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Conversione sulla via di Damasco - S..ggio
Panorama Tramonto da Sorrento sopra ..poli
Crepuscolo cade su il Colosseo roman..sura
Una serata perfetta che si affaccia ..sseo
Sedile laterale anello Colosseo
Il Colosseo chiedendo pace dai cieli..opra
Occidentale ingresso vista sera del ..- BW
Una serata perfetta che si affaccia ..- BW
Sedile laterale anello Colosseo - BW
Nubi minacciose si riuniscono attrav..sseo
Nubi drammatiche si riuniscono attra..sseo
Una vista panoramica del Colosseo ro..- BW
La Santa Croce che illumina il Colos..- BW
Occidentale ingresso vista sera del ..mano
Occidentale ingresso vista sera del ..into
Orvieto antica mura etrusche e piogg..etta
Christus Patiens sopra l'Altare Magg..sisi
La Resurrezione del Signore - Dipint..etta
Sole del tardo pomeriggio lungo il R..ezia
Vetrata di Cristo Benedizione St Jam..como
Tramonto scende su fattoria toscana ..etta
Il Cuore Immacolato di Maria - Dipin..etta
Madonna Che Abbraccia Il Rosario - S..etta
La Chiesa di Sant'Anna a Marina Gran..ento
Crocifisso al di là di vestibolo del..dova
Il mistico serata raggi del sole cap..sisi
San Girolamo - Cappella Chigi nel Du..iena
Il tramonto che attraversa le nuvole..ento
Crocifisso Sagrestia della Basilica ..ezia
Il profeta Isaia alla base della Col..Roma
Cristo in Paradiso - la Basilica di ..ezia
Padre Peek Eleva L'ostia Consacrata ..etta
Esplosione di luce sopra la Basilica..etta
Sant'Andrea Immaginare il Crocifissi..alfi
Il sole della sera illumina gli Ange..Roma
Impressione artistica tridimensional..dova
Madonna col Bambino e santi - Cappel..ezia
Canale sulla strada per l'eccellente..ezia
La mano di Dio risplende sulla croce..tona
Santa Giovanna d'Arco - Dipinto di D..etta
Un Milione di volti di Gesù di Dino ..ente
Iridescente Veneziano Tramonto
Incoronazione della Vergine sopra l'..iore
Foglie incorniciano Positano nel sol..ggio
Cappella del Santissimo Sacramento -..iena
Un Milione di volti di Gesù di Dino ..chia
Ho visto lo Spirito scendere come un..urro
Cybo Cappella - Basilica di Santa Ma..Roma
Padre Peek solleva il Calice per L'a..ense
Madonna e Gesù Bambino a La Cattedra..drea
Colorate riflessioni lungo il strett..ezia
Macuteo Obelisco Romana al Pantheon ..etta
Luminous Madonna - Santa Maria Maggi..etta
Ecce Agnus Dei, ecce qui tollit pecc..etta
Gesù Piange sull'America Fratturata ..etta
Domenica di nascondersi dietro il Ma..heon
Santa Messa nella Basilica Papale di..io X
La Luce della Vita - Convento di Cel..etta
La Pontificia Guardia Svizzera prote..Roma
Salire di Cristo - Sant'Andrea Duomo..alfi
Baldacchino oro Angelo Candelabra - ..Roma
La Basilica di Santa Maria della Sal..mare
Vista dal Canal Grande della chiesa ..ezia
Canale di San Maurizio Venezia
Gloriosa Madonna Addolorata - Duomo..dore
Cappella del Santissimo Crocifisso a..sisi
Monumento a san Francesco d'assisi a..Roma
Cristo illuminato da Paradiso - la B..ezia
Adorazione Eucaristica – Dipinto di ..etta
Sacro Cuore di Gesù - Dipinto di Din..etta
Visitazione della Beata Vergine Mari..etta
Santa Bernadette Soubirous e il Mira..etta
Prima Domenica di Avvento - Dipinto ..etta
Sera Nella Vivace Cittadina Balneare..iore
Pioggia Vista Imbevuto della Basilic..iore
La luce guida tra Santa Maria Maggio..sisi
Vierge Marie devant le Sanctuaire No..etta
Angelo con la Croce - Ponte Sant'Ang..etta
Le Gondoliera illuminate dalla luce ..etta
Padre Peek solleva il Calice per L'a..anco
La luce dell'agnello - Dipinto di Di..etta
San Giovanni Apostolo presso Arcibas..Roma
“Hail favored one! The Lord is with ..etta
Canale Riello de Santa Sofia - Ca 'D..ezia
Altare maggiore della Chiesa di Nost..tano
Il Crocifisso - La Basilica di Santa..etta
Il Sacro Cuore di Gesù - Minore Basi..etta
Gesù di Nazareth - Peschereccio Sorr..ento
Peschereccio in appoggio davanti al ..etta
Il canale di Venezia riflette il pic..etta
La Madonna di Fatima abbraccia la Ve..etta
Fede, Speranza e Amore - Dipinto di ..etta
Vergine Maria e Gesù neonato a Betle..etta
Luminanza di Cristo - Cattedrale di ..etta
Volto Crocifisso di Cristo - Pittura..etta
Madonna Addolorata Azzurre - Duomo d..sisi
Angelo con la Croce sul Ponte Sant'A..Roma
Vista Unica Attraverso Archi Medieva..ento
Nostra Signora di Fatima abbraccia B..etta
Cremisi Crocifissione nella cappella..tano
Next
![“Conversion on the Way to Damascus - Saint Paul by Caravaggio”…<br />
<br />
