Tag: Motherhood

Beauty, Catholicism, Christian Ethics, Christianity, Culture, discipleship, Ethics, Prayer, Roman Catholic2 Comments

Roman Catholic Sacred Art: A Prayer to Accompany The First Theological Theme

Deacon Paul O. Iacono

“And only where God is seen does life truly begin. Only when we meet the living God in Christ do we know what life is. We are not some casual and meaningless product of evolution. Each of us is the result of a thought of God. Each of us is willed, each of us is loved, each of us is necessary. There is nothing more beautiful than to be surprised by the Gospel, by the encounter with Christ. There is nothing more beautiful than to know Him and to speak to others of our friendship with Him.”           … Continue reading Roman Catholic Sacred Art: A Prayer to Accompany The First Theological Theme

Art, Art Education, Artists, Assumption of Mary, Beauty, Beauty built on Gospel Values, Catholic Art, Catholic Education, Catholic Spirituality, Catholicism, Christianity, Education, Evangelization, Faith, Fra Angelico, Fra Angelico's Paintings, Gospel Reflections, Hope, Mary, Mary - Our Blessed Mother, Motherhood, New Evangelization, New Evangelization of the Catholic Church, Religion, Religious Art, Renaissance Art, Roman Catholic, Roman Catholic Beliefs, Roman Catholicism, sacred, Sacred Art, Sacred Artists, Sacred Images, Spirituality, The Blessed Virgin Mary, Uncategorized2 Comments

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

Christian Unity, Christianity, Greek Orthodox, Mary, Mary - Our Blessed Mother, Motherhood, Orthodox Church, Protestant, Roman Catholic, Russian Orthodox, Uncategorized7 Comments

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

Catholicism, Christian Spirituality, Christianity, Ethics, Faith, Gospel Reflections, Gospel Teachings, Mary - Our Blessed Mother, New Evangelization, Orthodox Christianity, Religion, Roman Catholic, Roman Catholic Beliefs, UncategorizedLeave a comment

Gaudete Sunday In Light of the Tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut

Deacon Paul O. Iacono

Today we celebrate Gaudete Sunday. Gaudete means, “Rejoice!” – and we visualize this by the rose-colored vestments and candle in the Advent wreath. Yet, it is so difficult to rejoice in light of the unspeakable horror and evil that befell the 27 innocent children and adults in Newtown, Connecticut, or the 22 children and an adult who were slashed by a man wielding a knife in a city in China, or the teenager arrested in Oklahoma for plotting to kill his fellow students and bomb his high school; and this all occurred on the morning of December 14th. Connecticut Governor … Continue reading Gaudete Sunday In Light of the Tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut

Christianity, Gospel Reflections, Mary, Mary - Our Blessed Mother, Religion, Roman Catholic, Uncategorized8 Comments

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

Christian Spirituality, Christianity, Faith, Gospel Teachings, Hope, Motherhood, Mothers, Prayer, Religion, Roman Catholic, Sacred Art, Saints, Uncategorized6 Comments

Saint Monica – Patron of Mothers

Deacon Paul O. Iacono

Today is the memorial of St. Monica, the extraordinarily faith-filled mother of St. Augustine. In the year 321, Monica was born in Algeria into a family that was devoutly Christian. As a child she was baptized a Christian and was raised to be a dutiful wife. She was given in marriage to a bad tempered, adulterous pagan official, by the name of Patricius. In examining the life of Saint Monica one is struck by the extent of the abuse she and other women endured throughout their marriage. Under the laws of the time Monica’s husband could physically and emotionally abuse … Continue reading Saint Monica – Patron of Mothers