All Saints' Day

All Saints' Day
[The vigil of this feast is popularly called "Hallowe'en" or "Halloween".]

This is a post about my spiritual beliefs which are as much a part of me as my art...I will be posting again later today about my gallery showing and about my newest favorite possession..."The Journey" by Miss Norah/Sharon...

All Saints' Day is a Christian holy day observed by many Western churches on November 1 and by Eastern churches on the first Sunday after Pentecost. The day now honors all saints of the church, even those not known by name. I thought I would share some history of the day and clear some misconceptions as to why Catholics pray to saints.

My All Saints' Icon
Christians have been honoring their saints and martyrs since at least the second century AD. The Martyrdom of Polycarp, probably written near the middle of the second century, attests to this reality. Initially the calendars of saints and martyrs varied from location to location, and many times local churches honored local saints. However, gradually feast days became more universal.

The first reference to a general feast celebrating all saints occurs in St Ephrem the Syrian (d. AD 373). St. John Chrysostom (d. AD 407) assigned a day to the feast, the first Sunday after Pentecost, where in the Eastern Churches the feast is celebrated to this day. In the West, this date was probably originally used, and then the feast was moved to May 13th. The current observance (November 1) probably originates from the time of Pope Gregory III (d. AD 741), and was likely first observed on November 1st in Germany. This fact makes the connection of the All Saints Feast with the pagan festival Samhain less likely, since Samhain was an Irish pagan feast, rather than German.

The vigil of the Feast (the eve) has grown up in the English speaking countries as a festival in itself, All Hallows Eve, or Halloween. While many consider Halloween pagan (and in many instances the celebrations are for many), as far as the Church is concerned the date is simply the eve of the feast of All Saints. Many customs of Halloween reflect the Christian belief that on the feast's vigils we mock evil, because as Christians, it has no real power over us. However, for some Halloween is used for evil purposes, in which many Christians dabble unknowingly.

David Morrison explains the proper relationship between Christians and Halloween. Various customs have developed related to Halloween. In the Middle Ages, poor people in the community begged for "soul cakes," and upon receiving these doughnuts, they would agree to pray for departed souls. This is the root of our modern day "trick-or-treat." The custom of masks and costumes developed to mock evil and perhaps confuse the evil spirits by dressing as one of their own. Some Christians visit cemeteries on Halloween, not to practice evil, but to commemorate departed relatives and friends, with picnics and the last flowers of the year. The day after All Saints day is called All Soul's Day, a day to remember and offer prayers up on behalf of all of the faithful departed. In many cultures it seems the two days share many customs. See the Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church for more information.

Traditions and Customs
Visiting Cemeteries (All Hallows Eve)
Giving "Soul Cakes" to the poor (All Hallows Eve)

Symbols
Sheaf of Wheat
Rayed Manus Dei (Hand of God)
Crown
Symbols of Individual Saints


Frequently Asked Questions

1. Isn't Celebrating All Saints Day Idolatry?

Most non-Catholics assume that celebrating the saints means somehow worshipping them. The Church has always held, East and West, that worship (latria) is to be given to God alone, and that we give veneration (dulia) to the saints, the highest veneration (hyperdulia) being due to the Blessed Virgin Mary. If someone is treating a Saint as one should treat God, then yes, that is idolatry.

That being said, the Saints of God do have a role in our lives, as intercessors before God. The saints are continually praying for us and interceding on our behalf. God is the God of the living, not of the dead. As such, asking a saint for his or her intercession is perfectly legitimate and not idolatrous, no more than asking a friend or pastor to pray for you is idolatrous.

Remembering and honoring the saints are also beneficial, because to remember the heroes of the faith and follow their examples is a good thing! Many seem to have a great hatred of remembering and celebrating the lives of great Christian men and women, yet have no problem fervently celebrating the lives of secular heroes like George Washington. All Saints Day is simply a day to celebrate the lives of all the great heroes of the Christian faith, and to celebrate the deep communion we have with them as they intercede for us.

for more information visit here...information from www.churchyear.net

It has been 6 months since our Dear Renee of Circling My Head  left us. I miss her deeply!!! She loved my angel paintings, especially Fly Forth O Gentle Dove...I do believe that it was painted for her...

Her daughter posted this today, her favorite poem...

Desiderata (by Max Ehrmann)

Go placidly amid the noise and haste,

and remember what peace there may be in silence.