After a spiritual Mass at St. Peters Basilica and an intense tour of the Vatican, discussions with fellow pilgrim, Patrick, proved inspirational. Our eyes were fixated on the famous Caravaggio paintings located in the acclaimed Basilica of Santa Maria del Popolo. The “Crucifixion of Peter” and the “Conversion on the Way to Damascus” were elusive on my previous visit. We found the Basilica under reconstruction, waiting for an opening, then rushed inside to find darkness and disarray everywhere. Finally, finding the dark chapel, our eyes could not focus enough to discover the paintings. Suddenly, the light arose and the Caravaggio’s were an arm’s length away. We expeditiously actuated our cameras and euphorically clicked away. Just as hastily, a mysterious guard clicked off the lights. “On his journey, as he was nearing Damascus, a light from the sky suddenly flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” He said, “Who are you, sir?” The reply came, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.” [Acts 9:3-5] The scene is lit by a strong light but the three figures are engulfed by almost impenetrable darkness. A few faint rays on the light evoke Jesus' epiphany but these are not the real source of the lighting, and the groom remains seemingly oblivious to the presence of the divine. Caravaggio's style of Tenebrism, where forms in paintings emerge from a dark background with usually one source of stark light, creates dramatic effects with its strong contrasts. This lighting was evoking spiritual drama in the Conversion of Saint Paul. In the present day, the reputation of Caravaggio remains impressive - ranked alongside the likes of Da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Raphael. I am always appreciative upon completion of one of my many artworks. Displaying this elusive image by the great Caravaggio, I am triumphant!](https://www.dinocarbetta.com/img-get2/I0000utTWq4J0LfA/fill=/fit=200x200/I0000utTWq4J0LfA.jpg)
!["Stained Glass of Christ Blessing St James at the Cathedral of Saints Philip and James"...<br />
<br />
The main church in Sorrento is the Duomo, also known as the Cathedral of San Filippo and San Giacomo, which is concealed right in the heart of the town. Sorrento is not known as a pilgrimage site, but a beautiful seaside resort village. The Duomo dates as far back as the 11th century but was completely rebuilt in the 15th century in Romanesque style. The façade is very plain for a Cathedral of such interior grandeur, which has three naves separated by pillars and a very ornate ceiling. Next to the cathedral is a bell tower resting on an arch with four columns, which dates back to medieval times. Inconspicuously, I entered the cathedral and saw only a dozen elderly women sitting in the front pews reciting aloud a novena. Not wanting to disturb them, I ventured around quietly and was taken aback by the reverent beauty and peaceful aura of the magnificent Duomo. James and Philip human men who became foundation stones of the Church, as we are reminded that holiness and its consequent apostolate are entirely the gifts of God. LUKE 24:49 “And [behold] I am sending the promise of my Father upon you, but stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.” Their first commission had been to expel unclean spirits, heal diseases, and announce the kingdom. They learned, gradually, that these externals were sacraments of an even greater miracle inside their persons…the divine power to love like God.](https://www.dinocarbetta.com/img-get2/I0000DIoWn9cXTyE/fill=/fit=200x200/I0000DIoWn9cXTyE.jpg)
![“Sant'Andrea Imagining the Crucifixion of Christ - Amalfi Cathedral”…<br />
<br />
I caught the rain-soaked ferry down the coast to the seaside town of Amalfi. The Duomo di Amalfi is usually packed with tourists bused and ferried from 100’s of miles away, but with the dreary weather, many stayed away. A church has resided on this site in Amalfi since 596 AD and the one built in the 9th century still stands today. The present cathedral was built adjacent to the old one in the early 13th century to provide a suitable resting place for St. Andrew the Apostle. The two were originally joined together to form a single, six-nave Romanesque cathedral. Newer walls have been taken down to expose parts of the ancient original church, and one can ponder history by this glimpse back in time. Andrew, Saint Peter’s brother and one of Christ’s closest disciples was also the disciple of John the Baptist. Saint Andrew was called with Peter: “As [Jesus] was walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon who is now called Peter, and his brother Andrew, casting a net into the sea; they were fishermen. He said to them, ‘Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.’ At once they left their nets and followed him” (Matthew 4:18-20). Stairs near the east end of the Duomo descend into the Crypt of St. Andrew, where his relics are kept in the central altar. The crypt is decorated with magnificent Baroque murals from 1660. As I knelt and prayed at the glorious crypt befitting this great disciple who was martyred on an X-shaped crucifix, my mind wandered to the true nature of this chosen man who became a Disciple and Saint. I stirred around to the back of the altar and found myself facing his eternal light and relics. I knelt again in prayer feeling the great essence and presence of this selfless apostle. As in many other locations and churches in Italy, where Saints seem to be from every town, I was overcome with deep emotion and an abundance of heartfelt spiritual joy!](https://www.dinocarbetta.com/img-get2/I0000_QOj8XJTNqc/fill=/fit=200x200/I0000_QOj8XJTNqc.jpg)
