#Church of Our Lady of the Consolation

[fabien-euskadi]

This is the Church of Saint Mary of Sesimbra, also known as Parish Church of Saint Mary of the Castle (Santa Maria do Castelo), Church of Our Lady of the Castle or Church of Our Lady of the Consolation.

This catholic temple was originally built inside the walls of Sesimbra in the year of 1165, after the conquest of the town by the king Afonso Henriques of Portugal. However, most of the original Romanesque church was erased by the restorations that took place during the XVI, XVII and XVIII centuries. The interior of this church is illustrative of the tastes of the XVIII Century when it comes to religious architecture, and to be honest, there is nothing wrong about it.

[macrophagee]

Fifth semester, week 12

-> Went to bed at my desired time 4/7

-> Was able to do something to get my body moving 6/7

-> Was able to engage in my desired spiritual practices 7/7

-> Highlight: had lunch with a friend I hadn’t properly talked to in a while <3

-> Currently reading: my church lent me an Our Lady of Consolations book of prayers, I made my way through that this week :)

[greatbritishsimchallenge]

One morning, Lady Catherine had Margaret called to her sitting room.

"I have been very impressed by Lady Margaret's reports. She presents you as a diligent and hard-working student."

"Thank you, mama."

"Alas, the time for your lessons is coming to a close. This is a winter of many significant birthdays - soon Frances will be a child. Then there will be my birthday to an elder. Then yours, the most important of the three, for it will be time for you to become the Lady of Newcrest. We must begin your training for the role immediately."

Margaret fought to hide her devastation: she knew her mother strongly disapproved of outbursts of emotion.

"But, mama, could I not continue my lessons with both you and Lady Margaret?"

"Between your Watcher Guidance lessons with Lady Mary, church and the lessons you will need with me, I doubt you will have the time. Besides, I am sure Frances would benefit from the lessons you have had too."

Margaret fought back her tears. She knew there was no arguing with her mother.

"Very well, mama. May I have one final lesson with Lady Margaret?"

"No," replied Lady Catherine. "We must begin in earnest today."

Margaret waited until she could go to bed that night to cry. Her sobs were so heavy that she did not hear the gentle tap at her door.

"Maggie?" whispered Peggy, quietly sliding into the room. When she saw Maggie crying, she rushed to her bedside. "Oh, ma cherie. Ça va aller."

"It's not fair," Margaret cried. "I don't want to be Lady of Newcrest."

"We first-borns so rarely take up our titles willingly," Peggy consoled. "But, remember, this is a great power and a great honour that we possess."

Maggie sniffed, "It is?"

"Mais, oui! My mama was the Lady of Tartosa before me - a title she took from her mama. She never really cared for it: she let her council run Tartosa while she stayed in Champs les Sims with my papa. But when I became Lady of Tartosa, it felt as if I was fulfilling my destiny. I am no painter, but I knew I could be a good diplomat and leader. And so I left Champ les Sims for Tartosa. I built magnificent buildings. I married highly. I furthered my education. I have seen Tartosa become a respected heart of the sciences and arts. I could not have done any of that if I was the second-born or not even a noble at all."

"And... and I will get to do those things too?" sniffed Maggie.

"You may have to wait until your mama has passed and you are the sole Lady of Newcrest, but yes. You will get to lead and shape that realm into the way you believe the world should be."

"But... but I won't get to see you anymore."

"Nonsense - I may not get to be your mentor, but I am still your cousin. I will be at your wedding. I will visit Newcrest all the time. You will be sick of the sight of me!"

Maggie laughed a little then continued to sob.

"Here," said Peggy, removing the necklace around her neck and pressing it tightly into Maggie's hands. Maggie surveyed the string of pearls with a golden 'M' in awe. "Take this. You are too little to wear it now, but one day you can wear this necklace and remember that I will always be with you and I will always love you. You are my Maggie."

"And you are my Peggy," cried Margaret, hugging Lady Margaret tightly.

Start (Iron Age) | Start (Roman Britain) | Start (Anglo Saxon) | Start (Medieval) | Start (Tudor) | Start (Stuart)

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[cruger2984]

THE DESCRIPTION OF THE OUR LADY OF PERPETUAL HELP Feast Day: June 27

The icon of Our Lady of Perpetual Help represents the Christian mystery of Redemption.

Our Lady of Perpetual Help is a Byzantine icon that is believed to have its origin sometime during the 13th -15th century. The image is also known as 'Our Lady of Perpetual Succour.' The icon is known for being miraculous; over the centuries countless healings and special graces have been attributed to it, so much so that the image has been honored and venerated by many Popes.

The miraculous icon is painted on wood and measures about 20" in height (54 x 41.5 centimeters) and depicts the Virgin Mary, under the title 'Mother of God,' holding the Child Jesus.

The Archangels Michael and Gabriel, hovering in the upper corners, hold the instruments of the Passion. St. Michael (in the left corner) holds the spear, the wine-soaked sponge, and the crown of thorns. St. Gabriel (in the right corner) holds the cross and the nails.

The intent of the artist was to portray the Child Jesus contemplating the vision of His future Passion. Frightened by the vision, he runs to his mother for consolation. The anguish He feels is shown by the loss of one of His sandals as he quickly flees into the arms of his Mother.

Despite a foreboding vision of suffering, the icon also conveys the triumph of Christ over sin and death, symbolized by the golden background as a sign of the glory of the resurrection. The royal crowns on the heads of Jesus and Mary also symbolize their triumph as the King of Kings with his Queen Mother.

In a very beautiful way, the Child Jesus grasps the hand of the Blessed Mother. He seeks comfort from His mother as He sees the instruments of His passion. The position of Mary’s hands – both holding the Child Jesus (who seems like a small adult) and at the same time presenting Him to us – convey the reality of our Lord’s incarnation, that He is true God who became also true man.

