Looks interesting and a little bit creepy . . .
Part I:
Part II:
Monday, July 22, 2013
Mysterious Mary In Malta
Here’s
a mystery story that could be a book or on the History Channel
Why
has Malta supplanted Mary Magdalene with Jesus’ Mother Mary? This
author implies a cover up . . .
Was Mary
Magdalene ever on Malta?
The French
tradition of Saint Lazare of Bethany is that Mary, her brother Lazarus, and
Maximinus, one of the Seventy Disciples and some companions, expelled by
persecutions from the Holy Land, traversed the Mediterranean in a frail boat
with neither rudder nor mast and landed at the place called
Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer near Arles.
On the way
however, they were shipwrecked on an island called Malta, in the middle
of the Mediterranean. In fact a very strong cult exists on this island,
regarding this Saint. It has gone underground now, due to the exaggeration of
the Marian cult. (what?)
The Maltese
towns of Dingli, Rabat, Madliena (Maltese for Magdalene), and Valletta all have
Chapels, a Church, a Fortresses, and a Tower dedicated to St. Mary Magdalene.
The Ravelin
dedicated to St. Mary Magdalene, guarding the entrance to the Capital City:
Valletta, was demolished!
The Chapel in
Floriana was replaced by one dedicated to no other than the mother of Jesus.
The remaining
structures do not open regularly, or are not well cared for, but they are all
in the most important locations of Malta, especially strategically.
Madliena in
Gozo also had a Chapel dedicated to St. Mary Magdalene, but this was demolished
for no reason whatsoever.
The Chapel
beneath the Church of St. Paul in Rabat is never opened with the excuse of
drainage seepage. All artistic works were taken out except those concerning St.
Mary Magdalene, which were left to rot. Passages are sealed and nobody knows
where they lead to, or what they might contain.
The Church in
Valletta was up till very recently used to build carnival floats.
It is also
interesting that excavation works in front of the Cathedral dedicated to St.
John The Baptist, built by the Knights of St. John, who are still based on this
island, and who are a branch of the Knights Templar, was suddenly stopped in
about 2010.
After leaving
Malta, Mary Magdalene came to Arles via Marseille and converted the whole of
Provence.
The French Connection
At
least she retired to a nice area of France. I wonder if she went to the
beach in Cannes . . .
Why is
Mary Magdalene a popular saint in the Provence region of southern
France?
The French
tradition is that Mary, her brother Lazarus, and Maximinus, one of the Seventy
Disciples and some companions, expelled by persecutions from the Holy Land,
traversed the Mediterranean in a frail boat with neither rudder nor mast and
landed at the place called Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer near Arles. On the
way however, they were shipwrecked on a tiny island called Malta, in the
middle of the Mediterranean. In fact a very strong cult exists on this island,
regarding this Saint.
Another
French tradition is that Mary Magdalene came to Marseille and converted
the whole of Provence. Magdalene is said to have retired to a cave on a
hill by Marseille, La Sainte-Baume ("holy cave" baumo in
Provençal), where she gave herself up to a life of penance for thirty years.
When the time of her death arrived she was carried by angels to Aix and
into the oratory of Saint Maximinus, where she received the viaticum; her body
was then laid in an oratory constructed by St. Maximinus at Villa Lata,
afterwards called St. Maximin.
In 1279, when
Charles II, King of Naples, erected a Dominican convent at La Sainte-Baume,
the shrine was found intact, with an explanatory inscription stating why the
relics had been hidden. Afterwards, since September 9, 1279, the
purported body of Mary Magdalene was also venerated at Saint-Maximin-la-Sainte-Baume,
Provence. This cult attracted such throngs of pilgrims that the earlier
shrine was rebuilt as the great Basilica from the mid-13th century, one of the
finest Gothic churches in the south of France.
St. Mary Magdalene's
relics were venerated at the abbey of Vézelay in Burgundy. Jacobus de
Voragine gives the common account of the transfer of the relics of Mary
Magdalene from her sepulcher in the oratory of Saint Maximin at Aix-en-Provence
to the newly founded abbey of Vézelay; the transportation of the relics is
entered as undertaken in 771 by the founder of the abbey, identified as Gerard,
duke of Burgundy. The earliest mention of this episode is the notice of the
chronicler Sigebert of Gembloux (died 1112), who asserts that the relics
were removed to Vézelay through fear of the Saracens. A casket of relics
associated with Magdalene remains at Vézelay.