![“A Million Faces of Jesus by Dino Carbetta – Resplendent”…<br />
<br />
“God of every nation and people, from the very beginning of creation you have made manifest your love: when our need for a Savior was great you sent your Son to be born of the Virgin Mary. To our lives, he brings joy and peace, justice, mercy, and love.” Since early childhood, my fascination with the face of Christ resulted in a multitude of sketches, drawings, and photographs. Today, my mind’s eye continues this perception in wonderment. I yearn to see, feel, and touch this beatific vision. Blessed with humble skills, this is my current vision after three years of introspection and change of the face of Christ. I know that in heaven the just will see God by direct intuition, clearly and distinctly. Scripture and theology tell us that the blessed see God face to face. And because this vision is immediate and direct, it is also exceedingly clear and distinct. Battle against Evil: Finally, draw your strength from the Lord and from his mighty power. Put on the armor of God so that you may be able to stand firm against the tactics of the devil. For our struggle is not with flesh and blood but with the principalities, with the powers, with the world rulers of this present darkness, with the evil spirits in the heavens. Therefore, put on the armor of God, that you may be able to resist on an evil day and, having done everything, to hold your ground. So stand fast with your loins girded in truth, clothed with righteousness as a breastplate, and your feet shod in readiness for the gospel of peace. In all circumstances, hold faith as a shield, to quench all [the] flaming arrows of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. EPHESIANS, 6:10-17](https://www.dinocarbetta.com/img-get2/I0000LMU7ONqpoDE/fill=/fit=200x200/I0000LMU7ONqpoDE.jpg)
![“A Million Faces of Jesus by Dino Carbetta – Mist”…<br />
<br />
Since early childhood, my fascination with the face of Christ resulted in a multitude of sketches, drawings, and photographs. Today, my mind’s eye continues this perception in wonderment. I yearn to see, feel, and touch this beatific vision. Blessed with humble skills, this is my current vision after three years of introspection and change of the face of Christ. I know that in heaven the just will see God by direct intuition, clearly and distinctly. Scripture and theology tell us that the blessed see God face to face. And because this vision is immediate and direct, it is also exceedingly clear and distinct. Battle against Evil: Finally, draw your strength from the Lord and from his mighty power. Put on the armor of God so that you may be able to stand firm against the tactics of the devil. For our struggle is not with flesh and blood but with the principalities, with the powers, with the world rulers of this present darkness, with the evil spirits in the heavens. Therefore, put on the armor of God, that you may be able to resist on the evil day and, having done everything, to hold your ground. So stand fast with your loins girded in truth, clothed with righteousness as a breastplate, and your feet shod in readiness for the gospel of peace. In all circumstances, hold faith as a shield, to quench all [the] flaming arrows of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. EPHESIANS, 6:10-17 Thank you for your prayers!](https://www.dinocarbetta.com/img-get2/I0000pr22VAjWIC8/fill=/fit=200x200/I0000pr22VAjWIC8.jpg)
!["Madonna and baby Jesus in the Cathedral of St. Andrew"... <br />
<br />
“Holy Family, we consecrate ourselves and our family to you. May we be completely united in a love that is lasting, faithful, and open to the gift of new life. Help us to grow in virtue, to forgive one another from our hearts, and to live in peace all our days. Keep us strong in faith, persevering in prayer, diligent in our work, and generous toward those in need. May our home, O Holy Family, truly become a domestic church where we reflect your example in our daily life. Amen. Jesus, Mary, and Joseph pray for us!” On the last of three glorious days in Positano, I arose early to catch the sunrise over the village. However, at about 10:00 am …the cold rains came down dampening the glorious sun. I caught the rain-soaked ferry down the coast to the seaside town of Amalfi. The Cattedrale di Sant'Andrea/Duomo di Amalfi is usually packed with tourists bused