through power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary, the unseen God was made visible.
Jesus reveals God as Merciful Father
The Old Testament speaks frequently and with great tenderness about God’s mercy. Yet, it was Jesus, who through His words and actions, revealed to us in an extraordinary way, God as a loving Father, rich in mercy and abounding in great kindness and love. In Jesus’ merciful love and care for the poor, the oppressed, the sick and the sinful, and especially in His freely choosing to take upon Himself the punishment for our sins (a truly horrible suffering and death on the Cross), so that all may be freed from destructive consequences and death, He manifested in a superabundant and radical way the greatness of God’s love and mercy for humanity. In His person as God-Man, one in being with the Father, Jesus both reveals and is God’s Love and Mercy Itself.
The message of God’s Love and Mercy is especially made known by the Gospels.
The good news revealed through Jesus Christ is that God’s love for each person knows no bounds, and no sin or infidelity, no matter how horrible, will separate us from God and His love when we turn to Him in confidence, and seek his mercy. God’s will is our salvation. He has done all on our behalf, but since He made us free, He invites us to choose Him and partake of His divine life. We become partakers of His divine life when we believe in His revealed truth and trust Him, when we love Him and remain true to His word, when we honor Him and seek His Kingdom, when we receive Him in Communion and turn away from sin; when we are mutually carrying and forgiving.
August 25, 1905 Helena Kowalska was born in Glogowiec, Poland; the third of ten children living off a small farm and her father's carpentry work.
August 27, 1905 Helana is baptized at St. Casimirís church in Swinice Warckie.
1912 At the age of seven, Helana hears a voice calling her to religious life.
1914 Helena receives first Holy Communion.
1917 Helena begins her primary education, which lasts only two and a half years.
1920 At age 15, Helena begins domestic work to support her large family.
1922 Helena returns home, announces a desire to enter convent; her parents oppose; she works two years to help support her family.
July 1924 Helena sees a vision of the scourged Christ who calls her to religious life.
Helena goes to Warsaw to search for a convent, and she works to support herself.
August 1925 Helena is accepted by the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy; one month later she wants to leave for a stricter order.
April 30, 1926 Helena receives habit and her religious name Maria Faustina.
April 3, 1927 Sr. Faustina experiences spiritual dark night during novitiate.
April 16, 1928 On Good Friday, she is engulfed by the flame of Divine Love.
April 30, 1928 Sr. Faustina makes her first profession of temporary vows.
December 1928 Newly elected Mother General Michaela Moraczewska is source of help and comfort to Sr. Faustina during her religious life.
October 1928-30 Easily adaptable, Sr. Faustina is sent to work at various houses.
February 22, 1931 Sr. Faustina sees a vision of Jesus who tells her to paint His image.
May 1, 1933 Sr. Faustina takes her perpetual vows.
May 25, 1933 Sr. Faustina goes to Vilnius where she receives many mystical experiences and is assisted by Fr. Michael Sopocko, a wise spiritual director.
January 2, 1934 Sr. Faustina visits the artist Kazimirowski, who is to paint the image.
March 29, 1934 Sr. Faustina offers herself for sinners, especially those who lack trust.
June 1934 The painting of Divine Mercy is completed, but Sr. Faustina does not like it.
July 1934 Beginning of Sr. Faustina's illness; she begins writing the Diary under obedience.
April 28, 1935 (Feast of Mercy) Divine Mercy image is publicly venerated in Vilnius for the conclusion of the Jubilee Year of Redemption: January 8, 1936. Sr. Faustina informs the Bishop that Jesus requests the founding of an order.
May 11, 1936 Sr. Faustina goes to Krakow; guided by Fr. Andrasz SJ; her health deteriorates.
September 1937 Holy cards with the Divine Mercy image printed for first time.
September 1938 Sr. Faustina prepares herself for death, and she asks pardon of the Congregation.
October 5, 1938 Sr. Faustina makes final confession, and dies late in the evening.
October 7, 1938 Funeral of Sr. Faustina, burial at the convent cemetery.
1940-1941 Divine Mercy message spreads first among the victims of WWII.
April 1941 Fr. Joseph Jarzebowski, MIC, brings the Divine Mercy message to the USA and the Congregation of Marians of the Immaculate Conception begins to spread the message in Polish.
1942-1959 The Divine Mercy message spreads worldwide through the efforts of the Marians, who publish images and literature in many languages.
March 6, 1959 Holy Office issues a notification banning Divine Mercy devotion.
October 21, 1965 Informative Process of Sr. Faustina's life and virtues is opened by Cardinal Karol Wojtyla, Archbishop of Krakow, encouraged by Cardinal Ottaviani, the Prefect of the Holy Office.
September 1967 Informative Process closes; Cardinal Wojtyla sends acts to Rome, January 31, 1968. The process of Beatification of Sr. Faustina is inaugurated.
April 15, 1978 Prefect of Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith declares the Notification ban no longer binding.
October 16, 1978 Cardinal Karol Wojtyla becomes Pope John Paul II.
July 12, 1979 Marians receive an authoritative explanation of the Notification issued by the Prefect for the Doctrine of Faith stating that no impediments exist in the spread of the message and devotion to the Divine Mercy in the forms proposed by Sr. Faustina.
May 1980 Marians publish critical edition of Sr. Faustina's Diary in Polish.
November 30, 1980 Pope John Paul II issues encyclical on the Divine Mercy.
November 22, 1981 Pope John Paul II visits the Shrine of Merciful Love in Collevalenza near Todi, Italy, stating that, "Right from the beginning of my ministry in St. Peter's See in Rome, I considered this message (of Divine Mercy) my special task."
1986 Marians publish critical edition of Sr. Faustina's Diary in English.
April 10, 1991 Pope John Paul II links the encyclical's message to Sr. Faustina.
March 7, 1992 Decree of Heroic Virtues of Sr. Faustina is promulgated.
December 1992 Miracle through intercession of Sr. Faustina is accepted.
April 18, 1993 Sr. Faustina beatified in Rome on Second Sunday of Easter.
January 2000 Second miracle through Bl. Faustina intercession is accepted.
April 30, 2000 Bl. Faustina is canonized in Rome on Divine Mercy Sunday and Divine Mercy Sunday is proclaimed.
May 5, 2000 Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments issues a Decree proclaiming the Second Sunday of Easter also as Divine Mercy Sunday.
December 2000 The Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments listed the Devotion to the Divine Mercy in its Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy: Principles and Guidelines.
April 22, 2001 Divine Mercy Sunday is celebrated officially for the first time by the universal Church.
May 13, 2001 Congregation For The Clergy issues a document: "Priest of God, you embody the Mystery of Mercy."
August 18, 2002 John Paul II consecrates the whole world to the Divine Mercy from The Divine Mercy Sanctuary in Krakow-Lagiewniki, the site of St. Faustina's tomb.
August 21, 2002 Decree of the Apostolic Penitentiary issued on Indulgences attached to devotions in honor of Divine Mercy.
History of the Message and Devotion to Divine Mercy
The Marian Connection
The Divine Mercy devotion was brought to the USA from Poland by Fr. Joseph Jarzebowski, MIC, a member of the Congregation of Marians of the Immaculate Conception.
In 1941, hardly three years after the death of Sr. Faustina, The Divine Mercy devotion was brought to the USA from Poland by Fr. Joseph Jarzebowski, MIC, a member of the Congregation of Marians of the Immaculate Conception. Fr. Jarzebowski had at first been skeptical about the great graces received by those who entrusted themselves to The Divine Mercy. But, in the spring of 1940, he vowed that if he were able to safely reach his fellow Marians in America, he would spend the rest of his life spreading the Divine Mercy message and devotion. Before his departure Fr. Michael Sopocko, St. Faustina’s spiritual director, gave Fr. Jarzebowski materials on Divine Mercy that he prepared. With these materials and seemingly insurmountable obstacles, Fr. Jarzebowski set out for the journey.
By 1953, some 25 million pieces of Divine Mercy literature had been distributed around the world.
After an extraordinary journey from Poland into Lithuania, then across Russia and Siberia to Vladivostok, and from there to Japan, he arrived on American soil a year later. True to his vow, he immediately began distributing information about the message and devotion with the help of the Felician Sisters in Michigan and Connecticut. His Marian confreres soon became intensely involved as well. After several years of this activity, in 1944 Fr. Walter Pelczynski, MIC, established the "Mercy of God Apostolate" on Eden Hill in Stockbridge, MA, now home of the National Shrine of The Divine Mercy and the Marian Helpers Center, a modern, religious publishing house that has become the international center for the Divine Mercy message and devotion. By 1953, some 25 million pieces of Divine Mercy literature had been distributed around the world.
Banned by the Church
Then, in 1958 and 1959, Sr. Faustina’s prophecy about the apparent destruction of the Divine Mercy work (Diary, 378) began to be fulfilled. The Holy See, having received erroneous and confusing translations of Diary entries, which it was unable to verify due to existing political conditions, forbade the spreading of the Divine Mercy message and devotion in the forms proposed by Sr. Faustina’s writings.
During the period of the ban, the Marians continued to spread devotion to God’s mercy, but, in obedience to Rome, they based the message and devotion regarding Divine Mercy on Sacred Scripture, the Liturgy, the teachings of the Church, and Our Lady’s revelations at Fatima.
The Lifting of the Ban
Twenty years later (in 1978), the ban was completely lifted, thanks to the intervention of the Archbishop of Krakow, Cardinal Karol Wojtyla. Through his efforts, an informative process relating to the life and virtues of Sister Faustina was begun in 1965. Its successful outcome led to the inauguration of her Beatification cause in 1968.
In a new "Notification" on April 15, 1978, the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, having reviewed many original documents that were not made available to it in 1959, reversed its earlier decision and declared the 1959 prohibition 'no longer binding.'
Six months later, Cardinal Karol Wojtyla became Pope John Paul II.
Prompted by the pastoral concern of His Excellency, Joseph F. Maguire, Bishop of Springfield, MA, with regard to the resuming of efforts to make the Divine Mercy message and devotion known, the Congregation of Marians asked for an authoritative explanation of the Notification of 1978. On July 12, 1979, they received a reply from the Prefect of the Sacred Congregation, stating that ‘there no longer exists, on the part of this Sacred Congregation, any impediment to the spreading of the devotion to The Divine Mercy in the authentic forms proposed by the religious Sister mentioned above [Sister Faustina Kowalska]."
Thus, in 1979 — with the local bishop’s permission — the Marians resumed their work of spreading the Divine Mercy message and devotion in the forms proposed by Sr. Faustina. The response from laity, priests, and bishops all over the world has been overwhelming, and the devotion has grown faster than anyone ever expected.
Pope John Paul II
One of the reasons for this is certainly the continued support of the Holy Father. In 1981, he published an encyclical letter entitled Rich in Mercy, in which he speaks of Christ as the "incarnation of mercy — the inexhaustible source of mercy."(8) He goes on to emphasize that "Christ’s messianic program, the program of mercy" must become "the program of His people, the program of the Church."(8)
Throughout the encyclical, the Holy Father stresses that the Church — especially in our modern times — has the "right and the duty" to "profess and proclaim God’s mercy," to "introduce it and make it incarnate" in the lives of all people, and "to call upon the mercy of God," imploring it for the whole world. (See Rich in Mercy, 12-15.)
A year after publishing Rich in Mercy, the Pope visited the Shrine of Merciful Love in Collevalenza, Italy, during his first pilgrimage outside Rome after the attempt on his life. There he emphasized that spreading the message of mercy was his "special task."
Beatification
On April 18, 1993, Pope John Paul II beatified Sr. Faustina at St. Peter’s Square in Rome. It was the first Sunday after Easter — the very day that is to be celebrated as Divine Mercy Sunday, according to the Merciful Savior’s revelations to Sr. Faustina. And it was precisely John Paul II who beatified her, the very one who had initiated the Informative Process for her cause in 1965 when he was Archbishop of Krakow, Poland. The event that contributed to her beatification was Maureen Digan’s miraculous healing. Fr. Seraphim Michalenko, MIC, a Marian priest, both witnessed the miracle, as well as assisted in the beatification process by serving as Vice Postulator for her cause.
O Faustina... you were chosen by Christ to remind people of this great mystery of Divine Mercy!
In his homily, The Holy Father said: "I salute you, Sr. Faustina. Beginning today the Church calls you Blessed." O Faustina, how extraordinary your life is! Precisely you, the poor and simple daughter of Mazovia, of the Polish people, chosen by Christ to remind people of this great mystery of Divine Mercy! You bore this mystery within yourself, leaving this world after a short life filled with suffering. However, at the same time, this mystery has become a prophetic reminder to the world.
"I feel certain that my mission will not come to an end upon my death, but will begin," Sr. Faustina wrote in her diary (Diary, 281). And it truly did! Her mission continues and is yielding astonishing fruit. It is truly marvelous how her devotion to the merciful Jesus is spreading in our contemporary world and gaining so many human hearts! This is undoubtedly a sign of the times — a sign of our 20th century. The balance of this century which is now ending, in addition to the advances which have often surpassed those of preceding eras, presents a deep restlessness and fear of the future. Where, if not in The Divine Mercy, can the world find refuge and the light of hope? Believers understand that perfectly.
Canonization
On April 30, 2000, Pope John Paul II canonized Sr. Faustina as the first saint of the Great Jubilee Year.
Once again through the efforts of Fr. Seraphim Michalenko, MIC, the second miracle, the healing of Fr. Ronald Pytel, was attributed to Bl. Faustina's intercession. On April 30, 2000, Pope John Paul II canonized Sr. Faustina as the first saint of the Great Jubilee Year. And again, it was on Divine Mercy Sunday. In fact, the Holy Father also announced during his homily that the Second Sunday of Easter would now be celebrated as Divine Mercy Sunday throughout the universal Church.
In his homily, the Holy Father said: "Today my joy is truly great in presenting the life and witness of Sr. Faustina Kowalska to the whole Church as a gift of God for our time. By Divine Providence, the life of this humble daughter of Poland was completely linked with the history of the 20th century, the century we have just left behind."
"In fact, it was between the First and Second World Wars that Christ entrusted His message of mercy to her. Those who remember, who were witnesses and participants in the events of those years and the horrible sufferings they caused for millions of people, know well how necessary was the message of mercy.
"Mankind will not have peace until it turns with trust to My mercy."
(Diary, 300)
"Jesus told Sr. Faustina: 'Mankind will not have peace until it turns with trust to My mercy,' (Diary, 300). Through the work of the Polish religious, this message has become linked forever to the 20th century, the last of the second millennium and the bridge to the third. It is not a new message but can be considered a gift of special enlightenment that helps us to relive the Gospel of Easter more intensely, to offer it as a ray of light to the men and women of our time.
"What will the years ahead bring us? We are not given to know. But the light of Divine Mercy, which the Lord in a way wished to return to the world through Sr. Faustina’s charism, will illumine the way for the men and women of the third Millennium. Sr. Faustina’s canonization has a particular eloquence: '... by this act I intend today to pass this message on to the new millennium.'
Special Papal blessing bestowed on the Marians
On the 70th anniversary of the revelation of the image and 60th anniversary of the Congregation of Marians’ involvement in the spread of the Message and Devotion to the Divine Mercy, the Holy Father, John Paul II sent a special apostolic blessing and a renewed call to be apostles of the Divine Mercy under the maternal guidance of Our Lady.
Now, inspired by the Mercy Pope, it is our task to spread the message of Divine Mercy in the third millennium.
Divine Mercy Sunday
Divine Mercy Sunday is the Second Sunday of the Easter season. It was named by Pope John Paul II at the canonization of St. Maria Faustina on April 30, 2000, and then officially decreed by the Vatican.
Divine Mercy Sunday can be seen as the convergence of all the mysteries and graces of Holy Week and Easter Week. It is like a multi-exposure photograph of Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter Sunday, and Easter Week. Or we can think of it as a converging lens that focuses the light of the Risen Christ into a radiant beam of merciful love and grace for the whole world.
In fact, Jesus revealed in various revelations to St. Faustina that it was His desire that we celebrate this special feast. The Feast of Mercy emerged from My very depths of tenderness. It is My desire that it be solemnly celebrated on the first Sunday after Easter. Mankind will not have peace until it turns to the Fount of My Mercy. (Diary, 699)
Our Lord revealed to St. Faustina His desire to literally flood us with His graces on that day. Just consider each of the promises and desires that He expressed about Mercy Sunday, which are recorded in the main passage of the Diary — passage 699 — about Mercy Sunday:
On that day the very depths of My tender Mercy are open.
I pour out a whole ocean of graces upon these souls who approach the Fount of My mercy [the Sacraments of Reconciliation and Holy Eucharist].
The soul that will go to Confession [beforehand] and receive Holy Communion [on that day] shall obtain complete forgiveness of sins and punishment.
On that day all the divine floodgates through which grace flow are opened.
Let no soul fear to draw near to Me, even though its sins be as scarlet.
The Feast of Mercy emerged from My very depths of tenderness.
It is My desire that it be solemnly celebrated on the first Sunday after Easter.
Forms of Devotion
The Hour of Great Mercy
In His revelations to St. Faustina, Our Lord asked for a special prayer and meditation on His Passion each afternoon at the three o’clock hour, the hour that recalls His death on the cross.
At three o’clock, implore My mercy, especially for sinners; and, if only for a brief moment, immerse yourself in My Passion, particularly in My abandonment at the moment of agony. This is the hour of great mercy. In this hour, I will refuse nothing to the soul that makes a request of Me in virtue of My Passion (Diary, 1320).
As often as you hear the clock strike the third hour, immerse yourself completely in My mercy, adoring and glorifying it; invoke its omnipotence for the whole world, and particularly for poor sinners; for at that moment mercy was opened wide for every soul. In this hour you can obtain everything for yourself and for others for the asking; it was the hour of grace for the whole world — mercy triumphed over justice. (1572)
My daughter, try your best to make the Stations of the Cross in this hour, provided that your duties permit it; and if you are not able to make the Stations of the Cross, then at least step into the chapel for a moment and adore, in the Most Blessed Sacrament, My Heart, which is full of mercy; and should you be unable to step into the chapel, immerse yourself in prayer there where you happen to be, if only for a very brief instant. (1572)
From these detailed instructions, it’s clear that Our Lord wants us to turn our attention to His Passion at the three o’clock hour to whatever degree our duties allow, and He wants us to ask for His mercy.
In Genesis 18:16-32, Abraham begged God to reduce the conditions necessary for Him to be merciful to the people of Sodom and Gomorrah. Here, Christ Himself offers a reduction of conditions because of the varied demands of our life’s duties, and He begs us to ask, even in the smallest way, for His mercy, so that He will be able to pour His mercy upon us all.
We may not all be able to make the Stations or adore Him in the Blessed Sacrament, but we can all mentally pause for a "brief instant," think of His total abandonment at the hour of agony, and say a short prayer such as "Jesus, Mercy," or "Jesus, for the sake of Your Sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world."
This meditation, however brief, on Christ’s Passion brings us face-to-face with the cross, and, as Pope John Paul II writes in Rich in Mercy, "It is in the cross that the revelation of merciful love attains its culmination" (8). God invites us, the Holy Father continues, "to have ‘mercy’ on His only Son, the crucified one" (8). Thus, our reflection on the Passion should lead to a type of love for Our Lord which is "not only an act of solidarity with the suffering Son of man, but also a kind of ‘mercy’ shown by each one of us to the Son of the Eternal Father."
What are Novenas?
From an article in MARIAN HELPER magazine, Fall 1993.
If you mention novenas, you’re likely to get mixed reactions, with extremes at both ends of the scale.
Some view novenas as extraordinarily powerful prayers with guaranteed results — like a legal contract with God: if you fulfill the conditions, God grants your request.
Others feel that novenas are simply a waste of time — an outdated form of prayer practiced by overly pious people looking for spiritual magic.
As is often the case, neither extreme is accurate, though each reflects some truth. Making a novena is indeed a valid, powerful way to pray, but if misunderstood can become an act of superstition rather than prayer.
What It Is
The word “novena” comes from the Latin meaning “nine each.” It is a prayer or Holy Mass that is offered for nine consecutive days.
Scripturally, novenas take their origin from the nine days of prayer before Pentecost. After the Ascension, the apostles and disciples, in obedience to the Lord, gathered in the upper room and devoted themselves to constant prayer, together with Mary, the Mother of Jesus (Acts 1:4-5).
The nine days of prayer can also be considered as a representation of the nine months of Jesus in the womb of Mary. Like Jesus our Head, we His Body are also to be born of Mary and the Holy Spirit. The nine days of prayer were gestation prior to the birth of the Church on Pentecost. Since then, each novena can be considered as a time of gestation before a new outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
What It Is Not
Over the centuries, the practice of making novenas grew in popularity, and inevitably, abuses developed like weeds in a garden.
One abuse is absolute guarantees of positive results. There are no absolute guarantees. Prayer must always be made according to the will of God. Even Christ Himself prayed, “Not my will, Father, but Yours be done.”
We pray with trust that God will give us what He knows is best for us.
Another abuse is the guarantee that a particular novena will never fail if we publish the novena prayer. These mistaken ideas can often cause great confusion and lead to superstition.
Persistent Prayer
Novenas should be considered persistent prayer. Jesus exhorted us to continually ask, seek, and knock for what we need (Lk 11:10), and he gave us strong examples of the value of persistence in prayer — like the widow who kept pleading with the judge (Lk 18:1-8) and the man who woke his neighbor in the middle of the night to give him bread (Lk 11:5-9).
St. Faustina also gives us a powerful example of persistence in prayer. Novenas were an important and regular part of her spiritual life. She made novenas of different kinds and for various needs. For her they were times of intense and persevering prayer.
For us, too, novenas can be times of persevering prayer for special needs and of preparation for solemn feasts.
Novenas also can help us to focus our intentions so that we can more effectively give thanks for God’s response to our needs — whatever they are — placing ever greater trust in the Lord Jesus.
Date:Jan 15 2014, 10:51 AM
Subject:
RE: A Right Royal Do!
Show full header
Dear All
Thank you your Majesty and loyal subjects. This speedy correspondence has saved me a lot of palava etc so I shall just say my snaps are up on flickr now at www.flickr.com/photos/pitzys_pyx/.
I should like to say that we missed TWF all day (yes we did) but cold 90s humour might here say "but I couldn't" just for a snigger. I should also like to say thank you to:
Maryla for her Sandy Smith Mud Pies
Liz M for her wonderful shortcake biscuits (the choc chip ones were particularly good :))
Malcolm X for his fruit and vanilla buns, they were very very tasty.
Whoever brought the Jaffa Cakes
To you all for your laughs and banter.
Dave Lowe for his folk and Beetles songs.
For those who wondered why I had stopped by the road side on my way home see the first snap.
Cheers
JP
Now this is what makes Tuesdays such fun and keeps me nearly sane – you should see me when I’m really balmy! Very many apologies for the lack of cake – I will try hardy next time (depending on the day and the venue!).
Thanks for all the grovelling and the wonderful singing. Could you just shorten my name to She as long as I promise not to do an “Ursula Undress” and wear a chamois leather. Thanks also for the decent weather, not that it was cold where I was standing!
