Procedure For Need Analysis

Peonia significa 'veracidad'

family is a flower that has more than fifteen different species. A curious note in the language of flowers, the peony means 'truth'.

The peony is a perennial plant of an underground tuber that has thick roots fasciculate of succulent. One of the most noteworthy aspects of the flower stalk is impressive, reaching over one meter in length. The leaves that shelter the peony is subdivided into lacinia and are presented alternately. The fruit is a pod which contain a multitude of shiny black seeds.
As for the flower, it has five sepals and petals number varies between five and ten. Sometimes we find species with many more petals, ie more populated because of the appearance of double flowers.

Flowering occurs between the months from April to June and when grown this beautiful flower must be taken into account as usual multiplication and division is usually performed during the autumn season. The atmosphere more conducive to good growth is intermediate between the shadow and the sun. If we are in an area to the north, where temperatures are higher, will need to find more sunlight.
The terrain is more conducive to an excellent development is the clay and one that has some degree of moisture that stays fresh and good drainage. The soil should be watered at least twice during the week if we are in a very sunny area. So keep it from drying.

addition to the decoration and purely aesthetic use, the peony has long part time medical research. The heritage of Chinese medicine reached the West and many laboratories are experimenting with different qualities of this flower. Its properties include those of antitussive, sedative, anticonvulsant, gout, lax, laxative, emetic and antispasmodic.
was also used as a drug in ancient times, taking advantage from roots to seeds and, of course, the flower, its petals a frequent resulting in the preparation of infusions. Obviously, we should not regard the peony as a panacea in that their actions in the body have not been fully developed and is suspected of toxic elements that can lead vomiting, diarrhea and cramps even when the dosage is oral. However, there are natural preparations in gel form for topical level that can reduce varicose veins, heal wounds and relieve tired legs.

herbaceous Peonies disappear every winter and reappear in spring. They are easy to grow, very rustic and offer a unique bloom. The most common is lactiflora called "peony from China," exhibit a large number of varieties, each more attractive and different. The flowers are simple shapes, semi-double or double.

Peonies were associated for a long time, the Ranunculaceae family, but the genus Paeonia had many differences with the rest of this family and therefore in the fifties created a separate family, the Paeoniaceae. The phylogenetic classification places this family in the order of Saxifraga.

Source:

http://plantas.facilisimo.com/reportajes/flores/peonia-una-flor-asiatica_184167.html

and

http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paeoniaceae

Misti Spider Detski Koli4ki

Avispones 2

Hidden in the secluded "pits" of Las Villuercas standing still maintains a huge trunk of an old chestnut centennial, makes us imagine the dimensions of which should have been a huge tree. This natural monument, probably be spared the sharp saw for not being profitable its sturdy trunk hollowed out by the passage of time, and scorched by a wild fire in all likelihood, ended his strength. Fortunately the roots of his worn trunk sap have retained enough to give life to the seedlings grown from the strain, and are now mature trees.

Stuck on the trunk, at a height four meters, sheltered from sun and rain, appears hung a nest of hornets feared called "Scooter crabro." It is the largest "wasp" Europe, related to wasps that tripled in size and ferocity, if they are in danger. They are usually very peaceful and do not usually bite unless they are attacked, but I can assure that their sting is very painful. Can bite or sting with its sting is not clear from the body, which can sting multiple times. They often live in the mountains, unlike most assiduous vulgar wasps to urban centers.
hunt all kinds of insects, but also feed on tree sap, sucking its bark, such as oak, ash, alder or ripe fruit falls to the ground. You can also become attached to hunting bees, which captures around or inside the hive. Bees feel defenseless against these fierce enemies, which can lead to the depletion and weaken a hive in a short time. With its powerful jaws to tear their prey apart the head from the trunk, richer in protein, which is transported to the nest to feed their larvae. When the weather is adverse and can not go hunting, the larvae released drops of food that serve as food for the adult hornets. The larvae is a repository of live food and in this way, the Hornets do not need to be reservations supplies such as bees or bumblebees.
Source: Jesus Alvarez Alvarez ( jalvarezje@gmail.com )

Pvc Tablecloth Creases

Gamonita - "El alimento de los muertos"

The Asphodel Asphodel or branched (Asphodel ramosus) is a plant species perennial belonging to the family of asfodeláceas.
Its name derives from the Greek word ἀσφόδελος, "scepter" being the flower that is said, filled the plains of the Champs Elysees. Considered a favorite food of the dead , former often planted near the graves.
is a perennial plant native to central and southern Europe that grows in dry places on limestone, and now widespread throughout the world as an ornamental.
It grows to about 90 cm and has large white flowers with large petals brown travels along a nerve with many long leaves. Globe-shaped fruit.
Pliny, Dioscorides and Hippocrates mentioned as food, your bulbs were roasted in ashes. Both Greeks and Romans used to combat various diseases and the Persians drew up a strong adhesive with bulbs ground and mixed with water. Today its use is discouraged by the presence of asfodelina in roots. In meadows can be found in large numbers, and that cattle avoid it.
Active ingredients: Contains asfodelina, resin, daffodils, mucilage, sucrose.
Indications: detergent, vulnerario, antidermatosis, emollient, antitussive. Diuretic, emmenagogue. Not suitable for internal use for patients with nephritis and gastritis. Its use is almost always external, of erythema and a lightening of freckles.
Other uses: Can be obtained alcohol fermented from the tubers. It is used in cosmetics.
Names:
Castilian: abroita, afrodilla, asphodel, ball, rod, cebollana, Moorish onion, scallions, chives, scallions Mount, cockpit, gambonito, Gamito, Asphodel, Asphodel-lily gamonera, Gamones, Gamones Castilian Gamones males Gamones round gamonilla, gamonita, gamonito, gamonitos, soap, jamonita, labruétana, vara de San José, San José varices.

Source: Wikipedia

Brazilian Waxing Victoria Bc

¿Gigantes o Molinos?

Somewhere in La Mancha whose name I do not remember ...
"... because look there, friend Sancho Panza, where find thirty or more monstrous giants, with whom I do battle and take away all the lives ... "
"What giants? - Sancho Panza said. "
" Those you see there - said his master - the long arms, some have them nearly two leagues. "
" Look, your worship, "said Sancho," that those who are there seem not giants but windmills, and what seem to be their arms are the vanes that turned by the wind make the millstone go. "
....
know, Master Nicholas, "that this was the name of the barber that often befell my uncle could you be poring over these unholy books of misadventures for two days and nights, after which threw the book hands, and put up his sword and fall to slashing the walls, and when he was tired he said he had killed four giants like four towers, and the sweat that flowed from fatigue said it was blood from the wounds he had received in battle, [...]
(I, V, pp. 80-81)
D. Miguel de Cervantes, Don Quixote.

How To Stitch Indian Chudidar

Formaciones Apalachianas - Navatrasierra

Because Appalachian formations Navatrasierra municipality (Cáceres) has been honored as "Geologic Park."
The Villuercas is a geological gem, being a mountain apalachense type, forming parallel mountains and valleys between them, strangely, is the only chain of the peninsula that is North-South orientation.

starts with the input of sediments that were deposited over many millions of years at the bottom of the Paleozoic seas. These were folded by the Hercynian orogeny forces emerging in this way relieves unimaginable today large folded and aligned structures. Subsequently, the effects of erosion wore down the mountainous terrain to raze and turn almost on a plain, now remembered for the similar height of the crests of quartzite. In its final phase, these views underwent a process of "rejuvenation" due to rising movement that facilitated the engagement of the rivers.

The result This process is not only one of the best examples of relief called "Apalachian" or "Apalachense"-its name taken from the formations of the Appalachian MONTANS (Appalaches Mounts) Norteam northeast, apparently far less than the Villuercas apalachenses .

Press News:

http://www.madrimasd.org/informacionidi/noticias/noticia.asp?id=47106&origen=notiweb

Why Do I Feel My Gums Feel Swollen

Cantueso albino

was

May and pushed the sun, it was impossible not to stare, and of course the camera, something that my eyes refused to accept: "lavender White.

On the net I found this:

Albinism is one of the most common genetic disorders in humans and also between animal and plant kingdom. The question is how to represent and why. As in the animals, this phenomenon is characterized in plants by the absence of pigments. However, in plants, this absence is fatal because the pigment chlorophyll is missing, and without it an albino plant lacks the means to develop nutrient necessary for their survival and growth.

The occurrence of outbreaks albinos probably results from the combination of recessive genes seed from the parent plant. In contrast, sprouts roots develop from mutations in a single cell or group of cells, since the rest of the plant that grows from the stem is normal albino. Albino plants are characterized by stems and leaves of white or pink. If the albino plant emerges from the stem of a normal plant, there may be transient features in the junction between the two. Albino plant can he survive for long? Outbreaks albinos usually do not survive more than days or weeks, but the shoots that emerge in the roots can live for something more because they can absorb nutrients from the mother plant. Despite its short life, the occurrence of outbreaks is useful albinos for all those studying forest genetics. The genes that cause the appearance of albinism can be used as references when studying rhythms and patterns of seed dispersal from trees that bear these genes in particular.

Top Romantic Comedy/ecchi Manga

Avispones

was early April and the days were still fresh and a half rain. As he passed an old saw a rare dry oak lump hanging about two feet high, I stopped to photograph it and try to identify its origin, at first glance looked like an ostrich egg wrongly located by chance of fate. It was a hornet's nest, or swarm.

The cork was half rotten and cork bark was recessed. Investigators found that the crust had several holes that closely resembled the cavities that "woodpecker" made to open the fruits harvested. Scrutinizing these holes discovered some disturbing tenants. Appear to be a wasp, larger than the common, known as the "Hornets." Researching the net I found some curious information about these "bugs": "Seven hornet stings kill a horse, three to one adult and two child." This is nothing more than a saying, but that's the conventional wisdom ... You

expand more at:

http://www.hornissenschutz.de/spanish1.htm

and

http://montearribaabajo.blogspot.com/2009/11/avispones-vespa-crabro-en- candeleda.html

Translator Roman Tamil

EL ROSARIO IS MORE OF MARY TO JESUS?

Many evangelicals think that the Rosary is fully referred to Mary and that the central theme of the Rosary is Mary. I did a little calculation, simply because I read a book by evangelical author said that there is very little of Jesus in the Rosary.

understand it is a test a little "daring" to have the verses but I can assure you that this is the first time I did. Normally, the Rosary is very full for me, something similar to what I feel when I memorize a great song of praise.


So, at the risk of enhancing the "dreadful repetition factor" in the Rosary we only count with interest to see what their "rate of Jesus." There are two levels (or aspects), a meditative level and a level voice.


MEDITATING LEVEL
decade of the Rosary
Each focuses on a section of Scripture meditation. These are called "Mysteries." Of the 20 meditations (one for each decade or decade are 5 per day) 18 follow Jesus through the Bible and 19 refer to a specific passage in the Bible. Only 2 of the mysteries (the Assumption and Coronation of Mary) have no textual basis in the Bible and based on the tradition of the Church. That is,

Level Meditative is: • 90%
Jesus, Mary
• 10% (Assumption and Coronation) and 95%
• Bible


VOCAL LEVEL

The Rosary begins with the Apostles' Creed, accepted by Most Christian denominations, and has 15 verses all grounded in Scripture.

The Lord's Prayer is repeated before each decade and 1 again (after the Creed), total 6 times. It contains about 6 lines of text (Bible). So are 36 lines of text "dedicated to Jesus"
"Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit
As it was in the beginning, now and forever
,
for ever and ever. "
(She reads at the end of each decade +1 again), is said 6 times. There are 4 lines for a total of 24 lines

Oh my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fire

hell and lead all souls to heaven, especially
most need of Thy Mercy.
(She reads at the end of each decade after the Glory) "was says 5 times multiplied by 4 lines are 20 in total.

