The Holy Icon of Santa Maria della Vena

"You have not yet resisted unto blood in your struggle against sin" (Heb. 12: 4)

In the Sanctuary of Vena (Piedimonte Etneo, Sicily), on February 6, 1865 a massive lava flow, starting from Monte Sertorius, had arrived in the district of "Girotto" and threatened village of Vena, having arrived at less than a kilometer from the Sanctuary. 

Imagine the panic and fear of the inhabitants of Vena. Yet in those good and fervent Christians was not lose hope: they resorted to Our Lady, Mother of God almighty, and carried in procession proceeded towards the lava threatening death and destruction, not the Holy Icons, but a statue of the Virgin itself, which was worshiped in the Sanctuary, followed by a picture of St.Gregory. On a local newspaper a reporter wrote: “At evening twilight the reddish reflections of that immense and hot river formed in that portion sky something similar to a lake of blood." Rev. Canton, who had preceded his followers, climbed a boulder protruding, which served him as pulpit, and from there he urged the Mother of God, once again, among sobs and faithful prayers of repentance and trusting in Mary. Suddenly, a furious wind came the newspaper quotes "that dreadful vortex strip on the burning lava up to invest the statue of the Madonna, burning her face. A cry of pity and mercy rises spontaneously from the crowd! ... After a few seconds everything it’s back to calm and the lava, as stopped by a omnipotent and invisible hand stops at the moment. The wonder, the great and undeniable miracle, had been obtained: these good people were again masters of their small vineyards and their houses. "

This historical episode taken from the Chronicles of the Sanctuary helps to revive, modernize and re-read the apocalypse, fighting, aggression against the virgin.

The people are appalled to see with his own eyes the revolt of nature against God but a moment, then everything goes back to his place and the Virgin of Tenderness shows us that our mother is ready to throw her into the fire while removing us, his children from all the fires threatening us and attack us. Ready to burn her but to liberate us.

http://www.sacrofontedellavena.it/

Further Information 

O

n the heights of Piedimonte Etneo Sicily (Italy), located in the green forest of Mount Etna there is a small village and its beautiful sanctuary. We are in the diocese of Acireale.

The origin of the Sanctuary are narrated in it’s Chronicles “in these places, a mule carrying a Byzantine icon of the Mother of God, stops, refusing to continue the journey ... with her ​​paws it digs the ground, ... and gushes a stream of water .....

The Sanctuary welcomes the faithful throughout the year.

Already at eight o'clock in the morning it is open, and remains until evening.

A place dedicated to prayer and requests for pardons, peace and serenity.

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盛曉玫演唱 Don Moen's "God Will Make A Way".

"Now we watch for the day, 
hoping that the salvation promised us will be ours when Christ our Lord will come again in His Glory”

We watch for the day, and hope. The hope we share in prayer, we watch for the day, and hope shapes our lives on patience, patience is Love, patience is the love that God wants from us. We watch for the day and become witnesses of hope, each day of our life we await the promised Kingdom, we act and live for the promised Kingdom and watch for the day with the sweetness of our hearts, with the Love that only He fills us with the peace and joy that are Christ Himself. And to watch for the day is so sweet and so often full of suffering and so troubled at times but it is always full of Him and His consolation. Because in expectation we move as we were swimming in the sea, as if expectation were the sea itself around us, or the air we breathe. And this expectancy is fullfilled with His presence, His sweetness, His Love and His Mercy.

WE WATCH FOR THE DAY, AS HIS MOTHER DID ...

It is to Mary, the sweetness of expectation a repeated enchantment. Mary has waited for Him overflowed with His sweetness, filled like a vessel of His tenderness and His Love, because infinite sweetness was and is the Lord to her, waiting for Him has been to her infinite sweetness, sweet surprise, sweet Love to her that has been filled with His Grace, to her that has been fully Mother and completely Bride of His the Holy Spirit. She has managed to transform the sweetness of her waiting in total surrender to Him and total reliance on His Will. Sweet presence in her and around her, Mary shines with the light of God during her waiting, the light that passes through her and that shines through her whole being. Mary is the image of our expectations, the expectation of God in our prayers, waiting for His manifestation, waiting for His love to change our lives, waiting to be heard by Him, waiting to meet Him at Eucharistic Adoration, the expectation to hear Him during Mass, the expectation of seeing Him, waiting to understand  His Will, waiting for His Divine Plan. Mary is the "woman of the Wait", the one where "the Wait" was made flesh, became hope, became Salvation. Mary is the love of "the Wait", the delicacy and the agony of waiting. And how much we wait for Him? How much we think of Him while expecting "to possess the Kingdom"? How much do we turn all our senses to His expectation and hope? Mary waited for Him with all herself, with all her heart, her mind and her body. Do we wait for Him as Mary did? Do we love Him as Mary did? Mary waited for Him above all things and loved Him and wanted Him above all. In patience, waiting for Him, has been to her both joy and suffering. And what is to us this expectation of His coming for us? How do we live while waiting? Are we aware that he "will come again in Glory and Splendour" and that He will call us to possess the promised Kingdom ...?  Let from all our daily actions transpire the expectation of our God, from all our little daily gestures come out our Wait, and that all our day turns into a prayer of Waiting. And so, here will be our "Wait" becoming a beautiful fruit pleasing God, becoming one of the most beautiful gifts we can give to God because it is in our expectation of His coming that He finds His joy. He loves this prayer because it is prayed with all our being, it is made with all our heart that expresses to Him the greatest love, it is done with all our mind which desires Him above all and with all our body that waits for His coming. This is the most beautiful prayer while waiting.

