Carnival Round The World
Posted by Rebecca Teti in Reviews on Saturday, March 06, 2010
Searching for an illustration for Fat Tuesday a week or two ago, I stumbled upon a fabulous collection of Carnival celebrations from around the world.
Going far beyond the floats and face paint of the celebration in Rio, the pictures introduced me to unknown and fascinating celebrations such as an orange festival in Spain and a mud festival somewhere in Latin America.
Then I promptly forgot all about it until just now, when I stumbled again—this time onto The Big Picture‘s amazing photos from Carnival celebrations around the world.
Depicted here are Dzolomari, Macedonians who keep alive an ancient practice of driving away evil spirits at the start of the new year.
If you have a minute, scroll around. The costumes are amazing—and only one or two of them are Brazilian dancing girls.
Don’t you find the variety of customs originating or melding with the liturgical year fascinating?
The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year
Posted by Rebecca Teti in Reviews on Friday, February 19, 2010
I stumbled onto this at Real Life Rosary. I’m sure you know the tune.
It’s the most wonderful time of the year
With fish fries a smelling
and everyone telling you “try giving up beer”
It’s the most wonderful time of the year.
It’s the pray-prayingest season of all
with weekly prayer meetings
and mission priest greetings
out in the church hall
It’s the pray-prayingest season of all
There’ll be stations... READ MORE
Ashes
Posted by Rachel Balducci in Family on Thursday, February 18, 2010
Yesterday as my family filed back into the pew after receiving our ashes, I watched as my boys quietly compared the marks on their foreheads. Each boy noted the ashes on every other brother’s head, whispering to find out how his own ashes looked compared to everyone else.
“How big are mine,” asked one boy, “because yours are huge!”
I remember having this same conversation with my own siblings, year... READ MORE
Ash Wednesday With The Pope
Posted by Rebecca Teti in Faith on Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Pope Benedict XVI received his ashes this morning.
Two Roman traditions for Ash Wednesday:
In Italy, ashes are sprinkled on the top of the head instead of “crossed” onto the forehead.
In order to strengthen the sense of community among the churches in Rome, the custom developed for the various prayer services of Lent, Holy Week and Easter to be held at different “stations.”
That way, by the end... READ MORE
Feast of the Presentation
Posted by Rebecca Teti in Faith on Tuesday, February 02, 2010
At a vespers service this evening, Pope Benedict celebrated not only the feast of the Presentation, but also the Day of Consecrated Life.
One of the happiest experiences of “Church” I ever had was on the occasion of a Mass Venerable John Paul II celebrated on the same occasion years ago.
Of course it was a grace to be present at a papal mass.
What really touched me, however, was the incredible variety... READ MORE
St. Paul & Ecumenism
Posted by Rebecca Teti in Faith on Monday, January 25, 2010
This evening in Rome, the Pope marked the feast of the conversion of St. Paul and the end of the week of Christian Unity with a vespers service at St. Paul’s Outside The Walls.
As has become traditional, he celebrated with members of other Christian communities.
They prayed together for the complete unity of all Christians, this year emphasizing a desire for every Christian to be an authentic witness... READ MORE
Saints of Christmas: Magi
Posted by Rebecca Teti in Faith on Sunday, January 03, 2010
Because Epiphany is a movable feast in the United States, it falls on the 10th day this year.
Epiphany means “to show,” and the feast celebrates the Magi coming to make the Christ-child known to the entire world.
In last year’s homily for Epiphany, Pope Benedict explained the several meanings of the feast:
“The Latin tradition identifies it with the visit of the Magi to the Infant Jesus in Bethlehem... READ MORE
Saints of Christmas: Basil & Gregory
Posted by Rebecca Teti in Faith on Saturday, January 02, 2010
I love this painting entitled “The Mass of St. Basil” by Pierre Subleyras.
It shows the saint so enrapt in worship of the Eucharist that he doesn’t notice the emperor and his entourage blustering in in the middle of the liturgy.
The original painting was copied and enlarged in mosaic form for St. Peter’s in Rome, where you can find it in the Gregorian chapel.
In the Greek tradition, St. Basil is Father... READ MORE
Saints of Christmas: Mary, Mother of God
Posted by Rebecca Teti in Faith on Friday, January 01, 2010
From Pope Paul VI’s Apostolic Exhortation, Marialis Cultus:
“The Church’s reflection today on the mystery of Christ and on her own nature has led her to find at the root of the former and as a culmination of the latter the same figure of a woman: the Virgin Mary, the Mother of Christ and the Mother of the Church. And the increased knowledge of Mary’s mission has become joyful veneration of her and... READ MORE
Saints of Christmas: Thomas a Becket
Posted by Rebecca Teti in Faith on Tuesday, December 29, 2009
It would be difficult to name a saint who has more captured the heroic imagination of the English-speaking world than St. Thomas Becket.
The story-tellers of The Canterbury Tales are making a pilgrimage to the site of his martyrdom.
(It was one of the most popular pilgrimage sites in Europe until the Reformers destroyed it.)
Alfred Tennyson and T.S. Eliot wrote plays about him.
Even Hollywood has... READ MORE
