Our Desert Journey
In a few sentences, Saint Paul sums up the whole of human history. God intended for man to live in perfect communion with Him. We were created in a state of divine grace, an intimate relationship with the Almighty and with each other. But Adam, the leader of that firstContinue Reading
Illustration – Saints Perpetua and Felicity
Seek First The Kingdom, part II
Read part one here. In 1733 Augustus II, the Elector of Saxony, died. A period of mourning followed which forbid all forms of music making. Johann Sebastian Bach used this time to compose the first parts of what would become the Mass in B Minor, a complete setting for theContinue Reading
Seek First the Kingdom, part I
Throughout the history of our salvation, from Adam and Eve, to the present, God has always asked us the same question. Do we trust in Him or in ourselves? It has been said that man has only ever had one problem; he wants to be like God. An attachment toContinue Reading
Illustration – Saint Flavian
Solon was procurator in Carthage when the persecution raised by Valerian entered its second year. A revolt in that city led to the deaths of many and Solon, rather than trouble himself to find the guilty, used the tragedy to turn the people against the Christians. Ten of the clergyContinue Reading
It’s Not A Religion For Wimps
Turn the other cheek, do more than is required of you, do good to those who hate you, these passages from scripture are frequently used to bolster the assertion that Christianity is a religion for the weak and the passive. But this is a superficial interpretation. For the past fewContinue Reading
The Parable of the Statue
The Kingdom of God may be likened to a statue of pagan antiquity. Carved by an unknown Roman artisan at the behest of a wealthy patron, when the empire was at the height of its power. The statue depicts an athlete, idealized in form and feature. It is greatly prized byContinue Reading
The Patron Saint of Artists
John of Fiesole was a dominican monk who lived in the first half of the 15th century. He became known as Fra Angelico due to the beauty of his devotional works of art. Michelangelo once said of him: “One has to believe that this good monk has visited paradise andContinue Reading
Art As Prophecy
Prophets in the ancient world spoke for God. They also served as a reminder to the people of their relationship with the Almighty, particularly when the people turned away from Him. We have amazingly short attention spans. We need constant reminders of our relationship with God and our ultimate destination.Continue Reading
New Printshop
After some ups and downs with a previous vendor I have just made arrangements with Fine Art America to handle requests for unsigned open edition prints. So the good news is the printshop is back up and running, new work, new pricing, take a look: https://deaconlawrence.org/p/print-shop.html They offer a greatContinue Reading