WE WATCH FOR THE DAY WITH THE STUPOR OF A CHILD

Let's open our mouths in astonishment to the wonder of the Incarnation of the Son of God, open our eyes in astonishment to the greatest of the wonders, let us pause to look at this mystery, as if we were children, and we will remain fascinated in discovering how much we do not understand it, we will be blinded by His Glory and His majesty, and understand only that it is much greater than anything we know, greater than our mind, our thoughts and logic. Joyful amazement is the Lord, eternal amazement, He is the wonder of Waiting, he is the enchantment of Waiting. He is the Splendour, that  becomes smaller and smaller and in front of this "making himself little" of the Infinite, without understanding how this could be possible, we remain silent, we are bewildered by the surprise that someone can love us in this way. In a way that we do not know and that we have never known even as children. For the love of our God has the intensity of a thousand mothers and fathers and then again, if we put together the love of every person we know we would not get to the intensity of His love for us. Cause it is His love that made Him little, made Him frail, in need of care and completely in our hands. So our God wants to be loved, so he wants to be expected, He wants to become our child to care, he requires familiarity with us, confidence, fellowship and wants to be one of us, like us. Then we must throw away our hearts from the indifference of this world, indifference that freezes our emotions and paralyzes us, hardens us one toward the other and toward God himself, indifference that covers us with a blanket of mud, blinds us, takes us away the stupor of the beauty of God, and let us be  in bewilderment, surprise, astonishement, wonder because it is so that the Lords wants from us when He himself reveals to us that he has became a man for us.

WE WATCH FOR THE DAY WITH THE JOY OF A BRIDE

Intense is the desire if Thee, my God, and strong is what binds us, what keeps us so united to each other? It's a whirlwind of desire, a ring of love that comes from my heart to your heart and back to mine, it is a magnet that attracts me, two poles, the Infinite in me and me into the Infinite. I am within Love and Love is within me. 

Come o Lord to save us,
come we are waiting for you,
come down like fresh dew to irrigate our parched land,
without water,
come we are waiting for you,
all Creation is waiting for your Salvation, 
come we await,
your Redemption,
come Lord,
do not let us wait longer,
Light of the people,
come down like water on us,
that are waiting for you 
and your Salvation.
Guide us 
on the paths 
to your 
Salvation.

The Chaplet of Divine Mercy in Song

Le ore volano via,

il tempo s'avvicina,

lungo la strada canto per te.

Nella tua casa so che t'incontrerò

e sarà una festa trovarti ancora.

È pace intima la tua presenza qui,

mistero che non so spiegarmi mai.

È cielo limpido, è gioia pura che

mi fa conoscere chi sei per me.

Sembra impossibile ormai

pensare ad altre cose,

non posso fare a meno di te.

Sembrano eterni gli attimi che non ci sei

ed aspetto solo di ritrovarti.

È pace intima...

È la più bella poesia

dirti il mio sì per sempre

e nel segreto parlare con te.

Semplici cose, parole che tu sai,

note del mio canto nel tuo silenzio.

Letter of Publius Lentulus, governor of Judea (the predecessor of Pilate) which describes the features of Jesus Christ to the Emperor of Rome, translated from Latin is kept by the Lords Cesarini of Rome.

I have heard, o Caesar, that you want to know what I am now narrating to you : there is a man, who lives of great virtue, named Jesus Christ, by the people is called a prophet and his followers say he is divine, and that he is the son of God the Creator of heaven and earth, and all the things that are in it and are made. Indeed, Caesar, every day we hear wonderful things of this Christ he raises the dead and heals the sick with just one word. He is a man of the right size, is very beautiful in appearance; and has MAJESTY IN HIS FACE, and those who look at him are forced to love and fear him. He has brown hair the color of ripe nuts, lying down to the ears and from the ears to the shoulders they are the color of the earth but more shiny.

