Homes are not beautiful if they are empty. Things are beautiful by the presence of God. —St. Thomas Aquinas on Psalm 25 So many today never think of God, and some, even when they do think of God, consider him … Continue reading
Prayer
Jesus Wants Your Baggage
I love flying on airplanes. As if traveling to a new destination were not exciting enough, my extroverted personality delights in being in the company of complete strangers, packed front to back in a Boeing 787. A cocktail of ginger … Continue reading
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
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
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
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
The “Secret” Catholic Weapon
As Mother Teresa passed through the airport security checkpoint, she had to endure that embarrassing procedure that is part and parcel of our troubled times: “Any weapons on your person?” Unexpectedly, the childlike yet remarkably bold sari-clad woman replied in … Continue reading
5 Tips on Prayer with St. Thomas Aquinas
Throwback Thursday Editor’s note: This post was originally published on November 25, 2014. Fr. John Sica, O.P. was ordained to the priesthood in May 2016. Prayer, St. John Damascene says, is the unveiling of the mind before God. When we … Continue reading
A Word for Bread
Editor’s note: This is the fourth post in a series commenting on the first words of Christ as presented in the Gospels. It is written,“One does not live by bread alone.” (Lk 4:4) With our modern dietary aversion to gluten … Continue reading
When the Word Speaks
Editor’s note: This is the first post in a series commenting on the first words of Christ as presented in the Gospels. The words of Christ are powerful. In the beginning, God spoke, and through his Word, the heavens and … Continue reading
The Twelve Days of Emmanuel
Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and his name shall be called Emmanuel (which means, God with us) (Mt 1:23) The joy of Christmas is the joy of Emmanuel. Our God is not distant from us: he … Continue reading
Living in the Light
Once, in botany class, I conducted a memorable experiment. After planting a number of beans, I placed half of the young sprouts in a greenhouse and half in a dark cupboard. Each day, I would water the young plants and … Continue reading
Do Not Delay
Why is procrastination so appealing? The temptation to put things off can feel irresistible at times, and it always seems like there are good reasons to justify it. There are always other tasks that can be found to keep the … Continue reading
Misunderstanding Marathons
I don’t understand running. I mean, if you’re being chased by a bear, sure, by all means, run. Or playing sports? Of course. But going out to run for fun? I don’t get it. That’s an awful lot of energy … Continue reading
Advent Conference Audio: Elizabeth of the Trinity
Dominicana is happy to offer this audio recording of “The Dark Light of Sister Elizabeth.” It was given by Br. Isaiah Beiter, O.P. as the first installment of the 2016 Advent Conferences at the Dominican House of Studies. Series flyer … Continue reading
Let It Linger
Perhaps it’s due to the oft-decried commercialization of Christmas, but it’s awful easy to just drift toward the big day itself, pushed and pulled by the currents of consumer culture until we wash up on the shore of December 26th, … Continue reading
Tsk tsk tsk
“If it’s one thing I am,” Mrs. Turpin said with feeling, “it’s grateful. When I think who all I could have been besides myself and what all I got, a little of everything, and a good disposition besides, I just … Continue reading
A Prayer of Christian Philosophy
Why, O Eternal Wisdom, do the heavens move as they do, the rains fall, and the windows fog? Why does my breath make clouds? Why does the oil hover on the water and the light burn up the darkness? Why, … Continue reading
The End of Mercy
During my novitiate year, I visited residents in an assisted living facility every week. Sometimes the interactions were whimsical (once, a resident advised me on cheap places to take a girl on a first date—I don’t think he quite understood … Continue reading
No Trust in Princes
Soon we’ll have a new president. At the time of writing (last week) we were still waiting for the election, still embroiled in pre-election scandal and controversy in a political spectacle that just wouldn’t stop. Today we make the transition … Continue reading
5 Meditations for Election Week
This election has all the attraction of a highway car crash. It’s gruesome to behold, but we can’t seem to turn away. Much of America is disillusioned about the candidates, yet record numbers watched the presidential debates. And like a … Continue reading
Bittersweet Mysteries
All Souls’ Day, the Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed, is the day the Church recalls in a special way “those who have died and have gone before us marked with the sign of faith.” Today is naturally a very … Continue reading
Prayer Box
Geneva Nielson was the type of woman that would make an old mule seem flexible. Two years ago, to the shock of everyone in town, she started going to church. There wasn’t anywhere particular she called home, as just “going … Continue reading
The Unkempt Man
Brother’s having a really rough day. He wakes up at 7:08 am, throws on his habit, bounds bleary-eyed down two flights of stairs, and makes it to the chapel as the lector finishes the first reading. After Mass, Brother finishes … Continue reading