“Every difficulty we encounter in our lives, is either sent by God or permitted by Him for our benefit.” David and Goliath David cried out, “Who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?” David was just a boy. He was not yet oldContinue Reading
“the truth that makes men free is for the most part the truth which men prefer not to hear.” Sometime around the year 1578, a man presented himself to the rector of the English College in Rome. The man gave his credentials and lineage, citing as his father a notedContinue Reading
“Knowing who we are in God’s eyes can give us a tremendous sense of inner peace and strength.” Father Vincent Capodanno Father Vincent Capodanno, a Maryknoll Missionary, served as a marine chaplain during the Vietnam War. Lt. Joseph E. Pilon, MD, gives us an eyewitness account of “the grunt padre’s”Continue 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
“In the sight of God it is not the quantity of our assets that is important but the quality of our being.” One of the most difficult things for us to do is to maintain a certain detachment from the world we live in. Popular culture is increasingly secular andContinue Reading
“a work of art may speak deeply to the heart of an individual” The Abbey in the Oakwood As artists, how do we convey timeless religious themes to an audience that has largely forsaken religion for the vague notion of spirituality? How do we render Christian images of faith andContinue Reading
“True victory comes with perseverance and confidence in God’s goodness” The 1959 film, “A Dog of Flanders” is a lesson in persistence through adversity. (I don’t know if a “***spoiler warning***” is necessary for a 50 year old movie based on an even older novel, but consider yourself warned.)The storyContinue Reading
“no one can depict Jesus as Lord but in the Holy Spirit.” Selling Out? Since the so-called Age of Enlightenment, the attitude towards art has shifted dramatically. Historically, artists have relied on commissions. A person or group commissions the artist to paint a particular subject. The artist completes the workContinue Reading
“Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her.” Luke 10:42 There is a classic argument between Catholic and non-Catholic Christian communities. Are we saved by faith alone or we saved by works? It is sometimes difficult to respond to this because the argument starts with aContinue Reading
“Behold, I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, from the tribe of Judah, and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, and understanding, and knowledge in every craft,” The Number of Creation It has been said that the number “seven”Continue Reading