A Time for Honoring was painted by Sgt. Pete Damon, a wounded Iraq War Veteran, to honor Memorial Day, a day in which we set aside to honor our war dead.  You can get more information on this painting, including purchasing details by going to Sgt. Damon's website.

Each year, many community organizations place flags on the graves of deceased veterans.  I have memories of doing this with my son's scout troops as well as my husband's Army Band unit.

Take time today to pray for all our beloved dead, especially those who died in war.

This is one of the most enjoyable parts of the Vivaldi Gloria to sing:  Domine Fili, Unigenite.  We are back again to the full choir in this section.

Sunday Snippets is brought to you each week by RAnn at This, That and the Other Thing.

We are continuing our eternal Vivaldi's Gloria.  This week we also looked at a gorgeous painting by Ann Morton called Lilacs and Lace.  Poetry Wednesday featured Not Dawdling by James Broughton. 

We have a special intention to pray for Michele's Dad here at the Well. If you have a minute, send up a prayer.

I posted a YouTube video of Vincent Price in honor of his 100th birthday. 

I also referenced a very thought-provoking article by Fr. Stephen on telling the truth. 


Thanks to RAnn as always for hosting Sunday Snippets.

Fr. Stephen at Glory to God for All Things has a very enlightening post on lying. 

Bascially he says that we as Christians should not look at lying and similar things from a "moral" perspective.  We should not think of the admonition not to lie as merely "one of those rules" that the Church "tells" us we have to do. 

Instead, lying is really about not telling the Truth.  And, Christ is the Way, the Truth and the Life.  Our goal as Christians is to be Truth-tellers. 

Lying, of course, comes from the Evil One and does not really exist.  Think about it.  Lying is telling an untruth--something which, by definition, does not exist.  Satan has been called "the father of lies".  He tries to be the creator of his own world that does not exist. 

Truth, on the other hand, is the ultimate reality.  No matter how things may look to us, Truth exists on an existential level.  That is why we should not lie.  It is not about "God told me and He's going to punish me if I lie."  It is about living in Truth--having God's Kingdom within.  If we persist in living lies while on earth, we will live forever in lies for eternity. The Kingdom of God is now. We must begin to live in the Truth now, while we still have the gift of this life that has been given to us.

Fr. Stephen begins his article with a teaching from Abba Poelman:  Teach your mouth to say what is in your heart. 

As fallible human beings, what is in our hearts is often the lies we tell ourselves and others. What then?  Should we still "say what is in our hearts"?  Yes--in confession! The job, so to speak, of Christians, is to become healed by the Truth.  To do this, we must open our wounds to the Light.  "Speak what is in your heart" to God's representative on earth in the Sacrament of Confession, and your soul will be filled with  Light and gain the strength to carry on in Truth.

Today is the 100th anniversary of the birth of Vincent Price.  I wanted to post this hilarious video of Mr. Price on What's My Line where he is the Mystery Guest.

Not only does he sing his replies, but he sings in French!  Enjoy!

Can you all please pray for my friend Michele's father, Chuck who has dementia?  She recently lost her mom and would like to storm heaven for a cure for her dad.

Thank you so much!

Not Dawdling
Not dawdling
not doubting
intrepid all the way
walk toward clarity
with sharp eye
With sharpened sword
clearcut the path
to the lucent surprise
of enlightenment
At every crossroad
be prepared to bump into wonder

I really like this poem by James Broughton from his book Little Sermons of the Big Joy. Each word tells a story. The poem, which I found on Poetry Chaikhana is concisely written with a positive message.

Isn't this picture gorgeous?!  It is called Lilacs and Lace by Ann Morton.  Its photographic realism is breathtaking.  Morton includes many different textures, each one difficult to reproduce in oil paint on linen.

The beautiful white and purple lilacs catch our eye first, almost leading us to believe that the "lace" referred to in the title are the white lilacs themselves.  Then our eye is drawn to the the shiny little ceramic figure, whose delicacy and purple coloring perfectly compliment the lilacs.

