Thanksgiving ...

I don't think you have to put a lot of emphasis on the "first" thanksgiving, but rather to simply understand thanksgiving, and appreciate the thanksgivings you may come across (I found two):

1.  Plymouth, Massachusetts - Calvinist separatists and Wampanoag (this is the thanksgiving that I traditionally celebrate each year) ... eastern wild turkey

2.  Saint Augustine, Florida - Catholics explorers and Timucua ... osceola wild turkey

There are many patron saints of the harvest, gardening, and agriculture considering Thanksgiving ("... day of giving thanks for the blessing of the harvest and of the preceding year.") 

Baltimore Sun news article - Thanksgiving's patron saint brought out the best in us
http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2001-11-22/news/0111220294_1_thanksgiving-gaddy-baltimore-tradition



our traditional Green Bean Casserole recipe
http://www.frenchs.com/recipe/frenchs-green-bean-casserole-RE1511-1


experimenting with green been casserole for Thanksgiving dinner 
-with swiss cheese, white sauce, and no mushrooms (Swiss Green Bean Casserole)
-adding almonds for an almondine touch (Green Bean Almond Casserole)



documented Thanksgivings in the United States are about 500 years old !

Happy Thanksgiving !

Rosary, Medal, Scapular, Veil

Rosary - Mary, Mother of Jesus
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary,_mother_of_Jesus

Miraculous Medal - Saint Catherine Laboure
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catherine_Labour%C3%A9

Brown Scapular - Our Lady of Mount Carmel
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Our_Lady_of_Mount_Carmel

Veil ...

this is Mona Maris ( http://www.famousfix.com/post/mona-maris-20041518 )

All Saints' Day 2017 in Frostburg

November 1st - an important day for Frostburg Hagiography Group ... All Saints' Day !  (the calendar cluster of Halloween, All Saints' Day, All Souls' Day)

just some vocabulary ...

"Hagiographa: the books of the Bible comprising the last of the three major divisions of the Hebrew scriptures, other than the Law and the Prophets. The books of the Hagiographa are: Ruth, Psalms, Job, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon, Lamentations, Daniel, Esther, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Chronicles." - google search dictionary

"The hagiographer has a threefold task: to collect all the material relevant to each particular saint, to edit the documents according to the best methods of textual criticism, and to interpret the evidence by using literary, historical, and any other pertinent criteria." - Encyclopedia Britannica https://www.britannica.com/topic/hagiography

Women in Acts (New Testament Apocrypha)

I came across the New Testament Apocrypha (read more at wikipedia).

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Testament_apocrypha

It can be purchased at amazon (see link below).

• https://www.amazon.com/New-Testament-Apocrypha-M-James/dp/0974762369/

Saint Thecla (follow the links to the Acts of Paul and Thecla from wikipedia)

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thecla

Saints Xantippa and Polyxena and Holy Woman Rebecca (follow wikipedia links for more information on the Acts of Xantippa, Polyxena, and Rebecca)

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acts_of_Xanthippe,_Polyxena,_and_Rebecca

Interesting enough, these women (Saint Thecla, Saint Xantippa, Saint Polyxena, Holy Woman Rebecca), all have a feast day on the same day as Saint Pio - September 23rd

http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=323
http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=2063
http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=311



I didn't make this post so that you get the cart before the horse ...  It's probably better to read and study the biblical Book of Acts ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acts_of_the_Apostles ) before exploring the acts genre.

Incidentally, if you are looking for the women in the biblical Book of Acts, try the links below; there are women in Acts.
http://stronginfaith.org/article.php?page=95
http://whatdoesthismean.net/topic-24-women-in-the-book-of-acts/

... at the local all saints' chapel

Frostburg Hagiography Group keeps three wonderful books in the kneeling desk at Saint John Episcopal Church's All Saints' Chapel for the public to use while visiting the chapel.  The books are normally in the kneeling desk, but are shown here on the kneeling desk for photography purposes.  We hope you enjoy your visit.

For chapel visitor use ... please return these books to the kneeling desk when you are finished using them (please do not remove them from the chapel).  Do not write or draw in them.  They contain holy material, so do not destroy them.  We hope these books will aid the public in prayer, meditation, and spirituality during their chapel visit.

• English Standard Version Holy Bible
• Rejoice (Psalms for the year with a list of Episcopal saint feast days at the beginning of each month)
• Thomas Kinkade (book of paintings with scripture)

This is a very nice chapel in Frostburg, located on Broadway Street, open 24 hours a day and open to the public.  The church's website is http://stjohnsfrostburg.org/  Visitors are not required to use these books, but the books are there for visitor enlightenment and assistance (we are not affiliated with or connected to the church).

Have any comments, questions, suggestions, or concerns ? Find us on facebook (Frostburg Hagiography) and make a post.  We would love to hear from you.

Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love

Memorizing Prayers

I think memorizing a prayer makes the prayer more precious ... no fumbling with paper and books - to know it by heart

I was looking for ways to memorize prayers (I have trouble with remembering certain prayers), and I came across this article on memorizing prayers:

How I Memorized My Favorite Prayer in Sixty Seconds
http://www.ncregister.com/blog/jennifer-fulwiler/how-i-memorized-my-favorite-prayer-in-sixty-seconds




Did you memorize this prayer?  How long did it take you to memorize the mass collect prayer for Saint Ignatius of Antioch? (October 17 feast day)

Almighty ever-living God, who adorn the sacred body of your Church with the confessions of holy Martyrs, grant, we pray, that, just as the glorious passion of Saint Ignatius of Antioch, which we celebrate today, brought him eternal splendor, so it may be for us unending protection. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

The Protection of the Mother of God (Orthodox & Byzantine)

Exploring feast days in other branches of Catholicism ...

The Protection of the Mother of God

October 1

(Intercession of the Theotokos)

Under Your Protection

We fly to thy protection,
O holy Mother of God.
Despise not our petitions
in our necessities,
but deliver us always
from all dangers
O glorious and blessed Virgin.

Helpful Links

http://www.liturgies.net/saints/mary/protection/protection.htm

https://orthodoxwiki.org/Protection_of_the_Mother_of_God

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_St._Mary_of_Blachernae_(Istanbul)

https://oca.org/saints/lives/2017/10/01/102824-the-protection-of-our-most-holy-lady-the-mother-of-god-and-ever

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intercession_of_the_Theotokos

http://365rosaries.blogspot.com/2011/10/october-1-holy-protection-of-mother-of.html