The Crucifixion, by Giambattista Tiepolo & Giandomenico Tiepolo, 1745–50 Crucifixus etiam pro nobis sub Pontio Pilato: Passus, et sepultus est. (Nicene Creed) Crucifixus Etiam Pro Nobis Crucifixus etiam pro nobis: He was also crucified for us. That brief statement in the Nicene Creed refers to one of the two most important events of all … Continue reading Crucifixus Etiam Pro Nobis: Lotti’s Musical Meditation on the Crucifixion
You’re Standing on Holy Ground
God said, “Come no nearer!Remove the sandals from your feet,for the place where you stand is holy ground. (Exodus 3:5) The Burning Bush I was fascinated by the image of the burning bush when I was a little boy. I was also intrigued by God's demand that Moses remove his sandals. What exactly is "holy … Continue reading You’re Standing on Holy Ground
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.
Newspeak and the Word of God
If you want to change the Church, if you want to change the beliefs that have animated Christians for two millennia, you need to take away the concrete images, the traditional words, and the familiar actions that embody the traditional understanding of the faith.
Christ is King of the Universe . . . and of Our Hearts
The End of History? Christ is King! How easily we forget . . . What a fool I was when the Berlin Wall fell forty years ago. I naively thought that the apotheosis of the state into totalitarian forms of government was fully and finally exposed. Everyone knew it was an inhuman, deadly fraud. In … Continue reading Christ is King of the Universe . . . and of Our Hearts
Christ is King of All . . . Even The Holidays
Christ is King of All We know that Christ is "King of All," but do we know what that means? So Paul, standing in the middle of the Areopagus, said: “Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious. For as I passed along, and observed the objects of your worship, I … Continue reading Christ is King of All . . . Even The Holidays
For Such A Time As This: Powers, Principalities & The Culture Wars
The Culture Wars I really don't want to be a culture warrior. I'm willing to bet that you probably don't want to be one, either. It seems, however, that there's no hiding from the escalating clash of Weltanschauungen that's invading every corner of our culture. Formerly neutral spaces, from bakeries to professional sports, have become battle fields. … Continue reading For Such A Time As This: Powers, Principalities & The Culture Wars
Put Not Your Trust in Princes, or, The Autumn of Our Discontent
"My kingdom is not of this world," Jesus says to Pontius Pilate (John 18:36). Our journey to that kingdom lies along a via dolorosa in this one: we can depend upon the powers of this world to save us no more than Jesus could rely on Pilate to save him from Calvary.
Vittoria Aleotti: Io v’amo vita mia
The claim that Christianity has historically been used as weapon against women, a tool to keep them down, is a falsehood, a smear against the Church. The charge misses the point, first of all, because Christ didn't come to offer anyone advancement in this world, but to draw all of us, women and men alike, deeper into … Continue reading Vittoria Aleotti: Io v’amo vita mia
The End Point of Progressive Christianity
Where there is no prophecy the people cast off restraint,but blessed is he who keeps the law. (Proverbs 29:18) We're not cats, bats, or moray eels, as I pointed out in a recent post. "We humans are different. We are, again, unique among the world’s creatures. We’re not governed by instinct, we alone can make free choices about how … Continue reading The End Point of Progressive Christianity