I can report that I was at the Rufus Centre this afternoon and there was JB, Audrey and their lovely daughter. JB allowed me to feel his new pulse and I can recommend it as a strange experience and I think he’s got a battery somewhere that gives electric twitches.
Bon voyage to the Breeds who will be sadly missed for a while. See the rest of you somewhere in the wilds of Bedfordshire and hopefully next Tuesday.
Thanks Mr. Kippling – your writing talents are beyond compare and your cakes are pretty wonderful too. Tally Ho! She
From: Steve Squire [mailto:Steve.Squire@greensandtrust.org]
Sent: 14 January 2014 21:36
To: Malcolm Willis; Tim Spencer; bazbreed@hotmail.com; 'Colin Atkins'; 'Dave Clarke'; 'David Moffatt'; 'James Miller'; 'Jane Breed'; 'John Buxton'; 'John Pitts'; 'Kelvin Horton'; 'Malcolm Willis'; 'Marie Mead'; 'Maryla Carter'; 'Peter Stafferton'; 'Roger Christopher'; 'Ros Blevins'; 'Steve Jones'; Sue Raven; 'Tim Chamen'; wendy.copper@virginmedia.com
Cc: She who must be obeyed
Subject: RE: A Right Royal Do!
Good to see you now have an official email Sue .
Well done Malcolm for making me laugh , very good thank you and to Jock with hot bum in fire.
And thank you all too for working so hard with or without Royal Cake!
Regards
Steve
From: Malcolm Willis [malcolmJwillis@btinternet.com]
Sent: 14 January 2014 21:13
To: Tim Spencer; bazbreed@hotmail.com; 'Colin Atkins'; 'Dave Clarke'; 'David Moffatt'; 'James Miller'; 'Jane Breed'; 'John Buxton'; 'John Pitts'; 'Kelvin Horton'; 'Malcolm Willis'; 'Marie Mead'; 'Maryla Carter'; 'Peter Stafferton'; 'Roger Christopher'; 'Ros Blevins'; 'Steve Jones'; Steve Squire; Sue Raven; 'Tim Chamen'; wendy.copper@virginmedia.com
Cc: She who must be obeyed
Subject: A Right Royal Do!
The stately limousine sailed into sight like a swan upon an enchanted lake. The blue eye that is heaven became bedazzled by the occasion, even the golden beams of universal eternity dipped in homage. The line of voles, once ordinary looking, became unworthy in the instant. The conveyance glided to a halt. The door opened. Hearts that only seconds ago had been pounding chests for freedom were now in suspended animation and inexplicably in mouths agog in anticipation. And then there she was. Serenely climbing down the stepladders (which had been thoughtfully placed out of view of the cameras), she emerged onto the immediately hallowed turf of SSNR [By Appointment to Her Right Royaltiness the Lady Youthfulness].
The appointed Dave stepped forward and humbled himself. An unfortunate occurrence given the magnitude of the occasion. The reserve Dave stepped into the breach. Another unfortunate occurrence! Finally the ‘if all else fails’ Dave came to the rescue.
Bowing so low it made his eyes water he addressed her Supreme Being: “Your Majestyness, if I may be so humbly bold as to..”
Her ladyship interrupted as only one of noble birth can: “Are you a Dimbleby Dave?”
‘If all else fails’ Dave: “Err no?”
Her Exquisiteness: “Then go away.” The nobility of the extended hand flutter in Dave’s direction and immediately he was dispatched as like a game bird on the 1st September.
Her Exquisite Ladyshipness: “My husband and I..” A half turn to the limo revealed a slight glitch. “Oh bother, I must have left him somewhere again. Never mind, I shall continue. Myself and I remember only too vividly the diem horribilis that was last week. But we must move on.”
So saying Her Supremeliness moved on proffering dainty dexterous digits for the gathered ensemble to pucker up their trembling lips to.
Her Regality: “Oh I say what an obnoxious hound.”
Several male voles looked even further ashamed and took several steps back towards oblivion.
Her Lady Regal Exquisiteness: “I was referring to the dog.”
The males voles teetered on the edge of the abyss that is ordinariness. One brave soul remarked: “That is Jock, a rescued dog, he was found in a large, handbag, with handles. He was probably brought up in it.”
Her Lady Ladyness:“ I must confess that I feel somewhat bewildered by what you have just told me. To be born, or at any rate bred in a handbag, whether it have handles or not, seems to me to display a contempt for the ordinary decencies of family life which reminds one of the worst excesses of the French revolution, and I presume you know what that unfortunate movement led to?
The voles shook their heads, a few too vigorously causing them to fall off!
Brave Soul: “ Err yessum your womanliness. We believe he lost his parents and so we’ve adopted him like.”
Her Lady Ladyshipness: “To lose one parent, my good man, may be regarded as a misfortune; to lose both looks like carelessness.”
Little old lady with straw sticking out from under one arm (One Arm!!!!): He’s only being truthful you’re Omnipotence. He’s very earnest so he is and that’s what makes him so highly regarded by us all. ” Having said all this the little old lady retired to lie down until lunchtime.
Lady Youthfulness: “Well I suppose that’s the importance of being earnest.”
[I bet that’s made Oscar wild!]
Little old lady with straw sticking out from under one arm (One Arm!!!!): “Who’s Oscar?”
So many congratulation to Lady Sue on yet another birthday without a cake big enough to hold all the candles.
No doubt Mr Pitts will shortly be circulating a stunning array of pics so all who weren’t there today will see what the rest of us were up to. Basically following the Squire around, picking up loads of cut reeds (or in a little old lady’s case an odd bunch here and there!); carting them off to be burnt; telling the Squire not to go in the boggy bit; pulling the Squire out of the boggy bit!; showing the Squire were to cut next; sending out explorers to find where the Squire went!; telling the Squire it’s time to stop cutting; retelling the Squire it’s time to stop cutting; telling the local warden to stop telling the Squire to keep cutting!; getting bored of feeding the fire while the mound of cut reeds keeps growing; setting fire to the mound of cut reeds and blaming it on the person furthest away (Colin); eating muffins; eating biscuits (thanks Lillybeth); eating chocolate cake off the ground (thanks Maryla!); eating Jaffa cakes; moaning that there is no pudding!; moaning that Her Ladyship didn’t bring a birthday cake! and generally having fun.
Thanks to everyone who left early and didn’t stay to watch Jock walk across the ash (several times), try to make a ‘nest’ in the hot ash! (he dashed out pretty quick) and finally lie down in the ash!!!
Malcolm.
John Gill's exposition of v26:
Verse 26. A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you,.... A "new heart" and a "new spirit" are one and the same; that is, a renewed one; renewed by the Spirit and grace of God; in which a new principle of life is put; new light is infused; a new will, filled with new purposes and resolutions; where new affections are placed, and new desires are formed; and where there are new delights and joys, as well as new sorrows and troubles; the same which in the New Testament is called the "new man," and the new creature, Ephesians 4:24. The Targum paraphrases it, "a heart fearing, and a spirit fearing;" where the true fear of God is, a truly gracious heart; and which is purely the gift of God, and is the fruit of his rich grace, abundant mercy, and great love:
and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh; the Targum is, "and I will break the heart of the wicked, which is hard as a stone;" this is a heart hardened by sin, and confirmed in it; destitute of spiritual life and motion; senseless and stupid, stubborn and inflexible; on which no impressions are made; and which remains hard and impenitent: now this is in "the flesh," in corrupt nature; and this hardness of heart is natural to men; and all who have it are after the flesh, or are carnal; and it requires omnipotence to remove it; it cannot be taken out by men of themselves: nor by ministers of the word; nor by the bare mercies and judgments of God; but by the powerful and efficacious grace of God; giving repentance unto life; working faith in the soul, to look to a crucified Christ; and shedding abroad the love of God in the heart, which softens and melts it; all which is done by the Spirit, and frequently by means of the word. This is interpreted, in the Talmud {n}, of the evil imagination, or corruption of nature; and is one of the names of it, a stone; and it refers, it is said {o}, to the time or world to come, the days of the Messiah:
and I will give you an heart of flesh; a heart sensible of sin and danger; a penitent one, soft and tender, through the love and fear of God; a spiritual and sanctified heart; submissive to the will of God; flexible and obsequious to the commands of Christ; on which impressions are made by the grace of God; where the laws of God are written, the Gospel of Christ is put; where Christ himself is formed; where are the fear of God, faith, hope, and love, and every other grace.
{n} T. Bab. Succah, fol. 52. 1. {o} Debarim Rabba, fol. 242. 2. & Shirhashirim Rabba, fol. 3. 2.
My textures in the background, textures by KerstinFrankart applied to the seperate photos.
Prometeo (in greco antico Προμηθεύς, Promethéus, "colui che riflette prima"), è una figura della mitologia greca, titano, figlio di Giapeto e di Climene. A questo eroe amico del genere umano sono legati alcuni antichissimi miti che ebbero fortuna e diffusione in Grecia. Egli è anche "cugino" di Zeus, essendo anche quest'ultimo figlio di un titano, Crono
Il mito di Prometeo
Prometeo figlio di Era aveva 5 coppie di gemelli che giurarono fedeltà su un toro sacrificato. All'inizio i fratelli erano virtuosi e saggi, ma si lasciarono prendere dall'avidità e allora gli dei mandarono una tempesta che distrusse il loro paese.
Atlante e Menezio, sopravvissero al diluvio, si unirono a Crono e ad altri Titani per combattere gli dei. Zeus, però, uccise Menezio con un fulmine e condannò Atlante a portare il Cielo sulle spalle per sempre.
Prometeo pur appartenendo ai ribelli Titani si schierò dalla parte di Zeus, dicendo di fare altrettanto al fratello Epimeteo; per questo fu presente alla nascita di Atena dalla testa di Zeus, che fu molto gentile e buona con lui, insegnandogli le arti utilissime dell'architettura, dell'astronomia, della matematica, della medicina, della metallurgia, della navigazione e di tutto ciò che elevava gli uomini avvicinando la loro essenza a quella degli Dei. Dell'amicizia che prova per gli uomini dà testimonianza fin dalla prima volta che se ne deve occupare: quando riceve da Atena e dagli altri dei un numero limitato di "buone qualità" da distribuire saggiamente agli esseri viventi. Epimeteo («colui che riflette dopo»), senza pensarci tanto, cominciò a distribuire le qualità agli animali ma non agli uomini; Prometeo rimediò rubando ad Atena uno scrigno in cui erano riposte l'intelligenza e la memoria e le donò agli umani.
Zeus in quel momento non era favorevole agli umani, anzi aveva deciso di distruggerlo: non approvava la gentilezza di Prometeo per le sue creature e considerava i doni del titano troppo pericolosi, perché gli uomini in questo modo sarebbero diventati sempre più potenti e capaci.
Durante un sacrificio agli dei, nella piazza di Mecone, gli uomini si incontrarono e decisero di dividersi di accordo comune gli animali sacrificati. Prometeo, convocato in qualità di arbitro per stabilire quali parti di un toro sacrificato spettassero agli dei e quali agli uomini, ammazzò l'animale, lo tagliò a pezzi e ne fece due parti. Agli uomini riservò i pezzi di carne migliori, nascondendoli però sotto la disgustosa pelle del ventre del toro. Agli dei riservò le ossa che mise in un lucido strato di grasso. Fatte le porzioni, invitò Zeus a scegliere la sua parte, il resto andava agli uomini.
Zeus accettò l'invito e prese la parte grassa, ma vedendo le ossa abilmente nascoste, si arrabbiò lanciando una maledizione sugli uomini. Fu da allora che gli uomini sacrificando agli dei lasciarono a essi le parti immangiabili delle bestie sacrificate, consumandone la carne; ma i mangiatori di carne diverranno per questo mortali mentre gli dei rimarranno immortali. Lo sfrontato raggiro doveva essere punito e Zeus, senza colpire Prometeo, tolse il fuoco agli uomini e lo nascose.
La punizione di Prometeo e degli uomini
Prometeo si recò da Atena affinché lo facesse entrare di notte nell'Olimpo e appena giunto, accese una torcia dal carro di Elio e si dileguò senza che nessuno lo vedesse. Secondo altre leggende, egli ritrovò la torcia nella Fucina di Efesto, ne rubò qualche favilla e, incurante delle conseguenze, la riportò agli uomini. Venutolo a sapere, Zeus promise di fargliela pagare. Così ordinò ad Efesto di costruire una donna bellissima, di nome Pandora, la prima del genere umano, alla quale gli dei del vento infusero lo spirito vitale e tutte le dee dell'Olimpo la dotarono di doni meravigliosi.
Si racconta che Zeus la inviò da Epimeteo affinché punisse la razza umana, alla quale Prometeo aveva dato il fuoco divino. Epimeteo, avvertito dal fratello di non accettare regali da Zeus, la rifiutò; cosicché Zeus, più indignato che mai per l'affronto subìto prima dall'uno poi dall'altro fratello, decise di punire ferocemente il Titano e tutti gli uomini che egli difendeva. Il padre degli dei fece incatenare Prometeo, nudo, con lacci d'acciaio nella zona più alta e più esposta alle intemperie del Caucaso e gli venne conficcata una colonna nel corpo. Inviò poi un'aquila perché gli squarciasse il petto e gli dilaniasse il fegato, che gli ricresceva durante la notte, giurando di non staccare mai Prometeo dalla roccia.
Epimeteo, dispiaciuto per la sorte del fratello, si rassegnò a sposare Pandora, ma essa si rivelò tanto bella quanto stupida, perché sventatamente e per pura curiosità aprì un vaso che Epimeteo teneva gelosamente custodito, nel quale Prometeo aveva chiuso tutti i mali che potessero tormentare l'uomo: la fatica, la malattia, la vecchiaia, la pazzia, la passione e la morte. Essi uscirono e immediatamente si sparsero tra gli uomini; solo la speranza, rimasta nel vaso tardivamente richiuso, da quel giorno sostenne gli uomini anche nei momenti di maggior scoraggiamento.
La liberazione e l'immortalità del Titano
Come narrato nella tragedia perduta di Eschilo Prometeo liberato, dopo tremila anni, Eracle passò dalla regione del Caucaso, trafisse con una freccia l'aquila che lo tormentava e liberò Prometeo, spezzando le catene.
Secondo il racconto contenuto nella Biblioteca dello Pseudo-Apollodoro, durante un incontro tra Chirone ed Eracle, alcuni centauri attaccarono l'eroe. Questi per difendersi usò le frecce bagnate con il veleno dell'Idra, da cui non si poteva guarire. Chirone venne inavvertitamente graffiato da una delle frecce. Non potendo morire perché immortale, cominciò per lui una sofferenza atroce. Zeus quindi accettò la vita di Chirone che poté finalmente morire in cambio dell'immortalità di Prometeo.
During the Greek War of Independence, Prometheus became a figure of hope and inspiration for Greek revolutionaries and their philhellene supporters. Karl Marx was greatly influenced by the story of Prometheus, and called him "the greatest saint and martyr of the philosopher's calendar", since then, Prometheus has become a general symbol for socialism and communism.
Hesiod
The Prometheus myth first appeared in the late 8th-century BC Greek epic poet Hesiod's Theogony (lines 507–616). He was a son of the Titan Iapetus by Clymene, one of the Oceanids. He was brother to Menoetius, Atlas, and Epimetheus. In the Theogony, Hesiod introduces Prometheus as a lowly challenger to Zeus's omniscience and omnipotence.[5]
In the trick at Mecone, a sacrificial meal marking the "settling of accounts" between mortals and immortals, Prometheus played a trick against Zeus (545–557). He placed two sacrificial offerings before the Olympian: a selection of beef hidden inside an ox's stomach (nourishment hidden inside a displeasing exterior), and the bull's bones wrapped completely in "glistening fat" (something inedible hidden inside a pleasing exterior). Zeus chose the latter, setting a precedent for future sacrifices.[6]
Henceforth, humans would keep the meat for themselves and burn the bones wrapped in fat as an offering to the gods. This angered Zeus, who hid fire from humans in retribution. Prometheus in turn stole fire in a giant fennel-stalk and gave it back to mankind. This further enraged Zeus, who sent Pandora, the first woman, to live with men.[7]
Pandora was fashioned by Hephaestus out of clay and brought to life by the four winds, with all the goddesses of Olympus assembled to adorn her. "From her is the race of women and female kind," Hesiod writes; "of her is the deadly race and tribe of women who live amongst mortal men to their great trouble, no helpmeets in hateful poverty, but only in wealth."[8]
Prometheus, in eternal punishment, is chained to a rock in the Caucasus, where his liver is eaten daily by an eagle,[9] only to be regenerated by night, which, by legend, is due to his immortality.[10] Years later, the Greek hero Heracles (Hercules) slays the eagle and frees Prometheus from his chains.[11]
Hesiod revisits the story of Prometheus in the Works and Days (lines 42–105). Here, the poet expands upon Zeus's reaction to the theft of fire. Not only does Zeus withhold fire from men, but "the means of life," as well (42). Had Prometheus not provoked Zeus's wrath (44–47), "you would easily do work enough in a day to supply you for a full year even without working; soon would you put away your rudder over the smoke, and the fields worked by ox and sturdy mule would run to waste." Hesiod also expands upon the Theogony's story of the first woman, now explicitly called Pandora ("all gifts"). After Prometheus' theft of fire, Zeus sent Pandora in retaliation. Despite Prometheus' warning, Epimetheus accepted this "gift" from the gods. Pandora carried a jar with her, from which were released (91–92) "evils, harsh pain and troublesome diseases which give men death".[12] Pandora shut the lid of the jar too late to contain all the evil plights that escaped, but hope remained in the jar.
Angelo Casanova,[13] Professor of Greek Literature at the University of Florence, finds in Prometheus a reflection of an ancient, pre-Hesiodic trickster-figure, who served to account for the mixture of good and bad in human life, and whose fashioning of men from clay was an Eastern motif familiar in Enuma Elish; as an opponent of Zeus he was an analogue of the Titans, and like them was punished. As an advocate for humanity he gains semi-divine status at Athens, where the episode in Theogony in which he is liberated[14] is interpreted by Casanova as a post-Hesiodic interpolation.[15]
[edit] Aeschylus
Prometheus Bound, perhaps the most famous treatment of the myth to be found among the Greek tragedies, is traditionally attributed to the 5th-century BC Greek tragedian Aeschylus. At the center of the drama are the results of Prometheus' theft of fire and his current punishment by Zeus; the playwright's dependence on the Hesiodic source material is clear, though Prometheus Bound also includes a number of changes to the received tradition.[16]
Before his theft of fire, Prometheus played a decisive role in the Titanomachy, securing victory for Zeus and the other Olympians. Zeus's torture of Prometheus thus becomes a particularly harsh betrayal. The scope and character of Prometheus' transgressions against Zeus are also widened. In addition to giving humankind fire, Prometheus claims to have taught them the arts of civilization, such as writing, mathematics, agriculture, medicine, and science. The Titan's greatest benefaction for humankind seems to have been saving them from complete destruction. In an apparent twist on the myth of the so-called Five Ages of Man found in Hesiod's Works and Days (wherein Cronus and, later, Zeus created and destroyed five successive races of mortal men), Prometheus asserts that Zeus had wanted to obliterate the human race, but that he somehow stopped him.
Moreover, Aeschylus anachronistically and artificially injects Io, another victim of Zeus's violence and ancestor of Heracles, into Prometheus' story. Finally, just as Aeschylus gave Prometheus a key role in bringing Zeus to power, he also attributed to him secret knowledge that could lead to Zeus's downfall: Prometheus had been told by his mother Gaia of a potential marriage that would produce a son who would overthrow Zeus. Fragmentary evidence indicates that Heracles, as in Hesiod, frees the Titan in the trilogy's second play, Prometheus Unbound. It is apparently not until Prometheus reveals this secret of Zeus's potential downfall that the two reconcile in the final play, Prometheus the Fire-Bringer.
Prometheus Bound also includes two mythic innovations of omission. The first is the absence of Pandora's story in connection with Prometheus' own. Instead, Aeschylus includes this one oblique allusion to Pandora and her jar that contained Hope (252): "[Prometheus] caused blind hopes to live in the hearts of men." Second, Aeschylus makes no mention of the sacrifice-trick played against Zeus in the Theogony.[17]
These innovations reflect the play's thematic reversal of the Hesiodic myth. In Hesiod, the story of Prometheus (and, by extension, of Pandora) serves to reinforce the theodicy of Zeus: he is a wise and just ruler of the universe, while Prometheus is to blame for humanity's unenviable existence. In Prometheus Bound, this dynamic is transposed: Prometheus becomes the benefactor of humanity, while every character in the drama (except for Hermes, a virtual stand-in for Zeus) decries the Olympian as a cruel, vicious tyrant.
Da Wikipedia, l'enciclopedia libera.
Date:Jan 15 2014, 10:51 AM
Subject:
RE: A Right Royal Do!
Show full header
Dear All
Thank you your Majesty and loyal subjects. This speedy correspondence has saved me a lot of palava etc so I shall just say my snaps are up on flickr now at www.flickr.com/photos/pitzys_pyx/.
I should like to say that we missed TWF all day (yes we did) but cold 90s humour might here say "but I couldn't" just for a snigger. I should also like to say thank you to:
Maryla for her Sandy Smith Mud Pies
Liz M for her wonderful shortcake biscuits (the choc chip ones were particularly good :))
Malcolm X for his fruit and vanilla buns, they were very very tasty.
Whoever brought the Jaffa Cakes
To you all for your laughs and banter.
Dave Lowe for his folk and Beetles songs.
For those who wondered why I had stopped by the road side on my way home see the first snap.
Cheers
JP
Now this is what makes Tuesdays such fun and keeps me nearly sane – you should see me when I’m really balmy! Very many apologies for the lack of cake – I will try hardy next time (depending on the day and the venue!).
Thanks for all the grovelling and the wonderful singing. Could you just shorten my name to She as long as I promise not to do an “Ursula Undress” and wear a chamois leather. Thanks also for the decent weather, not that it was cold where I was standing!
I can report that I was at the Rufus Centre this afternoon and there was JB, Audrey and their lovely daughter. JB allowed me to feel his new pulse and I can recommend it as a strange experience and I think he’s got a battery somewhere that gives electric twitches.
Bon voyage to the Breeds who will be sadly missed for a while. See the rest of you somewhere in the wilds of Bedfordshire and hopefully next Tuesday.
Thanks Mr. Kippling – your writing talents are beyond compare and your cakes are pretty wonderful too. Tally Ho! She
From: Steve Squire [mailto:Steve.Squire@greensandtrust.org]
Sent: 14 January 2014 21:36
To: Malcolm Willis; Tim Spencer; bazbreed@hotmail.com; 'Colin Atkins'; 'Dave Clarke'; 'David Moffatt'; 'James Miller'; 'Jane Breed'; 'John Buxton'; 'John Pitts'; 'Kelvin Horton'; 'Malcolm Willis'; 'Marie Mead'; 'Maryla Carter'; 'Peter Stafferton'; 'Roger Christopher'; 'Ros Blevins'; 'Steve Jones'; Sue Raven; 'Tim Chamen'; wendy.copper@virginmedia.com
Cc: She who must be obeyed
Subject: RE: A Right Royal Do!
Good to see you now have an official email Sue .
