Tradition, Isaiah 65:17-21, Psalms 30:2-13, John 4:43-54, Saint Teresa Margaret of the Sacred Heart, Arezzo Italy, Discalced Carmelites, Catholic Catechism Part One Section 2 The Creeds Chapter 3:9:6 Mary Mother of Christ, Mother of the Church, The Election of The Roman Catholic Pontiff (Pope): Code of Canon Law III:1,2 The Impeded See and the Vacant See
Good Day Bloggers! Wishing everyone a Blessed Week!
Year of Faith - October 11, 2012 - November 24, 2013
P.U.S.H. (Pray Until Serenity Happens). It has a remarkable way of producing solace, peace, patience and tranquility and of course resolution...God's always available 24/7.
The world begins and ends everyday for someone. We are all human. We all experience birth, life and death. We all have
flaws but we also all have the gift of knowledge and free will,
make the most of these gifts. Life on earth is a stepping stone to our eternal home in
Heaven. Its your choice whether to rise towards eternal light or lost to
eternal darkness. Material items, though needed for sustenance and
survival on earth are of earthly value only. The only thing that passes
from this earth to Purgatory and/or Heaven is our Soul, our Spirit...it's God's perpetual
gift to us...Embrace it, treasure it, nurture it, protect it...
"Raise not a hand to another unless it is to offer in peace and goodwill." ~ Zarya Parx 2012
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Prayers for Today: Monday in Lent
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Prayer For the Holy Election of Our New Pope
May the Lord preserve the sanctity of the enclave as they embark on electing our new Holy Father, give him life, and make him blessed upon earth, and deliver him not to the will of his enemies.
LET US PRAY:
O God, the Shepherd and Ruler of all the faithful, in Thy mercy look down upon Thy servant, (Our New Pope), whom Thou will appoint to preside over Thy Church, and grant we beseech Thee that both by word and example he may edify those who are under his charge; so that, with the flock entrusted to him, he may attain life everlasting. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
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March 2, 2013 Message From Our Lady of Medjugorje to World:
“Dear children; Anew, in a motherly way, I am calling you not to be of a hard heart. Do not shut your eyes to the warnings which the Heavenly Father sends to you out of love. Do you love Him above all else? Do you repent for having often forgotten that the Heavenly Father, out of His great love, sent His Son to redeem us by the Cross? Do you repent for not having accepted the message? My children, do not resist the love of my Son. Do not resist hope and peace. Along with your prayers and fasting, by His Cross, my Son will cast away the darkness that wants to surround you and come to rule over you. He will give you the strength for a new life. Living it according to my Son, you will be a blessing and a hope to all those sinners who wander in the darkness of sin. My children, keep vigil. I, as a mother, am keeping vigil with you. I am especially praying and watching over those whom my Son called to be light-bearers and carriers of hope for you – for your shepherds. Thank you.”
February 25, 2013 Message From Our Lady of Medjugorje to World:
“Dear children! Also today I call you to prayer. Sin is pulling you towards worldly things and I have come to lead you towards holiness and the things of God, but you are struggling and spending your energies in the battle with the good and the evil that are in you. Therefore, little children, pray, pray, pray until prayer becomes a joy for you and your life will become a simple walk towards God. Thank you for having responded to my call.”
“Dear children! Also today I call you to prayer. Sin is pulling you towards worldly things and I have come to lead you towards holiness and the things of God, but you are struggling and spending your energies in the battle with the good and the evil that are in you. Therefore, little children, pray, pray, pray until prayer becomes a joy for you and your life will become a simple walk towards God. Thank you for having responded to my call.”
February 2, 2013 Message From Our Lady of Medjugorje to World:
"Dear children, love is bringing me to you - the love which I desire to
teach you also - real love; the love which my Son showed you when He
died on the Cross out of love for you; the love which is always ready to
forgive and to ask for forgiveness. How great is your love? My motherly
heart is sorrowful as it searches for love in
your hearts. You are not ready to submit your will to God's will out of
love. You cannot help me to have those who have not come to know God's
love to come to know it, because you do not have real love. Consecrate
your hearts to me and I will lead you. I will teach you to forgive, to
love your enemies and to live according to my Son. Do not be afraid for
yourselves. In afflictions my Son does not forget those who love. I will
be beside you. I will implore the Heavenly Father for the light of
eternal truth and love to illuminate you. Pray for your shepherds so
that through your fasting and prayer they can lead you in love. Thank
you."
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Today's Word: tradition tra·di·tion [truh-dish-uh
n]
Origin: 1350–1400; Middle English tradicion < Old French < Latin trāditiōn- (stem of trāditiō ) a handing over or down, transfer, equivalent to trādit ( us ), past participle of trādere to give over, impart, surrender, betray ( trā-, variant of trāns- trans- + -ditus, combining form of datus given; see date1 ) + -iōn- -ion
noun
1. the handing down of statements, beliefs, legends, customs, information, etc., from generation to generation, especially by word of mouth or by practice: a story that has come down to us by popular tradition.
2. something that is handed down: the traditions of the Eskimos.
3. a long-established or inherited way of thinking or acting: The rebellious students wanted to break with tradition.
4. a continuing pattern of culture beliefs or practices.
5. a customary or characteristic method or manner: The winner took a victory lap in the usual track tradition.
6. Theology .
a. (among Jews) body of laws and doctrines, or any one of them, held to have been received from Moses and originally handed down orally from generation to generation.
b. (among Christians) a body of teachings, or any one of them, held to have been delivered by Christ and His apostles but not originally committed to writing.