During the
Counter Reformation and Baroque periods (late 16th and 17th centuries), the
cult of Mary Magdalene saw a great, new popularity as the Catholic Church
publicized her as an attractive, persuasive model of repentance and reform, in
keeping with the goals of the reform Council of Trent (1545–63).
As part of
this new attention to the cult of the Magdalene, in 1600, her relics were
placed in a sarcophagus commissioned by Pope Clement VIII, the head being
placed in a separate reliquary. The relics and free-standing images were
scattered and destroyed at the Revolution. In 1814, the church of La
Sainte-Baume, also wrecked during the Revolution, was restored. In 1822,
the grotto was consecrated afresh. The head of the saint now lies there and has
been the center of many pilgrimages.
Whatever became of Mary from Magdala?
July
22: Saint Mary Magdalen
Who was
Mary from Magdala?
She has been called the second-most important woman in the New Testament after
Mary the mother of Jesus. Mary Magdalene traveled with Jesus as one of
his followers. She was present at Jesus' two most important moments: the
crucifixion and the resurrection. Within the four Gospels, the oldest
historical record mentioning her name, she is named at least 12 times, more
than most of the apostles. The Gospel references describe her as courageous,
brave enough to stand by Jesus in his hours of suffering, death and beyond.
In the New Testament, Jesus cleansed her of "seven demons",[Lk. 8:2]
[Mk. 16:9] sometimes interpreted as referring to complex illnesses. Mary was
most prominent during Jesus' last days. When Jesus was crucified by the Romans,
Mary Magdalene was there supporting him in his final terrifying moments and
mourning his death. She stayed with him at the cross after the male disciples
(except John the Beloved) had fled. She was at his burial, and she is the only
person to be listed in all four Gospels as first to realize that Jesus had
risen and to testify to that central teaching of faith. John 20 and Mark
16:9 specifically name her as the first person to see Jesus after his
Resurrection.
Was she a
prostitute?
Mary Magdalene has been a victim of mistaken identity for almost 20
centuries. It is almost universally agreed today that characterizations
of her as a repentant prostitute are completely unfounded. However, Mary
Magdalene has long been confused with other women also named Mary. This identification was made official by
the Western (Catholic) church in a homily given by Pope Gregory I around
the year 591. He is described as one of the most influential figures ever to
serve as pope. In a famous series of sermons on Mary Magdalene, given in Rome,
he identified Magdalene not only with the anonymous sinner in Luke's gospel,
but also with Mary of Bethany, the sister of Martha and Lazarus. The seven
devils removed from her by Jesus "morphed into the seven capital sins, and
Mary Magdalene began to be condemned not only for lust but for pride and
covetousness as well". Pope Gregory's homily on Luke’s
gospel made it an official interpretation of the church that Mary
Magdalene was the woman of the “alabaster jar”—a prostitute
What
became of Mary after the Resurrection?
After her first report to the named apostles that Jesus was risen, Mary Magdalene
disappears from the New Testament. She is not mentioned in the Acts of the
Apostles, and her fate remains undocumented. Gregory of Tours,
writing in Tours in the 6th century, supports the tradition that she retired to
Ephesus (Turkey), with no mention of any connection to Gaul
(France).
The Lynching of Journalism
Interesting
facts hidden by the news media . . .
Trayvon
Martin Case – The Lynching Of Journalism
Just think a minute; if they will do this to further their agenda, who and what is next?
Your Latin Lesson For Today
Say this aloud three times for practice . . .
TODAY’s COLLECT for the 16th Sunday
in Ordinary Time:
Propitiare, Domine, famulis tuis, et clementer
gratiae tuae super eos dona multiplica, ut, spe, fide et caritate ferventes,
semper in mandatis tuis vigili custodia perseverent.
LITERAL VERSION:
Look propitiously on Your servants, O Lord, and indulgently
multiply upon them the gifts of Your grace so that, burning with faith, hope
and charity, they may persevere always in your commands with vigilant
watchfulness.
