Fickle Fame and Salieri’s “Gloria”

Fickle Fame   Fickle Fame is a confounding thing. It's often the way that a well-regarded artist falls out of fashion. Despite the worthiness of his or her work, the artist is forgotten by subsequent generations. Even truly great artists can meet this fate: The 16th century poet John Donne was largely unknown until another poet, … Continue reading Fickle Fame and Salieri’s “Gloria”

The Church Militant, Spiritual Warfare, and St. Equitius

The Church Militant    The Church Militant means our Church, here and now.   There’s a battle raging, and we’re all part of it, like it or not.  The growing intensity of the Culture War that’s engulfing our society is just a surface manifestation. The real war has been underway since Satan was cast out of Heaven. In … Continue reading The Church Militant, Spiritual Warfare, and St. Equitius

On the Roster: Death and Hope

On the Roster "You're on the roster." Stop me if you’ve heard this one. There were two elderly men, Bill and Steve.  They were devout Catholics who also had a life-long love of the game of baseball.  They played together when they were young and coached their sons’ teams later in life.  In their old age they avidly … Continue reading On the Roster: Death and Hope

Puccini’s Dixit Dominus

Dixit Dominus  Dixit Dominus: This is not your grandfather’s Puccini . . . . this is your great, great, great grandfather’s Puccini.The title “Dixit Dominus” comes from the first two words in the Latin text of Psalm 110 (or Psalm 109, depending on how you count). The first verse is: Dixit Dominus Domino meo: Sede … Continue reading Puccini’s Dixit Dominus

The World, the Flesh, and the Devil

The World, The Flesh, and The Devil Who wants to talk about the World, the Flesh, and the Devil? But, hey, It’s summertime! What better to enliven the indolent days of summer? Sorry to be a Gloomy Gus, but this is a topic that has been on my mind recently.   But please, stick with me, … Continue reading The World, the Flesh, and the Devil

God’s Strong Hand and The Presentation

God's Strong Hand 2 February 2023 The Presentation, by Hans Holbein the Elder. c. 1500 The Presentation  Today in the secular world (at least in the United States) we observe the venerable tradition of Groundhog Day.  This event involves allowing an earth-dwelling rodent to forecast our weather for the next few weeks. It's just a fun … Continue reading God’s Strong Hand and The Presentation