A Thorny Problem: the Body and Blood of Christ
A Thorny Problem A thorny problem indeed. It’s so hard for us truly to accept that the Infinite God of the Universe could fully inhabit a human body, and be both True God and True Man. I was often reminded of just how thorny a problem this is for us when I used to […]
Mozart Makes The Gloria Soar
The Gloria The Gloria starts with “Glory to God in the highest . . .” If you frequent the Catholic Mass, you know this prayer. You’ve heard it hundreds of times, maybe thousands. But how much do you know about it? Or have you ever wondered where it comes from, or how it got into the Mass? First […]
The Power of Love: St. Julia of Corsica
The governor approached Julia directly, offering to free her if only she would sacrifice to the pagan gods. She answered that she was “as free as she desired to be as long as she was allowed to serve Jesus Christ.”
Sacred Music: Allegri’s Adoremus in Aeternum
Sacred music is a topic near and dear to my hear. More importantly, it is dear to the heart of the Church. Consider what the Second Vatican Council had to say . . .
Feed My Sheep: Love, Forgiveness, and Grace
God is always the initiator, inviting us to share His Grace. And He’s always willing to move a little closer, if it will bring us closer to Him . . . even to the point of becoming one of us.
Have a Blessed Easter! (Jesus Christ is Risen Today)
Christ is Risen, Alleluiah! Christ is Risen indeed. And what could be more fitting this day than the joyous Easter hymn, “Jesus Christ is Risen Today”? The video below features the amazing fresco of The Resurrection by Piero della Francesca. The Huddersfield Choral Society & Joseph Cullen provide the music. May the Lord bless you […]
Body and Soul, or, When A Church Is Not A Church
Body and Soul The Devil is in the details. He is indeed. Take this whole body/soul thing, for instance. We have a very hard time giving each its due. The world of the flesh is constantly trying to pull us away from the life of the spirit. It’s always tempting us with mere stuff. In our efforts to resist the world […]
Have Mercy – Lotti’s Miserere (Music for Lent)
Have mercy on me, O God,according to thy steadfast love;according to thy abundant mercyblot out my transgressions. (Psalm 51:1) Have Mercy And what transgressions they were! King David had used trickery and deceit to send Uriah the Hittite to his death. He had, in fact, murdered his loyal soldier in order to hide his own adultery. Tradition […]
Gabriel’s Annunciation and Mary’s Renunciation
Gabriel’s Annunciation and Mary’s Renunciation Therefore the Lord himself will give you this sign:the virgin shall be with child, and bear a son,and shall name him Emmanuel,which means “God is with us!” (Isaiah 7:14) Gabriel’s Annunciation There’s something that doesn’t seem to make sense at first in today’s Gospel reading (Luke 1:26-38). Here’s the […]
More Than a Building: A Church is Much, Much More
More Than a Building: Christ is Our Model in All Things In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God . . . And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us . . . (John 1:1,4) Any truly Christian anthropology needs to […]