The Museum, World War I, Peace, Starvation and the Maria Dolens!

History is a mystifying seductress to some of us.  Everywhere we look we find a piece of history that we are curious about.  Myself  I am continually looking into the history of everything and many times finding that I know very little of the history of things at all..

Every year we all set goals for the next and this morning as  I am sitting drinking a cup of coffee I am doing just that, I have struggled, poured much energy and money into keeping the museum open and with this year's pie sale that was pulled off with a struggle and made a success in part on
Sunday sales... with local support, the question that came to my mind was,...”should I continue after more than 20 years?”  

I thought about the new year as most of us do and I tried to find something that would guide me.  I asked myself if you didn’t work on the museum...what would you do?  The answers were pretty simple since I try to do them now… 1. Help wipe out poverty!  2. Work to end all War and Hatred..

I am adamant that we are in a terrible time of class separation, I remember a line from a song…”The hands of the have not’s have fallen out of reach!”  They have and are becoming more so everyday...even though we are in the middle of a supposed boom economy here in the USA. We are also in a time of world war, causing starvation of millions and skirmishes that are killing thousands of innocent people...and for what....Religion and Power....Riches?

So with the recent celebration of the 100th Anniversary of WWI..."The War to end all Wars" I went online to find out what  has been said in the past...   Pope Francis...who signs everything just Francis…in his  New Years message a few years ago for the 48th anniversary of the Day of World Peace spoke in front of a screen that had the Maria Dolens bell ringing in the background.  The Maria Dolens? And so I was off on my newest history quest.

The Maria Dolens is the name of a bell that was cast from the bronze of many of the cannons - 19, one from each of the countries that participated in WWI.  It sits in Roverto, in today’s northern Italy and it rings 100 times each day in the evening to honor the fallen and to many to act  as a symbol for peace and an end to war.

The Bell was the idea of Don Antonio Rossaro,  called the Bell of the Fallen.  It was given the name Maria Dolens and placed on the Malipiero tower of Castello di Rovereto.  It has been recast many times because of fractures from ringing 100 times a day no doubt... but it has always been recast and returned to the tower where is nightly reminds the world of the price of war.  The latest recast was blessed by Pope Paul VI and on November 4^th, 1965 was placed on the Colle di Miravalle where it today rest above the city of Roverto.

On the bell, which is the second largest swinging bell in the world, were added at its recasting the statements of the Pontiff Pius XII "With peace nothing is lost. Everything is to be lost through war." John XXIII: "In pace hominum ordinata concordia et tranquilla libertas."

Today, as always, it rang 100 times at midday...in Italy as I am writing this..... just as it  was shown on the large screen in St. Peter’s square that day.

It is said that it tolls in the hope that Man, in the memory of the Fallen of every war and every nation in the world, may find the path that leads to Peace….

I say AMEN to that…!

Peace, Pope Frances, removing hatred, and Simple Gifts!

This week’s trip to New York City by Pope Francis has been a rare opportunity for many of us to see the man and listen to his wise concerns.  I myself admire him for stepping out of traditional ways to bring a message of hope to the poor, concern for mankind to the world, and humility to a station in life that has had few champions.

We say that we do not have the class system like India and other foreign countries… but in truth… do!  It is becoming increasingly evident that we have two classes emerging…the rich and poor, as these income levels are becoming farther apart daily. His remarks at the United Nations certainly sounded a cord with the hearts of many who understand the suffering that is present in the World today!

Of particular importance I feel was the ceremony at the World Trade Center Memorial…here all the leaders of NYC’s religious communities were able to interact in a service that few in other more secular countries would believe possible.  The service was opened and closed with the anthem of another religion that I have become fond of…Shakers and the song Simple Gifts.

Another aspect of the ceremony was a number of interactive prayers from religion to religion.  My favorite quote from the bible…

Mathew 5:3 … Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven…Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted…Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth…Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled…Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy…Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God…Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God…. Blessed are those who have been persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.

We must learn to view ourselves as part of the whole and understand that we are all brothers and sisters related from the start …black, white, red, etc.  That the life we have as humankind is all the same… that everyone feels the same emotions at one time or another... that we all love our children, families, friends, communities and personal religions the same, and that we each and everyone live in a world that is getting smaller, with hatred at our doorsteps waiting to be let in… there will be no peace and no end to humankind’s suffering.

From the Pope’s words…

(Peace ) This can only happen if we uproot from our hearts all feelings of hatred, vengeance and resentment. We know that that is only possible as a gift from heaven. Here, in this place of remembrance, I would ask everyone together, each in his or her own way, to spend a moment in silence and prayer. Let us implore from on high the gift of commitment to the cause of peace. Peace in our homes, our families, our schools and our communities. Peace in all those places where war never seems to end. Peace for those faces, which have known nothing but pain. Peace throughout this world, which God has given us as the home of all and a home for all. Simply PEACE.

Simple Gifts..the Shaker Anthem...

New Years thoughts, Museum, WWI, Pope Francis and the Maria Dolens

History is a mystifying seductress to some of us.  Everywhere we look we find a piece of history that we are curious about.  Myself  I am continually looking into the history of everything and many times finding that I know very little of the history of things at all..

For New Years we all set goals for the new year and tonight we had a museum dinner meeting to celebrate New Year and also to talk about what to do about the museum for 2015.  This little band of helpers and myself have struggled, poured much energy and money into keeping the museum open. The question that came to my mind was, ”should I continue after 20 years?” 