Well done Malcolm for making me laugh , very good thank you and to Jock with hot bum in fire.
And thank you all too for working so hard with or without Royal Cake!
Regards
Steve
From: Malcolm Willis [malcolmJwillis@btinternet.com]
Sent: 14 January 2014 21:13
To: Tim Spencer; bazbreed@hotmail.com; 'Colin Atkins'; 'Dave Clarke'; 'David Moffatt'; 'James Miller'; 'Jane Breed'; 'John Buxton'; 'John Pitts'; 'Kelvin Horton'; 'Malcolm Willis'; 'Marie Mead'; 'Maryla Carter'; 'Peter Stafferton'; 'Roger Christopher'; 'Ros Blevins'; 'Steve Jones'; Steve Squire; Sue Raven; 'Tim Chamen'; wendy.copper@virginmedia.com
Cc: She who must be obeyed
Subject: A Right Royal Do!
The stately limousine sailed into sight like a swan upon an enchanted lake. The blue eye that is heaven became bedazzled by the occasion, even the golden beams of universal eternity dipped in homage. The line of voles, once ordinary looking, became unworthy in the instant. The conveyance glided to a halt. The door opened. Hearts that only seconds ago had been pounding chests for freedom were now in suspended animation and inexplicably in mouths agog in anticipation. And then there she was. Serenely climbing down the stepladders (which had been thoughtfully placed out of view of the cameras), she emerged onto the immediately hallowed turf of SSNR [By Appointment to Her Right Royaltiness the Lady Youthfulness].
The appointed Dave stepped forward and humbled himself. An unfortunate occurrence given the magnitude of the occasion. The reserve Dave stepped into the breach. Another unfortunate occurrence! Finally the ‘if all else fails’ Dave came to the rescue.
Bowing so low it made his eyes water he addressed her Supreme Being: “Your Majestyness, if I may be so humbly bold as to..”
Her ladyship interrupted as only one of noble birth can: “Are you a Dimbleby Dave?”
‘If all else fails’ Dave: “Err no?”
Her Exquisiteness: “Then go away.” The nobility of the extended hand flutter in Dave’s direction and immediately he was dispatched as like a game bird on the 1st September.
Her Exquisite Ladyshipness: “My husband and I..” A half turn to the limo revealed a slight glitch. “Oh bother, I must have left him somewhere again. Never mind, I shall continue. Myself and I remember only too vividly the diem horribilis that was last week. But we must move on.”
So saying Her Supremeliness moved on proffering dainty dexterous digits for the gathered ensemble to pucker up their trembling lips to.
Her Regality: “Oh I say what an obnoxious hound.”
Several male voles looked even further ashamed and took several steps back towards oblivion.
Her Lady Regal Exquisiteness: “I was referring to the dog.”
The males voles teetered on the edge of the abyss that is ordinariness. One brave soul remarked: “That is Jock, a rescued dog, he was found in a large, handbag, with handles. He was probably brought up in it.”
Her Lady Ladyness:“ I must confess that I feel somewhat bewildered by what you have just told me. To be born, or at any rate bred in a handbag, whether it have handles or not, seems to me to display a contempt for the ordinary decencies of family life which reminds one of the worst excesses of the French revolution, and I presume you know what that unfortunate movement led to?
The voles shook their heads, a few too vigorously causing them to fall off!
Brave Soul: “ Err yessum your womanliness. We believe he lost his parents and so we’ve adopted him like.”
Her Lady Ladyshipness: “To lose one parent, my good man, may be regarded as a misfortune; to lose both looks like carelessness.”
Little old lady with straw sticking out from under one arm (One Arm!!!!): He’s only being truthful you’re Omnipotence. He’s very earnest so he is and that’s what makes him so highly regarded by us all. ” Having said all this the little old lady retired to lie down until lunchtime.
Lady Youthfulness: “Well I suppose that’s the importance of being earnest.”
[I bet that’s made Oscar wild!]
Little old lady with straw sticking out from under one arm (One Arm!!!!): “Who’s Oscar?”
So many congratulation to Lady Sue on yet another birthday without a cake big enough to hold all the candles.
No doubt Mr Pitts will shortly be circulating a stunning array of pics so all who weren’t there today will see what the rest of us were up to. Basically following the Squire around, picking up loads of cut reeds (or in a little old lady’s case an odd bunch here and there!); carting them off to be burnt; telling the Squire not to go in the boggy bit; pulling the Squire out of the boggy bit!; showing the Squire were to cut next; sending out explorers to find where the Squire went!; telling the Squire it’s time to stop cutting; retelling the Squire it’s time to stop cutting; telling the local warden to stop telling the Squire to keep cutting!; getting bored of feeding the fire while the mound of cut reeds keeps growing; setting fire to the mound of cut reeds and blaming it on the person furthest away (Colin); eating muffins; eating biscuits (thanks Lillybeth); eating chocolate cake off the ground (thanks Maryla!); eating Jaffa cakes; moaning that there is no pudding!; moaning that Her Ladyship didn’t bring a birthday cake! and generally having fun.
Thanks to everyone who left early and didn’t stay to watch Jock walk across the ash (several times), try to make a ‘nest’ in the hot ash! (he dashed out pretty quick) and finally lie down in the ash!!!
Malcolm.
Date:Jan 15 2014, 10:51 AM
Subject:
RE: A Right Royal Do!
Show full header
Dear All
Thank you your Majesty and loyal subjects. This speedy correspondence has saved me a lot of palava etc so I shall just say my snaps are up on flickr now at www.flickr.com/photos/pitzys_pyx/.
I should like to say that we missed TWF all day (yes we did) but cold 90s humour might here say "but I couldn't" just for a snigger. I should also like to say thank you to:
Maryla for her Sandy Smith Mud Pies
Liz M for her wonderful shortcake biscuits (the choc chip ones were particularly good :))
Malcolm X for his fruit and vanilla buns, they were very very tasty.
Whoever brought the Jaffa Cakes
To you all for your laughs and banter.
Dave Lowe for his folk and Beetles songs.
For those who wondered why I had stopped by the road side on my way home see the first snap.
Cheers
JP
Now this is what makes Tuesdays such fun and keeps me nearly sane – you should see me when I’m really balmy! Very many apologies for the lack of cake – I will try hardy next time (depending on the day and the venue!).
Thanks for all the grovelling and the wonderful singing. Could you just shorten my name to She as long as I promise not to do an “Ursula Undress” and wear a chamois leather. Thanks also for the decent weather, not that it was cold where I was standing!
I can report that I was at the Rufus Centre this afternoon and there was JB, Audrey and their lovely daughter. JB allowed me to feel his new pulse and I can recommend it as a strange experience and I think he’s got a battery somewhere that gives electric twitches.
Bon voyage to the Breeds who will be sadly missed for a while. See the rest of you somewhere in the wilds of Bedfordshire and hopefully next Tuesday.
Thanks Mr. Kippling – your writing talents are beyond compare and your cakes are pretty wonderful too. Tally Ho! She
From: Steve Squire [mailto:Steve.Squire@greensandtrust.org]
Sent: 14 January 2014 21:36
To: Malcolm Willis; Tim Spencer; bazbreed@hotmail.com; 'Colin Atkins'; 'Dave Clarke'; 'David Moffatt'; 'James Miller'; 'Jane Breed'; 'John Buxton'; 'John Pitts'; 'Kelvin Horton'; 'Malcolm Willis'; 'Marie Mead'; 'Maryla Carter'; 'Peter Stafferton'; 'Roger Christopher'; 'Ros Blevins'; 'Steve Jones'; Sue Raven; 'Tim Chamen'; wendy.copper@virginmedia.com
Cc: She who must be obeyed
Subject: RE: A Right Royal Do!
Good to see you now have an official email Sue .
Well done Malcolm for making me laugh , very good thank you and to Jock with hot bum in fire.
And thank you all too for working so hard with or without Royal Cake!
Regards
Steve
From: Malcolm Willis [malcolmJwillis@btinternet.com]
Sent: 14 January 2014 21:13
To: Tim Spencer; bazbreed@hotmail.com; 'Colin Atkins'; 'Dave Clarke'; 'David Moffatt'; 'James Miller'; 'Jane Breed'; 'John Buxton'; 'John Pitts'; 'Kelvin Horton'; 'Malcolm Willis'; 'Marie Mead'; 'Maryla Carter'; 'Peter Stafferton'; 'Roger Christopher'; 'Ros Blevins'; 'Steve Jones'; Steve Squire; Sue Raven; 'Tim Chamen'; wendy.copper@virginmedia.com
Cc: She who must be obeyed
Subject: A Right Royal Do!
The stately limousine sailed into sight like a swan upon an enchanted lake. The blue eye that is heaven became bedazzled by the occasion, even the golden beams of universal eternity dipped in homage. The line of voles, once ordinary looking, became unworthy in the instant. The conveyance glided to a halt. The door opened. Hearts that only seconds ago had been pounding chests for freedom were now in suspended animation and inexplicably in mouths agog in anticipation. And then there she was. Serenely climbing down the stepladders (which had been thoughtfully placed out of view of the cameras), she emerged onto the immediately hallowed turf of SSNR [By Appointment to Her Right Royaltiness the Lady Youthfulness].
The appointed Dave stepped forward and humbled himself. An unfortunate occurrence given the magnitude of the occasion. The reserve Dave stepped into the breach. Another unfortunate occurrence! Finally the ‘if all else fails’ Dave came to the rescue.
Bowing so low it made his eyes water he addressed her Supreme Being: “Your Majestyness, if I may be so humbly bold as to..”
Her ladyship interrupted as only one of noble birth can: “Are you a Dimbleby Dave?”
‘If all else fails’ Dave: “Err no?”
Her Exquisiteness: “Then go away.” The nobility of the extended hand flutter in Dave’s direction and immediately he was dispatched as like a game bird on the 1st September.
Her Exquisite Ladyshipness: “My husband and I..” A half turn to the limo revealed a slight glitch. “Oh bother, I must have left him somewhere again. Never mind, I shall continue. Myself and I remember only too vividly the diem horribilis that was last week. But we must move on.”
So saying Her Supremeliness moved on proffering dainty dexterous digits for the gathered ensemble to pucker up their trembling lips to.
Her Regality: “Oh I say what an obnoxious hound.”
Several male voles looked even further ashamed and took several steps back towards oblivion.
Her Lady Regal Exquisiteness: “I was referring to the dog.”
The males voles teetered on the edge of the abyss that is ordinariness. One brave soul remarked: “That is Jock, a rescued dog, he was found in a large, handbag, with handles. He was probably brought up in it.”
Her Lady Ladyness:“ I must confess that I feel somewhat bewildered by what you have just told me. To be born, or at any rate bred in a handbag, whether it have handles or not, seems to me to display a contempt for the ordinary decencies of family life which reminds one of the worst excesses of the French revolution, and I presume you know what that unfortunate movement led to?
The voles shook their heads, a few too vigorously causing them to fall off!
Brave Soul: “ Err yessum your womanliness. We believe he lost his parents and so we’ve adopted him like.”
Her Lady Ladyshipness: “To lose one parent, my good man, may be regarded as a misfortune; to lose both looks like carelessness.”
Little old lady with straw sticking out from under one arm (One Arm!!!!): He’s only being truthful you’re Omnipotence. He’s very earnest so he is and that’s what makes him so highly regarded by us all. ” Having said all this the little old lady retired to lie down until lunchtime.
Lady Youthfulness: “Well I suppose that’s the importance of being earnest.”
[I bet that’s made Oscar wild!]
Little old lady with straw sticking out from under one arm (One Arm!!!!): “Who’s Oscar?”
So many congratulation to Lady Sue on yet another birthday without a cake big enough to hold all the candles.
No doubt Mr Pitts will shortly be circulating a stunning array of pics so all who weren’t there today will see what the rest of us were up to. Basically following the Squire around, picking up loads of cut reeds (or in a little old lady’s case an odd bunch here and there!); carting them off to be burnt; telling the Squire not to go in the boggy bit; pulling the Squire out of the boggy bit!; showing the Squire were to cut next; sending out explorers to find where the Squire went!; telling the Squire it’s time to stop cutting; retelling the Squire it’s time to stop cutting; telling the local warden to stop telling the Squire to keep cutting!; getting bored of feeding the fire while the mound of cut reeds keeps growing; setting fire to the mound of cut reeds and blaming it on the person furthest away (Colin); eating muffins; eating biscuits (thanks Lillybeth); eating chocolate cake off the ground (thanks Maryla!); eating Jaffa cakes; moaning that there is no pudding!; moaning that Her Ladyship didn’t bring a birthday cake! and generally having fun.
Thanks to everyone who left early and didn’t stay to watch Jock walk across the ash (several times), try to make a ‘nest’ in the hot ash! (he dashed out pretty quick) and finally lie down in the ash!!!
Malcolm.
Date:Jan 15 2014, 10:51 AM
Subject:
RE: A Right Royal Do!
Show full header
Dear All
Thank you your Majesty and loyal subjects. This speedy correspondence has saved me a lot of palava etc so I shall just say my snaps are up on flickr now at www.flickr.com/photos/pitzys_pyx/.
I should like to say that we missed TWF all day (yes we did) but cold 90s humour might here say "but I couldn't" just for a snigger. I should also like to say thank you to:
Maryla for her Sandy Smith Mud Pies
Liz M for her wonderful shortcake biscuits (the choc chip ones were particularly good :))
Malcolm X for his fruit and vanilla buns, they were very very tasty.
Whoever brought the Jaffa Cakes
To you all for your laughs and banter.
Dave Lowe for his folk and Beetles songs.
For those who wondered why I had stopped by the road side on my way home see the first snap.
Cheers
JP
Now this is what makes Tuesdays such fun and keeps me nearly sane – you should see me when I’m really balmy! Very many apologies for the lack of cake – I will try hardy next time (depending on the day and the venue!).
Thanks for all the grovelling and the wonderful singing. Could you just shorten my name to She as long as I promise not to do an “Ursula Undress” and wear a chamois leather. Thanks also for the decent weather, not that it was cold where I was standing!
I can report that I was at the Rufus Centre this afternoon and there was JB, Audrey and their lovely daughter. JB allowed me to feel his new pulse and I can recommend it as a strange experience and I think he’s got a battery somewhere that gives electric twitches.
Bon voyage to the Breeds who will be sadly missed for a while. See the rest of you somewhere in the wilds of Bedfordshire and hopefully next Tuesday.
Thanks Mr. Kippling – your writing talents are beyond compare and your cakes are pretty wonderful too. Tally Ho! She
From: Steve Squire [mailto:Steve.Squire@greensandtrust.org]
Sent: 14 January 2014 21:36
To: Malcolm Willis; Tim Spencer; bazbreed@hotmail.com; 'Colin Atkins'; 'Dave Clarke'; 'David Moffatt'; 'James Miller'; 'Jane Breed'; 'John Buxton'; 'John Pitts'; 'Kelvin Horton'; 'Malcolm Willis'; 'Marie Mead'; 'Maryla Carter'; 'Peter Stafferton'; 'Roger Christopher'; 'Ros Blevins'; 'Steve Jones'; Sue Raven; 'Tim Chamen'; wendy.copper@virginmedia.com
Cc: She who must be obeyed
Subject: RE: A Right Royal Do!
Good to see you now have an official email Sue .
Well done Malcolm for making me laugh , very good thank you and to Jock with hot bum in fire.
And thank you all too for working so hard with or without Royal Cake!
Regards
Steve
From: Malcolm Willis [malcolmJwillis@btinternet.com]
Sent: 14 January 2014 21:13
To: Tim Spencer; bazbreed@hotmail.com; 'Colin Atkins'; 'Dave Clarke'; 'David Moffatt'; 'James Miller'; 'Jane Breed'; 'John Buxton'; 'John Pitts'; 'Kelvin Horton'; 'Malcolm Willis'; 'Marie Mead'; 'Maryla Carter'; 'Peter Stafferton'; 'Roger Christopher'; 'Ros Blevins'; 'Steve Jones'; Steve Squire; Sue Raven; 'Tim Chamen'; wendy.copper@virginmedia.com
Cc: She who must be obeyed
Subject: A Right Royal Do!
The stately limousine sailed into sight like a swan upon an enchanted lake. The blue eye that is heaven became bedazzled by the occasion, even the golden beams of universal eternity dipped in homage. The line of voles, once ordinary looking, became unworthy in the instant. The conveyance glided to a halt. The door opened. Hearts that only seconds ago had been pounding chests for freedom were now in suspended animation and inexplicably in mouths agog in anticipation. And then there she was. Serenely climbing down the stepladders (which had been thoughtfully placed out of view of the cameras), she emerged onto the immediately hallowed turf of SSNR [By Appointment to Her Right Royaltiness the Lady Youthfulness].
The appointed Dave stepped forward and humbled himself. An unfortunate occurrence given the magnitude of the occasion. The reserve Dave stepped into the breach. Another unfortunate occurrence! Finally the ‘if all else fails’ Dave came to the rescue.
Bowing so low it made his eyes water he addressed her Supreme Being: “Your Majestyness, if I may be so humbly bold as to..”
Her ladyship interrupted as only one of noble birth can: “Are you a Dimbleby Dave?”
‘If all else fails’ Dave: “Err no?”
Her Exquisiteness: “Then go away.” The nobility of the extended hand flutter in Dave’s direction and immediately he was dispatched as like a game bird on the 1st September.
Her Exquisite Ladyshipness: “My husband and I..” A half turn to the limo revealed a slight glitch. “Oh bother, I must have left him somewhere again. Never mind, I shall continue. Myself and I remember only too vividly the diem horribilis that was last week. But we must move on.”
So saying Her Supremeliness moved on proffering dainty dexterous digits for the gathered ensemble to pucker up their trembling lips to.
Her Regality: “Oh I say what an obnoxious hound.”
Several male voles looked even further ashamed and took several steps back towards oblivion.
Her Lady Regal Exquisiteness: “I was referring to the dog.”
The males voles teetered on the edge of the abyss that is ordinariness. One brave soul remarked: “That is Jock, a rescued dog, he was found in a large, handbag, with handles. He was probably brought up in it.”
Her Lady Ladyness:“ I must confess that I feel somewhat bewildered by what you have just told me. To be born, or at any rate bred in a handbag, whether it have handles or not, seems to me to display a contempt for the ordinary decencies of family life which reminds one of the worst excesses of the French revolution, and I presume you know what that unfortunate movement led to?
The voles shook their heads, a few too vigorously causing them to fall off!
Brave Soul: “ Err yessum your womanliness. We believe he lost his parents and so we’ve adopted him like.”
Her Lady Ladyshipness: “To lose one parent, my good man, may be regarded as a misfortune; to lose both looks like carelessness.”
Little old lady with straw sticking out from under one arm (One Arm!!!!): He’s only being truthful you’re Omnipotence. He’s very earnest so he is and that’s what makes him so highly regarded by us all. ” Having said all this the little old lady retired to lie down until lunchtime.
Lady Youthfulness: “Well I suppose that’s the importance of being earnest.”
[I bet that’s made Oscar wild!]
Little old lady with straw sticking out from under one arm (One Arm!!!!): “Who’s Oscar?”
So many congratulation to Lady Sue on yet another birthday without a cake big enough to hold all the candles.
No doubt Mr Pitts will shortly be circulating a stunning array of pics so all who weren’t there today will see what the rest of us were up to. Basically following the Squire around, picking up loads of cut reeds (or in a little old lady’s case an odd bunch here and there!); carting them off to be burnt; telling the Squire not to go in the boggy bit; pulling the Squire out of the boggy bit!; showing the Squire were to cut next; sending out explorers to find where the Squire went!; telling the Squire it’s time to stop cutting; retelling the Squire it’s time to stop cutting; telling the local warden to stop telling the Squire to keep cutting!; getting bored of feeding the fire while the mound of cut reeds keeps growing; setting fire to the mound of cut reeds and blaming it on the person furthest away (Colin); eating muffins; eating biscuits (thanks Lillybeth); eating chocolate cake off the ground (thanks Maryla!); eating Jaffa cakes; moaning that there is no pudding!; moaning that Her Ladyship didn’t bring a birthday cake! and generally having fun.
Thanks to everyone who left early and didn’t stay to watch Jock walk across the ash (several times), try to make a ‘nest’ in the hot ash! (he dashed out pretty quick) and finally lie down in the ash!!!
Malcolm.
Date:Jan 15 2014, 10:51 AM
Subject:
RE: A Right Royal Do!
Show full header
Dear All
Thank you your Majesty and loyal subjects. This speedy correspondence has saved me a lot of palava etc so I shall just say my snaps are up on flickr now at www.flickr.com/photos/pitzys_pyx/.
I should like to say that we missed TWF all day (yes we did) but cold 90s humour might here say "but I couldn't" just for a snigger. I should also like to say thank you to:
Maryla for her Sandy Smith Mud Pies
Liz M for her wonderful shortcake biscuits (the choc chip ones were particularly good :))
Malcolm X for his fruit and vanilla buns, they were very very tasty.
Whoever brought the Jaffa Cakes
To you all for your laughs and banter.
Dave Lowe for his folk and Beetles songs.
For those who wondered why I had stopped by the road side on my way home see the first snap.
Cheers
JP
Now this is what makes Tuesdays such fun and keeps me nearly sane – you should see me when I’m really balmy! Very many apologies for the lack of cake – I will try hardy next time (depending on the day and the venue!).
Thanks for all the grovelling and the wonderful singing. Could you just shorten my name to She as long as I promise not to do an “Ursula Undress” and wear a chamois leather. Thanks also for the decent weather, not that it was cold where I was standing!
I can report that I was at the Rufus Centre this afternoon and there was JB, Audrey and their lovely daughter. JB allowed me to feel his new pulse and I can recommend it as a strange experience and I think he’s got a battery somewhere that gives electric twitches.
Bon voyage to the Breeds who will be sadly missed for a while. See the rest of you somewhere in the wilds of Bedfordshire and hopefully next Tuesday.
Thanks Mr. Kippling – your writing talents are beyond compare and your cakes are pretty wonderful too. Tally Ho! She
From: Steve Squire [mailto:Steve.Squire@greensandtrust.org]
Sent: 14 January 2014 21:36
To: Malcolm Willis; Tim Spencer; bazbreed@hotmail.com; 'Colin Atkins'; 'Dave Clarke'; 'David Moffatt'; 'James Miller'; 'Jane Breed'; 'John Buxton'; 'John Pitts'; 'Kelvin Horton'; 'Malcolm Willis'; 'Marie Mead'; 'Maryla Carter'; 'Peter Stafferton'; 'Roger Christopher'; 'Ros Blevins'; 'Steve Jones'; Sue Raven; 'Tim Chamen'; wendy.copper@virginmedia.com
Cc: She who must be obeyed
Subject: RE: A Right Royal Do!
Good to see you now have an official email Sue .
Well done Malcolm for making me laugh , very good thank you and to Jock with hot bum in fire.
And thank you all too for working so hard with or without Royal Cake!
