Restoration of the Pro Sanctity Center (Barn) to the New Pro Sanctity Center, with Christ at the heart of the building!
Inauguration of the Ashes to Awe Pro Sanctity
Center/Barn!
Saturday May
5, 2012 from 2-5 pm
What: Tours, Blessing of our new
building and chapel by
Archbishop George Lucas around 3 pm,
Presentations, Prayers of Thanksgiving and
Refreshments will follow!
Come one, come all!
·
The
Meaning of the Pelican as a Catholic Christian Symbol – Symbol of Redemptive love
Catholic
Christian symbolism in art provides a clear graphic illustration which
represents people or items of religious significance. What is the definition
and the meaning of the Pelican? A Pelican is a large long-winged warm-water
seabird having a large bill with a distensible pouch for fish. The Pelican
Christian Symbol represents atonement and charity. 'Pelican in her piety' in
heraldry and symbolical art, is a representation of a pelican in the act of
wounding her breast in order to nourish her young with her blood a practice
fabulously attributed to the bird. The pelican cutting open its own breast
representsChrist's death on the cross, and the shedding of his blood to revive
us and therefore adopted as a symbol
of the Redeemer and of charity. An
explanation of this is that the pelican's bill has a crimson red tip and the
contrast of this red tip against the white breast probably gave rise to the
tradition that the bird tore her own breast to feed her young with her blood.
·
The star below the
Pelican, represents, Mary, Star
of the Sea (see the explanation below).
·
The Vine that
depicts the colors of earth and heaven (browns, greens and blue) represents
salvation history, from Genesis to Christ, from Sin to Salvation/Sanctity and
the on-going love of God that sent his only Son into our world to assists us
with his very self (the Eucharist – symbol of the round circle and Christ at
the Center) to grow in holiness and reach our heavenly homeland.
 |
Jessi Kary, AO with artist and Social Animator, Mike Montag and Fr. Dan Lenz,
OSB as they “re-create” the beautiful marble altar from St. Ann’s Church in Omaha, given to the new Pro Sanctity Retreat Center (barn)!
|
Q: What
is the origin of Mary's title: 'Star of the Sea'?
A: Marian star symbolisms generally come in two versions: the
six-pointed and the eight-pointed star. The six-pointed which is in fact the star of David
(two superimposed triangles pointing in opposite directions, symbol of David's shield according to tradition)
is used to highlight Mary's role
in salvation as helper in the restitutio perfectionis or reparatrix parentum et totius orbis. It symbolizes the restitution of the original harmony
between God and humanity brought about by incarnation and redemption--of which Mary is
a 'helper'. The number eight
symbolizes salvation and its meaning is derived from Gen 6,18: eight people
escaped the deluge finding salvation in the ark (see also 1 Peter 3.20). The eight's day is--according
to Augustine--like the first
(restitution) with permanent character (perfection).
More generally
(independently from the number of radiating points), the star symbolism may be
used to articulate one or all of the following characteristics of Mary:
a) Her privileges, in particular, her
mission as Mother of the Redeemer, or her holiness (full of grace);
b) Her anticipatory or demonstrative role (forerunner, announcer ...) with
regard to Christ ["she is the dawn,Christ the Rising Sun"] and the Trinity;
c) Her role as luminous and enlightening.
The biblical
and/or theological foundation of this title (Mary, Star of the Sea) may be
based on 1 Kings 18:41-45. This text refers to a little cloud appearing above
the sea as a sign of hope, implying that rain will come and free the land from
drought. The little cloud (small as a man's hand) seen from Mt. Carmel is believed to be the 'Star of the
Sea' and Mary, thus, the sign of
hope which announces freedom and renewal. The Carmelites built a church on Mt.Carmel and gave it the title Stella Maris.
The origin of
the expression Stella maris is commonly attributed to St.
Jerome (d.
420). However, Jerome called Mary stilla maris, meaning a drop of the sea. Perhaps a
copyist transcribed this as Stella maris. Other authors recording the same
Marian symbol include: Isidore of Seville (d. 636); Alcuin (d. 804); and Rhabanus Maurus (d. 856).
An explicit
reference occurs in Paschasius Radbertus (d. 865):
Mary,
Star of the Sea, must be followed in faith and morals lest we capsize amidst
the storm-tossed waves of the sea. She will illumine us to believe in Christ, born of her for the salvation
of the world.
Hincmar of
Reims (d. 882) spoke of Mary as 'a star of the sea assumed into the
heavens'.
There are also
some ancient Marian hymns related to the title: Ave Maris Stella (eigth-ninth century); and Alma Redemptoris Mater (by Hermann of Reichenau, eleventh century).
Very important
for this title is the following twelfth-century prayer from St. Bernard of
Clairvaux:
If the winds of temptation arise;
If you are driven upon the rocks of tribulation look to the star, call on Mary;
If you are tossed upon the waves of pride, of ambition, of envy, of rivalry,
look to the star, call on Mary.
From “Ashes to Awe”…