Hail Mary, full of grace the Lord is with thee, (Lc.1, 28)
Blessed art thou among women, (Lk 1 41-42nd; Lc. 1.48)
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. (Luke 1.42 b)
Mary Mother of God (Luke 1.43)
pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death (Luke 2.35, John 2.5)

Amen Hail Mary has 5 lines taken directly from Scripture. The third line is specifically about Jesus. The Hail Mary is repeated 53 times. Here is the calculation:
Creed • 15 + 36 lines lines lines Padrenuesto Gloria + 24 + 20 lines of "Oh my Jesus" + 53 x 1 line of Jesus in the Ave Maria = 148 lines "Jesus"
• Hail Mary 53 x 4 lines = 212 lines "Mary" (106 verbatim extract from the Scriptures. The 212 based on Scripture as you see above)
• 36 Father + 106 text of the Ave Maria = 142 lines of Scripture text
Creed • 15 + 36 Our Father Hail Mary + 212 = 263 lines directly grounded in Scripture
After we prayed the Rosary: \u200b\u200b148 lines "of Jesus" + 212 lines "Mary" (106 text of Scripture) = 360 total

The vocal range of the Rosary and then forms: 212/360 = 0.59
• As 59% of the vocal range of the Rosary is an order of intercession to Mary. It is that 50% text of the Bible (106/212 = 0.5)
• 148/360 = 0.41 So 41% of the level member of the Rosary are direct prayers to Jesus. Of which 24% are verbatim from the Bible (36/148 = 0.24)
• 142/360 = 0.39. So that it contains 39% of sentences taken verbatim from the scriptures
• 263/360 = 0.73. So that it contains 73% of prayers based directly on Scripture

In conclusion, regarding the level member of the Rosary we can say that
DEL ROSARIO VOCAL LEVEL CONFORMS TO
• 41% of prayers to Jesus and
• 59% honor and asking the intercession of Mary. (39% of these sentences taken verbatim of the Bible. )


COMBINING BOTH "LEVELS" OF ROSARIO

combining So we have: Meditative Prayer
0.9 (18/20) + 0.41 Vocal Prayer (148/360) = 1.31 for Jesus
0.1 Meditative Prayer (2 / 20) + 0.59 Vocal Prayer (212/360) = 0.69 for Mary
Total prayer (360 lines Meditations vocal prayer + 20) contains both: 1.31 + 0.69 Jesus Maria = 2
What leads to: 1.31 / 2 = 0.65 (percentage: 65%) .69 / 2 = 0.35 (Percentage: 35%)

Hence: Rosario
65% goes to Jesus and 35% to honor and submit orders intecesión Mary.


AND ON ITS RELATION TO THE SCRIPTURES
Meditative Prayer
0.95 (19/20) is verbatim extract from the Bible Prayer Recited
0.39 (142/360) is a paraphrase of Scripture Prayer Recited
0.73 ( 263/360) is directly grounded in Scripture (including text excerpts and foundations)

assigning equal importance to both aspects can assign: 1.0 + 1.0 Meditative Prayer Prayer Recited = 2 (because both constitute in itself a whole) of 0.95
Meditative Prayer + 0.39 of Prayer Recited = 1.34 of the total Rosario es texto de la Escritura. 1.34/2 = 0.67. En porcentaje: 67%
0.95 de la Oración Meditativa + 0.73 de la Oración Recitada = 1.68 parte del total del Rosario fundamentado en la Escritura 1.68 / 2 = 0.84. En porcentaje: 84%

En conclusión:

El Rosario se conforma en un 67% de la Escritura, valor que se eleva al 84% cuando incluimos las oraciones con fundamentos bíblicos directos aunque no se hayan copiado textualmente!.

Fuente: PuenteCatolico.com



IR ARRIBA

Indian Women Boobs Penny Only

El Rosario is a summary of the New Testament, which synthesizes an extraordinary way the highlights of the history of our redemption. It is therefore necessary to read it in deep meditation on each of his mysteries, while he spoke the prayers and heart felt increasingly the love of God. Through this prayer

remember the pain, joy and glory of the life of Jesus and Mary, from the very conception of our Lord, through all his passion and death on Calvary, and culminating (after the Ascension Risen Christ and the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin into Heaven) in the distinction of Mary Queen of Creation.


To achieve its true meaning and effect, the recitation of the Rosary should lead us to contemplate the life of Jesus and Mary, to think deeply about God's love to men, on the absolute and unconditional surrender Our Lady of the Divine Will, as an example for all human beings; to draw, in short, all the Gospel teaching that this sentence has to convey as being a synthesis of the most significant experiences of Jesus and His Mother in the mysterious process of redemption. Otherwise, repetition is, as I said at the beginning of this note, a simple mechanical act of false piety.


THE BIBLE GIVES THREE REASONS TO PRAY THE ROSARY

1. Because God the Father sent the Angel Gabriel greeted as the Mother of his Son: "Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you." Read: Luke 1: 28. If the servants of God in heaven should bow and Mary, are the servants of God on earth not to do the same?

2. Because the Holy Spirit inspired praise and Mary and Jesus: "Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and cried with a loud voice: 'Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb." Read: Luke 1.48. If you the Spirit does not inspire you to praise and to Mary, what spirit is that? Read: 1 John 4.1.

3. Because Jesus advises us to pray continually. Read: Luke 18.1.
is true that this mandate is met with any sentence, but the Rosary facilitates compliance.

... Therefore, one who prays the Rosary obey the mandate of the Father, Son and the recommendation of the inspiration of the Holy Spirit ....


SUMMARY OF THE PSALMS: idle talk?

Psalms of the Bible is 150, so the rosary consists of 150 Hail Marys. The Rosary is the chant of the laity busy people, the poor and the rich, the wise and the ignorant who want to comply with the mandate to praise God at all times with psalms and spiritual songs. Read: Colossians 3: 16.

Pray the Rosary is not just obey what the Bible commands, but pray as the Bible teaches

Jesus said, "When you pray, charláis not much like the Gentiles, for they think that their talk will be heard" . Read Matthew 6.7.

But is idle talk on "Our Father" we pray before each decade? Is it foolish talking to "Glory to the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit? Does is idle talk incessantly repeating the Hail Mary: "Blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus?"


A GOSPEL MEDITATION

The Gospel is the story of the life and work of Jesus Christ. The Rosary is contemplation of those mysteries. "This is precisely why the mysteries of the Rosary are compared to the windows through which you can direct gaze and dip into the 'world of God." Message of John Paul II (25-IV-87.) The Rosary helps us to see Jesus through the eyes of Mary and keep his teachings in our heart.

The Rosary is of clearly Gospel. It's Gospel where the Rosary draws the statement of the mysteries and its main formulas. It is in the Gospel is inspired to suggest, motivated by the joyful greeting of the angel and the Virgin pious assent, the attitude with which the faithful should recite, making the gospel, and while harmoniously happen Hail Marys, presents a mystery fundamental-the Incarnation of the Word, contemplated at the decisive moment of the announcement to Mary. The Rosary is thus a Gospel prayer ... The Rosary is a meditation order of events in Christ's saving work. Its division into three parts (birth, passion and resurrection) reflects the primitive ad faith, and the mystery of Christ, humiliation, death and exaltation. Read: Philippians 2.6 to 11 and "Marialis Cultus" 44-45.

The Rosary is not to say nonsense words, but a meditation on the mysteries of Our Lord. Source

catolicoshispanos.com and others.


TOP

How Much Does A Lump Removal Cost For A Dog

BIBLE ROSARY PRAYER IS MARY THROUGH THE CENTURIES

For Pope John Paul II

1. Over the centuries the cult of Mary has been a continuous development. In addition to the traditional liturgical feasts dedicated to the Mother of God, have flourished countless expressions of piety, often approved and encouraged by the Magisterium of the Church. Many
Marian devotions and prayers are an extension of the liturgy and have sometimes contributed to enrich it, as in the case of the Office in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary and other compositions that have become part of the Breviary.


Marian
The first call is known dates back to the third century and begins with the words: "Under your protection (Sub tuum praesidium) welcome us, holy Mother of God ...". But prayer to the Virgin most common among Christians since the fourteenth century is the "Ave Maria." Repeating

first words the angel spoke to Mary, it introduces the faithful to contemplate the mystery of the Incarnation. The Latin word "bird", which corresponds to xare Greek word is an invitation to joy and could be translated as "Rejoice." Eastern Anthem "Akathistos' repeated insistence that" rejoice. " In the Hail Mary the Virgin call "full of grace" and thus recognize the perfection and beauty of your soul.

The expression "The Lord is with you" reveals the special relationship between God and Mary, who is in the grand design of God's covenant with all humanity. Moreover, the expression "Blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus", says the realization of the divine in the virginal body of the Daughter of Zion.

By invoking "Holy Mary, Mother of God," Christians pray to that which by a singular privilege is immaculate Mother of the Lord: "Pray for us sinners," and are entrusted to it now and in the final hour of death.


2. Also the traditional Angelus prayer invites us to reflect the mystery of the Incarnation, urging Christians to take Mary as a reference point at the various stages of his journey to imitate in their willingness to perform the divine plan of salvation. This prayer makes us relive the great event in the history of humanity, the Incarnation, to which reference and each "Hail Mary." Here is the value and attractiveness of the Angelus, which have so often shown not only theologians and pastors, but also poets and painters.

In the Marian devotion has acquired an important position the rosary, that through the repetition of "Ave Maria" has to contemplate the mysteries of faith. Also this simple prayer, which feeds the love of Christians to the Mother of God, focuses more clearly the Marian prayer to an end: the glorification of Christ.

Pope Paul VI, like its predecessors, especially Leo XIII, Pius XII and John XXIII, took into serious consideration the Rosary and recommended its distribution in families. Furthermore, in the Apostolic Exhortation Marialis cultus, illustrated his doctrine, noting that it is a "prayer evangelical centered on the mystery of the redemptive Incarnation," and reaffirming its "clearly Christological orientation" (n. 46).

often popular devotion to the rosary, litanies joins, among which the best known are those who pray at the shrine of Loreto and so called "Loreto".

With very simple invocations, helps you focus on the person of Mary to capture the spiritual wealth that the Father's love has been poured into it.


3. As the liturgy and Christian piety show, the Church has always highly regarded the worship of Mary, considering inextricably linked to faith in Christ. In fact, finds its basis in the plan of the Father, the will of the Savior and inspiring action of the Paraclete.

Lady, having received Christ's salvation and grace, is expected to play an important role in the redemption of mankind. With Marian devotion Christians recognize the value of Mary's presence on the road to salvation, coming to her for all kinds of graces. Above all, they know they can have your maternal intercession of the Lord to receive everything they need for the development of divine life and to attain eternal salvation.

As evidenced by the many titles attributed to the Virgin and the continuous pilgrimages to Marian shrines, the confidence of the faithful in the Mother of Jesus impels them to rely on their daily needs.
are sure that your mother's heart can not remain indifferent to the material and spiritual poverty of their children.

Thus, devotion to the Mother of God, encouraging confidence and spontaneity, helping to instill calm in the spiritual life and make progress to the faithful on the demanding path of the beatitudes.


4. Finally, we recall that the devotion to Mary, giving relief to the human dimension of the Incarnation, helps discover better the face of a God who shares the joys and sufferings of humanity, "God with us," she conceived as a man in his pure heart, father, attended and followed with ineffable love since the days of Nazareth and Bethlehem to the cross and resurrection.

Of Pope John Paul II



TOP

How Much Are Revo Hot Air Brushes

the end my Immaculate Heart will triumph

When we simultaneously win talk about battle. Success means winning a battle.

The Blessed Virgin at Fatima tells of a battle being waged at this time including the widespread loss of faith, loss of many souls, war, destruction, but after all the worst war is the loss of faith, as the Lord says: "Do not fear those who kill the body, but to those who kill the soul."

The worst death is the soul who loses faith, is far from God, their love and their mandates, sinks into a life of sin, at the risk of eternal damnation, or eternal death.





Lady Blessed in this great battle we wage today, the battle to the Holy Father John Paul II called the culture of death, which not only includes the destruction of human life, but also the destruction of the soul, gives us his Heart as a safe haven, but at the same time, indicates that in these times in particular, God wanted that victory is gained by Ella: "tell the world that are great graces through the Immaculate Heart of Mary "and" God has entrusted to the Immaculate Heart, peace and the conversion of the world. " (Jacinta). When Lucia asked Jesus, for the conversion of Russia will depend on the consecration of this to the Immaculate Heart the Lord answered: "Because I want you to clearly understand that success is the Immaculate Heart of Mary and thus spread the cult and devotion to the Immaculate Heart beside the devotion to My Sacred Heart. "


Why Our Lady battle against evil?

Since the beginning of Scripture (Genesis 3) to the end (Revelation 12), is revealed to the Blessed Virgin in enmity and battle against Satan, his minions and his works. Genesis

3.15 - "I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed: he shall bruise your head, you bruise his heel." Revelation 12: "A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head .... Then another sign appeared: a red dragon ..... wants to devour her child when born .... And the woman fled into the desert ... The dragon persecuted the woman, but she gave the woman the two wings of great eagle to fly to the desert .... So enraged against women, went to make war on the rest of their children, which keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus. "

The Blessed Virgin plays an important role in the spiritual battle since the revolt of Lucifer. When God created Lucifer (the morning star, bringer of light) created a magnificent creature who shared his freedom and power. When Lucifer and his angels rebelled with a cry "I will not serve" was precisely because the announcement of the future event of the Incarnation: God became man born of woman would make the power of the Holy Spirit. God revealed his plan to save man from sin. Angels would have to serve the God made man, his mother and all the redeemed. This is considered a humiliation and rebelled and his followers were expelled from heaven. Satan became from that moment bearer of darkness, rebellion, lies, pride and arrogance. Enmity with God forever, fallen out with the woman who would bring the world to God made man and inimical to all followers of Christ who she is spiritual Mother.

