I am sitting in bed looking out my balcony window in cinque Terre, it looks across a couple of roof tops at the top of the church bell tower that rings every half hour. Beyond the tower are the steep terraces of grape vines separated by fig trees and cacti. Shrines of different kinds adorn each plot, Mary with baby Jesus, Jesus on the cross, bleeding heart Jesus, the pope, either jon paul or Ratzinger, miniature churches or images of saints or disciples.
Amongst the alley ways these dedications are also found, often with fresh flowers indicating how current this belief systems still is. A visit to the churches ( I use the word church maybe basilica might be more appropriate ) find many candles lit and often being lit, a half euro each is all it costs to keep a prayer alight. A request that Mary and Jesus bless our crops, health etc.. Protect us from all ills. This candle lighting parallels with the spinning of the buddhist prayer wheels.
Throughout Italy master painters have been commissioned to portray the celestial approval of leaders whether church, state or empire. God's hand reaching down pointing to state leaders or angels watching over halo adorned church leaders having visions of Mary's bleeding heart while the masses battle with daemons and serpents pulling them in to the Abyss. All the lessons of life are portrayed in these paintings, know that your leaders are chosen by God, remember that all that went before you are watching you closely from heaven, give your money daily to the church, light candles often so that Mary won't forget you. Poor people should be mostly naked other than the odd fig or vine leaf, holy people have auras or halos and you will most probably die being hacked to death from marauding savages. Finally Jesus seemed to be a baby for a long time traveling with Mary to every city in Italy then soon after transformed into a crucified adult.
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