Regards
Steve
From: Malcolm Willis [malcolmJwillis@btinternet.com]
Sent: 14 January 2014 21:13
To: Tim Spencer; bazbreed@hotmail.com; 'Colin Atkins'; 'Dave Clarke'; 'David Moffatt'; 'James Miller'; 'Jane Breed'; 'John Buxton'; 'John Pitts'; 'Kelvin Horton'; 'Malcolm Willis'; 'Marie Mead'; 'Maryla Carter'; 'Peter Stafferton'; 'Roger Christopher'; 'Ros Blevins'; 'Steve Jones'; Steve Squire; Sue Raven; 'Tim Chamen'; wendy.copper@virginmedia.com
Cc: She who must be obeyed
Subject: A Right Royal Do!
The stately limousine sailed into sight like a swan upon an enchanted lake. The blue eye that is heaven became bedazzled by the occasion, even the golden beams of universal eternity dipped in homage. The line of voles, once ordinary looking, became unworthy in the instant. The conveyance glided to a halt. The door opened. Hearts that only seconds ago had been pounding chests for freedom were now in suspended animation and inexplicably in mouths agog in anticipation. And then there she was. Serenely climbing down the stepladders (which had been thoughtfully placed out of view of the cameras), she emerged onto the immediately hallowed turf of SSNR [By Appointment to Her Right Royaltiness the Lady Youthfulness].
The appointed Dave stepped forward and humbled himself. An unfortunate occurrence given the magnitude of the occasion. The reserve Dave stepped into the breach. Another unfortunate occurrence! Finally the ‘if all else fails’ Dave came to the rescue.
Bowing so low it made his eyes water he addressed her Supreme Being: “Your Majestyness, if I may be so humbly bold as to..”
Her ladyship interrupted as only one of noble birth can: “Are you a Dimbleby Dave?”
‘If all else fails’ Dave: “Err no?”
Her Exquisiteness: “Then go away.” The nobility of the extended hand flutter in Dave’s direction and immediately he was dispatched as like a game bird on the 1st September.
Her Exquisite Ladyshipness: “My husband and I..” A half turn to the limo revealed a slight glitch. “Oh bother, I must have left him somewhere again. Never mind, I shall continue. Myself and I remember only too vividly the diem horribilis that was last week. But we must move on.”
So saying Her Supremeliness moved on proffering dainty dexterous digits for the gathered ensemble to pucker up their trembling lips to.
Her Regality: “Oh I say what an obnoxious hound.”
Several male voles looked even further ashamed and took several steps back towards oblivion.
Her Lady Regal Exquisiteness: “I was referring to the dog.”
The males voles teetered on the edge of the abyss that is ordinariness. One brave soul remarked: “That is Jock, a rescued dog, he was found in a large, handbag, with handles. He was probably brought up in it.”
Her Lady Ladyness:“ I must confess that I feel somewhat bewildered by what you have just told me. To be born, or at any rate bred in a handbag, whether it have handles or not, seems to me to display a contempt for the ordinary decencies of family life which reminds one of the worst excesses of the French revolution, and I presume you know what that unfortunate movement led to?
The voles shook their heads, a few too vigorously causing them to fall off!
Brave Soul: “ Err yessum your womanliness. We believe he lost his parents and so we’ve adopted him like.”
Her Lady Ladyshipness: “To lose one parent, my good man, may be regarded as a misfortune; to lose both looks like carelessness.”
Little old lady with straw sticking out from under one arm (One Arm!!!!): He’s only being truthful you’re Omnipotence. He’s very earnest so he is and that’s what makes him so highly regarded by us all. ” Having said all this the little old lady retired to lie down until lunchtime.
Lady Youthfulness: “Well I suppose that’s the importance of being earnest.”
[I bet that’s made Oscar wild!]
Little old lady with straw sticking out from under one arm (One Arm!!!!): “Who’s Oscar?”
So many congratulation to Lady Sue on yet another birthday without a cake big enough to hold all the candles.
No doubt Mr Pitts will shortly be circulating a stunning array of pics so all who weren’t there today will see what the rest of us were up to. Basically following the Squire around, picking up loads of cut reeds (or in a little old lady’s case an odd bunch here and there!); carting them off to be burnt; telling the Squire not to go in the boggy bit; pulling the Squire out of the boggy bit!; showing the Squire were to cut next; sending out explorers to find where the Squire went!; telling the Squire it’s time to stop cutting; retelling the Squire it’s time to stop cutting; telling the local warden to stop telling the Squire to keep cutting!; getting bored of feeding the fire while the mound of cut reeds keeps growing; setting fire to the mound of cut reeds and blaming it on the person furthest away (Colin); eating muffins; eating biscuits (thanks Lillybeth); eating chocolate cake off the ground (thanks Maryla!); eating Jaffa cakes; moaning that there is no pudding!; moaning that Her Ladyship didn’t bring a birthday cake! and generally having fun.
Thanks to everyone who left early and didn’t stay to watch Jock walk across the ash (several times), try to make a ‘nest’ in the hot ash! (he dashed out pretty quick) and finally lie down in the ash!!!
Malcolm.
This section will show that the Gnostic Gospels had alchemy throughout the material. Also, I will show that Jesus was familiar with this material. Possibly it is an answer as to how Jesus did accomplish some of his work. The material is from the Nag Hammadi Library, and other texts that will be noted. also as this is about alchemy and religion, I want first to put information down as to what was thought to be concerning these subjects. This information is from From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia...Alchemy covers several philosophical traditions spanning some four millennia and three continents. These traditions' general penchant for cryptic and symbolic language makes it hard to trace their mutual influences and "genetic" relationships. One can distinguish at least three major strands, which appear to be largely independent, at least in their earlier stages: Chinese alchemy, centered in China and its zone of cultural influence; Indian alchemy, centred around the Indian subcontinent; and Western alchemy, which occurred around the Mediterranean and whose center has shifted over the millennia from ancient Egypt, to the Greco-Roman world, to the Islamic world, and finally medieval Europe. Chinese alchemy was closely connected to Taoism and Indian alchemy with the Dharmic faiths, whereas Western alchemy developed its own philosophical system that was largely independent of, but influenced by, various Western religions. It is still an open question whether these three strands share a common origin, or to what extent they influenced each other.
Authors Note. ancient Egypt is hardly mentioned. But, from G. Masseys work it is evident that in the ancient past there was a One World Religion. It is my opinion that all our present day religions stem from this ancient understanding of how Nature worked to produce perfection. The Great Secret was always maintained by what we would call "Holy Men" of the past. Alchemists in our near time. Jesus being one of them. I can't say where the science originated, only that it is ancient. I have shown in my work that the defining of the Constellations by word definitions is from this science as the word definitions define the steps of the process and so means the constellations or times overhead during the year, were defined by what was physically happening to the matter in the below. The origin of western alchemy may generally be traced to Hellenistic Egypt. It is claimed by Zosimos of Panopolis that alchemy dated back to ancient Egypt where it was the domain of the priestly class; there is little or no evidence for such a claim though.[1]Egyptian alchemy is known mostly through the writings of (Hellenic) Greek philosophers, some surviving only in Syriac and Arabic translations. Few original Egyptian documents on alchemy have survived, most notable among them the Stockholm papyrus and the Leyden papyrus X, though even these are from the Christian period. Many writings were lost when the emperor Diocletian ordered the burning of alchemical books[2] after suppressing a revolt in Alexandria (292), which had been a center of Egyptian alchemy.
Legend has it[who?] that the founder of Egyptian alchemy was the god Thoth, called Hermes-Thoth or Thrice-Great Hermes (Hermes Trismegistus) by the Greeks. According to legend, he wrote what were called the forty-two Books of Knowledge, covering all fields of knowledge—including alchemy. Hermes's symbol was the caduceus or serpent-staff, which became one of many of alchemy's principal symbols. The "Emerald Tablet" or Hermetica of Thrice-Great Hermes, which is known only through Greek and Arabic translations, is generally understood[who?] to form the basis for Western alchemical philosophy and practice, called the hermetic philosophy by its early practitioners.
The first point of the "Emerald Tablet" tells the purpose of hermetic science: "in truth certainly and without doubt, whatever is below is like that which is above, and whatever is above is like that which is below, to accomplish the miracles of one thing."[3] This is the macrocosm-microcosm belief central to the hermetic philosophy. In other words, the human body (the microcosm) is affected by the exterior world (the macrocosm), which includes the heavens through astrology, and the earth through the elements. Though when one gains mastery over their inner world, they begin to be able to control the exterior world in unconventional ways.Authors Note. basically alchemy is about how to use everything outside with a glass pyramid oven to perfect matter. The Emerald Tablet is a Creation Epic, ancient and understood as the same as Genesis. I will discuss and explain it later. Now above it discusses the human body! alchemy is about perfecting matter! It is done by controlling the forces of Nature throughout the year. The steps or times of the stone are found during the 16 month process. What happened at those time became our religious holidays and created our belief system. It was a way of life to the ancients and for them gave the First Organized Religion of Osiris. That is the most ancient I have found concerning this material. That religion and this process is the basis for all religions today.The Hellenistic city of Alexandria in Egypt was a center of Greek alchemical knowledge, and retained its preeminence through most of the Greek and Roman periods. The Greeks appropriated the hermetical beliefs of the Egyptians and melded with them the philosophies of Pythagoreanism, ionianism, and gnosticism. Pythagorean philosophy is, essentially, the belief that numbers rule the universe, originating from the observations of sound, stars, and geometric shapes like triangles, or anything from which a ratio could be derived. Ionian thought was based on the belief that the universe could be explained through concentration on natural phenomena; this philosophy is believed to have originated with Thales and his pupil Anaximander, and later developed by Plato and Aristotle, whose works came to be an integral part of alchemy. According to this belief, the universe can be described by a few unified natural laws that can be determined only through careful, thorough, and exacting philosophical explorations. The third component introduced to hermetical philosophy by the Greeks was gnosticism, a belief prevalent in the Christian and early post-Christian Roman empire, that the world is imperfect because it was created in a flawed manner, and that learning about the nature of spiritual matter would lead to salvation. They further believed that God did not "create" the universe in the classic sense, but that the universe was created "from" him, but was corrupted in the process (rather than becoming corrupted by the transgressions of Adam and Eve, that is, original sin). Many Gnostic sects further held the Biblical deity to be evil and viewed him as a fallen emanation of the High God whom they sought to worship and unite with; however, the aspect of the Abrahamic god as being evil really played no role in alchemy but the aspect of ascending to the high god probably had a great deal of influence. Platonic and neo-Platonic theories about universals and the omnipotence of God were also absorbed (their main beliefs see the physical aspect of the world as being imperfect and think of God as a transcendent cosmic mind).One very important concept introduced at this time, originated by Empedocles and developed by Aristotle, was that all things in the universe were formed from only four elements: earth, air, water, and fire. According to Aristotle, each element had a sphere to which it belonged and to which it would return if left undisturbed.The four elements of the Greek were mostly qualitative aspects of matter, not quantitative, as our modern elements are. "...True alchemy never regarded earth, air, water, and fire as corporeal or chemical substances in the present-day sense of the word. The four elements are simply the primary, and most general, qualities by means of which the amorphous and purely quantitative substance of all bodies first reveals itself in differentiated form."Later alchemists extensively developed the mystical aspects of this concept.Authors Note. This section is here because I will be quoting material from each person that is mentioned. Many have names familiar to you. as the alchemists I listed. In the past, everyone that was anyone knew of this information and described it correctly. also please note above about the "Evil" that came into being with the Gnosticism mentioned. That is also from this process and how it was understood by Philosophers of Holy men of that time period. It was not a part of the past. Also note above the mention of Adam and Eve, and consider the whole story of the creation of man (androgynous) That understanding is "also from" this process. We make androgynous material, and as it became a religion, that belief was carried over to later generations, peoples, who may not have truly understood the past religion that was ancient at the time of early Christianity. The four, "earth, air, fore and water," actually do make everything when you understand this process. Like all this information, we as a society never knew that as we never knew any of this explanation!\BACK TO TOP Stacks Image 408 Gnostic Page 2 Alchemy in the Renaissance and Modern Age..Because of its strong connections to the Greek and Roman cultures, alchemy was rather easily accepted into Christian philosophy, and Medieval European alchemists extensively absorbed Islamic alchemical knowledge. Gerbert of Aurillac, who was later to become Pope Silvester II, (d. 1003) was among the first to bring Islamic science to Europe from Spain. Later men such as Adelard of Bath, who lived in the 12th century, brought additional learning. But until the 13th century the moves were mainly assimilative. In this period there appeared some deviations from the Augustinian principles of earlier Christian thinkers. Saint Anselm (1033–1109) was a Benedictine who believed faith must precede rationalism, as Augustine and most theologians prior to Anselm had believed, but Anselm put forth the opinion that faith and rationalism were compatible and encouraged rationalism in a Christian context. His views set the stage for the philosophical explosion to occur. Peter Abelard followed Anselm's work, laying the foundation for acceptance of Aristotelian thought before the first works of Aristotle reached the West. His major influence on alchemy was his belief that Platonic universals did not have a separate existence outside of man's consciousness. Abelard also systematized the analysis of philosophical contradictions.Robert Grosseteste (1170–1253) was a pioneer of the scientific theory that would later be used and refined by the alchemists. He took Abelard's methods of analysis and added the use of observations, experimentation, and conclusions in making scientific evaluations. Grosseteste also did much work to bridge Platonic and Aristotelian thinking. Albertus Magnus (1193–1280) and Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274) were both Dominicans who studied Aristotle and worked at reconciling the differences between philosophy and Christianity. Aquinas also did a great deal of work in developing the scientific method. He even went as far as claiming that universals could be discovered only through logical reasoning, and, since reason could not run in opposition to God, reason must be compatible with theology.[26] This ran contrary to the commonly held Platonic belief that universals were found through divine illumination alone. Magnus and Aquinas were among the first to take up the examination of alchemical theory, and could be considered to be alchemists themselves, except that these two did little in the way of experimentation.The first true alchemist in Medieval Europe was Roger Bacon. His work did as much for alchemy as Robert Boyle's was to do for chemistry and Galileo's for astronomy and physics. Bacon (1214–1294) was an Oxford Franciscan who explored optics and languages in addition to alchemy. The Franciscan ideals of taking on the world rather than rejecting the world led to his conviction that experimentation was more important than reasoning: "Of the three ways in which men think that they acquire knowledge of things: authority, reasoning, and experience; only the last is effective and able to bring peace to the intellect." (Bacon p. 367) "Experimental Science controls the conclusions of all other sciences. It reveals truths which reasoning from general principles would never have discovered."[25] Roger Bacon has also been attributed with originating the search for the philosopher's stone and the elixir of life: "That medicine which will remove all impurities and corruptibilities from the lesser metals will also, in the opinion of the wise, take off so much of the corruptibility of the body that human life may be prolonged for many centuries." The idea of immortality was replaced with the notion of long life; after all, man's time on Earth was simply to wait and prepare for immortality in the world of God. Immortality on Earth did not mesh with Christian theology.Bacon was not the only alchemist of the high Middle Ages, but he was the most significant. His works were used by countless alchemists of the fifteenth through nineteenth centuries. Other alchemists of Bacon's time shared several traits. First, and most obviously, nearly all were members of the clergy. This was simply because few people outside the parochial schools had the education to examine the Arabic-derived works. Also, alchemy at this time was sanctioned by the church as a good method of exploring and developing theology. Alchemy was interesting to the wide variety of churchmen because it offered a rationalistic view of the universe when men were just beginning to learn about rationalism.So by the end of the thirteenth century, alchemy had developed into a fairly structured system of belief. Adepts believed in the macrocosm-microcosm theories of Hermes, that is to say, they believed that processes that affect minerals and other substances could have an effect on the human body (for example, if one could learn the secret of purifying gold, one could use the technique to purify the human soul). They believed in the four elements and the four qualities as described above, and they had a strong tradition of cloaking their written ideas in a labyrinth of coded jargon set with traps to mislead the uninitiated. Finally, the alchemists practiced their art: they actively experimented with chemicals and made observations and theories about how the universe operated. Their entire philosophy revolved around their belief that man's soul was divided within himself after the fall of Adam. By purifying the two parts of man's soul, man could be reunited with God.In the fourteenth century, these views underwent a major change. William of Ockham, an Oxford Franciscan who died in 1349, attacked the Thomist view of compatibility between faith and reason. His view, widely accepted today, was that God must be accepted on faith alone; He could not be limited by human reason. Of course this view was not incorrect if one accepted the postulate of a limitless God versus limited human reasoning capability, but it virtually erased alchemy from practice in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries.[30] Pope John XXII in the early 1300s issued an edict against alchemy, which effectively removed all church personnel from the practice of the Art. [31] The climate changes, Black plague, and increase in warfare and famine that characterized this century no doubt also served to hamper philosophical pursuits in general.Stacks Image 4159Nicolas Flamel had these mysterious alchemical symbols carved on his tomb in the Church of the Holy Innocents in Paris.Alchemy was kept alive by men such as Nicolas Flamel, who was noteworthy only because he was one of the few alchemists writing in those troubled times. Flamel lived from 1330 to 1417 and would serve as the archetype for the next phase of alchemy. He was not a religious scholar as were many of his predecessors, and his entire interest in the subject revolved around the pursuit of the philosopher's stone, which he is reputed to have found; his work spends a great deal of time describing the processes and reactions, but never actually gives the formula for carrying out the transmutations. Most of his work was aimed at gathering alchemical knowledge that had existed before him, especially as regarded the philosophers' stone..Through the late Middle Ages (1300–1500) alchemists were much like Flamel: they concentrated on looking for the philosophers' stone and the elixir of youth, now believed to be separate things. Their cryptic allusions and symbolism led to wide variations in interpretation of the art. For example, many alchemists during this period interpreted the purification of the soul to mean the transmutation of lead into gold (in which they believed elemental mercury, or 'quicksilver', played a crucial role). These men were viewed as magicians and sorcerers by many, and were often persecuted for their practices.One of these men who emerged at the beginning of the sixteenth century was the German Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa (1486–1535). This alchemist believed himself to be a wizard capable of summoning spirits. His influence was negligible, but like Flamel, he produced writings which were referred to by alchemists of later years. Again like Flamel, he did much to change alchemy from a mystical philosophy to an occultist magic. He did keep alive the philosophies of the earlier alchemists, including experimental science, numerology, etc., but he added magic theory, which reinforced the idea of alchemy as an occultist belief. In spite of all this, Agrippa still considered himself a Christian, though his views often came into conflict with the church.Authors Note. By reading this material at the start of this section one should develop an understanding of what it was thought that alchemy was and what about. Note long life or a medicine. Note Gold and Silver and precious stones. many things are attributed to the stone. But note also what the stone really was, was kept Secret. Again recognize the names. Along with these persons, the Secret Societies , the (Masons) founding fathers of America, the list is long and always filled with noteworthy men. What was the "Great Secret" they always knew but hide from you? Was Jesus one of them? You decide from what is written.
Date:Jan 15 2014, 10:51 AM
Subject:
RE: A Right Royal Do!
Show full header
Dear All
Thank you your Majesty and loyal subjects. This speedy correspondence has saved me a lot of palava etc so I shall just say my snaps are up on flickr now at www.flickr.com/photos/pitzys_pyx/.
I should like to say that we missed TWF all day (yes we did) but cold 90s humour might here say "but I couldn't" just for a snigger. I should also like to say thank you to:
Maryla for her Sandy Smith Mud Pies
Liz M for her wonderful shortcake biscuits (the choc chip ones were particularly good :))
Malcolm X for his fruit and vanilla buns, they were very very tasty.
Whoever brought the Jaffa Cakes
To you all for your laughs and banter.
Dave Lowe for his folk and Beetles songs.
For those who wondered why I had stopped by the road side on my way home see the first snap.
Cheers
JP
Now this is what makes Tuesdays such fun and keeps me nearly sane – you should see me when I’m really balmy! Very many apologies for the lack of cake – I will try hardy next time (depending on the day and the venue!).
Thanks for all the grovelling and the wonderful singing. Could you just shorten my name to She as long as I promise not to do an “Ursula Undress” and wear a chamois leather. Thanks also for the decent weather, not that it was cold where I was standing!
I can report that I was at the Rufus Centre this afternoon and there was JB, Audrey and their lovely daughter. JB allowed me to feel his new pulse and I can recommend it as a strange experience and I think he’s got a battery somewhere that gives electric twitches.
Bon voyage to the Breeds who will be sadly missed for a while. See the rest of you somewhere in the wilds of Bedfordshire and hopefully next Tuesday.
Thanks Mr. Kippling – your writing talents are beyond compare and your cakes are pretty wonderful too. Tally Ho! She
From: Steve Squire [mailto:Steve.Squire@greensandtrust.org]
Sent: 14 January 2014 21:36
To: Malcolm Willis; Tim Spencer; bazbreed@hotmail.com; 'Colin Atkins'; 'Dave Clarke'; 'David Moffatt'; 'James Miller'; 'Jane Breed'; 'John Buxton'; 'John Pitts'; 'Kelvin Horton'; 'Malcolm Willis'; 'Marie Mead'; 'Maryla Carter'; 'Peter Stafferton'; 'Roger Christopher'; 'Ros Blevins'; 'Steve Jones'; Sue Raven; 'Tim Chamen'; wendy.copper@virginmedia.com
Cc: She who must be obeyed
Subject: RE: A Right Royal Do!
Good to see you now have an official email Sue .
Well done Malcolm for making me laugh , very good thank you and to Jock with hot bum in fire.
And thank you all too for working so hard with or without Royal Cake!
Regards
Steve
From: Malcolm Willis [malcolmJwillis@btinternet.com]
Sent: 14 January 2014 21:13
To: Tim Spencer; bazbreed@hotmail.com; 'Colin Atkins'; 'Dave Clarke'; 'David Moffatt'; 'James Miller'; 'Jane Breed'; 'John Buxton'; 'John Pitts'; 'Kelvin Horton'; 'Malcolm Willis'; 'Marie Mead'; 'Maryla Carter'; 'Peter Stafferton'; 'Roger Christopher'; 'Ros Blevins'; 'Steve Jones'; Steve Squire; Sue Raven; 'Tim Chamen'; wendy.copper@virginmedia.com
Cc: She who must be obeyed
Subject: A Right Royal Do!
The stately limousine sailed into sight like a swan upon an enchanted lake. The blue eye that is heaven became bedazzled by the occasion, even the golden beams of universal eternity dipped in homage. The line of voles, once ordinary looking, became unworthy in the instant. The conveyance glided to a halt. The door opened. Hearts that only seconds ago had been pounding chests for freedom were now in suspended animation and inexplicably in mouths agog in anticipation. And then there she was. Serenely climbing down the stepladders (which had been thoughtfully placed out of view of the cameras), she emerged onto the immediately hallowed turf of SSNR [By Appointment to Her Right Royaltiness the Lady Youthfulness].
The appointed Dave stepped forward and humbled himself. An unfortunate occurrence given the magnitude of the occasion. The reserve Dave stepped into the breach. Another unfortunate occurrence! Finally the ‘if all else fails’ Dave came to the rescue.
Bowing so low it made his eyes water he addressed her Supreme Being: “Your Majestyness, if I may be so humbly bold as to..”
Her ladyship interrupted as only one of noble birth can: “Are you a Dimbleby Dave?”
‘If all else fails’ Dave: “Err no?”
