(Spoilers!) A number of characters from the most recent installment of Star Wars struck me as exemplifying a real source of struggle for many people today: a desire to break from the past. Kylo Ren voices this leitmotif of the … Continue reading
Author Archives: dbrindle
To Be Like Them
Wouldn’t it be nice if being Catholic didn’t make us so annoyingly different from everyone else? If we didn’t have such a strong emphasis on sacraments and hierarchy, while those around us rely on egalitarianism? If Sundays meant football and … Continue reading
Forgotten Ananias
The account of Paul’s conversion turns our eye to great figures. Of course, there is Saint Paul, going from sinner to saint, from persecutor to preacher, from murderer to martyr. Also eye-catching is the role of Jesus, blinding Paul with … Continue reading
Vapid Vice and Vivacious Virtue
A windswept forest on a cloud-covered night creaks, cracks, and moans, sending chills up and down the spine. Trees waving and wagging on their upward path have elbowed for the brightest spot in the sun. They’re intertwined. When the wind … Continue reading
A Seamless Garment
At His crucifixion, Jesus was stripped of His clothing, and the soldiers divided it among themselves. His tunic, however, “was seamless, woven in one piece from the top down” (Jn 19:23), so the soldiers instead cast lots for it. Because … Continue reading
Ablaze
Jesus said, “I have come to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it were already blazing!” (Lk. 12:49). What kind of fire is Jesus talking about? Is he thinking of Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen. 19:23-25)? Fire certainly … Continue reading
Active Learning
St. Matthew introduces the Sermon on the Mount by writing, “Seeing the crowds, [Jesus] went up on the mountain, and when he sat down his disciples came to him. And he opened his mouth and taught them” (Matt. 5:1-2). Matthew … Continue reading
The Light of the Just One
We tend to shy away from our sins and weaknesses coming to light. When we hear of someone caught and punished for committing injustice, we might be tempted to think them worse off than those ‘lucky’ evildoers who get off … Continue reading
Prayer of the Needy
One of the parts of the Mass in which the Church gives her priests autonomy over word choice is the introduction to the Prayers of the Faithful. There are many fine ways to direct the faithful to prayer, but one … Continue reading
Finding a Friend in the Folio
Until recently, I thought that I was the only person to have written a quirky, pious, ukulele song for St. Isidore the Farmer. Perhaps I still am. However, while searching through some medieval manuscripts I found that even in this, … Continue reading
Review: In Honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Tota pulchra es, Maria. Et macula originalis non est in Te.Thou art all beautiful, Mary. And the original stain is not in Thee. Mary is beautiful because God loves her. In love, God her Father created her. In love, God … Continue reading
Alluring Landscapes
What is it that makes landscapes so alluring? Both photos and paintings of landscapes can hold the attention of a viewer for long stretches. This particular one by John Constable, which hangs in the National Gallery of Art in Washington, … Continue reading
Why Saint Nicholas Matters
In our shared human experience, we frequently find ourselves carrying other people’s burdens, seeking, if we can, to alleviate them, with others doing the same for us. This is mercy. By showing mercy, we take another’s misery and seek to … Continue reading
Loving Enemies
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus Christ commands us, “Love your enemies” (Mt 5:44). I’m sure I’m not alone among Christians who struggle with this commandment, not only to do it but to understand it. It seems strange, even … Continue reading
Sweeter than Vengeance
Man was originally created in a state of innocence, destined for happiness. After the sin of our first parents, however, original sin was established. Dealing with evil in human affairs is now with us until the end of time. When … Continue reading
The Shepherd’s Voice
Am I a sheep or a goat? This is the question that always plagues me after hearing this past Sunday’s Gospel (Mt 25:31-46). Jesus’ description of the last judgment as a separation of the sheep and the goats never fails … Continue reading
Sibling Rivalry
When we’re with our families, we can’t pretend to be someone we’re not. They know our quirks and tastes, talents and difficulties. They tend to know us even better than we know ourselves, in fact. And we know them in … Continue reading
Living with God
“Behold, the Lamb of God.” The priest lifts the Host up for us to adore our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus turned and saw them following him and said to them, “What are you looking for?” We yearn for Him, long … Continue reading
The Gods of the Heathens
Popular Hollywood movies seldom express deep theological insights. The recent Wonder Woman film, while not exactly an exception to this rule, allows the opportunity to reflect a little on an incarnate god (light spoiler alert). The hero of the film, … Continue reading
To Forgive Another
“Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.” We pray these words routinely as Christians, yet their weight should give us pause. We all need forgiveness, but to offer forgiveness often feels beyond our ability. This … Continue reading
The Flesh Is Willing
Any Christian wanting to pray will be tested. Difficulties in prayer often manifest themselves in weaknesses of our bodies that get in the way of our hearts and minds ascending to God. The apostles’ behavior in the Garden of Gethsemane … Continue reading
Mi Casa Es Tu Casa
“Son, back in nahn-teen seh-vendy six your dad was…” Often in my household while I was growing up, my father, referring to himself in the third person, would start extravagant stories with this long, drawn-out introduction. My brother and I … Continue reading
A Growing Spirit of Criticism
This game I’ll call “Guess This Conservative Author,” and it only works if played by the rules. Without reading ahead, consider these select criticisms of modernity: Against self-serving politicians: See the moral hypocrisy of the commanding class. They know no … Continue reading
Do Christians Meditate?
Do Christians meditate? Or is that only something practiced in Eastern religions? For many people, “meditation” is merely associated with the activities so often attributed to Zen-like exercises: sitting cross-legged, breathing in and out, thinking of nothing. For some, there’s … Continue reading
Fraternity, Postmortem
When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled; and he said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” Jesus wept. … Continue reading