As we marvel at its perfectly bright shininess, we realize that the lilacs are contained in a silver pitcher, perfectly rendered by Morton, reflecting the entire painting.

At last we find the lace, covering the table.  Morton paints the details of the lace, its color and wrinkles in amazing detail, drawing the whole picture together in what must be the most amazing and interesting still-life ever done.

Continuing our look at Vivaldi's Gloria, today's section is Domine Deus, Rex Caelestis, featuring soprano soloist,  Judith Nelson.

Sunday Snippets is brought to you each week by RAnn at This, That and the Other Thing.

This week we looked at Good Shepherd Sunday, and the feast of St. Rita. We also continued listening to Vivaldi's Gloria, looked at The Good Shepherd by Larry Dyke, and a haiku about museum sheep. I also posted about the end times obsession.

All in all, I think it was a very interesting week.

God's blessings to you all!

Today our priest gave out blessed roses--something I'd never seen before.

Today is the feast of St. Rita, our parish's patron and it is a tradition to bless roses on that day. The tradition comes from a story of Rita asking for a rose from her garden on her death bed.  It was winter and snow was on the ground.  Nevertheless, the attending sister went outside and found a single rose blooming in the garden.

Today, in honor of St. Rita, stop and smell the roses, and then, thank God for them!  

I heard a very interesting and important talk from All Saints Orthodox Monastery in Canada.  The talk was about Nihilism and the Apocalypse.

The word nihilism comes from the Latin word nihil which means "nothing".  Nihilists believe that life here on earth is without meaning.  Those who are religious nihilists believe that only the afterlife has any meaning at all.  Taken to its logical extreme, this can lead to such things as suicide bombings and other violent acts which are meant to bring on the afterlife or the next age. According to the tape, the first suicide bombers were  communists.

There is a religious group who is currently preaching that the world will end in a few days.  There have been many of these groups in the past and I'm sure there will be many in the future.  Unfortunately, this interest in the End Times is fueled by the idea that the world as it is now is unlivable.  The video pointed out that many of our children are no longer learning about beauty in art, music or poetry in school, not to mention anything religious that might let them know that life has meaning.  Our entire world-view in the West is one of nihilism fueled by atheistic consumerism.

There is a connection, apparently, between a kind of philosophical puritanism and intellectual nihilism.  There is a Utopian ideal that sometimes goes along with nihilism.  Seeing this world as contaminated and impure leads people to want to destroy it instead of learning to see and rejoice in its beauty.  It leads people to turn their backs on others who are really the core of the meaning and beauty of life.

Rather than try to improve their own world, beginning with their own church, these groups form off-shoots, either official or unofficial.  They form spiritual barricades around themselves, only letting in the chosen few who believe as they do.  The rest of the world, they believe, will be destroyed.

What these groups should be doing instead, is living out the message of the Gospel, which is love.  Love is not about warning people that God will be coming down to destroy everyone (except, of course, those who are doing the warning).

Love is about relationship. Love is about empathy.  The speakers in the video say that evil is having no empathy at all.  Satan has no empathy.

In the bible, Jesus says "The Kingdom of God is at hand."  If we live the way He taught, we will be living in The Kingdom.  The film points out that a better translation of  the biblical "world to come" is "the age to come."  We are not necessarily waiting for a perfect place where we will not have to put up with any of those annoying people. Those annoying people are here to help us become more and more like God.

Russ Baleson wrote this haiku about these museum sheep from the Museum for Communications in Germany.

The Good Shepherd by Larry Dyke is a classic yet unusual rendition of the ancient title of Christ.  We see Jesus far off, with light shining from His face, in a style reminiscent of Rembrandt. Jesus leads His sheep through a beautiful pastoral valley, surrounded by a rocky mountain on one side, and a vegetation-filled hill on the other.

