“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
“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
“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
“God has left his mark on humanity just as surely as He has left it on all of creation.” God has left His mark on all of creation, including man. It really cannot be otherwise. We see this reflected in our own nature. We can often identify the author ofContinue Reading
“as we travel the nave from west to east we are traveling through salvation history” The Gothic writ large In studying the Gothic style, with the aim of restoring it as a living tradition, we are sometimes faced with the challenge of finding liturgical examples. Byzantine iconography is relatively easyContinue Reading
“It was apparent failures like these that ended up converting the entire Roman Empire to Christianity.” There are times when, despite our best efforts, we fail. Even though we know that our ministry is desperately needed, we are sometimes rejected. Jesus told us to work hard. He told us thatContinue Reading
“It is the type of knowledge characteristic of the good man in his judgments of moral questions, of the mystic with regard to divine things, of the artist with respect to his work.” Local Hero How do we know what we know? The 1983 film “Local Hero” takes place largelyContinue Reading
“No one who sets a hand to the plow and looks to what was left behind is fit for the kingdom of God.” Along the way to Jerusalem, Jesus meets a man who promises to follow Him, after he first returns home to say goodbye to his family. Jesus tellsContinue Reading