7. Law. an act of handing over something to another, especially in a formal legal manner; delivery; transfer.
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Today's Old Testament Reading - Psalms 30:2-13
2 Yahweh, my God, I cried to you for help and you healed me.
4 Make music for Yahweh, all you who are faithful to him, praise his unforgettable holiness.
5 His anger lasts but a moment, his favour through life; In the evening come tears, but with dawn cries of joy.
6 Carefree, I used to think, 'Nothing can ever shake me!'
11 You have turned my mourning into dancing, you have stripped off my sackcloth and clothed me with joy.
12 So my heart will sing to you unceasingly, Yahweh, my God, I shall praise you for ever.
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Today's Epistle - Isaiah 65:17-21
17 For look, I am going to create new heavens and a new earth, and the past will not be remembered and will come no more to mind.
18 Rather be joyful, be glad for ever at what I am creating, for look, I am creating Jerusalem to be 'Joy' and my people to be 'Gladness'.
19 I shall be joyful in Jerusalem and I shall rejoice in my people. No more will the sound of weeping be heard there, nor the sound of a shriek;
20 never again will there be an infant there who lives only a few days, nor an old man who does not run his full course; for the youngest will die at a hundred, and at a hundred the sinner will be accursed.
21 They will build houses and live in them, they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit.
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Today's Gospel Reading - John 4: 43-54
When the two days were over Jesus left
for Galilee. He himself had declared that a prophet is not honoured in
his own home town. On his arrival the Galileans received him well,
having seen all that he had done at Jerusalem during the festival which
they too had attended. He went again to Cana in Galilee, where he had
changed the water into wine. And there was a royal official whose son
was ill at Capernaum; hearing that Jesus had arrived in Galilee from
Judaea, he went and asked him to come and cure his son, as he was at the
point of death. Jesus said to him, 'Unless you see signs and portents
you will not believe!' 'Sir,' answered the official, 'come down before
my child dies.' 'Go home,' said Jesus, 'your son will live.' The man
believed what Jesus had said and went on his way home; and while he was
still on the way his servants met him with the news that his boy was
alive. He asked them when the boy had begun to recover. They replied,
'The fever left him yesterday at the seventh hour.' The father realised
that this was exactly the time when Jesus had said, 'Your son will
live'; and he and all his household believed. This new sign, the second,
Jesus performed on his return from Judaea to Galilee.
Reflection
Reflection
• Jesus had left Galilee, and directed
himself toward Judah, in order to arrive to Jerusalem on the occasion
of the festival (Jn 4, 45) and, passing through Samaria, he was
returning again toward Galilee (Jn 4, 3-4). The observant Jews were
forbidden to pass through Samaria, and they could not even speak with
the Samaritans (Jn 4, 9). Jesus did not care about these norms which
prevented friendship and dialogue. He remained several days in Samaria
and many people were converted (Jn 4, 40). After that, he decided to
return to Galilee.
• John 4, 43-46ª: The return toward Galilee. Even though Jesus knew that the people of Galilee had a certain reservation toward him, he wished to return to his own home town. Probably, John refers to how badly Jesus was received, accepted in Nazareth of Galilee. Jesus himself had declared that “No prophet is honoured in his own home town” (Lk 4, 24). But now, before the evidence of what he had done in Jerusalem, the Galileans change their opinion and received him well. Jesus then returns to Cana where he had worked the first “sign” (Jn 2,11).
• John 4, 46b-47: The petition of the court official. It is the case of a pagan. A short time before, in Samaria, Jesus had spoken with a Samaritan woman, an heretic person according to the Jews, to whom Jesus revealed his condition of Messiah (Jn 4, 26). And now, in Galilee, he receives a pagan, the official of the king, who was seeking help for his sick son. Jesus does not limit himself to help those of his race only, nor those of his own religion. He is ecumenical and receives all.
• John 4, 48: The answer of Jesus to the court official. The official wanted Jesus to go with him to his house to cure his son. Jesus answered: “Unless you see signs and portents you will not believe!” A harsh and strange answer. Why does Jesus answer in this way? What was wrong with the petition of the official? What did Jesus want to attain through this response? Jesus wants to teach how our faith should be. The official would believe only if Jesus went with him to his house. He wanted to see Jesus curing. In general, this is the attitude that we all have. We are not aware of the deficiency of our faith.
• John 4, 49-50: The official repeats his petition and Jesus repeats the response. In spite of the answer of Jesus, the man does not keep silence and repeats the same petition:. “Sir, come down before my child dies!” Jesus continues to keep his stand. He does not respond to the petition and does not go with the man to his house and repeats the same response, but formulated in a different way: “Go home! Your son will live!” Both in the first as well as in the second response, Jesus asks for faith, much faith. He asks that the official believes that his son has already been cured. And the true miracle takes place! Without seeing any sign, nor any portent, the man believes in Jesus’ word and returns home. It should not have been easy. This is the true miracle of faith; to believe without any other guarantee, except the Word of Jesus. The ideal is to believe in the word of Jesus, even without seeing (cf. Jn 20, 29).
• John 4, 51-53: The result of faith in the word of Jesus. When the man was on the way to his home, his servants saw him and ran to meet him to tell him that his son had been cured, that he was alive. He asked them when the boy had begun to recover and discovered that it was exactly the time when Jesus had said: “Your son will live!” He was confirmed in his faith.
• John 4, 54: A summary presented by John, the Evangelist. John ends by saying: “This new sign, the second, Jesus preformed”. John prefers to speak of sign and not of miracle. The word sign recalls something which I see with my eyes, but which only faith can make me discover its profound sense. Faith is like an X-Ray: it makes one discover that which the naked eye cannot see.
Personal questions
• How do you live your faith? Do you
have faith in God’s word or do you only believe in miracles and in
sensitive, perceptible experiences?
• Jesus accepts heretics and foreigners. And I, how do I relate with persons?