"In the plan of salvation, the mystery of the Incarnation constitutes the superabundant fulfillment of the promise made by God to man after the original sin after sin that weigh the effects on the entire history of man on earth. Son comes into the world, the "seed of the woman" who will defeat the evil of sin from its very root. The victory of the Son of women will not happen without a tough fight, which penetrate all of human history. "Enmity" announced in the beginning is confirmed in Revelation, book of the last of the Church and the world. Mary, is located in the center of that "enmity" of that struggle which accompanies the history of mankind on earth and the very history of salvation ... In this history Mary remains a sign of future hope "(SS Juan Pablo ie, am # 11).

The Blessed Virgin is God's answer to Lucifer. She is the new morning star that brings us true light, the bringer of salvation, of the Incarnate Word, the Ark of the Covenant. The large sign appeared in heaven clothed with the sun, covered with the light of Christ. With the moon under her feet (moon symbolizes the time under your feet).

She has authority, exercises control over time, is its patron. She even lived at the time, is superior to the vicissitudes of time and is not conditioned by, or has the God-given power to crush the battles that occur at specific times). Crowned: participant in the real power of His Son (She is the queen of heaven and earth). With twelve stars symbolizes the triumph of the Church in Mary.

Mary's response: "Behold the Lord's servant "perfect answer to the cry of Lucifer:" I will not serve. "

The response of Mary to Elizabeth (praise, humility, service and mercy) in direct opposition to Satan, who seeks his own glory, their autonomy. That is proud, egotistical and full of hatred and accusation.

For perfect cooperation of Mary in God's saving plan from the Annunciation to the Cross, she with her "fiat" part of that "crush the head of Satan." And descendants of Mary, Christ and the heel are the spiritual children of Mary, crush the serpent's head, that is, the root of sin: pride.

The aftermath of the battle is sin. Mary has power over the devil and ends its destructive work, the Immaculate She had been established under the future redemption of his Son. She being Immaculate, never had original sin and personal, that is, Satan has never had power over her or his mind or heart, or actions. It is for this reason that our mother called us urgently to true conversion, the renunciation of sin, indifference, unbelief and rebellion that is in man today .... She always fight as a good mother in this decisive moment for humanity, at which time you play the eternal salvation of so many souls, including ours.

Are not all the apparitions of the Virgin Mother of Our direct interventions at a time to prevent and protect the Church and humanity from the dangers that the lack of conversion can lead to tragic consequences? Are not the apparitions of the Virgin, interference with the work and snares of the devil, and renew the faith and prayer? She always stands as a good mother in the defense of their children, between the devil and men, to counteract the effects of dark and sinful, evil action.

If the history of the Church, have been evident these interventions and interferences of the Blessed Virgin to protect their children, struggling and triumphing against the devil, in recent centuries, we have been seeing intervene as never before. This is understandable in light of what St. Louis de Montfort said: As time passes the battle will intensify.

San Luis María Grignon de Montfort: "God has made an irreconcilable enmity will last and grow until the end of the world is between Mary, His Blessed Mother and the devil among the children and servants of the Virgin Mary, and children and Lucifer's subjects, so that the most terrible of the enemies of Satan that God has raised is Mary, His Blessed Mother, to which he gave, from the very paradise on earth, but was not yet over the idea that both loathing the enemy of God, so much art to discover the malice of the ancient serpent, so hard to win, bring down and crush this proud monster that he fears more than all the angels and all men , and in a sense more than God himself


The most terrible enemy that has caused God against Satan is Mary. And why?

1-For Satan, who is so proud, suffers infinitely more to be conquered and punished by a simple and humble servant of God and the Virgin's humility humiliates him more than divine power.

2-For God has given to Mary great power against demons. (We see him in exorcism, Marian works). This power is her immaculate conception and that the devil could never involve them in the kingdom of darkness through sin.

3-What Lucifer lost by pride Mary won it with his humility. What Eve lost by disobedience, Mary won obedience. Eva obeying the serpent, became the cause of perdition for himself and all his children, Mary to remain faithful to God, he became the source of salvation for herself and her children and servants all holy. Mary

always find malice the infernal infernal serpent and his plots, his diabolical vanish and deliver advice to his faithful servants, to the end of time, their cruel claws. The power of Mary over all devils shine particularly in recent times when Satan will lie in wait for his heel, ie, the humble slaves and poor children that Mary will raise to make war to hell. " (Treatise on True Devotion # 52 and 53)


Is it necessary to the triumph of the Immaculate Heart?

Satan is the prince of this world, being a mighty angel, has had power on societies, nations and events. That power was broken by the death and resurrection of our Lord and that salvation is available to us, the Church. We have victory in Christ, but the battle for hosting and enjoy this victory continues in every generation until the end of time. It is precisely in this battle of humanity today, children of God and the Church, against Satan and his minions, that the Blessed Virgin comes to our aid as captain of the great battles of God to help us achieve victory that your heart is full and real.

Apparition at Fatima July 13, 1917: "You saw hell where the souls of poor sinners to save them, God wishes to establish in the world devotion to my Immaculate Heart. If what I'm going to say, it will save many souls and peace ..... there will be wars, famine and persecutions of the Church and the Holy Father. To prevent this I come to ask for the Consecration of Russia to my Immaculate Heart and the Communion of Reparation on the First Saturdays. If my desires are met, Russia will be converted and there will be peace, if not, she will spread her errors throughout the world, causing wars and persecutions against the Church. The good will be martyred, the Holy Father will have much to suffer, various nations will be annihilated ..... Suddenly, the horizon looks bleak .... and then comes a bright ray of light and hope: "In the end, My Immaculate Heart will triumph. "

In this message of Fatima, Our Lady wanted to raise awareness that we are in a battle involving nations, societies and kingdoms, and each individual which they reside. "We can not deny the existence of forces in society to act with hostility towards the Church. All these things show the subtle work of the prince of this world and the mystery of iniquity even today. " (Synod of Bishops, 1985 - Final Approval for # 14)

The key to the strategy of Satan in our time Atheism has been the corruption of faith and humanity's total secularization. Gradually, Russia, as announced by the Virgin at Fatima, has spread its errors, not only politically, but more importantly, spreading a spiritual level, his atheism, materialism and secularism, humanism, reducing man to mere belief in the visible world, and want to put it under his control without God. Also, the Church, faith and the Scriptures have come under direct attack from a "religion made the world" (do not talk about techniques, but of the doctrine) or "of religious imposture," "false concepts of religion" "false concepts of Church. " "Too often deceived by the Evil men are vain in their reasonings and have exchanged the truth of God for a lie, serving the creature rather than the Creator" (Lumen Gentium # 16)

clearly we deduce that the larger battle of the times that encloses all being waged today is: CRISIS OF FAITH. We have a crisis of faith because they do not believe in God or in His Word, a lack of obedience to God who has revealed himself and also revealed the truth. Lack of faith, which translates into a life whose end is ground, not celestial, and also deny the supernatural values. In the Apostolic Letter of His Holiness Juan Pablo II, Tertio Millennio Adveniente, leemos: “De hecho, no se puede negar que la vida espiritual atraviesa en muchos cristianos un momento de incertidumbre que afecta no solo la vida moral, sino incluso a la oración y a la misma rectitud teologal de la fe. Esta, ya probada por el careo con nuestro tiempo, está a veces desorientada por posturas teológicas erróneas, que se difunden también a causa de la crisís de obediencia al Magisterio de la Iglesia”.(# 36)

El Santo Padre nos está diciendo que nuestra fe está siendo probada en estos tiempos porque el error ha entrado en todas las áreas de nuestra vida: espiritual, moral y doctrinal. Debido a esta crisís de fe, have darkened the minds and consciences are disoriented and confused. Sin is no longer called by name, and that is why we see so much chaos, intellectual pride, rebellion, seeking the truth outside of God and defining the truth according to personal interpretation of each and circumstances. There is also a fascination with the occult and the New Age movement. And all this confusion we can observe, sometimes even in religious circles.

is why it is necessary to the triumph of her Immaculate Heart, because when the Church as a battle of our time, Mother comes to the rescue, to help us and take us to the desert (Revelation 12: hide in your heart, nourishing your faith strong, their willingness to the Word, obedience to God's revelation. Formándonos with her maternal mediation, with his teachings and directions and advice. And care of malignant defending in this war for our souls, keeping closely guarded in his heart where the devil can not enter, nor steal. "Fear not, my Immaculate Heart will be your shelter and your sure path to God" (The Virgin Lucia)

is evident that in these times, and I would say that urgently need a powerful Virgin victory over evil: the triumph of the Immaculate Heart, the triumph of grace over sin, of light over darkness, truth over error, of holiness on corruption, peace over war and violence. "We need the triumph of the Immaculate Heart of Mary to save mankind, showing Jesus the blessed fruit of your womb" (SSJuan Paul II, Angelus, July 8, 1984).

quoted Pope John Paul II to Cardinal Hlond August, that dying he said "the victory if it will come through Mary." As I walked into the problems of the universal Church, to be elected pope, wearing on me a similar conviction: that even in this universal, victory, if it comes, will be brought by Mary. Christ will conquer through her because He wants the victories of the Church in the contemporary world and in the future world be linked to her "(Crossing the Threshold of Hope, page 236)

The triumph of the Immaculate Heart is also the triumph of the Church. "Will the new springtime of the Church that the Holy Father spoke in Tertio Millennium Adveniente" resurgence of faith, will shine the Church, Christ's Heart will triumph. "


What is this win?

The spiritual conquest of the world. In other words, our hearts go back to her Son, who belong to Him again, and her Immaculate Heart is the surest way, and perfect for getting to the heart of Christ. She, like our mother, wants to do everything possible to return to the path of His Son, for taking us to Him, reveal the only Savior and Lord. She wants to show us the way we've lost: love, faith, conversion, life of the sacraments, moral values, family values, obedience and fidelity to God and His commandments.

"The Immaculate must conquer the world and every individual, so to return to God. That is why we must recognize it for what it is and submit to her and her reign, which is all love and tenderness "(St. Maximilian Kolbe)

We must always think about the triumph of the Blessed Virgin in terms of destruction sin, their structures and the consequences of sin. is precisely the triumph of the Immaculate Heart, because the battle being waged in the hearts of men who have hardened, have turned away from God and have given way to darkness and sin, the world, the flesh and the demon. She, in whose heart is fully live the victory of Christ Redeemer, we want people to share in that victory, saying to each one of us and all nations, the triumph of His Heart, the triumph of grace over sin, of love over egoism, of peace over violence, faith renewed by the Holy Spirit on atheism, the loving devotion of indifference and coldness, the revelation of truth over falsehood, heresy and false religion.


How will this win? What are the media?

"The words of Fatima, with the end of the century, seem close to completion" (JPII).

This win is making its way through various acts significant and take place in the story through our response to the work of our Mother in these times, our faithful obedience to his requests and directions. In addition, it will be the sacrifice of the apostles of modern times (the children of Mary, lovers and worshipers of the Eucharist, the faithful to the Pope), following in the footsteps of the Twelve after Pentecost, with the same spirit delivers up to martyrdom for the faith of blood if that were the plan of God's mercy, or at least moral, will stand firm in his testimony of prayer, penance, love, peace, fidelity to the truth in the difficult time present.


¿Cuando y de qué manera?

Quizás esto pertenece a la tercera parte del secreto, que a su tiempo se patentizará mejor. No sabemos exactamente el como ni el cuando, pero sabemos los medios que la Santísima Virgen nos esta dando para que promovamos y aceleremos este triunfo. En el mismo mensaje de Julio 13, Ella nos lo dice: “para impedirla (batalla espiritual y crisís de fe) vendré a pedir la Consagración de Rusia a mi Inmaculado CORAZÓN y la comunión reparadora de los primeros sábados. Si se atienden mis deseos, Rusia se convertirá y habrá una era de paz”

1- Consagración and Repair.