Christ always sees the way clear for us and will lead us through to the Light that is afar off.

Part IV of Vivaldi's Gloria is Propter Magnam Gloriam Tuam. It is fairly short and energetic, and performed by the whole choir.

Happy Good Shepherd Sunday!  I love the image of Christ the Good Shepherd.  Many other Christian denominations celebrate Good Shepherd Sunday, as Catholics do on the 4th Sunday of Easter.  The image of a "good shepherd" is so compelling that Hermes, the Greek god of shepherds, among other things, was called The Good Shepherd in ancient times.

Christians may have adopted this title as one applied to Christ, who, in today's Gospel from John, calls himself "The Gate of the Sheepfold" through which believers "go in and out" and are "safe".

This is also where Christ proclaims his purpose in having come:  I have come that they may have life and have it to the full.  "The thief," Christ says, "comes only to steal and kill and destroy."

The above image is nice variation on Christ as the Good Shepherd because He is carrying the black sheep to safety and abundance.  Let's learn to rest in the arms of the Good Shepherd whom God sent to give us abundant life.

Sunday Snippets is brought to you each week by RAnn at This, That and the Other Thing.

This week we continued Vivaldi's Gloria, looked at Mother's Joy by Bernard de Hoog, and The Lanyard by Billy Collins. The week was filled out by talking about overcoming your root sin, Spirituality and Mental Illness, and the Virtual Abbey, which prays the Daily Office on Twitter.

Having just been blessed enough to attend a poetry reading by Billy Collins, I thought I'd post his poem, The Lanyard, in honor of mothers everywhere.

The introduction is by Garrison Keillor.

I wanted to let you all know about The Virtual Abbey.  They are, I think, an Episcopalian organization that tweets the daily office each day on Twitter.  I find this reminder to pray very helpful and love the language used in their prayers.

They are also on YouTube with various musical play lists for prayer and meditation including ones for Easter, Advent and Epiphany as well as music of Hildegard von Bingen, Palestrina, Taize, nature and Celtic meditation music.

Stop by for a little spiritual refreshment.

Today's Art and Beauty Tuesday is Mother's Joy by Bernard de Hoog.  There is nothing flashy or colorful about this painting--only the simple joy of raising a family, something the majority of us are called by God to do.

The colors, muted, soft, earthy and unvaried show the everydayness of motherhood and family.  The scene is replete with the simplicity of the home.

Light streams in from the open window and illuminates the mother and baby, focusing especially on the infant, whose white hat makes him or her the center of the picture.  The infant is the focus of the future and of hope.

I wanted to call attention to a very helpful post by an internet friend, Lisa Graas about the spiritual needs of those suffering from mental illness.  Lisa suffers from depression and has outlined a very helpful means to emotional wellness.

She suggests offering up one's sufferings for others.  These graces, she says, are important not to waste.  It also gets us out of our own heads, something I had not thought of before.  It does not matter if you don't have anyone or anything specific in mind to offer up your sufferings for.  God will use them regardless.  You can always offer them for others who suffer from mental illnesses.

Lisa suggests a devotion to Saint Dymphna, something that is close to my heart.  She mentions St. Dymphna Shrines both in the United States and abroad, to visit.

Something else she talks about that I have also found crucial is the development of virtue.  I recently posted about how helpful Totus Tuus Ministries have been to me in that regard.  Overcoming one's shortcomings and avoiding their repetition reminds me very much of the 12 steps of Alcoholics Anonymous.  We must squarely face how we have hurt others and make amends when possible.

Part 3 of Vivaldi's Gloria is the famous duet, Laudamus Te. 

Do you feel as though you are not making progress in your spiritual life?  Are you in a spiritual rut?

Totus Tuus Ministries has a very down-to-earth and helpful page on overcoming one's root sin.  According to this website, all sins can be traced back to one of three basic sins:  Pride, Sensuality or Vanity.