and ferried from hundreds of miles away, but with the dreary weather, many chose to stay away. There has been a church on this site in Amalfi since 596 AD and the one built in the ninth century still stands today. The present cathedral was built adjacent to the old one in the early 13th century to provide a suitable resting place for St. Andrew the Apostle. The two were originally joined together to form a single, six-nave Romanesque cathedral. Pieces of the newer walls have been taken down to expose parts of the walls of the ancient original church, and one can ponder history with this glimpse back in time. I was enraptured by the sacred art devotional of the Madonna and Baby Jesus as I exited the magnificent Cathedral, a forever remembrance of my cherished rainy day in Amalfi. [Acts 14:17] “Yet, in bestowing his goodness, he did not leave himself without witness, for he gave you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons and filled you with nourishment and gladness for your hearts.”](https://www.dinocarbetta.com/img-get2/I0000eT47UbXX2p0/fill=/fit=200x200/I0000eT47UbXX2p0.jpg)
!["Glorious Madonna of Sorrows - Cathedral of San Rufino, Assisi - Splendor"...<br />
<br />
The title, Our Lady of Sorrows, given to our Blessed Mother focuses on her intense suffering and grief during the passion and death of our Lord. Traditionally, this suffering was not limited to the passion and death event; rather, it comprised the seven sorrows of Mary, which were foretold by the Priest Simeon who proclaimed to Mary, This child [Jesus] is destined to be the downfall and the rise of many in Israel, a sign that will be opposed and you shall be pierced with a sword so that the thoughts of many hearts may be laid bare (Luke 2:34-35). These seven sorrows of our Blessed Mother included the flight of the Holy Family into Egypt; the loss and finding of the child Jesus in the Temple; Mary's meeting of Jesus on His way to Calvary; Mary's standing at the foot of the cross when our Lord was crucified; her holding of Jesus when He was taken down from the cross; and then our Lord's burial. In all, the prophecy of Simeon that a sword would pierce our Blessed Mother's heart was fulfilled in these events. For this reason, Mary is sometimes depicted with her heart exposed and with seven swords piercing it. More importantly, each new suffering was received with the courage, love, and trust that echoed her fiat, let it be done unto me according to thy word, first uttered at the Annunciation. Adoration of the Madonna as a participant in the Passion of Christ is the image of the iconographic tradition finished in 1672. Luke 2:34-35 "And Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary his mother: Behold this child is set for the fall and the resurrection of many in Israel, and for a sign which shall be contradicted; And thy own soul a sword shall pierce, that out of many hearts thoughts may be revealed."](https://www.dinocarbetta.com/img-get2/I00000gmkgWjP9m4/fill=/fit=200x200/I00000gmkgWjP9m4.jpg)
![“Fishing boat resting in front of the Sant'Anna Sorrento Restaurant - Painting by Dino Carbetta”…<br />
<br />
Duomo di Sorrento is one of my favorite hidden treasures in Italy. On our last day on the Bellissimo Amalfi Coast, Father Peak offered a venerable morning Mass for our semi-exhausted group of Pilgrims upon the High Altar. Hallelujah, it was our first free day of the 2019 Pilgrimage and most were heading to Capri. I convinced my fellow Pilgrim Patrick that Marina Grande was the preferred location to commemorate this rain-threatened day. Sunday afternoon in this tiny hallowed port on the Mediterranean was bustling, not with tourists, but with energetic and unassuming locals. The misty skies were vulnerable all day with the threat of rain, but the reluctant sun penetrated the clouds for a few fortuitous moments. God painted the skies for brief moments with luminous pastel elements of abstract color. A lonely boat gleamed in the late evening sun resting upon the wet sand. Saint Matthew’s account of Peter trying to walk on water came to mind: “Peter said to him in reply, ‘Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” He said, “Come.” Peter got out of the boat and began to walk on the water toward Jesus. But when he saw how [strong] the wind was he became frightened; and, beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith,* why did you doubt?” After they got into the boat, the wind died down. Those who were in the boat did him homage, saying, “Truly, you are the Son of God.” (Matt: 14: 28-33) We left after lunch only to humbly return capturing the evening seascape a few hours before our reservation with the entire Pilgrimage group for a perfect dinner at my favorite restaurant, Ristorante di “Zi'Ntonio Mare.](https://www.dinocarbetta.com/img-get2/I0000DNktF818OyQ/fill=/fit=200x200/I0000DNktF818OyQ.jpg)