Consecration is surrender, trusting the Heart of Our Mother. Let us form, shape, guide and teach through her. Is to fill their interior layouts and share their thanks. She is kept inside to be protected in this hard struggle we are waging against the forces of evil.

are belong to Our Blessed Mother, is to be claimed as a thing and his possession, which weakens the power of Satan over us who want to lose, away from God and condemn.

know that the souls who indulge completely and unreservedly She came to understand much better who is the Lord Jesus and mysteries of God. Mother of God can not lead anywhere except to our Lord, His Church and His Teaching. The apostles of our times, are formed in the Immaculate Heart, as well as after the resurrection, during this persecution, the apostles were with Mary.

She put on the service: "We want to be perfect instruments of the Immaculate and totally guided by her, in perfect obedience" (St. Maximilian Kolbe)
is important more than ever, make it known and make a lot of love and be devoted to her. "Jesus wants to use you to let me know and love me" (The Blessed Virgin Lucia)

Consecration is not just a prayer or an act of devotion, a commitment, a lifestyle of obedience, humility, unconditional service, openness to others, ability to silence, purification, etc.

Any act of consecration, draws and updates the triumph of the Immaculate Heart. The act of consecration of the world as Pope John Paul II, is directed to the ultimate triumph of the Immaculate Heart predicted at Fatima. Because when we give ourselves accept it as Mother, Teacher and Queen, and invite you to bring all its spiritual mission in us. We could conclude that the triumph of the Immaculate Heart has been slowly weaving a series of crucial events in the life of the Church of this century, apparitions, Marian movements, consecrations, John Paul II and the Consecration of 1984, the fall of Marxist political structures that impeded freedom of faith and religion, the Marian Year, the beatification of the children of Fatima, the renewal of consecration of the world and the Church in October 2000.

So sometimes extraordinary, but often in more subtle ways, we are seeing clear and direct intervention of Our Lady renewed faith chilled and confused, calling us to a life of prayer, penance, love and adoration of the Eucharist, Repair, sacraments, praying the Rosary and fidelity to the faith of the Church.

Along with the consecration, reparation. On December 10, 1925, appeared to Sister Lucia, the Virgin Mary with baby Jesus. He told the boy: "Have mercy Heart of your Most Holy Mother, covered with thorns with which ungrateful men pierce it unceasingly, with no one to do an act of reparation to pull them."

Immediately the Blessed Virgin said: "Look my dear, my heart encircled by thorns which ungrateful men constantly stick their blasphemies and ingratitude. You at least try to console me. "

Elements Communion of Reparation on the First Saturdays:
1 - Recitation of Holy Rosary thought (get into the mysteries of our Redemption)

2-Sacrament of Reconciliation and soul (conversion strategy and repentance)

3- Receive Communion in reparation for our sins and the sins of the world and the offenses to her Immaculate Heart.

4-Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament (being in the presence of Christ to worship, love, believe, for those who do not love, love, and believe). Repair attracts mercy.


2. El Santo Rosario

In each of the Fatima apparitions, She asked "pray the rosary," Why? Powerful weapon against the crisis of faith. "It's the faith contained in a hand." All the major mysteries of our salvation and redemption are contained in the mysteries of the rosary (deepen the faith in a spirit of prayer). Great Battles

have expired with the Rosary: \u200b\u200bSanto Domingo, Lepanto (October 7, 1571), Brazil (1964) Pope Pius IX: "Give me an army of people praying the rosary and conquer the world. "

After each decade we have been asked to recite: "O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, lead all souls to heaven, especially those most in need of your mercy."

Large battles of God in his people, has delivered the Virgin Mary, coming to our aid and heading in the midst of trouble (Juan / Cruz) (Santiago Pilar) (Guadeloupe) (Covadonga) (Lepanto) (Poland) (Russia) ... As the pillar or column of Genesis 13, 21-22, of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night preceded the Israelites in the wilderness to teach Along the way, and never failed to take his place in front of the village, the Blessed Virgin is the new pillar or column, which reveals Santiago and lets a pillar at the beginning of Christianity, and also revealed in more recent times in the St. John Bosco's dream. She goes before the Church and of each other in times of confusion and fighting, leading to the Sacred Heart insurance.

She always intervene in human history. God has given him the power. The story of Esther, the Virgin at Fatima brought a particular detail in her dress: a star. This helps us understand the essential mission of the Blessed Virgin in this appearance. Esther means star. To do this go to Book of Esther, the Queen intervened to save the people from the trap and exterminate the enemy. Rather the enemy is killed, does the favor of King, who reverse the action of the enemy to it.


The triumph of the Immaculate Heart is progressive and gives way to step

We have seen the fruit of the consecration of the world and Russia, the collapse of political structures that prevent faith. But this does not mean that the world today is a believing world. In 1991, when the Pope visited Fatima: "I am aware that the spirit behind communism is not dead, and there is a danger of replacing Marxism with another form of atheism that exalts the freedom tends to destroy the roots of human morality and Christian. The new conditions of the people and the Church are still dangerous and unstable. So Mother, reveal your love to each of your children and nations, as you need. "

That means us, the Holy Father, that the Blessed Virgin has already achieved the first stage of the battle, destroy a system estructurizado with political power, but there is much to tear down all the bugs that spread the materialism, insubordination, rebellion, violence, oppression, atheism, a world without God, without opening up its mysteries, dissent from the truth, secularism. other words, failure to achieve an end to the crisis of faith and its consequences within the Church and the world, hearts, families and entire nations. In this same message of Fatima: "Portugal will not lose faith ".... and then comes the secret .... that means that there are nations who do lose? Missing still overcome the crisis of faith: With this victory, it will fulfill all the promise "Finally, my Immaculate Heart will triumph" and will come a time of peace.

"The current global crisis and within the Church, in the end will reveal a great truth hidden from the eyes of humanity will feel powerless to solve it by itself, despite the technical progress. Then at the bottom of their poverty, feel the need to join God as a vital requirement. This will be the turning point for the triumph of the Immaculate Heart. "

But the fruit of this victory will be an era of peace. Why was peace? Because to win her heart, she's Queen of Peace we will share the peace that resides in your heart. Peace is the fruit of their total communion of love with Christ, peace you get from him for the perfect unity of two hearts. She has peace for its perfect harmony with the will of God and his designs.


work for that win

"Those who fully commit themselves to the Immaculate burn with a love so powerful that they will ignite the fire to everything that is around and cause many souls burn with that same love. Well conquer the world and every soul in particular for the Immaculate. This will be done as soon as possible. "(St. Maximilian Kolbe)

The personal commitment and experience true: break down the existing structures of sin in our hearts. First, we need to make it succeed in our hearts and thus going to succeed in society.

"We must win the universe and every individual now and in the future, until the end of time, to the Blessed Virgin, and by it to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. These souls come to love the Sacred Heart much better and more deeply than they have done so far. Through your love and set fire to consume the world "(St. Maximilian Kolbe).

I think we should recognize the seriousness of the moment, and everything depends on our response time to live. Her Immaculate Heart will triumph, that would be nice knowing we even tiny instruments that triumph. Fatima (last night), "go and be Apostles of my Immaculate Heart. "

is, we must answer the call of our Mother, the media gives us to achieve the triumph of her Immaculate Heart, and more than ever we must make it known, make love and use means that it gives to our conversion and the era of peace.

Anne Catherine Emmerich (mystical early nineteenth century) tells us: "I saw flying over the surface of the sky a glowing heart of a red light, which was leaving a trail of white rays leading to the wound in the side of Jesus. Those rays they attracted a large number of souls, through the Heart and the shining path, entering Alongside of Jesus. I explained that the heart was that of Mary. "

For Mother Adela Galindo, Foundress SCTJM

TOP

Where To Buy Moncler In Milan

Marialis Cultus: Apostolic Exhortation of Pope Paul VI, 1974

Pope Paul VI says that the Church recognizes in devotion to the Virgin a powerful aid for man to come to get the prime of life, itself a pledge, guarantee and proof that a person of our human race has done and the plan of God to save every man.

He adds that the cult of the Virgin has strong roots in the revealed word and that mission of multiple exercises for the Virgin Mary with the People of God is a supernatural reality that acts effectively in the church community.





the Church's devotion to the Blessed Virgin is in the nature of Christian worship. The worship always and everywhere has told the Mother of God, from the blessing of Elizabeth to the expressions of praise and supplication of our time, is a strong testimony of how the 'lex orandi' (worship) is a invitation to revive in the minds of "lex credendi (faith). And vice versa: the lex credendi of the Church requires that all over the blooming flower "lex orandi" in connection with the Mother of Christ.

The cult of the Virgin is deeply rooted in the revealed word and a solid foundation in the truths of Catholic doctrine, such as:

- the singular dignity of Mary, Mother of the Son of God and, therefore, beloved daughter of the Father and the temple of the Holy Spirit, for such extraordinary grace far outstrips all other creatures, celestial and terrestrial

- unconditional cooperation at decisive moments in the work of salvation accomplished by her Son ;

- his holiness , Which was already full at the time of her immaculate conception and that, however, grew more and more as they clung to the father's and crossing the path of suffering, you constantly progressing, hope and charity;

- its mission and the position held , only the People of God, which is both a prominent member, exemplary finish and most loving mother;

- his incessant and effective intercession , whereby even having been assumed into heaven, is still shown near the faithful who beg and even those who know they really are her children;

- glory, finally, that elevates the entire human race, as expressed beautifully the poet Dante: "You're the one that ennobled human nature so that its Creator Did not disdain to become your own making", in fact, Mary belongs to our race as a true daughter Eva, although outside the spot of the mother, and our real sister, who fully shared our condition, as humble and poor women.

add that the cult of the Virgin has its ultimate justification in the unfathomable and free plan of God, which, being eternal and divine love, does all as a loving, loved and worked it wonders he loved himself, the loved by us, he gave himself and gave it to us.

Christ is the only way to the Father, Christ is the supreme model to which the disciple must conform his own conduct, until they have their feelings, live their own life and his Spirit. This is what the Church has always taught and nothing in pastoral activity should obscure this doctrine.

But the Church, guided by the Holy Spirit and tamed by centuries of experience, also recognizes that the cult of the Virgin Mary, subordinated to worship the Savior and surrender in connection with it, has a great pastoral effectiveness and is a force for renewing Christian living. The reason of this effect is easily sensed. The multiple mission to the Virgin Mary exercises with the People of God is a supernatural reality that acts effectively in the church community.

be useful to consider the various aspects of the mission and see how all are oriented, each with its own effectiveness, toward the same goal: to play in their children the spiritual characteristics of the firstborn Son.

We mean that the maternal intercession of Mary, her exemplary holiness and God's grace in it, become for the human race a source of supernatural hope.

maternal mission entrusted to Mary constantly invites the people of God to turn with filial confidence to her who is always ready to accept their prayers and maternal love effective relief aid. why the people of God is invoked as "comforting the afflicted," "Health of the Sick" and "refuge of sinners, for comfort in tribulation, relief in sickness and liberating force in sin. And indeed she, free from all sin, leads to children with strong determination to overcome sin. And, we must affirm it again, this deliverance from sin is the necessary condition for any renewal of Christian.

exemplary Holiness encourages the faithful Virgin to lift their eyes to Mary who shines as a model of virtue to the whole community of the elect. And it's solid virtues, evangelical, faith and the docile acceptance of the Word of God, obedience generous, sincere humility, the solicitous charity reflective wisdom, the true piety, which moves to perform their religious duties , to express their gratitude for the goods received, to offer in the Temple and take part in the prayer of the apostolic community, the strength in exile and sorrow, poverty led with dignity and trust in the Lord, the watchful care for the Son from the humility of the cradle to the ignominy of the Cross, the delicacy service, purity and strong virginal and chaste married love.

Of these virtues of Mother adorn the children, covered with tenacious resolve their examples to emulate in their lives. And such progress in virtue will result and the ripe fruit of that pastoral power that springs from the worship given to the Virgin Mary.

Devotion to the Mother of God provides true opportunity to grow in divine grace ultimate goal of all pastoral activity. it is impossible to honor the gracious no value in itself the gift of grace, ie, friendship with God, communion of life with Him, the indwelling the Spirit. This grace affects the whole person and does conform to the image of the Son.

