infp | roman catholic | italian, english, some french | striving for purity
Annibale Carracci (1560-1609)
“Pietà” (1599-1600)
Oil on canvas
Baroque
Located in the Museo Nazionale di Capodimonte, Naples, Italy
(via imariamartina)
The people were filled with expectation,
and all were asking in their hearts
whether John might be the Christ.
John answered them all, saying,
“I am baptizing you with water,
but one mightier than I is coming.
I am not worthy to loosen the thongs of his sandals.
He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.”After all the people had been baptized
and Jesus also had been baptized and was praying,
heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended upon him
in bodily form like a dove.
And a voice came from heaven,
“You are my beloved Son;
with you I am well pleased.”Luke 3:15-16, 21-22
(via maplemachiato)
Duomo di Milano
L’Opera Familia Christi, Rome
(via damselofthefaith)
beautyofjesus ha chiesto: Why do we need Mary to mediate between Jesus and us? Isn't Jesus our mediator for the Father? Sorry for all the questions lately. I really appreciate your help! God bless.
Hello,
Mary does not mediate for us. Jesus is God and already knows what we need even before we pray for it, so He always has a direct line to us because of His omniscience (He knows all things). We cannot speak to the Blessed Virgin in a way that “Jesus can’t hear” and so she has to go and tell Him. Whatever we have to say, He actually knows about it even before we express our concern to the Virgin Mary.
The role of Mary is to show love and concern for us through her prayer on our behalf. To be Christian is to love. If we are not loving people as Christians, we are not living Christianity.
Being dead and enjoying heaven is not an excuse for a Christian to not care anymore and to ignore the needs of their friends who are still on earth. If I’m dead and in heaven, and you speak to me in your prayers, I cannot say, “Stop it. Leave me alone already. Don’t you know I’m dead? How do you expect me to enjoy being with Jesus in heaven if you are bothering me with your problems?”
That is not a Christian attitude for someone to have in heaven. In fact, even on earth, if you asked me to pray for you and I said, “Stop bothering me” it would not be a very loving and Christian thing to do.
And it would not make it better if I covered over my bad attitude with a platitude by saying, “Why do you ask me to pray for you? Don’t you know you can go directly to Jesus? Gee, it’s too bad you’re having all these problems, but guess what? Life is hard and by asking fellow Christians to pray for you, you are just upsetting them and making them worried, as if they don’t have their own problems!”
St. Paul could not have said it more clearly. “We are the Body of Christ.” One part cannot say to another part, “I do not need you.” And dying and going to heaven does not let you off the hook. You don’t get your name erased from the list of the prayer chain because you have died and gone to Jesus. You don’t get to have your name taken off the prayer partners list because you are now in heaven.
The intercession of the saints, including the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, is their duty as Christians. They have a duty to love, and do the loving thing. When people ask for your prayers, it is simply not loving and not Christian to say, “Leave me alone. Just go directly to Jesus.” In fact, it was Jesus who taught us to pray for each other and who taught us about being there for each other as Christians.
These so-called “Christian debates” about praying to Mary and saints are stupid, to be honest. It is fighting about the obvious. Dead people, for Christians, are really not dead. Those who precede us in faith are with Jesus. They are still part of the Body of Christ. Now to state a further obvious point, which should be a “no-brainer” for Christians–if you are with Jesus in heaven, that is simply no excuse to be excused from being concerned for those who are still on earth.
Christians pray for other Christians, because they love as Jesus loved. This is why we ask Mary and the other saints to pray for us. They are not insulting Jesus by praying for people on earth. They are doing precisely what Jesus wants them to do for their fellow brothers and sisters still fighting the fight of faith on earth.
God bless and take care, Fr. Angel
“Love and kindness are never wasted. They always make a difference.”— Barbara de Angelis
(via imariamartina)
(via imariamartina)
““Remember, my daughter, that he who loves Jesus truly speaks little and bears all. On behalf of Jesus I command you to not say your opinion if not asked for; to not insist on your preference, but to give in immediately. If you have committed some fault to accuse yourself right away, without waiting for someone to point that out. Guard your eyes and think that the mortified eye will see the beauty of Heaven.””— - Saint Gemma Galgani’s Guardian Angel to her
“ I wish, oh Jesus, that my voice could reach to the ends of the world, to call all sinners and tell them to enter into Thy Heart….Oh, if only all sinners would come to Thy Heart!… Come! Come sinners, do not be afraid! The sword of Justice cannot reach you Here! “
- St. Gemma Galgani
“Remember that I have created you for Heaven; you have nothing to do with the earth.”— Jesus to St Gemma Galgani
St. Therese & her Sisters
(via nonnisite)
Prayer for Daily Neglects
Eternal Father, I offer Thee the Sacred Heart of Jesus, with all its love, all its sufferings and all its merits.
First: To expiate all the sins I have committed this day and during all my life. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Second: To purify the good I have done poorly this day and during all my life. Glory Be, etc.
Third: To supply for the good I ought to have done, and that I have neglected this day and all my life. Glory Be, etc.
Some books note concerning this Prayer for Daily Neglects that a Poor Clare nun claimed to have gone directly to Heaven upon her death, skipping purgatory completely through this prayer! (Editors hasten to add that this prayer is not meant to replace confession, however!)
(via stgemmagalani)