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Post self-deleted by Liberfreedomia.
The schismatic and heretic belief that the present Pope is illegitimate and that St. Peter's Chair is, therefore, currently vacant
Cristero, Insulusia, Decembria, and Liberfreedomia
As we approach the date when Americans celebrate Thanksgiving, honoring the friendship of the settlers and the native Americans, I am posting the Iroquois prayer for Thanksgiving. When I posted this in several regions, a few Thanksgivings ago, I was criticized for posting a "pagan" prayer. However, I think the prayer is poignant and beautiful. And who, after all, is the Great Spirit?
We return thanks to the rivers and streams, which supply us with water.
We return thanks to all herbs, which furnish medicines for the cure of our diseases.
We return thanks to the corn, and to her sisters, the beans and squash, which give us life.
We return thanks to the bushes and trees, which provide us with fruit.
We return thanks to the wind, which, moving the air, sends sadness away.
We return thanks to the moon and stars, which have given us their light when the sun was gone.
We return thanks to our grandparents, who have protected their grandchildren from witches and reptiles, and have given us their rain.
We return thanks to the sun that has looked upon the Earth with beneficent eye.
We return thanks to the Great Spirit, who embodies all goodness, and who directs all things for the good of the children.
Post self-deleted by Nation1204.
They say that great spirit refers to god or ''supreme being'' or is it just the name that Native Americans give to god or ''supreme beings''
Dear Lord, I give to you all the members of my family. You know them all so well and love them all too. Lord, I ask that you would cover us with a shower of hope.
Father, a hope that draws us together to work out our differences, and that helps us to celebrate together and care for one another.
A hope that rides like a banner in our lives and watches over us wherever we may go.
A hope that overcomes adversity and gathers strength to overcome.
A hope that guides us and gives us a vision for our future alone and together.
Lord give us hope filled with love, and which fuels faith.
A hope that breathes peace.
May our family live in you
Underneath your promises.
Amen.
Eponia, Insulusia, Liberfreedomia, and Colmis
AVE CHRISTUS REX!
CHRISTUS VINCIT CHRISTUS REGNAT CHRISTUS IMPERAT!
blessed and happy Christ the King brother and sisters in Christ!
hello brothers and sisters
Eponia, Insulusia, Liberfreedomia, and Colmis
Post self-deleted by Liberfreedomia.
Words cannot express my attitude towards our current Jesuit Pope. His petty actions against Cardinal Burke are just beyond the pale. And yet, as a Secular Franciscan, I cannot help to notice his gift of "true joy" to the cardinal.
One day at Saint Mary, Saint Francis called Brother Leo and said, "Brother Leo, write this down."
He answered, "I'm ready."
"Write what true joy is," he said. "A messenger comes and says that all the masters of theology in Paris have joined the Order—write: that is not true joy. Or all the prelates beyond the mountains—archbishops and bishops, or the King of France and the King of England—write: that is not true joy. Or that my friars have gone to the unbelievers and have converted all of them to the faith; or that I have so much grace from God that I heal the sick and I perform many miracles. I tell you that true joy is not in all those things."
"But what is true joy?"
"I am returning from Perugia, and I am coming here at night, in the dark. It is winter time and wet and muddy and so cold that icicles form at the edges of my habit and keep striking my legs, and blood flows from such wounds. And I come to the gate, all covered with mud and cold and ice, and after I have knocked and called for a long time, a friar comes and asks, 'Who are you?' I answer, 'Brother Francis.' And he says, 'Go away. This is not a decent time to be going about. You can't come in.'
"And when I insist again, he replies, 'Go away. You are a simple and uneducated fellow. From now on don't stay with us anymore. We are so many and so important that we don't need you.'
"But I still stand at the gate and say, 'For the love of God, let me come in tonight.' And he answers, 'I won't. Go to the Crosiers' Place [another monastery] and ask there.'
"I tell you that if I kept patience and was not upset—that is true joy and true virtue and salvation of the soul."
—14th century Latin manuscript
Post self-deleted by Liberfreedomia.
I am not opposed to the idea by any means. My concern would be making sure that regions with fascists characteristics are kept far away from this alliance because that is all it would take for the powers that be in NS to blacklist us and maintain a negative view of this project.