Her Exquisiteness: “Then go away.” The nobility of the extended hand flutter in Dave’s direction and immediately he was dispatched as like a game bird on the 1st September.
Her Exquisite Ladyshipness: “My husband and I..” A half turn to the limo revealed a slight glitch. “Oh bother, I must have left him somewhere again. Never mind, I shall continue. Myself and I remember only too vividly the diem horribilis that was last week. But we must move on.”
So saying Her Supremeliness moved on proffering dainty dexterous digits for the gathered ensemble to pucker up their trembling lips to.
Her Regality: “Oh I say what an obnoxious hound.”
Several male voles looked even further ashamed and took several steps back towards oblivion.
Her Lady Regal Exquisiteness: “I was referring to the dog.”
The males voles teetered on the edge of the abyss that is ordinariness. One brave soul remarked: “That is Jock, a rescued dog, he was found in a large, handbag, with handles. He was probably brought up in it.”
Her Lady Ladyness:“ I must confess that I feel somewhat bewildered by what you have just told me. To be born, or at any rate bred in a handbag, whether it have handles or not, seems to me to display a contempt for the ordinary decencies of family life which reminds one of the worst excesses of the French revolution, and I presume you know what that unfortunate movement led to?
The voles shook their heads, a few too vigorously causing them to fall off!
Brave Soul: “ Err yessum your womanliness. We believe he lost his parents and so we’ve adopted him like.”
Her Lady Ladyshipness: “To lose one parent, my good man, may be regarded as a misfortune; to lose both looks like carelessness.”
Little old lady with straw sticking out from under one arm (One Arm!!!!): He’s only being truthful you’re Omnipotence. He’s very earnest so he is and that’s what makes him so highly regarded by us all. ” Having said all this the little old lady retired to lie down until lunchtime.
Lady Youthfulness: “Well I suppose that’s the importance of being earnest.”
[I bet that’s made Oscar wild!]
Little old lady with straw sticking out from under one arm (One Arm!!!!): “Who’s Oscar?”
So many congratulation to Lady Sue on yet another birthday without a cake big enough to hold all the candles.
No doubt Mr Pitts will shortly be circulating a stunning array of pics so all who weren’t there today will see what the rest of us were up to. Basically following the Squire around, picking up loads of cut reeds (or in a little old lady’s case an odd bunch here and there!); carting them off to be burnt; telling the Squire not to go in the boggy bit; pulling the Squire out of the boggy bit!; showing the Squire were to cut next; sending out explorers to find where the Squire went!; telling the Squire it’s time to stop cutting; retelling the Squire it’s time to stop cutting; telling the local warden to stop telling the Squire to keep cutting!; getting bored of feeding the fire while the mound of cut reeds keeps growing; setting fire to the mound of cut reeds and blaming it on the person furthest away (Colin); eating muffins; eating biscuits (thanks Lillybeth); eating chocolate cake off the ground (thanks Maryla!); eating Jaffa cakes; moaning that there is no pudding!; moaning that Her Ladyship didn’t bring a birthday cake! and generally having fun.
Thanks to everyone who left early and didn’t stay to watch Jock walk across the ash (several times), try to make a ‘nest’ in the hot ash! (he dashed out pretty quick) and finally lie down in the ash!!!
Malcolm.
www.adma1.com/Saddam_Hussein.htm
video of the execution oF Sadam Husain
such an offensive end to a man who had the omnipotence of everything
اذكرووو امواتكم بخير
لاحول ولاقوة الا بالله
ان لله وانا اليه راجعووون
In the image I'm outside the universes in the latex Multiverse where I like making a few new universes :3 and they will all be super shiny to :D
Within the Omniverse there have been 3 big times lines where I have existed within them all. In the 1st timeline I was just a latex teen girl hottie who went to a school called Shiny-high I was the hottest girl and loves to where nothing but sexy shiny latex outfits. after that life I went to hell and became a succubus as I was a naughty girl but I took over all hell and became the new ruler, but I was a good demon girl a latex beautiful seductress succubus. I took all powers and latex took over all the universe turning all into latex and I was macde of nothing but latex also. and then all the universes till all the Multiverse was mine. This was the 2nd timeline. My latex multiverse was called Multiverse 0016. and there was lots of Multiverses but only 0016 was mine as I was sweet 16 forever, There was lots of Multiverses rulers by other high powerful beings within the superverse and lots of superverses with the Omniverse, There was another latex girl trying to take other everything. But I wanted everything and more so my wish is now to take over and rule all the Omniverse.
Multiverse 0016 = (Latex land) Latex land is a multiverse which is ruled by me the latex goddess Moniree. Also known as Shiny-Moniree in the Multiverse 0001 and Moni as a nickname.
Within latex land I have powers over all the millions of universes of latex land which has been name the Latexverses or to some the Shinyverses :3
Powers:
1) Creation, Modification and Reality Warping: I can create and modify environments, transforming entire universes into nothing but shiny latex. Omnipotence altering physical realities according to my desires. This is how I took over one universes after another till all the multiverse was all the way shiny the way I wanted it to be.
2) Time Manipulation: power to play with time. Like a when I become goddess I changed the pass so I had always ruled from the start of time. I did this so all would know of me and worship only me and also that I had been made of latex and live in a all latex reality, sitting on the highest throne and ruling all things. All the rubberdolls of latex land not know of anything beyond latex land.
3 ) Omnipresence and Worship: I’m worshipped by all showing I possess a presence that transcends normal limitations. This could suggest powers associated with charisma or divine authority, enabling Me to command loyalty and reverence from those around. All the princess, queens and deitys are below me and worship me.
4) Sexiness and beauty: I’m the fairest and hottest girl of all time, who has the most perfect body, with long slender legs, hourglass figure. face and make-up is very pretty. I’m made of nothing but latex with red latex skin, hot-pink latex twin-tail hair and wearing nothing but the sexiest and most shiny outfits. My moves in very sassy girly sexy ways by showing off hot poses and catwalks. All who look at lust me get a crush as it makes them weak and wish to bow in worship my alluring behaviour and prettiness. It’s this sexyness which gives me power to dominate and get spoiled.
5) Teleportation and Inter-dimensional portals: Can teleport where ever I like within Multiverse 0016. And If I want to go to another Universe I can make an new Inter-dimensional portal, thats how I found the minecraft universe and was not happy with it not being all latex, so I remade it by transforming it into nothing but latex and renaming it into Shinecraft, and star wars became Shine wars where there shop fighting over galaxy domination, and started fighting over latex domination where evil black latex clad dominatrix’s would take the thrones as high emperoress, as the dark side of rubberdolls. This Inter-dimensional travel is how I took over Multiverse 0016.
6) Dreams and realities: I have a few times gone into dream like worlds like the like the fractal realm and the dreams of others to ask them if there coming to play when they wake up and the fix bad dream of her rubberdolls to make the dream-worlds more shiny and cute. I also gone into computer game realities like Tron, Spunland and playstation home, and even found my way into some of the other cartoon universes beyond my Multiverse in Multiverse 0012. Multiverse 0012 has latex lovers so I turned them into latex land like beings while keeping them in their cartoon forms.
7) Supreme Omnipotence: absolute power over all aspects of existence, even life and death. This power allows me to create or destroy universes at will.
8) Powers over good and evil: I may seem like a sweet kind girl, but I got my red latex skin due to my past as a beautiful seductress succubus, a demon of lust for my endless greed for more latex and sexiness. I got my powers from people lusting after me and spoiling me rotten. I was the latex princess of hell, who then became the latex queen of hell and later the goddess after the old ruler fell in lust to my beauty. But I was not evil in a wicked way, just a latex teen girl who lusted for endless shiny latex and pleasure and to be worshipped by all. So I made most of the demon’s kawaii and kind hearted and controlled there lust, I got rid of the nasty ones 100% and the lustful ones now work in a factory making toys for their high goddess sexy shiny me. With this power I can now controll my lust levels and help others controll there’s. So I can go as lustful as I wish when in the mood or be good as a pure latex angle, which I am 90% of the time. With this power and being a nice latex goddess there’s now such a thing a good latex demons, and the Multiverse 0016 has less evil in it than before. Also all within my multiverse are female due to the fact that I’m is hyper feminine and extremely girly.
9) Age Manipulation and immortality: I’ve been sweet 16 for a long time, I was 16 when I took the high throne of the timeline I deleted. I became immortal and wish not to age due to the liking of of my physical attractiveness as all called me a latex hottie. I have a youthful personality and love my shiny life never wanting it to end. Also as ruler I made all the latex land dolls immortal, where they can visit latex heaven and latex hell for an holiday, like keep warm by the fires of latex hell, while the latex demons give them latex lube massages.
10) Magical Energy: I can cast spells to and has taken the forms of latex sorcereress, is what I call shiny spells.
Personality
Even so being a high over-goddess I’m still just a 16 year old girl who still have a latex pink and purple dolly home by the sea and still go’s to shiny-school, when I feels like going that is. Even so I so much power I can be a bit dippy, clumsy and forgetful sometimes. I rarely use my high powers as I kind of got latex land how I like it.
More about Latex over-goddess Moniree
Name: Moniree
Nick names: Shiny-Moniree, Moni, Latex goddess Moniree, Latex barbie, Little-hottie, Latex, Sexy-shiny.
Multiverse: 0016
Height : 5, 3
Age: 16 forever
Hair colour: hot-pink
Eye colour: greenish blue
Favourite colours: pink, purple, red, and black
Sexually: bisexual lesbian
Personality: cute, kawaii, sassy, sexy, naughty, helpful, powerful, greedy, very dominant
Favourite fashion: Sexy shiny latex clothing.
Favourite clothing, very dominant sexy hot latex outfits, short-skirts, skin-tight catsuits, corsets, tops, jackets, stockings, and thigh high boots.
Wish in life: To rule all have everything, to be all powerful, and all beautiful, perfectly stunning in everyway, as hot and sexy as can be.
Skills: Making things, being sexy, knows everything about latex.
Levels of power and rule.
1) Princess
2) Queen = rules a country
3) Empress = rules a land mass
4) High empress = rules a world/planet
5) Galactic empress = Rules a galaxy
6) Goddess = rules a universe
7) High goddess = Rules a multiverse
8) Super goddess = rules superverse and all existence
9) Ultra Goddess = Rules all existence and non-existence
10) ??? = rules The Omniverse = have all powers and can make up new powers, rules all and everything, can make new things and delete anything.
I'm a High goddess = Rules a multiverse, as power as the MCU one above all. But I will one day go much higher.
Date:Jan 15 2014, 10:51 AM
Subject:
RE: A Right Royal Do!
Show full header
Dear All
Thank you your Majesty and loyal subjects. This speedy correspondence has saved me a lot of palava etc so I shall just say my snaps are up on flickr now at www.flickr.com/photos/pitzys_pyx/.
I should like to say that we missed TWF all day (yes we did) but cold 90s humour might here say "but I couldn't" just for a snigger. I should also like to say thank you to:
Maryla for her Sandy Smith Mud Pies
Liz M for her wonderful shortcake biscuits (the choc chip ones were particularly good :))
Malcolm X for his fruit and vanilla buns, they were very very tasty.
Whoever brought the Jaffa Cakes
To you all for your laughs and banter.
Dave Lowe for his folk and Beetles songs.
For those who wondered why I had stopped by the road side on my way home see the first snap.
Cheers
JP
Now this is what makes Tuesdays such fun and keeps me nearly sane – you should see me when I’m really balmy! Very many apologies for the lack of cake – I will try hardy next time (depending on the day and the venue!).
Thanks for all the grovelling and the wonderful singing. Could you just shorten my name to She as long as I promise not to do an “Ursula Undress” and wear a chamois leather. Thanks also for the decent weather, not that it was cold where I was standing!
I can report that I was at the Rufus Centre this afternoon and there was JB, Audrey and their lovely daughter. JB allowed me to feel his new pulse and I can recommend it as a strange experience and I think he’s got a battery somewhere that gives electric twitches.
Bon voyage to the Breeds who will be sadly missed for a while. See the rest of you somewhere in the wilds of Bedfordshire and hopefully next Tuesday.
Thanks Mr. Kippling – your writing talents are beyond compare and your cakes are pretty wonderful too. Tally Ho! She
From: Steve Squire [mailto:Steve.Squire@greensandtrust.org]
Sent: 14 January 2014 21:36
To: Malcolm Willis; Tim Spencer; bazbreed@hotmail.com; 'Colin Atkins'; 'Dave Clarke'; 'David Moffatt'; 'James Miller'; 'Jane Breed'; 'John Buxton'; 'John Pitts'; 'Kelvin Horton'; 'Malcolm Willis'; 'Marie Mead'; 'Maryla Carter'; 'Peter Stafferton'; 'Roger Christopher'; 'Ros Blevins'; 'Steve Jones'; Sue Raven; 'Tim Chamen'; wendy.copper@virginmedia.com
Cc: She who must be obeyed
Subject: RE: A Right Royal Do!
Good to see you now have an official email Sue .
Well done Malcolm for making me laugh , very good thank you and to Jock with hot bum in fire.
And thank you all too for working so hard with or without Royal Cake!
Regards
Steve
From: Malcolm Willis [malcolmJwillis@btinternet.com]
Sent: 14 January 2014 21:13
To: Tim Spencer; bazbreed@hotmail.com; 'Colin Atkins'; 'Dave Clarke'; 'David Moffatt'; 'James Miller'; 'Jane Breed'; 'John Buxton'; 'John Pitts'; 'Kelvin Horton'; 'Malcolm Willis'; 'Marie Mead'; 'Maryla Carter'; 'Peter Stafferton'; 'Roger Christopher'; 'Ros Blevins'; 'Steve Jones'; Steve Squire; Sue Raven; 'Tim Chamen'; wendy.copper@virginmedia.com
Cc: She who must be obeyed
Subject: A Right Royal Do!
The stately limousine sailed into sight like a swan upon an enchanted lake. The blue eye that is heaven became bedazzled by the occasion, even the golden beams of universal eternity dipped in homage. The line of voles, once ordinary looking, became unworthy in the instant. The conveyance glided to a halt. The door opened. Hearts that only seconds ago had been pounding chests for freedom were now in suspended animation and inexplicably in mouths agog in anticipation. And then there she was. Serenely climbing down the stepladders (which had been thoughtfully placed out of view of the cameras), she emerged onto the immediately hallowed turf of SSNR [By Appointment to Her Right Royaltiness the Lady Youthfulness].
The appointed Dave stepped forward and humbled himself. An unfortunate occurrence given the magnitude of the occasion. The reserve Dave stepped into the breach. Another unfortunate occurrence! Finally the ‘if all else fails’ Dave came to the rescue.
Bowing so low it made his eyes water he addressed her Supreme Being: “Your Majestyness, if I may be so humbly bold as to..”
Her ladyship interrupted as only one of noble birth can: “Are you a Dimbleby Dave?”
‘If all else fails’ Dave: “Err no?”
Her Exquisiteness: “Then go away.” The nobility of the extended hand flutter in Dave’s direction and immediately he was dispatched as like a game bird on the 1st September.
Her Exquisite Ladyshipness: “My husband and I..” A half turn to the limo revealed a slight glitch. “Oh bother, I must have left him somewhere again. Never mind, I shall continue. Myself and I remember only too vividly the diem horribilis that was last week. But we must move on.”
So saying Her Supremeliness moved on proffering dainty dexterous digits for the gathered ensemble to pucker up their trembling lips to.
Her Regality: “Oh I say what an obnoxious hound.”
Several male voles looked even further ashamed and took several steps back towards oblivion.
Her Lady Regal Exquisiteness: “I was referring to the dog.”
The males voles teetered on the edge of the abyss that is ordinariness. One brave soul remarked: “That is Jock, a rescued dog, he was found in a large, handbag, with handles. He was probably brought up in it.”
Her Lady Ladyness:“ I must confess that I feel somewhat bewildered by what you have just told me. To be born, or at any rate bred in a handbag, whether it have handles or not, seems to me to display a contempt for the ordinary decencies of family life which reminds one of the worst excesses of the French revolution, and I presume you know what that unfortunate movement led to?
The voles shook their heads, a few too vigorously causing them to fall off!
Brave Soul: “ Err yessum your womanliness. We believe he lost his parents and so we’ve adopted him like.”
Her Lady Ladyshipness: “To lose one parent, my good man, may be regarded as a misfortune; to lose both looks like carelessness.”
Little old lady with straw sticking out from under one arm (One Arm!!!!): He’s only being truthful you’re Omnipotence. He’s very earnest so he is and that’s what makes him so highly regarded by us all. ” Having said all this the little old lady retired to lie down until lunchtime.
Lady Youthfulness: “Well I suppose that’s the importance of being earnest.”
[I bet that’s made Oscar wild!]
Little old lady with straw sticking out from under one arm (One Arm!!!!): “Who’s Oscar?”
So many congratulation to Lady Sue on yet another birthday without a cake big enough to hold all the candles.
No doubt Mr Pitts will shortly be circulating a stunning array of pics so all who weren’t there today will see what the rest of us were up to. Basically following the Squire around, picking up loads of cut reeds (or in a little old lady’s case an odd bunch here and there!); carting them off to be burnt; telling the Squire not to go in the boggy bit; pulling the Squire out of the boggy bit!; showing the Squire were to cut next; sending out explorers to find where the Squire went!; telling the Squire it’s time to stop cutting; retelling the Squire it’s time to stop cutting; telling the local warden to stop telling the Squire to keep cutting!; getting bored of feeding the fire while the mound of cut reeds keeps growing; setting fire to the mound of cut reeds and blaming it on the person furthest away (Colin); eating muffins; eating biscuits (thanks Lillybeth); eating chocolate cake off the ground (thanks Maryla!); eating Jaffa cakes; moaning that there is no pudding!; moaning that Her Ladyship didn’t bring a birthday cake! and generally having fun.
Thanks to everyone who left early and didn’t stay to watch Jock walk across the ash (several times), try to make a ‘nest’ in the hot ash! (he dashed out pretty quick) and finally lie down in the ash!!!
Malcolm.
Today, while eating lunch at my favorite South Seattle Chinese restaurant, this guy decided he was going to park his truck in such a way as to block the entire parking lot-- nobody would get in, and I wouldn't get out. The restaurant owner asked him to move his truck, and he just yelled at her!
Having driven commercially, and especially having a little bit of experience driving tractor/trailors, I understand it can be stressful, and there isn't always somewhere to park. But this guy's complete disregard for anybody but himself, and, in fact, hostility toward anyone questioning his parking-omnipotence, puts him in a group of few. You, my friend, are an asshole.
Date:Jan 15 2014, 10:51 AM
Subject:
RE: A Right Royal Do!
Show full header
Dear All
Thank you your Majesty and loyal subjects. This speedy correspondence has saved me a lot of palava etc so I shall just say my snaps are up on flickr now at www.flickr.com/photos/pitzys_pyx/.
I should like to say that we missed TWF all day (yes we did) but cold 90s humour might here say "but I couldn't" just for a snigger. I should also like to say thank you to:
Maryla for her Sandy Smith Mud Pies
Liz M for her wonderful shortcake biscuits (the choc chip ones were particularly good :))
Malcolm X for his fruit and vanilla buns, they were very very tasty.
Whoever brought the Jaffa Cakes
To you all for your laughs and banter.
Dave Lowe for his folk and Beetles songs.
For those who wondered why I had stopped by the road side on my way home see the first snap.
Cheers
JP
Now this is what makes Tuesdays such fun and keeps me nearly sane – you should see me when I’m really balmy! Very many apologies for the lack of cake – I will try hardy next time (depending on the day and the venue!).
Thanks for all the grovelling and the wonderful singing. Could you just shorten my name to She as long as I promise not to do an “Ursula Undress” and wear a chamois leather. Thanks also for the decent weather, not that it was cold where I was standing!
I can report that I was at the Rufus Centre this afternoon and there was JB, Audrey and their lovely daughter. JB allowed me to feel his new pulse and I can recommend it as a strange experience and I think he’s got a battery somewhere that gives electric twitches.
Bon voyage to the Breeds who will be sadly missed for a while. See the rest of you somewhere in the wilds of Bedfordshire and hopefully next Tuesday.
Thanks Mr. Kippling – your writing talents are beyond compare and your cakes are pretty wonderful too. Tally Ho! She
From: Steve Squire [mailto:Steve.Squire@greensandtrust.org]
Sent: 14 January 2014 21:36
To: Malcolm Willis; Tim Spencer; bazbreed@hotmail.com; 'Colin Atkins'; 'Dave Clarke'; 'David Moffatt'; 'James Miller'; 'Jane Breed'; 'John Buxton'; 'John Pitts'; 'Kelvin Horton'; 'Malcolm Willis'; 'Marie Mead'; 'Maryla Carter'; 'Peter Stafferton'; 'Roger Christopher'; 'Ros Blevins'; 'Steve Jones'; Sue Raven; 'Tim Chamen'; wendy.copper@virginmedia.com
Cc: She who must be obeyed
Subject: RE: A Right Royal Do!
Good to see you now have an official email Sue .
Well done Malcolm for making me laugh , very good thank you and to Jock with hot bum in fire.
And thank you all too for working so hard with or without Royal Cake!
Regards
Steve
From: Malcolm Willis [malcolmJwillis@btinternet.com]
Sent: 14 January 2014 21:13
To: Tim Spencer; bazbreed@hotmail.com; 'Colin Atkins'; 'Dave Clarke'; 'David Moffatt'; 'James Miller'; 'Jane Breed'; 'John Buxton'; 'John Pitts'; 'Kelvin Horton'; 'Malcolm Willis'; 'Marie Mead'; 'Maryla Carter'; 'Peter Stafferton'; 'Roger Christopher'; 'Ros Blevins'; 'Steve Jones'; Steve Squire; Sue Raven; 'Tim Chamen'; wendy.copper@virginmedia.com
Cc: She who must be obeyed
Subject: A Right Royal Do!
The stately limousine sailed into sight like a swan upon an enchanted lake. The blue eye that is heaven became bedazzled by the occasion, even the golden beams of universal eternity dipped in homage. The line of voles, once ordinary looking, became unworthy in the instant. The conveyance glided to a halt. The door opened. Hearts that only seconds ago had been pounding chests for freedom were now in suspended animation and inexplicably in mouths agog in anticipation. And then there she was. Serenely climbing down the stepladders (which had been thoughtfully placed out of view of the cameras), she emerged onto the immediately hallowed turf of SSNR [By Appointment to Her Right Royaltiness the Lady Youthfulness].
The appointed Dave stepped forward and humbled himself. An unfortunate occurrence given the magnitude of the occasion. The reserve Dave stepped into the breach. Another unfortunate occurrence! Finally the ‘if all else fails’ Dave came to the rescue.
Bowing so low it made his eyes water he addressed her Supreme Being: “Your Majestyness, if I may be so humbly bold as to..”
Her ladyship interrupted as only one of noble birth can: “Are you a Dimbleby Dave?”
‘If all else fails’ Dave: “Err no?”
Her Exquisiteness: “Then go away.” The nobility of the extended hand flutter in Dave’s direction and immediately he was dispatched as like a game bird on the 1st September.
