Very Cool!

So I was browsing around on Etsy and much to my surprise, saw an article about Trappist monks who make funeral caskets!

"The Trappists‘ mandate is to live by the labor of their hands,” says Mulgrew. “They don’t fundraise or run schools or hospitals. They live a self-contained life of prayer. Making caskets is a good psychological and spiritual fit. Death is about moving on, going to a different place, and the monks spend a lot of time thinking about these things. These caskets reflect the quiet, simple life led by the monks and allows them to offer a part of their lives symbolically.

I especially loved this aspect of what they do:

The monks pray over each casket and urn before they are shipped, and for each one sold a tree is planted in the carefully managed monastery forest. The monks conduct a mass in remembrance of the deceased and each name is entered in a memorial prayer book.

Isn't that just beautiful? Read the whole article here.

Just Because...

Just wanted to share this video with some lovely images of prayer cards, set to the music of the film Les Choristes by Bruno Coulais. If you haven't seen this film, go rent it and watch it! It's a beautiful story and the music is divine. :-)

A Rainbow

The other day I saw the biggest, most complete rainbow I think I've ever seen. I was driving at the time, and was disappointed I wouldn't be able to get a picture of it. I got home, stepped out of my car and looked behind me...and this is what I saw. :-)

I *heart* my Parish!

This is just a taste of the gorgeous and unique music we get to hear at mass.

This is a 13th century piece sung in middle English (which I find fascinating!)



This is the translation:

"Stand well, mother, under the cross, behold your child with a glad spirit; a happy mother may you be."

"Son, how may I happily stand? I see your feet and your hands nailed to the hard tree."

"Mother, put away your weeping. I suffer this death for mankind; I do not suffer for my own guilt."

"Son, I feel the wounds of death, the sword is at the bottom of my heart as Simeon promised me."

"Mother, have pity on your child! Wipe away the bloody tears that wound me worse than my own death."

"Son, how can I refrain from tears? I see these bloody streams run from your heart onto my foot."

"Mother, now I may say unto you, better it is that I alone die than all mankind go to hell."

"Son, I see thy body beaten, breast and hand and foot pierced through; no wonder that I am grieved."

"Mother, if I may tell you, unless I die, you go to hell; I suffer death for your sake."

Is that not beautiful? We are so blessed!

A New Blog!

Ok, so I had a bit of a change of plans. I was planning on opening up an Etsy shop, but as I discussed it with my husband we decided to wait on that, since it's something I have to spend money to use. I'm not planning on making a big business or anything, I'd just like to sell a few things on the side to friends and anyone who is interested, and mostly I wanted a place to help me mentally organize all the stuff I'm working on, have worked on, etc.

So, I decided to just create a new blog to have as my crafting center, and offer anything I have to sell on there as well. I'd like to just take it slow and see how things go before spending any money in order sell things.

I present to you my new blog:



From now on, I'll probably be keeping most of my craft and sewing related stuff on there rather than here, but I might link to it from time to time. Enjoy!

Beauty

This was my other little anniversary surprise. My favorite! :-)

Feminine Beauty

Following my last blog post that had to do with how society has changed, especially concerning women and propriety, I saw this beautiful video (curtsy to Jennifer! And kudos for her great post about contraception and a woman's self-image) showing what true feminine beauty is about. There's not a single flashy breast or mini skirt to be seen, just the softness and delicacy tying all women together. (And Bach playing in the background doesn't hurt either!)

Beauty is Truth

When I was a little girl, I always used to love dressing up in pretty dresses with lots of fabric and flowing skirts. I used to see pictures of times past, when women wore flowing dresses, and wish we could wear them today! My sisters used to joke that I was born in the wrong century. Even today, my tastes tend to lean toward the traditional, toward the classic. I used to wonder why I was so drawn to beautiful things...perhaps I was being too superficial? But I think there's more to it. I can't adequately express the difference I feel when listening to a beautiful piece of music written in the 1600s, and listening to a popular modern tune. Nor can I express the difference I feel when looking at a piece of modern art, and feasting on a classical masterpiece. It just seems there is something more there, in those pieces of visual, musical, and literary art created in times past...it seems deeper, more complex, more beautiful, and, I think most importantly, more true to life, more real. And so I think my attraction to beauty, is really at its deepest level an attraction to truth. It's also partly to blame for my conversion, lol. I once read this article, I Was Converted by Mozart, and could completely relate!

A while back, I discovered an artist that moved me in such a profound way, I couldn't stop looking at his works of art! The painting in my title is from him, the painting above is from him as well. His name is William Bouguereau, and he's my favorite artist. I'd never heard of him in any art classes (not that I took many), and yet I find his work so moving, and so REAL. The largest online gallery of his work is here, and I also came to love this site itself for its philosophy and stance on modern art, etc. If you want great prints of beautiful art, check it out!

It seems today we're surrounded by superficiality, and it drives me crazy. I crave truth...deep, complex truth. So much of what is created in our modern world seems to be trying to escape reality, and to turn a blind eye to truth. It's shallow and superficial, it cheaply aims to shock, disgust, or sometimes to please, but with an only temporary saccharine sweetness, since it fails to truly move and inspire. But real and lasting beauty can only be found in reality, in truth. These are the pieces of art, of literature, of music that transcend time and touch everyone, regardless of time or place, art that is true, and grounded in reality. To quote Keats, "Beauty is truth, truth beauty. That is all ye know on Earth, and all ye need to know."