Also, does Article 2-L imply that one cannot be an amillennialist? Given the age of this agreement, I think it could be fruitful to write up a new charter agreement once there is enough interests from some core regions.
I don't understand the point of this. To what end would this serve the Church, and to a lesser scale, our needs?
There are two main dynamics I think. The more nations you have cooperating, the larger impact you have in NationStates. This is simply a fact of the place we find ourselves in. Also, if there is an opportunity for us to share in a forum where we get to maintain contact with other Christians and speak about what we value, hold dear, then I am not one to immediately turn away.
Impact is a limited term in NationStates. Basically, you are talking about the GA/SC. It looks like either most of the players in our region aren't interested at all or have other puppet nations be their connection to that part of the game. Our delegate only has two of the WA members sponsoring his delegacy.
More importantly, as a former Old Guard member, that part of the game has been taken over by half serious and half stupid idiots. You are not going to have any impact on them whatsoever.
The reason most people in the region aren't in the WA is because the region discourages it 'per regional law'...
After reading the policy and such, I personally think most of the regions policy in that area is unsound, but I can get into that in a separate post if anyone wants my thoughts.
But regardless of that, I don't think more interaction and engagement between Christian regions, nations, and most importantly, the actual people behind those things, can be a bad thing, assuming all is done in good faith. Whether its just finding new online friends and having theological or philosophical discussion though this potential alliance/community, or if it does involve changes on nationstates regarding WA policy, potential cooperation for events on the site (cards, Z-Day, N-Day, etc [for those who participate in those elements]), I just don't see the harm in considering it, at the very least I feel some of us could have a positive human impact on someone, which makes it at least worth the consideration IMO.
I authored the current law having to do with the embargo on WA participation. The fact that a nation has to abide by the resolutions of the GA is enough to make the body reprehensible. There is certainly an argument for taking part in an attempt to change it from the inside, but the current culture of the WA makes that highly doubtable.
Today is the feast of the Immaculate Conception and a holy day of obligation, in which we must attend the holy mass. Let us pray for the intercession of the holy and sinless Mother of God, so we can follow her example and give our "yes" to God.
Christian Democrats, Castle Federation, Nation1204, The Pilgrims in the Desert, and 3 othersBeiranoah, Decembria, and Colmis
It's been about three years, if I remember correctly, since the region started drifting away from the WA, so I don't remember every detail of what happened during that time, but I do recall that I joined the WA for about a month before I decided to leave the WA, along with most members of this region. At the time there were movements among regions that we cooperated with historically to oppose various WA proposals (I believe Right to Life was trying to stop a WA proposal that would declare abortion to be a "human right", or something like that) that were contrary to Christian morality, but these WA proposals still passed with what I felt was an absurd majority, and I think that was the popular sentiment at the time. Many of us saw any attempt at influencing the WA to be futile simply because of how outnumbered we were, even with the efforts done to muster everyone together to vote against that proposal. (And since the security of our region is not based on the WA delegate, we had more flexibility in this regard.)
The trend of region members leaving the WA was already happening to some degree or another, and I believe the importance of the regional law was moreso that our rejection of the WA became official. Nonetheless, I do think that it would be good for this region to interact more with other regions for the other reasons you proposed.
I could see this being a compelling argument but we need to make sure that we discern if it's genuine fellowship or if it quickly devolves into a game of ideological submission. Often an issue I have found with online forums regarding Christian tradition and ecumenism.
I could be in favor of this if we form coalitions to unite our efforts against enemies of the church in Nationstates. Basically, if the coalition serves to protect us and our allies against raids.
Dear Catholic brothers and sisters, greetings from the Union of Christian Nations!
I arrived in this region visiting the UCN embassies and I thought I could share with you with all respect and humility the readings, comments and prayer of the day for this second Sunday of Advent. In the Factbook link you will also be able to find a historical overview of Our Lady of Loreto whom we Catholics remember on this day.
Taking advantage of the fact that a new liturgical cycle began on December 3, I invite you to go through the Factbooks that I made for that day and for December 8 when we celebrate the Immaculate Conception. And in this sense, I invite you to read the ones I will make every Sunday and solemnity.
