Monastery Progress

Here is another building. It's purpose to be be figured out later.

Clip Art XIX

Here are some stylized crosses in the colors of the three Theological Virtues; Hope(green), Faith(white) and Charity(red).

This Is Pretty Cool

These folks took the time to put things into perspective. I was kind of surprised that a clay particle was so miniscule.

Scale of the Universe 2

LEGO Monastery Progress

Another building completed. Not sure what it's function. Refectory? Dormitories? Infirmary? Storage?
I guess I'll figure that out later.

Muñequitos Monasticos: Les Moniales Chartreuses

The Carthusian nuns were founded around 1145 by the Prior of the Chartreuse, St. Anthelm, from a community if nuns in Prébayon. Historically the nuns lived a more cenobitic lifestyle than the monks, but today share the same eremitic nature of their brothers.

Post on Carthusian monks here

For dust you are and unto dust you shall return.

Grant, O Lord, that we may begin with holy fasting this campaign of Christian service, so that, as we take up battle against spiritual evils, we may be armed with weapons of self-restraint. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Carnaval Ends

Carnaval, Mardi Gras, Fat Tuesday, and Shrove Tuesday, whatever your tradition, is practically over. My home town of Ponce, Puerto Rico sees the burial of the sardine, which marks the end of a week long Carnaval, a tradition that dates at least back to the 1800's, it might even go back as far as 250 years.

Well, it's time to get serious, and get on the Lenten convoy. Next stop, Pascua.

Monastic Digs: Progress Report

The construction is coming along

Muñequitos Monasticos: Los Jerónimos

The Order of St. Jerome, usually referred to as the Hieronymites. They emerged in 14th century Spain and Italy from the amalgamation of groups of hermits. As the for the Spanish congregation, Pope Gregory XI granted them the Rule of St. Augustine at their approval. They flourished throughout the peninsula but the male communities were suppressed by the Government in the 19th century. At the petition of the Hieronymite nuns who where left unscathed, the monks were reestablished, but never regained their former numbers. Today exist only two monasteries of monks and 17 monasteries of nuns. This caricature is based on the Iberian Hieronymites. There exists or existed other congregations in Italy that had St. Jerome as their patron but I'm not sure if they use the same rule or habit as the Spanish communities.

Cuaresma

Lent is in about a week, are you ready?

I'm not.

Monastic Digs

I'm building a Monastery! Okay not a real one.

One out of LEGO bricks! Okay not real LEGO bricks, virtual LEGOs.

I downloaded the LEGO Builder and commenced to building. So far I have the church built.
It used to be possible to get your creations made into real bricks, but LEGO closed that program last month.
Oh well.

I shall post the progress as the Monastery grows. 

That's the Abbot in front of the church

Yes, I have a lot of time on my hands.

Santa Scolastica da Norcia

Saint Scholastica, Saint Benedict's twin sister. She founded a community of sisters near Monte Cassino under the direction of St. Benedict.

She is a patron of nuns, convulsive children, and a patron againts storms and rain.

She is often represented as a nun holding a book and a crosier or any combination using a crosier, book and dove.

O quam praeclara sunt merita beatae Scholasticae! O quanta virtus lacrimarum, per quas inclyta Virgo aeris serenitatem ad pluviae traxit inundationem.

Sancta Scholastica, ora pro nobis.

Clip Art XVIII

The Franciscan Tau cross. The Tau cross itself ( T ) predates the Crucifixion cross. In the book of Ezekiel, God instructs an angel to mark the heads of the faithful with a Tau (Ezekiel 9:4) . St. Anthony the Abbot, the father of Western monasticism, is said to have carried a Tau cross, but it is mostly associated with the Franciscans. It is believed St. Francis embraced the Tau after Pope Innocent spoke about the it in referencing Ezekiel 9:4 at the Fourth Lateran Council. There was a religious community (Antonians) active in Assisi at St. Francis's time that followed in the footsteps of St. Anthony, so St. Francis could have first seen the Tau in encountering them.

Here I have a modified Franciscan symbol, which includes the Tau cross under the crossed arms of Our Lord and St. Francis.

You'll Shoot Your Eye Out Kid

It's Saturday, it's the usual day that I go to the shooting range, but It's been a while since I engaged any targets and caught the smell of burned powder. I enjoy spending the day at the range, sending small projectiles long distances into paper or metal targets. When I have my sights or scope zeroed I prefer the metal targets because the sound of the impact of the bullet hitting the gong like target after travelling several hundred yards is pretty dang cool.

In my back yard I do the same thing, sometimes with pellets sometimes with BBs. With the pellet guns I can be precise, have good accuracy and good distance. With the BB gun not so much, but because of it's limitations, the BB gun is sometimes more fun to shoot. The satisfaction you get hitting a target with a BB way past it's most accurate range is almost as good as the one you get with a rifle.

As for my rifle of choice, it's the Springfield Armory M1A. It's the civilian version of the US military's M14 battle rifle, the last of the wood and steel service rifles. Despite it's issues and it's replacement by the M16 family, it has remained in service since it's inception. Many of them were dusted off and used by our guys in Afghanistan and Iraq. It's stock has evolved over the last 60 years, from wood to synthetic material to the almost skeletal EBR stocks, which looks kind of cool, but I still prefer the classic stock.

Muñequitos Monasticos: Cistercian Nun

The Cistercian nuns, like their brother monks of the Common Observance, use the white tunic with the black scapular. The Cistercian sisters emerged in 1125 at Le Tart near Dijon, not far from the Order's founding abbey at Citeaux.
This cartoon is based on a community of French Cistercians.

Post on Cistercian Monks here

Clip Art XVII

St. Brigid's Cross, said to have been made by her from rushes.