Advent is a hangover. Hear me out now. “There are only two philosophies of life: one is first the feast, then the headache; the other is first the fast and then the feast.” Alright, so that was not me, technically. … Continue reading
Teller
Roots
A tree’s fruit should reveal the quality of its root. What a man says and does should reveal the quality of his heart. The root of a righteous act is a heart converted to God. Rooted like this, one’s heart … Continue reading
What the Father Was Doing During the Crucifixion
Editor’s note: This is the fifth post in our newest series, Beholding True Beauty, which consists of prayerful reflections on works of sacred art. The series will run on Tuesdays and Thursdays throughout the month of October. Read the whole … Continue reading
La Noche de La Caridad
Something beautiful will happen in Buenos Aires tonight. At around 6 p.m. a group of people will begin to congregate at the convent of St. Dominic in San Telmo, one of the city’s older barrios. There they’ll begin to prepare … Continue reading
The Participation Award
By God’s grace, you made it to heaven, and now you’re at the Awards Ceremony of the Heavenly Banquet. St. Peter’s the emcee of the event. He’s been calling out the names of the elect and handing out awards for … Continue reading
Undefiled
Sooner or later, my body will become a corpse. A corpse looks alien. It’s both strangely familiar (so clearly my body), yet utterly unrecognizable (so clearly not me), putting on display the jarring indignity of death, the separation of my … Continue reading
Woe and Praise
I recently met a young person who told me, “You’re the first person I’ve met who is my age and actually believes in God.” With the growing number of “nones”—those who identify as having no religious beliefs—many Christians worry that … Continue reading
Duck Sleep
Ever wonder why you sleep poorly on your first night away from home? Neuroscience has the answer, and it has to do with ducks. A mallard duck can rest one half of its brain at a time. According to an … Continue reading
“Barb, I Love You?”
Theodore is in a dilemma. Over the past few months, he has fallen head-over-heels in love with Barb. She is the woman of his dreams: beautiful, affectionate, gentle, and compassionate. Whenever he treads in Barb’s presence, Theodore’s heart is close … Continue reading
Preaching the Word, without Words
Editor’s note: This is the ninth post in our newest series, reflecting on the Hillbilly Thomists’ recent, self-titled album. The series will run each Tuesday and Thursday throughout the Easter season. Read the whole series here. This post concerns the … Continue reading
Birdbrain
“Birdbrain” is actually more of a compliment than an insult. Ounce-for-ounce, birds have significantly more neurons in their brains than almost all mammals. The way birds migrate proves this. Have you ever wondered why birds don’t get lost when they … Continue reading
“Well, actually, Jesus…”
Often when I read Scripture, I find myself thinking about my friend Jacob. The reason is not that I see Jacob reflected in the sacred page: I don’t see his silhouette masked behind Psalmist’s righteous man, or hear echoes of … Continue reading
This April
This April, Spring’s familiar scents— Easter lilies, fresh mown fields, Mulch, warm rain on blacktop roads— Rise again from their winter sleep Stirring the lovely forgotten past Experiences of Spring. So all these childhood memories wake: Tired feet and grass-patterned … Continue reading
Dusk. Two Men.
Twilight. The outside of a large estate in the country. It’s a warm evening with a pleasant breeze carrying snatches of music, laughter, and delicious-smelling smoke over the walls. A man is sitting by himself on a bench outside the … Continue reading
Unbeautiful Savior
At first glance, I was viscerally repulsed by the above painting. It was the eyes in particular, and the mouth, both of the same shade of red. Eyes shouldn’t be that red. It was hideous. The feeling of revulsion reminded … Continue reading
Pixie Dust and Ash Wednesday
The Disney film adaption of Peter Pan ends (unsurprisingly) happily-ever-after. Gathered before the nursery window in a loving embrace, the Darling family fondly watches Peter and Tinkerbell fly their golden, pixie-enchanted ship through the moonlit clouds to Neverland. In the … Continue reading
Christian Birding
One of my closest friends in college, Christian, was a borderline-manic birder. When he was thirteen, he (and his binoculars) went missing one morning during a Texas family vacation. Hours after his disappearance, as his distressed mother was describing her … Continue reading