During daily Mass, I found myself contemplating the large crucifix over the altar. I gazed at the image of Jesus, taking in the particulars of his face, his posture (limp but not sagging, head bowed slightly), and the flow of the cloth around his hips. I didn't realize I was doing this until my gaze… Continue reading The Shadow of the Cross
Category: Faith and Life
No Room For You
The innkeeper had no incentive to care about the exhausted and expecting couple. Caesar Augustus had called a census, and everyone within at least five miles of Bethlehem was either on their way in to be enrolled or on their way out. He was occupied with his own affairs; his inn was full. "Sorry," he… Continue reading No Room For You
Family is the Permanent Catechumenate that the Sacrament of Marriage Needs
Pope Francis, in union with the overwhelming majority of Catholic bishops, priests, deacons, and lay faithful, has a deeply pastoral concern about the current state of marriage. In a recent address to students at a marriage and family life course in Rome, the Holy Father called for a permanent catechumenate for the sacrament of marriage,… Continue reading Family is the Permanent Catechumenate that the Sacrament of Marriage Needs
Magic in the Mundane
For once you have tasted flight you will walk the earth with your eyes turned skywards, for there you have been and there you will long to return. -Leonardo Da Vinci There is something deeply compelling about the fantastical: the ideas, the possibilities, the inhabitants, of a world that is so like ours yet alien… Continue reading Magic in the Mundane
The Tree
On Ke'eamoku St. in Honolulu stands a tree. It is a large tree, with large, fanned roots that in and of themselves are impressive. I am always awed by this tree, and fascinated by its shape: one side obviously receives the brunt of the elements, and the other flourishes with leafy branches. I came across… Continue reading The Tree
New Theories and Old Traditions
In the protective recesses of Yale's museum is an ancient fresco fragment. To the average eye it is humble in appearance: the outline of a woman, bending down to what seems like a well. The long-held belief, logically, is that the fresco depicts the Samaritan woman at the Well, from the Gospel of John,… Continue reading New Theories and Old Traditions
God Bless the C/E-ers!
Happy Easter! It's that wonderful moment in the Liturgical year where churches around the US see members come out of the woodwork and actually go...to...church. Yay! Yay? For those of us whose butts are in the pews every week, Easter and Christmas are probably considered the most frustrating times of the year. It's a reminder of… Continue reading God Bless the C/E-ers!