Just as the Child Jesus fled into the arms of his Mother when he was frightened, so too do we flee into the arms of our Blessed Mother with child-like confidence whenever fear envelopes our hearts. Just as the Virgin Mother consoled and comforted her Divine Child, so too does she console and comfort us, her spiritual children, in our afflictions. We can always come to her in our time of need and receive her help.

In this iconography, Mary is represented as the one who guides us to the Redeemer. The Virgin Mother is also our Help who intercedes with her Son on our behalf. The star painted on Mary's veil, centered on her forehead, highlights her role in the plan of salvation as both the Mother of God and our Mother.

To this day, the Church of St. Alphonsus in Rome displays the original icon of Our Lady of Perpetual Help. They are the guardians and promoters of the holy icon, the only religious order entrusted with the task of doing so with a venerated image of Our Lady.

Source: The Catholic Company

[camisoledadparis]

THIS DAY IN GAY HISTORY

based on: The White Crane Institute's 'Gay Wisdom', Gay Birthdays, Gay For Today, Famous GLBT, glbt-Gay Encylopedia, Today in Gay History, Wikipedia, and more … October 18

1663 – The French/Italian prince Prince Eugene of Savoy was born on this date (d.1736). Prince Eugene was one of the most successful military commanders in modern European history, rising to the highest offices of state at the Imperial court in Vienna.

Born in Paris to aristocratic Savoyard parents, Eugene grew up around the French court of King Louis XIV. Based on his poor physique and bearing, the Prince was initially prepared for a career in the church, but by the age of 19 he had determined on a military career. Rejected by Louis XIV for service in the French army, Eugene moved to Austria and transferred his loyalty to the Hapsburg Monarchy.

Little is known about Eugene's life before 1683. In his early boyhood Eugene belonged to what historians call a "small, effeminate set." Hostile anecdotal evidence of this period is supplied by the Duchess of Orléans who accused him of "homosexual antics" with lackeys and pages, calling him 'a slut' and declaring that 'he often played the woman with young people'. But her remarks about Eugene were made years later, and only then after he had severely mauled the armies of her brother-in-law, Louis XIV.

Eugene's childhood behaviour may have been a result his mother's lax household and her own failure to show any affection towards him.

Of related interest are a popular soldier's song of the period which that alluded to Eugene's voyage on the Rhine River with his friend, the Marquis de la Moussaye. When a storm broke out, the general dreaded the worst, but the Marquis consoled him with the words: "Our lives are safe/ For we are sodomites/ Destined to perish only by fire/ We shall land."

A comment made by Schulenberg in 1709 should probably read that the prince enjoyed "la petite debauche et des p[énis] au dela de tout," which means that he derived his sexual gratification from the virile members of others - that is, he was a botttom or a cocksucker. He was known as 'Madam l' Ancienne' (The Old Lady) to his contemporaries, and 'Mars without Venus' to his men.

1753 – Jean-Jacques-Régis de Cambacérès, 1st Duke of Parma (d.1824) was a French lawyer and statesman during the French Revolution and the First Empire, best remembered as the author of the Napoleonic code, which still forms the basis of French civil law.

Throughout his career, his chief interest was in developing the principles of revolutionary jurisprudence. Although it is generally believed that he was solely responsible for legalizing in France same-sex relations between consenting adults in private, that is an oversimplification based on the irony that he himself was homosexual.

Before the French Revolution, sodomy had been a capital crime under royal legislation. The penalty was burning at the stake. Very few men, however, were ever actually prosecuted and executed for consensual sodomy (no more than five in the entire eighteenth century). Sodomites arrested by the police were more usually released with a warning or held in prison for (at most) a few weeks or months.

Cambacérès was one of the principal framers of the Napoléonic Code, which not only decriminalized sodomy in France but in every one of its colonies (and subsequently post-colonial freed countries).

Cambacérés sexuality was well known, and he was commonly called "Tante Urlurette," The triumverate of Napoleon, Cambacérés and Lebrun, in fact, was known as Hic, Haec and Hoc, Latin for "this one" in male, female and neuter genders, respectively.

Cambacérés, so it is told, was once late for an appointment with Napoleon and offered the excuse of having "been with a woman" to the annoyed emperor.

"Been with a woman?" Napoleon sniffed, "Next time tell her this: `Take your hat and cane and leave me.'"

1884 – Became Kabaka (king): Danieri Basammula-Ekkere Mwanga II Mukasa (1868-1903). He was Kabaka from 1884 until 1888 and from 1889 until 1897. He was the thirty-first (31st) Kabaka of Buganda (modern day Uganda), and a homosexual.

Mwanga II saw the greatest threat to his rule coming from the Christian missionaries who had gradually penetrated Buganda. His father had played-off the three religions; Catholics, Protestants and Muslims against each other. Mwanga II took a much more aggressive approach, expelling missionaries and insisting that Christian converts abandon their faith or face death.

On October 29, 1885, he had the incoming archbishop James Hannington murdered. Then between 1885 and 1887, over forty-five of the king's pages were put to death on the orders of Mwanga. The crime was failure to renounce their newly-found Christian beliefs and their refusal of the king's sexual demands. Twenty-two of the men, who had converted to Catholicism, were burned alive at Namugongo in 1886 and later became known as the Uganda Martyrs.

These murders and Mwanga's continued resistance alarmed the British, who backed a rebellion by Mwanga's half brother and defeated Mwanga at Mengo in 1888. However, Mwanga escaped and negotiated with the British. In exchange for handing over some of his sovereignty to the British East Africa Company, the British changed their backing to Mwanga, who swiftly removed his brother from the throne in 1889.

On August 27, 1894, Mwanga accepted for Buganda to become a Protectorate. However, on July 6, 1897, he declared War on the British and launched an attack, but was defeated. He fled into German East Africa (today it is the Republic of Tanzania), where he was arrested and interned.

Tenacious as he was, he escaped and returned to Buganda with a rebel army, but was again defeated. He was captured and in April 1899 was exiled to the Seychelles. While in exile, he was received into the Anglican Church, was baptized with the name of Danieri (Daniel). He spent the rest of his life in exile. He died in 1903, aged 35 years. In 1910 his remains were repatriated and buried at Kasubi.