As far as possible without surrender

be on good terms with all persons.

Speak your truth quietly and clearly

and listen to others,

even the dull and the ignorant;

they too have their story.

Avoid loud and aggressive persons,

they are vexations to the spirit.

If you compare yourself with others,

you may become vain and bitter;

for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.

Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans

Keep interested in your own career, however humble;

it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.

Exercise caution in your business affairs;

for the world is full of trickery.

But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;

many persons strive for high ideals;

and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself.

Especially, do not feign affection.

Neither be cynical about love;

for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment 

it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years,

gracefully surrendering the things of youth.

Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.

But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.

Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.

Beyond a wholesome discipline, 

be gentle with yourself.

You are a child of the universe,

no less than the trees and the stars;

you have a right to be here.

And whether or not it is clear to you,

no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God,

whatever you conceive Him to be,

and whatever your labors and aspirations,

in the noisy confusion of life 

keep peace with your soul.

With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,

it is still a beautiful world.

Be cheerful.

Strive to be happy.

is your imagination out of focus?

Art and Soul Radio's Musing for the week...

One of my favorite writers, Mark Twain said “You cannot depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus.” What helps you bring your imagination into focus so you can really see what is?

My musings on the quote: mindfulness...it takes practice to live fully in the moment and be present in your life...fully and mindfully experiencing all your senses, often will unleash vivid imaginings and delightful bouts of creativity...

it rained during my morning walk along the beach...i noticed other people scurrying off the beach...i stayed and felt the drops hit my arms and face and clothing...they were neither hot nor cold, yet the breeze from the ocean cooled my skin and felt good...

the soft rain added a fresh, clean fragrance to the salty sea air...i breathed deeply...it tasted salty on my lips as an upward curving of the corners of the mouth indicated pleasure...



the drops made a soft tapping sound as they fell on the ocean and sand...i stood and listened to the rhythm of the rain as it mixed with the sound of the waves as they moved toward shore...

i searched for a rainbow...there was none...however, i noticed the patterns the drops of rain created in the shallow water near shore...i tried to capture the circular shapes as they expanded and grew into one another...i took several photos as i watched the ever-changing patterns form and reform like an infinite kaleidoscope...knowing these patterns will find their way into my art...



when the rain stopped i noticed two feathers floating in the water...they created intricate dance patterns as they bobbed about...twisting and turning...growing close then separating...i watched this performance for quite some time until a large wave washed them from my sight...

mindfulness takes time and a commitment to yourself...i made such a vow years ago when i moved to this tiny island in the atlantic...i would take a mindful, prayerful meditative walk by the sea every morning as long as i was able...at this moment i am able...

Sabbath song for a nation of devout consumers...

By Wendy Francisco c2009 Crack O' Noon Music ASCAP Download "God and DoG" gifts, t -shirts, and free wmv file at www.GoDandDoG.org.

 

The Long Lost Silent Night

 it was a foggy sunrise this morning

by Bill McKibbon...read the rest of the article here and visit my hundred dollar holiday website here...

But that’s not the real culprit. Much more, it’s the way all the noises that we choose to listen to have infiltrated our minds. We’re caffeinated, buzzed, wired, plugged-in. In one recent survey, only 19 percent of Americans said they wanted a "more exciting, faster-paced life." Excitement can’t excite us anymore.

What can excite us – what can make us salivate the way a circus could make some Kansas farm boy salivate – is the prospect of a lull, an interlude. Stillness scares us (that’s why the TV goes on when we walk in the hotel room) but it attracts us, too. If there’s one thing we’d really like from Christmas, I think, it’s a little of that "season of peace" that the greeting card writers are always promising. It’s one of the reasons "Silent Night" is the all-time favorite carol. There’s a moment when we sing it each year at the end of the Christmas Eve service, with the lights out and everyone holding a candle that frames their face with soft light, and that marks for me the absolute height of Christmas.

If there’s one way in which the world has changed more than any other since 1840, one thing that’s truly different about our lives, it’s that we’ve become such devout consumers. That consumption carries with it certain blessings (our lives are long and easy by any historical standard) and certain costs (first and foremost the damage it causes to the rest of creation). But the greatest cost may be the way it’s changed us, the way it has managed to confuse us about what we really want from the world. We weren’t built just for this life we find ourselves leading – we were built for silence and solitude, built for connection with each other and the natural world, built for so much more than we now settle for. Christmas is the moment to sense that, the moment to reach for the real joys.

