Category: Mary

Bethlehem, Catechesis, Catholic Art, Mary, Mary - Our Blessed Mother, Roman Catholic, Roman Catholicism, St. Joseph, Virgin Mary2 Comments

Bethlehem Journey

Deacon Paul O. Iacono

This is a beautiful painting. Yet, I think something is wrong. It’s not the technical expertise, that is very good, or the colors, they are well chosen. I believe it is St. Joseph himself. He is too far away from Mary.  He would have been much closer to her, to give her comfort and to be quickly aware of any of her needs. He would have been much closer to the donkey’s head, holding the reins softly yet securely in order to prevent any bucks or missteps that the animal might be in mind to give. The rope shows a … Continue reading Bethlehem Journey

Bible, Blessed Mother, Brown Scapular, Carmelites, Catholic Art, Catholic Devotions, Christian Faith, Christianity, Church History, Mary, Mary - Our Blessed Mother, Mt. Carmel, Roman Catholic, Sacred Images, Scriptures, St. Simon Stock, Virgin MaryLeave a comment

Elijah, Pagans, and Our Lady of Mt Carmel

Deacon Paul O. Iacono

 Sacred Scripture has always celebrated the beauty and significance of the mountain in Israel called Carmel. It is significant for two reasons: In a dramatic contest with the priests of the pagan god Baal, Elijah fought the false gods of King Ahab and  Queen Jezebel of Israel; a king and queen who were dramatically attempting to turn the Israelites away from the belief of monotheism to polytheism. It is believed that the base of the mountain is where the Hebrew prophet Elijah prayed, contemplated God, defeated the priests of Baal, and  defended the purity of Israel’s faith (confer 1 Kgs 18:17–46). … Continue reading Elijah, Pagans, and Our Lady of Mt Carmel

Apologetics, Art, Bible, Catholic, Catholic Art, Catholicism, Christianity, Jesus Christ, Mary, Mary - Our Blessed Mother, Race, Racism, Roman Catholic, Sacred Art7 Comments

The Virgin Mary – Racial Supremacy and Artistic Diversity

Deacon Paul O. Iacono

Artistic images of the Blessed Mother of Jesus, as portrayed by different cultures within historical periods, have been part of world history for centuries. Below are a few examples of these images. The various images of Jesus and His Mother portrayed by each ethnic group are beautiful and have spiritual meaning. Are the artists of these works prejudiced or racist? Because of the controversy over comments made by political activists over the last few weeks it would appear that the motive of cultural artistic contributions is based on racial superiority. Their opinion  points to the obvious truth that in our social … Continue reading The Virgin Mary – Racial Supremacy and Artistic Diversity

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Virgin Mary: Trust and Obedience in the Lord

Deacon Paul O. Iacono

On this solemnity of the Annunciation, March 25th, we remember St. Luke’s account of the Annunciation: “Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin’s name was Mary.” “And when the angel had come to her, he said, “Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women.” When she had heard him she was troubled at his word and kept pondering what manner of greeting this might be. … Continue reading Virgin Mary: Trust and Obedience in the Lord

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Fatima Messages, Pagans in the Vatican, and the End Times

Deacon Paul O. Iacono

October 13, 2019 commemorates the last message in the apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary by three Portuguese children. The children’s ages were six through nine, and they lived in the town of Fatima, Portugal. The apparitions occurred over a five month period which began on May 13th and ended on October 13, 1917. The Roman Catholic Church, after a period of study, formally declared in 1930 that these apparitions are worthy of belief by the faithful. It is wise to remember that many supposed apparitions have occurred over the centuries that have not been approved by Church authorities. In … Continue reading Fatima Messages, Pagans in the Vatican, and the End Times

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What is Art?

Deacon Paul O. Iacono

Hello!  Glad to be back after a series of learning experiences which took me away from the keyboard. I see from the website’s analytics that we are still popular on a worldwide level (thank you!). I also appreciate and thank all of the hundreds of subscribers that have stayed with this blog and continue to use and enjoy the material I’ve presented and the many tens of thousands that have popped in and out over the past seven years. Last week I made a church presentation (a power point lecture) on “Our Blessed Mother and Sacred Art Applied to Prayer.” For … Continue reading What is Art?

