Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of working, but it is the same God who inspires them all in every one. (1 Corinthians: 4-6) St. Paul, in the well-known passage above, reminds the Corinthians that the Lord … Continue reading Feast Your Ears and Rest Your Eyes: Sacred Music and Catholic Culture Podcasts
The Last Chance Before Lent: Haydn’s Te Deum
Lent is approaching fast: Ash Wednesday is just over a week away. This is one of our last chances to get in a joyful sacred composition by our old friend Joseph Haydn before the penitential season begins. Today's selection is a setting for the ancient prayer Te Deum (see my discussion of the prayer itself below … Continue reading The Last Chance Before Lent: Haydn’s Te Deum
Catholics, This Is Your Language
Latin is still the official language of the Mass. If you're lucky you may hear some of the traditional language, your language, in church.
Our Eternal Destiny: Armed Robbery, or A Warm Place By The Fire?
From the film Little Caesar, 1931 "It's like comparing cats and dogs." Ever heard that expression before? Ever used it? I did, several years ago. I was teaching a 9th grade theology class in a (more or less) Catholic school, and same sex marriage (a hot topic at the time) came up for discussion. I wanted to emphasize that … Continue reading Our Eternal Destiny: Armed Robbery, or A Warm Place By The Fire?
Music for Love and Marriage: “He Shall Feed His Flock” from Handel’s Messiah
Are you prepared to “die for love”? It’s a romantic cliché, of course, but today is the traditional feast of a martyr who did die for love, literally.
Cons or Coeds? Sin, Suffering, and the Mystery of the Cross
Who would you expect to be more open to conversion, prison inmates, or students at a Catholic college? "It's not even close," was the priest's reply.
Looking for God in All the Wrong Places
There’s an old joke about a police officer who was walking his beat one night when he came upon a man, apparently drunk, crawling around on his hands and knees on the pavement under a streetlamp. “What are you doing?” asked the officer. “Looking for my keys,” came the reply. “Where’d you lose them?” … Continue reading Looking for God in All the Wrong Places
Before the Storm: The Finale to Haydn’s The Creation
We've been looking at selections from Haydn's oratorio The Creation over the past few weeks . Last week we saw the overture, "Chaos," a musical representation of the state of disorder that prevailed before God created the universe. The selection before that was "The Heavens are Telling," based on Psalm 19. This piece comes at the end … Continue reading Before the Storm: The Finale to Haydn’s The Creation
What Do you say to a God who permits bone cancer in children? Ask Chiara Badano
This is the transformative power of faithful suffering. If we let him, Christ can transform our suffering into a powerful force for the good of our fellow men and women.
The Presentation: Suffering and Joy
And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him; and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, "Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is spoken against (and a sword will pierce through your own soul … Continue reading The Presentation: Suffering and Joy