MyVelleity~ photoblog

Stained glass lends itself so well to photography. Capturing heavenly light through these wonderful panels is a very enjoyable pastime for me. I wanted to share these with all those who haven’t been to this beautiful sanctuary. This has become my largest posting to date. I considered several alternative layouts, such as clickable links on the panels to view the details, but have decided to just make it straight forward as I customarily have been doing. This approach allows for a more searchable tag, and also… I don’t want to burden ya’ll with even more “windows!”
Thanks for visiting, and I hope you enjoy the photos…

Saint Michael, the Archangel and leader of the forces of heaven in their triumph over the powers of hell during the battle fought in heaven against satan and his followers. Holy Scripture describes St. Michael as “one of the chief princes.”

Saint Raphael is one of seven Archangels who stand before the throne of the Lord. I believe Raphael is depicted here leading Tobias into Media and destined marriage with Sarah.

Joachim and Anne, how chaste a couple! While leading a devout and holy life in your human nature, you gave birth to a daughter nobler than the angels, whose queen she now is.

Saint Anne, mother of Mary. Holy was the root from which sprouted the tree that bore the holiest Fruit, Jesus.

Saint Joachim was the huband of Saint Ann & father of the Virgin Mary, mother of Jesus.

Saint Matthew, one of the twelve Apostles, is the author of the first Gospel.

Saint Luke, the writer of the Gospel and the Acts of the Apostles.

Saint Aloysius, is considered to be the patron saint of catholic youth.
From the earliest age, the young saint was given to prayer.
At Casale-Monferat, where he spent winters, he assumed the discipline of a monk, fasting three days a week, scourging himself, and praying at midnight on the stone floor of his unheated room. During his third year of study, he came to the revelation he would not live long. The plague struck in 1591, and he was sent to aid the ill in the Jesuit hospital of Rome. He performed the lowliest of duties, and contracted the disease in time. He was sure this would be the cause of his eventual demise. Aloysius’ health was so poor that he received Holy Viaticum and Extreme Unction on several occasions. It was revealed to him that he would pass on the Octave of Corpus Christi, and though he appeared much better in the days preceeding the Feast, Saint Aloysius did in fact turn and die on the Octave of Corpus Christi, June 21st, 1591.

In one story of Benedict’s life, a poor man came to the monastery begging for a little oil. Although Benedict commanded that the oil be given, the cellarer refused — because there was only a tiny bit of oil left. If the cellarer gave any oil as alms there would be none for the monastery. Angry at this distrust of God’s providence, Benedict knelt down to pray. As he prayed a bubbling sound came from inside the oil jar. The monks watched in fascination as oil from God filled the vessel so completely that it overflowed, leaked out beneath the lid and finally pushed the cover off, cascading out on to the floor.

In Benedictine prayer, our hearts are the vessel empty of thoughts and intellectual striving. All that remains is the trust in God’s providence to fill us. Emptying ourselves this way brings God’s abundant goodness bubbling up in our hearts, first with an inspiration or two, and finally overflowing our heart with contemplative love.

In the year 35 Saul appears as a self-righteous young Pharisee, almost fanatically anti-Christian. He believed that the trouble-making new sect should be stamped out, its adherents punished.
It was very soon afterwards that Saul experienced the revelation which was to transform his life. On the road to the Syrian city of Damascus, where he was going to continue his persecutions against the Christians, he was struck blind. On arriving in Damascus, there followed in dramatic sequence his sudden conversion, the cure of his blindness by the disciple Ananias, and his baptism. Saul accepted eagerly the commission to preach the Gospel of Christ, From the moment of his return, Paul—for he had now assumed this Roman name—never paused in his labors. It proved to be the most extraordinary career of preaching, writing, and church-founding of which we have record. Any historical reconstruction of Jesus’ aims and activities need to be based on evidence dating from before the war between Judea and Rome in 66-70 CE. Since the only writings that meet this requirement are the epistles of Paul, historians who are serious about historical method need to treat Paul’s letters as primary and foundational, in effect, Paul is the skeleton key to the historical Jesus.

“Whatever things are true, whatever honorable, whatever just, whatever holy, whatever lovable, whatever of good repute, if there be any virtue, if anything worthy of praise, think upon these things.” (Philippians 4:8)

Saint Paul

Saint John the Apostle & Evangelist, after Christ’s Ascension and the Descent of the Holy Spirit, John together with Peter, took a prominent part in the founding and guidance of the Church.

St Mark’s was the first Gospel written. Written for Roman Christians, it formed the basis for the subsequent Synoptic Gospels of Matthew and Luke. It emphasises Jesus’ works in and around Galilee.

When St. Anthony of Padua found he was preaching the true Gospel of the Catholic Church to heretics who would not listen to him, he then went out and preached it to the fishes. This was not, as liberals and naturalists are trying to say, for the instruction of the fishes, but rather for the glory of God, the delight of the angels, and the easing of his own heart. St. Anthony wanted to profess the Catholic Faith with his mind and his heart, at every moment. Upon exhumation, some 336 years after his death, his body was found to be corrupted, yet his tongue was totally incorrupt, so perfect were the teachings that had been formed upon it.

Saint Francis Xavier endured many hardships during his missions to the Far East, where he successfully converted tens of thousands of natives to christianity. He left the mark of his missionary zeal and energy on areas which clung to Christianity for centuries. Saint Francis Xavier was canonized in 1622 and proclaimed patron of all foreign missions.

Saint Francis of Assisis’ brotherhood included all of God’s creation. Much has been written about Francis’ love of nature but his relationship was deeper than that. We call someone a lover of nature if they spend their free time in the woods or admire its beauty. But Francis really felt that nature, all God’s creations, were part of his brotherhood. The sparrow was as much his brother as the pope. Francis practiced true equality by showing honor, respect, and love to every person whether they were beggar or pope. He lived the life of a pauper and shunned all worldly possesions. Francis is considered the founder of all Franciscan orders and the patron saint of ecologists and merchants.

John the Baptist, insisted that the sole purpose of his mission was to point away from himself to his younger cousin, Jesus. Jesus, for his part, never uttered one negative word about John. Jesus even endorsed John’s ministry by submitting to baptism at John’s hand. Indeed Jesus said, “Among those born of women (that is, of all the people in the world), there is none greater than John.”

Saint Monica is regarded as the Patron of Wives and Abuse Victims.

For Saint Francis, the love of God was like romantic love. He said, “The thoughts of those moved by natural human love are almost completely fastened on the beloved, their hearts are filled with passion for it, and their mouths full of its praises. When it is gone they express their feelings in letters, and can’t pass by a tree without carving the name of their beloved in its bark. Thus too those who love God can never stop thinking about him, longing for him, aspiring to him, and speaking about him. If they could, they would engrave the name of Jesus on the hearts of all humankind.”

The key to love of God was prayer. “By turning your eyes on God in meditation, your whole soul will be filled with God. Begin all your prayers in the presence of God.”

~ by myVelleity on September 2, 2009.

Posted in Digital, historical, portrait
Tags: color, history, interesting, light, Love, Saint, San Fernado Cathedral, stained glass