Today is the memorial of the Passion of John the Baptist, who was killed by the corrupt King Herod for condemning the monarch’s illicit marriage (Mk 6:17-29). For John, this was the culmination of a life of sanctity announced by … Continue reading
Creation
Woodstock: Back to the Garden
Today would have been the opening day of Woodstock 50, a celebration of the pivotal music festival of 1969 that took place on a farm half a century ago in New York from August 15th – 18th. Woodstock 50 was … Continue reading
Atlas and the Infant
In the heart of Midtown Manhattan lies a juxtaposition of cosmic irony. On the west side of Fifth Avenue, between 50th and 51st Streets, stands Atlas, a four-story bronze statue of the great Titan of ancient Greek mythology, who was … Continue reading
In That Order!
In high school, I had an excellent American Literature teacher. Let’s call him Mr. Mario Monti. Mr. Monti showed us he cared. He prepared his lessons. He encouraged questions. He cracked jokes. He also corrected us. Mr. Monti kept things … Continue reading
I’ll leave the light on
I see the terrifying spaces of the universe that enclose me, and I find myself attached to a corner of this vast expanse, without knowing why I am more in this place than in another, nor why this little time … Continue reading
Every Crumb
This year, I am assigned to work in the sacristy, wherein we look after everything that is used in the liturgy. We do everything from setting up for Mass, to cleaning objects that I never knew the name of before … Continue reading
Knitting
Attention artistic vandals! Looking for a cozier creative medium than graffiti? Try yarn bombing, the urban art that bedecks everyday objects (traffic posts, bicycles, city busses, etc) with colorful displays of crocheted yarn. Although steeped in the ideological debates of … Continue reading
The Wisdom of Friends
There abides in the human heart a desire for deep and expansive vision. This is proven by the yearning we have for building skyscrapers that provide stunning views of a city’s downtown or skywalks like the one overlooking the Grand … Continue reading
The Voice of Thanks
Today is a day to remember your deepest identity—one made in the image and likeness of God. To be made in his image is to be given the command from God in the Garden of Eden: fill the earth (Gen … Continue reading
Cultivating and Tilling the Heart
Cultivating and Tilling the Heart In gardening, one speaks of both cultivating and tilling. The two activities are similar, but there are some differences. Cultivating is the process of breaking up and loosening the soil in a garden. The purpose … Continue reading
The Beauty of the Soul
Ever since the creation of the world, his invisible attributes of eternal power and divinity have been able to be understood and perceived in what he has made. –Rom 1:20 We learn and come to know what is invisible through … Continue reading
A Post About Nothing
Seinfeld was famously dubbed “a show about nothing.” I’ve prayed about what to write for this blog post, thought about it, and then prayed about it more. But nothing has come to me. Nothing, nada, zilch. So, I’m just going … Continue reading
A Body You Prepared for Me
What we have seen with our eyes, what we looked upon and touched with our hands concerns the Word of life— for the life was made visible; we have seen it and testify to it and proclaim to you the … Continue reading
GPS pro Anima
I was speaking with someone recently who confessed that, even when she knows where she is driving, she’ll use her GPS. “I like having a voice there talking to me,” she explained with a sheepish laugh. “It keeps me company.” … Continue reading
Is Resistance Futile?
One of the most influential and now forgotten historians of the 19th century was the Austrian Dominican Heinrich Denifle. Despite having many administrative responsibilities, Fr. Denifle found time to pore over thousands of medieval manuscripts, making significant contributions to the … Continue reading
Poor Wayfaring Stranger
Editor’s note: This is the fifth 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
A Vision of Fiery Chariots
“Why?” It’s a common enough question, even from a very young age. We tend to ask the question differently as time goes on, though: “Daddy, why is that squirrel’s belly white?” becomes “Why didn’t my son come home from Iraq?” … 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
A Temple of Your Glory
Three trickles of cool water splashing on the wrinkling forehead. A moment of silence as the infant’s eyes widen and arms twitch before a small cry of surprise. Jovial smiles from glowing parents and congratulatory friends. Next, the precious oil, … 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
The True Axis of the Earth
In C. S. Lewis’s The Great Divorce, dead souls ascend by bus from a hellish suburbia to the edge of heaven. For the dead souls, everything in this new land overwhelms. The leaves are heavy, the light blinding, even the … 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
The First Revelation
Cheese samples in a grocery store bear the sticker, “Try me!” The Nightmare Before Christmas effortlessly entices a certain fondness of itself in its soundtrack, characters, and quirky story. The Brothers Karamazov is the sort of novel that so totally … Continue reading
God’s Work of Art
“We are God’s great, wondrous work of art” may sound like a cheesy lyric from a modern hymn, but it conveys a surprisingly challenging theological message. While it is true enough that good art is appreciated around the world, works … Continue reading
Of Mice and Martin
He never met a miracle he didn’t like. That is to say, St. Martin de Porres was a prolific miracle-worker. In his meekness he never tried to draw attention to the marvels he worked, but his miraculous output, prodigious as … Continue reading