Sunday Stamps: Places of Worship

Left stamp - Cathedral of Gniezno

The stamp was issued on 1 March 2002. It is also showing the coffin with relics of St. Adalberg. 

The Cathedral of Gniezno, according to wikipedia, served as the coronation place for several Polish monarchs and the seat of Polish church officials continuously for nearly 1000 years.

Right stamp - Fortified Church of Biertan

The stamp was issued on 11 September 2011. The Fortified Church of Biertan was declared as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993 under the category: villages with fortified churches in Transylvania.

For more places of worship stamps, visit See it on a Postcard.

~maria

Sunday Stamps: Flowers from India and Romania

These two flower stamps came with one of my most recently received postcards. Part of the Bouquet for Children issue of Chennai Post (India) in 3 September 2013, the sheet of 12 designs aimed to bring children in the cities the flowers that are mostly only seen in the villages and the forests. I really like that these two flowers allows us to see more inside into the flowers' anatomy.

These two stamps from Romania make me curious with the clocks featured alongside each. It made sense to me when I read that these two are part of a Flower's Clock. The time on the clock's face reveals the hour that the flower blooms. For sunflower is 9 AM and the viper's grass is 7 AM. Both of the clocks on these two stamps were manufactured in France in the 19th century -- a P. Bonnet and P. Pottier portico clock and a table clock, respectively. The rest of the stamps on this  25 January 2013 issue can be found here. 

For more flowers featured on stamps from around the world, check out the linky party @ See it on a postcard.

~maria

S is for Sucevița Monastery, Romania

Facebook Swap, Sender: Mircea
Sent: 22 Oct 2012 from Focsani, Romania
Received: 12 Nov 2012, Traveled 9,137 km in 20 days

Sucevița Monastery is an Eastern Orthodox convent. It is known for the mural paintings on its outer walls. It was included in the UNESCO WHS list in 2010. It is one of the eight Churches of Moldavia built from 15th to 16th centuries. 

Another one of those churches is the Moldovita Monastery below. It's striking resemblance made me mistake if for Sucevița.

Facebook Swap, Sender: Danut
Sent: 14 April 2012 from Ploiesti, Romania
Received: 11 May 2012, Traveled 9,243 km in 27 days

This monastery church is also known as the Church of Annunciation. 

The UNESCO WHS description says that these structures undergone no significant alteration since the time they were built.

~maria

Alpha and Omega

The beginning of year 2013 was a big test of faith. Never did I got so scared in my whole entire professional life! For the very first time, I attended a mass at the Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene. It is a church widely famous for miracles to the devotees. I had been avoiding it since I've moved here to Manila in 2003 cause it's always very crowded. But last weekend, I found myself among the so many people hearing mass inside the crowded church.

I tried finding a more appropriate 'alpha and omega' stamp in my collection but this is the best one I have which shows Christ carrying a cross. Alpha and Omega. The Beginning and The End. For me, 2013 is the beginning of a stronger faith and the end of being doubtful. For the very first time I'm not thinking about back up plans and I am completely surrendering my life to Him.

I hope this one would count as a valid submission for the theme, 'beginnnigs' @ Viridian's for today.

A great week ahead for everyone!

~maria