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Fra Angelico’s Four Reliquaries for the Church of Santa Maria Novella – Part 4 of the “Heaven on Earth” Exhibition

Deacon Paul O. Iacono

Today’s post is Part 4 in my series that began on May 16, 2018 concerning the recently concluded exhibition of extraordinary egg tempera paintings by the Dominican friar Beato Fra Angelico. The exhibition was held at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston, Massachusetts during the Spring of 2018 and was entitled Fra Angelico – Heaven on Earth. Nathaniel Silver, Associate Curator of the Collection for this exhibition, includes in his book, Fra Angelico – Heaven on Earth, articles by eleven scholars. Each paper is a quality contribution to scholarship. There is one article authored by Chiara Pidatella, entitled “The Provenance of … Continue reading Fra Angelico’s Four Reliquaries for the Church of Santa Maria Novella – Part 4 of the “Heaven on Earth” Exhibition

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Fra Angelico and the Armadio degli Argenti – Part 3 of the “Heaven on Earth” Exhibition

Deacon Paul O. Iacono

Today’s post is Part 3 in my series that began on May 16, 2018 concerning the recently concluded exhibition of extraordinary egg tempera paintings by Fra Angelico. The exhibition was held at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston, Massachusetts and entitled Fra Angelico – Heaven on Earth. Today’s  painting concerns a major piece of the exhibition – the Armadio degli Argenti.  The four panels of which the Gardner Museum only showed one is also known as the “Silver Chest.” It was commissioned in 1450 and completed in 1452, three years before Fra Angelico’s death. This panel (123 x 160 cm) … Continue reading Fra Angelico and the Armadio degli Argenti – Part 3 of the “Heaven on Earth” Exhibition

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Fra Angelico – The “Heaven on Earth” Exhibition – Part 1

Deacon Paul O. Iacono

The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston, Massachusetts is the only venue in America for the extraordinary “Fra Angelico: Heaven on Earth” exhibition. This amazing collection of reliquaries which express the life of the Virgin Mary, and other paintings of the greatest painter of the Early Renaissance, will be on display until this Sunday May 20th, 2018. Earlier incorrect media reports had the last day as May 28th. I will be posting my photos of the Gardner Museum’s exhibit starting with this post and continuing on through the upcoming weeks and months. The exhibit consists of more than just the … Continue reading Fra Angelico – The “Heaven on Earth” Exhibition – Part 1

Iconography, Icons, Mary, Mary - Our Blessed Mother, Roman Catholic, Roman Catholicism, Sacred Art, Sacred Iconography, Sacred Images, The Visitation of Mary to Elizabeth2 Comments

Albert Lapierre – Sacred Artist and Iconographer

Deacon Paul O. Iacono

This past July I had the pleasure of restoring an icon that was written by the fine artist, Albert Lapierre, from Attleboro, Massachusetts. It is a beautifully done and was commissioned by Joan O’Gara on the occasion of the birthday of her sister, Rosalind, in October, 1998. Rosalind told me that her sister knew of her appreciation and devotion to the Gospel account of the Visitation of Mary to her cousin Elizabeth; however, Joan was not able to locate a print of this particular icon. In 1997 Joan decided to contact Albert Lapierre who was resposible for the creation of … Continue reading Albert Lapierre – Sacred Artist and Iconographer

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Mary, The Holy Mother of God – The Sign of Our Unity

Deacon Paul O. Iacono

We celebrate on this the first day of the New Year the Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God. Mary, by this very title, is the Holy Mother of the human nature of Jesus Christ. We receive insights on how the Church came to this title within the Holy Scriptures; for through a prayerful reading of them we come to an understanding of who this remarkable young woman was and what she means for us today. Three evangelists, Matthew, Luke, and John help us with this in their presentation of Mary as a woman who was clear minded, humble, … Continue reading Mary, The Holy Mother of God – The Sign of Our Unity

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The Magnificat of Mary – A Beautiful Analysis By The Venerable Bede

Deacon Paul O. Iacono

This morning’s selection from the Office of Readings in the Roman Breviary is written by an English monk named “the Venerable Bede.” It discusses Mary’s joy-filled song – The Magnificat. Bede was born in the year 673 and died in 735. He lived in Northumbria, primarily in the two monasteries of Saint Peter and Saint Paul. These monasteries had accumulated a wonderful collection of Greek, Latin, and early Church manuscripts. Bede spent his life studying, writing, and dictating the results of his research and prayer. He is known primarily for his most famous tome which is The Ecclesiastsical History of the English … Continue reading The Magnificat of Mary – A Beautiful Analysis By The Venerable Bede

