Living in the Central Valley of California feels unnatural to a water sign person such as myself. The daughter of a Navy man, I grew up near the Great Lakes and the Pacific Ocean depending on where my father was sent. More than once, I would welcome him home from long cruises, enjoy having him near for a short time and then he would be gone again.
Growing up, the daughter of a Navy man, also familiarized me with holy cards and icons devoted to the protection of sailors. One I have that I treasure is this one:
They cried to the Lord in their distress;
from their straits He rescued them.
He hushed the storm to a gentle breeze.
and the billows of the sea were stilled.
They rejoiced that they were calmed,
and He brought them to their desired haven.
Let them give thanks to the Lord for His kindness.
And since it was Monday, I thought that surely there would be a Madonna devoted to the men of the sea. Mary, Star of the Sea has many faces but one which I like very much is:
For centuries, Mary has been invoked by mariners as their star, constantly shining a steady beam of light leading to Her son, Jesus. Life is often chaotic just as a boat tossed in rough sea. She is now our star as well
"Hail Star of the Sea! Guide us to Jesus Christ in this tempestuous sea of life!"
15 comments:
Beautiful...Mary as star of the sea. Thank you for sharing this perspective of her and the connection to your father.
Well, Jesus really DID calm the sea and save the sailors...
Hi Annie, This post reminded me of the Waving Girl Statue in Savannah, GA... There was once a lady named Florence who loved to wave at the sailers when they would return to Savannah. She even waved with a lantern... They say that she welcomed more than 50,000 ships during her lifetime---since she waved fro 44 yrs. Now--they remember Florence Martus with a statue of a waving girl at Savannah.... Neat, don't you think?
Hugs,
Betsy
You can find out more about her by googling the Waving Girl in Savannah. GA
Thanks for the information. For anyone who reads it, here's the link to a very pretty picture of the Waving Girl of Savannah.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/swampzoid/5742161552/
FROM MAGICAL MYSTERY TEACHER -
the phrasing of this prayer sound so very much like verses from Psalm 107. It's a beautiful prayer. Thanks for sharing it.
What an interesting and informative--and beautiful--post this is. In San Pedro, near where I live (the Port of Los Angeles) one of the big churches is Mary Star of the Sea. Poignant hearing about your dad out at sea.
Beautiful, Annie!
Thank you for visiting, I was only thinking of you yesterday too! I have been by the ocean ~ the place I feel connected to, so your sailor devotions touch my heart! x
a beautiful sharing this Monday morning thank you. Stella Maris, Star of the Sea, so profound to imagine those sea journeys under her protection
mary star of the sea, lovely evocative words that speak to me as they speak to you, both daughters of navy dads, growing up on the shores of many coastlines. i too cannot believe i landlocked for the first time in my entire life here in prescott,az.
thank you for your love of mary, dad and sea.
I should have realized that there would be a connection between Mary and the men of the sea! stellar post, dear one! I loved listening to the hymn. I'm hoping I can link to it.
What an interesting idea. Never looked at it this way. How inspiring.
Lovely. I like the cards, and that certainly is something to treasure and think of your father by.
Our parish priest is a young Polish man and, like JPII, he emphasized prayer to the Blessed Virgin. I like that!
I've got your link in my sidebar now. Thanks for jumping in with some comments; I appreciate it.
The holy cards are beautiful, Annie. We don't have them with our faith, but I've always appreciated them.
I so enjoyed this post. My DH is a Man of the Sea (Navy and then Merchant Marines). I know the comings and goings very well and have always had a special feeling for Mary, Star of the Sea.
Darla
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