Yes, this is the last chance: Lent is approaching fast. Ash Wednesday is just two days away. This is our last chance to get in a joyful sacred composition by our old friend Joseph Haydn before the penitential season begins.
Falling Yet Striving to Rise: Alma Redemptoris Mater
Falling Yet Striving Falling yet striving to rise. That's the life of a Christian. It's better than the alternative, of course, which is simply falling. In any case, this idea is central to the Marian prayer Alma Redemptoris Mater ("Loving Mother of the Redeemer"). This will be the Marian Antiphon from the 1st Sunday of … Continue reading Falling Yet Striving to Rise: Alma Redemptoris Mater
The Lorica of St. Patrick: Christ Shield Me
The Lorica of St. Patrick "The Lorica of St. Patrick" is a well-known prayer. Most people would recognize it as follows: Christ with me,Christ before me,Christ behind me,Christ in me,Christ beneath me,Christ above me,Christ on my right,Christ on my left,Christ when I lie down,Christ when I sit down,Christ when I arise,Christ in the heart of … Continue reading The Lorica of St. Patrick: Christ Shield Me
Music for the Easter Season: Pedro Camacho’s Te Deum
I have always appreciated the way the Te Deum does so much so succinctly. In just a few lines we are reminded of the sweep of Salvation History, the Communion of Saints, the Doctrine of the Trinity, the Mission of Jesus Christ from Bethlehem to the New Jerusalem, and all in the form of a joyful song of praise to our God.
The Crisis of Fatherhood and the Litany of St. Joseph
How odd St. Joseph, the human father of Jesus, must look to so many of us today. We live in an age that distrusts the traditional features of fatherhood, and even denigrates them as "toxic masculinity." Small wonder that fatherhood itself is in steep decline. According to the National Fatherhood Initiative, "19.7 million children in America—more than one … Continue reading The Crisis of Fatherhood and the Litany of St. Joseph