Reference: Courtesy of Order of Carmelites, www.ocarm.org.
• Jesus accepts heretics and foreigners. And I, how do I relate with persons?
Reference: Courtesy of Order of Carmelites, www.ocarm.org.
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Featured Item of the Day from Litany Lane
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Saint of the Day: Saint Teresa Margaret of the Sacred Heart
Feast Day: March 11
Patron Saint: n/a
Attributes: n/a
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| Saint Teresa Margaret of the Sacred Heart |
Teresa Margaret was a very private and spiritual person. She was given a special contemplative experience concerning the words of I John 4:8, "God is love."[2]. She seemed to have a premonition of her death [3], which was at the young age of 23.
After death the fast decomposition of her body made the nuns fear it would decay before proper funeral rites were conducted. The next day decomposition reversed and three days after her death her body was lifelike. The nuns, the provincial, several priests and doctors all saw and testified to the fact that the body was as lifelike as if she were sleeping, and there was not the least visible evidence of corruption or decay. Her incorrupt body lies in the monastery in Florence. [4][5].
She is one of the five Discalced Carmelite nuns to become a saint together with Saints Teresa of Avila, Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, Teresa of the Andes, and Thérèse de Lisieux.
References
- St. Teresa Margaret of the Sacred Heart website
- St. Teresa Margaret of the Sacred Heart in Volume IV of the Collected Works of bl. Edith Stein "The hidden life: hagiographic essays, meditations, spiritual texts". Edited by Dr. L. Gelber and Michael Linssen, O.C.D. 1992 ICS Publications
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Today's Snippet I: Arezzo, Italy
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| Piazza Grande, Arezzo Italy |
Described by Livy as one of the Capitae Etruriae (Etruscan capitals), Arezzo is believed to have been one of the twelve most important Etruscan cities—the so-called Dodecapolis. Etruscan remains establish that the acropolis of San Cornelio, a small hill next to that of San Donatus, was occupied and fortified in the Etruscan period. There is other significant Etruscan evidence: parts of walls, an Etruscan necropolis on Poggio del Sole (still named "Hill of the Sun"), and most famously, the two bronzes, the "Chimera of Arezzo" (5th century BC) and the "Minerva" (4th century BC) which were discovered in the 16th century and taken to Florence. Increasing trade connections with Greece also brought some elite goods to the Etruscan nobles of Arezzo: the krater painted by Euphronios ca 510 BC with a battle against Amazons (in the Museo Civico, Arezzo 1465) is unsurpassed.
Around 26-261 AD the town council of Arezzo dedicated an inscription to its patron L. Petronius Taurus Volusianus. See that article for discussion of the possible political/military significance of Volusianus's association with the city.
In the 3rd to 4th century, Arezzo became an episcopal seat: it is one of the few cities whose succession of bishops are known by name without interruption to the present day, in part because they were the feudal lords of the city in the Middle Ages. The Roman city was demolished, partly through the Gothic War and the invasion of the Lombards, partly dismantled, as elsewhere throughout Europe, and the stones reused for fortifications by the Aretines. Only the amphitheater remained.
The commune of Arezzo threw off the control of its bishop in 1098 and was an independent city-state until 1384. Generally Ghibelline in tendency, it opposed Guelph Florence. In 1252 the city founded its university, the Studium. After the rout of the Battle of Campaldino (1289), which saw the death of Bishop Guglielmino Ubertini, the fortunes of Ghibelline Arezzo started to ebb, apart from a brief period under the Tarlati family, chief among them Guido Tarlati, who became bishop in 1312 and maintained good relations with the Ghibelline party. The Tarlati sought support in an alliance with Forlì and its overlords, the Ordelaffi, but failed: Arezzo yielded to Florentine domination in 1384; its individual history was subsumed by that of Florence and the Medicean Grand Duchy of Tuscany. During this period Piero della Francesca worked in the church of San Francesco di Arezzo producing the splendid frescoes, recently restored, which are Arezzo's most famous works. Afterwards the city began an economical and cultural decay, which fortunately ensured that its medieval centre was preserved.
In the 18th century the neighbouring marshes of the Val di Chiana, south of Arezzo, were drained and the region became less malarial. At the end of the century French troops led by Napoleon Bonaparte conquered Arezzo, but the city soon turned into a resistance base against the invaders with the "Viva Maria" movement, winning the city the role of provincial capital. In 1860 Arezzo became part of the Kingdom of Italy. City buildings suffered heavy damage during World War II.
Pope Benedict XVI visited Arezzo and two other Italian municipalities on Sunday, May 13, 2012.
Main sights
Piazza Grande
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| The Vasari Loggia on Piazza Grande. |
The Piazza Grande is the most noteworthy medieval square in the city, opening behind the 13th century Romanesque apse of Santa Maria della Pieve. Once the main marketplace of the city, it is currently the site of the Giostra del Saracino
("Joust of the Saracen"). It has a sloping pavement in red brick with
limestone geometrical lines. Aside from the apse of the church, other
landmarks of the square include:
- The Palace of the Lay Fraternity (Fraternita dei Laici): 14th-15th century palazzo, with a Gothic ground floor and a quattrocento second floor by Bernardo Rossellino.
- The Vasari Loggia along the north side, a flat Mannerist façade designed by Giorgio Vasari.
- Episcopal Palace, seat of the bishops, rebuilt in the mid-13th century. The interior has frescoes by Salvi Castellucci, Teofilo Torri, and Pietro Benvenuti. In front of the Palace is the Monument to Grand Duke Ferdinando I de' Medici (1595), by Pietro Francavilla, following a design of Giambologna.
- Palazzo Cofani-Brizzolari, with the Torre Faggiolana.
