Photo above left shows the damaged roof of the now demolished Wash House of the Pine Ridge Colliery in Miners Mills, Wilkes-Barre, PA, with ceiling racks for the clothing of miners. For a classic photo of the Huber Breaker in Ashley, PA, click Responses and scroll down.
History is not irrelevant. History is the story of our human family. It's happening now.
Our focus is living with the Holy Family.
Humanity is one family, and Jesus, Mary, & Joseph share their lives with us. With them, we talk about the Scriptures, Hebrew & Christian, we read Philosophy & History, we study Theology & Science, we enjoy Poetry & Meditation. We garden & wash the dishes, we clean the house, plan the day's business, do it, and sing every day. Click on "Contact Us" to Email us your responses and observations.
Here is an Italian song transcribed and translated by my wife, Mary, who remembers her mother singing it. It is a Holy Week song of Calabria, where Mary's parents were born and where they were married in 1906, before sailing to America. "The Wounds of Mary":
Nostro Signore che vuolei partire, con la sua Mamma si missa a parlare: "O cara Mamma, mi voglio andare in Jerusalemma per la Pasqua fare." A mezza due ladrone Christo andava con ferri e con catini e gente armate. Che c'era la ferite Maria, le chiodi li vedeva per quelle strade. C'era San Pietro che l'aveva negato, che della penara era tutto affligiuto. C'era San Giovanni tutto dolorato chi no lapatura Madre Maria. "Dimmilo Giovanni, dove lai lasciato. Io certo l' so che vinna con te."
"L'ho lasciato in casa di Pilato e quello oscuro, fossa tirannia. Ma si lo vidi come flagellato, dici che non e figlio di Maria. O Maria, affaccia che lo tuo figlio passa con una grande catena longa e grossa."
La sangue corra e la carne si lascia e alle spalle sua una grande fossa. Maria che veda morte suo figlio subito grida con une voce soprascoglio: "O Giovanni, O Giovanni, viene che ti voglio. Tu perdesti tuo maestro e io uno figlio. Portatemilo di nero mi cumbroglio. Mi lament' per l'amato figlio e dello capo une pungente spina. La vita che fera la mia me schina."
Si bassa terra e pianta un' giglio, non era Mamma per pena di figlio. Cui l'ha una e cui l'ha due, la ferite di Maria non c'e piu.
When Our Lord wanted to leave, he began to speak to his Mother: "O dear Mother, I want to go to Jerusalem to keep the Passover." Between two thieves, Christ went with swords and chains and armed men. They were Mary's wounds, the nails she saw on those streets. There was St. Peter who had denied him, who was all tormented with pain. There was St. John, all grief-stricken, who did not exceed Mother Mary. "Tell me, John, where you left him. I know that he came with you."
"I left him in Pilate's house, in the dark, a tyrant's pit. But if you saw him scourged, you would say he was not Mary's son. O Mary, see where your son passes with a great chain, long and large. The blood runs and the flesh comes off, and a great opening in his shoulder"
When she sees her son dead, Mary cries at once with a high voice: "O John, O John, come, I want you. You lost your master, and I, a son. Bring him to me to cover in black. I mourn for the beloved son and for a thorn piercing the head. What wounds his life bows down mine."
Earth lowers itself and plants a lily. The Mother was not, because of the son's pains. Whoever has one, or whoever has two, there are not more than the wounds of Mary.
The Virgin Mary is Patroness of America under her title of Our Lady of Guadalupe. She appeared in 1531 near Mexico City to Juan Diego, an Indian convert, to tell him she wished a shrine built there. He took roses, arranged in his cloak by her, as a sign for the bishop, who discovered an image of the Virgin impressed on the cloak. The portrait is at her shrine and attracts pilgrims on her feast, Dec. 12. As the Mother of Jesus, Mary is the Mother of all our human family, sharing mercy and grace with us.
Grace restores our freedom to know truth and embrace love, and we sing with joy to be alive.
Including Welsh songs (Gwynn Publishing Co. of North Wales, my translation & performance).
Click to hear "The Cowboy's Song":
The traditions of Welsh poetry and Catholic prayer are explored in my book, New House.
To order a COPY of the CD recording of NEW HOUSE, click Contact Us & email your name and mailing address.
Voyage to the Farm is a novel set in medieval Iceland.
Medieval Iceland was a commonwealth of free farmers whose sagas recount their struggle to maintain their laws, their families, and their freedom. The hero of this novel, Thorir Gunnarsson, travels from boyhood to maturity to build his family's farm against hazards of nature & human predators, sustained by his parents, his schoolmates, his teachers, his wife, Helga, and the faith he shares with her. Thus, too, was America built.
Above is Hoffellsjokull glacier in Iceland (c) Chris Hammond.
Visit the photographer's website: www.chrishammond.co.uk
Voyage to the Farm is available from http://www.xlibris.com/RichardLoomis.html
A CD Audiobook recording of this novel has been produced, available at CD Baby: http://cdbaby.com/cd/rmloomis4
For reviews of "New House" and "Voyage to the Farm," go to www.historicalnovelsociety.org
For other books and recordings of mine, see News, Products, and Resources.
For comments by readers click Reviews; search Google by title; go to amazon.com & cdbaby.com
