IMAGO SACRA MILLE GRATIARUM VALET. ("A holy picture is worth a thousand graces")................... This blog is a means to show some of my holy card collection along with some interesting thoughts and inspirations. "....artists have the privilege in the Church and throughout history, to open up so that people can see the mystery of God. The artist speaks, not just literally, but symbolically. Visual images, if well done, can move us. That's a ministry." Quote from Brother Michael Moran, C.P
Sunday, February 28, 2010
His Mother-My Mother-Your Mother....February 28
Holy Mother, pierce me through, In my heart each wound renew, Of my Saviour crucified. O Mary, make me to live in God, with God, and for God.
Can somebody help me to understand something? Next to one of the pictures, I read, "Mary, help me to live in God, with God, and for God." I can understanding living FOR God, I can (sort of) understanding living WITH God, but I do not know what is meant by living IN God.
I am sometimes IN my car. I live IN a house. I live IN the U.S.A.. I was taught that "IN" refers to one's physical location. But I cannot be IN God, because God, in His divinity, is pure spirit and has no dimensions like a car or house or country. I don't see how I can be INSIDE Him.
Even when we speak of Jesus, who has a human Body, I cannot get INSDIE that Body. If you are thinking about answering that, when the statement says, "living in God," it doesn't mean WITHIN/INSIDE God, then my response would be: Then why do people use such a confusing word as "IN"? Can't we use a different word or phrase, so that we can communicate and understand more clearly? What word or phrase could be used instead of "living IN God"?
The pictures of our Blessed Mother are beautiful! Living in our Saviour's love and peace--what a powerful meditation you have provided today! And 'A Blessing to Read' is wonderful. Thank you so much Micki for all the help you give us. I pray that God will bless all that take time from their day to stop here. And Micki, I hope and pray that you are well!
living in God, a profound statement, and here a profound prayer, let me surrender my will and earthly desires so that I live only as God truly wishes me too.Our greatest Saints have written of longing for this closeness and it is a case of a profound desire to live so perfectly that we are subsumed into God and do perfectly His will on earth. As the hymn we sang at mass this morning says 10.15 a.m. Sung Eucharist Introit Hymn 457 “My God how wonderful”
OT Reading Genesis 14: 18 – 20 (page 1136) Psalm 116 Response: : I will walk in the presence of the Lord, in the land of the living
NT Reading 1 Corinthians 11: 23 – 26 Gradual Hymn: 82 “Bread of heaven”
D: Alleluia, alleluia! I am the living bread which has come down from heaven, says the Lord P: Anyone who eats this bread will live for ever. Alleluia !
Gospel John 6: 51 - 58
Offertory Hymn: O bread of heaven, beneath this veil thou dost my very God conceal; my Jesus, dearest treasure, hail; I love thee and adoring kneel; each loving soul by thee is fed with thine own self in form of bread.
O food of life, thou who dost give the pledge of immortality; I live; no, 'tis not I that live; God gives me life, god lives in me: he feeds my soul, he guides my ways, and every grief with joy repays.
O bond of love, that dost unite the servant to his living Lord; could I dare live, and not requite such love - then death were meet reward: I cannot live unless to prove some love for such unmeasured love.
diddleymaz, I hope that you didn't actually sing those alleluias yesterday. We are not to sing/say, "Alleluia," during Lent. In this penitential season, we have special phrases that are said/sung before and after the gospel acclamation's verse: "Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ, King of endless glory" and "Glory to You, Word of God, Lord Jesus Christ" and "Praise and honor to You, Lord Jesus Christ" and so on.
Thanks for what you said about "to live in God." It is somewhat helpful, but still not clear enough. I have been waiting to find a fully satisfactory answer to this for many, many years, but still without success.
Freda - And as they say in church "and also with you."
Anonymous - Great thought and question. I don't have an answer...I just think it applies to my "wanting to be "in" Jesus. To be part of Him as we are "in" love with our spouses..we want to be part of their heartbeat, their blood flowing in their veins, simply so close we are "in" them. Might not make sense because I think it's a feeling or a desire.