- Remains of the Communal Palace and the Palazzo del Popolo can also be seen.
Churches
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| Cathedral of Arezzo. |
- Romanesque church of Santa Maria della Pieve. Its most striking feature is the massive, square-planned bell tower with double orders of mullioned windows. The church was built in the 12th century over a pre-existing Palaeo-Christian edifice, and renovated a century later with the addition of the characteristic façade made of loggias with small arches surmounted by all different-styled columns. Also from the same century is the lunette with the Virgin between Two Angels and the sculptures of the months (1216) over the main portal. the interior has a nave and two aisles, with a transept also added in the 13th century. In the following century chapels, niches and frescoes were added, including the polyptych of Virgin with Child and Saints by Pietro Lorenzetti (1320). In the crypt is a relic bust of St. Donatus (1346). From the same epoch is the hexagonal baptismal font, with panels of the Histories of St. John the Baptist, by Giovanni d'Agostino. The Pieve was again renovated by Giorgio Vasari in 1560.
- the Gothic Cathedral of Saint Donatus (13th-early 16th centuries). The façade remained unfinished, and was added in the 20th century. The interior has a nave and aisles divided by massive pilasters. The left aisle has a fresco by Piero della Francesca portraying the Madeleine. Noteworthy are also the medieval stained glass, the Tarlati Chapel (1334) and the Gothic tomb of Pope Gregory X.
- Basilica of San Francesco (13th-14th centuries), in Tuscan-Gothic style. Of the projectd façade cover in sculpted stone only the lower band was completed. The interior has a single nave: the main attraction is the History of the True Cross fresco (1453–1464) cycle by Piero della Francesca in the Bacci Chapel. Under the church is another Basilica with a nave and two aisles (Basilica inferiore), today used for art exhibitions.
- Basilica of San Domenico (founded in 1275 and completed in the early 14th century). The interior has a single nave with a Crucifix by Cimabue, a masterwork of 13th century Italian art. Other artworks include a Sts. Philip and James the Younger and St. Catherine by Spinello Aretino and other 14th century painting and sculpture decorations.
- church of San Michele, with a modern façade. Traces of the original Romanesque edifice and the Gothic restoration can be seen in the interior.
- Santa Maria in Gradi is a medieval church from the 11th or the 12th century, but was rebuilt in the late 16th century by Bartolomeo Ammannati. The interior has a single nave with stone altars (17th century) and a Madonna of Misericordia, terracotta by Andrea della Robbia.
- Church of St. Augustine, founded in 1257, modified in the late 15th and the late 18h centuries. The façade and the interior decoration are largely from Baroque times. The square plan bell tower is from the 15th century.
- Badia di SS. Flora e Lucilla (12th century). Built by Benedictine monks in the 12th century, it was totally restored in the 16th century under the direction of Giorgio Vasari. The octagonal bell tower is from 1650. The interior, in Mannerist style, has an illusionistic canvas depicting a false dome by Andrea Pozzo (1702). There are also a St. Lawrence fresco by Bartolomeo della Gatta (1476) and a Crucifix by Segna di Buonaventura (1319).
- San Lorenzo, one of the most ancient of the city, having been built before the year 1000, most likely in Palaeo-Christian times. Rebuilt in the 13th century and restored in 1538, it was totally rebuilt in 1705. The apse exterior is in Romanesque style.
- Santa Maria delle Grazie, a late Gothic sanctuary with a Renaissance portal by Benedetto da Maiano (1490). It has also a marble high altar by Andrea della Robbia including a pre-existing fresco by Parri di Spinello (1428–1431). The sanctuary was built over a font dedicated to Apollo, which was destroyed by San Bernardino of Siena in 1428, building an oratory in its place. The church was erected in 1435–1444 and has a chapel entitled to St. Bernardino.
- Santa Maria a Gradi (1591), a monastery existing already in 1043. It has a Baroque interior, but with an altar by a collaborator of Andrea della Robbia.
- Church of Santissima Trinità. Built in 1348, it was totalle renovated in 1723–1748 in Baroque style. It houses a 14th century Crucifix, a banner painted by Giorgio Vasari in 1572, a painting of Noli me tangere by Alessandro Allori (1584) and other artworks.
- Santa Maria Maddalena, built in 1561 over a pre-14th century structure. It houses a Madonna with Child (Madonna of the Rose) by Spinello Aretino, visible in the high altar (c. 1525) designed by Guillaume de Marcillat. It is now private property.
- Pieve di San Paolo, in San Paolo, erected as Palaeo-Christian baptismal church, rebuilt in the 8th-9th centuries and then rebuilt in Romanesque style in the 13th century. The bell tower is from the 14th-15th centuries. The entire church was again renovated after the 1796 earthquake. It has kept 15th-century frescoes by Lorentino d'Andrea and a cyborium. The transept entrance has granite columns with marble capitals from the 5th century AD.
- Pieve di Sant'Eugenia al Bagnoro, in Bagnoro. Documented from 1012, it was one of the most important pievi of the diocese during the Middle Ages. The presbytery area is from the 12th century, while the rest is from the 11th century. The bell tower, partially ruined, stands on one of the three apses.
- Pieve di San Donnino a Maiano, at Palazzo del Pero (6th-9th centuries). Documented from 1064, it replaced a Palaeo-Christian baptismal church. The fronal part was rebuilt in the 14th century. The apse has 15th century frescoes and a wooden Madonna with Child from the same age.
Others
- Roman amphitheatre and museum.
- Palazzo dei Priori, erected in 1333, has been the seat of the city's magistratures until today. The edifice was numerous times restored and renovated; the interior has a court from the 16th century, a stone statue portraying a Madonna with Child (1339), frescoes, busts of illustrious Aretines, two paintings by Giorgio Vasari. The square tower is from 1337.