Sometimes, on the occasion of a family meeting, we review old photographs. Important moments in the family's history have been captured there: weddings, graduations, baptisms, walks, etc., and we can only thank God who has been behind all of that, silent and discreet, directing each one's life. Ancient Israel and the Church of Jesus Christ also stopped to contemplate their religious experience and discovered the wonders of the Lord, his immeasurable love and his unwavering faithfulness. From this certainty, gratitude, renewed love and new vigor in each day's commitment emerge as something natural. This is Advent, a time of conversion and apostolic originality.
Comfort, give comfort to my people,
says your God.
Speak to the heart of Jerusalem, and proclaim to her
that her service has ended,
that her guilt is expiated,
That she has received from the hand of the LORD
double for all her sins.
A voice proclaims:
In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD!
Make straight in the wasteland a highway for our God!
Every valley shall be lifted up,
every mountain and hill made low;
The rugged land shall be a plain,
the rough country, a broad valley.
Then the glory of the LORD shall be revealed,
and all flesh shall see it together;
for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.
Go up onto a high mountain,
Zion, herald of good news!
Cry out at the top of your voice,
Jerusalem, herald of good news!
Cry out, do not fear!
Say to the cities of Judah:
Here is your God!
Here comes with power
the Lord GOD,
who rules by his strong arm;
Here is his reward with him,
his recompense before him.
Like a shepherd he feeds his flock;
in his arms he gathers the lambs,
Carrying them in his bosom,
leading the ewes with care.
The Liberation. In the VI BC, at the time when the disciple of the great Isaiah wrote the "Book of Consolation" (Is 40-55) whose beginning is our first reading today, a part of the people of Israel is still in the Babylonian exile, humiliated, desperate and longing to return to the homeland. This theologian, whom we call "Second Isaiah", raises the people from their prostration and announces the imminent return as a new exodus, the most famous wonder of Hebrew history! Because the God of faith, then and now, seeks the liberation, dignity and happiness of his people.
God with us. The text is of stunning beauty: "Comfort, give comfort to my people, says your God. Speak to the heart of Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her service has ended, that her guilt is expiated". However, this exodus will be much more memorable: God himself, like a shepherd, will go at the head of the repatriates and lead them through the desert, renewing everything in his path, full of power and tenderness.
We wait the same. The Advent that we are celebrating together with the entire Christian community is a time to expect other wonders from God for today's world: overcoming our disbelief and skepticism that makes us think that nothing has a remedy, that it is not worth the effort, that it is Better indifference than commitment. In the Old Testament God wanted to be in history accompanying his people towards happiness. Let us ask Him to do the same today and rekindle our enthusiasm and our hope.
I will listen for what God, the LORD, has to say;
surely he will speak of peace
To his people and to his faithful.
May they not turn to foolishness!
Near indeed is his salvation for those who fear him;
glory will dwell in our land.
Love and truth will meet;
justice and peace will kiss.
Truth will spring from the earth;
justice will look down from heaven.
Yes, the LORD will grant his bounty;
our land will yield its produce.
Justice will march before him,
and make a way for his footsteps.
But do not ignore this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years and a thousand years like one day. The Lord does not delay his promise, as some regard “delay,” but he is patient with you, not wishing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a mighty roar and the elements will be dissolved by fire, and the earth and everything done on it will be found out. Since everything is to be dissolved in this way, what sort of persons ought [you] to be, conducting yourselves in holiness and devotion, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved in flames and the elements melted by fire. But according to his promise we await new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. Therefore, beloved, since you await these things, be eager to be found without spot or blemish before him, at peace.
The sky will disappear. At the end of the first century, a Christian theologian addresses the Christian community in crisis and writes a message attributing his work to Peter, the disciple who had become the first Pope of the Church. The author, using the language of ancient apocalypticism, speaks of a world annihilated by fire to express the definitive intervention of God. But he warns that the Christian should not be frightened by these words because his task is to insert himself into "irreproachable" history, living in his person the revolution of Jesus and contributing the values learned from Him.