1956 – Martina Navratilova, born in Prague, is a Czech American tennis player and a former World No. 1. Billie Jean King said about Navratilova in 2006, "She's the greatest singles, doubles and mixed doubles player who's ever lived."

Navratilova won 18 Grand Slam singles titles, 31 Grand Slam women's doubles titles (an all-time record), and 10 Grand Slam mixed doubles titles. She reached the Wimbledon singles final 12 times, including 9 consecutive years from 1982 through 1990, and won the women's singles title at Wimbledon a record 9 times. She and King each won 20 Wimbledon titles, an all-time record. Navratilova is one of just three women to have accomplished a career Grand Slam in singles, women's doubles, and mixed doubles (called the Grand Slam "boxed set") a record she shares with Margaret Court and Doris Hart. She holds the open era record for most singles titles (167) and doubles titles (177). She recorded the longest winning streak in the open era (74 consecutive matches) and three of the six longest winning streaks in the women's open era. Navratilova, Margaret Court, and Maureen Connolly share the record for the most consecutive Grand Slam singles titles (six). Navratilova reached 11 consecutive Grand Slam singles finals, second all-time to Steffi Graf's 13. In women's doubles, Navratilova and Pam Shriver won 109 consecutive matches and won all four Grand Slam titles in 1984. Also the pair set an all time record of 79 titles together and tied Louise Brough Clapp's and Margaret Osborne duPont's record of 20 Grand Slam women's doubles titles as a team. In addition she won the season ending WTA Tour Championships a record 8 times and made the finals a record 14 times and won the doubles title a record 11 times. Navratilova is the only man or woman to have won 8 different tournaments at least 7 times.

Originally from Czechoslovakia, she was stripped of her citizenship when, in 1975 at the age of 18, she asked the United States for political asylum and was granted temporary residency. At the time, Navratilova was told by the Czechoslovakian Sports Federation that she was becoming too Americanized and that she should go back to school and make tennis secondary. Navratilova became a US citizen in 1981, but on January 9, 2008, she had her Czech citizenship restored. She stated she has not renounced her American citizenship nor does she plan to do so and that the restoration of her Czech citizenship was not politically motivated.

In 1981, shortly after becoming a United States citizen, Navratilova came out publicly about her sexual orientation. During the early 1980s, she was involved with author Rita Mae Brown. From 1984 to 1991, Navratilova had a long-term relationship with partner Judy Nelson. Their split in 1991 included a much-publicized legal wrangle. Navratilova was featured in a WITA (Women's International Tennis Association) calendar, shot by Jean Renard with her Wimbledon trophies and Nelson's children in the background.

In 1985, Navratilova released an autobiography, co-written with New York Times sports columnist George Vecsey, entitled Martina in the U.S. and Being Myself in the rest of the world. She had earlier co-written a tennis instruction book with Mary Carillo in 1982 entitled Tennis My Way. She later wrote three mystery novels with Liz Nickles: The Total Zone (1994), Breaking Point (1996), and Killer Instinct (1997).

Navratilova also made a humorous guest appearance on the NBC sitcom Will & Grace in a 2000 episode in which a flashback revealed that she had been a heterosexual until a 1985 relationship with character Karen Walker "turned her Lesbian." Navratilova's most recent literary effort was a health and fitness book entitled Shape Your Self (2006).

On April 7, 2010, Navratilova announced that she was being treated for breast cancer. A routine mammography in January 2010 had revealed that she had a ductal carcinoma in situ in her left breast, which she was informed of in February, and in March she had the tumour surgically removed.

1980 – Richard John Sawka II, better known as Colby Keller, is an American visual artist and former pornographic film actor. His career in porn film started in 2004 at Sean Cody and subsequently expanded to include such studios as Cocksure Men, Randy Blue, Titan Men, Falcon, CockyBoys and Men.com. Keller has also appeared in the short, Zolushka, a queer retelling of Cinderella, and in the popular series Capitol Hill, both by the cult filmmaker Wes Hurley.

Born in Michigan, Colby Keller was raised in Texas where he graduated from the University of Houston with a bachelor's degree in anthropology. In addition, he is a graduate of The Maryland Institute College of Art, with a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in visual and performing arts.

During his time performing in gay porn, Keller continued to work as an artist. His two most notable art projects are Pieces of Eight and Everything But Lenin, both collaborative performance pieces. Pieces of Eight involved multiple projects and multiple collaborations while Everything But Lenin involved giving away all of his earthly possessions with the exception a large metal plaque of Lenin and was precipitated by an eviction notice presented to residents of his Baltimore apartment complex in March 2014. Those who took part received a signed certificate as project participants.

In addition to his porn performances and art projects, Keller appeared in a series of sex advice videos (titled In Bed With Colby Keller) for Manhunt. The series ran from 2012 until 2014 and resulted in 62 videos.

In 2012, Keller appeared in a masquerade-themed music video for the song "After Dark", by dance artists Undercover. And, in his 2013 music video for "Cannibal", Natti Vogel enlisted Keller to play a hooded witch to his tempted Hansel in a recreation of Hansel and Gretel.

In 2013, Keller collaborated with artist Cameron Stalheim on a project called Myth as Object, which resulted in a 2014 exhibit as Stalheim's MFA graduating thesis at the Maryland Institute College of Art. Keller's body was cast in silicone to create a thirty-foot long merman sculpture in his likeness.

In 2014, Keller sold his belongings and began a project Colby Does America, composed of porn scenes filmed across every state in the United States.

In 2017, he appeared in two episodes of the third season of EastSiders.Keller is a communist who credits his communist beliefs to a strict Christian upbringing with the Assemblies of God. Keller voted for Donald Trump in the 2016 United States presidential election, stating, "I’m going to vote for Trump! I think he’s a destabilizing force…I don’t support or endorse any of Trump’s policies. I just think it’ll escalate the problem, which is the best we can hope for."