- Medici Fortress (Fortezza Medicea), designed by Antonio da Sangallo the Younger and completed in 1538–1560. It was partly dismantled by the French in the early 19th century.
- Palazzo Camaiani-Albergotti (14th century, renovated in the 16th century), with the Torre della Bigazza.
- Palazzo Bruni-Ciocchi, Renaissance edifice attributed to Bernardo Rossellino. It is seat of the State Museum of Medieval and Modern Art.
- Palazzo Pretorio, which was seat of the People's Captain until 1290. The façade has coat of armas of the captains, podestà and commissaries of the city from 14th to 18th century. Only one of the two original towers remains.
- House of Petrarch (Casa del Petrarca).
- Casa Vasari (in Via XX Settembre) an older house rebuilt in 1547 by Giorgio Vasari and frescoed by him; now open as a museum, it also contains 16th-century archives. The main rooms were decorated by Vasari in an illusionist manner. the drawing room, where Vasare painted the life journey of an artist, with the artistic virtues protected by the gods of antiquite represented as heavenly bodies, is remarkable.
- Ivan Bruschi House and Museum (Casa-Museo "Ivan Bruschi").
- Gaio Cilnio Mecenate Archeological Museum.
- Civic Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art.
- UnoAErre Jewelry Museum
Festivals
- Arezzo is home to an annual international competition of choral singing Concorso Polifónico Guido d'Arezzo (International Guido d'Arezzo Polyphonic Contest)
- Arezzo is home to an annual medieval festival called the Saracen Joust (Giostra del Saracino). In this, "knights" on horseback representing different areas of the town charge at a wooden target attached to a carving of a Saracen king and score points according to accuracy. Virtually all the town's people dress-up in medieval costume and enthusiastically cheer on the competitors.
- From 1986 to 2006 Arezzo was also home to an annual popular music and culture festival, each July, called Arezzo Wave. Publicly funded, it attracts bands of high repute and attendees from all over Europe and North America. It also features literary and film expositions. In 2007 it was replaced by PLAY Arezzo Art Festival, still about rock music. Some artist invited in 2007 and 2008 are: Negrita,Peter Gabriel, Lou Reed, Joan Baez, Ben Harper, Goran Bregovic, Carmen Consoli, Max Gazzè, Peter Brook.
Media
- Arezzo has a starring role in Roberto Benigni's film Life Is Beautiful (La vita è bella, 1997). It is the place in which the main characters live before they are shipped off to a Nazi concentration camp.
- Arretium was used in the PC game Rome: Total War as the Capital of the Roman Faction of Julii.
- Birthplace of Dylan and Cole Sprouse on August 4, 1992 .
International Education
University of Oklahoma campus in Arezzo
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| University of Oklahoma in Arezzo |
An United States based university, the University of Oklahoma, has a branch campus in Arezzo, The Italian Center of the University of Oklahoma.
On September 10, 2010, the University of Oklahoma Foundation (a Nonprofit organization organized for the purpose of receiving and administering gifts for the benefit of the University of Oklahoma, located in Norman, Oklahoma)
purchased the Monastery of St. Clare of the Order of Poor Clares
(Monastero Di S. Chiara Dell’Ordine Della Clarisse) in Arezzo, Italy.
The building will be leased from the foundation by the University.
Operation and renovation of the monastery will be by the University.[3]
The former Monastery, built in the 18th Century, will be used as a
permanent campus for the University, which currently has three other
campuses in the State of Oklahoma located in: the main campus in Norman, the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center in Oklahoma City, and the OU-Schusterman Center in Tulsa. Zach Messite, PhD,
Dean of the University’s College of International Studies, said that
the Arezzo Campus programs are designed to provide students with a
unique exposure to the local culture; “As a way to foster a relationship
between the campus and the city, students will be required to take a
class that gets them involved with the (local) community” [4]
References
- ^ http://press.catholica.va/news_services/bulletin/news/29102.php?index=29102&lang=en
- ^ "AREZZO". Servizio Meteorologico. Retrieved 13 October 2012.
- ^ "The University of Oklahoma Foundation Consolidated Financial Statement June 30, 2011 and 2010, Note 8". Retrieved 2012-04-24.
- ^ "Allen, Silas. University of Oklahoma renovates Tuscan monastery for use as overseas campus. Daily Oklahoman, April 22, 2012". Retrieved 2012-04-24.
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Today's Snippet II: Discalced Carmelites
The Discalced Carmelite order is now known by the initials "O.C.D." (The older branch of the order, Carmelites of the Ancient Observance, has the initials "O. Carm."). The secular branch of the order (the Secular Order of Discalced Carmelites, formerly known as the Third Order), has the initials "O.C.D.S."
The Discalced Carmelites are men and women, in religious consecration and lay people, who dedicate themselves to a life of prayer. The Carmelite nuns live in cloistered (enclosed) monasteries and follow a completely contemplative life. The Carmelite friars while following a contemplative life also engage in the promotion of spirituality through their retreat centres, parishes and churches. Lay people, known as the Secular Order, follow their contemplative call in their everyday activities. Devotion to Our Lady is a characteristic of Carmelites and is symbolised by wearing the Brown Scapular.[1]
Carmelites trace their roots and their name to Mount Carmel in the Holy Land. There, in the 13th century, a band of European men gathered together to live a simple life of prayer. Their first chapel was dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary. They called themselves the Brothers of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel.[2] The first Carmelites came as pilgrims to Mount Carmel to live a solitary life-style. These early hermits were mostly laity, who lived an unofficial religious life of poverty, penance and prayer. Between 1206 and 1214, St. Albert, Patriarch of Jerusalem, brought the hermits on Mount Carmel together, at their request, into community. He wrote them a formula for living, which expressed their own intention and reflected the spirit of the pilgrimage to the Holy Land and of the early community of Jerusalem. They were also inspired by the prophet Elijah who had been associated with Mount Carmel. That influence can be seen by the words of Elijah, "I have been very zealous for the Lord, God of armies" (IKg 19:10) on the Carmelite crest. Within fifty years of receiving their rule the Carmelite hermits were forced to leave Mount Carmel and settled in Europe.[3]
History
Teresa considered the surest way to prayer was to return to the Primitive Rule embodying Carmel's first ideals. A group of nuns assembled in her cell one September evening in 1560, taking their inspiration from the primitive tradition of Carmel and the discalced reform of St. Peter of Alcantara (a controversial movement within Spanish Franciscanism), proposed the foundation of a monastery of an eremitical type.
