TIA,

Regarding your article Naivety or a Higher Understanding of Things? by Elaine Marie Jordan, I would like you to know this symbolism of the Passionflower:

Passiflora: The species of the genus Passiflora sp. are perennial, shallow rooted, woody vines that climb by means of tendrils. Many species are native to South America, primarily southern Brazil through Paraguay to northern Argentina; whereas others are of Old World origin. The Passionfruit, as this genus is commonly called, is not named as one might suppose, for some type of aphrodisiac property. Rather, the plants were given this name by early missionaries in South America on the basis that the flower resembles the different elements of Christ's crucifixion: the crown of thorns (corona); the five wounds (the five anthers); the nails of the cross (divisions of the pistil); the whips and cords (the tendril on the vine); and the spear (leaf). (Jeremy Ting)

     Greetings,

     N.C., India

Dear TIA,

Talking about coincidences, I found myself drawn to read your article on Roses and the Rosary from the Legends section this day while on a field trip. This is very helpful information to keep in mind as praying the rosary.

Tonight, I viewed the Lastest Update and found the dear Margaret Galitzin had composed a lovely article on flowers for Our Lady. Thank you, so appropriate for this month of Mary which is May. It is a dream to one day have the space and wherewithal to create such a garden for Our Lady, but for now it is pleasing to read about it.

Further I see the virtual garden and many links for reading. Thank you again.

     In Our Mother,

     P.J.

TIA,

G.K. Chesterton said that tolerance is the virtue of those who have no convictions. It sounds to me like this is what your recent critics [of your position on Distributism] are looking for, tolerance not the truth.

Tolerance in the Roman Catholic Church is what the French Grand Orient Freemasons wanted in the 1880's. It is what Satan wanted Adam and Eve to consider in the first recorded dialog session.

     Our Lady of LaSalette, Pray for Us.

     S.M.

Dear TIA,

Thank you for everything that you do. I support you 100%.

Keep up the good work.

God bless.

P.Y.



TIA,

Thanks for your website, it encourages me.

C.K.

Dear TIA,

Thank you for your generous follow-up into the question of making the Sign of the Cross. The fact that people like me even have to ask such questions, I guess, just goes to show you how deep a crisis we really are in. I mean, would anyone have even dared ask such a question, say, 40 or 50 years ago?

Thanks again for your generous help. My hat off to TIA!

     Most sincerely,

     S.K.

Dear Sir or Madam,

I would suggest the following corrections to the article The King of Spain Dishonors the Golden Fleece Order :

1. Sir Salman Rushdie is a Knight Bachelor, not a Knight of the Order of the Garter. Knights Bachelor are by definition not members of a chivalrous order. Sir Salman is a British citizen, not Indian, and thus is entitled to hold a British knighthood.

2. I have no idea of the "modernisation" of the Order of the Garter by Queen Elizabeth II to which you refer. Possibly this is just the general expansion of the scope and number of honors granted in Britain each year, many of which do go to "snooker champions and soccer players".

3. The Order of the Garter has a fixed maximum number of living members. There can only be 24 non-royal members ("Companions"). By definition admission to the order is rare and exclusive and as yet the order has avoided some of the more "popular" nominees such as entertainers and sportsmen joining its ranks. The current members are drawn from occupations traditionally considered to be prestigious in Britain: the military, diplomacy, commerce, politics and the law.

By contrast, it is comparatively easy to gain admission to the Order of the British Empire, the lower ranks of which throng with "comedians", bronze-medallist long-jumpers and long-service bus drivers.

     Kind regards,

     A.S.

TIA,

I want to add a belated comment to the article about women's dress which is hot today. I like your site very much.

I went to Catholic school and walked home and being a girl I was miserably cold. At recess too. I think it's terrible to make girls wear dresses. We wore tights and still we couldn't run and play as comfortably as the boys and so didn't get as much healthy exercise.

I went to work at a company when I was older that required women wear no pants. Hose and the shoes one must wear with dresses are terribly uncomfortable. I suffered. It was very hard on the bones in my feet. To get undressed to get exercise took a lot more effort and time than men require.

I don't think it's nice to force women to wear dresses.

Now I wear walking shoes and workout clothes and work at home. The advantage is I can keep my heart in shape by running out the door without cutting into my work day. I don't think this is a sin. I have mitral valve prolapse and it is imperative I can climb hills and traverse terrain without spraining my ankle or risking immodesty (skirts).

But what I whole-heartedly agree with is the lazy attitude in comportment of people in America. I lived in France for some years and when I returned six months ago I was truly appalled by the behavior of people attending Mass. You would have thought they were at a concert rather than in the house of God. They don't know anymore how to be reverent and respectful. Now having been here six months and being around them - they who stared at me and thought who knows what of ME - I am afraid I am losing my own treasured reverence.

This, I believe, is the bigger concern. If someone needs the right clothes to remember the fear of God and reverence in Church then let them monitor their dress. But I don't. I know how to stand and sit - I learned it in France.

Thanks for your presence on the net - we need it! God bless you in all your efforts!

     L.P.

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