Mary Lou - Thank you for your words of love and for your prayers. Yes, I am very well. Struggling through Lent maybe but filled with joy at the same time.
diddleymaz - What can I say...you were just filled with a sharing of all those great words...
Anonymous - Yes, only once during Lent could we sing Alleluia. A special day for me....The Feast of the Chair of St. Peter.
I'm sorry, Micki, but that's not correct. We are not to say or sing "Alleluia" on any day from Ash Wednesday through Holy Saturday afternoon. It will return only at the Easter Vigil Mass. The alternate words are used on the Feast of the Chair of St. Peter and even on two loftier days that always or usually come in Lent, the Solemnities of St. Joseph and the Annunciation. If you hear "Alleluia" in your parish during Lent, either the priest or the organist is violating the Church's liturgical law. It's not the "end of the world," but it should be stopped, out of obedience.
your cards are so beautiful, I love the old vintage ones, esp. of the virgin mary. They remind me so much of better times, when I was a child, of convents and catholic school. I have 4 cards that I have set aside over the years, and would like to start a small collection as well. They are so inspirational, and make me feel good to look at them. How did you go about acquiring your cards? I look in second hand stores, but the older ones are so hard to find.
Thanks for all the work you did here on this blog.
This is an especially beautiful picture of Mary. I see the sweetness of her spirit. I've truly enjoyed viewing the cards this evening, and have been blessed by your ministry once again. Thank you Micki
Maryellen and Jennifer, Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment. I always am amazed how people still come around on this former blog of mine. I had such joy putting it all out there for you and to think that the Lord still moves people to come back is such a blessing to me.
Going back and reading the comments on this page reminds me that conversation could still continue. I guess we will just have to accept what has been written. To you all, I say, a big Thank You to your dedication of coming back and leaving words. Hugs to all.
You have some amazing pictures on this site! I am putting together a Catholic language arts program and am wondering if I may use some of the lovely images that you have here?
..."Thank You"...Micki, for all your kind shares with each of us. You have a very special ministry. Peace and joy to all who visit your site! ~Freda~
ReplyDeleteCan somebody help me to understand something? Next to one of the pictures, I read, "Mary, help me to live in God, with God, and for God." I can understanding living FOR God, I can (sort of) understanding living WITH God, but I do not know what is meant by living IN God.
ReplyDeleteI am sometimes IN my car. I live IN a house. I live IN the U.S.A.. I was taught that "IN" refers to one's physical location. But I cannot be IN God, because God, in His divinity, is pure spirit and has no dimensions like a car or house or country. I don't see how I can be INSIDE Him.
Even when we speak of Jesus, who has a human Body, I cannot get INSDIE that Body. If you are thinking about answering that, when the statement says, "living in God," it doesn't mean WITHIN/INSIDE God, then my response would be: Then why do people use such a confusing word as "IN"? Can't we use a different word or phrase, so that we can communicate and understand more clearly? What word or phrase could be used instead of "living IN God"?
Thanks for your help!
The pictures of our Blessed Mother are beautiful! Living in our Saviour's love and peace--what a powerful meditation you have provided today! And 'A Blessing to Read' is wonderful. Thank you so much Micki for all the help you give us. I pray that God will bless all that take time from their day to stop here. And Micki, I hope and pray that you are well!
ReplyDeleteliving in God, a profound statement, and here a profound prayer, let me surrender my will and earthly desires so that I live only as God truly wishes me too.Our greatest Saints have written of longing for this closeness and it is a case of a profound desire to live so perfectly that we are subsumed into God and do perfectly His will on earth.
ReplyDeleteAs the hymn we sang at mass this morning says 10.15 a.m. Sung Eucharist
Introit Hymn 457 “My God how wonderful”
OT Reading Genesis 14: 18 – 20 (page 1136)
Psalm 116 Response: : I will walk in the presence of the Lord, in the land of the living
NT Reading 1 Corinthians 11: 23 – 26
Gradual Hymn: 82 “Bread of heaven”
D: Alleluia, alleluia! I am the living bread which has come down from heaven, says the Lord
P: Anyone who eats this bread will live for ever. Alleluia !