A new heaven and a new earth. This writing gives an account of an ancient concern of the Christian community: the delay of the Parousia. The Christians of the first generation had lived this wait with nervousness thinking that the second coming of the Lord would be shortly, but the new generations understood that they could not manage God's timing: if God took a while to arrive it was due to their patience: He I expected a change in behavior from everyone. The author exhorts: What sort of persons ought [you] to be, conducting yourselves in holiness and devotion, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God. It is up to the follower of Jesus Christ, animated by the Spirit, to "advance" the presence of the Lord by building a new order of things: a more just and free, fraternal and inclusive society. This situation is The new heaven and the new earth expected by all (Rev 21: 1-5).
The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ [the Son of God]. As it is written in Isaiah the prophet: “Behold, I am sending my messenger ahead of you; he will prepare your way. A voice of one crying out in the desert: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths.’” John [the] Baptist appeared in the desert proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. People of the whole Judean countryside and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the Jordan River as they acknowledged their sins. John was clothed in camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist. He fed on locusts and wild honey. And this is what he proclaimed: “One mightier than I is coming after me. I am not worthy to stoop and loosen the thongs of his sandals. I have baptized you with water; he will baptize you with the holy Spirit.”
The good news of Jesus. Mark, in approximately the year 74, narrates for the community of Rome the historical event of the Messiah Jesus Christ. At the beginning of his work he uses the Greek word euaggélion, which usually designated the news of a military victory or commemorations related to the imperial cult. For Paul the term "gospel", in close relationship with the Isaian oracle (Is 52: 7: m°basser, bésōrāh) begins to mean the victorious irruption of God into the world through Jesus Christ. With this sense Mark writes about the "Good News" of Jesus, to whom he immediately gives the titles of "Messiah" and "Son of God" (Archê toû euanggelíou Iêsoû Christoû hyioû theoû). In this way, Mark inaugurates the literary genre "gospel" and, speaking of the Baptist, mentions famous figures of Old Testament spirituality.
"Prepare the way of the Lord." John the Baptist appears as the fulfillment of the oracles of Isaiah (Is 40:3) and Malachi (Mal 3:1). John is the promised messenger who will give the people the happy announcement of salvation. He is, furthermore, the new Elijah who dresses and feeds like the ancient prophet who burns with zeal for the glory of the only God.
The definitive Husband. God assumes the rhythm of human history in the person of Jesus, this is what Mark presents as the best news for the entire world. Using language typical of the marriage law of his time (sandal rite), John proclaims that Jesus is the Messiah, and that he is rightfully the Bridegroom of the community. If the ancient Isaian oracle exhorted us to prepare the way for Yahweh, now Mark tells us that the prepared way is for Jesus, the Son of God, who comes with power and who will baptize with the Holy Spirit. The novelty is complete.
The conversion. In response to this visit from God, everyone must change their mentality (metánoia) and allow themselves to be baptized in the waters of the Jordan to regain communion with God. The Baptist invites us today to have the spiritual experience of the desert: silence the senses, seek the essential, sharpen the ears of the heart to listen to God and renew the alliance with Him.
Prayer
I want to prepare paths for you, Jesus, so that you can reach the hearts of the people who need you. Give me the grace to be like a John the Baptist among my people. In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
In the Factbook link you will also be able to find a historical overview of Our Lady of Loreto whom we Catholics remember on this day.
December 10, 2023 - Sunday 2nd of Advent
Comfort, give comfort to my people,
says your God.
Speak to the heart of Jerusalem, and proclaim to her
that her service has ended,
that her guilt is expiated,
That she has received from the hand of the LORD
double for all her sins.
A voice proclaims:
In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD!
Make straight in the wasteland a highway for our God!
Every valley shall be lifted up,
every mountain and hill made low;
The rugged land shall be a plain,
the rough country, a broad valley.
Then the glory of the LORD shall be revealed,
and all flesh shall see it together;
for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.
Go up onto a high mountain,
Zion, herald of good news!
Cry out at the top of your voice,
Jerusalem, herald of good news!
Cry out, do not fear!
Say to the cities of Judah:
Here is your God!
Here comes with power
the Lord GOD,
who rules by his strong arm;
Here is his reward with him,
his recompense before him.
