Lent Meditation: Suggestions for the Reluctant Victoria Ryan, February 9, 2021February 9, 2021 Christian meditation and contemplation are forms of prayer that date back to the 3rd century. They were practiced by our great Catholic mystics, Fathers of the Church, and saints. It’s said that even John Calvin introduced the concept to his protestant congregation. Meditation easily flows into contemplation and both are…
Lent Proof of God: Here’s how to get it. Victoria Ryan, February 4, 2021February 4, 2021 In my last post, I talked about prayer as one of the three disciplines of Lent. I asked you to give meditation and contemplation a try and invited you to follow my Guided Meditation on this blog during Lent (Tuesdays and Thursdays). I also said I had a suggestion that…
Lent 3-D Lent: Praying Victoria Ryan, February 2, 2021February 1, 2021 Volumes have been written about prayer: what it is; how to do it; physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual benefits. This post will focus on two forms of prayer that great Catholic mystics have used for centuries and you can too: meditation and contemplation. It’s easier than you may think. First,…
Praying with Holy Art: Guided Meditation for Lent Victoria Ryan, January 29, 2021May 31, 2021 Follow the Scriptural Stations of the Cross and meditate with religious art on Tuesdays and Thursdays this Lent. Begins Feb. 18th. Subscribe for reminders.
Lent 3-D Lent: Almsgiving Victoria Ryan, January 28, 2021January 28, 2021 The second of the three disciplines of Lent is almsgiving. Very simply, it means giving to people who are normally left out. But for Catholics, it’s a little more than that. It’s giving because God gave us extra in order to share. It’s giving because those in need are children…
3-D Lent: Fasting Victoria Ryan, January 26, 2021January 18, 2021 The three disciplines of Lent are fasting, almsgiving and prayer. When practiced, they improve the three dimensions of our lives—body, mind and spirit. I’m not talking humongous Lenten promises like not eating any form of dessert, tithing 90%, or praying all four mysteries of the rosary–daily. I’m talking about any…
Holy card art Numbers as Symbols in Religious Art Victoria Ryan, January 21, 2021January 17, 2021 Back in Jesus’ time, and long before Him, numbers were not always used as precisely as we use them today. The most common example is found in Matthew’s gospel when Jesus says we must forgive each other not just seven times, but seventy times seven. (Matt 18:22) Jesus did not…
Holy card art Objects as Symbols in Religious Art Victoria Ryan, January 19, 2021January 23, 2021 An apple in a woman’s hand, for example, will easily identify the woman as Eve. Without writing a word, the symbol reminds us of the Genesis story that explains how humans lived in paradise, sinned and lost paradise, and needed Jesus to bring them salvation so they might enter paradise…
Holy card art Animals and Other Creatures as Symbolism in Religious Art Victoria Ryan, January 14, 2021January 18, 2021 One downside of modern holy cards, for me, is that symbolism is rarely used. Most people can read now, so faith lessons can be explained in words and acted out in movies and videos. It’s likely that people today would either overlook symbols in modern holy cards or would misinterpret…