Have you ever looked at a great work of art and considered what you share in common with the artist? Or maybe, what you share in common with the engineer of the Egyptian pyramids? Well, you too have an intellect, … Continue reading
Author Archives: dbrindle
Christ in the Bronx: Corpus Christi Monastery
Editor’s note: This post was originally published on August 30, 2013. It is part of a series on the Dominican Nuns, and you can read the rest of the series here. The Church is sometimes described as the Mystical Body … Continue reading
Faith and Ordinariness
Christians have faith in the supernatural and live supernatural lives. So why is it that so much of Christian life seems ordinary? Given the extraordinary experiences of the saints, it may seem that they lived a different kind of life … Continue reading
Lenten Peace
Lent is a time to attain peace of heart, not to lose it. Yet it is a common experience for people to make big Lenten resolutions, fail to keep them, and give in to discouragement. We are sinners, and most … Continue reading
Lent, Subterranean
Yesterday, Ash Wednesday, we planted the seeds of our Lenten observance. We committed to prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. We resolved to give something up. Today is our first chance to check in on our progress. How’s it looking? We evaluate … Continue reading
The Purple Haze of Lent
Jimi Hendrix probably didn’t have Lent in mind when he wrote “Purple Haze.” But Lent can feel like a “purple haze, all around,” and not just because of the vestments. In the confusing mix of emotions, one might echo Hendrix, … Continue reading
The Memory of His Passion
Why does the Catholic Mass focus so much on Jesus’s death on the Cross? For someone unaccustomed to Catholic worship, this may seem morbid or even embarrassing. Does not Christianity claim to be a religion that holds out the power … Continue reading
A Theist among the Atheists
Last week, another friar and I participated in a panel-discussion on religion and secularism at George Mason University. The event was sponsored and organized by the local chapter of the Secular Student Alliance. The panel consisted of three Christians—two Dominicans … Continue reading
More Eloquent than the Blood of Abel
Growing up the third of four boys I have thought long and hard about the story of Cain and Abel. Beside pondering fraternal conflict and the effects of original sin, the story of the brothers intrigues me with regard to … Continue reading
The Primary Importance of Being Able to Sit
The music stops, and all the children feverishly vie for a seat, aware there is one fewer chair than players in the game. Brother and sister race through the parking lot to the family minivan, their frenzied cries of “SHOTGUN!” … Continue reading
Truth or Death?
The Princess Bride just starts to get interesting with the kidnapping of Buttercup and the following pursuit. The Man-in-Black chases after the kidnappers, overcoming all obstacles to track Buttercup down. “There is no misunderstanding,” Vizzini says to the Man-in-Black once … Continue reading
A Thomistic Litany of Humility
Cardinal Merry del Val’s classic Litany of Humility is known to many Catholics. It’s a powerfully worded prayer, one that always makes a splash. However, revisiting it as a Dominican, the litany raises questions for me. There surges within me … Continue reading
Did the Virgin Mary Tickle the Baby Jesus?
Editor’s note: This post was originally published on December 10, 2014. Fr. Gabriel Torretta was ordained to the priesthood in May 2015 and now serves as a parochial vicar. When you picture Mary holding the Christ-child, what do you imagine … Continue reading
Martha or Mary?
To pray or do good? This seems to be the dilemma of anyone trying to live a Christian life. On the one hand St. Thomas Aquinas says that “the contemplative life is more excellent than the active,” but on the … Continue reading
The Gamaliel Principle
It’s another swelteringly hot day in Jerusalem and many good Jews, on their way into the Temple for worship, stop for a break in the shade of Solomon’s Portico. There they find a group of men (twelve to be exact) … Continue reading
Burdened under the Law
The Church’s moral law has received attention in the public square for many years now, on topics ranging from contraception to torture. These sorts of discussions take place within the Church as well, as seen in the current discussion on … Continue reading
Latin and the Language of God
Prayer can be described as conversation with God, but in what language? What if, when God speaks, it sounds like nonsense to us? Learning to pray, to be with God, to converse with him, is a bit like learning a … Continue reading
Blood Red Love
The love of St. Valentine goes unrequited on Valentine’s Day. The cities are painted red with roses, lips, young love, and small chalky candies with audacious imperatives: “be true,” “hug me,” “be mine.” Yet, the true red of St. Valentine’s … Continue reading
Quizbowl and the Rosary Lady
Can you name this sixth President of the Uni…Bzzz! John Quincy Adams! In high school I enjoyed being on the “It’s Academic” team, which competed with other high schools on two televised quiz-shows each year, along with the lower-stakes, but … Continue reading
Our Heavenly Knoxville
“Son, no matter where you live or how far you may roam,Tennessee will always be your home.” This has been my dad’s mantra to me ever since I was in the crib. A South Carolinian for nearly 30 years, he … Continue reading
Homeward Bound
Being lost in Manhattan can be a terrifying experience. No idea where you are, no idea where to go, and no familiar faces to ask for directions. Might as well throw on a blindfold for good measure. And yet, if … Continue reading
You Too Were Strangers
Having heard a very different speech earlier in the day, my Dominican brothers and I sat down in our chapel a few Fridays ago and heard these words from the Prophet Moses: On your fathers did the Lord set His … Continue reading
Mocking Mercy
How does the world react to true mercy? Sometimes it laughs. I recently saw the film Silence, (spoiler alert) about two Jesuit missionaries in Japan during a time of terrible persecution, and it features one particularly striking character named Kichijiro. He … Continue reading
St. Agnes and the Women’s March
“Jesus Christ was recklessly charitable,” a wise friar told me after hundreds of people lined up to use the restroom at a Dominican priory. There were not enough restrooms set up for the Women’s March that took place in Washington, … Continue reading
Opening the Book of Revelation (Part I)
Editor’s note: This post, originally published on November 28, 2011, is the first in a series on the Book of Revelation. You can read the whole series here. Fr. Leo Checkai was ordained a priest in May 2014 and now … Continue reading