The Catholic Church, supported by secular experience, recognizes in devotion to the Virgin a powerful aid for man to come to get the fullness of his life. Mary, the "new woman" is with Christ, "the new man, in the light of whose mystery is felt the mystery of man. And so as a pledge and guarantee that a person of our human race, Mary, has already made the plan of God to save every man.

contemporary man, often tossed between anguish and hope, the feeling prostrate its limits, assaulted by endless aspirations, troubled in spirit and broken heart, the mind suspended by the enigma of death, oppressed by loneliness while tends strongly to communication with others, overcome by feelings of nausea and boredom and to that modern man, the Virgin, referred to in the circumstances of his earthly life or the happiness that was already in the City of God, offers a serene view and a reassuring word: it is a guarantee that hope will triumph over anxiety, fellowship over solitude, peace over the embarrassment, joy and beauty over boredom and disgust, the eternal perspective on earthly desires, life over death. Sean

the hallmark of our appeal and a new proof of the pastoral value of devotion to Our Lady to lead men to Christ, the same words that she spoke to the servants at the wedding at Cana: "Do whatever he say. " Words apparently limited to the desire to remedy the awkward situation of a banquet, but really, if we consider the prospects of the Fourth Gospel, is a phrase that seems to echo the formula used by the people of Israel to ratify the covenant of Sinai or to renew the commitments acquired there, and are also fully compliant with the word of the Father in the appearance of Mount Tabor: "Listen to him."

We thought well, Venerable Brethren, treat extensively of this cult of the Mother of God, being an integral part of Christian worship. He asked for the importance of the subject under study, review and dispute in recent years.

comforts us to think that the work done to implement the norms of the Council, by the Apostolic See for yourself, especially in the reform of the liturgy, is being a great help for that tribute to the Father , Son and Holy Spirit worship more and more alive and aware and you grow the Christian life of the faithful. It is also a matter of trust the finding that the renewed Roman liturgy is a clear testimony to the devotion of the Church to the Virgin Mary. We also maintains the hope that will be truly accepted and implemented the guidelines for making such devotion increasingly vigorous. And finally we welcome the opportunity that the Lord has given us to offer these considerations on some points of doctrine, with which we hope to grow the esteem and renew and confirm the practice of the Rosary.

Consuelo, confidence, hope and joy, uniting our voice with that of the Virgin Mary in her Magnificat, we translate into fervent praise and thanksgiving to the Lord.

While we are willing, Dear brothers and sisters because, thanks to your diligent efforts, takes place in the clergy and the people entrusted to your care, a healthy increase of Marian devotion, with undoubted benefit to the Church and human society, impart to you and all the faithful entrusted to your pastoral care, a special Apostolic Blessing.

Given in Rome, at St. Peter's, on February 2, Feast of the Presentation of the Lord in 1974, the eleventh of Our Pontificate. Paul VI



TOP

Sitting On Pinning Down

MARIA REGINA MUNDI: A FOCUS LITURGICAL

Jean Hani said that the situation of the Virgin Mary in the doctrine and practice of Christianity continues to be afflicted with some ambiguity: on the one hand, in fact, the Church puts Mary very high, far above all the saints , and dogmatically declared "Mother of God" but, on the other hand, has continued to reaffirm that it considers purely human condition.
So to go to the fund, which is also the mystery of Mary, is better, in our view temporarily waive its theological approach, speculative order, and prefer the liturgical approach to the problem.



The title
"Mother of God, when you think about it, seems an extravagant expression on the monotheistic context, seems to have been completely satisfactory explanation in theological speculation, it is explained and justified by saying that, like Mary the mother of Christ, and as Christ is God, she is also mother of God. But he feels that this explanation does not reach the merits of the expression or exhausts all its contents.

liturgical texts, in turn, transmit the profound insights of faith and open to the spirit of knowledge regions beyond the reach of theological speculation. not just speaking of the texts from the Holy Scripture and the Church has chosen for the various feasts of Mary, text whose value is too obvious to insist on it, but also creations of order 'literary' in the highest sense, as hymns, prayers, etc.. Are the work personalities of great spiritual stature and that the Church has logged introducing them in worship and giving them tools and knowledge value for the faithful, which expresses the well-known adage lex lex orandi credendi "the rule of prayer is the rule of faith. "

To clarify the problem Marian epiclesis study essentially different to the Virgin, or the names with which is invoked and found, on the one hand, biblical texts, hymns and prayers made to the offices of the different parties, and, moreover, particularly in its litanies. These names, in effect, that are dozens and dozens throughout the Marian liturgy, reflecting the long and unremitting efforts of believers, supported by the Church to try to identify and to say the inexhaustible riches of the personality Mary. That is, in our opinion, the best way to access it.

The epiclesis that we consider belong to the Latin liturgy and eastern litanies, Byzantine and Syrian. Found in the readings of the Old and the New Testament of the Mass and Vespers of the Virgin in their anthems, anthems and motets, the Regina Coeli cone, the Alma Redemptoris Mater, etc., and, as already mentioned, prayers Litan, which are, for the Latin liturgy, the "Litany of Loreto", and the Byzantine, the "Prayer abides." be precise, however, that not all of these pieces epiclesis liturgical interest us to the topic at hand: good number of them, indeed, have only devotional value, and make it clear that we do not have anything to say that dismissive, of course, we simply want to say it will do nothing to delve into the mystery of Mary. Which we consider, however, and most of the time: they have an air at once poetic and mysterious, even amazing, are precisely those that should be further to advance our study.


EARTH (*)

The Incarnation of the Word of God in the virginal womb, as is often said, made the "marriage of heaven and earth", which is why Christian tradition has always perceived a close relationship between Mary and the earth. Father S. Boulgakof, in his great work Verbe Incarna Du, recounts his own making, these words of Dostoevsky: "The Virgin Mary is the Mother Earth wet. " There is indeed a collusion between a woman, mother and earth. The land is maternal and nurturing power, diffuse forces receptacle. Tirelessly procreate matrix, summarizes in itself the creative principle of life, nature, and therefore sacred in nature, is a hierophany "Holy Land, which generates all things", thus invoking the ancient sage cosmou Greece in the Core, and the wise Sioux replied in similar terms: "Mother Earth, you are sacred ... We come to you, we are part of you, "thus says Hehapa Sapa (Black Elk). The man himself, indeed, feel "son of the earth, like plants and trees having received it its substance is not Genesis explains the creation of Adam? Not what the Psalmist sings: "My substance was not hidden when I was made in secret, fabric art in the depths of the earth" (Ps. 138-139)? Hence the name "Demetrios ',' Dimitri ', ie' son of Demeter, the Earth." and if she feels close to Earth, much more than your partner, it is because it mimics the Earth when she gives birth and is aware of breaking into the mainstream activity of the life of nature, because the earth is an organism inert, is a living organism has a body composed of elements from its soil, stones, the mountains and their caves, images of vast array multiplied, so the Virgin Mary is associated with the caves and their surrogates, the crypts, from the Grotto of the Nativity to the Massabielle, and the earth not only has a body, but also has a soul, and the mysterious currents that run through it convey the vital energy. The Earth becomes for us a person, because in man the world is aware of itself, the world and each of its components: the land, which also has a life, but consciousness is hypostatize in man and it becomes Demeter, the Terra Mater.

and makes it eminently in that it was the Women for Excellence, the new Eve, and that's why we relied on formulas how are you drawn from the Achates, 'Hail, land of incorruptible fruit, "" Hail, friend Labrador culture of men (God). " It is a tradition that dates back East to the first centuries of Christianity, to San Gregorio Taumaturgo, St. Ephrem, etc., And in an old hymn of the West even found these two verses in which Mary is completely assimilated nurturing Earth:
Hail, earth that has produced
wheat that feeds us.

is especially this aspect that was developed in particular in the magnificent following texts, which belong the Eastern liturgies. Here first antiphon at Mass siriomaronita accompanying the transfer of gifts to the altar (it is Christ speaking):

I am the living bread come down from heaven to earth for the world to live through me
. The Father sent me, incorporeal Word, and delicious
wheat grain in a fertile land, I received the womb of Mary.

Syrian At Mass, we found that other anthem:
We glorify you, Creator of the world and order of the universe, blessed
has sprouted roots and its growth has taken the thirsty land, Mary, and all creation is perfume filling his glorious sweetness.

Reading these texts, one can not help but remember the wonderful verses that Aeschylus, in a fragment of his lost tragedy The Danaides, sing to Mother Earth and her sacred marriage with Heaven divine sacred Heaven feels
desire to penetrate the earth, to enjoy this
hymen: the rain falls as a husband kiss from heaven to earth, and behold
stop the deadly grazing herds are present
and Demeter, while
spring flowering ends under the shining dew.

In the passages quoted above, Mary acquires a cosmic because what is done it is the wedding of human nature with the divine nature of the creative Word, and that He brings to the world she is the Son of Heaven and Earth.

Like Earth, then, Mary is the mother, but is a virgin mother, and by assimilating it to the ground, is assimilated to a virgin land, "Hail, no-till field that has recognized the divine Tang around the world, "sings ACAT, which is the concern the hymn of Adam of St. Victor: Terra
qua non arabilis
fructum parturiit.

The issue is already in Tertullian and Saint Irenaeus, Adversus developed in its haereses this idea that Mary is the land of paradise once again has again virgin for God to mix with it the new Adam.

similar characters and qualities found in the other symbol of the Great Mother: the land. Is sometimes considered that the earth is an element less noble than the water and, a fortiori. the air and fire. No doubt affected in part by a symbolic "negative" because it is located "below" the peak shift away from "Heaven" is "on top" and where lies the divine world , hence the image of the earth may suggest the decline. the gravity and darkness. even the realm of death. But it is equally true that symbolism has a "positive." because it is the image of stability. fertility. Of the substantiality y. therefore. of purity that is obvious. precisely. through the sources we spoke a moment ago, and the substantiality implies that the depth and strength. Moreover, the situation as "low" of the earth. on the top floor of the cosmos. if I may say so. contrast is rich in an essential quality: humility. Humility. it just takes its name from one of the names of the earth. humus. and prominent feature is the raw material and its human manifestation. the Holy Mother of God. We have here an example of application of the "symbolism invested" in which an object most of the cosmic order elemental is suitable to represent a reality of an ontological or spiritual higher.

The suggestive power of the element "earth" is all that is most often considered could represent the "Matter" sensitive, while in form "plastic", capable of receiving the forms-like water-and that is the potter's clay, and as hard and tough, stone, marble, which is the most obvious image of the substantiality and stability. and spiritual safety, solid core of salvation, but that nevertheless is still able to lend a hand shape the sculptor, for example. But above all, land. the great land essential constituent of this world, is the "Mother. the array that receives the germs to develop. The water precedes the creation and produces germs. the earth receives in its bosom. produces and develops life forms.

How can we fail here too the virtues of Mary? In the heart of the earth born life forms of this world. and arguably, to use an expression of the parent S. Boulgakov. which is a "Cryptogram Maternity Dei in which God-Man is born, the supreme goal of all the created world." As Prakriti. The Virgin is the earth, is "the Mother, the moist earth." in the words of Dostoevsky. and nowhere can this be seen better uptake that the icon of the Nativity, which takes two forms. of the Virgin herself. lying on the same soil, Demetra true image, and the cave, well known chthonic image, which is also found in Lourdes, representing the womb of Mother Earth and by protecting Jesus, so that the Virgin Mary appears so at the same time, in its human and cosmic dimension.


TREE

Thus, ACAT and Syrian hymns, Virgin has become a paradise where you planted the Tree of Life "spiritual paradise that has at its core the Tree Life ' and has even become the same tree, "Tree of tasty fruit that nourishes the faithful", "blessed tree which has fruit (Christ) that seeks the joy of those who eat it." not be surprised by such assimilation. The tree, one of the most universal sacred symbols is the image of the inexhaustible source of cosmic fertility, of vegetation, which is summarized in him whole: the cycle of death and resurrection, regeneration through life's vital energy land, was equally well suited to symbolize spiritual regeneration. Moreover, when rooted in the earth for growth, says rising to life heaven: "The Eden of God is Mary ... it has left the Tree of Life and raises up to heaven to the exiles." Wisdom itself, which is identified with Mary, tells a biblical passage chosen for the readings of certain offices of the Virgin: "I am the Cedars of Lebanon, cypress on Mount Zion, and Cades palm Bananas to the waters edge. " For all its nature, the tree was called to be considered a manifestation of divinity and, more particularly, the Earth Mother, who offers him one of the most spectacular productions, and that was normal was also assimilated to the tree, and the Tree of Life, of course, but all the trees to the extent that the Tree of Life is in no way an archetype.


GARDEN

We have seen many statues of the Virgin was found in a tree or under a tree (...) otherwise, the scope of Mary is all plant life: the fields , crops, vines and flowers. That is why it sometimes has been attributed to green.

The Song of Songs, where it has taken so many themes developed in meditation on the Virgin and hymns and invocations in his honor, especially given a more famous, that of the 'Shed', 'Closed Garden' , evocación de los jardines de Oriente mantenidos secretos tras altos muros y en los que abundan las plantas fragantes que esparcen sus deliciosos perfumes. En un sermón que sirve de «lección» en el Oficio del 8 de diciembre, Pascasio Radberto, autor del siglo IX, habla así de María:
Se canta de ella en el Cantar de los Cantares (4,12): "Jardín cerrado, fuente sellada, lo que de ti emana es el paraíso". Sí, verdaderamente un jardín de delicias, todas las especies de flores están allí reunidas, y todos los perfumes de las virtudes.

