Encountering God on the Mountaintop
the highest places on earth are traditionally where one goes to have an encounter with God The Mountaintop In ancient tradition, God dwells on the mountaintops. That is where Elijah encounters Him. But God was not in the great wind that tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks. HeContinue Reading
Trials, Temptations, and the Arts
“the creatives among us, … are particularly vulnerable to the temptation to stray from the path.” The Hero’s Journey Have you ever thought of yourself as the hero of your own story? Many of our most popular stories, told through the medium of film, follow a similar pattern. A heroContinue Reading
How To Respond To Oppression and Persecution
Perhaps some of the most difficult teachings of Christ concern how we respond to oppression. Cardinal Van Thuan In 1975, the communist forces of North Vietnam captured Saigon in the south and united the country under one communist rule. The communist authorities view Catholicism as the influence of a foreignContinue Reading
The Purpose of Marriage
“God gave us the institution of marriage; …because we need each other, as helpmates.” The 2013 movie “Frozen” was a huge hit for Disney studios. About halfway through the film a character makes an extraordinary statement, “love is putting someone else’s needs before yours.” It really is not more complicatedContinue Reading
Illustration: The Sacred Heart of Jesus
An illustration of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, after Carl Martin Ritter von Feuerstein. A symbol of the love God bears for all humanity.Continue Reading
A Beacon of Light in the Darkness
“A shining city on a hill serves as an example to us all.” Since the time of Jesus, a city on a hill has served as a metaphor for a place that serves as as a beacon, driving back the darkness, calling people to it, and setting an example forContinue Reading
Simple Tools in the Hands of a Master
“If we would be happy, then it is for us to follow Christ in His humility.” Robert Bateman Robert Bateman is one of the world’s most acclaimed wildlife and nature artists. He has won numerous awards and his life and work is documented in dozens of books and films, PrintsContinue Reading
Shining Light Into The Dark Places
“I am a fragment of a mirror … I can reflect light into the dark places of this world” -Alexander Papaderous The Battle of Crete One of the more significant battles of the second world war was the Battle of Crete. The small mediterranean island made a critical staging pointContinue Reading
The Work of the Christian
“For the Christian, there is only one task to accomplish but an infinite number of ways to do so.” General Patton’s Wisdom In the 1970 movie “Patton,” there is a scene that vividly depicts the faith of the general in the enterprising nature of the human spirit. It is duringContinue Reading
Kings, and the Virtue of Humility
“Humility is perhaps the one virtue that divides society.” In 1942 a horrifying discovery was made in the Polish forest of Katyn. Workers uncovered a mass grave containing the remains of over 20,000 Polish citizens, military and civilians, who were seen as a threat to the Soviet regime. EachContinue Reading