With little resources and often bitter opposition, she succeeded in 1562 in establishing a small monastery with the austere air of desert solitude within the heart of the city of Avila combining eremitical with community life. On August 24, 1562, the new monastery dedicated to St. Joseph was founded. Her rule, which retained a distinctively Marian character, contained exacting prescriptions for a life of continual prayer, safeguarded by strict enclosure and sustained by the asceticism of solitude, manual labor, perpetual abstinence, fasting, and fraternal charity. In addition to all this, Teresa envisioned an Order fully dedicated to poverty.[4]
Working in close collaboration with St Teresa was Saint John of the Cross, who with Anthony of Jesus, founded the first convent of Discalced Brethren in Duruelo in November 1568.[5]
The Carmelite Charism
 |
| The Carmelite Martyrs of Guadalajara, Spain. |
The heart of the Carmelite charism is prayer and contemplation. The quality of prayer determines the quality of the community life and the quality of the service which is offered to others. Prayer and contemplation for the Carmelite are not private matters between the individual and God but are to be shared with others since the charism is given for the whole world. Therefore there is an emphasis in the Order on the ministry of teaching prayer and giving spiritual direction.[6]
For a Carmelite, prayer is guided by the teachings and experience of St. Teresa of Ávila and St. John of the Cross, as well as the saints who have followed in their steps, such as St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus and of the Holy Face, Blessed Elizabeth of the Trinity, St. Teresa of the Andes, and martyrs like Edith Stein (St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross), Père Jacques and the sixteen Martyrs of Compiegne.
Fraternity, service and contemplation are essential values for all Carmelites. The hermits were forced to leave their home on Mount Carmel and settle in Europe. There they changed their style of life from hermits to friars. The major difference is that friars are called to serve the People of God in some active apostolate. Some congregations were founded for a specific work, but the Carmelite Order tries simply to respond to what it sees as the needs of the Church and the world which differ according to time and place, and so many friars work in parishes, schools, universities, retreat centres, prisons, hospitals, etc. The kind of service in which each individual friar is involved will depend on the perceived needs of the people in whose midst he lives and his own particular talents.[6]
Each day is marked by silence for prayer. In addition to the daily celebration of the full Liturgy of the Hours, two hours are set aside for uninterrupted silent prayer. Communities are kept fairly small. The friars practice a broadly-based discipline of study.
References
- ^ "Who are the Discalced Carmelites?"
- ^ Order of Discalced Carmelites
- ^ Hermits on Mount Carmel
- ^ Carmelite History -from the OCD General House in Rome
- ^ History -from the Discalced Carmelites of England, Scotland, and Wales
- ^ The Carmelite Charism -from the Irish Province
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Catechism of the Catholic Church
Part One: Profession of Faith, Sect 2 The Creeds, Ch 3:9:6
CHAPTER THREE
I BELIEVE IN THE HOLY SPIRIT
Article 9
"I BELIEVE IN THE HOLY CATHOLIC
CHURCH"
Paragraph 6. MARY - MOTHER OF CHRIST, MOTHER OF
THE CHURCH
963
Since the Virgin Mary's role in the mystery of Christ and the Spirit has been
treated, it is fitting now to consider her place in the mystery of the Church.
"The Virgin Mary . . . is acknowledged and honored as being truly the
Mother of God and of the redeemer.... She is 'clearly the mother of the members
of Christ' ... since she has by her charity joined in bringing about the birth
of believers in the Church, who are members of its head."LG 53; cf. St.
Augustine, De virg. 6: PL 40,399
"Mary, Mother of Christ, Mother of the Church."Paul VI, Discourse, November 21,1964
I. MARY'S
MOTHERHOOD WITH REGARD TO THE CHURCH
Wholly
united with her Son . . .
964
Mary's role in the Church is inseparable from her union with Christ and flows
directly from it. "This union of the mother with the Son in the work of
salvation is made manifest from the time of Christ's virginal conception up to
his death";LG 57 it is made manifest above all at the hour of his
Passion:
Thus the Blessed Virgin
advanced in her pilgrimage of faith, and faithfully persevered in her union
with her Son unto the cross. There she stood, in keeping with the divine plan,
enduring with her only begotten Son the intensity of his suffering, joining
herself with his sacrifice in her mother's heart, and lovingly consenting to
the immolation of this victim, born of her: to be given, by the same Christ
Jesus dying on the cross, as a mother to his disciple, with these words:
"Woman, behold your son."LG 58; cf. ⇒ Jn 19:26-27
965
After her Son's Ascension, Mary "aided the beginnings of the Church by her
prayers."LG 69 In her association with the apostles and several
women, "we also see Mary by her prayers imploring the gift of the Spirit,
who had already overshadowed her in the Annunciation."LG 69
. . . also
in her Assumption
966
"Finally the Immaculate Virgin, preserved free from all stain of original
sin, when the course of her earthly life was finished, was taken up body and
soul into heavenly glory, and exalted by the Lord as Queen over all things, so
that she might be the more fully conformed to her Son, the Lord of lords and
conqueror of sin and death."LG 59 The Assumption of the Blessed
Virgin is a singular participation in her Son's Resurrection and an
anticipation of the resurrection of other Christians:
In giving birth you kept your
virginity; in your Dormition you did not leave the world, O Mother of God, but
were joined to the source of Life. You conceived the living God and, by your
prayers, will deliver our souls from death.Byzantine Liturgy, Troparion, Feast of the Dormition, August
15th
. . . she
is our Mother in the order of grace
967
By her complete adherence to the Father's will, to his Son's redemptive work,
and to every prompting of the Holy Spirit, the Virgin Mary is the Church's
model of faith and charity. Thus she is a "preeminent and . . . wholly
unique member of the Church"; indeed, she is the "exemplary realization"
(typus)LG 53; 63 of the Church.
