“Do not abandon yourselves to despair. We are an Easter people and alleluia is our song.” Pope John Paul II What does it mean to be an Easter people? To understand that, we must understand the beginning. so that we may understand the end. The Beginning “In the beginning GodContinue Reading
Advent is traditionally a period of fasting and prayer as we prepare ourselves for the great day of our salvation. But we must remember that it is also a time of joy and anticipation. It is a time of testing, preparation, and joy. In traditional Christian imagery there is aContinue Reading
Our part is to “be vigilant at all times and pray.” This is our time of testing. Michelle Malkin is a well known journalist and social commentator. In a recent interview she told of how she temporarily lost sight of the “big picture” and the near tragedy that resulted. MichelleContinue Reading
“Perhaps our greatest desire, often unexpressed, is to be at peace.” There is an old story about a king who had the habit of dressing in a disguise, mounting his horse and riding out late at night to survey his kingdom without all the attention and panoply that usually accompaniedContinue 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
“While the Council of Nicaea affirmed the validity of the use of sacred images, the Council of Trent defined the role of art in service to the Church.” As we recounted previously, the Council of Nicaea refuted the ideas of the iconoclasts, and affirmed the validity of the use ofContinue Reading
“The composition of religious imagery is not left to the initiative of the artist, but is formed upon principles laid down by the Catholic Church and by religious tradition… The execution alone belongs to the painter, the selection and arrangement of subject belongs to the Fathers.” The above quote isContinue Reading
“A Christian always looks forward, not back. Our entire existence here on earth is a journey towards Christ.” Are we constantly looking forward to the future or backward to the past? A Woman Taken in Adultery The Holy Gospel According to Saint John gives us an account of a womanContinue Reading
Among those who write or blog on the topic of theology and the arts; the idea of artist as prophet comes up fairly regularly. This seems to point to a larger issue concerning vocation. Given his (or her) unique gifts, what is the role of the artist? One who speaksContinue Reading
“Man is a creative being, as “sub-creator,” he shares in the creative power of God.” Man as Sub-Creator J.R.R. Tolkien wrote, “Man, Sub-creator, the refracted light through whom is splintered from a single White to many hues, and endlessly combined in living shapes that move from mind to mind. ThoughContinue Reading