Like a shepherd he feeds his flock;
in his arms he gathers the lambs,
Carrying them in his bosom,
leading the ewes with care.
The Liberation. In the VI BC, at the time when the disciple of the great Isaiah wrote the "Book of Consolation" (Is 40-55) whose beginning is our first reading today, a part of the people of Israel is still in the Babylonian exile, humiliated, desperate and longing to return to the homeland. This theologian, whom we call "Second Isaiah", raises the people from their prostration and announces the imminent return as a new exodus, the most famous wonder of Hebrew history! Because the God of faith, then and now, seeks the liberation, dignity and happiness of his people.
God with us. The text is of stunning beauty: "Comfort, give comfort to my people, says your God. Speak to the heart of Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her service has ended, that her guilt is expiated". However, this exodus will be much more memorable: God himself, like a shepherd, will go at the head of the repatriates and lead them through the desert, renewing everything in his path, full of power and tenderness.
We wait the same. The Advent that we are celebrating together with the entire Christian community is a time to expect other wonders from God for today's world: overcoming our disbelief and skepticism that makes us think that nothing has a remedy, that it is not worth the effort, that it is Better indifference than commitment. In the Old Testament God wanted to be in history accompanying his people towards happiness. Let us ask Him to do the same today and rekindle our enthusiasm and our hope.
I will listen for what God, the LORD, has to say;
surely he will speak of peace
To his people and to his faithful.
May they not turn to foolishness!
Near indeed is his salvation for those who fear him;
glory will dwell in our land.
Love and truth will meet;
justice and peace will kiss.
Truth will spring from the earth;
justice will look down from heaven.
Yes, the LORD will grant his bounty;
our land will yield its produce.
Justice will march before him,
and make a way for his footsteps.
But do not ignore this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years and a thousand years like one day. The Lord does not delay his promise, as some regard “delay,” but he is patient with you, not wishing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a mighty roar and the elements will be dissolved by fire, and the earth and everything done on it will be found out. Since everything is to be dissolved in this way, what sort of persons ought [you] to be, conducting yourselves in holiness and devotion, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved in flames and the elements melted by fire. But according to his promise we await new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. Therefore, beloved, since you await these things, be eager to be found without spot or blemish before him, at peace.
The sky will disappear. At the end of the first century, a Christian theologian addresses the Christian community in crisis and writes a message attributing his work to Peter, the disciple who had become the first Pope of the Church. The author, using the language of ancient apocalypticism, speaks of a world annihilated by fire to express the definitive intervention of God. But he warns that the Christian should not be frightened by these words because his task is to insert himself into "irreproachable" history, living in his person the revolution of Jesus and contributing the values learned from Him.
A new heaven and a new earth. This writing gives an account of an ancient concern of the Christian community: the delay of the Parousia. The Christians of the first generation had lived this wait with nervousness thinking that the second coming of the Lord would be shortly, but the new generations understood that they could not manage God's timing: if God took a while to arrive it was due to their patience: He I expected a change in behavior from everyone. The author exhorts: What sort of persons ought [you] to be, conducting yourselves in holiness and devotion, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God. It is up to the follower of Jesus Christ, animated by the Spirit, to "advance" the presence of the Lord by building a new order of things: a more just and free, fraternal and inclusive society. This situation is The new heaven and the new earth expected by all (Rev 21: 1-5).
The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ [the Son of God]. As it is written in Isaiah the prophet: “Behold, I am sending my messenger ahead of you; he will prepare your way. A voice of one crying out in the desert: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths.’” John [the] Baptist appeared in the desert proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. People of the whole Judean countryside and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the Jordan River as they acknowledged their sins. John was clothed in camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist. He fed on locusts and wild honey. And this is what he proclaimed: “One mightier than I is coming after me. I am not worthy to stoop and loosen the thongs of his sandals. I have baptized you with water; he will baptize you with the holy Spirit.”