Each sin has to do with where we place our sense of security. Pride involves basing one's security on the self, sensuality bases security in things and feelings, and vanity places security in what others' think of me.

After reading the specific characteristics of each of the 3 root sins, you decide which one you may be struggling with the most at this time. Then,  list the manifestations of  that sin in your life.

To root out the sin, choose its opposite virtue and list specific things you will do to practice that virtue in your life.  Then, pick someone (Christ, or a saint, for example) whose life exemplifies that virtue for you to imitate.

The website has examples of the above program for each of the three root sins and is very helpful in making this concrete and easy to understand.

Totus Tuus Ministries is especially helpful for those who do not have a spiritual director, although it can be used for anyone.

Sunday Snippets is brought to you each week by RAnn at This, That and the Other Thing.

This week we continued the Vivaldi Gloria by listening to Et in Tera, Pax, Hominibus.  We also looked at the breathtaking painting, Peace, Be Still by Stephen Gjertson. Poetry Wednesday was Sonnet 30 by William Shakespeare.  I also featured a post by Fr. Stephen at Glory to God for all Things about Loving our Enemies.

I pray you all have a blessed week.

As usual, Father Stephen from Glory to God for All Things, says it much better than I could.

Why did Jesus tell us to love our enemies?  Because that is who God is.

God is not the divine boss-from-hell.  He does not exercise a power trip over His creation from his lofty place in the sky.  Jesus did not come to burden us with the minutia of impossible-to-follow commandments--Love is the commandment that covers all others. Jesus came to show us God and to lead us to God.  That is the sole purpose of this life.

The world had gone so far astray from God that He sent His son, God Himself as the Church teaches, to show us what Love is.  Love is not taking revenge.  Love is dying to one's self for others. Love is mourning the sins of one's enemies rather than plotting revenge.

The kind of God who asks us to love our enemies is the God who, in His infinite mercy, loves us despite our own sin (literally "missing the mark"). He constantly calls us back, searching for us in the garden when we have hidden ourselves in shame.

Without love, the world makes no sense.  Without love, nothing works.  Love is all.

On the occasion of the 50th birthday of a dear, old friend, today's Poetry Wednesday will be a reading of Shakespeare's Sonnet number 30.  Having turned 50 the day before, I understand now, much more than when I first read this sonnet in college, the feeling of  "wail(ing) my dear time's waste" and having my "losses restored" by the great gift of a friend who understands.

Today's Art and Beauty Tuesday is called Peace, Be Still by Stephen Gjertson.  It is a breathtaking painting showing Jesus calming the storm.  How apt this is as many parts of the U.S. deal with unseasonably severe storms and floods.

Jesus can calm our inner storms as well.  All we need to do is let go and let Him calm our turmoil.

As with many of the paintings I feature, this one is worth going to the original website and viewing it in a large size.

This is part 2 of the Vivaldi Gloria--Et in Tera Pax Hominibus, which translated means, and on earth, peace to mankind.

I was blessed enough to sing this song while in college and it is one of my favorites.

Tra-La, It's May! That Lusty Month of May!

May 1st has long signified many and diverse traditional celebrations all over the world.

The day has always put me in mind of Camelot's Julie Andrews, and in recent years Seattle's
Jason Webley - - but this year I've been pointed in the direction of Brooklyn's
Jonathan Coulton and a brilliant song from his 2003 album,
Space Monkey.

Many thanks to
my dear friend Oon
for turning me on
to "JoCo", this song, and the video below.

This song contains some strong and
charming language that may be NSFW.

Sunday Snippets is brought to you each week by RAnn at This, That and the Other Thing.

For Easter Music Monday we listened to part of the Vivaldi Gloria--one of the best Glorias written.  On Tuesday we looked at Light Breaking Through the Clouds--Pic1 by Paul Huet.  On Wednesday, we looked at Psalm 105 and on Saturday we looked at a verse from Psalm 49. We also looked at a censor of other-worldy size in Spain.