“The right which the Church has from Christ himself, to teach mankind, to make laws, to govern peoples in all that pertains to their eternal salvation,” Defining Church Teaching It is a common misconception, that the faithful do not hold a belief universally until it is formally declared by theContinue Reading
Mary, Undoer of Knots is an ancient devotion of the Church popularized by Pope Francis. Mary is sometimes referred to as the new Eve. Her obedience to God’s plan, undid the knot of Eve’s disobedience. In the second century, Saint Irenaeus wrote, “The knot of Eve’s disobedience was untied byContinue Reading
“Vanity of vanities, all things are vanity!” (Ecclesiastes 1:2) In our post-enlightenment, post-Christian world, artists and artisans are perhaps most susceptible to vanity. The message for more than a hundred years now has been that society values the artist who stays true to their personal vision. To support this weContinue Reading
“the gift of artistic ability, … places those so gifted in a unique position to protect, and encourage and empower the people of God.” The First Shepherd Why do we refer to Peter as the first “Pope? When Jesus was arrested and taken before the Jewish leaders, Peter followed behindContinue Reading
“We are called to think big, to think beyond the need that we see immediately before us” A Limited Vision The 1965 film “The Agony and the Ecstasy,” wherein Pope Julius II clashes with Michelangelo, is a wonderful reflection on faith, inspiration, and the trap of thinking small. For artistsContinue Reading
“the artist can, after a fashion, function as a priest, by making the invisible visible” The Pope’s Unexpected Visit What exactly do we mean when we refer to the “True Presence?” In October of 1995, Pope John Paul II was scheduled to greet seminarians at St. Mary’s Seminary in Baltimore.Continue Reading
“The right which the Church has from Christ himself, to teach mankind, to make laws, to govern peoples in all that pertains to their eternal salvation, that right was denied.” Defining Church Teaching It is a common misconception, that the faithful do not hold a belief universally until it isContinue Reading
“The disciples bring the fish-laden net ashore but it is Peter that brings it to Christ,” Why do we refer to Peter as the first “Pope? Three Denials, Three Affirmations When Jesus was arrested and taken before the Jewish leaders, Peter followed behind to observe the events. Three times PeterContinue Reading
“Artists need the Church as much as the Church needs artists because it is in the Church that the Artists finds True Beauty and the meaning of their lives.” In November of 2009, His Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI addressed a gathering of artists from all over the world. In manyContinue Reading
Is there value in suffering? Much of the world would say no. In 1978 the election of Cardinal Karol Wojtyla to the papacy rocked the world. He was the first non-Italian pope in 455 years and the youngest pope since 1846. At the age of 58 he was also oneContinue Reading