Prayers are always answered

Lilies of prayers floating from her lips to the heavens

The Grotto of Massabielle in a miniature diorama

A sacred shrine in a diorama depicting the

amazing experience of being in the powerful

and healing energies of the sacred spring

at the Grotto of Massabielle in Lourdes, France.

All the elements of the procession and devotion

to the Holy Woman, Our Lady of Lourdes,

whom appeared to Bernadette Soubirous

on many occasions, are used in this beautiful shrine.

I included one of the candles that I used during

my last pilgrimage to Lourdes during the candle lit procession

The background of the shrine is the front of the candle shield

The shrine has a replica of the image of the holy card

in tiny miniatures including Bernadette and her sheep

The shrine is dripping with Our Lady of Lourdes medals

brought back after having been dipped into the sacred

waters of the spring.

A very unusual piece of rosary with tiny images

of Our Lady and the Rose of Lourdes on each bead,

hangs down the one side.

On the back of the shrine is the Hail Mary

from the candle shield

I took this image from the internet at www.biblesetnombres.free.fr

It was taken from the top of the Basilica and it gives you an idea

of what the candle lit procession looks like.

This shrine forms part of my Our Lady of Lourdes Series

Catalogue number 385

The Grotto of Massabielle, Lourdes

Please read about my Art Novena to Our Lady of Lourdes

and my annual pilgrimage to sacred places

And it is flying to the USA with

a bottle of water from the sacred spring

of Massabielle

My prayers are with the world, with the cities of Paris and Beirut,

with each one of us and may we find the compassion to forgive

these painful acts of violence and destruction and take the

first step towards ending the vicious cycle of hate and retaliation.

Love is the strongest and most powerful force in the world.

May Love Prevail

blessings

Hettienne

Review of Dr Matthew Fox's Autobiography 'Confessions'

In a poem that I wrote that accompanies the book
I describe the bear as 'popping marshmallows all
day and all night dipping honey'.  That is to say, this
bear knows how to enjoy life (mysticism);  on the other
hand, he is also 'getting ready to stick out his chin'
for justice's sake (prophecy). - Confessions

The revised edition of Confessions, the autobiography

of Dr Matthew Fox, was released yesterday.

I had earlier received a digital copy of the book

and even before I had read the book, I had offered

to participate in the blogtour of reviews and this book
does not disappoint my expectations.

I have read four of Matthew Fox's previous books

and each one had resonated with my heart and mind

in a profound way.  They have inspired me into action
and compassion and Confessions follow suit.

Matthew Fox writes with an inimitable wit and
often tongue in cheek and it is almost as though I can
hear the smile in his words.
Even when the subject matter is quite serious and downright
horrible and painful.
That does not mean that he does not take his subject matter
seriously, on the contrary!
Dr Matthew Fox, as an author, has that wonderful
sense of humility and presence of one
who truly knows.

And this book is about spirituality and not
theology.  It is about the courage and
commitment it takes to truly follow your
Heart and your Guidance and of the many
sacrifices that may be expected of you.
Although it is an autobiography, anyone
who is serious about his or her own spiritual journey,
will find great nourishment in the reading
of this book.

Dr Matthew Fox's works are alchemical in nature.
His vision and his words marry religion with spirituality;
spirit with body, mind with heart.  He is courageous
to break with the status quo on ALL levels
and he dissolves divisive structures and systems.

In 'Confessions'  Matthew Fox shares himself
and of himself with his readers and the world.

Although the book is a historical overview
of Dr Fox's work, he also shares the inspiration,
vision, understanding, passion and dreams
which led to his actions and creations.

He shares himself as the mystic, as the visionary,
as the prophet and as the artist.

...one would think that compassion
would be a rather operative category in Christian
spirituality.  But it was not and has not been.
Instead, contemplation - a word that never crossed Jesus' lips,
for it is not Jewish - and perfection - a word mistranslated from
Matthew's version of the Sermon on the Mount but truly
defined by Luke as compassion - have dominated Western
spiritual theology. 
Compassion means justice, says Ekhart. 
But it also means celebration.

There are many obvious words that jumps to mind

as you read Confessions.  A

courageous man with great inner strength;

clarity of purpose and commitment to that

purpose, but above and beyond all those,
what stood out for me,

from the first word of the introduction, is

the absolute clarity and honesty and compassion
with which this book is written.

As I read the book, there

is a second reading happening, of the story behind

the story, so to speak.  As I read the typed words

and their narrative, I am aware of the stream of 

consciousness, a river of conviction and knowing,

a river of compassion flowing from his heart to mine.
  

In a poem that I wrote that accompanies the book
I describe the bear as 'popping marshmallows all
day and all night dipping honey'.  That is to say, this
bear knows how to enjoy life (mysticism);  on the other
hand, he is also 'getting ready to stick out his chin'
for justice's sake (prophecy). - Confessions


http://www.amazon.com/Confessions-Revised-Updated-Making-Postdenominational/dp/1583949356/
blessings
Hettienne

a pink Christmas

Inspired by my beautiful pink roses in

my Mary garden,

I have been creating everything pink 

these days and now we will be

having a pink Christmas!!

I just love these vintage pictures of guardian

angels and these inspired me to make

these very pretty pink shrines

This one has a gorgeous hand embroidered

post card of the Guardian Angel in the background

The little girl is walking across an angel wing with

the Queen of Angels watching over her!

This little one is walking into a hedge of roses!

Queen of the Heart of the Rose

The treasure at the heart of the rose

Is your own heart's treasure,

Scatter it as the rose does:

Your pain becomes hers to measure.

Mary is the hidden force and secret of Christianity,

and until her force - the force of the Divine Mother -

is revealed and uncovered in the Christian story,

its whole truth cannot be present.

blessings