In Christian symbolism the magpie had gotten a bad rap. It can represent a misfortune or a thieving person, for the birds penchant to covet shiny things. Sometimes a magpie is used as an allegory for the deadly sin of greed.
I think they are lovely birds whose plumage reminds me of a Dominican habit.
In my mind I picture a tiding of magpies gathered on branches of a tree clutching in their beaks various bits of shiny ecclesiastical baubles. Each bird would be a particular saint that was devoted to liturgy, an artist, or some other thing in relation. Their names would be written on the leaves of the branches each bird is perched on. Since they remind me of Dominicans, the saints would be Dominican. Perhaps. I have to stretch my imagination and knowledge of saints.
Something like this...
What saints can you think of that fit this description?
St. Thomas Aquinas
ReplyDeleteSt. Basil and St. John Chrysostom.
ReplyDeleteSt. Vincent Ferrer, sometimes called The Angel of the Apocalypse! He wrote a wonderful commentary, "The Life of Christ As Seen in the Parts of the Mass": http://www.svfparish.org/svfsermons/Parts%20of%20the%20Mass.htm
ReplyDeleteFra Angelico is the best example of a Dominican artist.
ReplyDeleteFra Angelico... of course!
ReplyDeleteeven though she is not known for her "liturgical bling" I have to bring up my patron Saint Bernadette. While living in the convent she was known to be very good at crafting beautiful things.I read somewhere that she is the patron of handcrafts. I can't find the text but there is a very sweet story about how she was charged with decorating statues for feast days because she was so talented with her hands. She made little paper doves to decorate a statue of Mary. Though this is very simple, I love it because she was so sweet and dedicated to making something beautiful for her Lady. So I don't know if it counts but I love the beautiful humility that she had about her life and faith.
ReplyDeleteSt. Catherine of Siena, Doctor of the Church, definitely! Also, St. Catherine De' Ricci http://catholicfire.blogspot.com/2009/02/st-catherine-de-ricci-mystic-and.html as well as St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Vincent Ferrer, Fra Angelico -- those are musts!
ReplyDeleteGood luck with your project! :)
St. Rose of Lima, St. Louis de Montfort, Pope St. Pius V
ReplyDeleteSt Albert the Great was the ultimate "Dominican magpie", studying music, philosophy, logic, theology, botany, geography, astronomy, astrology, mineralogy, chemistry, zoology, physiology, phrenology and mystical theology.
ReplyDeleteUh, St. Dominic? Patron saint of those who study bling in the sky.
ReplyDeleteSt Francis.
ReplyDeleteOh, wait.
Nevermind.
St. Hyacith.
ReplyDeleteDominican saints...
ReplyDeletehttp://opwest.org/Directory/calendardominican.htm
Dominicans have a new Blessed coming. Pere Marie Jean-Joseph Lataste, O.P. the Apostle of Prisons, will be beatified May 2012.
ReplyDelete