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Our Lady of Guadalupe – An Icon of The Woman Who Will Crush The Serpent

Deacon Paul O. Iacono

Today’s feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the patroness of all the Americas, recalls the apparition of our Blessed Mother on the hill of Tepeyac in present day Mexico City. This approved apparition occurred from December 9th through the 12th 1531. Guadalupe is the Spanish translation of the Aztec phrase that Juan Diego heard Mary associate herself with – the name, interestingly, in Aztec means “she will crush the serpent of stone.” In the same year as this Marian apparition, rebellion and protest against the Latin Rite of the Catholic Church was sweeping Germany, France, and England. While millions of people were leaving the … Continue reading Our Lady of Guadalupe – An Icon of The Woman Who Will Crush The Serpent

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The Immaculate Conception of Mary – The Beauty of the New Eve

Deacon Paul O. Iacono

We are about to begin the second week of Advent and as you may know the word Advent has its root in the Latin word adventus which means “coming.” The liturgical term adventus is similar to the Greek word parousia which refers to the Second Coming of Christ at the final judgment of the world. Through the millenia Church scholars have linked these two words together because they hope to instill within us the understanding that we are on a spiritual journey. In this journey we experience the waiting period – the longing – for the coming of Jesus, the actual … Continue reading The Immaculate Conception of Mary – The Beauty of the New Eve

Christian Spirituality, Christianity, Faith, Gospel Reflections, Gospel Teachings, Mary, Mary - Our Blessed Mother, Orthodox Christianity, Roman Catholic, The Blessed Virgin Mary3 Comments

Our Blessed Mother’s Poverty of Spirit

Deacon Paul O. Iacono

Our Gospel today (Luke 21: 1-4) asks us to reflect on how we express our love for God. At first glance, the poor woman in the Gospel looks reckless. Yet, love, regardless of whether it is for God or another person, doesn’t calculate all the percentages. Many times, it just blissfully provides whatever the beloved needs, even to the point of true sacrifice on the part of the lover for the beloved. The lesson here is simple: love has greater value than material possessions. This  Gospel reminded me of Our Blessed Mother Mary’s actions in a few Gospel accounts which … Continue reading Our Blessed Mother’s Poverty of Spirit

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Our Lady of Sorrows – Seven Sorrows – Seven Graces

Deacon Paul O. Iacono

Today is the memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows. The Roman Breviary tells us that in a sermon by St. Bernard of Clairvaux he explains that “The martyrdom of the Virgin is set forth both in the prophecy of Simeon and in the actual story of our Lord’s passion. The holy old man said of the infant Jesus: He has been established as a sign which will be contradicted. He went on to say to Mary: And your own heart will be pierced by a sword.” Yesterday, we celebrated the feast of the Exaltation of the Cross. That feast asks us … Continue reading Our Lady of Sorrows – Seven Sorrows – Seven Graces

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The Most Holy Name of Mary

Deacon Paul O. Iacono

This is my third post in as many days on Our Blessed Mother Mary. September is an appropriate time to remember the significance of Mary in the life of the Church and, more importantly, in our own lives. For as the Mother of God she is, necessarily, the mother of our own spiritual life. She nurtures us to understand that her Son is always there for us. He does not impose Himself on us and neither does Mary. They desire us to freely choose kinship with them. Today, September 12th is the memorial of the Most Holy Name of Mary. The … Continue reading The Most Holy Name of Mary

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Mary – The Mystical Spouse of the Holy Spirit and the Wife of Joseph

Deacon Paul O. Iacono

The question may be asked “How is the word “spouse” used in reference to Mary and the Holy Spirit? We have all read the nativity accounts of St. Matthew and St. Luke and if you are a Roman Catholic you believe that Sacred Scripture is the foundation on which we build our theology; however, Sacred Tradition and the scholarship and teaching of the Magisterium of the Church are also very important. Sacred Tradition, scholarship, and the Magisterium (the teaching authority of the Church) act as the counterbalance for our understanding of God’s Truth in Scripture. These elements, together with Sacramental … Continue reading Mary – The Mystical Spouse of the Holy Spirit and the Wife of Joseph

