Day Two of Art Novena for Our Lady of Lourdes

Mary is this eastern gate.  For a gate which looks to the east is the first to receive the rays of the Sun.  So the most the Blessed Virgin Mary who always looked toward the east, that is, to the brightness of God, received the first rays of the sun or rather its whole blaze of light. - St Aelred of Riveaux, Twelfth Century

My journey can be summarised as before Lourdes and

after Lourdes

a dive into the deepest ocean of emotional turmoil,

questioning and looking

seeking

believing

moving from the cloak of protecting

the vulnerable,

the raw feelingness,

the openness

of

the deepest Truest Self

hiding itself behind its many faces

of 

happiness,

pursuit of purpose,

and

analysis,

judgement

and

logical thinking

swimming to the surface

unveiled

revealed

into the brilliance of the Sun

heralding authenticity

bliss
the divine strength of
personal vulnerability

the deepest knowing

that She is the morning star

that shines brightly before the sun rises*

transcendent of all religion,

all creed,

all ego-made constructions

She is the bridge

where East and West meet

to those that say
that Mary is a watered-down version
of the Divine Feminine,
I say,
Love such as Hers,
cloaked in compassion
 is True Power
Agape*
Prema*
centred in the Heart of the World


Don't hide your heart, but reveal it, so that mine might be revealed, so that I may accept what I am capable of - Rumi

I took these photographs early this morning, in my garden of Our Lady, created after my visit to Lourdes.

I invite you to join in to the Art Novena for Our Lady of Lourdes

Nine days of 

sharing,

art,

poetry,

stories, 

prayer,

sacred circle

Please link up below and link back to here so that others may join.  I will visit you as you visit one another.

*words of St Bridget of Sweden

* agape - Latin for the unconditional love of the divine

* prema - Sanskrit for the unconditional love of the divine

blessings

Hettienne