Christianity burst upon the pagan world with an astounding message— God wanted a personal relationship with every man and woman in creation. Friendship with Christ conferred dignity on all humanity— slaves, women, the sick, and the disabled—a fact that was reflected in the art Christians had produced in the catacombs and in early churches. Protestant Reformers claimed that the personal nature of the relationship with the Lord had been usurped by intermediaries, particularly the clergy, but also the saints. Catholics, on the other hand, understood that holy men and women, whether martyrs or co ..read more

Without presuming to speak for the human race, but claiming what authority membership bestows, let it be said that there is no time when people are more susceptible to otherworldly interactions than at Christmas time. Marking the greatest spiritual advent in history, the aura and traditions of Christmas have been alive with ghosts ever since—making Mr. Chesterton’s “The Shop of Ghosts” most welcome as a warm yet shivering parable about Christmas spirits. By contrast to the other seasons, Christmas is the most merrily haunted season, and it is in this contrast that Christmas must be appreciate ..read more

Among the precious treasures of the Church that bring about the salvation of souls, which we must recover if we are to save our families and rebuild a Christian society, is the Sacrament of Matrimony. Is it not darkened today above all because we rarely proclaim this forgotten gem among the seven sacraments, no longer let it shine in our lives? Hope returns when we consider what is among the most improbable phenomena of our time, the construction of the Sagrada Família, the Expiatory Church of the Holy Family, right in the middle of the modern metropolis of Barcelona. The Dante of Architectur ..read more

Miguel de Cervantes, who would one day write the great novel Don Quixote, was born in 1547 in Spain. His family had at one time held influence in society. By the time Cervantes was born, his father was poor and often had to travel in search of work. After studying under the Jesuits in Seville, Cervantes began a career as a soldier, and would find himself in the middle of one of the most important Christian military battles of all time—the battle of Lepanto.  By the 1500s, the Ottoman Empire’s naval fleet had become very powerful. They controlled most of the Mediterranean and often attac ..read more

When we speak about Heaven there is a tendency to dismiss our speculation as “just imagining things.” But Our Dear Lord, knowing that we need examples that are a little more concrete, gives us ever-so-tiny hints of Heaven — lights and ideas and experiences that are going to be very similar, only greatly enhanced in Heaven. Music in Life Let’s take music. There are all kinds of music, and each one of our hearts rejoices in some kind of music. But we don’t hear the same thing, even when we like the same kind of music. So, let’s go through some of the kinds of music we experience in life — some ..read more

If you think a novel set in 14th century Norway has to be dull, think again. Sigrid Undset’s Kristin Lavransdatter is such a book, and far from being a bore, it is surely one of the most exciting works of fiction ever—to say nothing of being the finest Catholic novel. The three volumes that together make up the novel made their first appearance a century ago. In 1928 Undset received the Nobel Prize for literature in recognition of her achievement. And today Kristin Lavransdatter still commands an admiring audience of readers as its inclusion in the Penguin Classics series testifies.  The ..read more

I’ve often been asked which Catholic books I have in my home.  I must admit that years ago my response would have been: “I have a few Bibles and a few books on lives of the saints”, but that was it. And most were acquired as gifts marking sacramental or special occasions. Perhaps like so many other Catholics, I did not understand the need for having a good Catholic library at home.   Gradually, my opinion on the importance of having such books in my home began to change, and primarily upon entering into the Sacrament of Matrimony. Both my wife and I received a thirst for knowle ..read more

The lazy days of summer should be spent in leisurely reading. But I would recommend books that deal with truth. A friend confessed to me that she reads trash, and defined the term as material read but never remembered. The ten books I recommend provide glimpses of enduring truth. They feed the mind and soul and animate the spirit. They offer ideas that will please, enrapture, and edify. 1. Orthodoxy by Gilbert Keith Chesterton: Chesterton is a paragon of common sense. But that alone hardly does him justice. His imagination and literary skills are unsurpassed. He is the unparalleled master of ..read more

Prayer and Plastic Art “Plastic arts,” in its most general definition, refers to the visual arts whose products, once formed, remain still. Music and dance and culinary art appear and vanish, ebbing away while we enjoy them. But painting and drawing, sculpture and architecture, stay where they are. They sit and wait, perpetually available. Of course, movies and dvd-players and Youtube videos and Netflix accounts are also perpetually available. If you’re looking for something to look at, why not choose something moving on a screen instead of something frozen on a canvas or in a marble block? H ..read more

Among the precious treasures of the Church that bring about the salvation of souls, which we must recover to save our families and rebuild a Christian society, is the Sacrament of Matrimony. Is it not darkened today above all because we rarely proclaim this forgotten gem among the seven sacraments, no longer let it shine in our lives? Hope rises in considering what is probably the most improbable phenomenon of our time, the construction of the Sagrada Família, the Expiatory Church of the Holy Family, right in the middle of the modern metropolis of Barcelona. Resistance against the Sagrada Fa ..read more