The good news of Jesus. Mark, in approximately the year 74, narrates for the community of Rome the historical event of the Messiah Jesus Christ. At the beginning of his work he uses the Greek word euaggélion, which usually designated the news of a military victory or commemorations related to the imperial cult. For Paul the term "gospel", in close relationship with the Isaian oracle (Is 52: 7: m°basser, bésōrāh) begins to mean the victorious irruption of God into the world through Jesus Christ. With this sense Mark writes about the "Good News" of Jesus, to whom he immediately gives the titles of "Messiah" and "Son of God" (Archê toû euanggelíou Iêsoû Christoû hyioû theoû). In this way, Mark inaugurates the literary genre "gospel" and, speaking of the Baptist, mentions famous figures of Old Testament spirituality.
"Prepare the way of the Lord." John the Baptist appears as the fulfillment of the oracles of Isaiah (Is 40:3) and Malachi (Mal 3:1). John is the promised messenger who will give the people the happy announcement of salvation. He is, furthermore, the new Elijah who dresses and feeds like the ancient prophet who burns with zeal for the glory of the only God.
The definitive Husband. God assumes the rhythm of human history in the person of Jesus, this is what Mark presents as the best news for the entire world. Using language typical of the marriage law of his time (sandal rite), John proclaims that Jesus is the Messiah, and that he is rightfully the Bridegroom of the community. If the ancient Isaian oracle exhorted us to prepare the way for Yahweh, now Mark tells us that the prepared way is for Jesus, the Son of God, who comes with power and who will baptize with the Holy Spirit. The novelty is complete.
The conversion. In response to this visit from God, everyone must change their mentality (metánoia) and allow themselves to be baptized in the waters of the Jordan to regain communion with God. The Baptist invites us today to have the spiritual experience of the desert: silence the senses, seek the essential, sharpen the ears of the heart to listen to God and renew the alliance with Him.
I want to prepare paths for you, Jesus, so that you can reach the hearts of the people who need you. Give me the grace to be like a John the Baptist among my people. In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Today’s memorial celebrates one of the most revered relics within the Christian world—The Holy House of Loreto. This small house, which measures 31×13 feet, rests today in Loreto, Italy, inside the Basilica of the Holy House. In the first century, the Apostles revered the Holy House when it was attached to the opening of a cave that completed the home of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph in Nazareth. It is also believed to have been the place where the Annunciation took place, making it the location where the Word became flesh within the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Some traditions also state that the Blessed Virgin Mary was born and raised in this house, but other traditions state she was born in Jerusalem and raised in the Temple. Within the house is the “Altar of the Apostles,” traditionally believed to have been built by the Apostles after the Ascension of Jesus into Heaven, with Saint Peter being the first to offer Mass there. There is also a wooden statue in the altar of the Blessed Virgin Mary holding the Christ Child. The statue of Our Lady of Loreto is a replica of the earlier statue that was destroyed in a fire in the early twentieth century.
This Holy House has a long and legendary history, the truth of which will only be known in Heaven. In the fourth century, one tradition holds that Emperor Constantine the Great, with the help of his mother Saint Helena, commissioned the building of a basilica over the Holy House in Nazareth at the same time the Church of the Holy Sepulchre was built in Jerusalem and the Church of the Nativity was built in Bethlehem. At least by the end of the fifth century, pilgrimages were made to the Holy House in Nazareth.
In the seventh century, Muslims invaded the Holy Land and destroyed the Church over the Holy House. The ruins remained until the Crusaders took back the Holy Land in the eleventh century and built a new Church over the Holy House. Muslims retook the territory of Nazareth in the late twelfth century but permitted the Franciscans to maintain the Holy House. In 1260, however, the invaders destroyed the basilica. Fighting continued until the Christian Crusaders were completely driven out in 1291.
Just prior to the Crusaders leaving the port of Acre, legend holds that on May 12, 1291, angels transferred the Holy House in Nazareth to the small town of Tersatto, modern-day Trsat, Croatia, where it remained for three and a half years. The locals were shocked at its arrival. When they entered, they saw the altar with a cedar statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary holding the Christ Child. A few days later, the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to a priest in the Holy House, revealing to him its sacred origin. The Blessed Mother then healed the priest of an illness he had been suffering from as proof of what she had said. The Holy House quickly became a place of pilgrimage for the locals and a much-beloved object of devotion. The legend continues that on December 10, 1294, the house was once again picked up by angels and moved to Italy. The heartbroken people of Tersatto built a replica and wrote the words, “The Holy House of the Virgin Mary came from Nazareth on May 10, 1291, and stayed here until December 10, 1294.” Today the spot is marked by the Shrine of Our Lady of Trsat and a Franciscan monastery, which make up one of the most important pilgrim sites in Croatia.
