Tag: liturgical year

If God Didn’t Exist, What Would You Do?

Antonello da Messina, Mary of the Annunciation (detail) (1475) If you could “get away with” any sin or sins that you wanted, what would you do? That is, imagine that God could somehow be distracted, that you didn’t have to worry about sin offending Him or being punished. Or alternatively, imagine that God didn’t exist:… Continue reading If God Didn’t Exist, What Would You Do?

Reason #1 to Reject the Reformation: The Canon of Scripture

St. Edmund Campion, S.J. Today is the feast day of one of my favorite Saints, St. Edmund Campion (1540-1581). As an Anglican, he was one of Oxford University’s brightest students, personally welcoming Queen Elizabeth during her visit to the University. He went on to become an Anglican deacon, but his seminary formation exposed him to… Continue reading Reason #1 to Reject the Reformation: The Canon of Scripture

Our National Sin: What Racism Reveals About God and Man

Jean Leon Gerome Ferris, The First Thanksgiving (1915) There’s a side to Thanksgiving with which you might not be familiar: historically, this was a day in which Americans were encouraged to call upon God both in gratitude for His blessings, and to ask mercy for our sins.† We see seeds of this in Lincoln’s 1863… Continue reading Our National Sin: What Racism Reveals About God and Man

Two More Reformation Day Ironies

Martin Luther Jack-o’-lantern For most Americans, today is Halloween. But for some Protestants, today is Reformation Day, the day to commemorate October 31, 1517, when Luther (allegedly) posted his 95 Theses to the door of Wittenburg church, sparking the Protestant Reformation. But while it may or not really be the 497th anniversary of the posting… Continue reading Two More Reformation Day Ironies

Celebrating Lepanto in the Age of ISIS

Paolo Veronese, The Battle of Lepanto (1572) On Sunday, I stumbled upon a group of Venetian nationalists commemorating the Battle of Lepanto, which occurred 443 years ago today, October 7, 1571. I spoke to one of the men, who explained that they wanted to remind people of the battle (and of Venice’s contributions to the… Continue reading Celebrating Lepanto in the Age of ISIS

The Early Church and the Virgin Mary: St. Gregory the Wonder-Worker

St. Gregory the Wonder-Worker (14th c. icon) In honor of the Feast of the Assumption of Mary, I thought I would share with you a glimpse into how the early Church viewed Mary. In particular, I want to share excerpts from a homily delivered by one of the great Saints of the early Church, St.… Continue reading The Early Church and the Virgin Mary: St. Gregory the Wonder-Worker

The Universal Call to Holiness: The Antidote to Clericalism

You don’t have to be a priest, nun or monk to be a Saint. We need Saints who are homemakers, construction workers, and even lawyers. Today is the feast day of St. Josemaria, Escrivá, founder of Opus Dei, and one of my favorite Saints. He helped sound a vitally important wakeup call within the Church,… Continue reading The Universal Call to Holiness: The Antidote to Clericalism

Living by the Bread from Heaven: The Eucharist and Trust in God

Peter Paul Rubens, The Israelites Gathering Manna in the Desert (1627) In today’s First Reading, Moses reminds the Israelites of how God fed them “with manna, a food unknown to you and your fathers, in order to show you that not by bread alone does one live, but by every word that comes forth from… Continue reading Living by the Bread from Heaven: The Eucharist and Trust in God

A Holy Thursday Challenge

Nicolas Poussin, The Institution of the Eucharist (1640) Tonight marks the beginning of Triduum, the most sacred season of the year. It’s the three day period lasting from Holy Thursday evening until Easter. It’s here, on Holy Thursday, that Christ institutes the Eucharist at the Last Supper. Here’s how St. Paul describes it in tonight’s… Continue reading A Holy Thursday Challenge