1991 – Tyler Posey is an American actor and musician who is known for his role as Scott McCall on the MTV series Teen Wolf (2011–2017).

Posey was born in Santa Monica, California, to actor and writer John Posey and Cyndi Terese Posey (née Garcia). He grew up in Santa Clarita, California. Posey has two brothers.

His mother, who was of Mexican descent, died of breast cancer in December 2014. Season 5 of Teen Wolf was dedicated to her memory.

Posey has worked steadily in film and television. In February 2002, he appeared in the film Collateral Damage; in December of that year, he played the main character's son in the romantic comedy Maid in Manhattan. He auditioned for the role of Jacob Black in the Twilight film series in 2007 but lost the role to his friend Taylor Lautner. The two regularly auditioned for the same roles as child actors.

In 2011, Posey was cast in his breakout role as the lead in the MTV television series Teen Wolf, which is based on the 1985 film. Posey plays high school student Scott McCall, who is bitten by a werewolf and must keep this fact secret while protecting his loved ones from a host of supernatural threats and beings. In 2015, he also became a co-producer for the fifth season of Teen Wolf.

As a musician, Posey played guitar and contributed vocals in the pop punk band PVMNTS along with guitarist/bassist/vocalist Freddy Ramirez and drummer Nick Guzman. The trio released the song "Standing (On My Own Two Feet)" on June 14, 2018, on which Posey wrote about the passing of his mother in 2014. The band self-released their six-track EP Better Days on August 17, 2018. In April 2019, it was announced that Posey had left the band and was pursuing another music venture, which became the band Five North.

Five North is a pop-punk rock band formed by childhood best friends Posey and Kyle Murphy. Posey and Murphy originate from just off "The 5" (Interstate 5 in California) in Santa Clarita, California, hence the origin of the band's name Five North. The two recruited Makeout drummer Scott Eckel after being introduced by music producer and close friend John Feldmann. Five North's debut single "This Mess" was released on October 4, 2019, and their debut eight-track EP Scumbag was released on March 6, 2020, via Big Noise Music Group.

Posey became engaged to his childhood sweetheart, Seana Gorlick, in 2013. The couple broke off the engagement that same year, after a ten-year relationship.In October 2020, Posey revealed that he has been with men previously but does not like to label his sexuality. In an interview on Sirius XM, Posey said "I was hit with wanting to come out myself and be honest about it. I know a lot of kids look up to me and I want to get rid of that stigma."

"I'm confident in my sexuality," Posey said in an Instagram Story. An OnlyFans fan asked to see his bulge and he happily obliged with the shot below:

1991 – Admiral Frank B Kelso, chief of naval operations, announced that the explosion of the USS Iowa which killed forty-seven men had been proven not to have been caused by a wrongful intentional act and apologized to the family of Clayton Hartwig. Hartwig had been accused of intentionally causing the blast as an act of suicide following the break up of a homosexual affair.

2010 – The home of a gay couple in Little Pond, Prince Edward Island is firebombed. Both men escaped the fire unharmed, but their home was destroyed. In late October and November, a series of rallies and fundraising concerts is held in both Little Pond and Charlottetown to support the couple and to oppose homophobic violence.

[tinyshe]

Catholic Prayer: September Devotion: Our Lady of Sorrows

Description:

Since the 16th century Catholic piety has assigned entire months to special devotions. Due to her feast day on September 15, the month of September has traditionally been set aside to honor Our Lady of Sorrows. All the sorrows of Mary (the prophecy of Simeon, the three days' loss, etc.) are merged in the supreme suffering at the Passion. In the Passion, Mary suffered a martyrdom of the heart because of Our Lord's torments and the greatness of her love for Him. "She it was," says Pope Pius XII, "who immune from all sin, personal or inherited, and ever more closely united with her Son, offered Him on Golgotha to the Eternal Father together with the holocaust of her maternal rights and motherly love. As a new Eve, she made this offering for all the children of Adam contaminated through his unhappy fall. Thus she, who was the mother of our Head according to the flesh, became by a new title of sorrow and glory the spiritual mother of all His members."

Prayer:

INVOCATIONS Mary most sorrowful, Mother of Christians, pray for us. Virgin most sorrowful, pray for us.

TO THE QUEEN OF MARTYRS Mary, most holy Virgin and Queen of Martyrs, accept the sincere homage of my filial affection. Into thy heart, pierced by so many swords, do thou welcome my poor soul. Receive it as the companion of thy sorrows at the foot of the Cross, on which Jesus died for the redemption of the world. With thee, O sorrowful Virgin, I will gladly suffer all the trials, contradictions, and infirmities which it shall please our Lord to send me. I offer them all to thee in memory of thy sorrows, so that every thought of my mind, and every beat of my heart may be an act of compassion and of love for thee. And do thou, sweet Mother, have pity on me, reconcile me to thy divine Son Jesus, keep me in His grace, and assist me in my last agony, so that I may be able to meet thee in heaven and sing thy glories. Amen.

TO THE MOTHER OF SORROWS Most holy Virgin. and Mother, whose soul was pierced by a sword of sorrow in the Passion of thy divine Son, and who in His glorious Resurrection wast filled with never-ending joy at His triumph; obtain for us who call upon thee, so to be partakers in the adversities of Holy Church and the sorrows of the Sovereign Pontiff, as to be found worthy to rejoice with them in the consolations for which we pray, in the charity and peace of the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

IN HONOR OF THE SORROWS OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY O most holy and afflicted Virgin! Queen of Martyrs! thou who didst stand motionless beneath the Cross, witnessing the agony of thy expiring Son--through the unceasing sufferings of thy life of sorrow, and the bliss which now more than amply repays thee for thy past trials, look down with a mother's tenderness and pity on me, who kneel before thee to venerate thy dolors, and place my requests, with filial confidence, in the sanctuary of thy wounded heart; present them, I beseech thee, on my behalf, to Jesus Christ, through the merits of His own most sacred death and passion, together with thy sufferings at the foot of the cross, and through the united efficacy of both obtain the grant of my present petition. To whom shall I resort in my wants and miseries if not to thee, O Mother of Mercy, who, having so deeply drunk of the chalice of thy Son, canst compassionate the woes of those who still sigh in the land of exile? Offer for me to my Savior one drop of the Blood which flowed from His sacred veins, one of the tears which trickled from His divine eyes, one of the sighs which rent His adorable Heart. O refuge of the universe and hope of the whole world, do not reject my humble prayer, but graciously obtain the grant of my petition.