Her Exquisite Ladyshipness: “My husband and I..” A half turn to the limo revealed a slight glitch. “Oh bother, I must have left him somewhere again. Never mind, I shall continue. Myself and I remember only too vividly the diem horribilis that was last week. But we must move on.”
So saying Her Supremeliness moved on proffering dainty dexterous digits for the gathered ensemble to pucker up their trembling lips to.
Her Regality: “Oh I say what an obnoxious hound.”
Several male voles looked even further ashamed and took several steps back towards oblivion.
Her Lady Regal Exquisiteness: “I was referring to the dog.”
The males voles teetered on the edge of the abyss that is ordinariness. One brave soul remarked: “That is Jock, a rescued dog, he was found in a large, handbag, with handles. He was probably brought up in it.”
Her Lady Ladyness:“ I must confess that I feel somewhat bewildered by what you have just told me. To be born, or at any rate bred in a handbag, whether it have handles or not, seems to me to display a contempt for the ordinary decencies of family life which reminds one of the worst excesses of the French revolution, and I presume you know what that unfortunate movement led to?
The voles shook their heads, a few too vigorously causing them to fall off!
Brave Soul: “ Err yessum your womanliness. We believe he lost his parents and so we’ve adopted him like.”
Her Lady Ladyshipness: “To lose one parent, my good man, may be regarded as a misfortune; to lose both looks like carelessness.”
Little old lady with straw sticking out from under one arm (One Arm!!!!): He’s only being truthful you’re Omnipotence. He’s very earnest so he is and that’s what makes him so highly regarded by us all. ” Having said all this the little old lady retired to lie down until lunchtime.
Lady Youthfulness: “Well I suppose that’s the importance of being earnest.”
[I bet that’s made Oscar wild!]
Little old lady with straw sticking out from under one arm (One Arm!!!!): “Who’s Oscar?”
So many congratulation to Lady Sue on yet another birthday without a cake big enough to hold all the candles.
No doubt Mr Pitts will shortly be circulating a stunning array of pics so all who weren’t there today will see what the rest of us were up to. Basically following the Squire around, picking up loads of cut reeds (or in a little old lady’s case an odd bunch here and there!); carting them off to be burnt; telling the Squire not to go in the boggy bit; pulling the Squire out of the boggy bit!; showing the Squire were to cut next; sending out explorers to find where the Squire went!; telling the Squire it’s time to stop cutting; retelling the Squire it’s time to stop cutting; telling the local warden to stop telling the Squire to keep cutting!; getting bored of feeding the fire while the mound of cut reeds keeps growing; setting fire to the mound of cut reeds and blaming it on the person furthest away (Colin); eating muffins; eating biscuits (thanks Lillybeth); eating chocolate cake off the ground (thanks Maryla!); eating Jaffa cakes; moaning that there is no pudding!; moaning that Her Ladyship didn’t bring a birthday cake! and generally having fun.
Thanks to everyone who left early and didn’t stay to watch Jock walk across the ash (several times), try to make a ‘nest’ in the hot ash! (he dashed out pretty quick) and finally lie down in the ash!!!
Malcolm.
"Although the Lord Jesus’ time of working in the flesh was full of hardships and suffering, through His appearance in His spiritual body of flesh and blood, He completely and perfectly accomplished His work of that time in the flesh to redeem mankind. He began His ministry by becoming flesh, and He concluded His ministry by appearing to mankind in His fleshly form. He heralded the Age of Grace, He began the Age of Grace through His identity as Christ. Through His identity as Christ, He carried out the work in the Age of Grace and He strengthened and led all of His followers in the Age of Grace. It can be said of God’s work that He truly finishes what He starts. There are steps and a plan, and it is full of God’s wisdom, His omnipotence, and His marvelous deeds. It is also full of God’s love and mercy. Of course, the main thread running through all of God’s work is His care for mankind; it is permeated with His feelings of concern that He can never put aside" (Continuation of The Word Appears in the Flesh).
Read more : www.holyspiritspeaks.org/gods-work-gods-disposition-and-g...
Date:Jan 15 2014, 10:51 AM
Subject:
RE: A Right Royal Do!
Show full header
Dear All
Thank you your Majesty and loyal subjects. This speedy correspondence has saved me a lot of palava etc so I shall just say my snaps are up on flickr now at www.flickr.com/photos/pitzys_pyx/.
I should like to say that we missed TWF all day (yes we did) but cold 90s humour might here say "but I couldn't" just for a snigger. I should also like to say thank you to:
Maryla for her Sandy Smith Mud Pies
Liz M for her wonderful shortcake biscuits (the choc chip ones were particularly good :))
Malcolm X for his fruit and vanilla buns, they were very very tasty.
Whoever brought the Jaffa Cakes
To you all for your laughs and banter.
Dave Lowe for his folk and Beetles songs.
For those who wondered why I had stopped by the road side on my way home see the first snap.
Cheers
JP
Now this is what makes Tuesdays such fun and keeps me nearly sane – you should see me when I’m really balmy! Very many apologies for the lack of cake – I will try hardy next time (depending on the day and the venue!).
Thanks for all the grovelling and the wonderful singing. Could you just shorten my name to She as long as I promise not to do an “Ursula Undress” and wear a chamois leather. Thanks also for the decent weather, not that it was cold where I was standing!
I can report that I was at the Rufus Centre this afternoon and there was JB, Audrey and their lovely daughter. JB allowed me to feel his new pulse and I can recommend it as a strange experience and I think he’s got a battery somewhere that gives electric twitches.
Bon voyage to the Breeds who will be sadly missed for a while. See the rest of you somewhere in the wilds of Bedfordshire and hopefully next Tuesday.
Thanks Mr. Kippling – your writing talents are beyond compare and your cakes are pretty wonderful too. Tally Ho! She
From: Steve Squire [mailto:Steve.Squire@greensandtrust.org]
Sent: 14 January 2014 21:36
To: Malcolm Willis; Tim Spencer; bazbreed@hotmail.com; 'Colin Atkins'; 'Dave Clarke'; 'David Moffatt'; 'James Miller'; 'Jane Breed'; 'John Buxton'; 'John Pitts'; 'Kelvin Horton'; 'Malcolm Willis'; 'Marie Mead'; 'Maryla Carter'; 'Peter Stafferton'; 'Roger Christopher'; 'Ros Blevins'; 'Steve Jones'; Sue Raven; 'Tim Chamen'; wendy.copper@virginmedia.com
Cc: She who must be obeyed
Subject: RE: A Right Royal Do!
Good to see you now have an official email Sue .
Well done Malcolm for making me laugh , very good thank you and to Jock with hot bum in fire.
And thank you all too for working so hard with or without Royal Cake!
Regards
Steve
From: Malcolm Willis [malcolmJwillis@btinternet.com]
Sent: 14 January 2014 21:13
To: Tim Spencer; bazbreed@hotmail.com; 'Colin Atkins'; 'Dave Clarke'; 'David Moffatt'; 'James Miller'; 'Jane Breed'; 'John Buxton'; 'John Pitts'; 'Kelvin Horton'; 'Malcolm Willis'; 'Marie Mead'; 'Maryla Carter'; 'Peter Stafferton'; 'Roger Christopher'; 'Ros Blevins'; 'Steve Jones'; Steve Squire; Sue Raven; 'Tim Chamen'; wendy.copper@virginmedia.com
Cc: She who must be obeyed
Subject: A Right Royal Do!
The stately limousine sailed into sight like a swan upon an enchanted lake. The blue eye that is heaven became bedazzled by the occasion, even the golden beams of universal eternity dipped in homage. The line of voles, once ordinary looking, became unworthy in the instant. The conveyance glided to a halt. The door opened. Hearts that only seconds ago had been pounding chests for freedom were now in suspended animation and inexplicably in mouths agog in anticipation. And then there she was. Serenely climbing down the stepladders (which had been thoughtfully placed out of view of the cameras), she emerged onto the immediately hallowed turf of SSNR [By Appointment to Her Right Royaltiness the Lady Youthfulness].
The appointed Dave stepped forward and humbled himself. An unfortunate occurrence given the magnitude of the occasion. The reserve Dave stepped into the breach. Another unfortunate occurrence! Finally the ‘if all else fails’ Dave came to the rescue.
Bowing so low it made his eyes water he addressed her Supreme Being: “Your Majestyness, if I may be so humbly bold as to..”
Her ladyship interrupted as only one of noble birth can: “Are you a Dimbleby Dave?”
‘If all else fails’ Dave: “Err no?”
Her Exquisiteness: “Then go away.” The nobility of the extended hand flutter in Dave’s direction and immediately he was dispatched as like a game bird on the 1st September.
Her Exquisite Ladyshipness: “My husband and I..” A half turn to the limo revealed a slight glitch. “Oh bother, I must have left him somewhere again. Never mind, I shall continue. Myself and I remember only too vividly the diem horribilis that was last week. But we must move on.”
So saying Her Supremeliness moved on proffering dainty dexterous digits for the gathered ensemble to pucker up their trembling lips to.
Her Regality: “Oh I say what an obnoxious hound.”
Several male voles looked even further ashamed and took several steps back towards oblivion.
Her Lady Regal Exquisiteness: “I was referring to the dog.”
The males voles teetered on the edge of the abyss that is ordinariness. One brave soul remarked: “That is Jock, a rescued dog, he was found in a large, handbag, with handles. He was probably brought up in it.”
Her Lady Ladyness:“ I must confess that I feel somewhat bewildered by what you have just told me. To be born, or at any rate bred in a handbag, whether it have handles or not, seems to me to display a contempt for the ordinary decencies of family life which reminds one of the worst excesses of the French revolution, and I presume you know what that unfortunate movement led to?
The voles shook their heads, a few too vigorously causing them to fall off!
Brave Soul: “ Err yessum your womanliness. We believe he lost his parents and so we’ve adopted him like.”
Her Lady Ladyshipness: “To lose one parent, my good man, may be regarded as a misfortune; to lose both looks like carelessness.”
Little old lady with straw sticking out from under one arm (One Arm!!!!): He’s only being truthful you’re Omnipotence. He’s very earnest so he is and that’s what makes him so highly regarded by us all. ” Having said all this the little old lady retired to lie down until lunchtime.
Lady Youthfulness: “Well I suppose that’s the importance of being earnest.”
[I bet that’s made Oscar wild!]
Little old lady with straw sticking out from under one arm (One Arm!!!!): “Who’s Oscar?”
So many congratulation to Lady Sue on yet another birthday without a cake big enough to hold all the candles.
No doubt Mr Pitts will shortly be circulating a stunning array of pics so all who weren’t there today will see what the rest of us were up to. Basically following the Squire around, picking up loads of cut reeds (or in a little old lady’s case an odd bunch here and there!); carting them off to be burnt; telling the Squire not to go in the boggy bit; pulling the Squire out of the boggy bit!; showing the Squire were to cut next; sending out explorers to find where the Squire went!; telling the Squire it’s time to stop cutting; retelling the Squire it’s time to stop cutting; telling the local warden to stop telling the Squire to keep cutting!; getting bored of feeding the fire while the mound of cut reeds keeps growing; setting fire to the mound of cut reeds and blaming it on the person furthest away (Colin); eating muffins; eating biscuits (thanks Lillybeth); eating chocolate cake off the ground (thanks Maryla!); eating Jaffa cakes; moaning that there is no pudding!; moaning that Her Ladyship didn’t bring a birthday cake! and generally having fun.
Thanks to everyone who left early and didn’t stay to watch Jock walk across the ash (several times), try to make a ‘nest’ in the hot ash! (he dashed out pretty quick) and finally lie down in the ash!!!
Malcolm.
Date:Jan 15 2014, 10:51 AM
Subject:
RE: A Right Royal Do!
Show full header
Dear All
Thank you your Majesty and loyal subjects. This speedy correspondence has saved me a lot of palava etc so I shall just say my snaps are up on flickr now at www.flickr.com/photos/pitzys_pyx/.
I should like to say that we missed TWF all day (yes we did) but cold 90s humour might here say "but I couldn't" just for a snigger. I should also like to say thank you to:
Maryla for her Sandy Smith Mud Pies
Liz M for her wonderful shortcake biscuits (the choc chip ones were particularly good :))
Malcolm X for his fruit and vanilla buns, they were very very tasty.
Whoever brought the Jaffa Cakes
To you all for your laughs and banter.
Dave Lowe for his folk and Beetles songs.
For those who wondered why I had stopped by the road side on my way home see the first snap.
Cheers
JP
Now this is what makes Tuesdays such fun and keeps me nearly sane – you should see me when I’m really balmy! Very many apologies for the lack of cake – I will try hardy next time (depending on the day and the venue!).
Thanks for all the grovelling and the wonderful singing. Could you just shorten my name to She as long as I promise not to do an “Ursula Undress” and wear a chamois leather. Thanks also for the decent weather, not that it was cold where I was standing!
I can report that I was at the Rufus Centre this afternoon and there was JB, Audrey and their lovely daughter. JB allowed me to feel his new pulse and I can recommend it as a strange experience and I think he’s got a battery somewhere that gives electric twitches.
Bon voyage to the Breeds who will be sadly missed for a while. See the rest of you somewhere in the wilds of Bedfordshire and hopefully next Tuesday.
Thanks Mr. Kippling – your writing talents are beyond compare and your cakes are pretty wonderful too. Tally Ho! She
From: Steve Squire [mailto:Steve.Squire@greensandtrust.org]
Sent: 14 January 2014 21:36
To: Malcolm Willis; Tim Spencer; bazbreed@hotmail.com; 'Colin Atkins'; 'Dave Clarke'; 'David Moffatt'; 'James Miller'; 'Jane Breed'; 'John Buxton'; 'John Pitts'; 'Kelvin Horton'; 'Malcolm Willis'; 'Marie Mead'; 'Maryla Carter'; 'Peter Stafferton'; 'Roger Christopher'; 'Ros Blevins'; 'Steve Jones'; Sue Raven; 'Tim Chamen'; wendy.copper@virginmedia.com
Cc: She who must be obeyed
Subject: RE: A Right Royal Do!
Good to see you now have an official email Sue .
Well done Malcolm for making me laugh , very good thank you and to Jock with hot bum in fire.
And thank you all too for working so hard with or without Royal Cake!
Regards
Steve
From: Malcolm Willis [malcolmJwillis@btinternet.com]
Sent: 14 January 2014 21:13
To: Tim Spencer; bazbreed@hotmail.com; 'Colin Atkins'; 'Dave Clarke'; 'David Moffatt'; 'James Miller'; 'Jane Breed'; 'John Buxton'; 'John Pitts'; 'Kelvin Horton'; 'Malcolm Willis'; 'Marie Mead'; 'Maryla Carter'; 'Peter Stafferton'; 'Roger Christopher'; 'Ros Blevins'; 'Steve Jones'; Steve Squire; Sue Raven; 'Tim Chamen'; wendy.copper@virginmedia.com
Cc: She who must be obeyed
Subject: A Right Royal Do!
The stately limousine sailed into sight like a swan upon an enchanted lake. The blue eye that is heaven became bedazzled by the occasion, even the golden beams of universal eternity dipped in homage. The line of voles, once ordinary looking, became unworthy in the instant. The conveyance glided to a halt. The door opened. Hearts that only seconds ago had been pounding chests for freedom were now in suspended animation and inexplicably in mouths agog in anticipation. And then there she was. Serenely climbing down the stepladders (which had been thoughtfully placed out of view of the cameras), she emerged onto the immediately hallowed turf of SSNR [By Appointment to Her Right Royaltiness the Lady Youthfulness].
The appointed Dave stepped forward and humbled himself. An unfortunate occurrence given the magnitude of the occasion. The reserve Dave stepped into the breach. Another unfortunate occurrence! Finally the ‘if all else fails’ Dave came to the rescue.
Bowing so low it made his eyes water he addressed her Supreme Being: “Your Majestyness, if I may be so humbly bold as to..”
Her ladyship interrupted as only one of noble birth can: “Are you a Dimbleby Dave?”
‘If all else fails’ Dave: “Err no?”
Her Exquisiteness: “Then go away.” The nobility of the extended hand flutter in Dave’s direction and immediately he was dispatched as like a game bird on the 1st September.
Her Exquisite Ladyshipness: “My husband and I..” A half turn to the limo revealed a slight glitch. “Oh bother, I must have left him somewhere again. Never mind, I shall continue. Myself and I remember only too vividly the diem horribilis that was last week. But we must move on.”
So saying Her Supremeliness moved on proffering dainty dexterous digits for the gathered ensemble to pucker up their trembling lips to.
Her Regality: “Oh I say what an obnoxious hound.”
Several male voles looked even further ashamed and took several steps back towards oblivion.
Her Lady Regal Exquisiteness: “I was referring to the dog.”
The males voles teetered on the edge of the abyss that is ordinariness. One brave soul remarked: “That is Jock, a rescued dog, he was found in a large, handbag, with handles. He was probably brought up in it.”
Her Lady Ladyness:“ I must confess that I feel somewhat bewildered by what you have just told me. To be born, or at any rate bred in a handbag, whether it have handles or not, seems to me to display a contempt for the ordinary decencies of family life which reminds one of the worst excesses of the French revolution, and I presume you know what that unfortunate movement led to?
The voles shook their heads, a few too vigorously causing them to fall off!
Brave Soul: “ Err yessum your womanliness. We believe he lost his parents and so we’ve adopted him like.”
Her Lady Ladyshipness: “To lose one parent, my good man, may be regarded as a misfortune; to lose both looks like carelessness.”
Little old lady with straw sticking out from under one arm (One Arm!!!!): He’s only being truthful you’re Omnipotence. He’s very earnest so he is and that’s what makes him so highly regarded by us all. ” Having said all this the little old lady retired to lie down until lunchtime.
Lady Youthfulness: “Well I suppose that’s the importance of being earnest.”
[I bet that’s made Oscar wild!]
Little old lady with straw sticking out from under one arm (One Arm!!!!): “Who’s Oscar?”
So many congratulation to Lady Sue on yet another birthday without a cake big enough to hold all the candles.
No doubt Mr Pitts will shortly be circulating a stunning array of pics so all who weren’t there today will see what the rest of us were up to. Basically following the Squire around, picking up loads of cut reeds (or in a little old lady’s case an odd bunch here and there!); carting them off to be burnt; telling the Squire not to go in the boggy bit; pulling the Squire out of the boggy bit!; showing the Squire were to cut next; sending out explorers to find where the Squire went!; telling the Squire it’s time to stop cutting; retelling the Squire it’s time to stop cutting; telling the local warden to stop telling the Squire to keep cutting!; getting bored of feeding the fire while the mound of cut reeds keeps growing; setting fire to the mound of cut reeds and blaming it on the person furthest away (Colin); eating muffins; eating biscuits (thanks Lillybeth); eating chocolate cake off the ground (thanks Maryla!); eating Jaffa cakes; moaning that there is no pudding!; moaning that Her Ladyship didn’t bring a birthday cake! and generally having fun.
Thanks to everyone who left early and didn’t stay to watch Jock walk across the ash (several times), try to make a ‘nest’ in the hot ash! (he dashed out pretty quick) and finally lie down in the ash!!!
Malcolm.
Date:Jan 15 2014, 10:51 AM
Subject:
RE: A Right Royal Do!
Show full header
Dear All
Thank you your Majesty and loyal subjects. This speedy correspondence has saved me a lot of palava etc so I shall just say my snaps are up on flickr now at www.flickr.com/photos/pitzys_pyx/.
I should like to say that we missed TWF all day (yes we did) but cold 90s humour might here say "but I couldn't" just for a snigger. I should also like to say thank you to:
Maryla for her Sandy Smith Mud Pies
Liz M for her wonderful shortcake biscuits (the choc chip ones were particularly good :))
Malcolm X for his fruit and vanilla buns, they were very very tasty.
Whoever brought the Jaffa Cakes
To you all for your laughs and banter.
Dave Lowe for his folk and Beetles songs.
For those who wondered why I had stopped by the road side on my way home see the first snap.
Cheers
JP
Now this is what makes Tuesdays such fun and keeps me nearly sane – you should see me when I’m really balmy! Very many apologies for the lack of cake – I will try hardy next time (depending on the day and the venue!).
Thanks for all the grovelling and the wonderful singing. Could you just shorten my name to She as long as I promise not to do an “Ursula Undress” and wear a chamois leather. Thanks also for the decent weather, not that it was cold where I was standing!
I can report that I was at the Rufus Centre this afternoon and there was JB, Audrey and their lovely daughter. JB allowed me to feel his new pulse and I can recommend it as a strange experience and I think he’s got a battery somewhere that gives electric twitches.
Bon voyage to the Breeds who will be sadly missed for a while. See the rest of you somewhere in the wilds of Bedfordshire and hopefully next Tuesday.
Thanks Mr. Kippling – your writing talents are beyond compare and your cakes are pretty wonderful too. Tally Ho! She
From: Steve Squire [mailto:Steve.Squire@greensandtrust.org]
Sent: 14 January 2014 21:36
To: Malcolm Willis; Tim Spencer; bazbreed@hotmail.com; 'Colin Atkins'; 'Dave Clarke'; 'David Moffatt'; 'James Miller'; 'Jane Breed'; 'John Buxton'; 'John Pitts'; 'Kelvin Horton'; 'Malcolm Willis'; 'Marie Mead'; 'Maryla Carter'; 'Peter Stafferton'; 'Roger Christopher'; 'Ros Blevins'; 'Steve Jones'; Sue Raven; 'Tim Chamen'; wendy.copper@virginmedia.com
Cc: She who must be obeyed
Subject: RE: A Right Royal Do!
Good to see you now have an official email Sue .
Well done Malcolm for making me laugh , very good thank you and to Jock with hot bum in fire.
And thank you all too for working so hard with or without Royal Cake!
Regards
Steve
From: Malcolm Willis [malcolmJwillis@btinternet.com]
Sent: 14 January 2014 21:13
To: Tim Spencer; bazbreed@hotmail.com; 'Colin Atkins'; 'Dave Clarke'; 'David Moffatt'; 'James Miller'; 'Jane Breed'; 'John Buxton'; 'John Pitts'; 'Kelvin Horton'; 'Malcolm Willis'; 'Marie Mead'; 'Maryla Carter'; 'Peter Stafferton'; 'Roger Christopher'; 'Ros Blevins'; 'Steve Jones'; Steve Squire; Sue Raven; 'Tim Chamen'; wendy.copper@virginmedia.com
Cc: She who must be obeyed
Subject: A Right Royal Do!
The stately limousine sailed into sight like a swan upon an enchanted lake. The blue eye that is heaven became bedazzled by the occasion, even the golden beams of universal eternity dipped in homage. The line of voles, once ordinary looking, became unworthy in the instant. The conveyance glided to a halt. The door opened. Hearts that only seconds ago had been pounding chests for freedom were now in suspended animation and inexplicably in mouths agog in anticipation. And then there she was. Serenely climbing down the stepladders (which had been thoughtfully placed out of view of the cameras), she emerged onto the immediately hallowed turf of SSNR [By Appointment to Her Right Royaltiness the Lady Youthfulness].
The appointed Dave stepped forward and humbled himself. An unfortunate occurrence given the magnitude of the occasion. The reserve Dave stepped into the breach. Another unfortunate occurrence! Finally the ‘if all else fails’ Dave came to the rescue.
