Church

[caption id=“attachment_2662” align=“aligncenter” width=“800”] To live in hearts we leave behind Is not to die. ~Thomas Campbell, “Hallowed Ground”[/caption] What a way to remember one’s dead! The Day of the Dead or Dia de Muertos celebrations took place here in Toronto yesterday at Harbourfront and is taking place again today. It’s a two day Festival which has its roots in Mexico. The atmosphere was festive rather than mournful - although all the paraphernalia surrounding death was visible there. “The Mexican holiday of Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, takes place over the first two days of November. Its origins are a mixture of Native American traditions and a set of Catholic holidays. While the holiday’s observances include spending time in cemeteries, making shrines to the dead, and displaying artistic representations of skulls and skeletons, the occasion is festive, rather than morbid. Death isn’t seen as the end of one’s life, but as a natural part of the life cycle; the dead continue to exist much as they did in their lives, and come back to visit the living every year.” (Factmonster.com) Would that we would all be like the Mexicans who are able to have joyful and celebratory feelings about death and dying. This is truly a blessing. ...

The images in the above collage were taken at the Cathedral which is also a parish church for the St. Lawrence neighborhood. I’ve visited the Cathedral before but never took a single picture. This time I had my camera along with me and stayed behind to take a few pictures. It’s a beautiful church and I’ll share the collages and save the story behind my visit for the end. ...

“While it is good that we seek to know the Holy One, it is probably not so good to presume that we ever complete the task.” ~ (Bonhoeffer) [caption id=“attachment_1524” align=“aligncenter” width=“584”] ~ The Lowly Manger[/caption] At the first Christmas - the circumstances were dire. There was no room at the inn and the Baby Jesus was born in a manger. There were no doctors, nurses, midwives, bright hospital lights, and a bag packed with fine clothing for either mother or child. It was the humblest of births. ...

 [caption id=“attachment_1163” align=“aligncenter” width=“584” caption=““Rise to Power” Painting - St. George’s Anglican Church, Barbados”][/caption] Our happiest moments as tourists always seem to come when we stumble upon one thing while in pursuit of something else.” — Lawrence Block When I travelled to Barbados to attend a fabulous beach wedding, I didn’t know that I would be taken to visit a beautiful Anglican Church called St. George’s in the village of St. George. On the afternoon of my last day in “Beautiful Barbados,” I became a tourist. I took in all the scenery and the church itself and was happy to take many pictures. ...