I am challenging myself and others to create A Hundred Dollar Holiday this year...

A Hundred Dollar Holiday - How To Create a Homemade Christmas

I have updated my Squidoo Lens...click the above link to get tons of information on creating a beautiful holiday celebration for less than $100.

You want to make a memorable Christmas holiday for your family but you have no idea how to do it! We will explore ways to make a beautiful Christmas memory without spending a lot of money.

I have always been a make it, take it kind of person. There will be how-to's, ideas, recipies, videos, and much more. New stuff will be added daily...so chack back often!



angel art by Rebecca E. Parsons (Cre8Tiva)

Please share a favorite homemade idea, your family holiday traditions, or special things you do on Christmas Eve or Christmas day in the guestbook at the bottom of the page!

"So the reason to change Christmas is not because it damages the earth around us, though surely it does. (Visit a landfill the week after Christmas.) The reason to change Christmas is not because it represents shameful excess in a world of poverty, though perhaps it does. The reason to change Christmas - the reason it might be useful to change Christmas - is because it might help us to get at some of the underlying discontent in our lives. Because it might help us see how to change every other day of the year, in ways that really would make our whole lives, and maybe our entire 365-days-a-year culture, healthier in the long run." Bill McKibbon - see his book below...read the rest of the article here...

MERRY  CHRISTMAS  EVERYONE!

metallic moods of the sea...

as an artist i am sensitive to the changes in color around me...last week the atmosphere was very blue...and the temperature was very cold...my morning photos were very blue...consequently my mood was blue...but this week the temperature warmed as did the colors and my spirit shines...the atmosphere took on a metallic glow and the following are the photos i captured...

platinum morn

golden morn

silver morn

bronze morn

copper morn

i can feel the change about my world at this time...this shining aura surrounds me and my spirit is brightened...i carry this out into the world...

Meister Eckhart wrote, "As thou art in church or cell, that same frame of mind carry out into the world, into its turmoil and its fitfulness."

Lord, help us find our way back...

My Sabbath Song today is about our world and the economic path we have taken the past few decades... and i pray...Lord, help us find our way back...

as i pursue my dreams i have often asked the Lord to guide me to my deeper purpose...and He has responded by leading, and sometimes dragging me kicking and screaming, into my deeper purpose...

"Most of the companies I admire in the world I think have a deeper purpose. I've met a lot of successful entrepreneurs. They all started their businesses not to maximize shareholder value but to pursue a dream." -John Mackey, CEO and founder of Whole Foods Market, Inc. in a Wall Street Journal interview

looking to increase shareholders gains seems to have enabled a few blinded by greed people to bring our economy and our very lifestyles to the brink of collapse...

"Over the past few years, there clearly has been an erosion in the country's financial values. This erosion has happened at a time when the country's cultural monitors were busy with other things. They were off fighting a cultural war about prayer in schools and the theory of evolution. They were arguing about sex and the separation of church and state, oblivious to the large erosion of economic values happening under their feet." -David Brooks, The New York Times

we can no longer do business as usual..nor should we look to the past to repair the present and the future...we must look for new ideas and new people to be the visionary leaders who will accompany us on our journey out of this darkness and despair...

"Select capable men from all the people...men/women who fear God, trustworthy men/women who hate dishonest gain." -Exodus 18:21

if we had not been trying so hard to negate and devalue our "one country under God" founding principle...perhaps we could have elected/followed/believed those capable, trustworthy individuals who hate dishonest gain and not have been led to this place we find ourselves in today...

yet i stand firm in belief that we will find those visionary leaders who are out there for everyone to see...

"My deepest vocation is to be a witness of the glimpses of God I have been allowed to catch." -Henri J.M. Nouwen

and we can catch a glimpse of them if we are open to the possibilities...

"There are people among us who are ethical, responsible and diligent. I hope your story encourages those who toil in obscurity to know that their reward is simple-- they will be ready when the test comes. We need to try to do the right thing every time, to perform our best because we never know what moment in our lives we'll be judged on." -US Airways Capt. Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger from a Wall Street Journal article by Jeffrey Zaslow

so i make a call to those of you who read my musings...to be open...and aware of those visionaries who touch your life and whose words resonate within your heart...

