Archive for October, 2009

October is the Month of the Rosary

Saturday, October 31st, 2009

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There is nothing more powerful than prayer! Many of us say our prayers before we go to sleep. Some of us pray when we wake up and say Good Morning Lord, I am wishing for a good day today. I keep a cassette tape in my car of the Rosary for my trips from NYC to Washington, DC. I would like to share with all of you this great website called www.comepraytherosary.com. It is a great way to say your rosary at your computer while watching beautiful pictures if Jerusalem. You are also joined by others around the world in prayer. Pray for peace, pray for your loved ones and give God thanks and praise. When you focus on the Lord everything better, knowing he is there for you. I receive e-mails everyday from people from all over the world. My answer to most questions are are you tuned in? Are you praying several times a day? Long or short, everyday there is time for God. These are two of my favorite paintings by Bartolome Murillo (1599-1682) called  ”The Madonna of the Rosary” which hangs in the Prada Museum in Spain and “The Virgin Presenting the Rosary to St Dominic.”

Posted in My favorite prayers, The Blessed Virgin Mary | 1 Comment »

Happy Halloween

Friday, October 30th, 2009

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The word Halloween means All Hallows Day  or All Saints Day!  The night before is called All Hallow Eve and in pagan festivals like with the Celtic Priest or Druids in Ireland in 43AD they celebrated with rituals and offerings. Pope Gregory III designated this feast as a Christian feast on November 1st. It is also a Holy Day of obligation. In the 700’s Pope Boniface IV had Hallow Masses to honor the dead for 3 days. Today,  I love how our country has carried on fall traditions of pumpkins, squash and corn in landscape creations and also food recipes. In the south the Scots -Irish called their feast “The Harvest” and are blended with the Native American Culture. Halloween really arrived to this country in the 1840’s by the Irish and the Celtic Halloween Traditions. In Catholic schools in Ireland the children dress as Biblical characters instead of funny costumes and they write stories about there favorite Saints. Enjoy Halloween it is a great old Catholic American Holiday!

Posted in Christian Holidays | 8 Comments »

DAY OF THE DEAD A MEXICAN TRADITION

Thursday, October 29th, 2009

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Every October families in Mexico build altars outside to honor their loved ones who died in the last year as well as their ancestors who died long ago. They make a trip to the graveyards to decorate the graves of their loved ones with flowers, photographs of saints, candles, crosses, beads, fruits, sugary sweets made into skeletons and skulls. The Spanish who invaded Mexico in the 1500s were Christian.They believed in one God and the teaching of Jesus Christ. The Spanish then tried to convert the Native Mexicans. Two of the celebrations are All Saints day and All Soul’s day. These dates are November 1st and November 2nd. Todays Catholics remember their deceased love ones with dedicated Masses and also go to their graves to decorated with seasonal flowers, candles, american flags and write messages to love ones. This year my family placed small pumpkins with the names of new grand children’s in the family on my fathers grave.

Posted in Christian Holidays, New Artists, Religious Art | 4 Comments »

NMCAH BLOG

Wednesday, October 28th, 2009

Welcome to the NMCAH blog. Please tune in to read exciting news about religious art, museums exhibitions, new artists and Catholic faith.

Posted in Religious Art | 5 Comments »