After all left I thought about the New Year as most of us do and I tried to find something that would guide me.  I asked myself if you didn’t work on the museum what would you do?  The answers were pretty simple since I try to do them now… 1. Help wipe out poverty!  2. Work to end all Wars.

I am adamant that we are in a terrible time of class separation, I remember a line from a song…”The hands of the have not’s have fallen out of reach!”  They have and are becoming more so everyday. We are also in a time of world wars and skirmishes that are killing thousands of innocent people...and for what?

So I went on line and tried to find out what that great guy Pope Francis...who signs everything just Francis…said in his New Year message.  His message fittingly came on January 1st and the 48th anniversary of the Day of World Peace, and the Maria Dolens bell was shown ringing in the background.  The Maria Dolens? And so I was off on my newest history quest.

The Maria Dolens is the name of a bell that was cast from the bronze of many of the cannons - 19, one from each countries that participated in WWI.  It sits in Roverto, in today’s northern Italy and it rings 100 times each day in the evening to honor the fallen and to many to act  as a symbol for peace and an end to war.

The Bell was the idea of Don Antonio Rossaro,  called the Bell of the Fallen.  It was given the name Maria Dolens and placed on the Malipiero tower of Castello di Rovereto.  It has been recast many times because of fractures from ringing 100 times a day no doubt... but it has always been recast and returned to the tower where is nightly reminds the world of the price of war.  The latest recast was blessed by Pope Paul VI and on November 4^th, 1965 was placed on the Colle di Miravalle where it today rest above the city of Roverto.

On the bell, which is the second largest swinging bell in the world, were added at its recasting the statements of the Pontiff Pius XII "With peace nothing is lost. Everything is to be lost through war." John XXIII: "In pace hominum ordinata concordia et tranquilla libertas."

Today it rang 100 times at midday and was shown on the large screen in St. Peter’s square.

It is said that it tolls in the hope that Man, in the memory of the Fallen of every war and every nation in the world, may find the path that leads to Peace….

I say AMEN to that… Happy New Year!

The Dalai Lama - What a great week for CNY

Well the Dalai Lama was in CNY this week and the 77 year old Holy Man managed to capture the hearts of all.  His message was especially interesting to me....for years since I was a child I dreamt of meeting the High Lama of Tibet and climbing to the city in the mountains where he lived.  I had all sorts of dreams then and to this day I often paint pictures of high peaks.  I laugh because my mother who slaughtered words sometime called him the "Deli Lama"...and I tend to do the same thing out of humor.

I would have loved to have been at one of his panel discussions or at the concert at the Carrier Dome..but unfortunately I could not...

In these weeks of debates and news stories on Iran, Syria and Afghanistan... talk of war was cheap and my feelings are that we like to talk about war in terms of helping people out... At a dinner recently when I mentioned the death toll of soldiers in Afghanistan one person said.."Well they are paid soldiers"....mercenaries..

Well we all too often forget the other deaths.."Collateral Damage" they are called.  So I went on line to find a figure of those civilian deaths in the Afghanistan and Iraq Wars ....go ahead type it into Google and be shocked!  Some estimates vary but one thing does not, the number of soldiers killed is minimal in comparison to the thousands of citizens killed by and trapped by war.  This does not mention the horror of these scenes to the children living in it..those children who will no doubt hate the invaders.....and not understand what it was about..Religion???Hate??? Or was it OIL???

So to me the Lama's message is like prayer sent out to the ether above....understanding and education and learning about one another, and excepting one an-others faith, institutions, culture and need - are the only ways to make peace in the world.... Hatred, bullying, rattling sabers and talking war only brings out the worst in people and in countries who also feel patriotic to their country, customs and beliefs.

I came from that crazy group of people called the "Love Generation".."Make Love not War"....  Where have we gone?  Have we forgotten Viet Nam.. Is it because soldiers join and are not drafted?  War is War!  But for War there must be better reasons than a boost to the economy or threats like.."Weapons of Mass destructions"- or OIL!

Let's all look at each other in this world that is growing smaller every day..in a different light... Let us teach our children to do it...let us reach out to others in a more peaceable way daily... Maybe in something simple like toning down the rhetoric on line on the different candidates for a start!

Light one candle and think of the light and the future

This year I have had the opportunity to do what I have always wanted to do on Christmas, sleep, think of the year behind and pray for the world next year. 

What a year past for me ..with nothing but troubles, difficulties and sorrow reliving much of the past..and yet I am able to say that by sitting and thinking today, Christmas of 2011, ..I am able to look to the future... but with much concern for the next generation.

We are but creatures of what we see, how we are brought up, and what we need to accomplish..but we sometimes fail to stop and look for the "light" as many spiritualists would claim.  An inner light, something we "are" without all our worldly goods and problems.

So I went to the google page and typed in "light one candle", a phrase given to me by a Native
American friend on a holiday season when her nation recieved death threats.  She said in her holiday card, "light a candle" and pray for inner peace and understanding...and peace.

I typed it in and out came folk music.  Something I have been involved with all of my adult life and something I am wanting to go back to.  As they say "everything old is new again"..and as I say "history always repeats itself"..but need..is always there..understanding is always needed and if we as a people loose "HOPE"..we are lost as a people.....

I have included a link to what I found on the web..Peter Paul and Mary and a song "Light one Candle".

Do it..be alone with yourself..be alone with the world and look to how we can make the future holidays better for the whole world..but most of all for the children of every persecuted nationality, religion, political conflict and county...try it..try coming to peace with yourself..realise that we all have too much if we are able to view this blog...light a candle and pray for the world in which we live.......bsm

go to this link to view..http://youtu.be/3yZ1zxtbOJE
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