He has in the middle of the forehead parted hair like the Nazarenes, HIS FACE IS WITHOUT WRINKLES OR SPOTS and is accompanied by a modest color. The nostrils and lips can not be taken by anyone with reason: the beard is thick and like his hair, not very long, but divided in half. His look is very scary and serious: his eyes are like the rays of the sun and no one can look at him for his splendor, and when he warns he is amiable and cheerful with gravity. They say that nobody has ever seen him laugh, but rather weep. His hands and arms are very beautiful and in conversation he satisfies many but he is rarely seen, and when he is seen he looks very modest in appearance and is the most handsome man you can imagine, just like his mother which is the youngest that is ever seen in these parts. But if you Majesty, Caesar, wishes to see him as your Majesty wrote in previous letters, let me know that I will immediately send him. With his knowledge he astonishes the city of Jerusalem. He has never studied with any, yet he knows all the sciences, walks barefoot, without anything on his head, many laugh at seeing him, but in his presence speaking with him they tremble and are astonished. They say such a man was never seen nor heard in these parts. In truth, what the Jews say, is that they never heard of such advices, so great doctrine, as taught by this Christ and that many of the Jews believe he is divine and believe him and many others sue him to me, saying that he is against your Majesty, o Caesar. It is said that he had never displeased with any person, but so well, all those who have tried him, say that they have received benefits and healing.

But to you Majesty, Caesar, to your obedience I am more than ready: when you command it will be executed.
From Jerusalem, seventh Convocation, eleventh moon, to your Majesty faithful and obedient.
Publius Lentulus

the picture of Jesus is a photography taken at San Gimigliano Sanctuary the 4th February 1988 around 11.45 by a citizen of Gimigliano.

NATIVITY OF OUR LORD 2011

"Infinite Sweetness is our Lord"

I'd stay to contemplate you forever
Holy Mother of God, 

with your delicate face,

and the tenderness  

of your embrace 

to your Holy Child,

who is the most beautiful among the children of men, 
the greatest on earth, 
and blessed are you
Infinite Sweetness.

What is it that makes you one? 

What is this joy 

that makes you one? 

What's this happiness that you let me perceive?

It's already a touch of Paradise, 

The infinitesimal part of a tiny drop,

and I can fill it inside of me when I contemplate you 

What's this unique unity? 

What's the secret of your joy that you hide one into the other?

What's this infinite mystery that surrounds you,

that transpires from your glances when they meet? 

Where can I find this peace,  

this beauty, this joy, this tenderness, 
this joyousness if not in you. 

In your unique unity I see the Holy Trinity.

AND IF YOU WONDER ...

If you wonder, 
looking at the Nativity 
who is the Child in the crib, 
if you wonder, 
looking at Him what does it mean, 
if you wonder why a child, 
if you wonder what He has to do with you, 
if you wonder what this child has to say to you,  … then stop for a moment in front of this Child in every Nativity Scene you will meet and close your eyes and let Him speak to you, let Him answer your questions ... and you will hear resound all within yourself this word : "LOVE" you will hear it powerfully inside of you, inside your mind, in your thoughts, in every deed, you will understand the meaning ... and your mind will open as the Red sea has opened once to let the Israelites pass through, and in that cleavage through the sea the Light of God will reach to you. 

THE LIGHT OF GOD COMES INTO OUR LIVES

The Light of God is here, to enlighten our dark lives, It shines high as a lighted lantern, as a burning fire, It has come to light up our footsteps, to enlighten everything around us,  It's here to tell us the most intimate secrets of our  own being, It's here to reveal the secrets of our living, to unfold the secrets of God. The Light of God is here, the lantern of God is lighten, it was lit for us, and it will shut down no more. It was lit once and forever. The Light of God is here, now, for all of us, and wishes to get inside of us, it is the light, It is the Light for which darkness flee, It's the Light that awakens our souls, It's the Light of the Encounter, It's the Light of  Wisdom, It's the Light that it's here.  It's the Light that draws us to Him, the Light which opens our eyes, opens our heart, the Light that wants to live within us.  And it's here now just for us. It's brilliant and powerful and it's now, it's the Light that renews itself, pulses, inhabits us, guides us. Here is the Light of God which comes in the night, ... here, ... now, ... it comes, ... here it is, ... wait, ... look, ... it's here among us, do not despair, ... it's calling for you, loves you, hears you, asking you to adore,  ... here it is, ... again, ... listen, the Light is talking to you ... "open your heart" ... it's saying to you "and your life will be My greatest miracle". Let it in, the Light of God is here and will glow in the deepest of your heart, it will glow on your face, it will glow in your hands and you will be His greatest prodigy, and you will be that for which your were created. 

IT'S THE LIGHT OF THE ENCOUNTER ...

“ Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you …”

Here … your light has come, here … your encounter has come, here … the Lord reveals to you, here … your Christmas has come, here comes the encounter that you have always awaited …  here comes the spark of light that you have always expected, here ... now it is coming to earth, passes through space and time, through sidereal spaces, through the doors of eternity to reach directly to your heart, and now it is getting inside your heart, setting your heart on fire, breaking down all barriers, burning like a fiery dart, it gets into your heart like a fiery meteorite, here ... now it  dwells in you. Covers you with His Light, His Glory, the Glory of God shines upon you. Now that you are dressed with His Light, now that you are enlightened with His Love.

HAVE A PEACEFUL CHRIST MASS DAY