Beheading of St. John the Baptist – August xxix

Beheading of St. John the Baptist – August xxix
At the mid-morning tea break conversation turned to Salome in the account John the Baptist. The question was whether the dancing step-daughter of Herod Antipas was names in the Gospel. The organist remembered the catchy Antiphon of the old Horas Diurnas (Daily Hours). It was mood of the music was quite surprising, a sprightly melody of the dance, “My Lord, give me on a dish the head of John the Baptist” – a strange gaiety expressing the macabre.Salome’s name does not appear.
Her historical place is clear in non-biblical texts and is stamped on a coin struck by Herod. The fact that her name appears in the title of so many works of art, music and drama is the ironic aspect of how she introduces so many to the drama of the martyrdom of John the Baptist. The name Salome, as such, has been kept with similar non-Scriptural figures, like the name of Dismas, the good thief, the names of the Magi.How is it, I wonder, we seem to be familiar with the actual name of Salome? She is well known from the Gospels as the wife of Zebedee, mother of James and John, (Mark 15;40). The Liturgy does not mention the name Salome but seemed to be associated with it in the tuneful music the Organist was humming.

Icon of Our Lady of the Atlas 7

Among the variegated monastic and other wayfarers of the Guesthouse, one, Sr. Peter.
painted the ICON of Our Lady of the Atlas 7 on the occasion of our 50th Anniversary of Nunraw.
Now she has been requested to send some copies of the small Prayer Card to France.
I have been able to send some out of the precious few remaining reproductions for devotees of the Seven Monks martyred in Algeria, but I pointed out that the English version is not going to be so useful to French speakers. Perhaps someone will DO a translation. See
copy of the Icon and the Text.

On 21st May 1996 seven monks of the Cistercian-Trappist monastery of Our Lady of Atlas in Algeria died by assassination at the hands of terrorists - FR. CHRISTIAN de Cherge, BR. Luc Dochier, FR. CRRISTOPRE Lebreton, BR. MICREL Fleury, FR. BRUNO Lemarchand, FR. CELESTIN Ringeard, BR. PAUL Favre-Miville. Icon of Sancta Maria Memory of 7 Monks of Atlas by Sr. Peter, Holy Cross Abbey, Whitland

Seven candles denote the seven monks who died. At Profession they placed their 'vows' on the altar. We have not been asked to shed our blood- they did so. "SANCTA MARIA­MATER DEI".- how often did the monks pray, "Holy Mary, Mother of God" - pray for us now and at the hour of our death". Our Lady's outer garment is painted brown, which denotes the earth - everyday ordinary things. Within it is yellow (as in the halo) since "she is all glorious within". Three, stars, - On her head and shoulders denote that she was a virgin before, during and after the birth of her Child. Her inner vestment is red, denoting royalty, power and humanity which she gives to her Son, so His cloak is red. His inner vestment is white & yellow denoting holiness and divinity. On his right shoulder band the sun is depicted, not with the rays shining down to the world, but back to the one who made it, acknowledging the true light of the world. In His right hand He holds the closed scroll reminding us that the whole mystery is not yet revealed. His right hand points towards Mary. It is a "blessing hand"-blessing will come through the three fingers extended to remind us of the Trinity.

1996 Sancta Maria Abbey, Nunraw, Scotland, EH41 4LW