TO OUR LADY OF SORROWS O most holy Virgin, Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ: by the overwhelming grief you experienced when you witnessed the martyrdom, the crucifixion, and the death of your divine Son, look upon me with eyes of compassion, and awaken in my heart a tender commiseration for those sufferings, as well as a sincere detestation of my sins, in order that, being disengaged from all undue affection for the passing joys of this earth, I may sigh after the eternal Jerusalem, and that henceforward all my thoughts and all my actions may be directed towards this one most desirable object. Honor, glory, and love to our divine Lord Jesus, and to the holy and immaculate Mother of God. Amen. --Saint Bonaventure Prayer

Source: Prayer Book, The by Reverend John P. O'Connell, M.A., S.T.D. and Jex Martin, M.A., The Catholic Press, Inc., Chicago, Illinois, 1954

[angeltreasure]

#Urgent, really urgent, prayer request:

There's a defenseless old woman (she can't do almost anything without help, not even walk), she lives in a smal town, and her familly got her a yound woman to take care of her few years ago, but recently the family find out that the young woman was the most antiethical, without any values, without any sense of cleanness, and was actually getting advantage by the old woman, taking the food of the old woman and leaving her with just the basic three meals enought to live. The old woman did not notice anything because she couldn't realize what actually was going on in her own house and simply thought everthing's alright. The family is trying to get legal help, it seems the young woman already acts like the old woman's house is hers and people of the town doesn't dare to directly help or enter the house because everybody's afraid of the young woman.

I'm already asking help for Our Lord, Our Lady and her Husband, Saint Joseph and Saint Michaeli Archangel , but more prays are indeed urgent. Please, pray for the old woman and her familly to get the legal help.

Did you call the police? Did anyone call the police?

If I was there I wouldn’t be afraid to defend her. We need to help her.

-

The Lord’s Prayer

Our Father who art in Heaven, hallowed by Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.

Prayers to Mary, Help of the Helpless

Holy Mary, help the helpless, strengthen the fearful, comfort the sorrowful, pray for the people, plead for the clergy, intercede for all women and men consecrated to God; may all who honor you experience the powerful help of your assistance. Amen.

Invocations to our Guardian Angels

Come to our assistance, O holy Angel Guardians. For you are helpers in our needs, consolers in our distress, illuminators in our darkness, protectors during times of danger, inspirers of good thoughts, intercessors with God, defenders against the evil enemy, faithful companions, sure friends, prudent counselors, models of holy obedience, and mirrors of humility and purity.

Come to our assistance, O Angels who guard over us, Angels of our families, Angels of our children, Angels of our country, Angels of the Church, and Angels of the universe. Amen.

[orthodoxadventure]

Icon of the Mother of God “Comfort” or “Consolation” Commemorated on January 21

We have obtained thy venerable icon, O Theotokos, as a divine consolation and unshakeable wall of defense from which thou dost mystically dispense consolation and strength to us who, from our souls, cry out in faith to thee, our consoling Lady: “Glory to thy wonders, chaste Lady! / Glory to thine assistance! Glory to thy consolation of us, O undefiled Lady!”

The Vatopedi “Comfort” or “Consolation” Icon of the Mother of God is in the old Vatopedi monastery on Athos, in the church of the Annunciation. It was called “Vatopedi” because near this monastery Arcadius, the son of Empreor Theodosius the Great, fell off a ship into the sea, and by the miraculous intercession of the Mother of God he was carried to shore safe and unharmed. He was found sleeping by a bush, not far from the monastery. From this event the name “Vatopedi” (“batos paidion,” “the bush of the child”) is derived. The holy Emperor Theodosius the Great (January 17), in gratitude for the miraculous deliverance of his son, embellished and generously endowed the Vatopedi monastery.

On the Vatopedi Icon, the Mother of God is depicted with Her face turned towards Her right shoulder. This is because on January 21, 807 She turned Her face towards the igumen of the monastery, who was standing near the holy icon, about to hand the keys of the monastery to the porter. A voice came from the icon and warned him not to open the monastery gates, because pirates intended to pillage the monastery. Then the Holy Child placed His hand over His Mother’s lips, saying, “Do not watch over this sinful flock, Mother, but let them fall under the sword of the pirates.” The Holy Virgin took the hand of Her Son and said again, “Do not open the gates today, but go to the walls and drive off the pirates.” The igumen took precautionary measures, and the monastery was saved.

In memory of this miraculous event a perpetual lamp burns in front of the wonderworking icon. Every day a Canon of Supplication is chanted in honor of the icon, and on Fridays the Divine Liturgy is celebrated. On Mt. Athos this icon is called “Paramythia,” “Consolation” (“Otrada”), or “Comfort” (“Uteshenie”).

[Text from OCA]

Taking refuge in thy mighty protection, O comforting ever-virgin Theotokos, we are freed from all harm. Now, as the inexhaustible source of compassion, console us in our troubles as we cry to thee: “Hail, Help of all!”

[scotianostra]

On December 8th 1542 Mary, Queen of Scots, was born at Linlithgow Palace, West Lothian in 1542.

Mary’s father was at his beloved palace of Falkland, where he would in fact die aged thirty  days later, having learned of the birth of his baby daughter. The true cause of the death of James V has never been satisfactorily explained, although all sources agree that the king underwent a physical and nervous collapse as a result of his humiliation and devastation at the Battle of Solway Moss. However as I posted two weeks ago the King missed the battle and was perhaps suffering from a fever beforehand, in my opinion it is being used as a poor excuse for his death.