Este tema del «Jardín cerrado» conoció un gran auge durante la Edad Media en la ilustración de los «Libros Hours' that represents the Virgin Mary in a celestial garden. and the offices of 7 and 14 September, the Byzantine liturgy hails Mary in these words: "Garden Light", "Garden vivo," You are the mystic garden, without being cultivated, has germinated to Christ " .


FLOR

Mary is the garden, and of course is the flower, and his mouth have been the words of the young heroine of the Song of Songs (2.1): "I am flower fields and the lily of the valley. " and why May is dedicated to Mary, because that is when The explosion of all vegetation and is the time when the gardens are covered with the first flowers. And that is full of meaning, as the flower is full of rich symbolism, otherwise similar to the tree: like this, the flower of the grain, open land where he was buried, and rises on a vertical shaft looking at the sky opened, it was therefore quite normal that he saw in her the image of the Virgin. So it is invoked with the name "Rosa divina" in the litany of ACAT and "Mystical Rose" Rosa Mystica, on the Litany of the Western Church. and liturgy puts in his mouth these words of wisdom: "I am ... Rose of Sharon. " San Pedro Damián said it is the 'Rose of Paradise. " A manuscript of the Biblioteca Nacional de Paris, 12483 Rosarius, is all the mystique of the Virgin florida in the Middle Ages under the sign of the rose. Count Raymond of Capua to St. Agnes of Montepulciano was a joyous vision of the Virgin-Rosa, and it is known that in Lourdes, before the first apparition, Bernadette was shaken wild rose before the appearance thereof, and the hip is still there. In the rose, the symbolism of the flower seems to reach their highest potential: rose is destined to become the Rosa Mystica, which expresses the realization of possibilities contained in the seed and, thus, spiritual fulfillment; why is the symbol at the same time the supreme divine knowledge, mystical, and pure love. In the Divine Comedy, Rose lays out the path of the chosen to heaven the song 21 to 23, and 30 songs that Dante sees himself blessed and Paradise are a huge pink.

Earlier we saw that the Eastern liturgies assimilated to the Virgin with a field that had germinated Christ as a grain of wheat to feed the world. But Mary did not only provides spiritual food, which is his Son, but also ensures food plots for their children. long understood the Christian piety, which was entrusted with the care to ensure the prosperity of the crops: hence these Notre-Dame des Champs (Our Lady of the Fields), Notre-Dame des Blés (Our Lady of Wheat), Notre-Dame des Moissons (Our Lady of the Harvest), or Notre-Dame du Pain (Our Lady of Pan). liturgy itself does not disdain to hold this protective role of menial jobs: honor the Byzantine liturgical calendar, May 15-please note the date, Our Lady of the Seeds, and sing the doxology in the trade:
Christ, Word of the Father , have fallen like rain upon the field of
Virgin and as a grain of wheat perfect, have appeared where there was no
sower scattered seed and food you've become for the world.

And we should mention all those little paraliturgies liturgy or popular, such as the offering of the harvest, each year, NotreDame Panetiere (the panetiere was a piece of furniture to keep the bread. N. T) ( Aire-sur-la-Lys), or to offer the last sheaf cut, offering practiced in several provinces, including Poitou, Berry, Beauce, etc. and do not think that these popular liturgies are neglected by the Church, instead of always encouraged, at least until some time, as shown in this prayer composed in the eleventh century by St. Peter Damian: Oh
all goodness, oh Almighty , one-word commands that do not hail
stoned us or ruin us ... Calms the storm, brings serene
time, bring us the warm light, the clouds disappear.

repeat the same practices during the harvest, is not the wine, bread, the living symbol of the heavenly food evoked a moment ago? In Champagne, it points to a statue of Notre-Dame des Vignes (Our Lady of the Vines) presiding over a vineyard, and in several regions are made, or did, processions in which they had a statue of Our Lady decorated with clusters . Also plant the vine is an expression of immortality, like wine, for that in the Middle East is often considered the symbol Tree of Life. and liturgical invocations to Mary join those already noted, in which the Virgin is assimilated to the tree: "O Mother of God, you are the true vine that brings forth the fruit of life", "Vine has offered the cluster of blessings to those who drink it "," Vine has produced wine that rejoices the soul. " These invocations, as can be seen, relate to a mother's role human capital: the feed, and coincides with that of the Cosmic Mother, Mother Earth.

Hence also those Nuestra Señora de la Leche, which is found mostly in Britain, giving the precious liquid to women who breastfeed: Notre-Dame des Marais, in Fougeres, Notre-Dame du Sein, in Lorient, Notre-Dame de Treguron in Gouézec, etc. New manifestation of the first attribute of the mother, fertility, for which Virgin is invoked in favor of infertile women, or to have a good birth. Thus, in Toulouse, are consecrated to the Virgin Daurade negrg of the "fertility belt" to let pregnant women have a safe delivery. Moreover, in the Middle Ages did not hesitate to represent the Virgin pregnant or parturient, as Cucugnan (Pyrénées Orientales) or Issoire. Today little remains of it, the image is intesesante the Black Madonna of Dijon, Notre-Dame de Bon Espoir (Our Lady of Good Hope) that appears with the bulging belly and breasts gravid (see illustration).

The fertility of the Virgin is also extended to animals, protect and prosper domestic herds. Hence the prayers for the flock, the blessings of herds, as in Le Forez and L'Aubrac, August IS, and la.misma date, Elna (Pyrénées Orientales), the blessing of the stables to prevent disease contagious. The most spectacular is the Notre-Dame de Vassivière, in Auvergne, where the statue is the pace of transhumance in the spring, protective black Madonna rises from the church to Vassivière Besse, in the high mountain which has a chapel in the grass, and herds, and the Virgin falls again in September. These facts are related to the theme of bovid, which plays an important role in the cult of Mary. We have seen in the previous chapter, in fact, that in the legends of invention are generally those that allow the horse to rediscover a certain statue of Mary, so in Er (in Roussillon) in Bolleme (in Manosque) in Villedieu (near Saint-Fluor) in Lantenay (in the area of \u200b\u200bDijon) in Bourisp (in the Pyrenees), etc. In Sarrance (in the Aspe Valley, Pyrénées Orientales), have had a bull that used to swim across the river every day to go to kneel before "a stone representing the Virgin, the people called Notre-Dame de la Pierre (Our Lady of the Rock) and ensured the fertility of the fields.

This last feature deserves attention: we refer to fertility, as the bull is a powerful manifestation of the life force. Noted that his association with the "legends" of the Virgin could be justified by the fact that the animal also is associated with the Nativity scene. This thesis is not negligible and it does seem that this animal here is related to the virile power that acts on the "femininity" of the earth, and hence a possible transposition the virginal conception through the heavenly power, in this case would be represented by the bull, which is totally plausible. Anyway, the idea seems to support the liturgy, because in the litany of ACAT is sung to Mary as "Cow has given birth to a calf without blemish." Let us note finally that the Taurus is the second spring, exactly 20 April to 20 May this period, the month of May, whose relationship with the Virgin and we have seen, and this sign, on the other hand, is a Earth sign telluric related to fertility. We will return to discuss the meaning of the zodiacal sign in the area in question.

WATER


The body of the earth, as we said, is crossed by streams of living energy, but also visit other energy flows, water flows. The source, the spring, at the same time as the land itself, is the image of the mother, and so is, therefore, of the Virgin: "Source living and incorruptible" ACAT sings, "inexhaustible source of life-giving water" , "O Mother of God, thou art the living fountain flowing with abundance." It is the "Source sealed" the Song of Songs, of which we spoke. From the first centuries, as can be seen for example in the Gospel Arab children, Mary is assimilated into the Fons Vitte, "Source of life ', the infinite Source which is cause and principle of growth and has inspired the icon of the Virgin zoodotes peghead," life-giving source ", represented sitting Children in the middle of a pile of falling water to a pond where there are blind, paralyzed waiting for the cure. That's because water is the original way of being, cradle of germs, parent of the possibilities of existence, the water, the earth and women, are the circuit antropocósmico fertility.

wells found in many ancient churches dedicated to Mary represent the 'Source sealed, "the" Source of Life "(...) To this must be added the fact, already mentioned, that several statues of the Virgin were found in wells or sources (...) Do not governed also Virgin hot springs? (...)

Returning the deep sense that the analysis has revealed two hierogramático of this Name, will have been warned and the amazing relationship that quickly awakens from the nature of the Virgin and her role in the mystery of the Incarnation in as 'universal mother', is that "water main" on which he planned the Spirit of God and, at the time of the Annunciation, the Angel says, "The Holy Spirit will about yourself and the power of the Most High will overshadow you "(Luke 1.35). The angel is almost copied from the text of Genesis that say: "The Spirit of God overshadowed Waters." And modified, following Chauvet, the usual translation for the term used by the Angel (episkiasei in Greek) has the sense of "shadow cover" with the connotation of "hatching" of "fruitful", just like the verb merakhepheth in the text of Moses, verb translated incorrectly by "planned", the complete verse is: ruach Elohim merakhepheth the phenel ha-maim. So the conception of the Messiah Mary's womb is operated as a completely analogous to the creation of the world. Later we will see why.

The waters symbolize all the virtues, are like the array of possibilities for existence. Top of the undifferentiated and the virtual, water is the foundation of all cosmic manifestation and the receptacle of all germs. It is therefore entirely appropriate symbol of the primordial substance of the Feminine Principle of Prakriti, the Magna Mater in all its forms, so in its Indian name of Maha Devi, Devi says the Upanishad:
The place of my birth is the water in the ocean interior, who knows what gets Devi's abode ... I who in the beginning created the father of this world.

The physical quality that underlies this symbolism is the plasticity of the water: absolutely no way, as the raw material, but, as she is apt to take all forms, is "virgin" and, Therefore, in itself, perfectly "pure" and "immaculate", Virgo immaculata, integrated et caste. And this physical attribute corresponds to a quality of behavior, submission, perfect submission to the action to be engaged, beautiful image of submission to God's will on the part of the Virgin Mary, but by no means "servant" : Ecce ancilla Domini, fiat mihi secundum verbum tuum, that's the answer to the messenger of God, and glorifies his Magnificat, if I may say so, his humility: "My soul magnifies the Lord ... because he put his eyes on the lowliness of his servant. "

That purity and humility of "our sister water," as he called San Francisco, makes it the reflective element par excellence, the natural mirror. What a wonderful display is the sky reflecting in the calm water of a lake! and poets, who know instinctively switch from the visible to invisible, felt that there was something sacred in that vision, and Hugo in these verses of the Tristesse d'Olympio, the long looked
great ways
Let nature takes in the peaceful fields;
dreamed up the night
He missed all day along the ravine. Admiring
alternative in the sky, the divine face,
Lake, divine mirror. How
not see the last two verses the image of God the Creator is reflected in the fundamental nature? and thus better understand the invocation addressed to Mary: Speculum Justitia: 'Mirror of Justice, "and Justice, according to its scriptural meaning, here means the" Holiness, "the holiness of God. Water "virgin" perfectly "pure" perfectly "submissive," Mary, like a calm lake, is a "divine mirror" the mirror of the creator.


LIVING WATERS

But there is only the calm water of the tranquil lakes, there are also the waters that appear and jump from springs and fountains, its movement is an expression of the powerful energies that they hide, because if it is a cosmic forms of raw material, water in its submission still get the creative energy and converted into "shakti" turn becomes a creator. Water is the "living water", the "water of life", which fertilizes the earth with all the strength he has received and distributed. Hence, these springs, wells casts these sources everywhere found associated with the presence of the Virgin. This is the "Source sealed" spoken of the Song of Songs (4.2) and that ultimately is nothing but the primitive source that appears in Genesis (2.6): "He rose from the a spring that watered land surface of the earth. " Is certainly right when he says Grillot de Givry, in his beautiful book initiatique Lourdes ville, that this verse refers to the condition of purity of creation when communicating directly with the "Source of Life", which was dried after the 'Fall' but began to flow again after the Redemption, and adds that 'Mary feeds this source, as the source of the shrines. " These sources, as we have seen, by virtue purify and heal.


