Glancing up from the riverbank, the Baptist “looked at Jesus as he walked, and said, ‘Behold, the Lamb of God!’” (Jn 1:36). His disciples understood the subtext: Follow the Lamb. Where, O Lamb, are you going, where do you abide? … Continue reading
Easter
Does Thomas know the way?
“Where I am going you know the way.”Thomas said to him,“Master, we do not know where you are going;how can we know the way?” (John 14:4-5) “Here Thomas denies the two things that our Lord affirmed.” St. Thomas Aquinas’ first … Continue reading
How Low You Reach
Easter reveals to us how far God will reach to save us and bring us to eternal life in him. This divine desire has astonished the faithful for centuries and has taken those who ponder it up to the great … Continue reading
This Death will be the Life of me!
Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting? —1 Cor 15:55 Christ has conquered death and put it to death. So why do we still die? No fear makes the heart quail quite like the fear … Continue reading
May the Bell’s Ring Be Heard
To this day, I remain struck by the ending of Chris Van Allsburg’s children’s classic, The Polar Express, when Sarah, the narrator’s sister, finds one last gift under the tree and—lo and behold—it is the lost bell from Santa’s sleigh! … Continue reading
The Sleep of the Saved
Recounting his own reaction to the United States joining the United Kingdom in the Second World War in December 1941—an act Winston Churchill perceived as a sure sign of eventual victory—the British prime minister wrote, “Being saturated and satiated with … Continue reading
Good Deeds
In today’s first reading from the Acts of the Apostles, we learn of the aftermath of Peter and John’s healing of the cripple in the Temple. Presumably for years, the cripple had been begging in the Temple, and finally Peter … Continue reading
Awake, O Sleeper, and Arise from the Dead
Alleluia!! Christ is risen! Indeed he is risen! Hopefully you had a joyful celebration of our Lord’s Resurrection yesterday with solemn worship and appropriate feasting after our season of fasting. But don’t forget—Easter is not over! In a certain sense … Continue reading
The River of a City
“There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God.” (Ps 46:4) Last Friday, a river gushed forth through the city of God. The steel point of the lance, bound to a wooden rod with simple cord, pierced … Continue reading
Trust in the Resurrection
We cannot always understand when, why, or how God does what he does. He remains a mystery. If we understood completely every action or event that happens in our life, then our fallen nature might lead us to think that … Continue reading
No One Will Take Your Joy
Joy is not the primary goal of the Christian life; rather it is one of the results or “fruits” of that life. Because we cannot fake true joy, the Christian life does not consist of a forced smile and the … Continue reading
The A-Word
Here we are, deep into the season of Easter: 50 days of Sunday, a whole week of weeks to live and rejoice in the Resurrection. There are a great number of ways you might observe Easter (especially as you move … Continue reading
Aletheia
The veil has been torn asunder; the tomb has been opened; the wounds have been revealed. Easter time is about manifestation. Things are being uncovered, and truth abounds. We hear that Christ, after his Resurrection, comes to proclaim his triumph … Continue reading
Sipping Alleluia
Sipping Alleluia This is a courtesy reminder: it’s still Easter. The last of the Peeps bunnies may have left the clearance shelves, and the Easter lilies might be withering, but the Easter season is far from over. We make Lenten … Continue reading
A Remedy for the Absurd
In 1947, Albert Camus published La Peste, a novel recounting a plague that settles into Oran in French Algeria. After a few citizens contract it, the weekly death toll climbs, prompting plague regulations that seal off the town and quarantine … Continue reading
My Immortal Home
Editor’s note: This is the third 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
Two Weeks Too Late
Today we celebrate the Annunciation. . . two weeks late. Having just celebrated the Paschal Mystery of Christ’s death and Resurrection during Holy Week and the Easter Octave, we now take a step back to the event which made it … Continue reading
Burning Coals for Breakfast
“Come, have breakfast.” (John 21:12) How did Peter react when he heard this delightful invitation from Jesus? The invitation is so human; starting the day with a warm bowl of oatmeal is a delight, but fish and loaves with Jesus … Continue reading
The Women Who Brought Spices
The Lord is on my head like a crown, And I shall never be without Him. They have woven for me a crown of truth, And it caused Your branches to blossom in me. For it is not like a … Continue reading
Never Again to Die
In Holy Week, we experience more than ever the interpenetration of Lent and Easter. Our focus on the Passion is growing, even as we prepare for our Easter celebration. On Friday, the Church makes procession to venerate the Cross, then … Continue reading
Preferring the Light
Are you happy? Or, at least, happier? We’ve hit the halfway point of Lent—three weeks down, three weeks to go. That’s three weeks without whatever little pleasures we sacrificed for this penitential season. Three weeks deprived of coffee, or soda, … Continue reading
A God Who Cannot Feel
In this season of penance, we ask God to have mercy. Human mercy involves compassion, looking upon someone’s misery and feeling it as your own. But God, in his eternity, can’t feel misery—he can’t feel anything. I don’t mean that … Continue reading
Lent is for Lovers
If you don’t give it up for love, you won’t give it up for long. Growing up in New England—the birthplace of Dunkin Donuts—Dunkin coffee was like mother’s milk to me. Instead of milk, though, I took mine with cream … Continue reading
The Eucharistic “Tiramisu”
Roman culture is well-versed in the art of “lifting up” body and soul. As my friends and I experienced on our semester abroad, one is normally connected to the other. That is, if you did not treat cappuccino as a … Continue reading
Queen of Heaven, Rejoice!
Easter is a time of rejoicing. Not just on the day itself, or in the octave, but for all 50 days until Pentecost. This is longer than the 40 days of Lent, which is meant to prepare for Easter without … Continue reading