Museum of Art, Raleigh, NC

My husband and I recently visited the art museum in Raleigh, N.C. We went to see an exhibit of Childe Hassam's paintings. I only recently was introduced to this American impressionist and was delighted to see that the North Carolina Museum of Art was featuring works of his through June 19.

Along with the Hassam exhibit was another from the Minneapolis Institute of Art called "Marks of Genius: 100 Extraordinary Drawings." A third smaller exhibit, Barbara Cooney's original illustrations of her children's book, Island Boy rounded out the exhibit offerings.

A couple of hours were well-spent savoring Hassam's impressions of the "Shoal Islands" off the coast of New Hampshire and perusing the drawings from the institute. Photographing the paintings was prohibited but I did buy one print of rich red poppies dancing in the wind which I will frame for the guest bedroom. Those of you who are familiar with Barbara Cooney's books know the illustrations are simply elegant. They are well-done. Buy any one of her children's books. You will not be disappointed. The colors are rich and clean. The illustrations uniquely hers and no one else's. When we finished viewing the exhibits, we continued on to the main building where their permanent collection is housed. I took a few photographs. The one below is the Peruzzi Altarpiece. I have included the description from the museum below. It is from the famous artist, Giotto, late thirteenth and early fourteenth centuries. It represents one of the many magnificent pieces of artwork that this museum has in its holdings. I did not have time to fully view their entire collection of European religious art. I will go back in the future to see and enjoy more of it. If you are in Raleigh, N.C., I encourage you to visit the museum and view some of its very fine holdings.

The Peruzzi Altarpiece

An Easter Visit to the Blessed Sacrament

 The Easter season is the perfect time to bring your children or grandchildren for a visit to Jesus during Adoration. Many of our churches have adoration at least once a week. Some parishes have adoration chapels where Our Lord is exposed in the monstrance twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. Tell your children that you are going to make a short visit to Jesus to say, "Hi," to tell Him that we love Him, and to keep Him company for a few minutes (seconds if the child is very young and active). No visit no matter how short is unimportant to Our Lord. He treasures our visits and we draw graces for ourselves and our children when we stop by to adore and say, "Hello." You can build on the time you spend visiting Jesus in adoration over time. But there is no time like the present to get started!

Here is a Mom with her young son in the pew to the left of her. They have come for a short visit to adore Jesus in the Monstrance on the altar in the front of the church. There are other people praying, too. Some of the people praying are committed adorers who remain for an hour with Jesus. Others have just dropped in like the mother  with her child to pray for a few moments, to adore Jesus, to ask for His help and then to be on their way. "Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these. Matthew 19:14

Come to me all you who are weary and burden and I will give you rest. Matt. 11:28

Another Book for Children

I love this book! The illustrations are captivating. If I am drawn to it as an adult, think what your children, ages 7 and up will be! It covers the major Old and New Testament stories and has a glossary in the back. Additional chapters on the prophets and psalms are included. The overall quality of the materials used is very high as is the retelling of the stories. This is the time of the year when parents, grandparents, godparents, aunts and uncles are looking for gifts for First Communicants. This book would make an excellent and long lasting gift.