Johannes Vermeer has always been one of my favorite artists. Many of the Vermeer paintings are held in private collections and so it is not often that a Vermeer exhibit is available showcasing his works at a single location. The National Gallery of Art was able to hold one in the 1990s that I was able to attend. It was magnificent. The NY Time Weekender has a very interesting piece on the restoration work of some Vermeer paintings and what they are discovering a later hand covered up. Back in May, CNN also had an interesting piece on Vermeer. Continue reading
Vermeer
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The “blind leading the blind” is an idiom that can be traced back to the Upanishads (late Vedic Sanskrit texts of Hindu philosophy), which were written around 800 BCE:
Born on June 26, 1580, in Catalonia, Spain, St. Claver studied at the University of Barcelona and joined the Jesuits at age 20 in 1602. While studying philosophy at Majorca in 1605, St. Claver developed a friendship with Jesuit Brother Alphonsus Rodriguez. Br. Rodriguez, who spent his days doing menial work as a doorkeeper, encouraged St. Claver to become a missionary in the Spanish colonies in America. Young Peter Claver left his homeland forever in 1610 to be a missionary in the colonies of the New World. He sailed into Cartagena, a rich port city washed by the Caribbean. He was ordained there in 1615. 
Today, the Catholic Church celebrates 
Our 
Many Catholics are aware of Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si (Praise Be to You) which carries the subtitle “on care for our common home.” In this encyclical and in other documents the Pope critiques capitalism, not as an economic theory in itself, but in its divorce from the human condition and Creation. In Laudato Si’, Pope Francis wrote: “The economy accepts every advance in technology with a view to profit, without concern for its potentially negative impact on human beings. Finance overwhelms the real economy…Some circles maintain that current economics and technology will solve all environmental problems.” (#109). 
Today is the 
Jesus said to his disciples: “In praying, do not babble like the pagans, who think that they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them. Your Father knows what you need before you ask him” (Mark 6:7-8) This is the verse that comes just before the Markan version of the Lord’s Prayer/Our Father. Depending o the translation one is viewing you will read references to “babbling” in prayer, vain repetitions, empty phrases, needless words – all referring to the pattern of prayer used by the pagans of Jesus’ time. 
friarmusings 