Upon the arrival of the Holy House in Italy, legend holds that it landed on a hillside overlooking the port of Ancona where it stayed for nine months. Today that spot has a shrine, and the town is called Posatora, from the Latin posat et ora, meaning “to land and pray.” The legend continues that in 1295, the Holy House moved about twenty miles south to a laurel grove near the town of Recanati. Eight months later, the Holy House was transported to a farm owned by two brothers of the Antici family, and four months later it was moved for the final time to the middle of a public road where it sits today, in modern-day Loreto, Italy. The name “Loreto,” could be derived from the Latin word lauretum, which means “place of laurels.”
Upon its final arrival, the people did not know where the house came from until the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to a hermit, telling him the history and significance of the house. The hermit then told the townspeople, who verified the story by traveling to Tersatto and then to Nazareth. Today, the Holy House is enshrined in a marble frame; its marble exterior sits inside the large Basilica of the Holy House in Loreto.
In the year 1900, a member of the papal household is said to have discovered documents in the Vatican archives that offer a different story about the transfer of the Holy House. In 1291, just prior to the Crusaders leaving the Holy Land, a noble Byzantine family named the Angeli family paid for the removal of the relic and its transfer, probably by ship, to Croatia and then Italy. The name “Angeli,” which means “angels,” could account for the origin of the tradition that angels carried the house from Nazareth. Certainly, this is a very plausible explanation. However, it’s interesting to note that the eighteenth century mystic, Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich, stated, “I have often in vision witnessed the transporting of the Holy House to Loreto. For a long time, I could not believe it, and yet I continued to see it. I saw the Holy House borne over the sea by seven angels. It had no foundation, but there was under it a shining surface of light…”
Before discounting the miraculous transportation of the house, it is worth noting some scientific evidence. First, the mortar and stones used in the walls of the house come from the Nazareth area and are not found anywhere in Italy. Second, there are no cracks in the walls, indicating they were never dismantled and glued back together. Third, the size of the house matches perfectly the foundation in Nazareth from where it is believed to have come, but it would have been difficult to rebuild the house to the original dimensions. Fourth, in the thirteenth century, transporting a house, without first completely dismantling it, would have been nearly impossible. Fifth, the house landed on a public road, and the road can be seen under the foundation of the house today. At that time, it was not permissible to build a house on a public road, so if it was reconstructed, why choose that spot? Lastly, the fact that there is such a strong tradition of devotion to the house in Croatia and also where the house initially landed in Italy suggests that the miraculous moving of the house truly took place. For these reasons, some might argue that the angelic transportation of the Holy House is actually a far more likely conclusion than the physical transportation of the house by the Crusaders at the direction of the Angeli family.
Regardless of how the Holy House arrived in Italy, it remains a place of deep devotion. Over the centuries, more than 150 canonized saints have made pilgrimages there. Many popes, kings, queens, and other royalty have visited the House, and countless others have been inspired by the story.
As we celebrate this Holy House today and honor the image of Our Lady of Loreto that resides in that house, ponder Jesus, Mary, and Joseph living there. That house should be seen as an image of our souls in which the Christ Child lives and dwells. When Christ lives within us, our homes will better reflect the environment of the home of the Holy Family. The charity and every other virtue lived within the walls of that home must also permeate our lives, families, and our entire world. Only through the prayers of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the grace of her divine Son will this be possible.
Our Lady of Loreto, your home was a sacred place. Within it, the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. Within your home, you raised your divine Son and saw Him grow in grace and virtue. The love you shared with your Son in that home was pure and perfect in every way. Please pray for me, that my home will more fully reflect the grace and virtue that abounded in your home so that my home will become more like your Holy House. Our Lady of Loreto, pray for me. Jesus, I trust in You.
Big hug to everyone!
God bless you.
This is great, thank you.
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