The room in which Mary was born is now little more than a romantic ruin without a roof, however its location in the north-west portion of Linlithgow Palace, still enjoys the view out over the loch as it did when Mary’s mother Queen Mary of Guise, gave birth to her here. 

If ever in the area a visit to Linlithgow Palace is a must, although check beforehand as there is currently no visitor access to inside the palace ue to access restrictions in place as a precautionary measure while they undertake high level masonry inspections, this has been the case  for some time now, regulars here will know it’s a place I love and visit regularly. 

St. Michael’s Church is traditionally thought to have been the setting for Mary’s christening. Mary in fact only remained some months at Linlithgow, being taken onwards to the castle of Stirling by Mary of Guise. Historical doubt has arisen over the accuracy of December 8 as the actual birthday of Mary Queen of Scots and it has been suggested that the event in reality may have taken place on December 7th, but that December 8th was used so that the day could coincide with the feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Mary herself however always referred to December 8 thas the day she regarded as being her birthday.

Indeed one historical works about Mary’s life gave this short account…..

“The nation partook in Mary of Guise’ misfortunes, when she lost both her sons, soon after the birth of the second. She had the consolation, however of bringing her husband, while he was dying of an afflicted spirit, a daughter, on the 7th of December 1542, in the palace of Linlithgow.”

The birth of Mary Queen of Scots is commemorated annually by a short private ceremony at Westminster Abbey on her birthday, 8th December, together with the laying of flowers in the Queen’s memory. The Marie Stuart Society raised funds to enable a statue of the Queen to be erected on the Peel at Linlithgow Palace, the place of her birth and I have heard some of them gather there now to remember Queen Mary.

I also think it sad that our Queen was buried in Westminster, the traditional burial setting for many of England’s monarchs and the setting for each royal coronation since her own death. Although Mary  had herself requested to be buried in France, this wish was not granted by Elizabeth I and she was initially interred with great solemnity at Peterborough Cathedral in late 1587, where her body remained at rest for twenty five years. It was the eventual wish of James VI/I, that her body be removed from Peterborough Cathedral to Westminster Abbey in 1612, ordering a spectacular marble canopy tomb to his mother’s memory by the sculptors Cornelius and William Cure, today to  be found opposite the tomb of Elizabeth I, in the Abbey’s south aisle of the Lady Chapel. The tomb is loaded with symbolism particular to Mary’s ancestry and life with a crowned Scottish lion,  bearing a magnificent Latin mourning inscription written by Henry, Earl of Northampton and containing two verses from the Gospel book of Peter. Close to her tomb is that of her mother-in-law, Margaret, Countess of Lennox.

However, the tomb of Mary Queen of Scots did not remain undisturbed following her reburial, nor was the peace of her final resting place unbroken. Mary would come to share her burial vault with many of her descendants, including her granddaughter Elizabeth of Bohemia, the unfortunate Arbella Stuart, Prince Rupert of the Rhine, the much lamented Henry Prince of Wales as well as ten infant children of James II and the eighteen babies of Queen Anne who died at birth. This search had been prompted by Dean Stanley in 1867, because the location of the coffin of Mary’s son James VI/I was at that time unknown. Logical thought led the searchers to assume that he may have been buried in the Stuart vault of his mother, although his lead coffin was eventually found in the vault of Henry VII, where he lay alongside the remains of his great-great-grandparents Henry VII and Queen Elizabeth of York.

So there you have it from her birth in 1542, to her death in 1587, I think I cover enough of her life throughout the year for you all to fill in the missing years, which as usual I will endeavour to do once more in the year 2023.

[foreverpraying]

On the 17th of March is the Feast Day of the Bleeding Virgin Mary of Győr

Bleeding Virgin Mary of Győr by Diocese of Győr

On March 17, 1697, on the feast day of St. Patrick and in the same year penal laws were enacted in Ireland banning Catholic bishops and priests from the country, an image of the Virgin Mary known as the Weeping Irish Madonna shed tears of blood for three hours.

The painting is now kept in the cathedral of Gyor, Hungary, where it was taken by the bishop of Clonfert, Walter Lynch, when he fled from Ireland due to the English persecution of the Catholic Church led by Oliver Cromwell.

The image, whose original name was Our Lady Consoler of the Afflicted, shows the Mother of God with her hands folded in prayer as she looks down upon the Infant Jesus, who is lying in a little bed.

Bishop Lynch removed the image from the Clonfert cathedral to keep it out of impious hands and fled with it to Vienna, Austria, where he met the bishop of Gyor, Hungary, who invited him to serve as his auxiliary bishop there.

Source: https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/253888/the-image-of-the-virgin-mary-that-wept-tears-of-blood-on-st-patrick-s-day

[photo-snap-stories]

PL:

Tokarnia, park etnograficzny

Na zdjęciu widoczna wybudowana w 1848 roku dzwonnica z Kazimierzy Wielkiej oraz Kościół szpitalny pw. Matki Bożej Pocieszenia z Rogowa, który powstał w 1763 roku.

EN:

Tokarnia, ethnographic park, Poland

The photo shows the belfry from Kazimierza Wielka, built in 1848, and the hospital church of Our Lady of Consolation from Rogow, which was built in 1763.

[fabien-euskadi]

Some more azulejos from the Church of Saint Mary of the Castle, in Sesimbra.

[apesoformythoughts]

“We know God as we know our friends: by transcending all that can be said about them and entering into a sphere in which we actively relate to them—loving them, speaking to them, consoling them.”

— Marc Barnes: “The Divine Ascent of the Church Lady”

[thepastisalreadywritten]

SAINT OF THE DAY (April 30)

St. Pius V was born Michele Ghislieri on 17 January 1504 to poor parents of noble lineage in Bosco, near Alexandria, Lombardy.

He worked as a shepherd until the age of 14 when he encountered two Dominicans who recognized his intelligence and virtue. He joined the Dominicans and was ordained a priest at 24.