"In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teachings show integrity, seriousness and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about you." -Titus 2:7-8

as i follow my path on this journey of my life i struggle to live by the words above...and of an old Irish prayer my Irish grandparents taught me...

"Three wishes I ask of the King when I part from my body: May I have nothing to confess, may I have no enemy, may I own nothing! Three wishes I ask this day of the King, ruler of suns: May I have no dignity or honours that lead me into torment! May I not work without reward before Christ! May God take my soul when it is most pure!"

all photography copyright rebecca e. parsons 2009

you are my sunshine...somer thompson...

my heart is heavy this morning as i am lifting prayers for a beautiful 7-year old girl, Somer Renee Thompson, who was abducted walking home from school on monday afternoon...almost 48 hours later her body was found in a landfill in Folkston, Gerogia...some 60 miles from her home... get the full story with video here

she loved the song 'you are my sunshine'...as do i...this makes me think of my grandfather, who called me sunshine every morning and often sang the song to me...here johnny cash and bob dylan sing it...

i promised a post about the legend of the feather...and i think it is appropriate today...since i heard the story from my beloved grandfather who sang the song to me...

i found this little feather the day Somer went missing...

this morning i found this little dancing feather...

the legend of the feather

as told me by my grandfather

even as a child i always picked things up from the ground as i walked...you have seen some of them here and in my artwork...

i used to go to my grandfather's office to meet him in the afternoons...we would stroll home together...we would stop and buy a newspaper at the newsstand and he would always get me candy or my favorite a sticky bun at the bakery...while walking home with my grandfather one day, i picked up a feather...and he told me this story...

when you find a feather, it was placed there by your guardian angel...he or she was flying very close that day...so they are very special...and you should always stop and thank your guardian angel for protecting you and watching over you...

my grandfather was always finding subtle ways to share his spirituality with me...he went on to tell me that, if you found a big feather...it was usually St. Michael the Archangel or it could be one of the other Archangels-Raphael or Gabriel...and that the feather was really, really special...

yesterday i found this large feather...

other feathers that have been set before me in the recent past...

please pray for Somer's family...

my morning meditation...

i wish to share with each of you the peace and the comfort i receive on my morning walk by the sea...it begins very early, sometimes it is still dark...at other times the sky is beginning to show the promise of a new day....as i continue to walk, prayerfully...meditatively the first glimpse of the sun is often as the top edges of the clouds above the horizon become tipped with the flames of the sun...this morning i was not alone as a beautiful, 4-foot tall great blue heron was feeding at the edge of the sea...
sometimes she poses for me..today she was skittish and flew south after a few photos...
i watched as her wings spread wide and she glided down the coast...i am blessed to have her near for even a short time...when i turned to walk again the sun was beginning it ascent preceded by rays reaching into the heavens...this is my favorite moment...just before the sun appears...
the the sky turns sienna and golden as the sun climbs above the clouds...and then...
it bursts forth...a brilliant white light in the golden sky...and her rays seek me over the ocean...
and i stand in silence as i feel the warmth touch me cheek...and thank God for the gift of a new day...
i soak in the scene so as to remember everything...i breathe in slowly the salty scents of the sea...and i am truly captivated...mesmerized...
it rises higher above the ocean...and the rays become more intense...and i smile...
the water covers my feet as i stand in awe at the beauty...the majesty of this special moment in time when i am alone with the sun and the sea...and my life is full of meaning and i understand why i am here...

for today is going to offer me a perfect chance to seek, then to study and experience the grandest answers...as i watch...listen, and before the end of this day, i will have a chance to be Divine...for someone is counting on me to be.

"When we settle in our hearts and minds that God's Word can be trusted, we solve a lot of problems in our lives." -Tony Evans, God Can Not be Trusted (and Five Other Lies of Satan)

the heron left behind a feather for me this morning...someday soon i will share the meaning of the feather...

off to the pawn shop...

enough said...

*artwork by Married to the Sea

ghosts and panic attacks do not make for a good night's sleep...

ghosts and panic attacks interrupted my sleep last night...yuk!!! at 1:50 am i awoke terrified, with a full-blown panic attack...have not had one for a long time now...then at 5:50 am, i was awake petting the dog, my kitchen light came on and went off...and the motion detector light came on...for some time now the light in my bathroom will turn on when nobody is in there...i joke about there being a ghost...is it a joke? or is it my guardian angel?

so i was on the beach by 6:30 this morning...it was still very dark and i walked in the light of the moon...my reflection on the wet sand beneath my feet...

