THIS STORY, BELOW IS FOR COLLIN KELLEY.HINT:
"I say, cut the parlor tricks, Mary.."
See article from the AP, below.
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Faithful see Virgin Mary image in hospital window
Hundreds of people are being drawn to a Catholic hospital in Springfield by what they say looks like an image of the Virgin Mary in a window. Sister Kathleen Sullivan, senior vice president at Mercy Medical Center, said the image in a vacant, second-story office was first noticed Tuesday morning.
As many as 300 people, some weeping, gathered outside the building to take photographs, pray, and say the rosary.
Sullivan said while the cause of the image was not immediately clear, she was humbled by the show of faith. A spokesman for the Springfield Diocese said it could take the church years to investigate.
Deirdre Gogel, who came to see the image, called it comforting at a time of turmoil for the nation.
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Information from: The Springfield Republican, http://www.masslive.com/news/
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The quote I showcased in the title of this blog entry is from a poem by award-winning writer, Collin Kelley. He speaks of her many "sightings" with an unparalleled sense of cynicism, amd an odd hope, by the end of the poem, for a kind of redemption. Perhaps he'll post it here, or allow me to....
If you haven't seen that poem of his, you should.
In the by-the-way department, Collin Kelley will be LIVE at his blog(Twittering!) during tonight's Vice-Presidential Debate:
www.collinkelley.blogspot.com/
As I am a person of spiriuality who actually enjoys many of the rituals of Catholicism, I find these frequent "sightings" of the Virgin Mary pretty disturbing. I can't say whether they are real, or not, but I think it's much more important to look for Her presence, or "essence", if you will, in the goodness seen in everyday acts of kindness. The anonymous driver who offers gasoline to another in need; the child who decorates and writes letters for a soldier overseas; the elderly woman who visits abandoned infants at the hospital; the teenager who volunteers to groom, walk, or play with dogs at an animal rescue; the artist who volunteers time to her community--to teach, to enlighten.
I think real faith has very little to do with seeing holy images on everyday things, and much more to do with finding a holiness in everyday people.
Peace, kids.
8 comments:
The sighting of the Virgin Mary that unsettled me the most was the toasted cheese sandwich a few years back. It may be irreverent of me to do so, but I still laugh about that. I hadn't heard about this most recent sighting but I am certainly going to go and read more. Things like this really intrigue me!
Bill Maher(who I adore!), in the ads for his new movie, "Religulous, uses the image his own face on a slice of toast!
I believe that grilled-cheese you referenced, sold for thousands on e-bay.Really really odd, and funny!
I loved your list of things to do that seem to me much closer to God than viewing an image somewhere.
Interesting that you'd mention "Religulous" in your comments to Selma, as I had an email forwarded by my conservative cousin saying that Christians should boycott that movie (it's evil, of course) whereas they should race in throngs to see "An American Carol," that supposedly 'celebrates America as a country founded on the principles of faith.' I am looking foward to seeing what Oliver Stone does with his movie "W." :)
Hi Ldia--hmmmmm.Per your "conservative cousin" (gee, everyone seems to have at least one!LOL)if she/he is truly in their faith, Bill maher's "Religulous" certainly will not impact it. In fact, there is a loooong history of Cristians actually PARODYING themselves--because fancying oneself as particularly "pious" is a really negative thing...
Indeed, the old tradition of "Fat Tuesday" celebrated by Roman Catholics and other Christians before Ash Wednesday, and the begininng of Lent, often made fun of religious traditions, calling believer "fools", etc. It was/
still is a chance to blow off steam, before settling down to being persons of sacrifice before celebrating Christ's reurn via his Resurrection.
I think "An American Carol" probably is going to be funny, but I won't go, because I actually like Michael Moore,and prefer not to support this particular film--but I might see it eventually, on DirectTV.
I guess your cousin doesn't want to support Bill Maher, because she's offended.A shame, because he truly IS funny. And he's not saying there's NO God, just that he does not know for sure. He has said he'd never call himself an "atheist", because it's that sort of "certitude" that he dislikes in religion!
I think that's pretty honest--and fair.
OOOPS! Please excuse numerous spelling errors in my previous comment to you, Lydia......And thanks for saying you loved my list of things you said seemed "much closer to God..."
And a final note: I can't WAIT for "W"...I love Oliver Stone's guts. And brilliance.
Lisa,
That's interesting info about Fat Tuesday, something I didn't know. Oh, my cousin - I love her like Biden loves McCain, you understand - is my opposite in every way I can determine! I've never met her, and found her when I did a genealogy project in 2001, but she and I have been steadfast in emailing and really trying to not "go there" with politics and religion. Let's give her a big applause, however, for determining earlier this year that W. is the worst president we've ever had (her reasoning was based on his border tolerance and she didn't think he was giving the troops enough support to win the war - but she still came to the right conclusion!).
P.S. I left you a comment at my blog about posting the Tagore piece....absolutely, do it!
Hi Lydia--yes, there's a lot of craziness in the roots of "Fat Tuesday"--the biggest sins--gluttony, pride, lust, sloth, greed--these are "celebrated" during that day/night!(Of course, one is then supposed to be reverent for all of Lent, you understand!).LOL.
God Bless your cousin who agrees George W. is Worst. Prez. Ever.
I have a second-cuz who voted for W. and after Katrina, she stopped saying his name. She said "I can't talk about him, ever again."
I am sending her the book by Paul Begala,"Third Term: Why George W. Bush Hearts John McCain".
That's right--she's currently considering voting for McCain!
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