He taught philosophy and theology for 16 years during which he was elected prior of many houses.

He was known for his austere penances, his long hours of prayer and fasting, and the holiness of his speech.

He was elected Bishop of Sutri in 1556. He served as an inquisitor in Milan and Lombardi, then as inquisitor general of the Church and a cardinal in 1557.

He was known in this capacity as an able yet unflinching man who rigorously fought heresy and corruption wherever he encountered it.

He was elected pope on 7 January 1566, with the influential backing of his friend St. Charles Borromeo and took the name Pius V. 

He immediately put into action his vast program of reform by getting rid of many of the extravagant luxuries then prevalent in his court.

He gave the money usually invested in these luxuries to the poor whom he personally cared for, washing their feet, consoling those near death, and tending to lepers and the very sick.

He spent long hours before the Blessed Sacrament despite his heavy workload.

His pontificate was dedicated to applying the reforms of the Council of Trent, raising the standard of morality and reforming the clergy, and strongly supporting foreign missions.

The Catechism of the Council of Trent was completed during his reign. He revised the Roman Breviary and Missal, which remained in use until the reforms of Vatican II.

His six year pontificate saw him constantly at war with two massive enemy forces -- the Protestant heretics and the spread of their doctrines in the West, and the Turkish armies who were advancing from the East.

He encouraged efforts to battle Protestantism by education and preaching, and giving strong support to the newly formed Society of Jesus, founded by St. Ignatius of Loyola.

He excommunicated Queen Elizabeth I and supported Catholics who were oppressed and intimidated by Protestant princes, especially in Germany.

He worked hard to unite the Christian armies against the Turks. The most famous success of his papacy was the miraculous victory of the Christian fleet in the Battle of Lepanto on 7 October 1571.

The island of Malta was attacked by the Turkish fleet and nearly every man defending the fortress was killed in battle.

The Pope sent out a fleet to meet the enemy, requesting that each man on board pray the Rosary and receive communion.

Meanwhile, he called on all of Europe to recite the Rosary and ordered a 40 hour devotion in Rome during which time the battle took place.

The Christian fleet, vastly outnumbered by the Turks, inflicted an impossible defeat on the Turkish navy, demolishing the entire fleet.

In memory of the triumph, he declared the day the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary because of her intercession in answering the mass recitation of the Rosary and obtaining the victory.

He has also been called ‘Pope of the Rosary’ for this reason.

Pope Pius V died seven months later on 1 May 1572 of a painful disease, uttering "O Lord, increase my sufferings and my patience!"

He is enshrined at Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome.

He was beatified by Pope Clement X on 1 May 1672 and was canonized by Pope Clement XI on 22 May 1712.

[dearestcorrespondence]

Angelica Church to Elizabeth Hamilton, London, [February 4, 1794]

I recommend to your most particular care and attention my dear and kind Eliza, my friends Messieurs de Talleyrand and de Beaumais; Make our Country agreeable to them as far as it is in your power (and your influence is very extensive) console them by your Hospitality, and the Image of your Domestic happiness and virtues, for all that they have suffered in the cause of moderate Liberty; and you will be gratifyed my dear Eliza by rendering them services when by so doing you are also promoting the requests of your own Angelica. I have for these persons the most sincere friendship.

To your care dear Eliza I commit these interesting strangers, they are a Loan I make you, till I return to America, not to reclaim my friends entirely but to share their society with you and dear Alexander the amiable.

Speak of these gentlemen as members of the constituent assembly, as Friends of La Fayette, and of good government, and who left their country when Anarchy and Cruelty prevailed.

If I have any influence with Americans who have been in England let them shew the sence they entertain of it, by receiving well my friends, whoever cultivates their intimacy will thank me for giving them such valuble aquaintances.

Your Brother unites in love, he pretends that my letters are sufficient as he also heartily Joins in this recommendation.

If our respected and tenderly beloved Father is with you, introduce my friends in your most affectionate manner; also to Mrs. Craig, who I fear will charm them to a forgetfulness of European Ladies.

Mr. Beaumais who speaks English well, is the bearer of much conversation from my girls to their Cousins, and to Fanny. Embrace my Brother. Adieu my beloved Sister._ ever yours with all my heart

Angelica Schuyler Church

Mr. de Talleyrand is a great favorite of your dear Catharine, and of her Mama

[soundwavefucker69]

Okay so popping in as a trans man here with a... weird upbringing.

I was essentially raised in a right wing Pentecostal cult. my mother and father were considered fairly eccentric in that cult and were often ostracized and reprimanded for how they chose to raise me and my brother. for reference: my mom let me read Percy Jackson. that was considered wrong. she also let me read Narnia. that was also considered wrong. they never found out about our collective family love for Lord of the Rings bc that surely would have been a fucking spiral. I was also not allowed to read Harry Potter. I was once reprimanded by an older lady in the church for watching fucking Scooby Doo bc it was "demonic" that they were fighting "monsters" when the whole damn point was they were never actually monsters. she did not know the context. she just saw that there was a ghost on the screen and told me off.

we went back and forth often on whether or not we would have a TV. we absolutely never had cable, only a VCR and gaming consoles, on occasion. when the church randomly pushed back on it a little too much, they were gone. it was a chaotic way to grow up.

my parents did want me to go to college, but never actually made the steps to save for it. during all of this time I was suffering from severe mental illness I learned how to hide just watching my mother's behavior, bc in the eyes of the church, every symptom of mental illness was actually a demon attaching itself to you, and the only solution was prayer. no such thing as psychiatric meds, those were also demonic.