6:30 am walk

the great blue heron was the only other being on the beach at this moment

i walked on in silent prayer...wanting some comfort...and i remember...when life seems to be 'falling apart' things could actually be 'falling together'...

i keep reminding myself that i am safe, and my situation is under the perfect control of Divine providence and universal order...i try to only infuse loving thoughts and emotions into the situation to ensure that the highest possible outcome flows effortlessly to and through me...adapted from Dorren Virtue

the sunrise

how big you 'perceive' a problem to be may be actually BE the problem...

When fear comes, expect the opposite...faith to rise up. When symptoms attack your body, expect the opposite-God's healing power. When sadness attaches itself to you, expect the opposite-joy to flood your being. When lack comes in, expect the opposite-God's provision. When confusion comes, expect the opposite-God's peace. When darkness covers you, expect the opposite-God's light on you. -Martin Riding

the heron on my way back down the beach...my companion in the first light of day

"In the words of an old Irish prayer: Three wishes I ask of the King when I part from my body: May I have nothing to confess, may I have no enemy, may I own nothing! Three wishes I ask this day of the King, ruler of suns: May I have no dignity or honours that lead me into torment! May I not work without reward before Christ! May God take my soul when it is most pure!" -Sacred Space

a surprise when i looked at my pictures

i had captured a dragonfly purely by Divine accident

a gift to remind me that even when i feel alone...i am not alone...

====================

i am expecting a miracle...

i joined the FUN-ellenge with Heather Picken

join us here:

http://summitforwomen.ning.com/page/i-create-miracles-funellenge

making peace with my today will improve my future…

vultures after my spirit

for some time now i have felt as if vultures were after my spirit...it seems that they are coming from every direction...yes, it seems that way....

Making Peace with My Today Will Improve My Future... It may sound odd, but the fastest way to get to a new-and-improved situation is to make peace with your current situation. By making lists of the most positive aspects you can find about your current situation, you then release your resistance to the improvements that are waiting for you. But if you rail against the injustices of your current situation, you hold yourself in Vibrational alignment with what you do not want, and you cannot then move in the direction of improvement. It defies Law. In every particle of the Universe, there is that which is wanted - and the lack of it. - Abraham

Excerpt from from Abraham Hicks, The Vortex Where the Law of Attraction Assembles All Cooperative Relationships

so i make peace with my today...and i will do it again tomorrow if necessary...and each day that follows for my spirit still shines...it cannot help but shine as i choose to live fearlessly and consciously...and love...

may our collective lights shine brightly today....

"Your playing small doesn't serve the world. There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine. We are born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us, it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same." -Marianne Williamson, A Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of "A Course in Miracles"

9/9/9 ...

this must be a special day...

sunrise for francina

this is my dear friend francina's birthday...it will probably be a sad day for her...because of this...

she is one of the most spiritual people i know...to be near her is to be blessed...so i hope this photo gives her comfort on her life journey...much love my friend...

unrest...thoughts on living your purpose

storm clouds gather

"You can always tell when a man is not living in the purpose for which God created him. You sense his unrest. You get a feeling something is not quite right, even if you can't put your finger on what it is. When you are around a man who is fulfilling his calling and doing what he was created to do, you're aware of his inner direction, confidence and deep security." -Stormie Omartian, The Power of a Praying Wife

stormy seas

there are always storms in our lives...times when storm clouds gather and times when there are rough, stormy seas...when we feel lost, alone, afraid, unsure...times of unrest...unrest of the spirit, the mind and the soul...unrest about of purpose and direction...

soaring thru the storm

how you choose to deal with these storms is a view into your strength of character...you can let the storm engulf you where the undertow will pull you down or way off course...or you can soar above the storm where you are lifted up...and propelled along your journey as if on wings...

break in the clouds

and eventually there is a break in the clouds and the sun comes shining thru...and a remarkable calm embraces you...you realize that you have weathered the storm...learned its lessons...and, with deep gratitude, have grown...

sun comes shining thru

and if you are conscious enough you may even find a diamond in the stormy sky...the life lesson that was hidden within the chaos...one that strengthen you and sustains you and brings lasting gift...

diamond in the stormy sky

a simple treasure...an inner direction and confidence to set sail in the direction of your purpose...and follow that path wherever it leads because you know...you BeLiEvE that it is your destiny...

head into the sun