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The Nativity of Mary – Our Blessed Mother

Deacon Paul O. Iacono

On September 8th the Church celebrates the feast of the birthday of Mary, our Blessed Mother. Tradition tells us that Mary was the daughter of Saints Joachim and Anne. She was betrothed to and later married Joseph, a respected Jewish carpenter from Nazareth. Little is known of Mary’s life other than the references to her in the Gospels. She attended the wedding feast at Cana, was present at Jesus’ crucifixion, and was with the Apostles at the coming of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost. St. Andrew of Crete puts this feast day, celebrated since the 5th century, in perspective for us … Continue reading The Nativity of Mary – Our Blessed Mother

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The Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Deacon Paul O. Iacono

Today is the memorial of the Queenship of Mary. Through the centuries, sacred icons and images have expressed the Queenship and Coronation of the Holy Theotokos – the Mother of God. The icon The Virgin Salus Populi Romani, a 5th century icon, displayed in the Church of Saint Mary Major in Rome, and seen below, shows the Blessed Mother dressed in typical first century Middle Eastern garb as she holds her Son who gives a blessing. This icon is reputed to be a copy of one that was painted by St. Luke the evangelist who tradition states knew and spoke to the Blessed … Continue reading The Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary

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Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Calls Us To Holiness

Deacon Paul O. Iacono

The book of Exodus mentions the Egyptian city of Rameses. If you travel to the Egyptian University Museum of Antiquities, in one of the side rooms, you will see two interesting artifacts: an ancient stone pillar that proclaims: “The pharaoh built the city of Rameses with Asiatic Semitic slaves,” and an ancient tomb painting showing slaves hard at work making bricks for the city. Many scholars view these “Asiatic Semitic slaves” to be the Hebrew people. With the unveiling of Moses as a prophetic leader we read of the Hebrews release from bondage through the unstoppable combination of his leadership … Continue reading Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Calls Us To Holiness

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The Solemnity of the Annunciation – The Confident Sacrifice Of A Pure Heart

Deacon Paul O. Iacono

Many years ago, Blessed John Paul 2 spoke to the seminarians of Rome on this, the Solemnity of the Annunciation. He began his homily with the phrase: “Fear not!”  Echoing the archangel’s comments to our Blessed Mother he was trying to calm the natural anxiety of those young men as they  prepared for their Gospel ministry in the world. The Pope counseled them that “We must all accept the call. We must listen [to the Holy Spirit],  and use the grace that we have received from God. We must shore up our strength, and say, “Yes” in confidence and certainty to the … Continue reading The Solemnity of the Annunciation – The Confident Sacrifice Of A Pure Heart

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Five Days Before Christmas: A Unique Story About The Graciousness of God

Deacon Paul O. Iacono

A very clear narrative greeted us in yesterday morning’s Gospel by St. Luke. He tells us that both Zechariah and his wife Elizabeth were both righteous before God: walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord – they were blameless; but they have no child. Elizabeth was barren and both were elderly. We read of Zechariah silently bringing his heavy heart before the Lord – even after all those years – it was still burdened with disappointment. The couple probably remembered Psalm 112 which says: “Happy the man who fears the Lord, who takes delight in his commands. … Continue reading Five Days Before Christmas: A Unique Story About The Graciousness of God

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A Beautiful Pregnant Young Woman And Her Message To A Weary World

Deacon Paul O. Iacono

Today’s feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the patroness of all the Americas, recalls the apparition of our Blessed Mother on the hill of Tepeyac in present day Mexico City from December 9th through the 12th in the year 1531. Guadalupe is the Spanish translation of the Aztec phrase that Juan Diego heard Mary associate herself with – the name, interestingly, in Aztec means “she will crush the serpent of stone.” In the same year – 1531 – thousands of miles away in what today we call Germany – Martin Luther was pro- claiming his doctrine of protest and rebellion from … Continue reading A Beautiful Pregnant Young Woman And Her Message To A Weary World

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The Immaculate Conception – A Time To Reflect On The Meaning of Mary

