The new icon of Our Lady of Longmeadow has just been completed. It will be blessed and installed in its intended home at Saint Mary’s Parish Church, Longmeadow, MA later next month. This is a revealed icon, the story behind the icon can be found here.
To the left is the newly-written icon of the gratuitous gift of the Holy Trinity to mankind: the Blessed Virgin Mary as Our Lady the Protectress; deified Mother of Jesus Christ, Queen of heaven and earth. This is a revealed icon which reflects the beauty and most common facial expression of Our Lady as seen in 2010 through 2012.
The icon was completed by Fr Richard G. Cannuli, O.S.A., based on the original icon painting done by the author. It was blessed at the altar with a regular icon blessing during the morning liturgy at the chapel of Clare Priory, Suffolk, on the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity, 2013.
FOR THE GLORY OF GOD THE FATHER
The Walking Furnace of Love
You came that Tuesday morning in church, when I was alone with You in the Blessed Sacrament after everyone left during Eucharistic adoration. You came in response both to your Mother’s request and to prove me wrong.
The day before I had directly challenged your Mother, the Virgin Mary, to prove that what She repeatedly said throughout the centuries all over the globe was true: namely, that we are not orphans in an indifferent world. Among other things, I said to Her, “Prove it to me or I will not believe it!” Despite everything which had transpired until then – all Your graces and visits by Your Family – I still harbored doubts about this particular issue. Continue reading “Description of Jesus Christ – 3”
FOR THE GLORY OF GOD THE FATHER
The Virgin Mary sings
You stood at the right archway of my dining room late that weekday evening, once again without your crown; wearing your white, floor-length mantle with its blue ribbon traveling inside its borders. This time you came as the joyful Mother at work. Singing an incredibly beautiful albeit unknown song with boundless joy, happiness and love on your petite face, your luxuriously melodious and tonal singing made me feel as though liquid love was suddenly being drained all over me. It was as though Heaven itself was being poured out. No earthly voice or song can, in fact, compare to yours, as your infinitely sweet song was the song of joy of the Holy Trinity mediated through your deified body. Continue reading “Description of the Virgin Mary, the Mother of God – 3”
FOR THE GLORY OF GOD THE FATHER
The Virgin Mary, evil spirits and the Sacrament of Confession
You came out of your large statue which lies right above the tabernacle in the church which bears your name, when I was unknowingly surrounded by some evil spirits that Saturday afternoon while awaiting my turn in line to go to confession. I was already nervous at being there despite the priest-confessor being very good and thorough, kind and gentle, as it was only the second time I was attending after not having been for a significant period of time. Sitting in the pew waiting, I was hoping against hope that the person before me would get their confession over and done with, so that I could get in and out as quickly as possible. I had purposely sat at the end of the pew so if I felt I could not make it, I would be able to leave easily – hopefully unnoticed and without disturbing other people. Continue reading “Description of the Virgin Mary, the Mother of God – 2”
FOR THE GLORY OF GOD THE FATHER
You came that weekday morning in response to my question, “Is this church a (spiritually) safe place to be in?” A question I had been repeatedly but silently asking myself when I decided to return to the Church, after having attended Mass in some neighboring churches but in which heterodoxy and illicitness were both prevalent to some degree or another and unashamedly passed off as the new norm.
There you, the Virgin Mary, the Mother of God – given to me by your Son when you were at the foot of His Cross and by the Father’s Divine Will, to be also my Mother as the Mother of all mankind – suddenly stood, in the main aisle of the church; at the fifth pew from the Continue reading “Description of the Virgin Mary, the Mother of God – 1”
The Divine Heart of God the Father Encompassing All Hearts 