This year it will be a reality for the first time in several years. And not only the West Coast of Sweden, but the whole of the Scandinavian peninsula (Sweden and Norway) looks set to be covered in powdery, white precipitation. Slade live!
"Whoever does the will of my heavenly Father is my brother, and sister, and mother"
Predestined from eternity by that decree of divine providence which determined the incarnation of the Word to be the Mother of God, the Blessed Virgin was in this earth the virgin Mother of the Redeemer, and above all others and in a singular way the generous associate and humble handmaid of the Lord. She conceived, brought forth and nourished Christ. she presented Him to the Father in the temple, and was united with Him by compassion as He died on the Cross. In this singular way she cooperated by her obedience, faith, hope and burning charity in the work of the Saviour in giving back supernatural life to souls. Wherefore she is our mother in the order of grace.
This maternity of Mary in the order of grace... lasts until the eternal fulfillment of all the elect. Taken up to heaven she did not lay aside this salvific duty, but by her constant intercession continued to bring us the gifts of eternal salvation. By her maternal charity, she cares for the brethren of her Son, who still journey on earth surrounded by dangers and cultics, until they are led into the happiness of their true home. Therefore the Blessed Virgin is invoked by the Church under the titles of Advocate, Auxiliatrix, Adjutrix, and Mediatrix...
For no creature could ever be counted as equal with the Incarnate Word and Redeemer. Just as the priesthood of Christ is shared in various ways both by the ministers and by the faithful, and as the one goodness of God is really communicated in different ways to His creatures, so also the unique mediation of the Redeemer does not exclude but rather gives rise to a manifold cooperation which is but a sharing in this one source.
I just came across two brief excerpts of "Imitation of Christ". And it was like: "Pow! Ouch!"
Boy, do I need to read that book bad! It's just been sitting on my bookshelf since I bought it, only the most read piece of Christian spiritual writing ever, and for good reason it seems now. :-P It was like those passages were directed specifically at me, and when that happens, you KNOW you'd better pay attention.
So, while voting in Sweden was actually up from 38 to 44 % (which is still pretty horrible for a country that has an 80% turnout for the national elections) voting Europewide was down - again. And while the Conservative and Christian-Democrat parties generally held their ground and Social-Democrats lost big-time, the lost seats went to xenophobic Nationalists and Eurosceptics and Greens instead of to "sensible" parties. Read "all" about it here: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/n…
Χριστός ἀνέστη! Christus resurrexit! Христос воскресе! Kristus är uppstånden! Kristus nousi kuolleista! Christ is risen! Christus ist auferstanden! Kristus er stått opp! Kristus on üles tõusnud! Le Christ est ressuscité! Krisztus feltámadt! Il Cristo è risorto! ¡El Cristo ha resucitado!
You are well on the way to becoming a fully fledged eccentric. You are unusual in many respects and your friends and even passing acquaintences know you are distinctly different. Some bigots may be standoffish as a result but your skin is too thick for it to worry you.
pleased
thoughtful
struck by divine revelation