968
Her role in relation to the Church and to all humanity goes still further.
"In a wholly singular way she cooperated by her obedience, faith, hope,
and burning charity in the Savior's work of restoring supernatural life to
souls. For this reason she is a mother to us in the order of
grace."LG 61
969
"This motherhood of Mary in the order of grace continues uninterruptedly
from the consent which she loyally gave at the Annunciation and which she
sustained without wavering beneath the cross, until the eternal fulfilment of
all the elect. Taken up to heaven she did not lay aside this saving office but
by her manifold intercession continues to bring us the gifts of eternal
salvation .... Therefore the Blessed Virgin is invoked in the Church under the
titles of Advocate, Helper, Benefactress, and Mediatrix."LG 62
970
"Mary's function as mother of men in no way obscures or diminishes this
unique mediation of Christ, but rather shows its power. But the Blessed
Virgin's salutary influence on men . . . flows forth from the superabundance of
the merits of Christ, rests on his mediation, depends entirely on it, and draws
all its power from it."LG 60 "No creature could ever be counted
along with the Incarnate Word and Redeemer; but just as the priesthood of
Christ is shared in various ways both by his ministers and the faithful, and as
the one goodness of God is radiated in different ways among his creatures, so
also the unique mediation of the Redeemer does not exclude but rather gives
rise to a manifold cooperation which is but a sharing in this one
source."LG 62
II.
DEVOTION TO THE BLESSED VIRGIN
971
"All generations will call me blessed": "The Church's devotion
to the Blessed Virgin is intrinsic to Christian worship."Lk 1:48; Paul VI, MC 56 The
Church rightly honors "the Blessed Virgin with special devotion. From the
most ancient times the Blessed Virgin has been honored with the title of
'Mother of God,' to whose protection the faithful fly in all their dangers and
needs.... This very special devotion ... differs essentially from the adoration
which is given to the incarnate Word and equally to the Father and the Holy
Spirit, and greatly fosters this adoration."LG 66 The liturgical
feasts dedicated to the Mother of God and Marian prayer, such as the rosary, an
"epitome of the whole Gospel," express this devotion to the Virgin
Mary.Cf. Paul VI, MC 42; SC 103
III. MARY -
ESCHATOLOGICAL ICON OF THE CHURCH
972
After speaking of the Church, her origin, mission, and destiny, we can find no
better way to conclude than by looking to Mary. In her we contemplate what the
Church already is in her mystery on her own "pilgrimage of faith,"
and what she will be in the homeland at the end of her journey. There, "in
the glory of the Most Holy and Undivided Trinity," "in the communion
of all the saints,"LG 69 The Church is awaited by the one she
venerates as Mother of her Lord and as her own mother.
In the meantime the Mother of
Jesus, in the glory which she possesses in body and soul in heaven, is the
image and beginning of the Church as it is to be perfected in the world to
come. Likewise she shines forth on earth until the day of the Lord shall come,
a sign of certain hope and comfort to the pilgrim People of God.LG 68; Cf. ⇒ 2 Pet 3 10
IN BRIEF
973 By pronouncing her
"fiat" at the Annunciation and giving her consent to the Incarnation,
Mary was al ready collaborating with the whole work her Son was to accomplish.
She is mother wherever he is Savior and head of the Mystical Body.
974 The Most Blessed Virgin
Mary, when the course of her earthly life was completed, was taken up body and
soul into the glory of heaven, where she already shares in the glory of her
Son's Resurrection, anticipating the resurrection of all members of his Body.
975 "We believe that the
Holy Mother of God, the new Eve, Mother of the Church, continues in heaven to
exercise her maternal role on behalf of the members of Christ" (Paul VI,
CPG # 15).
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The Election of a Catholic Pontiff (Pope)
Code of Canon Law
SECTION I. THE SUPREME AUTHORITY OF THE CHURCH (Cann. 330 - 367)
CHAPTER III. THE IMPEDED SEE AND THE VACANT SEE
Art. 1. THE IMPEDED SEE
Can. 412 An
episcopal see is understood to be impeded if by reason of captivity,
banishment, exile, or incapacity a diocesan bishop is clearly prevented from
fulfilling his pastoral function in the diocese, so that he is not able to
communicate with those in his diocese even by letter.
Can. 413 §1. When
a see is impeded, the coadjutor bishop, if there is one, has governance of the
diocese unless the Holy See has provided otherwise. If there is none or he is
impeded, governance passes to an auxiliary bishop, the vicar general, an
episcopal vicar, or another priest, following the order of persons established
in the list which the diocesan bishop is to draw up as soon as possible after
taking possession of the diocese. The list, which must be communicated to the
metropolitan, is to be renewed at least every three years and preserved in
secret by the chancellor.