NEW VERSION (2011):
Show favor, O Lord, to your servants and mercifully increase
the gifts of your grace, that, made fervent in hope, faith and charity, they
may be ever watchful in keeping your commands.
Why is "Laus Deo" atop the Washington Monument?
On the aluminum cap atop the Washington Monument in
Washington D.C. are two words: "Laus Deo".
No one can see these words. In fact... most visitors to the monument have no idea they are even there and... for that matter... probably could NOT care less!
But there they are... 555 feet, 5.125 inches high... perched atop the monument to the father of our nation... overlooking the 69 square miles which comprise the District of Columbia... capital of the United States of America.
Laus Deo! Two seemingly insignificant, unnoticed words... out of sight and, one might think, out of mind... but very meaningfully placed at the highest point over what is the most powerful city in the world.
And what might those two words... comprised of just four syllables and only seven letters... mean? Very simply... " Praise be to God ! "
Though construction of this giant obelisk began in 1848 when James Polk was President of the United States, it was not until 1888 that the monument was inaugurated and opened to the public. It took twenty five years to finally cap the memorial with the tribute Laus Deo! Praise be to God!
From atop this magnificent granite and marble structure... a visitor can take in the beautiful panoramic view of the city with its division into four major segments. And from that vantage point one can also easily see the original plan of the designer, Pierre Charles 'Enfant... a perfect cross imposed upon the landscape... with the White House to the north... the Jefferson Memorial to the south... the Capitol to the east... and the Lincoln Memorial to the west.
A cross... you say? How interesting! And... no doubt... intended to carry a meaning for those who bother to notice. Praise be to God! Within the monument itself are 898 steps and 50 landings. As one climbs the steps and pauses at the landings the memorial stones share a message. On the 12th Landing is a prayer offered by the City of Baltimore; on the 20th is a memorial presented by some Chinese Christians; on the 24th a presentation made by Sunday School children from New York and Philadelphia quoting Proverbs 10:7, Luke 18:16 and Proverbs 22:6. Praise be to God!
When the cornerstone of the Washington Monument was laid on July 4th, 1848, deposited within it were many items including the Holy Bible presented by the Bible Society. Praise be to God! Such was the discipline, the moral direction, the spiritual mood given by the founder and first President of our unique democracy... "one nation, under God."
No one can see these words. In fact... most visitors to the monument have no idea they are even there and... for that matter... probably could NOT care less!
But there they are... 555 feet, 5.125 inches high... perched atop the monument to the father of our nation... overlooking the 69 square miles which comprise the District of Columbia... capital of the United States of America.
Laus Deo! Two seemingly insignificant, unnoticed words... out of sight and, one might think, out of mind... but very meaningfully placed at the highest point over what is the most powerful city in the world.
And what might those two words... comprised of just four syllables and only seven letters... mean? Very simply... " Praise be to God ! "
Though construction of this giant obelisk began in 1848 when James Polk was President of the United States, it was not until 1888 that the monument was inaugurated and opened to the public. It took twenty five years to finally cap the memorial with the tribute Laus Deo! Praise be to God!
From atop this magnificent granite and marble structure... a visitor can take in the beautiful panoramic view of the city with its division into four major segments. And from that vantage point one can also easily see the original plan of the designer, Pierre Charles 'Enfant... a perfect cross imposed upon the landscape... with the White House to the north... the Jefferson Memorial to the south... the Capitol to the east... and the Lincoln Memorial to the west.
A cross... you say? How interesting! And... no doubt... intended to carry a meaning for those who bother to notice. Praise be to God! Within the monument itself are 898 steps and 50 landings. As one climbs the steps and pauses at the landings the memorial stones share a message. On the 12th Landing is a prayer offered by the City of Baltimore; on the 20th is a memorial presented by some Chinese Christians; on the 24th a presentation made by Sunday School children from New York and Philadelphia quoting Proverbs 10:7, Luke 18:16 and Proverbs 22:6. Praise be to God!
When the cornerstone of the Washington Monument was laid on July 4th, 1848, deposited within it were many items including the Holy Bible presented by the Bible Society. Praise be to God! Such was the discipline, the moral direction, the spiritual mood given by the founder and first President of our unique democracy... "one nation, under God."
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