FIRE

What a contrast now with the following epiclesis that remind us all of the symbolism of fire! "Hail, fiery chariot of the Word ',' Hail, a pillar of fire that shines for which are in darkness, "" Hail, bush burning and not consumed. " This last symbol is taken from the famous scene in which Yahweh appears to Moses (Ex 3.2) and, in the Eastern tradition, became good start in sign of virginity Mary: God is hidden in the bush of flame does not burn and retains its integrity, and also locked himself the divine Word in the virginal womb leaving it intact.


ASTROS

But where poetic imaged Marian piety was mostly of the stars. is time to remember how far were sensitive to heaven men of past centuries, the Greek and Roman poetry is full of developments on the topic of the day sky, night sky and stars, and this continued even during Middle Ages. People knew that naturally raise your head high, as befits the man, providentially has a vertical position it normally took to turn our gaze toward God headquarters before the mechanical and materialistic era stubbornly returning his eyes to the ground and no longer allows you to read the "signs in the sky." All the poetry of heaven, especially the night sky, it seems condensed in this beautiful verse out of Euripides' Electro: dark night
Oh, mother of the stars of gold!

A hymn of Lauds for the feast of February 2 and called to her: "Glorious among virgins, sublime among the stars." Mary was matched first to the moon in reference to a passage from the Song of Songs, which many texts gave the anthems of the trades, whence come all the "Common of the Virgin." Here referred to the moon: "Who is this that appears like the dawn, fair as the moon?" More significant still is that it represents Mary with feet flat on the crescent, according to the passage of Revelation (Chapter 12): "a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head." We discuss the sun and stars for now see the sense of the presence of the moon.


LUNA Y SOL
The moon symbolizes
traditional rhythms of life increases, decreases, disappears, reappears, her life is subject to the universal law of becoming, including death but also resurrection, the resurrection which precisely represents the crescent moon. The moon controls all levels of cosmic evolution governed by the cyclical: water, vegetation, fertility, the tides and the fertility of women, hence its relationship with the sign of Taurus, with which we have found that is the second sign of spring and important detail, the "place of exaltation" of the moon.

Christian thought, second heir to the thought old, mused at length on this issue and applied it to the mystery of Christ and his mother. In this thought, Christ is the sun, but the Suns light of Christ to the dark land taken by the maternal mediation of Mary (and the Church), because the moon is the symbol of that being that received light and maternally received with humility the development and prosperity on earth follow the rhythm of the maternal age.

This theme was developed a kind of myth of the "marriage of sun and moon 'Moon is pregnant with the light of the sun, becomes a mother and engenders all living things. In the silence and darkness, the 'moon' talks with his beloved, is the dialogue Mystics of the 'harmony of the spheres' of the Pythagoreans, as evoked Plutarch in his treatise On the face on the moon, "Selene described in all ages love circles around Helios, and he receives, by binding , the power to give birth. " Thus, the Moon is the intermediary between the sun and earth, the mediator, whose function attenuate the strength of the light adding to the "fire" Sun "water" of his being, the "celestial water of the moon" the "heavenly dew" which is a mix of "hot" and "wet" to generate the creative principle of life on earth.

From there, Christian reflection focused on the moon and the sun of Christmas: Mary has given birth to the "Sun of Justice" has become its 'mirror', "Speculum justitiae", "Mirror of Justice" as they call the Litany of Loreto, driving at night the chariot of the sun in the morning, the Moon with the Sun has joined in the destruction of his incarnation night, and so is the mother of all living.


AURORA

This theme also belong epiclesis who ingest the dawn: "Who is this that appears like the dawn?", "Aurora mysterious day ' "Aurora light."


DOOR

To this we must add also what makes Mary the "Puerta del Sol", in the motet Ave Regina coelorum, it presents as well: ex qua save world carries lux est orta, "Hail, door through which the light has risen on the world" and an anthem of the office on September 8, in the Byzantine rite: "She is the East Gate entrance ready for the Great King ', the image us to the "door orientab" Temple of Jerusalem, door closed and reserved for Yahweh theophanies but also reminds us, and I would say first of all, the 'door the sun ", the point at which the sun rises in the East, and especially to the" door solstice "Christmas by the sunlight, to continue rising in the heart of the winter night. With the same idea linking the invocation of the Litany to the Virgin called "Stella Matutina", "Morning Star", in fact, this star is actually a planet, the planet Venus, announces, to appear for morning, sunrise: ACAT why sing unto Mary: "Hail, star in the world does come to Christ, the great sun."

When the Litany of the symbolism of the "door" is presented in Porta Coeli short form, Janua coeli, has another meaning. Means that Mary is the gate of heavenly paradise, such as San Pedro OHIM sings this anthem for the Advent season: La Virgen pregnant

the Word Turns gate of Paradise:
brought God to the world
We opened up the sky.


LUNA

And that brings us to the subject of the moon and the lunar image of Mary. To understand, we must place the expression Janua coeli in the old system of representation of the cosmos, built on the phasing of the seven planetary spheres, the first of the moon between the world there under, sublumar this world called, subject to the cycle of becoming, in the higher spheres, including the sun, which participate in the ongoing life and divine "heaven" in the religious sense. From this perspective, the moon is called Janua coeli, is the passageway of the lower world to the divine world. It will be recalled that in the celestial ascent of the Divine Comedy, Dante placed precisely in the sphere of the moon Purgatory, for sinners to repentance opens the way to the sun, the Milky Way and the "Circle supreme", and there Plutarch says the treaty cited above, were purified in a state fair to ascend to the abode of the Gods. By Mary the Janua coeli, it meant the huge role it plays in the way of salvation, not only because it brought the world to Christ, the author of salvation, but also because it continues to assist the man in his journey on this path, in Women's figure evoked the Apocalypse before the Virgin, as it is, is over the moon and is clothed with the sun, gives birth to men and passed the field and mortal world to the eternal world. We will have several chances to talk about it again.


STAR

we mentioned just now Stella morning invocation of the Litany. There is another that opens the familiar motet Ave, maris stella, 'Hail, Star of the Sea, and this time places the Virgin in the "field of stars" and even at the highest point. Because this "Star of the Sea" is the star, "without setting star" in the Byzantine prayers, because it is always fixed and, therefore, determines the Axis mundi, the cosmic pole around which describes the whole sky revolution. Therefore, this Polaris became a symbol hugely significant in all religious traditions. From a practical standpoint, it serves to determine the direction of travel of all men, and more specifically of the sailors, hence the name of "Star of the Sea", which refers to Mary's role as patron and protector of sailors. Their shrines are in particular those who harbor or harbored a Black Madonna: St. Victor at Marseilles, where on 2 February, the famous still navettes distributed, pastries in small ships, in honor of the "Good Mother black 'patron seafarers, in Boulogne-sur-Mer, where according to legend founded the statue arrived in unabarca self-directed, in the Mont-Saint-Michel, where the chapel of the Virgin is under the invocation of Stella Maris, in Rocamadour, where chronicle records many miracles that have benefited the survivors.

There is another stellar sky region where we find Mary, is the sixth sign of the Zodiac, called just the "sign of the Virgin." This name, incidentally, does not come from Mary, but of the Virgin Astrea, which belongs to the Greco-Roman mythology and legend as Hesiod and Aratos concern us. Events this in mind that the Virgin Astrea, who personified justice, lived among men in the golden age in the Silver Age, a time when mankind began to lose primordial innocence, withdrew to the solitude, and the Bronze Age left the land, which was infected by sin, to look at the sky near the constellation Bootes, which is holding the splendid Tang (the Tang, Spica Virginis, is the main star of the constellation). All legend was especially strong at the time of Augustus Neopythagoreans circles, particularly P. Nigidio Figulo, which was the Grand Master of the Guild during the reign of the emperor. With the momentum of revival inaugurated by Augustus, was making his way is the belief that his reign could well advertise something as a new Golden Age; belief echoed in the famous Virgil Eclogue IV of his Eclogues, where he sings the return of the Virgin Astrea:
The great number of centuries begins anew:
is Back Lady, turn the kingdom of Satum.

All this poem is suffused with the atmosphere of Neopythagoreans circles, which was part of Virgil, and believed in the nearby regeneration of mankind. For century mystical spirits of Virgil, the time was really the end of the "Great Year" painful transformation whose father went to the new golden age connected with the return of Astraea, the Virgen de la Justice.

If we have expanded a bit with this is because the Middle Ages always established a relationship between Mary and the "prophecy" of Virgil on the one hand, and the constellation of the Virgin on the other. Abelard, in his Epistle VII, stated that Virgilio, announcing to the consulate of the miraculous birth Pollio, had wanted to call mankind to rejoice in it as a notice of redemption. In fact, the belief that Virgil had announced the Christian era and the "Virgin" of the Eclogue IV was the mother of Christ went back to the early Christian centuries: Filargirio, comment on a note of the poem verse 6 says: "The Virgin, ie, justice, or rather, Mary." In the tradition of Greek Christianity, attributed to Constantine and transmitted by Eusebio, verse 6 was amended as follows: "the Virgin will come to the king that we longed" with a note that stated that the Virgin was Mary. and then came the Middle Ages, which had Virgil for genuine prophet, like the Old Testament surely was not wrong.

As for the zodiacal constellation of the Virgin, plays a large role in the cult of Mary. First on the calendar of festivals, the constellation appears in the east in March, rising in the South during the months of April, May and June, and then descends to the west from July to September, on the other hand, the sun enters the sign on August 23 and remains there until 22 September, already have noticed that the major Marian feasts are located precisely at these times: March 25, May, 15 August and 8 September. Furthermore, remember the amazing relationship that links the zodiacal constellation in question with the introduction of some Marian shrines. The great cathedrals, which over the centuries XII and XIII were put under the patronage of Our Lady in the territory of Northern France (Champagne, Picardy, Ile de France, the ancient Neustria) are divided according to an order that reproduces accurately approximate the ground with the order of the stars of the constellation of the Virgin. Thus, the shank is located in Reims, the star Gamma in Chartres, the Delta, in Amiens, the Epsilon, in Bayeux, the stars correspond to small Evreux, Etampes, Laon and Notre-Dame de l'Épine (a small star near the Tang).

This should not surprise us, it is known that all traditional people used to establish sanctuaries and major cities according to a projection on the ground of this or that part of the sky map, projection, which of course was related to a precise symbolism of which are an example the events just described. The beautiful works of Jean Richer well have clarified this aspect of sacred geography as the case of Greece and Rome. This mode should be the conclusion, fully justified, of course, that all parts of the world are in "sympathy" and that is important, emphasizing their relationships, awareness of the unity of the cosmos and, particularly in the case before us, "capture" the beneficent influence descending from heaven to earth.

All these considerations justify Mary and stars the famous invocation to be addressed in several motets of the Trade: Regina Coeli, coelorum Regina, "Queen of Heaven," "Queen of Heaven", which refers to the image repeatedly evoked Women's apocalyptic vision celestial and otherwise materialized iconography often giving the Virgin a dark blue mantle sown with stars.


PALOMA

And should not it also "Queen of Heaven" that Mary is the bird has been treated, and more particularly to the dove? Two of the Magnificat antiphons at Vespers on February 11, the feast of the apparition of Mary, once again take his praise of the Song of Songs, (2.10, 6.8) and say: "Come, my dove hidden ' and "This is my dove, my perfect, my immaculate." This assimilation goes back to far behind, as found in the oldest known prayer to Mary, published by Reizenstein, which proclaims: "The Dove has started the death to men. " and this gives us a gloss explanatory ACAT in this invocation: "Paloma has begotten the Merciful."


SCALE

This is also the sense of another title that is given: "Jacob's Ladder." It is known passage in Genesis (28.12 ..) which has an episode of the patriarch's life:
had a dream saw a ladder resting on the ground and whose top touched the sky, and over it went up and down angels. Above all was the Lord.

This scale is obviously a picture of the universe, from the bottom, the earth, to top, God, and that itself is also a symbol of ontological and metaphysical, the deployment of multiple states of being, from the lowest, represented by the earth to the highest, that of pure Being, and Angels personify the intermediate states above the human state land. So, call the Virgin "Jacob's Ladder" is to say that it has integrated itself all ontological levels to "divine region." It's another way of saying it's "Queen of the world," Queen of Heaven "and" Queen of the angels. "

If we now recapitulate all the comments made on epiclesis of the Virgin, we realize that they relate in order that we have followed, the four elements constituting the visible universe: Earth, Water, Air and Fire, so we see that the figure of Mary that they seen covering the whole visible world, but she dominates the world, says this other invocation: Regina mundi, "Queen of the world, in an antiphon for the feast of Our Lady of Mount Caramel and Our Lady of Sorrows , or between the Byzantines: "Empress of the universe." All Christian thinking, once he felt well this universal dimension of the Mother of God is found evoked as a poet Villon which expresses in his famous ballad, according to the traditional tripartite structure of the world:
Lady of Heaven, ruler Tercena, marsh Emperatriz
hell.