![“Our Lady of Fatima embraces the Old Glory - Painting by Dino Carbetta”…<br />
<br />
Inspiring hope in such a desperate situation, the Holy Father – John Paul II celebrated Mary as the only creature who has fully experienced the final victory of life. He presented her as the one who remains at the center of the struggle for life in this world: At her Assumption, Mary was “taken up to Life” – body and soul. She is already a part of “the first fruits” (1 Cor 15:20) of our Savior’s redemptive Death and Resurrection. The Son took his human life from her; in return, he gave her the fullness of communion in Divine Life. She is the only other being in whom the mystery has already been completely accomplished. In Mary, the final victory of Life over death is already a reality. These are astonishing words – “the final victory of Life over death is already a reality” in Our Lady! It is also one of the boldest prophetic statements of our age to claim that, after Christ, the Virgin Mary “is the only other being in whom the mystery [of Divine Life] has already been completely accomplished.” In so many words the Holy Father was saying that all those who consider themselves pro-life must take Mary as their pre-eminent champion in the struggle to restore legal protection to unborn children and to root out a pervasive culture of death. Our Lady was the channel through which Divine Life came to us. She is now the one who will restore life to a society that has succumbed to death.](https://www.dinocarbetta.com/img-get2/I0000UC8Y2.41NEs/fill=/fit=200x200/I0000UC8Y2.41NEs.jpg)
![“Faith, Hope, and Love – Painting by Dino Carbetta”…<br />
<br />
Psalm 46: 2-8 “God is our refuge and our strength, an ever-present help in distress. Thus we do not fear, though earth be shaken and mountains quake to the depths of the sea, though its waters rage and foam and mountains totter at its surging. Streams of the river gladden the city of God, the holy dwelling of the Most High. God is in its midst; it shall not be shaken; God will help it at break of day. Though nations rage and kingdoms totter, he utters his voice and the earth melts. The LORD of hosts is with us; our stronghold is the God of Jacob.” <br />
<br />
2 Corinthians 4:8-10 “We are afflicted in every way, but not constrained; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our body.”<br />
<br />
Romans 5:1-5 “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access [by faith] to this grace in which we stand, and we boast in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we even boast of our afflictions, knowing that affliction produces endurance, and endurance, proven character, and proven character, hope, and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.”](https://www.dinocarbetta.com/img-get2/I0000b_OTorwwbzM/fill=/fit=200x200/I0000b_OTorwwbzM.jpg)
!["Our Lady of Sorrows Blue - Cathedral of San Rufino, Assisi"...<br />
The title, Our Lady of Sorrows, given to our Blessed Mother focuses on her intense suffering and grief during the passion and death of our Lord. Traditionally, this suffering was not limited to the passion and death event; rather, it comprised the seven sorrows of Mary, which were foretold by the Priest Simeon who proclaimed to Mary, This child [Jesus] is destined to be the downfall and the rise of many in Israel, a sign that will be opposed and you shall be pierced with a sword so that the thoughts of many hearts may be laid bare (Luke 2:34-35). These seven sorrows of our Blessed Mother included the flight of the Holy Family into Egypt; the loss and finding of the child Jesus in the Temple; Mary's meeting of Jesus on His way to Calvary; Mary's standing at the foot of the cross when our Lord was crucified; her holding of Jesus when He was taken down from the cross; and then our Lord's burial. In all, the prophecy of Simeon that a sword would pierce our Blessed Mother's heart was fulfilled in these events. For this reason, Mary is sometimes depicted with her heart exposed and with seven swords piercing it. More importantly, each new suffering was received with the courage, love, and trust that echoed her fiat, let it be done unto me according to thy word, first uttered at the Annunciation. Adoration of the Madonna as a participant in the Passion of Christ is the image of the iconographic tradition finished in 1672. Luke 2:34-35 "And Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary his mother: Behold this child is set for the fall and the resurrection of many in Israel, and for a sign which shall be contradicted; And thy own soul a sword shall pierce, that out of many hearts thoughts may be revealed."](https://www.dinocarbetta.com/img-get2/I0000Pf36JaMJDdk/fill=/fit=200x200/I0000Pf36JaMJDdk.jpg)
