The Theotokos

I have found a wonderful icon, (new to me, although certainly not actually new) called The Jerusalem Theotokos, (Madonna Gerosolimitana). I like this icon very much, especially after reading the following quite amazing quote: "The Virgin Mary looks a lot like the one on the icon of the Virgin Mary of Jerusalem. She is exactly the same. I have seen her many times and I don't know of any other icon resembling her so much".

- Elder Paisios the Athonite (1924 -- 1994)

Our Lady Theotokos pray for us.

Lepanto

"O Lady of Last Assurance

Light in the laurels,

sunrise of the dead,

Wind of the ships

and lightning of Lepanto

In honour of Thee,

to whom

all honor is fled."

- G. K. Chesterton, In October

(The Battle of Lepanto took place on 7 October 1571 when a galley fleet of the Holy League, a coalition of the Republic of Venice, the Papacy (under Pope Pius V), Spain (including Naples, Sicily and Sardinia), the Republic of Genoa, the Duchy of Savoy, the Knights Hospitaller and others, decisively defeated the main fleet of Ottoman war galleys.)

Although I've not read it, the book Empires of the Sea by Roger Crowley is reviewed as an readable, excellent historical take on the conflict. The conflict between Ottoman Turkey and Christian Spain for mastery of the Mediterranean basin had a huge influence on the development of the modern world, yet is probably not something you know very much about.

Our Lady of Lepanto, pray for us!

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