Amor meus, pondus meum
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On the night of 8/9 April 1941, Coventry endured another major air raid as 230 German aircraft bombarded the city, dropping 315 tons of high explosives along with 25,000 incendiaries. Over the course of this attack and a second raid two nights later, on 10/11 April, approximately 451 people were killed and more than 700 sustained serious injuries.
Fallen debris from the burnt out roof structure sits near the high altar inside Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, Christophe Morin
The ladder of the spiritual life leads downwards rather than up (or it leads us back to where we already are). The lives of the saints are replete with those who abandoned wealth in order to become poor and find God. I can think of no stories in which a saint acquired wealth in order to enter the Kingdom.
I do not think it is necessary for everyone to abandon what they have and head to the deserts. It is sufficient, in my experience, to simply practice mercy, kindness and generosity where you are, and to bear your own failings and incompetence with patience. And, though this sounds easy, it is more than most are willing to do.
Fr. Stephen Freeman
Penitent Mary Magdalene
Description
Like Caravaggio, Artemisia painted Mary Magdalene many times, creating fresh expressions of the saint’s spirituality through deft use of light and shadow and intense physicality. Here, Mary Magdalene closes her eyes, fingering a cascade of auburn hair. In the shadows at left, an ointment jar and a small mirror lay flat on a table. These discarded items, along with her bracelet and pearl earring, identify her as Saint Mary Magdalene, who has renounced her former life of luxury and vanity and closes her eyes to reflect on her sinful past, vowing her devotion to Christ.
Oblivious to her appearance, she enters a spiritual realm. The sensuality of Artemisia’s painting not only conveys the story of Mary Magdalene but also exploits the power of art to connect intimately with the viewer. In contrast to some of her more violent narratives of forceful, heroic women, such as Judith and Lucretia, Artemisia’s Magdalene captures an introspective moment of contrition and reflection, intense in its spiritual power.
Christ in Garden of Gethsemane
What Happened in the Garden of Gethsemane?
The Gospels note that Jesus told His disciples to “sit here while I pray” (Mark 14:32). He acknowledged His sadness, asking them to keep watch, as “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death” (14:34). He walked a bit farther from them, sank to His knees, and cried out to His Father, God. “Abba, Father,’ He said, ‘everything is possible for You. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what You will’” (14:36). This was no casual prayer -Jesus was distraught. Matthew’s Gospel tells us “He fell with His face to the ground” (Matthew 26:39) as He prayed with all His might.