And the great rose window in the facade of the cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris is the Virgin in the center with the Zodiac in the outer circle: a way to proclaim that Mary is truly the Empress of the World, since which is based at the Centre, at the point marked by the Axis mundi.

All these invocations demonstrate the efforts that inspired writers and scholars were to try to express the unfathomable riches of the Virgin through symbols. At modern minds, we are aware of it, find it difficult at times to grasp its scope and, above all, will be tempted to look at what they see as inconsistency: how to, to take just one example, the idea that the Virgin is " land "and at the same time, the 'moon' or 'Star of the Sea"? But do not try to coordinate these different symbols in a system to point to rationalize, that is, in fact, to destroy them. There is among them, in fact, logical coherence, but something much more interesting, ontological convergence, for each symbol-speak, of course, true symbols, not allegories, is also of their specific determination, an image of the whole, a microcosm that contains virtually the macrocosm. When presented in a wide range, as in the case that concerns us here, do not form a manifold in which join in a linear sequence, but a multiple unit, and radiating lines leading from a central object or being you have to qualify, and leading to it, albeit asymptotically. All these cosmic symbols have been paraded before our eyes look to see something of the mystery of Mary, are the mediators needed to, using images of the sensible world, to reach the intelligible otherwise than by abstract concepts that can not reach the heart.


WARRIOR

Because it's "Queen of the world, Mary is the Virgo Potens, the" Virgin most powerful, "with a motherly power exercised in favor of men: it is Auxilium Christianorum," the relief of the Christians. " A relief involved in all circumstances and in first place in an area that is no longer used to find the war. Yet, the liturgy has not stopped celebrating it as a formidable warrior, "terrible as an army in battle formation" (Antiphon of Vespers August 15). An antiphon for the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary calls "majestic and powerful Virgin, Tower of David, a thousand shields are suspended from it, and all the host of the brave", invoking also taken from the Song of Songs (4.4). We also find the image "Tower of David" is also found in the Litany of Loreto, in terms of ACAT to proclaim Mary "strong tower", "Wall impregnable", "Force fighters," "Relief of warriors ',' Terror of the enemies like thunder, "" Ray to shoot down the enemies. "

History has preserved the memory of their statements they made in several places to call "Our Lady of Victory. " For example, in Tuira, which routed the Saracens at the time of Charlemagne, during the Reconquista, King of Aragon, Pedro II, was painted on their banners the image of the Black Madonna of Rocamadour, by which obtained great victory of Las Navas de Tolosa in 1212, the Black Madonna of Chartres liberated the city, besieged by the Normans, in Dijon, also the Black Madonna, Notre-Dame de Bon Espoir [Our Lady of Good Hope], protected the Swiss inhabitants against invasion in 1513, the Black Madonna of Czestochowa forced the Swedes to raise the siege of the city in 1655, and gave the victory to John Sobieski on the Turks in 1683.

Hence the representations of the Virgin turrígeras, ie, with a crown made up of elements representing fortified walls. This can be explained by two reasons. The first is that the liturgy treats Mary to a city, more exactly to the City, the holy city, is called "universal King City," "City of God," "City of the Lord which rivers flow Blessed Life "(assimilation can be seen here in Paradise, which we have spoken). The second reason, which explains the fundamental and the first belongs to the same status of the Mother: In traditional thinking, the city is assimilated to the womb, the breast protector, hence, in almost all languages, the name that means is female.

Virgin interventions considered here relate to material life. There are others, certainly much more important, in which the warrior aspect of Mary is exerted against spiritual enemies. Mary then is the "Punishment of invisible enemies," the "overthrow of the demons," "The Empire has overthrown the tyrant of men." The rationale and justification for this paper is found naturally in the famous passage in Genesis (3, 14) in which God tells the serpent: "I put enmity between you and the woman, etc.." Hence sentences como esta, que pertenece a la eucología latina:
Augusta Reina de los cielos y Señora de los Angeles, tú que has recibido de Dios el poder y la misión
de aplastar la cabeza de Satán, te lo pedimos humildemente,
envía tus santas legiones para que, a tus órdenes y por tu poder, persigan a los demonios,
los combatan en todo lugar, repriman su audacia y los arrojen al abismo.

Esta mención de las «santas legiones» explica que al arcángel San Miguel, el llamado Archiestratega, se lo asocie a menudo con el culto a la Virgen en los santuarios marianos, como el Mont-Saint-Michel, Rocamadour y Le Puy.

Es sabido que la acción de la Shekhina en the establishment operates under the two "pillars" of the tree Sefirotic, Rigor or Justice and Mercy, then, Christ is both the Judge, the Just and Merciful, but in parallel, so is Madonna. Because if it is the "Mother of Mercy," also presents, as we have seen, a fearsome appearance also often appears in black statues. Again, it is appropriate to refer to metaphysical point of view. The Shakti, the feminine and maternal aspect of divinity, is sweetness, kindness, goodness, joy and relief, appeals, offers thanks, but on the other hand, may appear in a terrible aspect. Indeed, the universal possibility implies As mentioned, besides the beauty, richness, fullness, etc., denial of Being and the possibility of evil, hence the divine reaction manifested through Rigor and what the Scriptures call the "Cholera" divine Shakti is terrible. These two aspects, in India, are those of Kali, "the Black", which is sometimes Ellamma Bhavani and the "benevolent" and other times it Kalama, "the Terrible" and Durga 'the inaccessible'. It is true that the Virgin Mary the contrast is far from being so marked, but nevertheless there, but too often forget. While it is full of love and mercy for the 'men of good will, although it is the "refuge of sinners" to help them repent, it is also terrible for all the enemies of God, men and demons. Recall the epiclesis we have cited in the previous chapter: "Virgin most powerful," "Terrible as an army in battle formation", "terror of the enemies ',' lightning shoot down the enemies."


MERCIFUL

Despite being fearsome warrior, Maria is also-and this is its most famous, the Virgo Clemens, the Mater Misericordiae, loving mother for her children - "I am the Mother of fairest love ", says several times in the liturgy application and full of misfortune. We have already seen rescue the sailors. Salus also infirmorum "health of the sick." should be cited dozens of books to account for all the cures wrought by Mary, healing of the deaf, dumb, blind, crippled, epileptic, etc.. and resurrection of the dead, remember the Livre des miracles de Notre-Dame de Chartres, Jehan Marchant, the Livre des miracles de Notre-Dame de Rocamadour, 1172, ninety mentioned cures, including crazy, memoirs written by Toulouse Benedictines of healing due to the Black Virgin Daurade, and without going back that far, think of Lourdes. Mary is also "merciful" as Consolatrix Afflictorum "Comforter of the Afflicted" and especially as Regugium peccatorum, "Refuge of sinners, particularly related to them appears primarily as the" Mother of mercy. " We do not insist on this point by now, because we will have to treat it more extensively in what follows, let us note here only the relationship between Mary merciful and the dead. Curious way, a number of statues of him were found in different cemeteries (...) What emerges from these findings is above all the obvious connection to the land, then the role of the Virgin as protector of the dead, that is, its fate in the Hereafter; it also will speak again.


MOTHER

But the first title that honors Mary piety is that of "Mother", and do not forget that while the Church proclaimed "Mother of God, Theotokos, also calls it "Mother of men." and this word is also the New Eve, which was the "Mother of the living" (Gen. 3.20) mother live horribly miserable. Redemption to the individual man is the "second birth", which is conferred by the baptismal initiation. Now, as we have said, this second birth only operates ritually via a 'return to the mother', ie the origin. So it has always treated the font to a womb. But the baptismal initiation, like any initiation, is virtual: depositing a divine seed, emerged from the Holy Spirit, who must pass a womb to be born. It is Mary who welcomed the baptized into it and is prepared to make the switch to act under the baptismal initiation. "St. Augustine" writes St. Louis Grignon de Montfort in his Treatise of True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin, "calls the Virgin Form Dei," God mold, the mold suitable for forming gods, he who is cast in that divine mold is formed and shaped early in Jesus Christ and Jesus Christ in it, will become God, since it is cast into the same mold that formed a God. "

Baptism, the Eucharist, is certainly capable of giving the man Christ nature, driving it to theosis, but after it has given birth to Mary, as did Jesus, when he told San Juan, and him to all men: "Son, behold your mother." That is also the meaning of the adage, officially recognized by the Church: Ad Jesum per Mariam. The man could rise, according to Mary in his "ownership" to the top of heaven, because, if Mary is called "Queen of Angels" and "Queen of Heaven", that means that as a woman on earth, has come and recapitulated all higher state of being symbolized by "heaven" and "angels" and in his "Coronation" returned to the divinity of which it came, like Jesus after his resurrection, he had risen too, and the first-in man "above all the heavens" (Acts 1.10, Heb, 4.15) where he resides as the Divine Word from eternity. That is also the meaning of "Jacob's Ladder" and that is the reason why in the litany of ACAT invokes the Virgin Mary with the title "Scale that raises men from earth to heaven. " The Virgin, as a woman on earth, joined all the higher states of being and so he became, together with Christ, the prototype of the glorified humanity. So, for those who according to the will of Jesus has become "a son of Mary" is no longer necessary to actually go after death, according to the mode of transmigration, the multiplicity of higher states to achieve the deification , since at that as' son of Mary, "and therefore" son of God, and has integrated virtually.

This close collaboration of Mary in the full implementation of the Spiritual Life Christian, who is the "christification" the faithful, as the true Christian, according to the traditional formulation, is "another Christ (alter Christus), invites us to think differently from the usual icon found in the principle of our study, the "Virgin in Majesty," sitting, presenting his son sitting on his knees as if to come out of her womb (fructus Ventris tui), in the East, the icon known as the "Virgin of the Sign" represents Mary with the child in her womb open. The child is truly the Christ Child, Jesus, but also the divine child in what must be chosen to 'imitation Jesus Christ, through the womb of the Virgin. and the statue of black is particularly significant in this respect, as we shall see.

Following this search on epiclesis and titles of the Virgin Mary and the snack we just did with the pre-Christian god forms, we feel that we can answer the question we posed at the end of the first chapter this book, namely, if we are led to see that Mary can be considered a "divine personality." Well, we all concur to make a positive response. Undoubtedly will object that the magisterium has always rejected such a conception. It is true, but we find three things: first, as we have said, is that the invocations of the Virgin and the titles we've examined, and are canonically accepted by the Church, can not reasonably consistent with an ordinary woman. The second is that the Christian people, in obedience to a kind of fundamental religious instinct has always tended to behave toward Mary as if it belonged to the superhuman world, the divine order, is sufficient proof of Villon's "Ballade at Notre-Dame "where does speak to his mother and where it does not hesitate to call" High God. " Formula "writer, poet hyperbole? Maybe, but it belongs to the poets, in fact, express often the insights and deep convictions, but sometimes dark, of a people. I do not know that he was disturbed Villon anyone for these words, in an era in which, however, did not play with these materials, when disturbed, it was for very different reasons. Finally, the third and final point, we find in sentences, as in the writings of the Orthodox spiritual writers, the names of "Divine Mother" and "Divine Mary 'names fully justified by the Council of Ephesus, whose common explanation for official theology, as we have noted, there seems to exhaust its meaning.


(*) NOTE ON SYMBOLISM

us understand it when we say that Mary "is" the land, because somebody might believe that the Virgin that reduce to nothing more than an image of a cosmic reality, fear is not unfounded, because unfortunately that is what many intellectuals who claim to have seen the Blessed Virgin. And that gives us the opportunity to clarify once and for all the meaning and operation of the symbolism. When we say that "Mary is the land" that must be understood in the sense of what in another book we call the "theological metonymy" and looks perfectly Plutarch in his treatise On Isis and Osiris, in criticizing precisely the materialist exegesis say that "Demeter is the ear of wheat" in the sense that "only the spike of wheat," says that this is a distortion of religious truth and ends up falling into idolatry. They say he continues, that "Demeter is the spike" in the same way that says "represent Menander" to mean "represent the comedies of Menander," or even "this is in Menander"

The metonymy is do with the symbolism well understood in the traditional sense: the symbol has ontological value, of course, when we take in the interpretation "vertica1", ie according to the direction that links together all aspects of being and that makes certain higher reality is reflected in another that is less certain, so that no analogy to be between two and we can say that lower reality 'is' the higher reality, which means that the states very accurately and allows go back to it. But it is clear that there is no absolute identity between the two, which otherwise would be absurd, because if that were the two realities are no more than one.

TOP