§2. If there is no coadjutor bishop or he is impeded
and the list mentioned in §1 is not available, it is for the college of
consultors to select a priest to govern the diocese.
§3. The one who has assumed the governance of a
diocese according to the norm of §§1 or 2 is to advise the Holy See as soon as
possible of the impeded see and the function he has assumed.
Can. 414 Whoever
has been called according to the norm of ⇒ can. 413 to
exercise the pastoral care of a diocese temporarily and only for the period in
which the see is impeded is bound by the obligations and possesses the power in
the exercise of the pastoral care of the diocese which a diocesan administrator
has by law.
Can. 415 If an
ecclesiastical penalty prevents a diocesan bishop from exercising his function,
the metropolitan or, if there is none or it concerns him, the suffragan senior
in promotion, is to have recourse immediately to the Holy See so that it will
make provision.
Art. 2. THE VACANT SEE
Can. 416 An
episcopal see is vacant upon the death of a diocesan bishop, resignation
accepted by the Roman Pontiff, transfer, or privation made known to the bishop.
Can. 417
Everything that a vicar general or episcopal vicar does has force until they
have received certain notice of the death of the diocesan bishop. Likewise,
everything that a diocesan bishop, a vicar general, or an episcopal vicar does
has force until they have received certain notice of the above-mentioned
pontifical acts.
Can. 418 §1. Upon
certain notice of transfer, a bishop must claim the diocese to which he has
been transferred (ad quam) and take canonical possession of it within
two months. On the day that he takes possession of the new diocese,
however, the diocese from which he has been transferred (a qua) is
vacant.
§2. Upon certain notice of transfer until the
canonical possession of the new diocese, a transferred bishop in the diocese
from which he has been transferred:
1/ obtains the power of a diocesan administrator and
is bound by the obligations of the same; all power of the vicar general and
episcopal vicar ceases, without prejudice to ⇒ can. 409,
§2;
2/ receives the entire remuneration proper to this
office.
Can. 419 When a
see is vacant and until the designation of a diocesan administrator, the
governance of a diocese devolves upon the auxiliary bishop or, if there are
several, upon the one who is senior in promotion. If there is no auxiliary
bishop, however, it devolves upon the college of consultors unless the Holy See
has provided otherwise. The one who so assumes governance of the diocese is to
convoke without delay the college competent to designate a diocesan
administrator.
Can. 420 When the
see is vacant in an apostolic vicariate or prefecture, the governance is
assumed by the pro-vicar or pro-prefect, appointed only for this purpose by the
vicar or prefect immediately after the vicar or prefect has taken possession of
the vicariate or prefecture, unless the Holy See has established otherwise.
Can. 421 §1. The
college of consultors must elect a diocesan administrator, namely the one who
is to govern the diocese temporarily, within eight days from receiving notice
of the vacancy of an episcopal see and without prejudice to the prescript of
⇒ can. 502, §3.
§2. If a diocesan administrator has not been elected
legitimately within the prescribed time for whatever cause, his designation
devolves upon the metropolitan, and if the metropolitan church itself is vacant
or both the metropolitan and the suffragan churches are vacant, it devolves
upon the suffragan bishop senior in promotion.
Can. 422 An
auxiliary bishop or, if there is none, the college of consultors is to inform
the Apostolic See of the death of a bishop as soon as possible. The one elected
as diocesan administrator is to do the same concerning his own election.
Can. 423 §1. One
diocesan administrator is to be designated; any contrary custom is reprobated.
Otherwise, the election is invalid.
§2. A diocesan administrator is not to be the
finance officer at the same time. Therefore, if the Finance officer of the
diocese has been elected as administrator, the Finance council is to elect a
temporary Finance officer.
Can. 424 A
diocesan administrator is to be elected according to the norm of
⇒ cann. 165-178.
Can. 425 §1. Only
a priest who has completed thirty-Five years of age and has not already been
elected, appointed, or presented for the same vacant see can be designated
validly to the function of diocesan administrator.
§2. A priest who is outstanding in doctrine and
prudence is to be elected as diocesan administrator.
§3. If the conditions previously mentioned in §1
have been neglected, the metropolitan or, if the metropolitan church itself is
vacant, the suffragan bishop senior in promotion, after he has ascertained the
truth of the matter, is to designate an administrator in his place. The acts of
the one who was elected contrary to the prescripts of §1, however, are null by
the law itself.
Can. 426 When a
see is vacant, the person who is to govern the diocese before the designation
of a diocesan administrator possesses the power which the law grants to a vicar
general.
Can. 427 §1. A
diocesan administrator is bound by the obligations and possesses the power of a
diocesan bishop, excluding those matters which are excepted by their nature or
by the law itself.
§2. When he has accepted election, the diocesan
administrator obtains power and no other confirmation is required, without
prejudice to the obligation mentioned in ⇒ can. 833, n.
4.
Can. 428 §1. When
a see is vacant, nothing is to be altered.
§2. Those who temporarily care for the governance of
the diocese are forbidden to do anything which can be prejudicial in some way
to the diocese or episcopal rights. They, and consequently all others, are
specifically prohibited, whether personally or through another, from removing
or destroying any documents of the diocesan curia or from changing anything in
them.
Can. 429 A
diocesan administrator is obliged to reside in the diocese and to apply Mass
for the people according to the norm of ⇒ can. 388.
Can. 430 §1. The
function of a diocesan administrator ceases when the new bishop has taken
possession of the diocese.
§2. The removal of a diocesan administrator is
reserved to the Holy See. If an administrator resigns, the resignation must be
presented in authentic form to the college competent to elect, but it does not
need acceptance.
If a diocesan administrator has been removed,
resigns, or dies, another diocesan administrator is to be elected according to
the norm of ⇒ can. 421.
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