I was raised half prepared for the world, but also deeply, deeply unprepared for it. my father was never sent out as a missionary bc he took our family on vacations. that was the actual reason they gave him. I did not have a single coping mechanism beyond "hide everything to do with my mental illness and undiagnosed autism and hope for the best".

when I was about 16, everything fucking collapsed. there were family issues going on i won't get into and Dad left the church. up until this point, the church had preached that divorce was bad, but also you can't let your spouse keep you from God. there was nothing my mom could do in that situation. she could not ask for help, and when she did, all she got was "pray for him to return". that was it. eventually she also got fed up and left.

she almost immediately became an alcoholic like her mother, which was the whole reason she joined the church in the first place, so she could be a better mother and provide me and my brother, who was now heading to prison, some stability. my parents left the church and desperately tried to save their marriage, but by the time my graduation rolled around, it was fucking toast. my brother, for his graduation, got 200 people invited to his party, people who loved him and grew up with him and knew him, and a trip to Thailand. my graduation party was tiny, surrounded with friends my parents were reconnecting with from before the church, who I had never met in my life. I was completely surrounded by strangers that I didn't know, couldn't know, and horribly isolated.

my dad and mom, after the divorce, started focusing on reconnecting with family. I didn't know these people. I had met them maybe a handful of times in my life, and they had been driven away by the time I was born by my parents' relentless evangelism and the church preaching that if they won't come into the fold, it's best to cut them off lest they follow the same path.

I cannot express to you how fucking devastating it is to grow up as a church kid in that kind of environment and leave it. overnight, you will lose everything. your church becomes your family. there is no room for anyone else. those precious connections you're meant to make in your childhood are robbed from you. you have no support system. you have no life skills. my parents believed they raised me independent and I would land on my feet, but that couldn't be further from the truth. everything they did to ensure I was going to be okay was canceled out by the church. at the end of the day, I was meant to be a pastor's wife, and everything else they did was just their attempt to cope with the reality of the situation they had put me in.

by most people's approximation, compared to very open cults like Westboro Baptist, my church was tame. it's not really considered a cult. because that is behavior and psychological conditioning considered normal in America. the fact of the matter is, I was told from childhood that children that leave the church end up on drugs, in prison, or dead by suicide. it's a self fulfilling prophecy and they don't even realize. to my knowledge, at least two boys I grew up with have killed themselves. I don't keep up with it bc frankly more knowledge will only upset me.

the thing about these churches that pump out tradwives like no man's business is they do, in fact, teach you coping mechanisms, and that's what's so incredibly dangerous about them. bc those coping mechanisms are specifically designed to only work when you are in the cult. if you leave, it all falls apart and you have absolutely fucking nothing but overwhelming trauma you will need a lifetime of therapy to overcome. hence why I said a self fulfilling prophecy. bc a lot of the kids do end up killing themselves bc we are taught it's either go back to church or die. and we have at least the level of understanding that it will be infinitely worse if we go back to church. it's easier just to fucking die than to live like that for the rest of our lives.

that is the danger of American evangelism and why there are so many tradwives nowadays. it's a ploy to get people into the church. and that is why you cannot listen to them. not just for your own sake. you need to do it for your children.

I am begging you as a queer, trans child that was raised in that environment. do not fucking do this to your children. do not do it. no matter how much you think it'll be better for them, it never is. it is absolutely never fucking better for them. they will be raised in a cage, and if they get out, you will either be dealing with an addict, a convict, or a funeral. sometimes all three. I have managed to survive to 28. I honestly do not know what tomorrow holds for me. therapy has never worked and I've been on a plethora of psychiatric medications that also never work. I'm surviving on spite alone and speaking from experience: spite only takes you so far. eventually, it burns out. and even when it doesn't, it's a miserable way to live. spite and desperation are my only salvation, and I'm tired. I'm so tired.

don't let your kids end up like me. sometimes, the only reason I haven't gone back to church is bc I'm trans and have medically transitioned and even if I detransition, I know they will never, never accept me. objectively speaking, transitioning saved my life. it kept me out of church and I'm so glad I made that decision. but it's all I have at this point.

so. don't do this to your kids. Just don't fucking do it.

I met a girl when I was fresh out of high school in undergrad who frankly, annoyed me quite a bit, but I also had an inkling to continue to be compassionate to her given a few things about her life/background/family

I ran into her two years ago. Last week, her daughter turned 1. This girl, let’s called her “P”, is a really good example of why I never feel comfortable mocking trad wives

Her perfect trad husband, who was a shining young figure in the local religious community, volunteered in all sorts of groups, well loved in his workplace and everything else, beat her up at 1 month post-partum. I reached out to her after seeing her desperately asking for a stroller on a page, confused and slightly concerned knowing both of them came from wealthy backgrounds.

The reality for lots of tradwives living “perfect lives” is this: P was immediately ostracised. All the wealth of her husband and her family meant absolutely nothing if she wasn’t in favour and doing what she was told. Her child and her well-being didn’t matter. P, at 25 years old, was basically deemed an oopsie, and left on her own to figure out how to pay for herself, a baby, find housing, and every other task you can think of.

Having known many of these women (and supported many of these women), another factor most people don’t consider is this: they are intentionally raised to be helpless. When I immediately offered my support to P, she really needed it. This young woman needed to be guided through how to apply for government assistance, how to weigh up rentals and apply for them, how to apply for jobs, how to sign up for childcare. How to sign up for your own power and internet, and how to connect them.

It wasn’t that she was “stupid”, or incapable, or spoiled. While it looks like they’re being sheltered, in reality, these women are practically being held hostage. Sure, they might be allowed to learn things that are expected of them (see: basic cooking, baking, cleaning, child rearing, women’s bible studies, hosting, and so forth) but they are heavily controlled from family life into marriage life, and they are never given the opportunity or the reality of what many of us would consider basic adult tasks.

She’s doing okay now. Her daughter turned 1, is happy and healthy. They live frugally, but they have a roof over their heads and the essentials. I often babysit for her so she can attend counselling, or go to a woman’s support group. She is painfully aware that she has so much to learn about how to live as an adult.

I don’t envy tradwives, but I don’t find any joy in mocking them either. Even when they live the most picturesque lives, they’re also practically living a real life Jenga game. If (and often, when) it comes tumbling down, they’re screwed too, and they often have 0 skills to help themselves or find community (that again, isn’t carefully curated).