Gospel John 6: 51 - 58
Offertory Hymn:
O bread of heaven, beneath this veil
thou dost my very God conceal;
my Jesus, dearest treasure, hail;
I love thee and adoring kneel;
each loving soul by thee is fed
with thine own self in form of bread.
O food of life, thou who dost give
the pledge of immortality;
I live; no, 'tis not I that live;
God gives me life, god lives in me:
he feeds my soul, he guides my ways,
and every grief with joy repays.
O bond of love, that dost unite
the servant to his living Lord;
could I dare live, and not requite
such love - then death were meet reward:
I cannot live unless to prove
some love for such unmeasured love.
woops cut and pasted a bit more than the words of O bread of Heaven.ignore the bit of order of service.
ReplyDeletediddleymaz, I hope that you didn't actually sing those alleluias yesterday. We are not to sing/say, "Alleluia," during Lent. In this penitential season, we have special phrases that are said/sung before and after the gospel acclamation's verse: "Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ, King of endless glory" and "Glory to You, Word of God, Lord Jesus Christ" and "Praise and honor to You, Lord Jesus Christ" and so on.
ReplyDeleteThanks for what you said about "to live in God." It is somewhat helpful, but still not clear enough. I have been waiting to find a fully satisfactory answer to this for many, many years, but still without success.
Freda - And as they say in church "and also with you."
ReplyDeleteAnonymous - Great thought and question. I don't have an answer...I just think it applies to my "wanting to be "in" Jesus. To be part of Him as we are "in" love with our spouses..we want to be part of their heartbeat, their blood flowing in their veins, simply so close we are "in" them.
Might not make sense because I think it's a feeling or a desire.
Mary Lou - Thank you for your words of love and for your prayers. Yes, I am very well. Struggling through Lent maybe but filled with joy at the same time.
diddleymaz - What can I say...you were just filled with a sharing of all those great words...
Anonymous - Yes, only once during Lent could we sing Alleluia. A special day for me....The Feast of the Chair of St. Peter.
I'm sorry, Micki, but that's not correct. We are not to say or sing "Alleluia" on any day from Ash Wednesday through Holy Saturday afternoon. It will return only at the Easter Vigil Mass. The alternate words are used on the Feast of the Chair of St. Peter and even on two loftier days that always or usually come in Lent, the Solemnities of St. Joseph and the Annunciation. If you hear "Alleluia" in your parish during Lent, either the priest or the organist is violating the Church's liturgical law. It's not the "end of the world," but it should be stopped, out of obedience.
ReplyDeleteyour cards are so beautiful, I love the old vintage ones, esp. of the virgin mary. They remind me so much of better times, when I was a child, of convents and catholic school. I have 4 cards that I have set aside over the years, and would like to start a small collection as well. They are so inspirational, and make me feel good to look at them. How did you go about acquiring your cards? I look in second hand stores, but the older ones are so hard to find.
ReplyDeleteThanks for all the work you did here on this blog.
This is an especially beautiful picture of Mary. I see the sweetness of her spirit. I've truly enjoyed viewing the cards this evening, and have been blessed by your ministry once again.
ReplyDeleteThank you Micki
Maryellen and Jennifer,
ReplyDeleteThank you for taking the time to leave a comment. I always am amazed how people still come around on this former blog of mine. I had such joy putting it all out there for you and to think that the Lord still moves people to come back is such a blessing to me.
Going back and reading the comments on this page reminds me that conversation could still continue. I guess we will just have to accept what has been written. To you all, I say, a big Thank You to your dedication of coming back and leaving words. Hugs to all.
Micki
You have some amazing pictures on this site! I am putting together a Catholic language arts program and am wondering if I may use some of the lovely images that you have here?
ReplyDeleteSure, happy to help out.
ReplyDeleteThanks!!
ReplyDelete