Bowing so low it made his eyes water he addressed her Supreme Being: “Your Majestyness, if I may be so humbly bold as to..”
Her ladyship interrupted as only one of noble birth can: “Are you a Dimbleby Dave?”
‘If all else fails’ Dave: “Err no?”
Her Exquisiteness: “Then go away.” The nobility of the extended hand flutter in Dave’s direction and immediately he was dispatched as like a game bird on the 1st September.
Her Exquisite Ladyshipness: “My husband and I..” A half turn to the limo revealed a slight glitch. “Oh bother, I must have left him somewhere again. Never mind, I shall continue. Myself and I remember only too vividly the diem horribilis that was last week. But we must move on.”
So saying Her Supremeliness moved on proffering dainty dexterous digits for the gathered ensemble to pucker up their trembling lips to.
Her Regality: “Oh I say what an obnoxious hound.”
Several male voles looked even further ashamed and took several steps back towards oblivion.
Her Lady Regal Exquisiteness: “I was referring to the dog.”
The males voles teetered on the edge of the abyss that is ordinariness. One brave soul remarked: “That is Jock, a rescued dog, he was found in a large, handbag, with handles. He was probably brought up in it.”
Her Lady Ladyness:“ I must confess that I feel somewhat bewildered by what you have just told me. To be born, or at any rate bred in a handbag, whether it have handles or not, seems to me to display a contempt for the ordinary decencies of family life which reminds one of the worst excesses of the French revolution, and I presume you know what that unfortunate movement led to?
The voles shook their heads, a few too vigorously causing them to fall off!
Brave Soul: “ Err yessum your womanliness. We believe he lost his parents and so we’ve adopted him like.”
Her Lady Ladyshipness: “To lose one parent, my good man, may be regarded as a misfortune; to lose both looks like carelessness.”
Little old lady with straw sticking out from under one arm (One Arm!!!!): He’s only being truthful you’re Omnipotence. He’s very earnest so he is and that’s what makes him so highly regarded by us all. ” Having said all this the little old lady retired to lie down until lunchtime.
Lady Youthfulness: “Well I suppose that’s the importance of being earnest.”
[I bet that’s made Oscar wild!]
Little old lady with straw sticking out from under one arm (One Arm!!!!): “Who’s Oscar?”
So many congratulation to Lady Sue on yet another birthday without a cake big enough to hold all the candles.
No doubt Mr Pitts will shortly be circulating a stunning array of pics so all who weren’t there today will see what the rest of us were up to. Basically following the Squire around, picking up loads of cut reeds (or in a little old lady’s case an odd bunch here and there!); carting them off to be burnt; telling the Squire not to go in the boggy bit; pulling the Squire out of the boggy bit!; showing the Squire were to cut next; sending out explorers to find where the Squire went!; telling the Squire it’s time to stop cutting; retelling the Squire it’s time to stop cutting; telling the local warden to stop telling the Squire to keep cutting!; getting bored of feeding the fire while the mound of cut reeds keeps growing; setting fire to the mound of cut reeds and blaming it on the person furthest away (Colin); eating muffins; eating biscuits (thanks Lillybeth); eating chocolate cake off the ground (thanks Maryla!); eating Jaffa cakes; moaning that there is no pudding!; moaning that Her Ladyship didn’t bring a birthday cake! and generally having fun.
Thanks to everyone who left early and didn’t stay to watch Jock walk across the ash (several times), try to make a ‘nest’ in the hot ash! (he dashed out pretty quick) and finally lie down in the ash!!!
Malcolm.
Job 38
New King James Version (NKJV)
The Lord Reveals His Omnipotence to Job
38 Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said:
2 “Who is this who darkens counsel
By words without knowledge?
3 Now prepare yourself like a man;
I will question you, and you shall answer Me.
4 “Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?
Tell Me, if you have understanding.
5 Who determined its measurements?
Surely you know!
Or who stretched the line upon it?
6 To what were its foundations fastened?
Or who laid its cornerstone,
7 When the morning stars sang together,
And all the sons of God shouted for joy?
8 “Or who shut in the sea with doors,
When it burst forth and issued from the womb;
9 When I made the clouds its garment,
And thick darkness its swaddling band;
10 When I fixed My limit for it,
And set bars and doors;
11 When I said,
‘This far you may come, but no farther,
And here your proud waves must stop!’
12 “Have you commanded the morning since your days began,
And caused the dawn to know its place,
13 That it might take hold of the ends of the earth,
And the wicked be shaken out of it?
14 It takes on form like clay under a seal,
And stands out like a garment.
15 From the wicked their light is withheld,
And the upraised arm is broken.
16 “Have you entered the springs of the sea?
Or have you walked in search of the depths?
17 Have the gates of death been revealed to you?
Or have you seen the doors of the shadow of death?
18 Have you comprehended the breadth of the earth?
Tell Me, if you know all this.
19 “Where is the way to the dwelling of light?
And darkness, where is its place,
20 That you may take it to its territory,
That you may know the paths to its home?
21 Do you know it, because you were born then,
Or because the number of your days is great?
22 “Have you entered the treasury of snow,
Or have you seen the treasury of hail,
23 Which I have reserved for the time of trouble,
For the day of battle and war?
24 By what way is light diffused,
Or the east wind scattered over the earth?
25 “Who has divided a channel for the overflowing water,
Or a path for the thunderbolt,
26 To cause it to rain on a land where there is no one,
A wilderness in which there is no man;
27 To satisfy the desolate waste,
And cause to spring forth the growth of tender grass?
28 Has the rain a father?
Or who has begotten the drops of dew?
29 From whose womb comes the ice?
And the frost of heaven, who gives it birth?
30 The waters harden like stone,
And the surface of the deep is frozen.
31 “Can you bind the cluster of the Pleiades,
Or loose the belt of Orion?
32 Can you bring out Mazzaroth[a] in its season?
Or can you guide the Great Bear with its cubs?
33 Do you know the ordinances of the heavens?
Can you set their dominion over the earth?
34 “Can you lift up your voice to the clouds,
That an abundance of water may cover you?
35 Can you send out lightnings, that they may go,
And say to you, ‘Here we are!’?
36 Who has put wisdom in the mind?[b]
Or who has given understanding to the heart?
37 Who can number the clouds by wisdom?
Or who can pour out the bottles of heaven,
38 When the dust hardens in clumps,
And the clods cling together?
Date:Jan 15 2014, 10:51 AM
Subject:
RE: A Right Royal Do!
Show full header
Dear All
Thank you your Majesty and loyal subjects. This speedy correspondence has saved me a lot of palava etc so I shall just say my snaps are up on flickr now at www.flickr.com/photos/pitzys_pyx/.
I should like to say that we missed TWF all day (yes we did) but cold 90s humour might here say "but I couldn't" just for a snigger. I should also like to say thank you to:
Maryla for her Sandy Smith Mud Pies
Liz M for her wonderful shortcake biscuits (the choc chip ones were particularly good :))
Malcolm X for his fruit and vanilla buns, they were very very tasty.
Whoever brought the Jaffa Cakes
To you all for your laughs and banter.
Dave Lowe for his folk and Beetles songs.
For those who wondered why I had stopped by the road side on my way home see the first snap.
Cheers
JP
Now this is what makes Tuesdays such fun and keeps me nearly sane – you should see me when I’m really balmy! Very many apologies for the lack of cake – I will try hardy next time (depending on the day and the venue!).
Thanks for all the grovelling and the wonderful singing. Could you just shorten my name to She as long as I promise not to do an “Ursula Undress” and wear a chamois leather. Thanks also for the decent weather, not that it was cold where I was standing!
I can report that I was at the Rufus Centre this afternoon and there was JB, Audrey and their lovely daughter. JB allowed me to feel his new pulse and I can recommend it as a strange experience and I think he’s got a battery somewhere that gives electric twitches.
Bon voyage to the Breeds who will be sadly missed for a while. See the rest of you somewhere in the wilds of Bedfordshire and hopefully next Tuesday.
Thanks Mr. Kippling – your writing talents are beyond compare and your cakes are pretty wonderful too. Tally Ho! She
From: Steve Squire [mailto:Steve.Squire@greensandtrust.org]
Sent: 14 January 2014 21:36
To: Malcolm Willis; Tim Spencer; bazbreed@hotmail.com; 'Colin Atkins'; 'Dave Clarke'; 'David Moffatt'; 'James Miller'; 'Jane Breed'; 'John Buxton'; 'John Pitts'; 'Kelvin Horton'; 'Malcolm Willis'; 'Marie Mead'; 'Maryla Carter'; 'Peter Stafferton'; 'Roger Christopher'; 'Ros Blevins'; 'Steve Jones'; Sue Raven; 'Tim Chamen'; wendy.copper@virginmedia.com
Cc: She who must be obeyed
Subject: RE: A Right Royal Do!
Good to see you now have an official email Sue .
Well done Malcolm for making me laugh , very good thank you and to Jock with hot bum in fire.
And thank you all too for working so hard with or without Royal Cake!
Regards
Steve
From: Malcolm Willis [malcolmJwillis@btinternet.com]
Sent: 14 January 2014 21:13
To: Tim Spencer; bazbreed@hotmail.com; 'Colin Atkins'; 'Dave Clarke'; 'David Moffatt'; 'James Miller'; 'Jane Breed'; 'John Buxton'; 'John Pitts'; 'Kelvin Horton'; 'Malcolm Willis'; 'Marie Mead'; 'Maryla Carter'; 'Peter Stafferton'; 'Roger Christopher'; 'Ros Blevins'; 'Steve Jones'; Steve Squire; Sue Raven; 'Tim Chamen'; wendy.copper@virginmedia.com
Cc: She who must be obeyed
Subject: A Right Royal Do!
The stately limousine sailed into sight like a swan upon an enchanted lake. The blue eye that is heaven became bedazzled by the occasion, even the golden beams of universal eternity dipped in homage. The line of voles, once ordinary looking, became unworthy in the instant. The conveyance glided to a halt. The door opened. Hearts that only seconds ago had been pounding chests for freedom were now in suspended animation and inexplicably in mouths agog in anticipation. And then there she was. Serenely climbing down the stepladders (which had been thoughtfully placed out of view of the cameras), she emerged onto the immediately hallowed turf of SSNR [By Appointment to Her Right Royaltiness the Lady Youthfulness].
The appointed Dave stepped forward and humbled himself. An unfortunate occurrence given the magnitude of the occasion. The reserve Dave stepped into the breach. Another unfortunate occurrence! Finally the ‘if all else fails’ Dave came to the rescue.
Bowing so low it made his eyes water he addressed her Supreme Being: “Your Majestyness, if I may be so humbly bold as to..”
Her ladyship interrupted as only one of noble birth can: “Are you a Dimbleby Dave?”
‘If all else fails’ Dave: “Err no?”
Her Exquisiteness: “Then go away.” The nobility of the extended hand flutter in Dave’s direction and immediately he was dispatched as like a game bird on the 1st September.
Her Exquisite Ladyshipness: “My husband and I..” A half turn to the limo revealed a slight glitch. “Oh bother, I must have left him somewhere again. Never mind, I shall continue. Myself and I remember only too vividly the diem horribilis that was last week. But we must move on.”
So saying Her Supremeliness moved on proffering dainty dexterous digits for the gathered ensemble to pucker up their trembling lips to.
Her Regality: “Oh I say what an obnoxious hound.”
Several male voles looked even further ashamed and took several steps back towards oblivion.
Her Lady Regal Exquisiteness: “I was referring to the dog.”
The males voles teetered on the edge of the abyss that is ordinariness. One brave soul remarked: “That is Jock, a rescued dog, he was found in a large, handbag, with handles. He was probably brought up in it.”
Her Lady Ladyness:“ I must confess that I feel somewhat bewildered by what you have just told me. To be born, or at any rate bred in a handbag, whether it have handles or not, seems to me to display a contempt for the ordinary decencies of family life which reminds one of the worst excesses of the French revolution, and I presume you know what that unfortunate movement led to?
The voles shook their heads, a few too vigorously causing them to fall off!
Brave Soul: “ Err yessum your womanliness. We believe he lost his parents and so we’ve adopted him like.”
Her Lady Ladyshipness: “To lose one parent, my good man, may be regarded as a misfortune; to lose both looks like carelessness.”
Little old lady with straw sticking out from under one arm (One Arm!!!!): He’s only being truthful you’re Omnipotence. He’s very earnest so he is and that’s what makes him so highly regarded by us all. ” Having said all this the little old lady retired to lie down until lunchtime.
Lady Youthfulness: “Well I suppose that’s the importance of being earnest.”
[I bet that’s made Oscar wild!]
Little old lady with straw sticking out from under one arm (One Arm!!!!): “Who’s Oscar?”
So many congratulation to Lady Sue on yet another birthday without a cake big enough to hold all the candles.
No doubt Mr Pitts will shortly be circulating a stunning array of pics so all who weren’t there today will see what the rest of us were up to. Basically following the Squire around, picking up loads of cut reeds (or in a little old lady’s case an odd bunch here and there!); carting them off to be burnt; telling the Squire not to go in the boggy bit; pulling the Squire out of the boggy bit!; showing the Squire were to cut next; sending out explorers to find where the Squire went!; telling the Squire it’s time to stop cutting; retelling the Squire it’s time to stop cutting; telling the local warden to stop telling the Squire to keep cutting!; getting bored of feeding the fire while the mound of cut reeds keeps growing; setting fire to the mound of cut reeds and blaming it on the person furthest away (Colin); eating muffins; eating biscuits (thanks Lillybeth); eating chocolate cake off the ground (thanks Maryla!); eating Jaffa cakes; moaning that there is no pudding!; moaning that Her Ladyship didn’t bring a birthday cake! and generally having fun.
Thanks to everyone who left early and didn’t stay to watch Jock walk across the ash (several times), try to make a ‘nest’ in the hot ash! (he dashed out pretty quick) and finally lie down in the ash!!!
Malcolm.
the lines in my hand and lines in the middle make an eye. What does it mean? The pan-cultural Eye-in-Hand icon manifests the integral and interactive bond between two essential human functions: sensing/observation (the Eye) and doing/acting (the Hand). Together these two abilities represent the most effective symbolic condensation of the ideals of human existence - omniscience (all-knowing) and omnipotence (all-powerful)
"Originating in the Middle East the Hand represents God's "Protective-Hand," and shields its owner from the curse of the Evil Eye. The Hand's positive energy draws happiness, riches and health.
A talisman charms against the Evil Eye take different forms in each culture where the belief is common. In Turkey and adjacent areas of Greece (eastern Mediterranean and Aegean)
"The universal symbol called Humsa by the Hindus is a powerful protection amulet in Asia and is often called the All Seeing Eye of Mercy.
In Tibet it is used for banishing fear and oppression.
This same symbol was also used by Native Americans.
In the Middle East it was called the All Seeing Eye of God and the Eye of Maat, and was thought of as a great protector."
Rattlesnake Disc - The rattlesnake disc is probably the most famous item found at Mound State Monument. We have no explanation for the meaning of the designs on the face of this 12.5 inch disc. It is thought that the rattlesnakes bound at two points mean war. The Hand with the Eye in the center probably represents those of the creator. Since no other disc is so elaborately inscribed, archaeologists have reason to believe that this disc was one of great importance and was probably used in religious and/or war ceremonies.
The “mirror stage” is, according to Lacan, a stage of psychological development in which a child recognizes himself or herself in the mirror and becomes conscious of selfhood. Lacan maintained that this stage occurs sometime before the child is 18 months old and it is the first time the child recognizes that he or she is separate from others. It begins the process of developing an identity distinct from others and yet, at the same time, dependent on the images of others to determine itself. This stage also marks the end of psychological development; from this point forward, the individual will primarily use language to form identity.
Summary of Lacan‟s “The Mirror Stage as Formative of the Function of the I as Revealed inPsychoanalytic Experience”
In his paper “The Mirror Stage as Formative of the Function of the I as Revealed inPsychoanalytic Experience,” published in his book Écrits, Jacques Lacan attempts to understand the experience of an infant looking in the mirror and how it relates to the child‟s concepts of “self,” moving, as Dr. Tamise van Pelt, retired professor of English from Idaho State University,says, in “a development sequence through a mirror „stage‟ into a symbolic order .Lacan believes that the experience is helpful in understanding more specifically the construction of self, which Lacan refers to as “
Because of this, he also believes that it completelyinvalidates the Descartian concept of
cogito ergo sum, the belief that the ability to think provesand, by derivation, forms a unified self (1285). According to John Zuern, associate professor of English at the University of Hawaii, in Lacan‟s view, “any self -knowledge is to some degree an illusion” .
Lacan was fascinated by how children between the ages of six and 18 months engage in akind of self-discovery play by looking in a mirror. He gives an archetypal example of a child in a walker to help him (and the child is always “him”) learn to walk, which also restrains thechild‟s movements and holds him upright, giving him the best possible view of the mirror.
Thechild notices his movements in the mirror, and in so doing, realizes that he is seeing a reflectionof himself. As a result, he forms his first impressions of himself, both in terms of his appearanceand his physically mastery over the world around him. Lacan calls this stage of children development the “Mirror Stage”
.Lacan believes that this stage is a part of a machine-like process of our psychological
growth that reinforces his belief in “paranoiac knowledge” (1286), which is to say that he
believes the formation of self that we experience while looking in a mirror is part of our drive to make sense of our world, creating a rational view of the world which, in Lacan‟s opinion, isn‟t so easily ordered.
For Lacan, when we look in the mirror, we “assume an image” –
namely, a way of picturing ourselves (1286). Yet, because we have not yet learned language or learned to take onthe images that the rest of society has for us, it is the very first such image that we take on and isa unique experience. All other self-images occur after we have learned language and startedinteracting with others, and so all other self-images are constructs of the other .
Lacan believes, what Freud would call the “Ideal
But because this is formed in amirror, it is a fantasy, an unreal image that only seems real. As Dr. Allen Thiher, Professor of French Literature at the University of Wisconsin, explains, “the ego exists for us only in the illusory identifications the imaginary offers, while our „authentic being‟ is found in the absent world of signifiers, constituted by the Other, over which we have no control. In a sense we live in fictions.
The result is that, as we strive for paranoiac knowledge, forcompletion of our self-image, we have partially constructed it with a fantasy and thus it willalways remain a fantasy. The irony of human development, then, is that we will forever remainbroken, unable to fulfill our desire for rational order
As phenomenon
The mirror stage is a phenomenon to which I assign a twofold value. In the first place, it has historical value as it marks a decisive turning-point in the mental development of the child. In the second place, it typifies an essential libidinal relationship with the body image. (Lacan, Some reflections on the Ego, 1953)
As Lacan further develops the mirror stage concept, the stress falls less on its historical value and ever more on its structural value. "Historical value" refers to the mental development of the child and "structural value" to the libidinal relationship with the body image.[6] In Lacan's fourth Seminar, La relation d'objet, he states that "the mirror stage is far from a mere phenomenon which occurs in the development of the child. It illustrates the conflictual nature of the dual relationship". The dual relationship (relation duelle) refers not only to the relation between the Ego and the body, which is always characterized by illusions of similarity and reciprocity, but also to the relation between the Imaginary and the Real. The visual identity given from the mirror supplies imaginary "wholeness" to the experience of a fragmentary real. See Lacan's paper, "The Mirror Stage as formative of the function of the I as revealed in psychoanalytic experience", the first of his Écrits.
The mirror stage describes the formation of the Ego via the process of identification, the Ego being the result of identifying with one's own specular image. At six months the baby still lacks coordination (see Louis Bolk); however, Lacan hypothesized that the baby can recognize itself in the mirror before attaining control over its bodily movements. The child sees its image as a whole, but this contrasts with the lack of coordination of the body, leading the child to perceive a fragmented body. This contrast, Lacan hypothesized, is first felt by the infant as a rivalry with its own image, because the wholeness of the image threatens it with fragmentation; thus the mirror stage gives rise to an aggressive tension between the subject and the image. To resolve this aggressive tension, the subject identifies with the image: this primary identification with the counterpart is what forms the Ego. (Evans, 1996) The moment of identification is to Lacan a moment of jubilation since it leads to an imaginary sense of mastery. (Écrits, "The Mirror Stage") Yet, the jubilation may also be accompanied by a depressive reaction, when the infant compares his own precarious sense of mastery with the omnipotence of the mother. (La relation d'objet) This identification also involves the ideal ego which functions as a promise of future wholeness sustaining the Ego in anticipation.
The mirror stage, Lacan also hypothesized, shows that the Ego is the product of misunderstanding – Lacan's term "méconnaissance" implies a false recognition. Additionally, the mirror stage is where the subject becomes alienated from itself, and thus is introduced into the Imaginary order.
The Mirror Stage has also a significant symbolic dimension. The Symbolic order is present in the figure of the adult who is carrying the infant: the moment after the subject has jubilantly assumed his image as his own, he turns his head toward this adult who represents the big Other, as if to call on him to ratify this image. (Tenth Seminar, "L'angoisse", 1962–1963)
Date:Jan 15 2014, 10:51 AM
Subject:
RE: A Right Royal Do!
Show full header
Dear All
Thank you your Majesty and loyal subjects. This speedy correspondence has saved me a lot of palava etc so I shall just say my snaps are up on flickr now at www.flickr.com/photos/pitzys_pyx/.
I should like to say that we missed TWF all day (yes we did) but cold 90s humour might here say "but I couldn't" just for a snigger. I should also like to say thank you to:
Maryla for her Sandy Smith Mud Pies
Liz M for her wonderful shortcake biscuits (the choc chip ones were particularly good :))
Malcolm X for his fruit and vanilla buns, they were very very tasty.
Whoever brought the Jaffa Cakes
To you all for your laughs and banter.
Dave Lowe for his folk and Beetles songs.
For those who wondered why I had stopped by the road side on my way home see the first snap.
Cheers
JP
Now this is what makes Tuesdays such fun and keeps me nearly sane – you should see me when I’m really balmy! Very many apologies for the lack of cake – I will try hardy next time (depending on the day and the venue!).
Thanks for all the grovelling and the wonderful singing. Could you just shorten my name to She as long as I promise not to do an “Ursula Undress” and wear a chamois leather. Thanks also for the decent weather, not that it was cold where I was standing!
I can report that I was at the Rufus Centre this afternoon and there was JB, Audrey and their lovely daughter. JB allowed me to feel his new pulse and I can recommend it as a strange experience and I think he’s got a battery somewhere that gives electric twitches.
Bon voyage to the Breeds who will be sadly missed for a while. See the rest of you somewhere in the wilds of Bedfordshire and hopefully next Tuesday.
Thanks Mr. Kippling – your writing talents are beyond compare and your cakes are pretty wonderful too. Tally Ho! She
From: Steve Squire [mailto:Steve.Squire@greensandtrust.org]
Sent: 14 January 2014 21:36
To: Malcolm Willis; Tim Spencer; bazbreed@hotmail.com; 'Colin Atkins'; 'Dave Clarke'; 'David Moffatt'; 'James Miller'; 'Jane Breed'; 'John Buxton'; 'John Pitts'; 'Kelvin Horton'; 'Malcolm Willis'; 'Marie Mead'; 'Maryla Carter'; 'Peter Stafferton'; 'Roger Christopher'; 'Ros Blevins'; 'Steve Jones'; Sue Raven; 'Tim Chamen'; wendy.copper@virginmedia.com
Cc: She who must be obeyed
Subject: RE: A Right Royal Do!