Deacon Paul O. Iacono

1) Mary’s Personal History Tradition tells us that Mary was the daughter of Saints Joachim and Anne. They were devoted Jews who raised their child to be loyal and pure within the Jewish holy tradition. Mary was born within the royal line of King David and was betrothed and later married Joseph, a respected Jewish carpenter from Nazareth. Little is known of Mary’s day-to-day life other than the references to her in the Gospels. Those early references indicate that she was a loving, concerned, and devoted person. During her Son’s ministry she attended the wedding feast at Cana, was present at … Continue reading The Immaculate Conception – A Time To Reflect On The Meaning of Mary

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A Custodian of Beauty – The Talent of Artist Jamie Medeiros

Deacon Paul O. Iacono

After an article explaining the mission of the Fra Angelico Institute for the Sacred Arts appeared last June in our Diocesan newspaper, the Rhode Island Catholic, I received a call from a lovely young woman by the name of Jamie Medeiros. She explained that she was from Massachusetts and that she, too, had been touched by the Holy Spirit to offer people the opportunity to blend the creation of beauty with personal prayer. She described the process through which she currently leads people to express themselves in art while they are praying – actually to make prayer part of their … Continue reading A Custodian of Beauty – The Talent of Artist Jamie Medeiros

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Our Lady of the Rosary

Deacon Paul O. Iacono

All the events of human history have to be backlit by the reality of our faith that God does not abandon His people. An example of this truth is today’s memorial of Our Lady of the Rosary. This memorial was established by Pope St. Pius 5th in thanksgiving for the Catholic victory over the Muslim army and navy at the famous battle of Lepanto on October 7, 1571. Many rosaries were said by the European faithful during the battle to stem the tide of the Islamic invasion. The admiral for the Catholic Fleet, Andrea Doria, had the miraculous image of … Continue reading Our Lady of the Rosary

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The Triumph of the Cross and Our Lady of Sorrows by Jed Gibbons

Deacon Paul O. Iacono

Today we celebrate the feast of the Exaltation – or Triumph – of the Holy Cross. The early Catholic Church was intensely persecuted during the first 280 years of its life – so the symbol of the Cross – the symbol of public humiliation and excruciating death – was rarely used in our Christian iconography. But this doesn’t mean that the early Christians were reluctant to express their devotion to the Cross. Writing in the year 204, the Christian theologian Tertullian said: “At every going in and out, when we put on our clothes, when we sit at table, in … Continue reading The Triumph of the Cross and Our Lady of Sorrows by Jed Gibbons

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The Birth of Mary – The Pure Disciple Who Shows Us the Way

Deacon Paul O. Iacono

We cannot allow this day, September 8th, to slip by without celebrating the nativity of  our Blessed Mother. For as the Invitatory in the Roman Breviary says for today’s feast: “Come, let us celebrate the birth of the Virgin Mary, let us worship her Son, Christ the Lord.” It is right, and proper, and good that we do this. Inspired by divine Wisdom, the Holy Church of Jesus Christ, has through the years been fractured, tempted, and bruised by the assaults of Satan. Yet, in this feast we remember that we are saved, that Satan, ultimately, has been defeated by … Continue reading The Birth of Mary – The Pure Disciple Who Shows Us the Way

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The Eternal Now and the Coronation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Deacon Paul O. Iacono

Today is the memorial of the Coronation of our Blessed Mother. Sacred icons and images have expressed the Queenship and Coronation of the Holy Theotokos – the Mother of God – for at least 1500 years. The icon The Virgin Salus Populi Romani, a 5th century icon, displayed in the Church of Saint Mary Major in Rome, and seen below, shows the Blessed Mother dressed in typical first century Middle Eastern garb as she holds her Son who gives a blessing. This icon reputed to be a copy of one that was painted by St. Luke the evangelist who tradition states … Continue reading The Eternal Now and the Coronation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

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The Dormition – Assumption of Mary

Deacon Paul O. Iacono

Over the past two weeks, our Sunday Gospels have stressed the truth that to be a faithful disciple of Christ we must keep our focus – in good times and bad – on Jesus. On August 15th, the solemnity of the Assumption/Dormition of Mary, the Church again directs our gaze – for in focusing on Mary we see not only our Queen – but the one true sign – the Great Sign – who points the way to her Son. Her signature was that of a perfect disciple – for she possessed the confident competence and the courageous commitment – … Continue reading The Dormition – Assumption of Mary