Good to see you now have an official email Sue .
Well done Malcolm for making me laugh , very good thank you and to Jock with hot bum in fire.
And thank you all too for working so hard with or without Royal Cake!
Regards
Steve
From: Malcolm Willis [malcolmJwillis@btinternet.com]
Sent: 14 January 2014 21:13
To: Tim Spencer; bazbreed@hotmail.com; 'Colin Atkins'; 'Dave Clarke'; 'David Moffatt'; 'James Miller'; 'Jane Breed'; 'John Buxton'; 'John Pitts'; 'Kelvin Horton'; 'Malcolm Willis'; 'Marie Mead'; 'Maryla Carter'; 'Peter Stafferton'; 'Roger Christopher'; 'Ros Blevins'; 'Steve Jones'; Steve Squire; Sue Raven; 'Tim Chamen'; wendy.copper@virginmedia.com
Cc: She who must be obeyed
Subject: A Right Royal Do!
The stately limousine sailed into sight like a swan upon an enchanted lake. The blue eye that is heaven became bedazzled by the occasion, even the golden beams of universal eternity dipped in homage. The line of voles, once ordinary looking, became unworthy in the instant. The conveyance glided to a halt. The door opened. Hearts that only seconds ago had been pounding chests for freedom were now in suspended animation and inexplicably in mouths agog in anticipation. And then there she was. Serenely climbing down the stepladders (which had been thoughtfully placed out of view of the cameras), she emerged onto the immediately hallowed turf of SSNR [By Appointment to Her Right Royaltiness the Lady Youthfulness].
The appointed Dave stepped forward and humbled himself. An unfortunate occurrence given the magnitude of the occasion. The reserve Dave stepped into the breach. Another unfortunate occurrence! Finally the ‘if all else fails’ Dave came to the rescue.
Bowing so low it made his eyes water he addressed her Supreme Being: “Your Majestyness, if I may be so humbly bold as to..”
Her ladyship interrupted as only one of noble birth can: “Are you a Dimbleby Dave?”
‘If all else fails’ Dave: “Err no?”
Her Exquisiteness: “Then go away.” The nobility of the extended hand flutter in Dave’s direction and immediately he was dispatched as like a game bird on the 1st September.
Her Exquisite Ladyshipness: “My husband and I..” A half turn to the limo revealed a slight glitch. “Oh bother, I must have left him somewhere again. Never mind, I shall continue. Myself and I remember only too vividly the diem horribilis that was last week. But we must move on.”
So saying Her Supremeliness moved on proffering dainty dexterous digits for the gathered ensemble to pucker up their trembling lips to.
Her Regality: “Oh I say what an obnoxious hound.”
Several male voles looked even further ashamed and took several steps back towards oblivion.
Her Lady Regal Exquisiteness: “I was referring to the dog.”
The males voles teetered on the edge of the abyss that is ordinariness. One brave soul remarked: “That is Jock, a rescued dog, he was found in a large, handbag, with handles. He was probably brought up in it.”
Her Lady Ladyness:“ I must confess that I feel somewhat bewildered by what you have just told me. To be born, or at any rate bred in a handbag, whether it have handles or not, seems to me to display a contempt for the ordinary decencies of family life which reminds one of the worst excesses of the French revolution, and I presume you know what that unfortunate movement led to?
The voles shook their heads, a few too vigorously causing them to fall off!
Brave Soul: “ Err yessum your womanliness. We believe he lost his parents and so we’ve adopted him like.”
Her Lady Ladyshipness: “To lose one parent, my good man, may be regarded as a misfortune; to lose both looks like carelessness.”
Little old lady with straw sticking out from under one arm (One Arm!!!!): He’s only being truthful you’re Omnipotence. He’s very earnest so he is and that’s what makes him so highly regarded by us all. ” Having said all this the little old lady retired to lie down until lunchtime.
Lady Youthfulness: “Well I suppose that’s the importance of being earnest.”
[I bet that’s made Oscar wild!]
Little old lady with straw sticking out from under one arm (One Arm!!!!): “Who’s Oscar?”
So many congratulation to Lady Sue on yet another birthday without a cake big enough to hold all the candles.
No doubt Mr Pitts will shortly be circulating a stunning array of pics so all who weren’t there today will see what the rest of us were up to. Basically following the Squire around, picking up loads of cut reeds (or in a little old lady’s case an odd bunch here and there!); carting them off to be burnt; telling the Squire not to go in the boggy bit; pulling the Squire out of the boggy bit!; showing the Squire were to cut next; sending out explorers to find where the Squire went!; telling the Squire it’s time to stop cutting; retelling the Squire it’s time to stop cutting; telling the local warden to stop telling the Squire to keep cutting!; getting bored of feeding the fire while the mound of cut reeds keeps growing; setting fire to the mound of cut reeds and blaming it on the person furthest away (Colin); eating muffins; eating biscuits (thanks Lillybeth); eating chocolate cake off the ground (thanks Maryla!); eating Jaffa cakes; moaning that there is no pudding!; moaning that Her Ladyship didn’t bring a birthday cake! and generally having fun.
Thanks to everyone who left early and didn’t stay to watch Jock walk across the ash (several times), try to make a ‘nest’ in the hot ash! (he dashed out pretty quick) and finally lie down in the ash!!!
Malcolm.
Date:Jan 15 2014, 10:51 AM
Subject:
RE: A Right Royal Do!
Show full header
Dear All
Thank you your Majesty and loyal subjects. This speedy correspondence has saved me a lot of palava etc so I shall just say my snaps are up on flickr now at www.flickr.com/photos/pitzys_pyx/.
I should like to say that we missed TWF all day (yes we did) but cold 90s humour might here say "but I couldn't" just for a snigger. I should also like to say thank you to:
Maryla for her Sandy Smith Mud Pies
Liz M for her wonderful shortcake biscuits (the choc chip ones were particularly good :))
Malcolm X for his fruit and vanilla buns, they were very very tasty.
Whoever brought the Jaffa Cakes
To you all for your laughs and banter.
Dave Lowe for his folk and Beetles songs.
For those who wondered why I had stopped by the road side on my way home see the first snap.
Cheers
JP
Now this is what makes Tuesdays such fun and keeps me nearly sane – you should see me when I’m really balmy! Very many apologies for the lack of cake – I will try hardy next time (depending on the day and the venue!).
Thanks for all the grovelling and the wonderful singing. Could you just shorten my name to She as long as I promise not to do an “Ursula Undress” and wear a chamois leather. Thanks also for the decent weather, not that it was cold where I was standing!
I can report that I was at the Rufus Centre this afternoon and there was JB, Audrey and their lovely daughter. JB allowed me to feel his new pulse and I can recommend it as a strange experience and I think he’s got a battery somewhere that gives electric twitches.
Bon voyage to the Breeds who will be sadly missed for a while. See the rest of you somewhere in the wilds of Bedfordshire and hopefully next Tuesday.
Thanks Mr. Kippling – your writing talents are beyond compare and your cakes are pretty wonderful too. Tally Ho! She
From: Steve Squire [mailto:Steve.Squire@greensandtrust.org]
Sent: 14 January 2014 21:36
To: Malcolm Willis; Tim Spencer; bazbreed@hotmail.com; 'Colin Atkins'; 'Dave Clarke'; 'David Moffatt'; 'James Miller'; 'Jane Breed'; 'John Buxton'; 'John Pitts'; 'Kelvin Horton'; 'Malcolm Willis'; 'Marie Mead'; 'Maryla Carter'; 'Peter Stafferton'; 'Roger Christopher'; 'Ros Blevins'; 'Steve Jones'; Sue Raven; 'Tim Chamen'; wendy.copper@virginmedia.com
Cc: She who must be obeyed
Subject: RE: A Right Royal Do!
Good to see you now have an official email Sue .
Well done Malcolm for making me laugh , very good thank you and to Jock with hot bum in fire.
And thank you all too for working so hard with or without Royal Cake!
Regards
Steve
From: Malcolm Willis [malcolmJwillis@btinternet.com]
Sent: 14 January 2014 21:13
To: Tim Spencer; bazbreed@hotmail.com; 'Colin Atkins'; 'Dave Clarke'; 'David Moffatt'; 'James Miller'; 'Jane Breed'; 'John Buxton'; 'John Pitts'; 'Kelvin Horton'; 'Malcolm Willis'; 'Marie Mead'; 'Maryla Carter'; 'Peter Stafferton'; 'Roger Christopher'; 'Ros Blevins'; 'Steve Jones'; Steve Squire; Sue Raven; 'Tim Chamen'; wendy.copper@virginmedia.com
Cc: She who must be obeyed
Subject: A Right Royal Do!
The stately limousine sailed into sight like a swan upon an enchanted lake. The blue eye that is heaven became bedazzled by the occasion, even the golden beams of universal eternity dipped in homage. The line of voles, once ordinary looking, became unworthy in the instant. The conveyance glided to a halt. The door opened. Hearts that only seconds ago had been pounding chests for freedom were now in suspended animation and inexplicably in mouths agog in anticipation. And then there she was. Serenely climbing down the stepladders (which had been thoughtfully placed out of view of the cameras), she emerged onto the immediately hallowed turf of SSNR [By Appointment to Her Right Royaltiness the Lady Youthfulness].
The appointed Dave stepped forward and humbled himself. An unfortunate occurrence given the magnitude of the occasion. The reserve Dave stepped into the breach. Another unfortunate occurrence! Finally the ‘if all else fails’ Dave came to the rescue.
Bowing so low it made his eyes water he addressed her Supreme Being: “Your Majestyness, if I may be so humbly bold as to..”
Her ladyship interrupted as only one of noble birth can: “Are you a Dimbleby Dave?”
‘If all else fails’ Dave: “Err no?”
Her Exquisiteness: “Then go away.” The nobility of the extended hand flutter in Dave’s direction and immediately he was dispatched as like a game bird on the 1st September.
Her Exquisite Ladyshipness: “My husband and I..” A half turn to the limo revealed a slight glitch. “Oh bother, I must have left him somewhere again. Never mind, I shall continue. Myself and I remember only too vividly the diem horribilis that was last week. But we must move on.”
So saying Her Supremeliness moved on proffering dainty dexterous digits for the gathered ensemble to pucker up their trembling lips to.
Her Regality: “Oh I say what an obnoxious hound.”
Several male voles looked even further ashamed and took several steps back towards oblivion.
Her Lady Regal Exquisiteness: “I was referring to the dog.”
The males voles teetered on the edge of the abyss that is ordinariness. One brave soul remarked: “That is Jock, a rescued dog, he was found in a large, handbag, with handles. He was probably brought up in it.”
Her Lady Ladyness:“ I must confess that I feel somewhat bewildered by what you have just told me. To be born, or at any rate bred in a handbag, whether it have handles or not, seems to me to display a contempt for the ordinary decencies of family life which reminds one of the worst excesses of the French revolution, and I presume you know what that unfortunate movement led to?
The voles shook their heads, a few too vigorously causing them to fall off!
Brave Soul: “ Err yessum your womanliness. We believe he lost his parents and so we’ve adopted him like.”
Her Lady Ladyshipness: “To lose one parent, my good man, may be regarded as a misfortune; to lose both looks like carelessness.”
Little old lady with straw sticking out from under one arm (One Arm!!!!): He’s only being truthful you’re Omnipotence. He’s very earnest so he is and that’s what makes him so highly regarded by us all. ” Having said all this the little old lady retired to lie down until lunchtime.
Lady Youthfulness: “Well I suppose that’s the importance of being earnest.”
[I bet that’s made Oscar wild!]
Little old lady with straw sticking out from under one arm (One Arm!!!!): “Who’s Oscar?”
So many congratulation to Lady Sue on yet another birthday without a cake big enough to hold all the candles.
No doubt Mr Pitts will shortly be circulating a stunning array of pics so all who weren’t there today will see what the rest of us were up to. Basically following the Squire around, picking up loads of cut reeds (or in a little old lady’s case an odd bunch here and there!); carting them off to be burnt; telling the Squire not to go in the boggy bit; pulling the Squire out of the boggy bit!; showing the Squire were to cut next; sending out explorers to find where the Squire went!; telling the Squire it’s time to stop cutting; retelling the Squire it’s time to stop cutting; telling the local warden to stop telling the Squire to keep cutting!; getting bored of feeding the fire while the mound of cut reeds keeps growing; setting fire to the mound of cut reeds and blaming it on the person furthest away (Colin); eating muffins; eating biscuits (thanks Lillybeth); eating chocolate cake off the ground (thanks Maryla!); eating Jaffa cakes; moaning that there is no pudding!; moaning that Her Ladyship didn’t bring a birthday cake! and generally having fun.
Thanks to everyone who left early and didn’t stay to watch Jock walk across the ash (several times), try to make a ‘nest’ in the hot ash! (he dashed out pretty quick) and finally lie down in the ash!!!
Malcolm.
Date:Jan 15 2014, 10:51 AM
Subject:
RE: A Right Royal Do!
Show full header
Dear All
Thank you your Majesty and loyal subjects. This speedy correspondence has saved me a lot of palava etc so I shall just say my snaps are up on flickr now at www.flickr.com/photos/pitzys_pyx/.
I should like to say that we missed TWF all day (yes we did) but cold 90s humour might here say "but I couldn't" just for a snigger. I should also like to say thank you to:
Maryla for her Sandy Smith Mud Pies
Liz M for her wonderful shortcake biscuits (the choc chip ones were particularly good :))
Malcolm X for his fruit and vanilla buns, they were very very tasty.
Whoever brought the Jaffa Cakes
To you all for your laughs and banter.
Dave Lowe for his folk and Beetles songs.
For those who wondered why I had stopped by the road side on my way home see the first snap.
Cheers
JP
Now this is what makes Tuesdays such fun and keeps me nearly sane – you should see me when I’m really balmy! Very many apologies for the lack of cake – I will try hardy next time (depending on the day and the venue!).
Thanks for all the grovelling and the wonderful singing. Could you just shorten my name to She as long as I promise not to do an “Ursula Undress” and wear a chamois leather. Thanks also for the decent weather, not that it was cold where I was standing!
I can report that I was at the Rufus Centre this afternoon and there was JB, Audrey and their lovely daughter. JB allowed me to feel his new pulse and I can recommend it as a strange experience and I think he’s got a battery somewhere that gives electric twitches.
Bon voyage to the Breeds who will be sadly missed for a while. See the rest of you somewhere in the wilds of Bedfordshire and hopefully next Tuesday.
Thanks Mr. Kippling – your writing talents are beyond compare and your cakes are pretty wonderful too. Tally Ho! She
From: Steve Squire [mailto:Steve.Squire@greensandtrust.org]
Sent: 14 January 2014 21:36
To: Malcolm Willis; Tim Spencer; bazbreed@hotmail.com; 'Colin Atkins'; 'Dave Clarke'; 'David Moffatt'; 'James Miller'; 'Jane Breed'; 'John Buxton'; 'John Pitts'; 'Kelvin Horton'; 'Malcolm Willis'; 'Marie Mead'; 'Maryla Carter'; 'Peter Stafferton'; 'Roger Christopher'; 'Ros Blevins'; 'Steve Jones'; Sue Raven; 'Tim Chamen'; wendy.copper@virginmedia.com
Cc: She who must be obeyed
Subject: RE: A Right Royal Do!
Good to see you now have an official email Sue .
Well done Malcolm for making me laugh , very good thank you and to Jock with hot bum in fire.
And thank you all too for working so hard with or without Royal Cake!
Regards
Steve
From: Malcolm Willis [malcolmJwillis@btinternet.com]
Sent: 14 January 2014 21:13
To: Tim Spencer; bazbreed@hotmail.com; 'Colin Atkins'; 'Dave Clarke'; 'David Moffatt'; 'James Miller'; 'Jane Breed'; 'John Buxton'; 'John Pitts'; 'Kelvin Horton'; 'Malcolm Willis'; 'Marie Mead'; 'Maryla Carter'; 'Peter Stafferton'; 'Roger Christopher'; 'Ros Blevins'; 'Steve Jones'; Steve Squire; Sue Raven; 'Tim Chamen'; wendy.copper@virginmedia.com
Cc: She who must be obeyed
Subject: A Right Royal Do!
The stately limousine sailed into sight like a swan upon an enchanted lake. The blue eye that is heaven became bedazzled by the occasion, even the golden beams of universal eternity dipped in homage. The line of voles, once ordinary looking, became unworthy in the instant. The conveyance glided to a halt. The door opened. Hearts that only seconds ago had been pounding chests for freedom were now in suspended animation and inexplicably in mouths agog in anticipation. And then there she was. Serenely climbing down the stepladders (which had been thoughtfully placed out of view of the cameras), she emerged onto the immediately hallowed turf of SSNR [By Appointment to Her Right Royaltiness the Lady Youthfulness].
The appointed Dave stepped forward and humbled himself. An unfortunate occurrence given the magnitude of the occasion. The reserve Dave stepped into the breach. Another unfortunate occurrence! Finally the ‘if all else fails’ Dave came to the rescue.
Bowing so low it made his eyes water he addressed her Supreme Being: “Your Majestyness, if I may be so humbly bold as to..”
Her ladyship interrupted as only one of noble birth can: “Are you a Dimbleby Dave?”
‘If all else fails’ Dave: “Err no?”
Her Exquisiteness: “Then go away.” The nobility of the extended hand flutter in Dave’s direction and immediately he was dispatched as like a game bird on the 1st September.
Her Exquisite Ladyshipness: “My husband and I..” A half turn to the limo revealed a slight glitch. “Oh bother, I must have left him somewhere again. Never mind, I shall continue. Myself and I remember only too vividly the diem horribilis that was last week. But we must move on.”
So saying Her Supremeliness moved on proffering dainty dexterous digits for the gathered ensemble to pucker up their trembling lips to.
Her Regality: “Oh I say what an obnoxious hound.”
Several male voles looked even further ashamed and took several steps back towards oblivion.
Her Lady Regal Exquisiteness: “I was referring to the dog.”
The males voles teetered on the edge of the abyss that is ordinariness. One brave soul remarked: “That is Jock, a rescued dog, he was found in a large, handbag, with handles. He was probably brought up in it.”
Her Lady Ladyness:“ I must confess that I feel somewhat bewildered by what you have just told me. To be born, or at any rate bred in a handbag, whether it have handles or not, seems to me to display a contempt for the ordinary decencies of family life which reminds one of the worst excesses of the French revolution, and I presume you know what that unfortunate movement led to?
The voles shook their heads, a few too vigorously causing them to fall off!
Brave Soul: “ Err yessum your womanliness. We believe he lost his parents and so we’ve adopted him like.”
Her Lady Ladyshipness: “To lose one parent, my good man, may be regarded as a misfortune; to lose both looks like carelessness.”
Little old lady with straw sticking out from under one arm (One Arm!!!!): He’s only being truthful you’re Omnipotence. He’s very earnest so he is and that’s what makes him so highly regarded by us all. ” Having said all this the little old lady retired to lie down until lunchtime.
Lady Youthfulness: “Well I suppose that’s the importance of being earnest.”
[I bet that’s made Oscar wild!]
Little old lady with straw sticking out from under one arm (One Arm!!!!): “Who’s Oscar?”
So many congratulation to Lady Sue on yet another birthday without a cake big enough to hold all the candles.
No doubt Mr Pitts will shortly be circulating a stunning array of pics so all who weren’t there today will see what the rest of us were up to. Basically following the Squire around, picking up loads of cut reeds (or in a little old lady’s case an odd bunch here and there!); carting them off to be burnt; telling the Squire not to go in the boggy bit; pulling the Squire out of the boggy bit!; showing the Squire were to cut next; sending out explorers to find where the Squire went!; telling the Squire it’s time to stop cutting; retelling the Squire it’s time to stop cutting; telling the local warden to stop telling the Squire to keep cutting!; getting bored of feeding the fire while the mound of cut reeds keeps growing; setting fire to the mound of cut reeds and blaming it on the person furthest away (Colin); eating muffins; eating biscuits (thanks Lillybeth); eating chocolate cake off the ground (thanks Maryla!); eating Jaffa cakes; moaning that there is no pudding!; moaning that Her Ladyship didn’t bring a birthday cake! and generally having fun.
Thanks to everyone who left early and didn’t stay to watch Jock walk across the ash (several times), try to make a ‘nest’ in the hot ash! (he dashed out pretty quick) and finally lie down in the ash!!!
Malcolm.
Is there a rock God can’t create?
Atheists come up with all sorts of objections to the existence of God.
For example: they frequently claim that God could not be omnipotent because it can be shown that there is something God could not create. They give the example that God could not possibly create a rock which was too heavy for Him to lift. If this were true, it would mean God cannot do everything and His powers are thus limited.
So is it really true that God could not create a rock which was too heavy for Him to lift?
To explain the problem further - any rock that God creates is a material object which is subject to gravity.
Gravity is a property of material objects and the natural realm.
God as a non-natural, non-material spirit is not subject to gravity. Which means God could lift any material object He chooses to create. This means He could lift any rock of any weight. However, if, for example, He did create a rock He genuinely could not lift, then by virtue of not being able to lift that rock, there would be something He could not do and we would have to conclude He could not be omnipotent. So it would seem at first glance that atheists have revealed a no win, catch 22 situation for theists.
Of course, we could say that God could ‘choose’ not to be able to lift a rock because of its weight, but that doesn’t mean He can’t lift it, only that He chooses not to be able to. So that is not really a proper answer.
Is this proof of the atheist claim that an omnipotent God cannot exist?
The answer is most certainly no, because God HAS created a rock which He can lift and at the same time cannot lift. This might seem like a contradiction, but it is not.
All God has to do - is to incarnate Himself into material form, and enter the material realm as a full human being. And, as a full human, He would then be subject to the limits of the gravity He has created, and thus unable to lift large, heavy rocks.
God has already done this when He was incarnated as Jesus Christ.
Jesus ... fully human and fully God ... was genuinely unable, in His human incarnation, to lift large, heavy rocks (even though He had created them), just like any other human.
So, in spirit form, God was able to lift any rock He had created, but in material (human) form He was subject to gravity and was unable to lift any heavy rocks.
We do well not to underestimate God – God IS omnipotent, if we think He isn’t, it is due to limitations in our own powers of reasoning, not to any limited power of God or lack of God’s ingenuity.
If it is at all possible, and not something nonsensical and contradictory- God is capable of it.
As C S Lewis says ...
"His (God's) Omnipotence means power to do all that is intrinsically possible, not to do the intrinsically impossible. You may attribute miracles to him, but not nonsense. This is no limit to his power. If you choose to say 'God can give a creature free will and at the same time withhold free will from it,' you have not succeeded in saying anything about God: meaningless combinations of words do not suddenly acquire meaning simply because we prefix to them the two other words 'God can.'... It is no more possible for God than for the weakest of his creatures to carry out both of two mutually exclusive alternatives; not because his power meets an obstacle, but because nonsense remains nonsense even when we talk it about God."